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breathesmart fit50 front review

In this Alen BreatheSmart FIT50 air purifier review, we’ll be analyzing a device that you won’t miss in most discussions of the best air purifiers in 2020. This model comes to succeed the famous BreatheSmart Flex and promises a wider coverage and advanced air cleaning technologies.

The Alen FIT50 brings most of the great highlights that Alen air purification devices are known for, including a fantastic level of customization and whisper-quiet operations. However, the biggest question is, “is it worth its mid-range price tag?”

The Alen FIT50 is Best For:

  • Large rooms– Alen claims that the Alen FIT50 offers an air purification coverage of 600-900 sq.ft. Impressively, most homeowners who have reviewed this air purifier report that it can successfully manage large spaces, including master bedrooms and luxuriously spacious living rooms.
  • Those who are super-sensitive to changes in air-quality– this air purifier has one of the most sensitive air sensors. When set to run on auto, it will continuously analyze the quality of your air and adjust its speed accordingly.
  • Anyone looking for a powerful yet quiet air purifier– this is among a few other air purifiers out there that you can run on the highest setting without its noise level being overpowering.
alen breathesmart fit50 featured 1

Unboxing and Set up

In the box, you’ll get the Alen FIT50 with the HEPA filter kit pre-installed and a manual. There’s virtually no assembly required since the HEPA filter comes already in place. However, this filtration kit comes wrapped in a plastic bag that needs to be pulled out before powering the device. The filer is located at the front and can be accessed by snapping off the front panel starting from the bottom.

Unbeatable Construction Integrity and Customization

You may be paying a little bit more for the FIT50 compared to flagship purifiers from competitor brands. However, the value that this particular model offers is visible not only in the performance front but mainly on how it’s built and on the level of customization.

alen breathesmart fit50 side

First, unlike most budget air purifiers that are mainly made of plastics, this device employs both metallic and plastic parts. Therefore, it’s not surprising that durability is one of the benefits that stand out in most Alen Breathesmart FIT50 air purifier reviews on Amazon.

What we like most, though, is the ability to customize this air purifier’s front panel design and color to your wall or flooring décor. You’ll have a choice of 13 natural tree shades to choose from, including weathered gray, maple, and our all-time favorite oak. The colors include white, black, pink, and champagne.

View Alen BreatheSmart Fit50 on Amazon

Size and Placement

The Alen FIT50 is 16.75 inches wide, 10 inches deep, and 22.25 inches high. It’s notably larger than most small bedroom air purifiers, but this is the typical size that most large room air purifiers come at. It’s quite on the heavier side, though, at around 16 pounds. Luckily, there is a sturdy built-in handle at the back that makes relocating the purifier easy.

alen breathesmart fit50 dimensions

Judging by its size, the Alen FIT50 air purifier is meant to stay on floors although you may also position it on a low-lying top. Ideally, you could place it near a wall, next to the couch, or at the center of the room if your arrangement allows.

Let’s talk about its filtration system

Very thick air purification kit

The FIT50 uses pretty much the standard 3-stage filtration system. However, compared to its competitors, you’ll realize that Alen uses incredibly larger and thicker filtration kits for its air purifiers. This could explain why the filters are able to last 12-18 months.

Get the right filter kit for your needs

What we find so impressive in this Alen Breathesmart FIT50 review is the ability to customize the filter to your specific needs. Have you ever had to skip an air purifier that ticked most of your boxes but didn’t have the right filter for your needs? We’ve all been there.

With the FIT50, you have 4 choices of air filters to choose from depending on the type of contaminants in your air. This versatility means that should you move to another environment with different challenges, you’ll only need to switch the filter kit as opposed to buying a new air purifier.

Here are the 4 unique Alen Breathesmart filter kits to choose from. Worth mentioning, these filters are HEPA Type but not True HEPA (we’ll explain this in the section about noise emission).

  • HEPA Pure: this filter kit is engineered to combat most airborne allergens, including pet hair, dander, dust, pollen, and mold. It’s the most affordable of the four. View it on Amazon here.
  • HEPA Silver: it works best with pet hair, dander, dust, mold, mildew, bacteria, and light odors. If you live in a high humid city and are looking for the best air purifier for mold and mildew, the HEPA Silver filter is yours. View it on Amazon here.
  • HEPA Fresh Plus: do you live with a smoker or are you looking for a way to filter out wildfire smoke from your house? This filter kit is designed for that. It also helps a lot with VOCs and kitchen odors. View it on Amazon here.
  • HEPA Odorcell: this will be your go-to filter kit if you want to remove odors from pets, diaper changes, and generally stinky rooms. View it on Amazon here.

