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HOMEPAGE > APPLIANCES, CLEANING, HEALTH & WELLNESS, MOST POPULAR, SPRING
CLEANING

The Best Air Purifier

LAST UPDATED: AUGUST 10, 2016
TIM HEFFERNAN

JOHN HOLECEK

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After spending 180 hours running two laboratory tests

of more than a dozen different purifiers by an airborneparticle physicist, we find that the Coway AP-1512HH
Mighty remains the best air purifier for most people.
Last Updated: August 10, 2016
After a second, 80-hour round of intensive lab testing, our top pick remains the Coway
AP-1512HH Mighty. It outperforms purifiers that cost far more, is the cheapest to own
long-term, and maintains its performance for yearsa Sweethome trifecta. Our new
runner-up is the Winix 5500-2, a virtual copy of our to-be-discontinued former runnerup, the Winix Plasmawave 6300. For large spaces and/or people with severe particulate
allergies, we have a new pick; the Coway Airmega 300 replaces the Blueair 503, whose
performance collapsed during our two years of long-term testing. Finally, for
odor/molecular-pollutant removal (on top of HEPA/particulate filtration), were sticking
with our original pick, the Austin Air HealthMate Standard HM-400, whose best-in-class
15-pound activated-carbon sorbent filter outperformed all others.

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Our pick

Advice, analysis, and opinions from the staff of

The Sweethome.

Inexpensive,
efficient, and
durable

Coway AP-1512HH Mighty

The Coway Mighty
outperforms purifiers that cost
far more, is the cheapest to
own long-term, and maintains
its performance for years.

$250 from Amazon

Coway AP-1512HH
Mighty
Inexpensive, efficient, and durable
Buy for $250 from Amazon
We do our best to stay on top of prices.
If something's changed, let us know.

How to support The Sweethome

We love the things we

recommend. We select each
pick with the utmost care,
relying on expert opinion,
research, and testing.

Here are the key facts: Within 20 minutes, our pick reduces airborne particulate pollution by
88 percentamong the best and fastest performance weve ever seen. Its one of the most
affordable high-performing HEPA-rated air purifiers available. And on several absolute
measures, it outperforms purifiers that cost two and even three times as much. Finally and
crucially, the Coway Mighty maintains this exceptional performance long-term, even when
we measured its performance using two-year-old filters from our 2014 testfilters that had
been run almost continuously for a year beyond their stated lifespan.

Important Specs

If the Coway is unavailable,

HEPA filter:

Yes

CADR:

210

Fan speed:

Three plus auto

Filter change
indicator:

Yes

Ionizer:

Yes, optional

Air-quality
sensor and
indicator:

Yes

Filter life:

Odor filters, six months;

HEPA, one year

Warranty:

Three years

Dimensions:

17 by 10 by 19 inches

Weight:

5.8 kilograms

the Winix 5500-2 is a close

Runner-up

runner-up. It, too, is HEPA-

Winix 5500-2

certified and rated to a very

large 350 square feet. After
20 minutes of testing, it
slightly outperformed the
Coway, reducing particulate
levels to 10 percent of their
initial levels versus 12
percent for the Coway. We

Almost as good in
every way

$200* from Amazon

The Winix 5500-2 costs a bit

more over time than the main
pick and isnt quite as efficient
over 20 minutes of purification
but it beats most others.

$236 from Home

Depot
*At the time of publishing, the
price was $180.

side with the Coway for

proven long-term
performance and superior long-term cost and aesthetics. The Winix costs about the same
as the Coway upfront, but it is also a bit less energy-efficient and uses slightly more
expensive filters. This means it will end up costing about $130 more over five years
operation. Because its a new model, we dont have long-term performance data. And
subjectively, its also less attractive than the Mighty. But if the Mighty is unavailable and you
need an air purifier ASAP, its a fine choice. (Note: The 5500-2 replaces our previous runnerup, the nearly identical Winix Plasmawave 6300. The 6300 will phased out within a year, but
replacement filters will remain available, so if you bought one, theres no need to upgrade.)
While most people dont
need cleaner air beyond

Also great

what the Coway and Winix

Coway Airmega 300

offer, those who live with

especially dirty air (near a
highway, for example) or
who are sensitive to
chemicals may need more

For larges spaces and

extreme cases

$650 from Amazon

With a pair of filters, the Coway

Airmega 300 is rated to clear
spaces as large as 1,250 square
feet and will keep smaller spaces
exceptionally clean even on the
lowest setting.

than the Coway and Winix

deliver. Here are our picks
for these extreme cases.
If you have severe allergies or other serious health issues related to airborne particles, we
have a new step-up pick: the Coway Airmega 300. This is a large but attractive machine; its
HEPA-rated and designed to clear spaces of about 500 square feet at five complete airchanges per hour (about 1.5 times the coverage of the Coway and Winix), or 1,250 square

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feet at two complete air-changes. In our test, it gave the third-best absolute performance,
87 percent reduction (not statistically different from the Mightys 88 percent) in particulate
levels over 20 minutes versus the original measurement. That said, its designed more for
long-term, large-space, and/or high-intensity use. Its unique twin filters permit very high
airflow, allowing it to run on lower settings when the air is relatively clean (quieter, less
energy) or to rapidly filter very large volumes of air on the highest setting, as you might when
allergens or pollution are elevated or if you need to clear a large spacesay, an artists studio
or loft.
It is expensive according to our calculations and costs about $1,400 (including the purchase
price) to maintain over five years. This is in line with most of the high-end models we tested,
but its more than the cost of a pair of Coway Mightys.
If you live in a problematic
environment with high levels

For odors and

chemical sensitivity

Also great

of both particulate and

Austin Air HealthMate

Standard HM-400

molecular pollutants (e.g.,

near a farm where bioicides
are sprayed, a
chemical/power plant, or a

$540 from Amazon

refinery) or are particularly

A large activated-carbon filter

removes most VOCs and odors,
and a HEPA filter takes care of
most particulates.

sensitive to odors or other

volatile organic compounds common in homes (like formaldehyde), we recommend the
Austin Air HealthMate Standard HM-400.
In our tests for odor/molecular removal, its 15-pound activated-carbon filter bested all

