Owning smart devices is becoming a norm these days. Companies know the pulse of the customers and waste no opportunity to cash-in on this growing trend. Even bidets have gone ‘smart’! Who could imagine that one day appliances could be this advanced. Air purifiers which are relatively smart devices already have gone even smarter. In this post we bring forth the Coway Airmega AP-1512HHS Review. The name of this Airmega may look familiar to you? If yes, and you are confused, its not your fault. Coway AP-1512HHS is purportedly the smarter version of the already very popular AP-1512HH model, the Coway Mighty. Coway Mighty has consistently won many awards and is the Wirecutter favorite too.
Whether this newer Coway model could fulfill our expectations, you’d know it shortly. But, let me fill you upfront that Coway AP-1512HHS (I hate them for not giving it a simpler name to call) is an exact replica of the Coway AP1512HH. From the shape and dimensions’ view, all remains the same.
On the air purification front, they say it has ‘improved’ filters. This is a customary thing to do when a new model is introduced.
Coway Airmega AP-1512HHS Review
Firstly we’ll discuss the thing which sets it apart from the Coway Mighty air purifier, its smartness. You can manage this device remotely via Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls.
SMARTNESS
Coway’s top of the line air purifiers like the AIRMEGA 400S are quite costly. But, the thing to note here is that Airmega 400S has a 3.5 times coverage area too. Plus it is way smarter than most air purifiers. Hence, it is not a bad deal at all. Coway air purifiers are known for their excellent performance.
Coway has their own IoCare Application for mobile phones. It is one of the key elements in making the air purifier ‘smart’. The other prerequisite is that of a WiFi. Once the pairing between the device and the APP is done, you get some advanced control at your fingertips.
SMART FEATURES:
- You can turn the Air purifier On/Off from the APP remotely.
- The APP displays outdoor and indoor air quality comparison. Air quality is displayed visually as a graph.
- The Fan speed can be changed from within the APP .
- The APP lets you put the air purifier on a preset timer/schedule. You can schedule it between 1/4/8 hours in advance.
- The APP also can let you set the mode of operation of the device. ECO and AUTO modes are the available choices.
- The remaining life of the filters are also shown in the IoCare APP.
BIGGER AIRMEGA MODEL
COWAY AIRMEGA 300S
COWAY AP-1512HHS COVERAGE
Coverage-wise Coway Mighty cannot be termed as ‘Great’, its just OK. Nothing special or exemplary about its coverage area. At full-blown fan speed, the maximum area this air purifier can cater to is 325 sq.ft.
I’ve summarized all of its features in the specification chart at the end.
LOOKS AND DESIGN
For anyone who is unaware of the features present in Coway Mighty, Airmega AP-1512HHS would look exactly the same. Still, it has the same shape and look of an iPod which is scaled-up 50 times. There is one notable difference in looks though and that is in the color scheme. Its circular inner rim in the front side has a tinge of coffee.
The control panel is not much changed. Nothing much has changed except for an additional WiFi Connectivity button and its LED. The dimensions, weight and shape are all the same as the Coway Mighty.
The buttons are responsive and are water-proof.
PRICE
Airmega price has been increased slightly to accommodate the smart features. In simple words, Airmega AP-1512HHS has been introduced to be having the best of Coway Mighty and Airmega 300S.
The price of its base model, the Airmega AP-1512HH is comparable with another hugely popular air purifier- the Honeywell HPA300. Honeywell HPA300 has a greater coverage area and is preferable for patients of allergy.
AIR FILTERS & PERFORMANCE
The air filtration prowess of the Coway Mighty is what makes it so popular. Its shape and design do not look menacing as compared to other mean-machine air purifiers. Still, it does its job very well. Same legacy has been carried forward to the Coway Airmega AP-1512HHS. A significant change needs mention here.
Coway Mighty has an Ionizer stage in it. This has been scrapped off in this new model. An ionizer is always a bone of contention due to risks on health and the ensuing regulatory watchdogs. This removal has made this air purifier fully ozone-neutral.
At the highest fan speed, the Coway AP-1512HHS can seem noisy but not too much as compared to any other air purifier. At the lowest fan speed ofcourse its very quiet. The automatic fan speed control in Auto mode makes it to self-adjust its working. The air purifier would push its fan to maximum speed when it senses pollution. Similarly, it falls silent until the air quality I maintained to good.
COWAY AP1512HHS FILTER
The various stages of filtration are discussed below in some detail.
1. PRE-FILTER – A pre-filter is the first line of defense in the filters lineup. It saves the costlier HEPA and carbon filters from being clogged with dust and lint. A pre-filter is always washable; washing it regularly and not waiting till it clogs is essential. You can save on the cost of replacement filters, if you care for the cleanliness of the pre-filters.
2. ACTIVATED CARBON FILTER – This filter is the where lingering odors or smells in the room’s air find their nemesis. Coway says their carbon filter in this newer Airmega is improved. Activated carbon is a champion deodorizer and can adsorb large volumes of gases.
Our rooms may abound in VOCs and other harmful gases. Activated carbon filter eliminates the risks involved in breathing poisonous fumes.
3. HEPA FILTER – Rest assured of the quality of the HEPA filter in AP-1512HHS. Coway does not use namesakes like ‘HEPA-Like’ in their air purifiers. After all, its the efficiency and quality of their filters is what has brought them to the pinnacle of the air purifier industry.
A True HEPA can filter 99.97% of all particles sized 0.3 micrometer in diameter and above. The HEPA filter arrests dust, virus, bacteria, mold, or pollen. A mechanism is in place which does not allow the trapped particles to re-circulate into the room’s air.
VERDICT – Coway AP-1512HHS
Coway Airmega AP-1512HHS is a decent air purifier. Coway’s APP, IoCare has had problems with many users complaining. The most common rue is that its hard to connect the air purifier to the WiFi. Without WiFi, the APP is useless as it cannot talk to the air purifier. Coway wanted to bring smartness to Coway Mighty, but alas it did not work well. I would suggest to still go for the tried and tested Coway AP-1512HH and let the newer smart model rest in peace.
It is upto you how bad you want the smart features. The price one pays for an Airmega 400S could get you 3 Honeywell HPA300 air purifiers. Its always better to have multiple air purifier units rather than one large beast.