Optional Ionizing technology

The FIT50 also comes with an optional ionizer to add to its air cleaning strengths. This technology works by emitting negative ions as a way of removing air contaminants in your room. Not to be confused with Ozone generators, ionizing technology is safe for your health.

Controls and Special Features

This unit is controlled solely from the control panel at the top. Remote control or compatible mobile app would make a great addition. However, since an air purifier is meant to be a power-on-and-forget device, the lack of these 2 doesn’t bother most people.

The Alen FIT50 control panel has the usual controls that we see on purifiers; filter life indicator, 2-, 4-, and 12-hour timer, and a 4-speed control. It also has auto mode and light-off mode, which dims all the lights for a quiet night.

A unique feature here is the child-lock button that locks in your settings, so your kids and pets won’t be able to change. In addition, the ring around the power button is an air quality indicator that cycles from red to yellow and blue to keep you posted on the air quality of your room.

alen breathesmart fit50 sensor 1

Performance

Coverage

Alen claims that this air purifier is meant to cover large spaces of up to 900 sq.ft. However, going by its CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 194 cfm for Dust, 188 cfm for smoke, and 222 cfm for pollen, and an ACH (Air Changes per Hour) of between 2x and 5x, this generator seems best suited for mid-sized spaces of utmost 330 sq.ft. Thanks to its powerful motor, though, we’d confidently recommend it for rooms measuring 600-700 sq.ft

Noise Levels

As we mentioned earlier, this air purifier uses HEPA Type air filters, not True HEPA. Alen says that this was a design choice since they wanted a filter that is effective at trapping contaminants without restricting airflow. The results are evident in its noise output levels.

At the lowest setting, this air purifier is around 32 dB loud (whisper quiet). At speed 2, the noise gets to around 38 dB, which is comparable to the sound of light rainfall. Speed 3 is approximately 44 dB or as loud as heavy rainfall. At the highest setting, the noise output is about 48.7 dB, which is almost equal to a normal conversation.

Energy consumption

The Alen Breathesmart FIT50 is rated at 65w at the highest speed setting. While this is slightly higher than what its younger sibling, the Breathesmart Flex consumes, the large motor used for the FIT50 justifies the difference.

Importantly, this air purifier has an Energy Star rating for being efficient. Running it for 8 straight hours would cost you around 6 cents daily and approximately $23 annually.

Maintenance

alen breathesmart fit50 filter replacement

The air filter kit requires to be replaced every 9-12 months on regular use. If you use the air purifier irregularly, the filters could last 15-18 months. We’ve found that washing the preliminary filter and vacuuming the HEPA-type filter every 2-3 months also helps in extending the kit’s usable lifetime. As a rule of thumb, replace the filter as soon as the filter indicator light tells you to do so.

The Alen Forever Guarantee

Besides the quality of their devices, there’s something else that makes Alen the best air purifier brand in 2020: its lifetime warranty. If your device just stopped working and the manufacturer label at the back is still intact, you are guaranteed a replacement (with free shipping!) forever.

BreatheSmart Fit50 Pros & Cons

Pros 👍
✔ Quiet even at high-speed levels
✔ Super-sensitive to air quality changes
✔ Customizable front panel color and designs
✔ Different filters for different needs
✔ Thick filtration kit
✔ Lifetime warranty

Cons 👎
✘ Hefty initial outlay
✘ Quite on the heavier side
✘ Not True HEPA filter

Alen FIT50 Review Verdict

Amazon has lots of air purifiers that are way cheaper than the Alen Breathesmart FIT50. However, when you consider the level of customization that this model offers plus the promise of a lifetime guarantee, you’ll realize that you are getting an incredible bang for your money with this unit.

Couple that with its wide coverage and low noise emissions, and you’ll be looking at one of the best air purifiers in 2020.


Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Fit50 effective for carbon monoxide?

Unfortunately, air purifiers don’t have the ability to filter out CO even when fitted with activated carbon charcoal. Depending on the filter, the FIT50 removes pet hair, odor, dander, smoke, mold, VOC, and bacteria, and virus.

Why are the filters more expensive than competitor brands?

Alen air filtration kits are generally thicker and are optimized for excellent airflow, which results in lower noise levels. Among other reasons, these 2 ultimately lead to a higher price tag.

Does the Silver filter rely on UV light to kill molds?

No. Alen says that this filter is manufactured using an antimicrobial weave that kills molds, thereby eliminating the need for UV light.