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other air purifiers by a wide margin. (Most air purifiers, including the other picks above,
contain no or only token carbon filters and do effectively nothing to remove molecular
pollutantstheir strength is on larger-particulate pollutants like dust). Its exceptional

Your Guides

performance in this area is a big part of why FEMA and the Red Cross chose Austin Air units
for deployment at Ground Zero and the surrounding areas in the aftermath of 9/11.
Its annual operating cost ($283, according to calculations at the time of writing) also makes
it by far the cheapest high-end purifier to run, but note that this is due to a filter thats

+Email

designed to be replaced every five years instead of annually. Against that, its power
consumption is rather high due to its high airflow and the airflow-resistance of the carbon
filter. Also, the Austin Air was less efficient than all other models at removing particles from
the air when running the fan at comfortable sound levels, even though its HEPA-rated. But a
little extra background noise isnt too much to ask if serious health concerns over pollutants
are an issue.

Table of contents
Why you should trust us

Also great

What you should know before buying

For large spaces and extreme cases

What air purifiers doand dont do

Competition

Who should consider buying an air purifier

How HEPA filters work

How we picked

Note on Blueair/Blue

How we tested and quantified

Note on smart air purifiers

+Email
+Twitter

John is a scientist, writer,

and photographer. He's
used a background in
physics and chemistry to
study the effects of natural
and anthropogenic
aerosols on climate, and
has researched
atmospheric events
ranging from brown clouds
in the tropics to ozone loss
in the Arctic. He's been
known to disappear into
the mountains for months
at a time on backpacking
trips.
Tim Heffernan writes about
heavy industry and the
natural world for The
Atlantic, Popular
Mechanics, and other
magazines. He lives in New
York.

Our pick

Why you should trust us

John Holecek, MS, guide researcher and co-author, has been involved in researching
airborne particles since 1999 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
in the private sector. Hes studied atmospheric particles in locations ranging from the
continental US to the Arctic to the remote island nation of the Maldives. These field
campaigns were government-sponsored research programs aiming to improve our
understanding of Earths climate in part by determining the sources, transport, and fate of

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particles. John has also led research to develop aerosol particles with specific optical
properties that produce a thick smoke cloud to protect soldiers from sensors and threats.
He is well versed in sources of particulates and the
physics behind the mechanisms of removal. His latest
research project was as a principal investigator to
develop a more comfortable and effective personal
respirator. This device incorporated innovative highaspect-ratio nanoscale fibers to trap particles with
minimal pressure drop due to the fibers themselves. In
other words, it made it easy to breathe while still

John has also led

research to develop
aerosol particles with
specific optical
properties that produce
a thick smoke cloud to
protect soldiers from
sensors and threats.

effectively cleaning the airsomething few respirators

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journalistic background is in what you could call big analogphysical machinery, as opposed
to little digital software and gadgetry. And his education was in biology and economics. All
told, it was good preparation for this guides mix of science, mechanics, and statistical
analysis.

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Before you jump in, know that effective air purifiers are expensive to purchase and operate.

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And despite the prolific marketing to the contrary, scientific studies do not support claims
that they improve your health. Against this are the extensive (if anecdotal) claims from
users of improved sleep, reduced allergies, and/or lessened asthma symptoms. There is
mounting evidence, as well, that particulate pollution is a cause of degenerative brain
disorders, including Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. We cover this in greater detail
below in What air purifiers doand dont do and Who should consider buying an air purifier.
We were, of course, not in a position to perform health
studies, but we were able to evaluate the air purifiers
effectiveness at removing particulate matter and
odors. The instruments we used to test these

Scientific studies do not

support claims that air
purifiers improve your
health.

machines are capable of detecting particles as small as

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0.010 micron, which is an order of magnitude below the

threshold of home air purifiers and the 0.3-micron threshold tested for the HEPA standard.
We also conducted a first-of-its-kind odor-control test using a VOC meter.
The downside to all this comprehensive testing is that theres a whole lot of information to
parse. For those who are interested, we lay it all out in How we picked and How we tested,
which include our procedures, methods, and results, complete with tables and graphs. If
youre not interested in the nitty-gritty, feel free to skip to Our pick (and the subsequent Also
great sections) to read about why we chose the picks that we did.

What air purifiers doand dont do

Modern air purifiers are not complicated, but they are
very good at their job, which is removing particulate
matter from the airfine dust, pollen, mold spores, and
so on. The process for most purifiers involves using a
fan to draw dirty air through a dense fibrous filter in
order to trap virtually all the particulates while letting

Particles are tens to

thousands of times
larger than molecules,
and that allows them to
be filtered from the air
by HEPA filters.

the cleaned air itself flow out back into the room. In this
guide, we limited ourselves to filters of this sort that meet strict US HEPA (a.k.a. true HEPA)
standards, which reduce particles of 0.3 micron (0.0003 millimetersextremely small!)
diameter by at least 99.97 percent. Details on how they work are below.

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Once all the air in a sealed environment has been filtered, youre technically left with
purified air. However, this doesnt necessarily mean its clean air.
For example, it could still contain harmful gases like
radon or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as
formaldehydewhat well call molecular pollutants. By
any name, what we mean are substances that exist in
the air as individual molecules, rather than as
agglomerations and/or physical particles. Both are

Many allergensmites
and pet hair, for
exampledont stay
airborne; they sink and
stick to furniture and
other surfaces

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invisible to the naked eye, but particles are tens to

thousands of times larger than molecules, and that allows them to be filtered from the air by
HEPA filters in a physicalspecifically, an inertialprocess. (See How HEPA filters work
below.) Molecular pollutants are too small to be removed that way and instead have to be
adsorbedsimilar to absorbed, but for gases instead of liquids. Some purifiers come with
equipment, often an activated-carbon filter, that can remove some of these molecular
pollutants by adsorption, but most do not.
Moreover, no real-world home or office is remotely airtight; new particles are always being
drawn in through windows, doors, ducts, and other openings, so air purification is an
imperfect and continuous process. (As a rough guideline, typical unfiltered indoor air
contains between 10,000 and 100,000 particles per cubic centimeter.)
Air purifiers also cant do anything about
contaminants not in the air. Many allergensmites
and pet hair, for exampledont stay airborne;
they sink and stick to furniture and other surfaces.

