5 ms·

The recommended pick from the Wirecutter is the Coway AP-1512HH Mighty (as of this post, the recommendation was last updated January 15, 2021) [0]. The CADR is

The recommended pick from the Wirecutter is the Coway AP-1512HH Mighty (as of this post, the recommendation was last updated January 15, 2021) [0]. The CADR is available on Coway's product page in what I assume to be imperial units given the units of the other specifications: "233 (Smoke), 246 (Dust), 240 (Pollen)" (under "Specification") [1]. This CADR score puts it just between the BlueAir Blue Pure 211 and GermGuardian AC530B in the graph from the post [2]. [0] https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-purifier/ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-purifier... [1] https://cowaymega.com/products/coway-mighty-ap-1512hh https://cowaymega.com/products/coway-mighty-ap-1512hh [2] https://i.cbc.ca/1.5902727.1612545406!/fileImage/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/original_1180/air-purifiers-graph.png https://i.cbc.ca/1.5902727.1612545406!/fileImage/httpImage/i...

liminalsunset 6y ago
Some additional info about this device is available from Energy Star to confirm the CADR ratings are in cfm. [0] This is odd, as the standard for CADR is often in m3/h. That works out to about 420 ish m3/h in this case. I rememeber seeing a video on YouTube indicating this device takes 2.2W on low, 4.4 on medium, and about 40 on high. [1] The disparity is reasonable, as the fan laws state that power increases with the cube of shaft speed, and airflow is proportional. Given that the product runs with such low power, it uses a brushless dc motor. The only issue with this device is that it appears to lack serious amounts of carbon filtration - no hundreds of grams of carbon pellets for odor and chemical adsorption. Not sure if this could be added as a DIY addon. [0] https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-room-air-cleaners/details/2359491/export/pdf/download https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-r... [1] 5:25 of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBv2aPMWdmI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBv2aPMWdmI
- ska 6y ago
  > [0] This is odd, I suspect by "odd" here you just mean "american". US consumers really don't like having to convert units.
JohnBooty 6y ago
We have four in our house and they are workhorses. Still running strong and quiet 3-4 years later of running 24/7. Probably one of the best things I've ever bought. They are also popular enough, and have been around long enough, that there is an "ecosystem" of third party replacement filters that are affordable and capable. The sound of the Coway is also quite nice for sleeping in our opinion. It's a quiet "whoooosh", not grating at all. Given the observed longevity of the Coways, I suspect they are actually cheaper than "DIY box fan" solution after a couple of years if you're running them 24/7. Sure, you can get a cheap box fan, but you'll be lucky if it lasts 6-12 months running 24/7 while trying to suck air through a filter.
- budlightvirus 6y ago
  What benefits do you feel from having four filters? Not hating, genuinely curious. It's just never occurred to me to filter the air in my home aside from burning something on the stove or similar
  - debaserab2 6y ago
    It depends greatly on your climate. I didn't need one in the midwest, where air quality is pretty good and there's a lot of humidity in the air, but when I moved westward I definitely noticed the difference in air quality (my asthmatic symptoms came back which I haven't had since I was a child). Especially in autumn when the wildfires start up - even if it's many miles away there is a very noticeable degradation in air quality.
  - fireattack 6y ago
    I'm also curious about running them 24/7.
    - s0rce 6y ago
      Mine run 24/7 on low for a few years so far, one is going on 3 years and the other is about 8 months. No issues other than periodic cleaning and filter replacement. Main hint: keep a spare filter before California fire season.
pchristensen 6y ago
Our Coway (bought from the Wirecutter recommendation) has been running for 2.5 years straight. The members of my household with asthma appreciate it year-round and especially during fire/smoke season.
bredren 6y ago
Was wondering if I’d see this model mentioned. I’ve bought four of these, given one away. One in living room, bedroom, one is boxed for an office I’m setting up. Couple notes on this: It is the iPod of air conditioners in its UX and look. The lights on the top are too bright and can’t be dimmed, we cover them in the bedroom with a taped piece of heavyweight paper. The filters do need to be either clean or replaced on a reasonable basis but catch all manner of stuff that you’d either inhale or clean off other things. Better air is like less noise pollution. I believe you can improve the quality of ambient environment you should. It isn’t always obvious it is helping. I can’t measure how much faster the fried food I cooked no longer smells because of it. That said there’s a reason we use AirPods Pro’s to isolate from distractions. I think air filters can be a simple way to improve quality of life. I would use a box fan if we had fires in Oregon again. (Our coways had the angry red light on and ran full speed for days, they were not enough.) But it’s not practical to have a box filter going every day of the year. One more item, this Coway _occasionally_ goes on sale for $120 on Amazon. If you see it for that price grab it because it lasts only a couple of hours.
- aroch 6y ago
  If you have a new model, hold the ionizer button for 5 seconds and the indicator light will turn off.
  - bredren 6y ago
    Hey I didn’t know that! One of mine has that, but it still doesn’t turn off the green fan speed or ion status lights. I cover those up normally.

