Compare Honeywell Air Genius 5, HFD320 vs Alen BreatheSmart 35i

The included carbon option can help some owners with pet or room smells, but expert reviewers criticize it as too thin for serious gas and odor removal.

Optional carbon filtration is appreciated for odor and gas coverage, but expert evidence says the carbon amount is limited for serious VOC problems.

One expert praises the high air-change claim, saying it can cycle a room quickly at the rated size.

Expert testing supports useful air changes only in smaller rooms, with quiet-speed coverage falling below average bedroom sizing.

Air movement is a quiet strength. Owners like the fan-like airflow, circulation, and ability to move a noticeable amount of air through a room.

Most owners say the Air Genius 5 makes rooms feel fresher and cleaner, with several allergy and smoke users noticing quick improvement. Expert testing is split, with one lab calling its pollutant-clearing speed weak for the price.

Most reviewers say the purifier improves air quality or works well, though one customer reported poor cleaning performance.

Experts and customers consistently praise the sensor as responsive, precise, and aligned with external measurements.

Allergy relief is the biggest customer win: many users mention less congestion, sneezing, eye irritation, or better comfort around pollen, dust, cats, and dogs.

Allergy-related feedback is strongly positive, including customer relief and third-party asthma/allergy suitability evidence.

App control is absent, which reviewers mark as a drawback compared with similarly priced smart purifiers.

The app is usually praised for control and monitoring, but one expert/customer thread flags setup or registration friction.

Auto mode is a clear miss. Reviewers who expect sensors and automatic speed adjustment call its absence a drawback.

Auto mode is praised when the laser sensor responds quickly, but one customer reported a defective unit that did not ramp up.

Breathing relief is a frequent customer benefit, especially for allergies, smoke, dust, pets, asthma, and COPD-adjacent household needs.

Build quality is polarizing: some reviewers call it robust or well made, while detractors describe cheap internals and disappointing construction.

Build quality is split: HouseFresh praises it, while Live Science and customers cite plastic, cheap feel, or rattling.

CADR is respectable on paper for a roughly 250 sq. ft. unit, but one expert found real-world clearing much slower than expected from the rating.

CADR evidence supports capable small-room performance, not large-space strength.

Child lock is liked by reviewers who want to prevent accidental control changes.

Support experiences skew negative in customer reviews, with slow, unhelpful responses and return-shipping frustration offset by one successful replacement story.

Customer support evidence is mixed, with one defective-unit response but another customer calling AI support useless.

Design reactions are mostly positive from owners who like the sleek black tower, while experts think the styling is familiar and somewhat dated.

Design feedback is mostly positive for compact, unobtrusive looks, with one expert less impressed by the plastic body.

Display brightness is the most repeated design complaint. The blue control lights often stay on, making the unit frustrating in dark bedrooms.

Light and display feedback is positive, especially color-coded air quality and auto-dimming for bedrooms.

Documentation gets a small positive note for the quick access guide and reset instructions, though customer reset confusion suggests it is not flawless.

Durability ranges from excellent long-term use to early rattles and motor failures. The best reports span years, but the bad reports are sharp.

Durability concerns center on rattling after months and flimsier plastic housing.

Dust control is one of the strongest customer themes. Filters often come out dirty and rooms need less dusting, though a few owners doubt the inner filter is catching enough.

Dust evidence is mixed: experts measured dust-related removal, while one customer said dust buildup did not improve.

Setup and daily operation are repeatedly called simple, with out-of-box use and clear controls earning praise.

Setup and controls are repeatedly described as easy, intuitive, or plug-and-use.

Energy use is generally viewed as favorable, especially compared with filter-heavy alternatives. Expert testing is more nuanced, noting good max-speed efficiency but weaker low-speed efficiency.

Efficiency evidence is moderate: experts place energy cost mid-pack, while one customer calls it quiet and efficient.

