I bought this unit to help with my wife's breathing issues. Last fall, we found out that she was allergic to a very common mold - Aspergillus - that is found in decomposing leaves and vegetation. So, she is basically allergic to the fall season. Wonderful. This year, we wanted to be as proactive as possible in eliminating the symptoms she was experiencing if at all possible. We knew that, at worst, we wanted to create a sanctuary of clean air in our home. Enter the Austin Air HealthMate.

Why I bought it
After a good deal of research, I landed on this unit for a few reasons. First, it is very well made. I didn't want a unit that our 2 year old son or our large puppy would be able to break. This thing is solid. It weights in at about 45 pounds, so it won't be picked up without some effort, but the wheels on the bottom make it a breeze to move around the house.

The second reason I chose this unit was because of the cost of filters. Many of the cheaper units have multiple filters that need to be changed at varying frequency. I don't want to change a filter monthly, quarterly, and yearly. Not only is the maintenance just another thing to add to the list, but each filter costs more money. With the company not only claiming this unit's filter lasts for 5 years, but also providing a warranty on the filter, I was sold. I haven't done the exact math, but I bet you could buy a new unit every 5 years instead of replacing the filter and still come out ahead when compared to many of the units with lower upfront costs.

The final reason I chose this reason is because of the maintenance required. It is almost nothing. Every month or so, it is helpful to vacuum the outside of the unit to make sure nothing is blocking the air intake which would result in lower efficiency. That is. I can handle that.

Why would I recommend it?
The first night we used the unit in our bedroom, I woke up in the middle of the night. I took a breath through my nose, and realized why I had woken up. I had been congested for about 4 months. I just wrote it all off to allergies or seasonal changes. I didn't realized that the air I was breathing in the house could be perpetuating the problem.

Over time, my wife made several comments about being able to breath easier. I couldn't believe that an air filter could make that big of an impact. As her lungs seemed to be less of an issue, we got lazy with using it and often left it in the bedroom instead of rolling it into the living room. One day, my wife went out back for literally a few minutes, and came back in coughing hard. I wheeled the unit out into the living room, and turned it on high. Within a minute or so, the coughing stopped. We exchanged glances of disbelief. This thing was really working!

The final proof to me was when some friends came up for the weekend. Two of them are allergic to cats, and have to take medicine within a few hours of being in the house. With the filter, they asked if things had changed in the house, because their symptoms were greatly reduced.

The other thing I'll add to this is how well it cleans the air for a good sized room. Our great room is where we spend most of our time, and consists of a living room, dining room and kitchen. This unit does a fantastic job of improving the air quality of the entire space. When we go to sleep, we just wheel the unit to the bedroom. I love how flexible it is for us to use where we are. It has also been great when my son gets sick. If his room smells bad, we put the unit in the room on high for a few minutes to clean the air.

What about the sound?
I'll also address the sound of the unit, as it had come up a few times in my research. On 1, the unit blends in with ambient noise without a problem. The TV doesn't have to be any louder, and we don't have to talk differently than normal. On 2, the unit is easy to hear, and the TV needs to be turned up a a bit, but conversations aren't dramatically impacted in our experience. On 3, the unit sounds similar to an AC unit fan - quite noticeable. For us, the sound is no bother at all regardless of the setting. We are not light sleepers, so setting 1 and 2 have been no problem at all for us when it is running in our bedroom. We've never tried it on 3.

Conclusion
On the whole, this unit has been worth every penny for my wife and family's well being. I never realized it would benefit me as much as it has either. The air is noticeably cleaner in our house, my congestion has been almost completely eliminated, and my wife's asthma has been much more manageable. I had a lot of doubts when purchasing this, or any, air filter for our house. My expectations have been surpassed to say the least, which is good when you are spending this kind of money on something.