Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Review: Former Air Purifier of The Year

Last updated on March 18th, 2020

The mighty air purifier that not many have heard of (until now), Coway AP-1512HH air purifier is designed and engineered to be price conscious yet with dynamic airflow distribution and all the practicality you would ever need. With its comprehensive 4-stage filtration, most users or asthmatic impacted patients concurred that Coway AP-1512HH is the ideal model they would ever need. Is this true or is the existing owner just biased towards the product they purchased? Find out more in our review below.

Coway AP-1512HH Mighty Specification

Product	Coway AP-1512HH Mighty

Dimension	16.8 x 18.3 x 9.6 in (42.7 x 46.5 x 24.4 cm)
Weight	12.3 lb (5.6 kg)
Fanspeed	3
Coverage (up to)	326 sq. ft. (30 m²)
Airflow speed
Dust free (CADR)	246 cfm (418 m³/h)
Pollen free (CADR)	240 cfm (408 m³/h)
Smoke free (CADR)	233 cfm (396 m³/h)
Filtration	4-stage
Pre-Filter - Lifespan - Replacement cost ($)	Pre-filter Permanent
HEPA filter - Lifespan - Replacement cost ($)	True HEPA filter 1 year
Carbon filter - Lifespan - Replacement cost ($)	Deodorization filter 6 month
Ionizer/ Technologies	Vital Ionizer
UV-light/ PCO	-
Other filter	-
All-in-one filter - Lifespan - Replacement cost ($)	3304899 Replacement Filter 1 year +- 47.17
Optional/ Addon	-
Noise level	24.4 - 53.8 dBA
Power usage level	4.9 - 77.8 W
Timer/ Scheduler	1, 4, 8 hours
Sensors	Particle sensors
Auto mode
Air qualityAQ indicator
Filter change indicator
More color options
Wi-Fi/ BTBluetooth
ENERGY STAR
Remote control
Child lock
Warranty	3 years
Email/ Phone support

Report incorrect information

Key features

4-stage filtration including Vital Ionizer
Permanent Pre-filter
True HEPA filter
Deodorization filter
3 speed with Auto mode and Energy Saving Eco mode
Smart air quality indicator with color display (Blue = clean, Purple = Medium, Red = Highly polluted)
HEPA and Odor filter replacement indicator
3 preset timer (1, 4, 8 hours)
3 years warranty

Coway AP-1512HH Mighty review

Well-priced for a powerful 4-stage filtration air purifier.
Very low annual filter replacement fees. Cost only 1/3 of some premium air purifier.
Decent purifying coverage capable of catering for large room size.
Genuine True HEPA filter that compliments well with the pre-filter, deodorization, and ionizer.
Sensor comes with 3 adjustable preset setting plus the availability of Auto mode and timer features.
Energy Saving Eco mode that will stop the fan from spinning when no pollutants are detected for 30 minutes.
2 Separate HEPA and Odor filter replacement indicator.

Particle sensors occasionally take its time to detect nearby pollutants even though it is set to "sensitive" level.
Carbon filter lifespan is shorter than the market average of 1 year.
not known to have the most responsive customer service support (things might have improved recently).

The starters

Dimension

16.8 x 18.3 x 9.6 in

(42.7 x 46.5 x 24.4 cm)

Weight

12.3 lb (5.6 kg)

Available in black and white, Coway AP-1512HH is perhaps the most underrated air purifier in the market that many people overlooked. Given it’s a dated model, the design might not be the most practical with air quality indicator hidden from the front sight. The plastic cover front panel with big circle budge does not feel premium, but the all-around design is sturdy that will prevent any off-gassing. At 16.8 x 18.3 x 9.6 in and 12.3 lb weight, the air inlet is nicely tugged on both sides with air outlet located at the back.

Moving to the controls, at the top you will find 5 round buttons and an air quality indicator. Starting from the left is the Power button that requires no explanation. Next to it is the speed button will top indicator that will cycle between Auto, 1, 2, 3, and Eco mode. The center Ionizer button will either enable or disable the Ionizer function. The fourth button belongs to Timer that will cycle between 1, 4, 8 hours, and off. The fifth Filter Reset button will reset either the Odor or HEPA filter count timer by pressing and holding the button for 2 seconds. A hidden function that is not shown on the screen is the Air Quality Sensor adjustment. To make any adjustment, press both airflow speed and ionizer button for 2 seconds. A beep sound can be heard and the speed indicator will blink to show the current sensor sensitivity. Press the speed button to cycle between speed 1 (Sensitive), speed 2 (Standard), and speed 3 (Insensitive). Repeat pressing both airflow speed and ionizer button for 2 seconds to save the setting. Last but not least, there is an air quality indicator that will display in Blue when air is clean, Dark purple when air polluted, and Red when air is highly polluted.

To wrap-up on the spec sheet, Coway Mighty comes with 4-stage filtration with 3 speed, 2 filter replacement indicator, Auto mode, Eco mode, 3 preset sensor setting, Energy Star rated and 3 years warranty.

