Best Reviewed
Air Purifiers
- Best air purifier overall IQAir HealthPro Plus *Est. $900
- Best-value air purifier Austin Air HealthMate *Est. $490
- Air cleaner for small rooms Honeywell Enviracaire 50250-N *Est. $195
- Furnace filter 3M Filtrete 2200 Elite Allergen Reduction Filter *Est. $23
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- Very good at removing odors from large rooms
- Heavy
- Not as effective as competing machines
As with other air purifiers, there's a bit of disconnect between Consumer Reports' evaluation of the Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 and the results at other sites. Consumer Reports ranks this machine near the bottom of its November 2007 roundup for dust and smoke removal, but another source, Air-Purifiers-America.com, rates it fairly well in this regard, acknowledging that it didn't test for odor removal (which the HealthMate is especially proficient at, considering its 15-pound activated carbon core). Otherwise, reviewers agree that the HealthMate is a powerful machine, capable of cleaning a 1,500-square-foot room (though it does better with areas half that size) and removing thousands of different chemicals and odors from the air, even if it's not as efficient at removing allergens as the IQAir HealthPro (*est. $750) or Alen A350 (*est. $400).
The Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 scores four out of four for expert reviews. This air purifier is rated by Consumer Reports and Air-Purifiers-America.com (which both perform allergen-removal tests), and is evaluated by two air-purifier specialty sites, Air-Purifier-Power.com and AllergyBuyersClub.com. Unfortunately, we were unable to find many reviews of this machine at user-review sites such as Epinions or Amazon.com.
| Austin Air HealthMate - White | |
(42 reviews) In Stock. Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping |
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Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
The Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 is one of 36 air purifiers tested in the latest roundup by Consumer Reports. It's measured for its ability to remove particles from the air when operating on both high and low speeds. A ratings chart is included.
Review: Air Purifiers, Editors of Consumer Reports, Nov. 2007
Air-Purifiers-America.com tests air purifier models in a test room with a laser particle counter, which measures the air purifier's ability to remove particulate allergens from the air.The Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 removes about 80% of particles -- not bad, but not as good as top-ranked models by IQAir and Alen. However, the editors admit they didn't test for odor removal, a specialty of the HealthMate thanks to its 15-pound activated carbon core.
Review: Air Purifier Test Results, Editors of Air-Purifiers-America.com
AllergyBuyersClub.com emphasizes the Austin Air HealthMate HM-400's monster specs -- it can clean a 1,500-square-foot room at two air changes per hour (though the site says cleaning is better in a 750-square-foot room with four air changes per hour). One downside is its 45-pound weight. This site doesn't appear to have tested performance with a particle counter, however.
Review: Austin Air Purifiers -- HealthMate Series, Editors of AllergyBuyersClub.com
In this review, air-purifier expert Ed Sherbenou considers the Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 as the top of the line for Austin, calling it the best HEPA air purifier under $500. Sherbenou praises the Austin Air's 15 pounds of activated carbon with zeolite mix, which adsorbs "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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