Alen BreatheSmart FIT50 Review In 2023

Published on February 21st, 2023

Design and Usability

Slightly smaller than the standard BreatheSmart model. Alen BreatheSmart FIT50 air purifier retains its conventional body size at 16.8 x 22.3 x 10 inches even though it feels a lot more compact in real life. The total weight also dropped at only 16 lb (compare with 21 lb) which means moving the air purifier around is no issue via the back handle. Staying on the exterior, almost everything from the design cue is brought forward including our favorite swap-able front panel. Select one of the 14 beautiful front cover panels ranging from Seafoan-Green to Rosewood design. Air flows in via the side and bottom inlet and flows out via the top outtake. Overall, the build quality is top-grade that guarantees no air bypass on regular use.

Moving on to usability, Alen BreatheSmart FIT50 straightforward control panel comes with labeled buttons and dedicated indicator lights for every function. Arranging from left to right, you have the Ion button, Filter life button, Timer button, Power button, Speed button, Auto button, and Lock button. As to date, the Lock button is the only function not available in BreatheSmart Classic. To start the air purifier, hit the Power button once and the surrounding air quality indicator ring will illuminate. Press again to turn off all display lights and again to stop the air purifier. The AQ indicator ring will change its color based on the number of airborne particles in the air. Blue = low level of airborne particles detected, yellow = moderate level, and red = high/ significant level. Ion button would turn on or off the ozone-free Ionizer. Timer button will cycle through 2, 4, 12 hours pre-set when pressed. The same goes with the Speed button, pressing the button repeatedly will cycle through fan speeds 1, 2, 3, and T for turbo. Another dedicated function is the Auto button that will activate or deactivate autonomous purifying. Finally, pressing and holding the Lock button for 3 seconds would lock the entire control panel from your kids fiddling it. Repeat the steps to unlock it.

Running down the specification list, starting with 4 fanspeed and an optional Ionizer pair with HEPA filter of your choice, WhisperMax technology, SmartSensor with auto mode, air quality indicator with display, Advanced Smart Filter that correctly set the filter replacement time based on usage/ condition, Child-lock, Auto-off safety feature, UL listed, ENERGY STAR rated, and Lifetime limited warranty.

Airflow, Coverage, And CADR

First thing first, Alen BreatheSmart FIT50 air purifier airflow performance might be slightly second-rate to the standard version. However, at 900 sq. ft. applicable area with 2 air changes per hour, it greatly outshines other similar class air purifiers. For an asthmatic person, you can increase the cleaning frequency to 4 air changes or hour and will see the coverage drop to 530 square footage. Ideal for bedroom, small living room, kitchen, basement, garage, and office space. Airflow delivery rate is also commendable at Speed 1: 110 CFM, Speed 2: 142 CFM, Speed 3: 192 CFM, Turbo: 231 CFM. Auto mode works responsively according to the volume of nearby particles in the air.

Dust, Smoke, and Pollen CADR are at an average of 220 cfm (tested by ENERGY STAR). Decent for its purifying capacity and airflow distribution. It passed our 200 cfm benchmark so it's safe to say that the air purifier would have no problem capturing airborne contaminants with the right type of filter.

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Filters And Performance

Let's start with the reusable pre-filter velcro to the HEPA filter. It's washable and works exactly as advertised; trap large-size pollutants and prolong HEPA filter lifespan. Uniquely Alen, you have the option to choose 1 of the 4 types of HEPA filter that each has its own specialty. The default HEPA-Pure filter is effective against common household allergens but it lacks any deodorization filtration. HEPA-FreshPlus is the enhanced version that would target, chemical, smoke, and VOCs dispersed from home. For mold, germs issue that relates to asthma, you have the HEPA-Silver. Finally, HEPA-OdorCell is magnificent against stinky old diapers and pet odor. On leftover or unclear pollutants, the ionizer would come into play. Each filter kit is built differently but expects the same size, quality, and durability.

Filter maintenance and care

Alen BreatheSmart FIT50 air purifier has one of the easiest filter replacement sets we have ever seen. It uses 1 filter kit in its entire filtration contrary to others multiple filter setups. To begin the filter replacement, first make sure the air purifier is standing upright, then proceed by pulling out the front panel starting from the bottom corner. With the front cover out of the way, remove the filter by pulling the pull strings and replace it with the new filter. Make sure the wrapper on the new filter is removed and the pull strings are facing outwards. Reattach the front panel via the top tabs first and that's it, you're done in probably less than 2 minutes. There is a removable pre-filter within the HEPA filter kit that can be clean when it is clogged with particles. Simply peel the black foam layer that is held on by Velcro and lightly vacuum the filter.

Noise And Energy Usage

WhisperMax technology bounded 32-49 dB noise output is less noisy than standard BreathSmart Classic but you can hardly tell the differences in normal circumstances. For night use we recommend switching on Auto mode as the air purifier can automatically adjust the fan speed without causing a disturbance to your sleep. Ionizer plays little to no part in the noise party. Next, power consumption is at an average of 60 watts per hour similar to the more powerful BreatheSmart Classic (both Energy Star rated) but slightly better than other similar range models.

Pricing And Maintainence Cost

Alen FIT50 air purifier is priced between the 3 BreatheSmart air purifiers; reasonable but certainly not the cheapest model in the market. Note that the price does not include the upgraded filters and front cover panel addons. What you do get is plenty of bells and whistles to go along with the filter kit. Annual filter replacement cost is also reasonable given the filter can last between 6 to 18 months period. Based on our test, the 18 months filter lifespan is easily achievable on normal use at 12 hours of daily operation. Stock availability is great as you can easily purchase any of the 4 replacement filters online.

Verdicts And Ratings

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