Austin Air HealthMate Plus Junior Air Purifier - Sandstone

The Austin Air HealthMate Plus Junior puts 6.5 pounds of activated carbon, potassium iodide impregnated carbon and mineral granules into a machine 16.5 inches tall. Chemical and VOC filtration sized for a bedroom, an apartment or a home office rather than a whole floor.

The Plus chemistry in a smaller cabinet. Ordinary activated carbon deals with odours well and light gases unevenly; treating part of it with potassium iodide changes what it will hold, and formaldehyde is the standard example because it is small, common in new building materials and hard to catch. If the room you are worried about is one room, and the problem is fresh paint, new cabinetry or smoke rather than dust, this is the machine that fits both the space and the problem.

Highlights

• Potassium iodide impregnated carbon in the blend, specified for formaldehyde, VOCs, chemicals, gases and odours
• 6.5 pounds of filtration media, activated carbon, treated carbon and mineral granules, which is a serious carbon bed for a machine this size
• 30 square feet of HEPA material, certified to capture 99.97 percent of airborne particles down to 0.3 microns
• Filter life of about five years in normal residential use, with everything in one canister
• Coverage up to 700 square feet, airflow up to 200 CFM, three speeds on a manual switch, roughly 50 to 62 decibels
• 360 degree perforated steel intake, so it draws from every side and does not need to be aimed
• No ozone emission, because it is a fan and a filter with nothing generating ozone
• Five year mechanical warranty and five year pro-rated filter warranty, handcrafted in Buffalo, New York

Who it's for

• A newly painted or newly furnished bedroom, nursery or office, where the off-gassing is in one room rather than the whole house
• Apartments and condos during wildfire smoke season, or near traffic
• Anyone dealing with smoke or chemical odours in a space too small to justify the full-size machine

Three things to be clear about. The upgrade over the standard Junior is entirely in the filter chemistry, so if dust and pollen are your problem rather than gases, you would be paying for capacity you will not use. It runs a little louder than the standard Junior, roughly 50 to 62 decibels against 35 to 55, which is worth knowing if it is going in a bedroom. And the filter is a single sealed canister, so at five years you replace the whole thing rather than a cheap insert.

Living with it

Day to day, nothing. Pick a fan speed and leave it. There is no app 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. During a renovation or a smoke event, run it high and expect the filter to age faster than five years, because the carbon is doing more work.

FAQs

• What does the Plus chemistry add?
  Potassium iodide impregnated carbon in the blend. Plain activated carbon is good at odours and inconsistent on light gases; the treated carbon adsorbs specific chemicals more effectively, formaldehyde being the one usually named. Everything else about the machine matches the standard Junior.
• Is it enough for a renovation?
  For one room, yes, and that is what it is for. New paint, adhesives, engineered flooring and cabinetry off-gas VOCs including formaldehyde for weeks or months. If the whole floor is affected rather than one room, the full-size version is the better fit and we will say so.
• Will it help with wildfire smoke?
  Yes, and smoke is the case where both halves matter: the HEPA catches the particulate and the carbon blend deals with the smell and the volatile compounds a particle-only filter passes straight through.
• How big a room will it handle?
  Up to 700 square feet, at up to 200 CFM. That is a bedroom, a nursery, an office or a small apartment, not an open main floor.
• Is it quiet enough for a bedroom?
  On low it is around 50 decibels, which is noticeably louder than the standard Junior. Most people find it fine as background noise but it is not silent, and if a very quiet bedroom is the priority that is worth weighing.
• How often do I replace the filter?
  About five years in normal residential use, in one canister holding both pre-filter layers, the carbon blend and the HEPA. Heavy chemical or smoke exposure will shorten that.
• Does it produce ozone?
  No. It is a mechanical filter with a fan, so there is nothing in it that generates ozone. Worth checking on anything you compare it against, because ionisers and some UV machines do.
• 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 chemical air purifier
• Filtration: 4 stages in a single canister, large particle pre-filter, medium particle pre-filter, carbon blend, HEPA
• Carbon blend: 6.5 lb of activated carbon, potassium iodide impregnated carbon and mineral granules
• Targets: VOCs, formaldehyde, chemicals, gases and odours
• HEPA: 30 sq ft of material, certified to 99.97 percent at 0.3 microns
• Coverage: Up to 700 sq ft
• Airflow: Up to 200 CFM
• Fan: 3 speed, manual switch
• Noise: Approximately 50 to 62 decibels depending on speed
• Filter life: About 5 years in normal residential use
• Housing: 360 degree perforated steel, casters available separately
• Power: 48 to 82 W, 120 V / 60 Hz
• Ozone emission: None
• 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 Plus 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 which one you need, because the Plus chemistry is worth paying for against chemicals and smoke and is not worth it for dust alone
• 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 Plus Junior Air Purifier | Pre-Filter (installed) | HEPA + Carbon/Zeolite + Potassium Iodide Filter (installed) | Owner’s Manual / Product Literature