Austin Air Healthmate Review

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Physical Characteristics

The Austin Air HealthMate air purifier measures just over 22.5 in. tall when equipped with caster wheels. It has a width and depth of 14.5 in. by 14.5 in. and weighs approximately 45 lbs. with the filter installed inside.

The air purifier features a rectangular-shaped metal body that is slightly subdivided at the top. The top portion of the unit houses the fan motor and exhaust vent. The bottom portion houses the filter material and intake grilles.

The metal body is available in various colors (black, white, sandstone, and special-order silver). The lower portion of the air purifier is ventilated by a perforated metal mesh grille that extends across the entire surface. This allows air to be drawn into the unit from 360 degrees.

The unit's exhaust vent is located on one side of its upper body. It directs filtered air upward into one area of the room. By venting in an upward direction, the Austin Air HealthMate will not kick up any allergy-triggering dust that might be present on the floor or carpeting.

The HealthMate air purifier is very sturdy and sits on high-quality casters. Our only complaint is that the metal mesh grille can be dented easily if it's not cared for or shipped properly.

Housings on all Austin Air standard size units are identical. This means that different types of filters can be inserted in lieu of the filter originally purchased.

Controls

Operating the Austin Air HealthMate is very straight-forward. The air purifier has a simple dial with 4 settings (Off, 1, 2, or 3) on the top portion of its body. Each setting increases the fan speed progressively.

Filters

The Austin Air HealthMate includes one large cylindrical-shaped filter that is wrapped inside a thin cotton prefilter. The prefilter is designed to catch larger particles before they enter the high-quality main filter.

These filters are typically purchased and replaced together. The typical lifespan of a filter replacement is 5 years under normal air purifier usage. Be sure to compare this lifespan to some of the other air purifiers on the market that require filter replacements as often as every 4 to 5 months. With a 5-year lifespan, the Austin Air HealthMate provides excellent value for a good level of air filtration. If exposed to high levels of pollutants (e.g. tobacco smoke or chemical odors), the carbon material in the filter might become saturated quicker than normal. This will shorten the filter's lifespan.

The main filter in the unit is 14.5 in. tall and has a diameter of 13.5 in. With these measurements, the filter covers the entire bottom portion of the unit when it is installed. The air-cleaning filter is comprised of 15 lbs. of odor-eliminating activated carbon and chemical-absorbing zeolite as well as 60 sq. ft. of HEPA filter material. This expanded amount of filtration material helps to explain this Austin Air unit's exceptionally long filter life. The large amounts of activated carbon and zeolite materials help the air purifier filter out odor, gas, and chemical particles.

The filters operate by allowing air to first pass through the activated carbon and zeolite in the main filter, which absorb gases and odors. Once this is complete, the air then passes through the HEPA filter material, which ensures that loose carbon granules are not exhausted back into the air.

Maintenance

The routine maintenance of the Austin Air HealthMate is the simplest among all of the air purifiers that we carry. Occasionally, you should run a vacuum brush over the grille to remove any large particles that may have adhered to the meshwork or prefilter. Once every 5 years (or less, depending on usage), the filter will need to be replaced. This can be done quickly by removing just one screw from the bottom of the unit.

Summary

Austin Air has a positive reputation in the indoor air quality industry and has been in the air purification business for many years. In the HealthMate, the company has created a solid air purifier with reliable filtration and very little maintenance required. This Austin Air unit provides one of the highest price-to-performance ratios in the industry.