Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 Review

What the reviewers like:
Although it doesn’t score as well as other machines for dust and smoke removal, the Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 is especially good at removing odors from large rooms, thanks to its 15-pound activated carbon core.

What the reviewers don’t like:
At 45 pounds, the Austin Air HealthMate isn’t the most portable air purifier you can buy, and it’s not quite as good as removing allergens as machines by IQAir and Alen.

Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 review highlights

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.

Also see full report: Air Purifiers

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Consumer Reports
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Air Purifiers
Editors of Consumer Reports
Nov. 2007

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.

2. AirPurifiers America.com
Air Purifier Test Results
Editors of Air-Purifiers-America.com

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.

3. Allergy Buyers Club.com
Austin Air Purifiers -- HealthMate Series
Editors of AllergyBuyersClub.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.

4. Air-Purifier-Power.com
Austin Air Purifier: Heart of Gold
Ed Sherbenou

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.

Also see full report: Air Purifiers

Austin Air HealthMate HM-400 Review