Reviewers mention fan speed options in connection with day-to-day use, with sentiment depending on whether the feature helps comfort or creates extra hassle.

Fan-speed evidence is factual but positive enough in expert context because four speeds support usable control.

Replacement availability is a pain point for the permanent filter, with customers saying factory replacements are hard or impossible to buy.

Filter availability is supported by long-term brand availability and subscription mentions.

The permanent filter lowers replacement costs, but long-term efficiency is questioned after repeated washing or years of use.

Filter life is polarized: experts cite 6-12 months, some customers like long life, and others saw dirty filters in four months.

The filter indicator is useful in theory, yet reset problems appear repeatedly in customer complaints.

Washable filters are a major reason people buy this model. Owners repeatedly praise the savings, though some still dislike replacing carbon pre-filters or finding parts later.

Filter replacement cost is one of the clearest concerns, though a few customers accept it because replacements are less frequent.

Filter customization and multiple filter types are praised by expert reviewers.

Portability is helped by the tower shape, but one owner thought the hand grip needed better texture to prevent slipping.

Handle design is praised because it helps make the unit easy to move.

Reviewers like the washable filter idea but repeatedly note it is not traditional HEPA. Expert comparisons generally prefer true HEPA for long-term fine-particle filtration.

HEPA filtration is evaluated positively in expert discussion of particle and allergy coverage.

The filter indicator is praised because it reduces guessing about replacement timing.

Initial smell is a real complaint. Some units give off strong plastic, chemical, ozone-like, or pre-filter odors that can last days or longer.

The ionization/electrostatic design worries some users because of shocks, ozone questions, and lack of clarity about how the feature works.

Listing accuracy comes up negatively when buyers feel the advertised dimensions, warranty branding, or touch controls do not match expectations.

Maintenance is usually described as easy to understand, but not always pleasant. Some owners say washing and drying is simple, while others report filters that never seem fully clean.

Maintenance is praised for easy filter access, low-maintenance use, and a strong filter-lock design.

Noise opinions split by speed and longevity. Many owners call it quiet or sleep-friendly, while others report high-speed loudness, rattles, hums, clicks, or bearing noise.

Noise feedback is strongly positive overall, but a few customers report weird sounds or rattling.

Odor reduction is highly context-dependent. Many owners like it for bedrooms, kitchens, pets, smoke, or ammonia, while expert reviews say the thin carbon option struggles with tougher odors.

Odor reduction is one of the strongest customer-backed benefits, especially for pets, smoke odor, cooking, and basement smells.

Oscillation is usually liked for circulating air and doubling as a fan, but it also creates one more part that can fail or start making noise.

Overall satisfaction is high among many owners who want fresher air and low filter costs, but serious durability complaints keep the consensus from being cleanly positive.

Overall satisfaction is high across experts and most customers, offset by a few sharp negative experiences.

Ozone-free confidence is limited by the ifD/ionization discussion. One source treats certification as reassuring, while others remain concerned about ozone or shocks.

Particle results are mixed: some testers and owners saw visible PM or dust reductions, while HEPA-focused reviewers questioned how low it can drive fine particle levels over time.

Particle removal is strongly supported by expert test results, including near-complete removal in timed tests.

Pet allergy and dander comments are positive where owners use it around cats or dogs, though the benefit is usually described through allergy relief rather than lab measurement.

Pet dander and animal-related feedback is positive, especially in homes with dogs and cats.

Pet hair capture gets strong owner support, especially from dog owners who find the pre-filter filling with hair quickly.

PM2.5 monitoring is praised through app data and sensor feature evidence.

Pollen sufferers often describe meaningful relief indoors, including fewer spring symptoms and cleaner upstairs or bedroom air.

Pollen evidence is mixed, with expert/customer positives but one customer saying spring pollen did not improve.

Reviewers mention portability in connection with day-to-day use, with sentiment depending on whether the feature helps comfort or creates extra hassle.