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the particulate pollution in your home, you cant

just rely on an air purifier. Youll also need a really
good dust mop and/or vacuum cleaner.
All this said, purifying your air certainly wont hurt.
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matter is a serious issue in the US and around the world. Elevated levels of particulate
matter (PM) are a known cause of acute respiratory issues, aggravated asthma, chronic
bronchitis, and even premature deathparticularly in the elderly, those already suffering
from heart and lung conditions, asthmatics, and children. Fine particlesthose less than 2.5
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of the lungs and, recent research suggests, even penetrate the brain and cause
degenerative brain disease. Air pollution from US combustion emissions alone results in
200,000 premature deaths a yearmore than half of these are attributable to PM from road
transportation and power generation, according to a 2013 MIT study. (You can easily check

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your local air quality currently or annually.) Indoor air quality is especially important, as the
average person spends 87 percent of his or her time indoors. But those are all statistics.
Whether air purification will actually have any benefits for you personally is a more difficult
question to answer.

Who should consider buying an air purifier

Air purifiers can help when it comes to creating breathable air, but they can do only so
much. As the EPA says, The best way to address residential indoor air pollution usually is to
control or eliminate the source of the pollutants and to ventilate the home with clean
outdoor air.

Bidets are often marketed for their socalled medical benefits. Theyll clean
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That means: Dont smoke indoors, vacuum and dust regularly, keep your pets outside when
possible, and test for radon gas. These measures alone should be enough to ease many
peoples symptoms, but theyre insufficient if you dont have clean outdoor air to begin with.

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If you have not or cannot take these steps, you should consider an air purifier.
The one person who should definitely try an air purifier
is someone who is sensitive to air quality and does not
have access to clean outdoor air. Basically, if you have
any kind of respiratory affliction (whether thats
asthma, allergies, or something else) and live or work
on or near busy roads, factories, power plants, or any

If youve lived your

whole life without an
air purifier and havent
had any issues so far,
youll probably be fine
without one.

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other major source of pollutants (or if your allergies are

caused by outdoor airborne allergens like pollen), youre in this camp. Just make sure you
get a model that fits your needs, as outlined in the introduction above and detailed in How
we picked and How we tested sections below.
For just about everyone else, its a matter of personal preferenceif having a purifier gives
you peace of mind, by all means get one. Just remember that they are not magical devices.

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As for who shouldnt get one: If youve lived your whole life without an air purifier and havent
had any issues so far, youll probably be fine without one. They are expensive to purchase
and even more expensive to operate and maintain. Also, you should not expect purifiers to
help with easing allergy symptoms if airborne allergens arent your concern. If youre allergic
to dust mites, for example, youd be better served by hypoallergenic bedding and a regular
vacuuming/dusting routine than an air purifier.

How we picked
For this guide, we focused on portable air purifiers, which is a blanket term for anything not
installed directly into your home HVAC system, or, put another way, any purifier that can be
moved from room to room. If you want to protect your entire building from airborne

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pollutants instead, check out this report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health.
We limited our search to purifiers that meet US HEPA standards. HEPA, which stands for
High Efficiency Particulate Arrestance (or High Efficiency Particulate Air), has two
definitions; the US definition means that a HEPA filter removes 99.97 percent or more of
airborne particles of 0.3-micron diameter. (The EU definition sets that number as low as 85
percentmore than three orders of magnitude worse, and, as far as were concerned,
useless.)
As explained in more detail below (How HEPA filters work), 0.3 microns is the most difficult
particle-size to filter. Larger and smaller particles are easier to filter. Therefore, a US HEPA
filter will also remove at least 99.97 percent of virtually all airborne particles.
We also limited ourselves to purifiers rated to clear spaces of at least 350 square feet

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larger than most bedrooms and living rooms, though smaller than an average house.
Because we spend most of time at home in the living room or bedroom, these purifiers are
capable of keeping most of the indoor air we breathe purified.

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Almost every purifier we tested is self-monitoring. Self-monitoring purifiers measure the

particulate concentration in the cleaned air they deliver to the room and shut off or lower
the fan speed accordingly when the concentration is near zero (the exceptions are the
Austin Air, Blueair 503, and Blue Pure 211). In practice, we recommend just keeping the units
running on the highest fan/noise level youre comfortable with: Doing so keeps particulate
levels at a constant minimum. But the self-monitoring is a useful feature if you prefer to
minimize energy costs or are running a purifier in a room you only occasionally use. In 2016,
we also considered smart air purifiers and tested threebut for a few reasons, including the
fact that most air purifiers are self-monitoring, we arent yet sold on them. (More on this
below in Note on smart air purifiers.)
For people who suffer from allergies and other particulate-related health issues, HEPA
filtration is generally sufficient. However, for people with chemical sensitivities or who live in

How we work
We help support the hundreds of hours
that go into our evaluations through
affiliate commissions on purchases
made through our links. Were committed
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highly-polluted environments (near an oil refinery or a farm that uses pesticides, for
example), we also looked at a subset of HEPA filters that also can remove molecular
pollutants. By that, we mean pollutants at the atomic or molecular scalethings like radon
and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These purifiers include a sorbent filterusually
activated carbonthat interacts with molecular pollutants and alters or binds them,
rendering them safe or absent from the air. Our 2014 test revealed that five pounds of
sorbent is the absolute minimum necessaryand that limited our options to just a couple
purifiers.
The speed at which a purifier can filter a rooms worth of air is also important. You could
theoretically draw air through a drinking straw with a HEPA filter inside it and eventually
remove 99.97 percent of 0.3-micron particles in a sealed roombut in a typical house, with

how we work, read this. We obtain the

products we review through a mixture of
buying our own and working with
companies to borrow review units. Our
policy is to return or donate products
after were finished working with them.
Find an error?: Also, If you notice a
guide that needs a little freshening up, or
has errors, please tweet us
at @homesweethome or email
us at notes@thesweethome.com and
we'll fix it. Thank you.

