
Best-value air purifier
- Good for large rooms
- Effective on allergens, odors and chemicals
- Does not emit ozone
- Long-life filter with warranty
- Heavy
- Mixed reviews for noise
Reviewers agree that the Austin Air HealthMate is a powerful machine, capable of cleaning a 1,500-square-foot room. It filters larger allergen particles such as dust, pet dander, pollen and mold spores with its HEPA filter, and Austin Air says its carbon filter captures 95 percent of the tinier particles that make up chemicals and odors in the air, down to 0.1 micron -- although the HealthMate doesn't claim to remove particles as minute as the pricey IQAir HealthPro Plus (*Est. $900) can tackle (down to 0.003 microns).
Besides the HEPA and carbon filters, the HealthMate also uses two prefilters -- but unlike most other air purifiers, you don't have to change one filter or another every few months. All of the HealthMate's replacement filters come in one pack (*Est. $180), which you change once every three to five years. Unlike other companies, Austin Air's five-year warranty covers not only the machine, but also the filter. Weighing 45 pounds, the boxy HealthMate is relatively heavy compared with other air purifiers (it includes wheeled casters for easier moving). Austin Air does offer a smaller model, the Austin Air HealthMate Jr. (*Est. $300), which is designed for smaller rooms. The only real complaint we found about the HealthMate in expert and user reviews is the noise. The HealthMate registers about 50 decibels (about the same as quiet conversation) on its lowest speed, which some experts consider too loud for bedroom use, although several users say they have no problem sleeping or watching movies with the HealthMate running on low.
The Austin Air HealthMate is rated by ConsumerReports.org, but results there do not match those at other sources, perhaps because ConsumerReports.org's tests judge air purifiers more on speed than long-term effectiveness. Knowledgeable experts at AllergyBuyersClub.com and Air-Purifier-Power.com agree that the HealthMate offers great value, an opinion backed by the handful of user reviews at Amazon.com.
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Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.org
The Austin Air HealthMate is one of 36 room-sized air purifiers tested by ConsumerReports.org. Testers place each air purifier in a sealed chamber with measured amounts of smoke and dust, then analyze how much of the pollutants the purifiers are able to remove in a specified period of time on both high and low speeds.
Review: Air Purifiers, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
AllergyBuyersClub.com calls the Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 a no frills air purifier that is reliable and economical. It is rated as "very good" by this site and features a permanent prefilter and a true medical HEPA filter surrounded by a carbon mixture that absorbs odors, chemicals and gases. One downside is its 45-pound weight; it is equipped with casters for easier moving, however. This site's editors don't appear to have tested performance with a particle counter.
Review: Austin Air Healthmate Air Purifiers for General Air Cleaning, Editors of AllergyBuyersClub.com
In this review, air-purifier expert Ed Sherbenou praises the Austin Air HealthMate, saying you can't get better air filtration without spending about $400 more for an IQAir unit. Sherbenou particularly likes the Austin Air's 15 pounds of activated carbon with zeolite mix, which absorbs "over 3,000 different... chemicals and odors." Also, he says this machine's five-year cartridge life makes it relatively economical over the long run. He notes, though, that the Austin's activated-carbon and zeolite core makes it inappropriate for baths, saunas or indoor pools, as a moist environment shortens the life of the filter.
Review: Austin Air Purifier: Heart of Gold, Ed Sherbenou
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