liminalsunset 6y ago

Some additional info about this device is available from Energy Star to confirm the CADR ratings are in cfm. [0] This is odd, as the standard for CADR is often in m3/h. That works out to about 420 ish m3/h in this case. I rememeber seeing a video on YouTube indicating this device takes 2.2W on low, 4.4 on medium, and about 40 on high. [1] The disparity is reasonable, as the fan laws state that power increases with the cube of shaft speed, and airflow is proportional. Given that the product runs with such low power, it uses a brushless dc motor. The only issue with this device is that it appears to lack serious amounts of carbon filtration - no hundreds of grams of carbon pellets for odor and chemical adsorption. Not sure if this could be added as a DIY addon. [0] https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-room-air-cleaners/details/2359491/export/pdf/download https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-r... [1] 5:25 of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBv2aPMWdmI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBv2aPMWdmI

ska 6y ago
> [0] This is odd, I suspect by "odd" here you just mean "american". US consumers really don't like having to convert units.

JohnBooty 6y ago

We have four in our house and they are workhorses. Still running strong and quiet 3-4 years later of running 24/7. Probably one of the best things I've ever bought. They are also popular enough, and have been around long enough, that there is an "ecosystem" of third party replacement filters that are affordable and capable. The sound of the Coway is also quite nice for sleeping in our opinion. It's a quiet "whoooosh", not grating at all. Given the observed longevity of the Coways, I suspect they are actually cheaper than "DIY box fan" solution after a couple of years if you're running them 24/7. Sure, you can get a cheap box fan, but you'll be lucky if it lasts 6-12 months running 24/7 while trying to suck air through a filter.

budlightvirus 6y ago
What benefits do you feel from having four filters? Not hating, genuinely curious. It's just never occurred to me to filter the air in my home aside from burning something on the stove or similar
- debaserab2 6y ago
  It depends greatly on your climate. I didn't need one in the midwest, where air quality is pretty good and there's a lot of humidity in the air, but when I moved westward I definitely noticed the difference in air quality (my asthmatic symptoms came back which I haven't had since I was a child). Especially in autumn when the wildfires start up - even if it's many miles away there is a very noticeable degradation in air quality.
- fireattack 6y ago
  I'm also curious about running them 24/7.
  - s0rce 6y ago
    Mine run 24/7 on low for a few years so far, one is going on 3 years and the other is about 8 months. No issues other than periodic cleaning and filter replacement. Main hint: keep a spare filter before California fire season.

pchristensen 6y ago

Our Coway (bought from the Wirecutter recommendation) has been running for 2.5 years straight. The members of my household with asthma appreciate it year-round and especially during fire/smoke season.

bredren 6y ago

Was wondering if I’d see this model mentioned. I’ve bought four of these, given one away. One in living room, bedroom, one is boxed for an office I’m setting up. Couple notes on this: It is the iPod of air conditioners in its UX and look. The lights on the top are too bright and can’t be dimmed, we cover them in the bedroom with a taped piece of heavyweight paper. The filters do need to be either clean or replaced on a reasonable basis but catch all manner of stuff that you’d either inhale or clean off other things. Better air is like less noise pollution. I believe you can improve the quality of ambient environment you should. It isn’t always obvious it is helping. I can’t measure how much faster the fried food I cooked no longer smells because of it. That said there’s a reason we use AirPods Pro’s to isolate from distractions. I think air filters can be a simple way to improve quality of life. I would use a box fan if we had fires in Oregon again. (Our coways had the angry red light on and ran full speed for days, they were not enough.) But it’s not practical to have a box filter going every day of the year. One more item, this Coway _occasionally_ goes on sale for $120 on Amazon. If you see it for that price grab it because it lasts only a couple of hours.

aroch 6y ago
If you have a new model, hold the ionizer button for 5 seconds and the indicator light will turn off.
- bredren 6y ago
  Hey I didn’t know that! One of mine has that, but it still doesn’t turn off the green fan speed or ion status lights. I cover those up normally.