doors opening and closing, leaky windows and chimneys, and cooling and heating ducts
drawing air from outdoors, such a tiny system would be totally overwhelmed by the
continuous introduction of new particulates.
The closest thing we have to a standardized speed-offiltration figure is the Association of Home Appliance
Manufacturerss Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). The
formal definition is a real mindbender, but, simplified,

We nixed any air

purifier that produces
ozone to purify the
air.

an air purifier with a CADR rating of 200 can reduce the

particle concentration in a given room by the same
amount as adding 200 cubic feet per minute of perfectly clean air to the room.
Unfortunately, not every manufacturer measures or shares CADR numbers. Where CADR
numbers were available, we took them into consideration, with 150 the absolute minimum
and 200+ more to our liking.
Finally, we nixed any air purifier that produces ozone to purify the airand there are many
that do. The theory is that ozone, a highly reactive form of oxygen, will neutralize or break
down pollutants. Setting aside the vague science behind that claim, even low levels of
ozone can be harmful. Its madness to introduce a new pollutant when the goal is to reduce
pollution overalland even madder to do so when highly effective, non-ozone-creating
purifiers are available.
With these standards and limitations in mind, over the course of our 2014 and 2016
research we surveyed hundreds models from the Amazon best seller list, big-box stores
(Best Buy, Home Depot), Consumer Reports, specialty air purifier sites catering to allergy or
asthma customers such as Allergy Buyers Club or Achoo Allergy, and any review sites we
could find that had decent information and methodology. These included the hidden gems
Air Purifier Power, written by Edgar V. Sherbenou, and Air Purifier Review, which has a clean
and easy-to-use website with surprisingly informative content.
Combining our 2014 and 2016 searches, weve now tested more than a dozen different air
purifiers that meet our standards. Between them, we are confident we have taken the full
measure of whats available, whats practical, and whats worthwhile.

How we tested and quantified

In 2014 and 2016, we tested our selected purifiers under laboratory conditions and with lab
equipment. We looked at particle filtration, noise levels, odor (a.k.a. molecular pollutant)
filtration, and cost over time (purchase price plus cost of electricity and replacement filters
over five years).
Particle Filtration
Particle counts, pre-, mid-, and and post-filtration, were measured with professional grade
equipment used for atmospheric research (specifically a TSI Inc. 3080/3010 Scanning
Mobility Particle Sizer and 3321 Aerodynamic Particle Sizer).

Let's make waffles.

The TSI, Inc. 3080/3010 Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer is a specialized particle-test machine that
counts individual particles as it scans across the size range from 0.01 to 0.50 micrometers.

Drawing on Johns 12 years of experience measuring airborne particles, in 2014 we selected

three sources to produce a dirty, particle-filled room: Combustion from two Diamond
safety matches was used to create small smoke particles (0.010-0.300 micron); 5
milligrams of a white, powdered titanium dioxide, commonly used to provide the white
pigment in plastics and paints, was used to generate midsize particles (0.3-1 micron); and, in
2014, 25 milligrams of an ISO dust sample was used for the 1-20 micron particles. In 2016,
we dropped this last test as all HEPA-rated test models reduced them to effectively zero.
The room we tested in in 2014 was unavailable in 2016. The former was 10 by 13 by 8 feet, or
130 square feetabout the size of a small bedroom and well below our 350-square-foot
general standard for test purifiers. In 2016, we tested in a room roughly twice this size, 21 by
10 by 12 feet, but with built-in lab equipment that reduced the effective size to about 240
square feet (equivalent with 8-foot ceilings). We tested our original and current pick, the
Coway Mighty, in both rooms, using both the original and brand-new filters in 2016, providing
a broad (if imperfectly equivalent) standard of comparison.

To minimize external interference on particulate levels, we sealed the testing-room vents and added
weather stripping to the doors.

In 2016, we followed a similar procedure to previous tests, but increased the amount of
particulate pollution significantly, doubling the number of matches and increasing the
titanium dioxide by a factor of ten. We artificially increased particulate levels in the air by

lighting and burning 4 wooden strike-on-box matches, followed by launching 55 milligrams

of titanium dioxide to generate at least a 50-fold increase in particle concentration (to
~50,000 particles per cubic centimeter) over the background (~1,000 particles per cubic
centimeter).

The hot zoneremnants of wooden matches used to produce fine smoke particles.

To quantify and compare the effectiveness of the air

purifiers, we ran two or three baseline measurements
on the particle concentrations in each room before
running our tests. We then tested each unit three
times, measuring particle concentrations in the air at

The Coway Mighty

performed equally well
using two-year-old
filters and brand-new
ones.

10 and 20 minutes, running the machines on their

highest setting that produced sub-55 decibel (conversational) noise levels. We then
averaged their measured performance over these tests.

The graph above shows the test models absolute performance when measured against the
initial particle concentration (set at 100 percent for each model independently). Blue is the
particle concentration after 10 minutes; red is after 20 minutes. Four key takeaways:
1. Our previous and current pick, the Coway AP-1512HH Mighty, performed exceptionally well
and was the third-best performing overall, reducing initial levels to 12 percent (and the
difference between it and the second-best model, the Winix 5500-2our new runner-up
was statistically insignificant). Even more important, the Coway Mighty performed equally
well using two-year-old filters and brand-new ones. So not only does it perform

exceptionally wellit keeps doing so for years.

