Alen BreatheSmart Air Purifier

Achoo Review

Alen BreatheSmart Air Purifier

As the most recent addition to the Alen air purifier line, the Alen BreatheSmart offers those coping with allergies a convenient and effective way to improve indoor air quality. Quiet, with a sleek, modern design, the BreatheSmart filters out common particle allergens like pet dander, pollen, mold spores, and dust. As the flagship model of the Alen air purifier line, we tested the BreatheSmart, and this is how it stacked up to the competition.

What I like about the Alen BreatheSmart

Advanced Controls & Ease of Use - Everything with the Alen BreatheSmart air purifier can literally be done with the push of a button (except plugging it in and changing the filter!). From selecting your fan speed and turning on the optional ionizer to setting the timer or Auto Mode, the controls of the Alen BreatheSmart are so simple, they hardly require a user manual! Auto Mode takes the guesswork out of cleaning your indoor air by adjusting fan speed to account for current conditions in the room. This means if the SmartSensor Technology picks up higher concentrations of dust or smoke, it will ramp up the fan speed accordingly to filter out these pollutants and return your indoor air to being clean and fresh. If you do not have the Auto Mode set, no worries. The ring around the power button will change from blue to pink to red (most polluted) to let you know the current quality of the air in your room. The BreatheSmart also eliminates the need to remind yourself when to change the filter. More than a simple timer, the BreatheSmart will calculate filter life based on fan speed and run time. When it's getting close to time to replace your filter, the second light will illuminate. This is probably a good time to order your replacement and when the third light comes on, it is time to replace your filter.

Customized Filtration - Out of the box, the BreatheSmart will come with the HEPA-Pure filter. This filter will trap and retain 99% of all particle 0.3 microns or larger. Granted, it's not HEPA, but the difference is literally fractions of a percent. A built in foam prefilter extends the life of the HEPA-Pure filter and keeps the larger dust particle and hair out of the HEPA style filter. If you need light odor control, anti-microbial protection or heavy odor/chemical vapor control, there are three other filters that can all replace the standard HEPA-Pure filter. One of the other things I did like about this model was that the ionizer was optional. Some people like them. Some people don't, but with the Alen, you actually have the option to use it or not, and if you do, you do not have to worry about ozone. The BreatheSmart produces no detectable levels of ozone.

Quiet - A big drawback with many air purifiers is the noise they produce. Nearly every air purifier available makes noise, especially on the highest fan setting. There is little manufacturers can do to get around this, but Alen has developed a system that minimizes noise. On the first setting, you will hardly notice that the unit is even operating. The second and third settings are where most people will operate this unit, and on these, the noise level is better than average. On the highest setting, it is still loud, about like a box fan on medium, but one two and even three, you'll likely be able to have it operating without having the adjust the television volume.

Warranty - This has been and continues to be one of the best selling features of the Alen brand of air purifiers. A lifetime warranty is still head and shoulders above the rest. Keep your sales receipt, make sure you are regularly replacing the filter, and should you ever have a problem with your BreatheSmart, contact Alen and they will repair or replace it

What I do not like about the Alen BreatheSmart

There are three drawbacks I find with the Alen BreatheSmart. First, the filtration is close, but not quite HEPA. The combination of the electrostatic filter media and the optional ionizer help, but fall just short of true HEPA filtration. Though for many, the difference between 99% and 99.97% filtration of particles 0.3 microns and larger does not seriously detract from this model. Second, the filter life is relatively short. Better than the electrostatic Filtrete filters and on par with Blueair filters, the Alen BreatheSmart filters will only provide about 6-8 months of use. Last, though you can replace the standard HEPA-Pure filter with a FreshPlus or OdorCell, neither will provide you with lasting, heavy duty smoke or chemical vapor filtration. There simply isn't enough filter media for these filters to remain effectively for long. Where odors or chemical vapors aren't a concern, then this is a moot point.

Overall, I find the Alen BreatheSmart to be a very capable and easy-to-use air purifier when dealing with your standard indoor allergens - dust mites, dander, pollen, dust, and mold spores. While there are some drawbacks, for the typical allergy sufferer, the BreatheSmart will likely be a very good fit. Simple to use but advanced controls and features, quiet operation, and excellent particle filtration are all significant upsides to this model. Though you will save some on your power bill due to it being energy efficient, expect to change your filters more frequently than some of the more expensive models. The upside is, with all these filter changes, you'll ensure that should you have a problem, the lifetime warranty will very likely have you covered.

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