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Coway Air Purifier Review 2024 | U.S. News
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Aside from earning the top spot in our overall rating of the Best Air Purifiers of 2024, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH air purifier also places at No. 1 in several of our other ratings: the Best Air Purifiers for Larger Rooms of 2024, the Best Air Purifiers for Pets of 2024, the Best Air Purifiers for Smoke of 2024, and the Best Air Purifiers for Allergies of 2024.
Coway was founded in 1989 with the goal to improve wellness in the home. The company offers a wide range of air purifiers for small to extra-large spaces, as well as accompanying accessories like filters and replacement covers. Coway also makes water purifiers and bidets.
Shoppers who don’t want to replace a carbon filter every six months
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH is an air purifier designed with a four-stage filtration system that purifies the air in rooms up to 361 square feet. The filters remove particles of different sizes, allowing this model to target a variety of irritants from pet dander to smoke to pollen.
This model’s filtration system includes a pre-filter, a carbon filter, a True HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, and an ionizer. The pre-filter is washable, and it’s recommended that you replace the unit’s carbon filter every six months and the True HEPA filter every 12 months. This timeframe may vary slightly depending on factors such as your air quality, but there’s a built-in filter indicator that tells you when these parts should be cleaned or replaced.
Additionally, the unit has an Auto Mode and an Eco Mode, as well as three manual fan speeds: low, medium, and high. Its noise level ranges from a 24 A-weighted decibel, or dB(A), to a 53 dB(A), depending on the fan speed.
For reference, a whisper is rated at 25 dB(A), while a refrigerator is rated at 55 dB(A). In other words, this air purifier’s noise level at its lowest speed is exceptionally quiet. To conserve energy, users have the option to set a shut-off timer for one, four, or eight hours. This model is Energy Star certified.
Room Coverage
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH places at No. 1 in our list of the Best Air Purifiers for Large Rooms of 2024. It’s recommended for use in rooms up to 361 square feet. While it can tackle rooms up to 874 square feet, the air changes per hour will drop, meaning the purification will take longer to be effective.
Filter Type
This Coway air purifier uses four different types of filters. It starts with a pre-filter that’s designed to capture larger particles, such as pet hair and dust. Next is a carbon-based deodorization filter to reduce pet, food, and smoke odors, as well as odor-causing gases like volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The remaining two filters are a True HEPA filter and an ionizer, which are designed to capture ultrafine particles like viruses, bacteria, mold, and pollen down to .3 microns.
It’s worth noting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advises against using an ionizer because it can indirectly produce ozone, which can irritate the lungs. Fortunately, you can opt to shut this feature off. Additionally, some professional reviewers say that the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH doesn’t produce significant ozone.
Professional reviewers agree that this unit delivers a strong performance. The air purifier’s clean air delivery rate (CADR) scores, which measure how effectively it’s able to capture certain pollutants, are as follows: 233 for smoke, 246 for dust, and 240 for pollen.
Features
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH boasts special features like a timer, an air quality indicator, and a filter replacement indicator. If you don’t want your unit to run continuously, you can program it to shut off after one, four, or eight hours. The air quality indicator changes color in response to current pollution levels.
In Eco Mode, which is meant to conserve energy, the unit’s fan will shut off if no pollution is detected for 30 minutes. In Auto Mode, the fan speed will adjust from low to high depending on your current air quality. You can also opt to control the fan speed manually. Unlike some other Coway models, the Airmega AP-1512HH doesn’t have Wi-Fi or a compatible app.
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH retails for $229.99, which is in line with other air purifiers in our ratings that offer a similar recommended room coverage. For example, the Winix 5500-2, which is recommended for 360-square-foot rooms, sells for $249.99. The Levoit Core 400S retails for $219.99 and has a recommended room coverage of 403 square feet.
In addition to the initial cost, there are also ongoing costs to consider. Coway recommends that you replace the deodorization filter every six months and the True HEPA filter every 12 months. You can purchase these filters directly from the brand’s site. One True HEPA filter and two deodorization filters come packaged together for about $58. Shipping is free.
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH has a pre-filter, a carbon-based odor filter, and a True HEPA filter. There’s also an ionizer that you can manually turn on and off.
Air first moves through the pre-filter, which acts as a physical barrier and removes larger particles like pet hair, dust, and human hair. Next, air flows through the unit’s carbon filter, a component that traps odor and odor-causing gases. Then, the True HEPA filter removes up to 99.9% of the remaining contaminants and airborne particles down to .3 microns, including finer particles like pollen, dust mites, and fungi. Lastly, Coway says that the Airmega AP-1512HH’s ionizer uses an electrochemical reaction to remove ultrafine particles, including viruses and bacteria.
When choosing an air purifier, one of the most important considerations is room coverage. You also want to think about its CADR ratings, the types of filters it uses, the different modes it offers, and any specialty features it may have, such as an air quality indicator, an automatic nighttime mode, or a remote control.