2. The new-for-2016 Blue Pure 211 performed extraordinarily well, reducing particulate
pollution to just 3 percent of initial levels. Notice, however, that the Blueair 503 only reduced
particulates to 18 percent of initial levels. The two machines are made by the same
company and utilize the same unique pre-filter, which imparts an electrical charge to
particulates to facilitate their removal by electrostatic attraction. In 2014, the Blueair 503
was also a standout performer, reducing particulates to less than 10 percent of starting
levels in just 10 minutes. But two years later, its performance had fallen to less than onequarter that, leaving almost 40 percent of initial particles in the air on the same setting and
over the same 10-minute time frame. And new filters, a thorough cleaning, and queries to
the manufacturer produced no fix and no explanation. More on this, and on why we nixed
Blueair/Blue as a result, below.
3. The Coway Airmega 300 reduced particulates to 13 percent of initial levelsbetter than
any other large spaces unit.
4. The Dyson purifier was the poorest performer by a significant margin. It only managed to
reduce initial particulate levels to 30 percent of initial levels. Thats worse than any other
purifier in our test.
In 2014, we did two additional tests, running the
machines on their highest setting for an hour and
running them on the same setting overnight. The goal

The Dyson purifier was

the poorest performer
by a significant margin.

was to determine, first, how well the machines would

perform in an emergency situation (say, a day when
the neighbors throw a block-party barbecue, filling the air with smoke), and second, to see
exactly how clean they could make the air when noise levels and power consumption were
no considerationa maximum performance test, in short. The result? Every tested
machine gave similar, excellent performance, reducing airborne particulates nearly to zero.
We learned nothing meaningful that differentiated the various machines. So in 2016, we
scrapped this test.
Noise
Most air purifiers have three or four fan-speed settings; and all the purifiers we tested
evince a huge jump between medium and high. Basically, high is for when air pollution has
spiked (say, because of a nearby house fire) or when youve returned home after a long
vacation during which the purifier wasnt running. Pragmatically, 99 percent of the time
youll run your machine on one of the low or medium settings. So we measured the noise
produced by each machine on the highest middle-speed fan setting. Sound-pressure levels
of each unit were measured at a distance of 1 meter away and 0.5 meter above the ground
(the standard for hi-fi speakers), using a late-model iPhone running a NoiSee app. (This is
one of the top recommended apps in a survey of 192 apps by the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health, where it came within +/-2 decibels of reference
measurements. Thats plenty accurate for our purposes.) We set 55 decibels, about the
highest that would not interfere with normal conversation, as our limit; any machine louder
than that on its moderate fan setting was eliminated immediately.
Molecular Filtration
In 2014 we also tested our air purifiers for their
effectiveness at removing odors, or molecular
pollution, using an expensive, $3,000 RAE Systems
miniRAE 3000 VOC meter to detect levels of ethanol
introduced to the room. Five milliliters of ethanol were
added to a Pyrex dish heated to 50 degrees Celsius

While all air purifiers

tested had filters which
were claimed to be
effective at removing
odors, most had almost
no impact.

(122F), where it quickly evaporated. The ethanol

vapors were distributed through the room with a 16-inch round fan. Concentrations of

ethanol were measured at the beginning (averaging about 35 parts per million), and again
after 15 minutes of running the air purifiers at their highest moderate speed.
The results from the VOC testing were illuminating. While all air purifiers tested had filters
which were claimed to be effective at removing odors, most had almost no impact on the
initial unfiltered measurement, including the Coway Mighty (our main pick) and Winix 6300
(our previous runner-up). But this was to be expected, since these units only use a thin
sorbent filter of activated carbon or zeolites (a class of minerals with a unique physical form
that means they can act as molecular filters).
However, three premium models stood out. The Austin Air, which contains 15 pounds of
activated carbon and zeolite, left only 13 percent of baseline ethanol remaining, twice the
performance of the next closest competitor, the IQAir, which has 5 pounds of activated
carbon and alumina pellets. The Blueair 503 left 32 percent of VOC and contains 4.2
pounds of activated carbon.
This 2014 test set a baseline for 2016: any unit with less than 5 pounds of chemical
adsorbent would fail the odor/molecular-pollution test. And because few air purifiers even
approach that amount, we were able to eliminate that test in 2016, too.
Cost
Both upfront and operating costs are a significant part of owning an air purifier. These units
can be expected to last for several years, so we took a long view at the cost of ownership,
including the purchase price, electrical consumption, and recommended filter replacement
schedule, using the shortest time for filter replacement if a range was specified.
Power consumption of units was measured at each setting using a Sperry DSA-500 clampon ammeter. The table below, and calculations used for cost of ownership, are based on the
highest fan setting that didnt exceed the 55 decibel noise limit. Electricity rates are based
on current residential rates in John Holeceks area: $0.15396 per kWh and operation 24
hours a day. (Rates vary state to state and city to city, of course, but California is in line with
much of the country; the Northeast especially, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Pacific Northwest
are generally higher.) If you wish to calculate more accurately, see the latest state averages.

Measuring the power consumption of the air purifiers using a clamp-on ammeter.

Manufacturer

Model

Annual filter cost ($) Purchase ($) Annual Electrical ($) 5 year cost ($)

Winix

HR1000 $100.00

$379.00

$41.00

$985.00

Winix

5500-2

$80.00

$250.00

$27.00

$707.00

Winix

6300

$59.00

$270.00

$29.00

$653.00

Dyson

Pure

$70.00

$500.00

$57.00

$1064.00

$170.00 $170.00

$600.00

$25.00

$1407.00

Rowenta

PU6020 $66.00

$370.00

$76.00

$1016.00

Blueair (Blue)

Pure

$120.00

$300.00

$72.00

$1142.00

Cool
Aerus
QuietPure

211
Blueair

503

$300.00

$650.00

$102.00

$2359.00

Coway

AP-

$50.00

$250.00

$25.00

$577.00

1512HH

After all this testing over two years, we were able to confidently settle on four air purifiers:
our two original picks, a new pick for extreme particle-filtering needs, and our original pick
for particle-plus-molecular filtration.

Our pick

From left: The Winix 5500-2, Coway Mighty, and Coway Airmega 300.

After two tests in the lab and

two years of in-home use

Our pick

and abuse, the Coway AP-

Coway AP-1512HH Mighty

1512HH Mighty remains our

pick as the best air purifier
for most people. The
reasons are many, but its
absolute performance,

Inexpensive, efficient,
and durable

$250 from Amazon

The Coway Mighty outperforms

purifiers that cost far more, is the
cheapest to own long-term, and
maintains its performance for
years.

ability to maintain that

performance over the years, and low upfront and long-term costs lead the pack.

After two years of use, the Coway showed its age

but still functioned like new.

