Alen BreatheSmart True HEPA Air Purifier Review

We all have different ideas and opinions about what appliances are the most indispensable in our home which, unsurprisingly, affects our decision of the appliances that we buy and the ones that we ignore. When it comes to the topic of the most important appliances in our homes the air purifier should never be taken for granted.

Why do we say so? Well, the answer is simple. Our homes are filled to the brisk with air contaminants and pollutants that may put our respiratory health at risk. Come to think of it: pollen, pet dander (if you have a pet), mold, dust, and bacteria may be floating freely in your home’s interior.

The saddest part is that there is nothing, other than wrapping your home in non-porous material, will prevent these up-to-no-good materials from sneaking into your house. Luckily, an air purifier can “arrest” these bothersome, microscopic elements so that they won’t have to ruin your air quality and probably leave you struggling with respiratory issues in the long run.

When it comes to the best Air Purifiers in the market, one of the popular brands is Alen. As you can expect, this is a company that has produced a chain of highly-rated air purifiers, but we will focus on one of their largest and most advanced in this review: the Alen BreatheSmart Classic Air Purifier.

But why the Alen BreatheSmart?

If you want a quick, direct-to-the-point answer to this question here you go: The Alen BreatheSmart HEPA air filter has been designed with such great precision and effectiveness in mind, which makes it ideal to clean the largest spaces in your house or office.

BreatheSmart purifies 1,100 sq. ft. of area every 30 minutes

Not only that: it also features a simple, yet sleek and stylish design without forgetting that it come in a variety of different colors that will make it blend easily and seamlessly into any interior decor theme. Besides, this classic air purifier is a child of NASA airflow engineers.

Equipped with the True HEPA filter for maximum effectiveness when it comes to cleaning your air, you can be sure that you have a true and reliable hero in your home or office.

What are the most notable features of this air purifier?

As a purifier that is made by one of the leading brands in the air purification industry, the Alen BreatheSmart has considerably amazing specifications. In this section, we will concentrate on the most important features that make this Alen purifier worth the money. So let’s get to it:

1. A 3-stage air filtration process

The Alen BreatheSmart makes use of a three-phase air filtration process to clean the air in your home or office. Unlike some air purifiers that draw in the air with impurities from the front panel, this one has a distinctive design and draws the air in from the grilles that are found on the bottom and sides of the purifier.

The first stage is the filtration involves removing larger particles from the air as it is being drawn in, using a cleanable foam filter. Contaminants such as large dust particles and hair can be eliminated at this stage.

The second stage is the most active, and it involves using the True HEPA air filter to get rid of the smaller, harder-to-get-rid-of pollutants such as bacteria, allergens, smoke, odors, and more. You can even make use of an optional ionizer to clean the air further.

The last stage involves sending the pollutant-free air out through the vent located at the top of the appliance. A powerful fan ensures that the air coming out of the purifier goes as high as possible after which it can then spread throughout the entire room.

2. Optional ionizer

An ionizer offers a way to clean air even better by making airborne particles attach themselves more easily onto the HEPA filter. The Alen BreatheSmart features an optional ionizer that is meant to make it clean air more efficiently. The reason why the ionizer is optional is that there is still a tiny risk of ozone being concentrated when the ionizer is left running for long.

Even though Alen claims that this model is ozone-free, they recommend that you activate the ionizer only for limited periods and if possible, when no one – including your pets – is at home.

3. SmartSensor technology

This is a technology that allows the Alen BreatheSmart Air Purifier to gauge the concentration of pollutants in a given space while adjusting the cleaning speed for optimal air cleaning. If the concentration of air pollutants is high, the Alen purifier will increase the cleaning speed. Once the level of air pollutants is low enough, the device will get into standby mode and wait to receive further cleaning instructions.

4. Timer settings

This is one of the most useful features of this air purifier by Alen. The timer feature increases the automation possibilities of this air cleaner, which is undoubtedly crucial especially if you want to use the ionizer. With this feature, you can set the air purifier to clean for a given period, so that the air is clean by the time you get back into your house again.

5. Customizable HEPA air filters

The True HEPA Air Filter is a highly effective filter that is capable of trapping particles that are as small as 0.3 microns with an effectiveness of up to 99.97%. To make things even more interesting Alen provides four different kinds of HEPA air filters to choose from, depending on the kind of pollutants that you want to eliminate from your home.

The four kinds of filters are as follows:

Odorcell – for the pungent, stubborn odors such the ones from soiled diapers
Silver – for mold and bacteria
Pure – for the common air pollutants and allergens
Fresh Plus – for chemical fumes and cigarette odors

6. WhisperMax technology

This feature makes it possible for the Alen BreatheSmart to run almost undetected in any room, which makes it perfect for use even in a baby’s room. The WhisperMax tech reduces the noise output from the air purifier with the aim of keeping distraction at the least possible level. At the highest setting, the Alen BreatheSmart Classic Purifier produces pink noise which is widely recognized for its relaxation effect – talk of peaceful nights with plenty of clean air for your body to enjoy.

