This Air Purifier Cleared Up Our Allergies, but Its Sister Model Is Better for Small Spaces and $500 Less

Sometime in my early 30s, I started getting really freaked out by the idea of allergens. No, not the food kind or ones that cause hives only on contact; I’m talking about the tiny particles we can’t see that are secretly causing chaos in our ears, noses, and throats. Dust, mites, bacteria, and even pollen are lurking on our surfaces, soaring through our indoor air, and latching onto us, which is why I religiously vacuum my mattress, and now, have air purifiers in every room of the house.

The air purifier that we tested, loved, and named “Best for Allergies” is a favorite here at Better Homes & Gardens, but I’d be remiss not to mention that it has a costly price tag. But not to worry; if you prefer not to shell out $750, we recently came across its sister model, the Alen BreatheSmart Flex, which eliminates allergens just as well in smaller spaces. And it costs nearly $500 less.

Alen BreatheSmart Flex Air Purifier

If you’re working with smaller square footage anyway, there’s no need to spring for the heftier price point when the Flex does everything that the original BreatheSmart can—just on a smaller scale. While it doesn’t have a smart sensor or built-in air quality indicator like its more expensive predecessor, its small but mighty features can clean the air fast—up to 700 square feet every 30 minutes. Its medical-grade H13 True HEPA filter captures 99.99% of airborne particles larger than 0.1 microns, which means it eliminates dust, dander, pet fur, unappealing odors (like garlic—ew!), and other terrifying airborne particles, too. 

The filter is purported to even last three to five months longer than other standard filters, and the purifier’s compatibility with a variety of filters is what gives it the “Flex” in its title. It pairs with pure filters (for capturing allergens, dust, mold, and germs), fresh filters (for wildfire and secondhand smoke), odor filters (to neutralize smells that won’t dissipate naturally), and chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOC) filters (to absorb noxious gases and chemicals). The model we tested actually cleared up allergy symptoms within hours in a 1,400-square-foot space, so we can only imagine that this more compact model will do the same in a room that’s to scale. 

Sale prices vary by color and style, with the all-white model currently marked down to $277, and other panel design styles—like the brushed stainless and weathered gray options—ringing in at $288. 

You can grab the Alen BreatheSmart Flex just in time for allergy season while it’s on sale for $277 at Amazon—that’s 21% off its original price, but nearly $500 off its larger, more expensive sister model. Check out more our favorite, editor-approved air purifiers below.: 

Alen BreatheSmart 75i Air Purifier

Molekule Air Purifier Mini+

PuroAir HEPA Air Purifier

Levoit Core 300S Air Purifier

Coway Airmega 100