Coway Air Purifiers

Coway makes many different models of air purifiers but two stand out as being far more popular than the rest:

• Coway Mighty
• Coway AirMega

Coway Mighty

The Coway Mighty air purifier (model no. AP-1512HH) is one of the best air purifiers we’ve tested. On its highest setting at 250 CFM of output it provides just enough CFM for larger spaces up to 300 sq. ft. On lower settings – medium, for example – it can get down to approx. 100 CFM which is perfect for smaller rooms around 100 to 150 sq. ft. On these lower settings it has great energy efficiency and it’s also extremely quiet.

The unit is very well made and comes with a 3 year warranty. For much more on this unit, check out its review.

A note on color: These units are available in white or black.

Coway AirMega

Coway AirMega air purifiers include two series: the 400 series and the 300 series. 400 series units output at slightly more than 400 CFM. 300 series units output at approx. 350 CFM. Not surprisingly, 300 series units are slightly smaller and not as heavy.

The S models can be controlled using an app – otherwise they’re nearly identical to their non-s counterparts

Both series – 300 vs 400 - units are essentially identical also. They input air on two (opposite) sides and output through the top. Both feature two HEPA filters and two carbon filters. The carbon filters are of the pellet variety – meaning they employ a plastic honeycomb design that keeps in place actual pellets of carbon. As we discuss in other guides, this type of carbon filter is much more effective for unwanted gas filtration than the standard carbon coated fiber type found on most inexpensive air purifiers on the market.

The major selling point for AirMega units is their high CFM and dual filter design. The units are marketed as being effective for spaces up to 1256 (AirMega 300), even 1560 (AirMega 400) sq. ft.

Here’s the thing. They’re not effective for spaces that large.

Theoretically, they can be effective for spaces up to about 500 to 600 sq ft. – considering their above average CFM – that is if you were to use standard tools for calculating air changes per hour, taking into account CFM, in a tool that gives a specific calculated sq. ft. recommendation

500 to 600 sq. ft. is not 1256 or 1560 sq. ft. but it’s still quite a bit of sq. footage.

Practically, a single Airmega unit can only be used in a space up to about 300 sq. ft.

Here’s why:

Our testing revealed that single air purifiers could only handle spaces up to about 300 sq. ft. – no matter what their maximum output or CFM.

A minimum output of about 250 CFM is required for a 300 sq. ft. space

However, whether the maximum output was 250 CFM or 400 CFM – this made very little difference in lowering particle concentration in oversized rooms larger than 300 sq. ft. in our testing.

AirMega Recommendation

The bottom line here is that the extra CFM on the Airmega units does have certain benefits. For example, you can run these units on lower fan speeds where they’re extremely quiet and still offer a lot of output.

However, these units are definitely not recommended for spaces anywhere close to 1256 or 1560 sq. ft. We would recommend running them in a room no larger than about 300 sq. ft.

And because 250 CFM units are essentially equally effective in large oversized rooms we would recommend such a unit at a much lower price over any AirMega series air purifier.

The real solution for large oversize rooms is purchasing multiple 250 CFM units.

Multiple 250 CFM units will run you about $300 – that’s 500 CFM for around $300.

One AirMega 400 (not even an S model) normally retails for around $450 on the low side. The S model adds another $100 to that – that’s 100s of dollars more for less CFM.

Note that this CFM/$ argument is only one of many reasons why we recommend multiple 250 CFM units over a single high CFM unit like an AirMega 300 or 400. For a complete list of reasons see our guide on air purifiers for large rooms.

Coway Recommendation

So, are Coway air purifiers really good high quality air purifiers?

Yes, both the Mighty and the AirMega units certainly are.

Do we recommend these units?

Yes and no.

We recommend the Mighty – it’s a great air purifier at a great price.

We generally do not recommend AirMega units simply because you essentially get equal performance in large spaces with a single 250 CFM unit like the Mighty at a much lower price.

AirMega Model Notes

The 400 series features two submodels:

• 400S (model no. AP-2015E*)
• 400 (model no. AP-2015F)

The 300 series also features two submodels:

• 300S (model no. AP-1515G)
• 300 (model no. AP-1515H)

All “S” models are Smart devices that can be monitored and controlled using an app on your smartphone. Otherwise, they are identical to their non-S counterparts.

A note on color: all 400 series models are available in either graphite (black) or white. 300 series models are only available in white.

*this model is sometimes sold as model no. AP-2015E(G)