COWAY Air Purifier for Home Up to 1,748ft², HEPA Filter for Smoke, Allergies, Pet Dander, Odor, Air Quality Monitor, Auto&Eco Mode, Timer, Filter Indicator, 3yr Warranty, Mighty AP-1512HH(W), White

The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH, usually just called the Mighty, has been one of the best-selling air purifiers in the US for years. It has about 29,000 reviews at 4.6 stars. The list price is about $230, though it's often on sale for less.

Its AHAM CADR is 233 CFM for smoke, 246 for dust and 240 for pollen. AHAM rates it for a 361 sq ft room, and Coway says it can cycle the air once an hour in up to 1,748 sq ft.

Who it's for

People with a medium to large room who want a purifier that runs itself without an app. An air quality sensor drives a color LED and an auto mode that adjusts the fan. There's also an eco mode, a timer and a filter indicator. You set it up once and mostly leave it alone.

Coway covers it for 3 years, a year more than its smaller Airmega 100 gets.

Filtration and the ionizer

There are four stages:

1. A washable pre-filter
2. A deodorization (carbon) filter
3. An ionizer, which Coway calls the "Bipolar Device"
4. A True HEPA filter rated at 99.97% of particles at 0.3 micron

The ionizer is the part to think about. Some people would rather avoid ionizers altogether. On this model you can switch it off, and the HEPA and carbon stages keep working. Our how do air purifiers work article explains what ionizers do and why some buyers avoid them.

Who should skip it

Anyone who wants app control or voice assistants. The Mighty has neither. At a similar CADR, the Levoit Core 400S-P (231 smoke, 240 dust, 259 pollen) adds a laser PM2.5 sensor, the VeSync app and Alexa/Google support for about $190.

It's also more purifier than a small bedroom needs. For a room under about 200 sq ft, the Coway Airmega 100 or the Levoit Core 300-P costs less and does the job.

Mighty vs Winix 5510

This is the closest match. The Winix 5510 costs about $135 and has a slightly higher CADR (253 smoke, 252 dust, 247 pollen). It also has a switchable extra, PlasmaWave, plus an app. At full price, the Winix is the better value on paper. When the Mighty is on sale, the gap closes. At that point it comes down to whether you want the app (Winix) or would rather do without one (Coway).

For allergy-focused shopping, see our best air purifier for allergies guide. If you're dealing with a smoky or smelly kitchen, the air purifier for cooking smells article is the better starting point. Our best air purifier roundup covers the whole field.