In terms of measured particle removal, the Coway is very nearly the best we tested. On the
moderate settingthe highest youre likely to ever run it on for long periods it purifies
better than all but two units, reducing particle concentration to just 12 percent background
level after 20 minutes. Of the two machines that bested it, one, our runner-up Winix 5500-2,
only beat it by a statistically insignificant 2 percent; the other, the Blue Pure 211, raised
significant questions about long-term performance. And again, we measured after just 20
minutes; air purifiers generally run all day or until their built-in sensors measure effectively
zero particulate pollution and temporarily shut them off. The net lesson? The Coway Mighty
is both highly effective and extremely fast at purifying the air you breathe.
And to say it again: it performed this way on its
moderate setting, at which it generated just 51 decibels
of background noisefar quieter than a typical
conversation. (We measured all our test purifiers at
their highest-below-conversational levelso its not

The Coway Mighty is

both highly effective
and extremely fast at
purifying the air you
breathe.

just the quietness but the performance while quiet that

stood out.)
The Coway also maintains this level performance for years, even when pushed far beyond
the stated lifespan of its HEPA filters. These, like most HEPA filters, are meant to be
replaced once a year. We ran our test model virtually nonstop for two years without
replacing themtwice whats recommendedand it still worked as well as it did on day one.
Thats not hyperbole: in 2016 we measured its performance using both the original filters
and brand-new filters, and there was no measurable difference between them. That cannot
be said for every air purifier, including another of our previous picks, now struck offagain,
see Note on Blueair/Blue below. And upon opening the Coway before our tests, we
discovered why the Coway excelled: first, its prefilter did a stellar job of removing large
particulate matter (pet hair, dust), leaving only fine particles to enter the HEPA filter;
second, its HEPA filter is beautifully sealed, with no leaks around the edges that could let
fine particles skate through. (See the slideshow above for the dramatic evidence.)
The Coway is also easily the wallet-friendliest particulate air purifiers that met our stringent
test criteria, both in upfront cost and in cost of operation and maintenance. To buy and run
one 24/7 for five years (and that on the Moderate setting, not Low, where many people
would keep it) will set you back about $575, or $115 a year. Most purifiers rated to the same
square footage and with similar (in most cases somewhat worse) filtration performance

would set you back $1,000 or more; only our runner-up came within $150. Another way to
look at this is: You could buy and maintain two Coway Mightys for five years (perhaps one for
the bedroom and another for the living room) for less than the cost of some individual
competitors.
In an ideal world, none of us would live with an appliance sitting in the middle of our
bedroom or living room. But in the very likely event that you cant install a filtration system in
your home or apartments HVAC system, the Coway makes the best of the situation, being
quite small at 17 by 18 by 10 inches (WHD), about the size and shape of a beach tote. Its light
at just over 12 pounds. That makes it easy to fit into any room and equally easy to move to
another.
Finally, in addition to being extremely quiet, its moderate setting51.1 decibels, where
normal conversation averages 55 decibels or moreis effectively silent on low at 42.7
decibels. And, compared to many competitors, its reasonably attractive; with smooth
curves, minimalist UI, a circular vent, and and all-black and all-white models, it resembles a
late-model iPod. Simply put, its easy to live with. You may well turn your Coway Mighty on
and never think about it again, and thats about the highest compliment you can give an
appliance.
Widely available, well reviewed, cheap to buy and operate, high-performing initially and after
years of careless use, physically attractive, and able to disappear visually and aurally into the
background of most homes, the Coway AP-1512HH Mighty is our clear winner.

Also great

Its full of stars! The elegantly monolithic Winix 5500-2.

If the Coway is unavailable,

the Winix 5500-2 is a close

Runner-up

runner-up. It. too, is HEPA-

Winix 5500-2

certified and rated to 350

square feetagain, a very
large room (10 by 35 feet, or
roughly 16 by 22 feet; in any
case, far bigger than the
average bedroom or den).
And over 20 minutes of
testing, it slightly

Almost as good in
every way

$200* from Amazon

The Winix 5500-2 costs a bit

more over time than the main
pick and isnt quite as efficient
over 20 minutes of purification
but it beats most others.

$236 from Home

Depot
*At the time of publishing, the
price was $180.

statistically insignificantly
outperformed the Coway,
reducing particulate levels to 10 percent of their initial levels, versus 12 percent for the

Coway.
We side with the Coway for proven long-term performance and superior long-term cost and
aesthetics. The Winix costs about the same the Coway upfront, but is also a bit less energyefficient and uses slightly more expensive filters. This means it will end up costing about
$130 more over five years operation. Because its a new model, we dont have long-term
performance data. But if the Mighty is unavailable and you need an air purifier ASAP, its a
fine choice. (Note again, as above: The 5500-2 replaces our previous runner-up, the nearly
identical Winix Plasmawave 6300. The 6300 will phased out within a year, but replacement
filters will remain available, so if you bought one, theres no need to upgrade.)

For large spaces and extreme cases

The Coway Airmega 300 looks sleek and is built to clear large spaces.

While most people dont

need cleaner air beyond

Also great

what the Coway and Winix

Coway Airmega 300

offer, those who live with

especially dirty air (near a
highway, for example) or
who are sensitive to
chemicals may need more

For larges spaces and

extreme cases

$650 from Amazon

With a pair of filters, the Coway

Airmega 300 is rated to clear
spaces as large as 1,250 square
feet and will keep smaller spaces
exceptionally clean even on the
lowest setting.

than the Coway and Winix

deliver.
If you have severe allergies or other serious health issues related to airborne particles, or if
you need to purify the air in a seriously large space, we have a new step-up pick: the Airmega
300. This is a large but attractive machine; its HEPA-rated and rated to clear spaces of
about 500 square feet at five complete air-changes per hour (about 1.5 times the coverage
of the Coway and Winix), or 1,250 square feet at two complete air-changes. Its unique twin
filters permit very high airflow, allowing it to run on lower settings when the air is relatively
clean (quieter, less energy) or to rapidly filter very large volumes of air on the highest setting,
as you might when allergens or pollution are elevated. In our test, it gave the overall secondbest air-purification performancemore a function of its higher airflow and dual filters than
inherently superior filtration. (See Notes on Blueair/Blue purifiers, below, for why the topperforming machine isnt among our picks.) It is expensive and costs about $1,400
(including the purchase price) to maintain over five years; this is in line with most of the
high-end models we tested, but as hinted at above, more than the cost of a pair of Coway
Mightys.

