Samsung Bespoke Cube Air Purifier AX53 review: Pretty, pricey

Samsung's Bespoke Cube Air Purifier AX53 begs a simple question: how much do you care about how your air purifier looks?

The AX53 is the antithesis of the typical air purifier design, trading in the industrial white tower aesthetic often associated with the category for a two-tone art deco kind of vibe. The look won't be for everyone, but it immediately feels more like an object that you'd want to have in your home, rather than one you put up with.

The trade-off is price. The Bespoke Cube Air Purifier AX53 starts at $1,299, making it far more expensive than your standard air purifier. Despite the cost, the AX53 isn't necessarily more feature-packed. It had a few extra bells and whistles when compared to Samsung's range, but the biggest differentiator is design.

Strictly speaking, the Bespoke Cube Air Purifier AX53 isn't a cube. More so, cube-like, thanks to being wider than it is tall. Well, that and rounded corners.

From an aesthetic perspective, I find the AX53 rather charming. The two-tone aesthetic - white body and beige panels - is rather nice, and the pattern on the front makes me think of an old-timey New York bar. One martini please.

There's a subtle display integrated into the top right-hand corner of the unit, with a colour-changing indicator depending on the air quality inside. Green is naturally the best, while red is the worst. If you're thinking of putting the AX53 in your bedroom, the display can be dimmed for sleep purposes.

The AX53 is the smaller option in Samsung's Bespoke Cube family, and is roughly 38 x 44 x 40cm. It's not quite small, but it's not too obstructive. I could definitely see one preferring a narrow air purifier - the 40cm of depth means the AX53 juts out more than Samsung's taller air purifiers, for example.

When it comes to purification, the Bespoke AirCube AX53 covers a space of 53 square metres, so it should easily be able to handle most non-mansion-sized rooms. The AX53 has HEPA filtration said to remove 99.97% of 0.3㎛ ultra-fine dust, which is pretty common for the category. There are also indicators for PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 particles, as well as gas.

Out of the box, the AX53 runs in smart mode, where it dials up the purification as necessary. In my testing, I've found it was more than okay just to leave it on and have it dial up as needed. After a particularly big cooking session with the windows closed, it would take about an hour or so for the AX53 to bring air quality back to "green".

There's also a high power mode for when you want it on full blast, a pet mode, and a night mode for when you're sleeping. Lastly, the AX53 features a "wind-free" mode that purifies without adding cold air. This is the key difference between the AX53 and Samsung's more affordable options, spec-wise at the least, and it does a pretty good job. Having the AX53 on during winter didn't make my living room feel colder.

In the box, you'll also find a pet filter, which can help pet hair from the air. Samsung recommends cleaning the filters every two weeks, but you will eventually need to replace both the pet filter and HEPA filter, which is a rather pricey affair. They sell for $149 and $199, respectively.

Using the very scientific approach of measuring the AX53's output via my Apple Watch's noise app, I found it hit around 40db during normal operation. It's present, but not overly so. Turning on sleep mode lowers the volume to 35db, which is quiet enough that you can barely hear the AX53 even when you're sitting right next to it. At its loudest, the AX53 hit over 60db. You get a roar that's hard to ignore when it's working hard, like when cooking, for example.

The Bespoke AirCube AX53 integrates with Samsung's SmartThings ecosystem for some pretty basic functionality. Using the SmartThings companion app, you can turn the device on or off, or create schedules for it. Notably, this is the only way to set a schedule, so you'll need to use the smart functionality if this is a feature that's important to you.

If you're using an Android phone, this is fine. The app works well. If you're an iPhone user, this could be a bit more frustrating. I regularly found myself waiting 30 seconds or more for the app to actually connect to the device.

The Samsung Bespoke AirCube AX53 lives and dies by how much you love its aesthetic. It certainly does the job when it comes to air purification, but there are plenty of cheaper options you can pick from. Do you care about how your air purifier looks, and are you willing to spend more to buy one that bucks trends? If so, the AX53 could be right up your alley.