7. Air quality sensor light

Alen made sure that you also have a way to monitor the air quality levels of your home or office by the Alen BreatheSmart with an LED light on the On/Off ring that changes the color depending on how clean or polluted your air is.

Red means that the air is heavily contaminated, and thus the purifier switches to the highest setting to start the air purification process.

Orange means that there is a moderate concentration of air pollutants, thus the fan switches to level 2 or 3, for efficient air purification.

Blue means that the air is clean, and thus the fan stays on the lowest setting to ensure that the air in your home or office remains clean.

8. Minimalistic design

The Alen BreatheSmart Classic air purifier features a simple, eye-catching design that makes it possible to integrate the purifier into any room, without interfering with the décor. But don’t let the silent and seamless integration of this purifier fool you. The Alen Classic air purifier is capable of cleaning 1,100 SqFt of air in just 30 minutes, which is considerably faster than the majority of air purifiers available in the market.

So, which of the four filters should you buy?

As mentioned above, the Alen Classic air purifier is available in four filter variants. Even though the filters are all capable of trapping particles that are 0.3 microns and more, there are some minor differences that set them apart. To make it easier for you to make the right decision, here is a closer look at how the different filters compare:

1. HEPA Pure

This is the most basic kind of filter that is capable of getting rid of dust, pollen, dander, and other airborne allergens from the air in your house. This filter system has multiple HEPA layers that include a pre-filter whose main function is to trap the larger contaminants such as fur and dirt.

The HEPA Pure is Alen’s BASE filter, and for this reason, it is included in almost all filter choices by Alen. You can opt to get this filter if the main challenge in your home is the air contaminants that are responsible for congestions and allergies.

2. HEPA Silver

This filter is more advanced than the HEPA Pure and is equipped with four layers, each with a different function when it comes to cleaning the air in your home or office.

The HEPA Silver filter is a perfect choice for your home or office if you are sensitive to mold, dust, mildew, light odors, mold, and bacteria.

3. HEPA Fresh Plus

This filter system is designed to help the user who is sensitive to fumes from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as bleach, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, and more. It is also useful if you struggle with fumes from a smoker, cooking odors, and fireplace gases. The HEPA Fresh Plus is equipped with three different layers for increased protection against strong odors and fumes.

4. HEPA Odorcell

This filter system is specially designed to get rid of pungent, stubborn odors from your air, leaving you with clean, fresh air throughout your home. This filter is an ideal choice for rooms such as your baby’s room, where soiled diapers may be quite common. You can also use the HEPA Odorcell to get rid of other smells such as cat litter fumes.

Simply put, the HEPA Odorcell is the perfect filter if you have pets, or if some of your rooms are normally stinky for certain reasons. This filter system has three different layers.

The four different filter systems are designed to get as close as possible to your individual air filtration and purification needs, leaving you with clean, and fresh-smelling air. As such, you can assess the situation in your home or office to determine the most ideal filter system for the best result.

Note: If you are wondering whether this purifier can kill coronavirus. No, it probably can’t because as per the current studies, COVID 19 particles are approx 50-200nm in diameter. In micron, it is 0.2 which is under BreatheSmart’s 0.3 threshold. So, it may not work on coronavirus. There are other purifiers like AirSoap that can kill coronavirus.

How to use the Alen BreatheSmart air purifier?

The Alen BreatheSmart purifier is a simple-to-use piece of tech, taking into consideration that it does not require any pre-use assembly. All you have to do is plug in the system, insert the filters and you are good to go.

You can use the purifier on auto or manual mode, depending on your personal preferences and needs. The purifier’s manual controls are direct and easy-to-use, making this purifier one of the best as far as usability is concerned.

If you want to move the purifier from one room to another, you can use the easy lift handle to make things easy for you. You can even use the optional ionizer if you ever feel the need to deep-clean your air.

What are the pros and cons?

As you can expect, this air purifier by Alen has a couple of advantages and disadvantages. Let’s first have a look at the different advantages:

Pros

Large coverage area
Very quiet operation
Attractive design
Good value for money
Easy-to-use control panel

Cons

Super sensitive sensor confuses moisture for pollutants
May not be practical for use in small rooms

Other Variants

Alen BreatheSmart comes in multiple variants including Flex, 45i, 75i, Classic, etc. The following table summarizes the differences.

Final Verdict,

If you are after versatility, effectiveness, and user-friendliness when it comes to purifying the air in your home or office, the Alen BreatheSmart series is, without a doubt, a perfect choice. Choosing the right one according to your room space is the key. If you live in a one-bedroom apartment, the BreatheSmart Flex is ideal for you. If it is a two-bedroom apartment or a residential home, BreatheSmart Classic is perfect. Lastly, the BreatheSmart 75i is great for a large office or workspace.