Airflow, speed, and CADR

Purifying coverage

326 sq. ft. (30 m²)

Fanspeed

Coway AP-1512HH Mighty 3 speed and 326 sq. ft. coverage is best used in medium size room but you could place it in the living hall as well. Bedroom is also doable as that is the place you would spend the most time in. We always encourage users to leave it to Auto mode as an air purifier should not be a hindrance on your busy schedule. Speaking of Auto mode, it is highly reliant on the sensors to provide feedback and the good thing is the sensors can be adjusted to 3 different sensitivity. We have no problem with the speed consistency and sensor accuracy other than a few occasional hiccups.

Dust CADR

246 cfm (418 m³/h)

Pollen CADR

240 cfm (408 m³/h)

Smoke CADR

233 cfm (396 m³/h)

Let's get on with the clean air delivery rate test. You have the Dust CADR at 246 cfm, Pollen CADR at 240 cfm, and Smoke CADR is at 233 cfm. Decent output as it passes our 200 cfm benchmark but not over the top, In any case, the air purifier would have no problem handling household allergens and gas particles within its purifying zone.

What’s inside count

Coway Mighty utilizes the familiar 4-stage filtration that consists of pre-filter, True HEPA filter, Deodorization filter, and Vital Ionizer. Starting with the pre-filter that focus on large particles like dust and hair, follow by HEPA filter that captures fine particles as small as 0.3 microns with 99.97% efficiency rate. The deodorization filter will target smoke and gas particles that are not targeted by HEPA filter. Finally, Vital ionizer will cause particles to fall so it can be captured by existing filter. Overall, filter size is good apart from the deodorization filter that has a shorter lifespan.

Coway Mighty 326 sq. ft. purifying area goes well with the default pre-filter to capture dust, hair, fur, and other large particles. With the help of Ionizer, the True HEPA filter will focus on removing pet dander, dust mites, pollen, mold, and mildew. The 233 cfm smokes CADR output plus deodorization filter will focus on cigarette odors, cooking smell, but not so much on VOCs, vapor, radon, and ammonia.

Keep it down

Noise level

24.4 - 53.8 dBA

Power consumption

4.9 - 77.8 W

Most users are happy with Coway AP-1512HH produced noise level particularly at speed 1. While the official figure is between 24.4 - 53.8 dBA which is market average, you will be able to run it over the night by leaving the setting in Auto mode. As an Energy Star Rated unit, the power consumption is very low especially with the Eco mode feature that stops the fan from operating when there are no pollutants nearby. At the most energy-saving mode, power usage is a mere 4.9 watts per hour. Way lower than its competitor's peer.

At what cost

MRSP/ RSP**

+- 222.99

Annual Filter Cost

+- 47

^ Replacement filters/ estimated cost

Coway AP-1512HH Mighty is at a Sweet spot between affordable to reasonable price group that most buyers would go for. Most air purifier in this category would offer more or less the same package barring a few features. The thing that makes Coway Mighty so attractive is the low annual filter replacement cost that is less than half of some competitors model. With such a low filter price and plenty of available stocks, there is no need to risk it for third-party alternatives.

We seen huge discount (around 30-40%) for the White version on Amazon. Not so much on the Black version but it's there. You can purchase of Coway AP-1512HH Mighty air purifier on the official website, Walmart, Target, BestBuy, HomeDepot, Lowe's, or Costco but our pick has to be Amazon as it has low/ free shipping, best online deal, and hassle-free return if you are not completely satisfied.

Coway AP-1512HH Mighty VS the challengers

Winix 5500-2

A worthy competitor that is around the same price bracket, same specification, same features, and same filtration setup. Winix 5500-2 has the advantage of slightly wider purifying range while Coway Mighty has the upper hand on filter replacement cost.

Winix HR1000

Everything is better if you are willing to splash some extra cash and filter maintenance cost. HR1000 on paper should be a better alternative that excels in almost every part. You will also gain the Wi-Fi enabled feature that supports remote access via iOS or Android app.

Honeywell HPA300

If you don't mind the lack of features like Auto mode, Eco mode, and an inferior carbon pre-filter, Honeywell HPA300 True Allergen Remover is a good replacement for someone that needed the raw airflow performance power and nothing else.

Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0 SPA-550A

The most expensive alternative in the list yet with a poorer airflow performance. It is the filtration set (BioGS HEPA Filter + Charcoal Activated Carbon Filter) that pushes BioGS into this consideration list. The inclusion of remote control doesn't sound too bad either.

Final thoughts on Coway AP-1512HH Mighty

Dated it is, but lack of quality it is not. Coway Mighty is a very popular air purifier between its user base with a high 84% positive 4-5 stars ratings. Most compliments received are coming from filtration quality, followed by the noise level, sturdiness, and lastly pricing. The 11% dissatisfied customer complains mostly of two things: the fan motor that abruptly "make noise" and the poor customer support. Thankfully our few test unit is working fine and I am assuming most positive feedback driven user would experience the same.