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH vs. Blueair Blue Pure 211+
The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ ties for No. 2 in our Best Air Purifiers of 2024 rating. Its filtration system is similar to that of the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH with a washable pre-filter, a carbon odor filter, and a main HEPA filter.
The biggest differences between the two models are size and room coverage. The Blueair model is larger and designed for rooms of up to 540 square feet. The Coway unit is more compact and is recommended for rooms of up to 361 square feet.
The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ offers fewer features than the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH. Unlike the Coway model, this Blueair doesn’t have an Eco Mode or auto shut-off. It’s also slightly louder with a 31 to 56 dB(A) sound rating compared to the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH’s 24 to 53 dB(A) rating. Neither air purifier is Wi-Fi-enabled.
The Coway AP-1512HH and the Winix 5500-2 share many similarities. The Winix model covers a similar room space as the Coway and also has a pre-filter, a carbon filter, and a True HEPA filter. Additionally, both have an Auto Mode, the option for users to manually control the fan speed, and a shut-off timer with one-, four-, and eight-hour options.
The Winix 5500-2, however, also offers Sleep Mode. When the room is dark, the air purifier will automatically activate this mode that keeps the machine running as quietly as possible. When the room gets light again, it will return to normal function and adjust the fan speed as needed. The Winix also comes with a remote so you can control the air purifier while in bed. All in all, both are similar choices, but the Winix may be a better option for bedroom use.
Coway focuses on home wellness, so all of its products are designed to make your home life cleaner and healthier. Air purifiers are the company’s main focus. There are 17 models in the lineup with coverage areas ranging from 214 square feet to 1,560 square feet.
Coway also sells two types of water purifiers. One can attach to your faucet or be placed under your sink. The other model can be installed under the sink or through your refrigerator tubing.
Additionally, the company offers three bidets, all of which are toilet seats that come in elongated and round versions to fit your existing toilet.
All 17 of Coway’s air purifiers are available for purchase directly from the manufacturer’s site. You can also find certain models at multiple online retailers, including Amazon, Bed Bath & Beyond, The Home Depot, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, MoMA, and Allergy Buyers Club. If you prefer to shop in-person, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, Nordstrom, and MoMA carry some Coway models in-store.
Keep in mind that the brand’s entire lineup may not be available at all retailers. If you have a specific model in mind, you might have to shop directly on Coway’s website. The return policy can differ, too. For example, Coway gives you 30 days to request to return an air purifier, while Nordstrom doesn’t put a time limit on returns and instead operates on a case-by-case basis.
Coway air purifiers are backed by a three- to five-year warranty depending on the model. The Airmega AP-1512HH and various other models (250S, 250, 240, 230, AP-1512HHS, 200M, AP-1216L, 160, 150, AP-0512NH) are covered for three years, while the 400S, 400, 300S, 300, IconS, and Icon are under warranty for five years.
The warranty covers the motor and any electronic parts but not the filter. The warranty excludes some repairs and replacement parts, general misuse, and damage caused by water, accidents, insects, rodents, and weather.
To submit a warranty claim, call Coway customer support at 1-800-285-0982 and you’ll be given instructions on how to proceed to process your claim.
The type of filter your Coway air purifier uses depends on the specific model you have. For example, the Airmega AP-1512HH uses a washable pre-filter and a filter set that includes a carbon deodorization filter and a True HEPA filter. The deodorization filter typically needs replacement every six months, while the True HEPA filter should last about 12 months.
The larger Coway air purifiers, such as the Airmega 300 and Airmega 400, use what the brand calls a Max2 Filter Set. This combines an activated charcoal filter and a Green True HEPA filter and needs to be replaced, on average, once every 12 months.
Replacement filters range in price from $25 to $129 depending on the type. If you register your Coway product, you can save 20% on your first five filter replacements.
Lindsay Boyers is a writer and editor who covers health, wellness, sleep, food, home goods, appliances, and basic consumer tech (mainly as it relates to wellness and productivity). She has three years of experience writing reviews content and a lifetime of obsessively researching products before making buying decisions.
Marlo Jappen is a ratings editor for U.S. News 360 Reviews, focusing on home goods. Prior to joining the team, she was a researcher at NBCUniversal, where she gathered compelling and relevant archival content for live broadcasts. In addition, she has spent years working as an editor and community journalist.
At U.S. News & World Report, we rank the Best Hospitals, Best Colleges, and Best Cars to guide readers through some of life’s most complicated decisions. Our 360 Reviews team draws on this same unbiased approach to rate the products that you use every day. To build our ratings, we researched 24 air purifiers and analyzed 8 reviews. Our 360 Reviews team does not take samples, gifts, or loans of products or services we review. All sample products provided for review are donated after review. In addition, we maintain a separate business team that has no influence over our methodology or recommendations.
U.S. News 360 Reviews takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.
