As a cat owner with allergies, maintaining a fresh, allergen-free home has always been a challenge. Whether it’s musty odors caused by my beloved feline or pet dander making me sneeze, I'm always looking for solutions to these recurring problems.
Thankfully, the best air purifiers not only improve indoor air quality, but can also reduce dust, pet-related odors, and help with allergies, too. Keen to see if I could improve my household situation, I decided to put the Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier to the test and see what it was capable of.
This affordable air purifier and fan promised to be a silent operator, perfect for keeping the peace in a home with nervous pets while effectively cleaning and cooling the air. Below, I'll share my thoughts on the design, specs, and performance of the Coway Airmega Aim and how it contends with real-life conditions.
Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier: Price
As of writing this review, The Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier currently retails for around $97.89 on Amazon, which is great value when you consider that the best air purifiers can usually be bought anywhere in the region of $100 to $600+. Models on the more expensive end of this range typically cover larger areas and offer finer particle collection. However, the Coway Airmega Aim can cover up to 492 square feet, which is perfectly suited to a living room or bedroom in an average-sized US household,
While there are cheaper air purifiers available, they typically lack the comprehensive features of the Coway Airmega Aim. Budget models usually don't offer the same level of air quality monitoring or multi-stage filtration. Therefore, I'd say the Airmega Aim strikes a good balance between affordability and functionality.
Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier: Specifications
Unboxing & Setup
The Coway Airmega Aim arrived well-packaged in a compact box, and I was surprised by how lightweight it was when I picked it up from my doorstep. I was also impressed by the minimal use of plastic, with plastic sleeves primarily only used to protect sensitive components like the filter. The outer packaging was also easy to recycle, which is a plus for environmentally conscious users like me.
Unboxing and setting up the Coway Airmega Aim was a breeze. After removing the external packaging, it was just a matter of taking the filter out of its protective plastic and reinstalling it, which was straightforward and intuitive. The setup process took just a few minutes, and no complicated assembly was required.
The unit comes with a helpful instruction manual that is very easy to navigate and offers practical advice on setup, functions and using the remote control. For those who prefer visual guidance, I found plenty of online instructional videos for the air purifier, too.
Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier: Design & Features
I really like the design of the unit itself, as it’s sleek and compact. Although it's made from plastic, it doesn’t look cheap, and for the price, it feels pretty sturdy, too. Unlike some bulkier air purifiers, I wouldn't think twice about keeping this unit out on display in my home.
One downside to the Coway Airmega Aim is that it doesn't come with built-in handles, which I think is a design oversight. This makes it a little frustrating when it comes to moving the unit from room to room, as despite its small dimensions this task usually requires two-hands. However, the air purifier is lightweight enough to be picked up and moved with ease.
Control panel & remote control
The Coway Airmega Aim has a user-friendly control panel and a detachable remote, which allows you to easily adjust the fan speed and other settings from anywhere in the room.
The control panel is user-friendly, with intuitive buttons for power, mode, fan speed, and timer settings. It features a color-coded air quality indicator (red, orange, green) and dimmable display lights. There’s also a child safety lock for peace of mind.
I found the remote control particularly handy whenever I needed to change the settings while working at my desk or from my bed on a night time. The remote control is simple and easy to understand, thanks to clear instructions in the user manual.
Modes / Settings
The Coway Airmega Aim Air features 4 modes: Auto / 1 / 2 / 3
I've been making the most of the 'Auto Mode' feature of the unit, where the air purifier will automatically adjust the airflow speeds depending on the quality of the air detected by the sensor.
Settings 1 - 3 relate to air flow speeds and these can be manually adjusted if you want the unit to act as a fan, as well as an air purifier. 1 is the lowest setting, providing a barely noticeable breeze, while 3 is a much more intense fan that's also much noisier.
HEPA H13 filter with three-stage filtration
One of the most impressive features of this air purifier is its filter, which offers an impressive three-stage filtration process to remove germs and allergens from the air.
The pre-filter (the first layer of the filter) captures larger dust particles, fur and pet hair. The True HEPA filter (second layer) can capture nanoparticles down to the size of 0.1 microns, which is perfect for homes with mold issues, pollen or dander. Finally, the deodorization filter is designed to purifier odors, VOCs and smoke.
360 Air Purification
Another one of the air purifier's stand out features is that it can auto-oscillate up to 80 degrees and vertically tilt up to 90 degrees. This design allows it to pull in air from all directions and purify/blow air at multiple angles.
The best part is that when the unit is aimed downwards, it pulls pet hair and micro particles up and purifies them. Thanks to that helpful deodorizing filter, it also neutralizes related odors, leaving your home smelling much better in the process.
If it's the fan mode you are more interested in, this 80 degree oscillation also helps to cool a room down faster by distributing the air flow throughout your space.
Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier: Performance
The Pros
After using the Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier continuously for just over a month, I’ve noticed a marked improvement in my indoor air quality. Placing the Airmega Aim near my cat’s food bowls and bedding has significantly reduced unpleasant smells and I've noted a significant improvement in my allergies since using the device.
Moreover, the unit operates extremely quietly, especially in auto and eco mode, which hasn’t bothered my nervous cat at all. This quiet operation makes it perfect for use in bedrooms or living areas without causing disturbances.
In addition to reducing bad pet smells in my home, I’ve seen a noticeable decrease in dust as well. The Airmega Aim effectively captures dust particles, which means I’ve had to dust my home less frequently since using it. This has been a significant time-saver and has contributed to a cleaner living environment overall.
The Cons
As an air purifier, I rate this unit very highly. However, I do not rate this unit as a fan. While it can help to cool down a room when it is run continuously, it only really performs in this capacity when it is set to airflow setting 3. Unfortunately, this makes it quite loud and the fan functionality can't really contend with the best fans on the market.
Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier: Maintenance
To clean and maintain my unit, I simply use a soft, damp cloth to wipe down the exterior, and I gently vacuum the pre-filter every month to remove surface dust and debris. This small step can significantly extend the lifespan of the device.
Coway is known for offering one of the longest filter lifespans in the air purifier market, making maintenance relatively hassle-free. But when it’s time to replace them, the unit will notify you with a filter replacement light and swapping filters is rather effortless. You simply remove the rear cover, slide the filter out and replace with a new one.
A replacement filter will set you back by around $30, so it's not too expensive to keep your air purifier running in good condition.
In terms of storing the unit, the Coway Airmega Aim is quite compact and it can be neatly tucked away when you tilt it 90 degrees. However, I quite like the design of this air purifier and I'm happy to keep it out 'on display' year-round.
Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier: Verdict
On the whole, I've been impressed by the Coway Airmega Aim Air Purifier. The main impact of using it has been that my house smells notably cleaner and clearer, and I'm suffering less from some of the effects of my allergies.
Setup and usability are both very straightforward, and I definitely feel that although it's an entry-level model, it's done most of the things I need it to do very effectively. While it does not perform very well as a fan, I'll continue to use this unit for purifying the air in my home, as it runs at a low level of background noise so it doesn't feel disruptive to have running throughout the day.
Importantly, the Coway AIrmega Aim is also very affordable to run and replacement parts are inexpensive. I think it represents great value for money for anyone looking to improve the quality of the air in their home. I would certaintly recommended The Coway Airmega Aim Air to anyone with pets or allergies.