The Airmega comes in an even more powerful model, the 400, rated to almost 625 square
feet at five air-changes per hour and 1,500 square feet at two air-changes, and each version
has an otherwise identical smart model (designated by an S after the model number) that
allows you to control and monitor the machine via a smartphone app. We actually tested a
300S; six attempts to get the app to work failed. But since it and the dumb 300 share the
same mechanicals, that didnt affect its performance. (In general, were not yet sold on
smart models and the price-premium they come with; see Note on smart air purifiers
below.)

In our tests for

odor/molecular-pollution

Also great

removal, its 15-pound

Austin Air HealthMate

Standard HM-400

activated-carbon filter
bested all other air purifiers
by a wide margin. (Most air
purifiers, including the other

For odors and

chemical sensitivity

$540 from Amazon

picks above, contain no or

A large activated-carbon filter

removes most VOCs and odors,
and a HEPA filter takes care of
most particulates.

only token carbon filters,

and do effectively nothing to remove molecular pollutants). Its exceptional performance in
this area is a big part of why FEMA and the Red Cross chose Austin Air units for deployment
at Ground Zero and the surrounding areas in the aftermath of 9/11.
Its annual operating cost of also makes it by far the cheapest high-end purifier to run, but
note that this is due to a filter thats designed to be replaced every five years instead of
annually. Against that, its power consumption is rather high, due to its high airflow and the
airflow-resistance of the carbon filter; and though its HEPA-rated, when running the fan at
comfortable sound levels, the Austin Air was less efficient than all other models at removing
particles from the air. But a little extra background noise isnt too much to ask if serious
health concerns over molecular pollutants are an issue.

Competition
The Aerus QuietPure Whisper, a smart model, had an easy-to-configure app but gave
notably inferior performance compared to the otherwise comparable Coway Airmega 300.
The Blue Pure 211 was in absolute terms the best performer in the 2016 test, but for reasons
explained above in How we tested and below in Note on Blueair/Blue, we are skeptical it will
maintain that performance long-term.
The Blueair 503 was a standout performer in our 2014 test, but as detailed below, it suffered
a four-fold loss of particulate filtration when re-tested in 2016. Neither the manufacturer
nor our own investigations were able to explain this (though at their request weve sent the
503 back to the manufacturer for analysis), and a thorough cleaning of the machine didnt
fix it. At well over $2,300 for purchase and five years maintenanceby far the highest in our
2016 testthats not acceptable.
The Dyson Pure Cool, now sold as a smart version, the Pure Cool Link, was the worstperforming purifier in our 2016 test.
The IQAir HealthPro Plus has long been considered the gold standard. However, in our 2014
test, it proved middling on both particulate and odor/molecular-pollution removal, and its
incredibly expensive to buy and operatemore than $3,000 over five years as we
calculated at the time of writing.
The Rabbit Air MinusA2 SPA-700A earned middling performance, cost-of-ownership, and
noise marks in our 2014 test.
The Rowenta PU6020 did not stand out on particulate filtration. It employs a unique
formaldehyde-trapping filter, but those with chemical sensitivity should look to the Austin

Air for broader odor/molecular-pollution removal. Its also pricy to buy and run.
The Sharp Plasmacluster FP-A80 performed well on particulates in our 2014 test, but didnt
live up to its claims of molecular/odor removal due to its small (~1 pound) sorbent filter. That
plus its high long-term cost (about $900 over five years) puts it in that unhappy middle
ground of too much cost and not enough performance relative to true molecular/odor
purifiers.
The Winix HR1000, a smart model, has an easy-to-use app but gave unimpressive
particulate-filtration performance at a relatively high costalmost $1,000 over five years,
nearly twice that of our main pick, which also comprehensively outperformed it. We like
other Winix products, however, including the 5500-2, our new runner-up.

How HEPA filters work

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particle Arrestance. The technology is the result of an
industrial need that became critical in the aerospace age: high volumes of very clean air,
vital for the production of microprocessors and other sensitive instruments. Happily, HEPA
filtration is also fundamentally simple and cheap, which means its available to everyone
today.
HEPA filtration is a physical process: it relies on momentum to capture variously-sized
microscopic particles when theyre drawn at high speed through a dense, felt-like net with
gaps of varying size. Its not that any given gap in the nets mesh is fine enough to capture
everything; its that, cumulatively, almost nothing but air will make it through the thick, multilayered net without being caught. Thats opposed to what most of us envision when we think
of filtration: uniform particles (say, pieces of pasta) trapped by uniform holes (a colander)
as the carrying medium (water) slowly drains away.
In HEPA filtration, a dense and seamless sheet of very small fibers (usually fiberglass) is
pleated like an accordion and mounted, sealed at the edges, in a frame of metal or plastic,
creating an airtight filter. A fan draws air rapidly from side of the filter to the other, and the
seamless sheet and the sealing mean that air on one side cant pass through to the other
side without being filtered. (To help ensure a steady airflow, many HEPA filters also
interleave the pleats with impervious sheets of aluminum or plastic.)
The fibers in a HEPA filter capture airborne particulates in three basic ways, but they all
come down to the comparatively huge differences in size between those particulates
solid, though generally microscopic, things like smoke particlesand truly infinitesimal
gaseous atoms and molecules. The latter are so small that they flow more or less freely
between the HEPA filters fibers, allowing for unimpeded passage of gases (air) from one
side of the filter to the other. By contrast, particulates, while small on a human scale, are
hundreds or thousands of times larger than gaseous atoms and molecules. That means
particulates have so much momentum that they cannot simply go with the flow of the air.
Instead, for three reasons, based on their size, they are virtually guaranteed to slam into the
fibers. In short, gases are drawn through quickly and with little resistance while,
simultaneously, almost everything that isnt gaseous gets caught. Thus, High Efficiency
Particle Arrestance.
The largest of the particulatesthose roughly same diameter of or wider than the filter
fibers, about 0.5 microns and aboveare captured via impaction: unable to change their
course due to momentum, they simply slam into the fibers and stick to them. Particles less
than the diameter of the fibers, but not too much less, are captured by interception: they
try to flow around the fibers but come close enough to touch the fibers on the way by, and
again stick. Finally, very fine particles those below 0.1 microns, or one-fifth or less the
diameter of the fibersget bounced around randomly and slowed by their interactions with
atmospheric atoms and molecules, and eventually drift or get bounced into a filter fiber,
whereupon (yet again) they get stucka process called diffusion. The net result is that
virtually all particles get captured.

