Austin Air HealthMate Plus Review: For Smoke, VOCs and Chemical Sensitivity
Austin Air HealthMate Plus (HM450) review: potassium iodide impregnated carbon and zeolite for VOCs and smoke, a $445 five-year filter, no CADR, and who needs it.
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Specs at a glance
- Model
- HealthMate Plus HM450 (B450 on Amazon)
- Filtration
- Pre-filter, activated carbon, zeolite, potassium iodide impregnated carbon, medical-grade HEPA (Austin Air)
- Filter life
- 5 years under normal residential use (Austin Air)
- Replacement filter
- $445 (Austin Air store)
- CADR
- Not published; not in AHAM's directory (checked November 3, 2026)
- Fan
- 3-speed centrifugal
- Body
- Steel, about 47 lb, on casters (Austin Air HealthMate body)
- Warranty
- 5-year mechanical, 5-year pro-rated filter (Austin Air manual)
The Austin Air HealthMate Plus is for homes where gases and smells are the problem: wildfire smoke that lingers indoors, a house near a busy highway, new furniture and flooring, or a person with chemical sensitivities. Austin Air builds its filter around a blend of activated carbon, zeolite and potassium iodide impregnated carbon behind HEPA media, positions it for VOCs, formaldehyde and smoke, and rates it to last five years.
It is the same steel body as the standard HealthMate, with a $445 filter instead of $395, about $89 a year over its rated life. Like the HealthMate, it has no published CADR and no AHAM listing, so for particle cleaning in a large room an AHAM-listed HEPA purifier is the measured choice. Buy the Plus for what its carbon does.
What the Plus filter adds
Austin Air describes the HealthMate Plus filter as combining activated carbon, mineral-based media (zeolite), potassium iodide impregnated carbon and medical-grade HEPA. Impregnating carbon with a chemical such as potassium iodide changes which gases it holds well; Austin Air positions the Plus for VOCs, formaldehyde and smoke, and names people exposed to wildfire smoke and those living near busy highways as its target users.
Plain activated carbon adsorbs many odors and solvents well but handles small, light molecules such as formaldehyde poorly. Purifier makers use impregnated or specialty media to fill that gap, and Austin Air's Plus filter is its answer. Austin Air does not publish removal rates for specific gases on the pages we read, so treat the Plus as the better-equipped of the two HealthMates for chemicals, not as a guaranteed cure for any one of them.
Why a deep carbon bed matters for smoke
Wildfire smoke is two problems: fine particles, which HEPA filters catch, and gases and odor, which only sorbents like carbon remove. The EPA's guidance on wildfire smoke and indoor air focuses on particle filtration, and for good reason: fine particles are the main health concern. But the smoky smell that lingers for days after the particles are filtered out is gas, and that is where a deep carbon bed earns its keep against a thin carbon sheet that saturates quickly.
For the particle side of a smoke event, see our wildfire smoke picks, which rank purifiers on AHAM's smoke CADR.
No CADR
Austin Air does not publish a CADR, and no Austin Air model was in the AHAM Verifide directory when we searched on November 3, 2026. The HealthMate body uses a three-speed centrifugal fan rated for continuous use; without a certified figure we cannot say how fast it clears particles from a given room.
Cost
The replacement filter is $445 on Austin Air's store, rated for five years. Over that life it costs about $89 a year, and the Austin Air manual adds a five-year pro-rated filter warranty and a five-year mechanical warranty. The purifier itself is one of the most expensive in this guide, and the Amazon listings we found were sold by Austin Air Systems directly.
| Model | Filter price | Rated life | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Air HealthMate Plus | $445 | 5 years | $89 |
| Austin Air HealthMate | $395 | 5 years | $79 |
| Coway AP-1512HH set | $59.79 | 1 year | $59.79 |
| Molekule Air Pro | $174.99 | 6 months | $350 |
Living with it
- Weight and size: the HealthMate body weighs about 47 lb and stands 23 in tall; it is a machine you place once, not one you carry between rooms.
- Controls: a three-speed dial, no sensor, no app.
- Ozone: Austin Air says its purifiers produce no ozone; there is no ionizer or UV stage.
- Trial: Austin Air advertises a 30-day trial on its store, useful for judging noise in your room.
HealthMate Plus vs the alternatives
| Model | Smoke CADR | Gas filtration |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Air HealthMate Plus | Not published | Deep bed: carbon, zeolite, impregnated carbon |
| IQAir HealthPro Plus | Not published | V5-Cell gas filter |
| Winix 5510 | 253 cfm | Granular carbon panel |
| Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max with SmokeBlock filter | 435 cfm | Carbon layer in the filter |
Who should buy the Austin Air HealthMate Plus
- Buy it for chemical sensitivity, a home near heavy traffic, lingering smoke odor or new-home off-gassing.
- Buy it over the standard HealthMate if formaldehyde and VOCs are your concern rather than everyday odors.
- Skip it if your problem is mainly dust, pollen or pet dander; AHAM-listed HEPA machines do that for far less.
- Pair it with a high-CADR HEPA purifier on wildfire smoke days if you need both particle speed and gas capacity.
See also: best air purifiers for VOCs and our guide to VOCs in a new home.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Austin Air HealthMate and HealthMate Plus?
The Plus filter adds potassium iodide impregnated carbon to the activated carbon and zeolite, aimed at VOCs, formaldehyde and smoke. It costs $445 against $395 for the standard filter; the body is the same.
Is the Austin Air HealthMate Plus good for wildfire smoke?
Austin Air positions it for wildfire smoke exposure, and its deep carbon bed handles smoke gases and odor well. For the fine particles, which are the main health concern, a high certified smoke CADR matters, and Austin Air does not publish one.
How long does the HealthMate Plus filter last?
Austin Air rates it for five years under normal residential use, with a five-year pro-rated filter warranty. At $445, that is about $89 a year.
Does the HealthMate Plus remove formaldehyde?
Austin Air positions the Plus filter for VOCs and formaldehyde, but its pages we read do not publish removal rates for specific gases, so we cannot quantify it.
Is the Austin Air HealthMate Plus AHAM certified?
No Austin Air model was in AHAM's Verifide directory when we searched on November 3, 2026, and Austin Air does not publish a CADR.
Does the HealthMate Plus produce ozone?
Austin Air says its purifiers produce no ozone; the HealthMate Plus is a fan and filter with no ionizer.
Sources
- HealthMate Plus Filter, Austin Air Systems
- HealthMate, Austin Air Systems
- Owner's Manual, Austin Air Systems
- AHAM Verifide Directory: Certified Room Air Cleaners, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
- Wildfires and Indoor Air Quality, US Environmental Protection Agency
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