Which is Better – the Alen BreatheSmart 75i or the BlueAir Protect 7470i?
Both Alen and BlueAir are companies solely dedicated to making products that improve air quality. We compared the Alen BreatheSmart 75i with the BlueAir Protect 7470i because they are similar in operation, size and price. In our opinion, the Alen BreatheSmart 75i wins out in our head-to-head comparison.
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Features and Price
The Alen BreatheSmart 75i is more expensive than the BlueAir Protect 7470i – but only by $150. The 75i starts at around $750, the Protect 7470i starts at around $600. Both brands offer a financing option for their units through Affirm.
Both machines are easy to use and set up, and operate in similar ways. They are both equipped with air quality indicators and have multiple fan speeds to address all types of irritants in the air inside your home. The units have touch-screen controls, making them both easy to adjust.
Unique Features of the Alen BreatheSmart 75i
The Alen BreatheSmart 75i has a sleek, but boxy design and comes in six different color choices – making it easy to match any color scheme in your home. The cost of the unit starts around $750 dollars and is a great option for large rooms or open floor plans since it covers up to 1300 square feet.
The 75i is constantly monitoring the air quality in the room with its laser-sensing technology. The fan speed will adjust, when needed, if the air purifier detects dirty air. The unit is Energy Star certified, so you won’t see much, if any, difference on your electric bill – even if you run it all the time. The 75i can be controlled through Alen’s app, so you can turn it on or check the air quality of your home no matter where you are. And the lifetime warranty gives you peace of mind that few companies, no matter what product they sell, offer these days.
Unique Features of the BlueAir Protect 7470i
Like Alen, BlueAir’s only business is air purification. The Protect 7470i has a sleek, tower design but only comes in one color choice – white. It will clean the air in 418 square feet about 4 times an hour and costs around $600.
In addition to its HEPA filter, BlueAir touts its patent-pending GermShield technology which helps prevent germ growth on its filters. It’s also equipped with SpiralAir outlets designed to help circulate the air 360 degrees and cover all corners of the room. The unit can be operated through the BlueAir app and, in addition to the air quality, the machine will tell you how much life your filter has left.
Filter Performance
HEPA filters are the gold standard in air purification. You’ll only want to consider units that run with HEPA filters because they are made to pull up to 99.97% of airborne contaminants out of the air. The units will trap the bad particles inside the filter, and force cleaner, purer air back out.
Both the Alen BreatheSmart 75i and the Protect 7470i use True HEPA filters, making them good choices if you’re looking for an air purifier. Alen has three filter choices to pick from – Pure, Fresh and Pet HEPA filters. All three work to pull the allergens, dust, germs, and mold out of the air. The Fresh filter also removes cooking odors, smoke and VOCs and the Pet filter is designed to take away pet dander and odor. The Pure filter costs $100 to replace, the Fresh filter is $130 and the Pet filter is $140.
The Protect 7470i uses two filters attached together by a strap for one large filter. The HEPASilent Ultra combines mechanical and electrostatic filtration to remove particles and gas together. The replacement filter will cost you around $90. The 7470i also has two pre-filters to help get rid of larger particles in the air and help extend the life of the main filter. The pre-filters do not have to be replaced and can be cleaned with a dust cloth or the soft brush attachment on your vacuum.
For your air purifier to work properly, you need to replace the filters regularly. The filter for the Alen 75i lasts up to 15 months, if you run your purifier 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The filter for the BlueAir Protect 7470i doesn’t last as long. It will need to be replaced every six to 12 months. The filter contains activated carbon for odor removal. Because of the way the activated carbon works, it generally needs to be replaced quicker than standard HEPA filters.
Fan Speeds and Noise Levels
The noise air purifiers make can be a big deterrent in whether you use it. Most people buy an air purifier for their bedroom, and no one wants to try and sleep with a loud noisemaker running continuously. That’s why many companies that make air purifiers have focused their efforts on lowering the noise level of their units.
Alen has spent a significant amount of time, effort and research into manufacturing a quiet machine. At low settings, the machine runs at 25 decibels, and never gets over 49 decibels. The Alen BreatheSmart75i has five fan speeds and all of them generate pink noise, which is known to help improve sleep.
The Protect 7470i has three fan speeds and is a relatively quiet machine, running between 35 and 53 decibels.
Dimensions and Room Coverage
When it comes to room coverage, the 75i wins by a long shot. It can cover up to 1300 square feet and will purify the air in that size space every 30 minutes on the highest fan speed. The Protect 7470i’s coverage area is only about a third of that – covering 418 square feet about 4 times an hour.
Both machines are similar in size. The Alen model is 27 inches tall and 18 inches wide. The BlueAir unit is 27 inches tall and 11 inches wide.
Customer Service
Alen wins, hands down, when it comes to warranty. The 75i, as well as all Alen air purifiers, comes with a lifetime guarantee. The BlueAir Protect comes with a five-year warranty – which is longer than the industry standard of two years. To receive the lifetime warranty from Alen, you have to register your product with the company and subscribe to its filter replacement program. You must register your air purifier with BlueAir to receive the full five-year warranty.
Both companies offer a 60-day, money back guarantee. If you aren’t happy with the air purifier, you can return it within 60 days to receive a full refund.
If you encounter a problem with your Alen unit, you can contact the company online, by phone or through the company’s website chat feature. Alen customers are generally very satisfied with the company’s products. You’ll find high praise for the air purifiers on trusted consumer websites like TrustPilot. Alen is registered with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), has an A+ rating and has very few complaints filed against them.
BlueAir is accredited by the BBB and has a B rating with the consumer organization. You will find several dozen complaints lodged against the company. Many of them have to do with warranty claims or unauthorized charges. But there are more than a few customers who complain they ordered a new air purifier from the company and received a used one instead or the units they purchased stopped working quickly after delivery. You’ll also find several complaints registered with TrustPilot dealing with BlueAir’s customer service and the difficulty people had in getting issues resolved.
BlueAir offers customer service support by phone, email, the chat feature on the company website, or by fax.
Final Verdict – Which Air Purifier Has the Advantage?
While the Alen 75i may be a bit more expensive, it’s still our choice in this head-to-head comparison. It covers a larger area of space, comes with a lifetime warranty and has fewer issues from its customers. The 75i is Energy Star certified and emits pink noise which will help you sleep while it cleans the air around you.
