Just got mine and it is very quiet, even on speed 2. Moved my old Winix to the living room and have the Coway in the bedroom. Much quieter and highly recommend.
Have both Levoit and Coway. I’d prioritise Coway in a heartbeat. Top wirecutter option for 10 years..
The new (Mar 2026) Coway Airmega Mighty2 AP-1512N is supposedly even better again.
I can’t speak to sinus issue specifically but having used multiple Levoit (300s & 400s) & Coway Airmega Mighty AP-1512HH air purifiers in various environments over the past 6-7 years I’d go with Coway Airmega. It’s been the top pick on NY Times wirecutter for past 10 years, a favorite of popular mechanics too among others & for good reason. A new Coway Airmega Mighty2 ($270) has just been released March 19th.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-purifier/
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gear/a71054072/coway-airmega-mighty2-air-purifier-review/
In the original Coway Airmega ($200), I like that it has a washable pre filter, a carbon filter (for odour) and the HEPA filter. It pulls air from the front so I can place it against a wall vs the Levoit 300s pulls aire from a 36O so it has to be placed a couple feet away from the wall. In a small room where space matters that’s relevant.
The Mighty is also quieter than the Core 300 (keep that in mind for bedroom) and provides more than double the air changes. When set to auto it automatically detects odor and particulate matter, and increases filtration if needed. Mine detected a fire in the building next door & 2 floors below before I even smelled the smoke - it was the fact it increased to the highest levels of filtration that got my attention.
The newer Airmega 2 also has built-in AQI sensor & displays it digitally. It monitors PM1.0 (microscopic particles), PM2.5 (dust and smoke), and PM10 (pet hair, large pollen spores, etc.). That’s like having a separate air quality monitor worth at least $100 considering it monitors all 3!
What Coway doesn’t have that Levoit does is an integrated app, that’s an upgraded option and more expensive. Levoit’s app is great and I love that I can set schedules etc.
And just to be fair I also really like Levoit, only had one issue with the 400s and whirring from a bearing but overall they’re very good. I also use their humidifiers both evaporative and ultrasonic. It’s so easy to manage all from one app. They have a Levoit 200S which is very similar in shape and functionally and performs as good as the original Coway Airmega Mighty according to the NY Times. But I can’t personally speak on it..
I’ve just had such a solid experience with Coway and it has lasted 7+ yrs without a single problem so it’s a great investment.. I’d choose it over any other and now considering getting the new Airmega 2 after this!
I hope this helps with the practical side of your decision at least.
I've been pretty happy with my Coway HP-1512, bought it in 2016 and it's still going strong (by contrast, the Honeywell HEPA filters I bought before that tended to die of burned out motors after a couple years). It appears that the modern version of the same model is the Coway AirMega Mighty2.
The Coway has a three stage filter system:
1. A reusable/cleanable fine plastic mesh
2. A disposable activated charcoal filter
3. A disposable paper filter.
The Coway has brushless motors, an air quality sensor, and an "auto" mode that ramps the fan speed up and down as needed. This reduces the electric cost significantly. This helps balance out the higher cost of the replacement filters. Here's the official Coway brand replacement filter:
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7WMQTW?th=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7WMQTW?th=1)
$52.99
Here's an off brand 2 pack replacement filter set, it seems to work okay:
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QQW5KTK](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QQW5KTK)
$37.15
I live in a very dusty part of a very dusty city (Pittsburgh, down near the river so the valley channels dust, and downstream of some industrial pollution). I suspect there's a relatively large amount of "large" dust and etc. I've considered trying to figure out some approach for removing it to extend the life of the expensive Coway filters.
Maybe building a DIY system, using reusable/cleanable furnace filters. I wouldn't let one of those filters near my furnace, and I'm a little skeptical of their efficacy in general, but for catching the larger dust and etc, maybe it would be useful? Possibly.
I don't know about car-specific air filters, but I've been very happy with the Coway HP-1512 room air cleaner that I bought in 2016, so I'd check on whether Coway makes a product for cars/trucks.
I second the advice about getting an air quality tester, I've been thinking about getting one myself.
I have a Coway hp-1512, bought it in 2016, so far it's lasted over four times as long as the several Honeywell filters I bought before it (All of which died after about 2 years).
The coway disposable paper filters are a little expensive. But according to reviews that is outweighed in the long run by the brushless motor, which uses less electricity (and is also more durable because there's no physical brush contact), and by the air quality sensor which can ramp speed up and down as necessary, again saving electricity.
I actually have something very like a controlled experiment, and the answer is that the power bills aren't significantly different.
The experiment is that I live in a small apartment building that I own with my brother. We live in two apartments, net door to each other, and in most regards our electricity usage is very similar (similar appliances, etc), except that I also have a room air cleaner.
Our electric bills are very similar.
I have a Coway HP-1512, not a Winix. One of the reasons I bought the Coway is energy efficiency, which it gets from:
a) It uses a brushless motor, which inherently more energy efficient.
b) An air quality sensor that turns the speed up and down as needed, so it's not running full speed 24x7.
I'll also say that the Coway has, so far, lasted ten years (bought in 2016), while the previous three air cleaners (Honeywells) died after 2-3 years.
I'm pretty impressed with the Coway. The filters could be more affordable, but (according to an independent reviewer) the Coway's air quality sensor/variable rate, and prefilter, make the more expensive filters last longer than the cheaper filters on other air cleaners. So it evens out in the long run.
I've been pretty happy with my Coway HP-1512, bought it in 2016 and it's still going strong (by contrast, the Honeywell HEPA filters I bought before that tended to die of burned out motors after a couple years). It appears that the modern version of the same model is the Coway AirMega Mighty2.
The Coway has a three stage filter system:
1. A reusable/cleanable fine plastic mesh
2. A disposable activated charcoal filter
3. A disposable paper filter.
The Coway has brushless motors, an air quality sensor, and an "auto" mode that ramps the fan speed up and down as needed. This reduces the electric cost significantly. This helps balance out the higher cost of the replacement filters. Here's the official Coway brand replacement filter:
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7WMQTW?th=1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7WMQTW?th=1)
$52.99
Here's an off brand 2 pack replacement filter set, it seems to work okay:
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QQW5KTK](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QQW5KTK)
$37.15
I live in a very dusty part of a very dusty city (Pittsburgh, down near the river so the valley channels dust, and downstream of some industrial pollution). I suspect there's a relatively large amount of "large" dust and etc. I've considered trying to figure out some approach for removing it to extend the life of the expensive Coway filters.
Maybe building a DIY system, using reusable/cleanable furnace filters. I wouldn't let one of those filters near my furnace, and I'm a little skeptical of their efficacy in general, but for catching the larger dust and etc, maybe it would be useful? Possibly.
caliguy24