Crucially, the hardest particles to capture are what you might call the Baby Bears: at 0.3
microns, theyre at the low limit of interception momentum and above the limit of diffusion
in other words, just right to get through a HEPA filter. The solution is to make the filter
dense enough that even at the 0.3-micron limit, there are enough fibers between the
unfiltered and filtered side to capture most of them. And again, according to the U.S. HEPA
standard, most of them means 99.97 percentdamn near all. Which is the standard we
used. The European Union certifies HEPA on a numeric scale, and the lowest, and very
common, one is less than 85 percent of 0.3-micron particles (E10). At the risk of offense:
Buy American. And if you have to buy European, insist on a purifier rated to H13 (99.95
percent of 0.3-micron particles removed).

Note on Blueair/Blue
In our 2014 guide, and as a result of our 100 hours of 2014 testing, we recommended the
Blueair 503 with the SmokeStop filter package for people with severe health concerns tied
to particulate air pollution. It was, and is, an expensive option; nearly $2,600 over five years
of operation and maintenance. We recommended the Blueair 503 almost exclusively
because of its truly exceptional initial performance on particulate removal. The Blueair
employs a unique step in its filtration process: it imparts an electrical charge to airborne
particles via metal and nylon brushes and attracts them to pre-filters with the opposite
charge before running the remainder through its HEPA filter.
This appears to work wonders when Blueair units are new. As we wrote in 2014, The Blueair
was by far the most effective particle collector of the 10 models tested. In our initial test at
moderate fan speeds, less than 10 percent of the particles remained after 10 minutes of
operation. Thats half the number of particles compared with the next closest model.
We retained that Blueair 503 for long-term testing, and ran it regularly for the best part of
two years.

Dust buildup at the Blueair 503s intake (note that

no prefilter is present).

Then we tested it againand its performance had nosedived. It was among the worstperforming units in our 2016 test, using both the original filters and brand-new filters. We
contacted Blueair and described the dropoff; they suggested it was broken and asked us to
pay them $150 upfront to ship them the unit and have them fix itsight unseen. When we
further explained the situation and asked for alternate remedieslike cleaning the metal
plates that impart the electrical chargethey said there were no such remedies. We then, as
basic tinkerer/maker types, physically cleaned the charging plates with plain water and a rag,

then retested the unitand again measured the same dropoff in performance.
In taking the 503 apart for cleaning, we discovered significant dust buildup on the electricalcharging brushes and behind the Smokestop and HEPA filtersperhaps the result of the
machines lack of a prefilter for removing large particulate matter (see the slideshow
above). Whatever the causeand, at their request, weve shipped our test model back to
Blueair for their own evaluationthose are worrying signs.
In 2016, the Blue Pure 211 was a similar standout, dropping particulates to 3 percent of their
initial concentration within 20 minutes, versus 11 percent for our pick, the Coway Mighty.
Blue, however, is a subsidiary of Blueairand the Blue Pure 211 uses the same charging
technology as Blueair 503.
Given that the Blueairs performance collapsed over the course of just two years of use,
remained poor even after replacing the HEPA filters, and remained so even after cleaning
the charging brushes, and given that the Blue Pure 211 is made by the same company and
utilizes the same technology, we cant recommend either the Blueair 503 or Blue Pure 211.

Note on smart purifiers

It is a commonplace of contemporary life that appliance-makers offer smart versions of
their every product. Smart fridges, smart stoves, smart washers and driersand, of course,
smart air purifiers.
We tested three smart air purifiers in 2016: the Coaway Airmega 300S, the Winix HR1000
and Aerus Quiet Pure. As noted above, we had trouble with the Airmegas app. The Winix
and Aerus apps, by contrast, were easy to set up and worked well.
However, when it comes to air purifiers, were skeptical of the utility, and more broadly, the
smartness of smart. Thats because air purifiers, like smoke detectors and other alwayson appliances, are the essence of dumb. Thats not an insult. In fact, its praise.
As noted above: almost every purifier we tested has self-monitoring technology and can
measure the particulate concentration in the cleaned air they deliver to the room, and shut
off or lower the fan speed accordingly when the concentration is near zero. (The sole
exception among our picks is the Austin Air.) That means that, unlike such things as air
conditioners and space heaters, which alter their activity relative to their users presence or
preferences, most air purifiers can alter their performance relative to absolute measures.
Their job is to create clean air. They do so; then, if set to the self-monitoring mode (a.k.a.
energy saver or the like) they shut themselves off when theyve done their job; and then
they come back on when external factors (like air coming into a home from outside) mean
the air needs cleaning again. We generally recommend simply allowing purifiers to run at the
highest fan/noise level youre comfortable withdoing so ensures a steady, minimal level of
particulate pollution in the room. But at any event, were dubious of the utility of the
roughly-$100 premium youll pay for a smart, app-ified air purifier that lets you control it
when purifiers already do their job automatically.
Sure, a smart air purifier app can send you a reminder when its time to replace the filter
but so can the digital or paper calendar you already use to remind yourself of long-term
maintenance needs. And those cost you nothing.
Of course, if real-time remote monitoring and control of your air quality is a genuine desire
or need, $100 or more may be a worthwhile outlay. But for most people, we firmly believe
reliability and raw performance are the key factorsnot smart ability or lack thereof.
(Photos by John Holecek.)

Coway AP-1512HH Mighty

Inexpensive, efficient, and durable

Buy for $250 from Amazon

We do our best to stay on top of prices.
If something's changed, let us know.

Share

Sources
1.

Edgar V. Sherbenou, Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Air Air Purifier Review, Air Purifier
Power, 11/14/13

2.

Angie Parkinson, Coway AP-1512HH, Top Ten Reviews, 5/1/14

Originally published: August 10, 2016

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