I tried the wildly popular Coway Airmega purifier: My sinuses have never been happier

I’ve been plagued with sinus pressure throughout my adulthood, and until a few years ago, I’d resigned myself to a life with these pesky head pains. That said, they can be incredibly debilitating, and since I don’t always have the luxury of sleeping them off, I knew something had to give. Enter the Coway Airmega True HEPA Purifier. It’s so popular, it even made Google’s Holiday 100 list in 2023, meaning it was one of their most trending products. Now that it’s in my life, I’m not quite sure what I’d do without it — especially with wildfire season currently affecting the air quality in my neck of the woods. (According to AirNow.gov, using an air purifier with a HEPA filter can help improve your home’s breathing conditions when wildfire smoke is present.) If your nose could also use some relief, allow me to explain why this powerful (and very aesthetically pleasing) air-filtering machine has won this very jaded professional shopper over.

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Pros

• Sleek, attractive design
• Can be placed flat against a wall to save space
• User-friendly design, with a light that indicates air quality
• Lightweight enough to carry from room to room
• Covers an impressive amount of space

Cons

• Does not include a remote
• Cannot be used via app
• Does not have a handle

$175 at Amazon

I’ve tried many remedies to combat my sinus pressure over the years — neti pots, shower steamers, face massages, nasal sprays — and nope, nothing ever worked. Allergy tests showed I was allergic to dust and mold, but no matter how often I swept or wiped surfaces clean, that painful feeling surrounding my nose inevitably returned. Then my doctor recommended trying an air purifier to see if it would make a difference in the quality of my environment.

I knew it was a good idea to have one anyway. Having lived in major cities my entire adult life, there was a good chance the air I was ingesting wasn’t exactly pure. I’m also very prone to stuffy noses and sneezing. At any rate, it couldn’t hurt! After an exhausting amount of research (I test home appliances for a living, after all), I settled on the Coway Airmega True HEPA Purifier. It promised to capture and reduce up to 99.97% of 0.3 micron-sized particles in the air, thanks to a four-stage filtration system that includes a pre-filter, deodorization filter, true HEPA filter and vital ion filter.

Looks aren’t everything, but they’re important!

Admittedly, it was the Coway Airmega’s modern design that first caught my attention: sleek, glossy and a far cry from other bulky air-filtration devices. If I was going to need to have a new appliance on display in my house at all times, I wanted it to look nice! I opted for the black model, but it also comes in white. I preferred its square design to cylindrical air purifiers, as I liked that I’d be able to keep it against the wall.

User-friendly

I’ll be the first to tell you that when it comes to electronics, I’m not the savviest. I’ll figure them out eventually, but I’d rather not spend an hour or two trying to get something to work. Lucky for me, the Coway Airmega is foolproof. There are five buttons — I promise, it’s not as intimidating as it sounds. The first turns the unit on; easy enough. The second adjusts the air speeds; there are three to choose from, as well as auto and eco modes. To conserve energy, the auto mode will choose the setting best suited to the air’s current quality, while eco mode turns the fan off after 30 minutes of not detecting any pollution.

Next comes the ionizer button, which, if you hold it down for three seconds, dims the light display that shows you how clean your air is. That comes in handy when you’re trying to get some shut-eye. It can also be used for helping to remove odors, though I prefer to keep it off, as studies have shown that using an ionizer feature could have potentially harmful effects. In addition, there’s a timer that can be set for one, four or eight hours; and last but not least, a filter reset button that’ll let you know when it’s time for a swap-out.

Putting it to the test

Upon turning the purifier on, I was disappointed (but not surprised) to see a red light glaring at me, signaling that the air quality in my home was poor. But after about 15 minutes or so, it started turning purple. Maybe that meant it was working? Another 15 went by, and it became a solid blue! (That’s what you want to see.)

My brownstone isn’t huge, but I was impressed that this compact machine was able to make such a big difference in such a small amount of time. As far as its clean-air delivery rate is concerned, it can refresh the air in an 874-square-foot space twice per hour, and the air in a 361-square-foot space nearly five times per hour. Not too shabby!

Small, yet mighty

As a five-foot-tall weakling, I very much appreciate how lightweight the Coway Airmega is — at just 12.5 pounds, it’s easy to move around my house if needed, and its slim profile makes for a savings in floor space. (It would be great if it had a handle, but that’s not a dealbreaker.) It’s the perfect size for my home’s needs, and I’ll often keep it downstairs while I’m working and upstairs for sleeping. Speaking of sleeping: There’s no official “sleep mode,” but it’s barely audible when on the lowest setting. I even find its hum at full speed quite soothing and barely notice it now. So, as far as noise levels are concerned, it gets an A+ from me.

One thing to note is that this model doesn’t come with a remote, and it’s not Wi-Fi-compatible, which might be a downside for some tech heads. I’m personally not a fan of using apps to control my appliances — the less complicated, the better, in my opinion — so that detail hasn’t affected me in the slightest. (Note: This model is app-enabled if that’s your preference.)

Sinus pain, be gone

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t have much faith that this air purifier would have an impact on my sinus pressure. Knowing the air in my home was cleaner would have been great on its own — but since I started using this machine about two years ago, I’ve noticed that my nasal passages have felt far less congested and my sinus pain has decreased by about 90%. I’ll take it! I don’t even want to know what my poor nose was breathing in before this thing came into my life, but whatever it was, that pollution wasn’t doing me any favors. And I don’t even have pets!

I’m not usually one to call anything a “lifesaver,” but if my sinus pressure stays as manageable as it has been, the Coway will certainly have earned that title. You do have to swap out the deodorization filter every six months and the true HEPA filter every year, but it’s a cinch — and I’m lazy when it comes to that stuff. (Replacement filters for this model are available at Amazon.)

Is it on the pricier side? Yes. Do the filter replacements cost over $40 per year? Uh-huh. But after years of wishing for a sinus remedy, I consider it a worthy investment for reliable relief — and in just a short time, it’s more than paid for itself.

One popular particle picker-upper

I’m far from being this appliance’s sole enthusiast; it’s received over 22,000 perfect ratings from Amazon customers.

“I can’t say enough good things about this air purifier filter,” raved a relieved Angeleno. “With the fires in Altadena, the air quality got really bad, and this filter made such a huge difference in our home. Within an hour, we noticed the air felt cleaner and easier to breathe. No more smoky smell or scratchy throats. It’s quiet, efficient and gave me real peace of mind during a stressful time.”

“This has been a godsend for pet hair!” exclaimed another Coway convert. “There is way less cat hair on our floors and furniture when this is running; I had it off for a few days to test it and noticed a HUGE difference. It has also been incredibly useful during renovations. The air quality is way better in our home. It helps it smell nice and fresh, which is a bonus!”

One longtime fan, who says it’s still running great after four years of constant use, said it’s “probably the best money I’ve spent in a long time,” adding, “I typically keep it by the bed for allergies or wildfire smoke, which it clears easily. Occasionally, if I burn something cooking, I’ll haul it out and it’ll clear things up quickly.”

While the reviews are overwhelmingly positive, some users did have some notes, like this shopper who wrote, “My only complaint is [there is] no smart function or remote. … I have noticed my breathing is better at night while sleeping, likely due to less dust and allergens floating around the room.”

“I like that there’s an indentation on the side for helping to carry it around,” shared a final buyer, “but I wish the front plate didn’t come off so easily when I do that.”

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$175 at Amazon

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The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health.

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