Portability is repeatedly praised because the unit is light and easy to move.

Measured power draw is low to moderate, with reviewers citing roughly light-bulb-level consumption or a modest monthly bill.

Power consumption is acceptable in expert testing but one customer complains it raises the bill.

The pre-filter is useful for larger dust and hair, but reviewers dislike that the washable pre-filter and carbon filter cannot be used together.

Real-time air quality monitoring is absent, and expert reviewers treat that as part of the product’s dated feature set.

Real-time monitoring is a major strength, with repeated praise for alerts, app graphs, and color feedback.

Reliability is the biggest long-term concern. Multiple owners report rattles, fan motors, bearings, oscillation failures, or declining performance within months to a year or two.

Reliability evidence is negative where customers report odd noises, defects, or quitting use.

Remote-control shoppers should look elsewhere; reviewers note this model does not include one.

Remote control is viewed positively through app and Wi-Fi control evidence.

Most room-size guidance clusters around bedrooms, offices, and smaller to mid-size rooms. Several reviewers caution against expecting it to handle larger open areas.

Room coverage is best for small rooms; reviewers repeatedly caution against expecting large-room performance.

A few users notice a cooling sensation from the airflow. It is comfort from moving room-temperature air, not actual cooling performance.

Safety certifications are a positive expert note, especially CARB and Energy Star status.

Safety certification evidence is positive but limited to one expert discussion.

Safety concerns center on static shocks and ionization. A few users report startling shocks when handling filters or sitting in the airflow.

The timer is useful for simple shutoff scheduling, but one customer wanted recurring overnight scheduling and called the current behavior limited.

Scheduling is praised in app-focused expert/video reviews.

A few owners describe control or reset behavior that feels glitchy, including settings or indicators behaving unpredictably.

The tower footprint is compact for many rooms, though some shoppers found the unit shorter or heavier than expected.

Customers and experts like the compact footprint, especially for bedrooms, studios, and unobtrusive placement.

Sleep use is strong when the fan is behaving and the lights are covered. The quiet setting gets praise, but bright top controls undermine bedroom use for many owners.

Sleep mode and bedroom use are reviewed positively because the unit is quiet and can dim lights.

Several allergy sufferers link the purifier to better sleep, less congestion, and quieter overnight use, but bright lights can spoil the bedroom experience.

Sleep benefits are strongly positive in the few reviews that mention better sleep or breathing at night.

Smart features are thin for the price. Expert reviewers repeatedly mention no app, remote, sensors, or Wi-Fi-style controls.

Smart features are a major strength, especially app control, sensors, and auto behavior.

Smoke performance earns praise from many wildfire and cigarette-smoke users, but experts warn that odor/VOC treatment is not as strong as particle movement.

Smoke evidence is strong in expert testing and a customer fire-smoke odor account, but one defective-unit review is negative.

Touch controls divide users. Some like the modern panel, while others prefer physical buttons or say the advertised touch experience is not worth paying extra for.

The lack of a true HEPA filter is a repeated caveat, especially from expert reviewers and customers who are skeptical of the electrostatic design.

Value depends on priorities. Buyers who prize washable filters see strong long-term savings, while experts and dissatisfied owners think the price is too high for the filtration and durability tradeoffs.

Value is mixed: many think it is worth buying, while experts and one customer stress high upfront and ownership costs.

VOC and gas removal are weak points in expert coverage because the carbon material is thin and optional. It may help lightly, but reviewers do not treat it as a strong VOC purifier.

VOC evidence is mixed: monitoring and some detection are praised, while experts warn carbon is limited for serious VOC issues.

The five-year warranty sounds attractive, but owner confidence depends heavily on who handles the claim and whether shipping or one-time replacement limits apply.

Warranty coverage is praised, especially the lifetime warranty tied to OEM filter use.

The washable filter system is widely liked for saving money and reducing disposable filter purchases, even when cleaning it is less convenient than replacing HEPA media.