According to the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency, everybody is at risk of inhaling airborne toxins and pollutants. The more you allow outdoor air into your home, the more polluted your indoor air will be. Instead of refraining from opening your windows or doors, why not get an air purifier instead? These handy little appliances move several thousand cubic feet of air per hour, trapping microscopic particles that would otherwise reside in our lungs.
Today, we’re going to do a cross-comparison between two air purifiers from different companies – the AP-1512H from Coway and the AC4825 from Germ Guardian. They have both received numerous likes from their customer base, but which of the two deserves a spot in your home? That’s what we’re going to find out today.
Area Coverage
Coway
Before you decide on which model to get, you’ll need to measure the size of the room that you want to be purified. The Coway is equipped with a beefy motor that cleans rooms as large as 361 square feet. With this appliance, you can properly move and filter the air in garage workshops, kitchens, and living rooms.
Germ Guardian
The Germ Guardian is designed to purify air in rooms of up to 161 square feet – less than half the capacity of the Coway. However, smaller doesn’t necessarily mean inferior; this device can handle single bedrooms, bathrooms, office rooms, and dorm rooms without a ton of overkill.
Conclusion: We can’t decide which of the two is the “better” unit based on their coverage capacities alone. However, we can say this: a larger purifier is the safer and more versatile option. If you’d like to take the purifier with you when moving rooms, then the Coway would be the better choice.
CADR Ratings
Coway
CADR ratings are used to determine how effective an air purifier is in certain conditions. In general, higher CADR figures translate to more effective air-purifying. The Coway’s CADR ratings are 246, 240, and 233 for dust, pollen, and smoke respectively in rooms of up to 361 square feet.
Germ Guardian
As for the Germ Guardian, its CADR ratings reflective just how small the unit is. Its ratings of 118, 125, and 108 for the same three metrics mentioned earlier mean it’s about half as effective as the Coway in its ideal 161-square-foot setting.
Conclusion: The CADR ratings of an air purifier tells us a lot about how effective it is at cleaning air. Ideally, your air purifier should be rated at over 200 for each type of airborne pollutant, but for smaller devices, you could get away with a 100-plus model.
Filtration Stages
Coway
The Coway uses four different filters to purify the air. The first is a washable pre-filter that snatches visible pollutants from the air. Then the air passes through an odor filter to collect any foul smells in a room. The third stage is a True HEPA Filter that retains the microscopic particles as small as 0.3 microns with 99.97% effectiveness. Finally, you have the option to switch on an ionizer that boosts cleaning efficiency by delivering a negative charge to airborne particles so they stick easier to the filters.
Germ Guardian
The Germ Guardian uses three different filtration stages. The first line of defense is a charcoal pre-filter that traps large particles and odor molecules. The air then passes through a True HEPA Filter. The third stage is an optional germicidal UV-C light.
Conclusion: Even though the Germ Guardian’s first filter works sort of like the first and second filters of the Coway, splitting them into different stages makes more sense. A multi-purpose pre-filter is not ideal since large particles can prevent it from trapping small odor molecules.
Smart Air-Quality Detector
Coway
Smart sensors take away the need to constantly monitor the air purifier. When it detects intolerable amounts of airborne pollution, the device will begin the purifying process automatically. After the air has been properly cleaned, the device will shut off without needing to press any buttons. The Coway offers this convenience.
Germ Guardian
The Germ Guardian doesn’t. The lack of smart sensors means you’ll need to manually turn the device on and off. Luckily, it comes with a built-in timer (2, 4, or 8 hours) so at least you have that to rely on.
Conclusion: Still, a smart sensor means a world of difference. You can set the Coway to run and leave it alone for the entire day. It’ll turn on when needed and shut off to save electricity. You’ll only save a few cents on electricity annually (both are Energy Star certified) with the Coway.
Inlet and Outlet Design
Coway
One of the greatest distinguishers between these two models is their housing. The Coway is a boxy-style air purifier that suctions dirty air from its front panel. The magic of the Coway is the location of the outlet: on top of the unit. The only thing you need to worry when setting this device is up obstructions from the front.
Germ Guardian
The Germ Guardian uses a traditional tower-style housing where, like the Coway, the suction inlet is located in front of the tool. However, it releases purified air out the other end – in the back. The ideal placement of the Germ Guardian is in the middle of a room. Putting it in a corner, the most popular place for air purifiers, is not ideal at all, since it’ll hardly blast clean air anywhere.
Conclusion
The Coway’s boxy yet sleek design is proven to be much more effective and distributing clean air around to all four corners of a room. The Germ Guardian’s outlet is what kills it. It needs to be placed in the center of a room to support maximum outflow of air. The Coway can be placed anywhere, as long as its inlet isn’t blocked.
Coway Related Articles
Coway vs. Germ Guardian: Which is the better Air Purifier?
Looking at the Coway and the Germ Guardian, you can probably already tell which of them we favor more. If you guessed the Coway, you’re right. The Germ Guardian has way too many downsides in terms of performance, convenience, and design. The Coway is a beautifully built but high-performance air purifier that any home, apartment, office, or dorm would benefit from having.
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Last update on 2023-06-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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