Austin Air HealthMate Junior Air Purifier - Sandstone

The Austin Air HealthMate Junior is the full-size machine scaled down: the same four stages, the same steel cabinet and the same five year filter, in a body 16.5 inches tall covering up to 700 square feet.

Nothing here is a cheaper idea, it is a smaller one. The filtration is the same design as the big machine with the quantities halved: 30 square feet of HEPA instead of 60, over 270 cubic inches of carbon and zeolite instead of 780. In a bedroom, a nursery, a home office or an apartment, that is the right amount of machine, and it means you get real carbon capacity rather than the token carbon-coated sheet that small purifiers usually ship with.

Highlights

• Four stages in one canister: a large particle pre-filter for dust, hair and pet dander, a medium particle pre-filter for mould spores and pollen, the carbon and zeolite bed, then the HEPA
• Over 270 cubic inches of activated carbon and zeolite, which is what handles smoke, cooking odours and household chemical smells rather than just particles
• 30 square feet of HEPA material, certified to capture 99.97 percent of airborne particles down to 0.3 microns and 99 percent down to 0.1 microns
• Filter life of about five years in normal residential use, so no six-month cartridge habit and no subscription
• Coverage up to 700 square feet, airflow up to 200 CFM, three speeds, roughly 35 to 55 decibels
• 360 degree perforated steel intake, so it draws from every side and does not need to be aimed
• No ozone emission, and certified to CSA, NRTL, CE and California ARB, which is the standard that matters if you are comparing against ionisers
• Five year mechanical warranty and five year pro-rated filter warranty, handcrafted in Buffalo, New York

Who it's for

• Bedrooms, nurseries, home offices and apartments, where the full-size machine would be more than the room needs
• Anyone who wants real carbon capacity in a small purifier, rather than a particle filter with a token carbon layer
• People who want to buy once and not manage it, instead of replacing cartridges twice a year

Two things to be clear about. It is still a steel machine at about 21 pounds and 16.5 inches tall, so it is smaller than the full-size unit but not small, and unlike that one it does not come on caster wheels. And the filter is a single sealed canister, so at five years you replace the whole thing rather than a cheap insert. That is a real cost to plan for, and it is the trade for the carbon capacity and the long interval.

Living with it

Day to day, nothing. Pick a fan speed and leave it. There is no app, no schedule and no sensor to second-guess.

Then periodically, vacuum the perforated housing so the intake stays clear, and consider a slip-on pre-filter if you have pets or a lot of dust: it catches the coarse material before it loads the main canister and can meaningfully extend its life.

FAQs

• How is this different from the full-size machine?
  Same four-stage design, half the quantities. 30 square feet of HEPA against 60, and over 270 cubic inches of carbon and zeolite against 780. Coverage is up to 700 square feet instead of 1,500. For one room it is the sensible choice; for an open main floor it is not.
• How often do I replace the filter?
  About five years in normal residential use. It is one canister holding both pre-filter layers, the carbon and zeolite bed and the HEPA, so there is no monthly cartridge, but when it is due you replace the whole canister. Worth budgeting for.
• What does the carbon and zeolite do?
  HEPA captures particles and does nothing about gases, and smoke, cooking smells and household chemicals are gases. That is the carbon's job, and having 270 cubic inches of it is why this holds up where a thin carbon-coated sheet saturates in weeks.
• Is it quiet enough for a bedroom or a nursery?
  On low, around 35 decibels, which is quieter than the full-size machine and about as quiet as this class gets. On high it is closer to 55 and clearly audible.
• Does it produce ozone?
  No. It is a mechanical filter with a fan, so there is nothing generating ozone, and it holds California ARB certification along with CSA, NRTL and CE. Worth checking on anything you compare it against, because ionisers and some UV machines do emit ozone.
• Does it come with wheels?
  No. The full-size machine ships on casters; this one does not, which is part of why it is easier to place on a shelf or in a corner. At about 21 pounds most people move it by hand or leave it where it works.
• What is the warranty, and can you service it?
  Five years mechanical and five years pro-rated on the filter. We have a Richmond Hill showroom and our own repair department, so if anything needs sorting there is somewhere local to call rather than a support line in another country. Reach us at 1-877-220-5656.

Specifications

• Type: Compact HEPA and carbon air purifier
• Filtration: 4 stages in a single canister, large particle pre-filter, medium particle pre-filter, activated carbon and zeolite, HEPA
• HEPA: 30 sq ft of material, certified to 99.97 percent at 0.3 microns and 99 percent at 0.1 microns
• Carbon and zeolite: Over 270 cubic inches
• Coverage: Up to 700 sq ft
• Airflow: Up to 200 CFM
• Fan: 3 speed, manual control
• Noise: Approximately 35 to 55 decibels depending on speed
• Filter life: About 5 years in normal residential use
• Housing: 360 degree perforated steel
• Power: 50 to 95 W, 120 V / 60 Hz
• Ozone emission: None
• Certifications: CSA, NRTL, CE, California ARB
• Dimensions (W × D × H): 11 × 11 × 16.5 in, or 28 × 28 × 42 cm
• Weight: About 21 lb, 9.5 kg
• Warranty: 5 year mechanical, 5 year pro-rated filter
• Made in: Buffalo, New York
• In the box: HealthMate Junior with pre-filter and main filter already installed, owner's manual

Why buy from Vacuum Warehouse?

• A Richmond Hill showroom on Yonge Street just north of Highway 7, where you can hear it on all three speeds before you decide, because decibel figures on a page tell you very little
• Straight advice on sizing, because a Junior in the right room beats a full-size machine in the wrong one, and the reverse is also true
• Our own repair department, so service is a local conversation rather than a shipping label
• Free shipping over $99, 30 day returns and a 90 day price match
• Toll-free support at 1-877-220-5656, before you buy and long after

Austin Air HealthMate Junior Air Purifier | Pre-Filter (installed) | HEPA + Carbon/Zeolite Filter Cartridge (installed) | Owner’s Manual / Product Literature