When was the last time an air purifier was classified as “mighty?” Probably never, but all that is over with the AP-1512HH from Coway. Don’t be fooled by the less-than-mighty size of the AP-1512HH – what it lacks in profile, it makes up for in performance. Let’s take a look at what the AP-1512H is packing in its compact housing.
4-Stage Filtration
How in the world did Coway manage to pack four different filters into the tiny AP-1512HH? Technically speaking, they didn’t – there are “only” three filters there with the final line of defense being an ionizer. The pre-filter works like any other by trapping dust, hair, and other large airborne pollutants.
An activated carbon filter removes odor molecules released from failed kitchen experiments, pets, and cigarette smoke. The third and final filter is where the party is: a True HEPA Filter that retains particles as small as 0.3 microns in size up to 99.97% of the time.
Optional Ionizer
If you’ve unfamiliar with what an ionizer is, here’s your chance to learn all about it. An ionizer releases negative-charged ions into the air which send floating contaminants downward. Anything the Coway’s suction doesn’t take in can we swept or vacuumed up later on.
The problem people have with ionizers is that it uses ozone, a harmful inorganic molecule which, if exposed to high concentrations, can become harmful to humans.
But you don’t need to worry about the AP-1512HH’s ozone production as it releases a tiny quantity of ozone that reasonable exposure won’t leave long-lasting effects on your health. However, we recommend using the ionizer only when nobody and no pets are present.
Purifying Performance
An air purifier’s cleaning performance can be measured by the CADR. Generally speaking, the higher the CADR rating is for dust, pollen, and smoke, the cleaner the indoor air will be. The AP-1512HH’s CADR ratings for these three measurements is 246, 240, and 233. Not the highest CADR ratings by any means, but for tinier rooms where it works best, this is more than sufficient.
Coverage Area
The AP-1512HH is designed to remove pollutants from indoor air in rooms as large as 361 square feet. This air purifier works optimally in single bedrooms, kitchens, home offices, dorms, and bathrooms.
The coverage area may sound unimpressive to some, but we need to remind ourselves that the AP-1512HH’s performance is limited by the size of its motor and fan, and seeing as how everything is housed in a tiny case, even we’re surprised by the 300-plus-square-foot cleaning ability of this device.
Auto and Eco Mode
Ask anyone who’s ever owned an air purifier what caused them the most grief and they’ll most likely warn that babysitting the device from over-purifying a room was their greatest issue. Even though most air purifiers generally cost only cents a day in electricity, you might be glad to learn that the AP-1512HH is equipped with both Auto Mode and Eco Mode.
On auto mode, the AP-1512HH will choose the best fan speed for you – if it detects abnormally dirty air, the motor will kick into high gear to remove pollutants more efficiently. After clearing the air, the air purifier will switch to its lowest fan speed, eco mode, and eventually shut down automatically.
Filter Indicator
Basically, the Coway Air Purifier is equipped with a ton of convenience-adding factors. All you need to do is plug it in, set it to auto-mode, and let her run in the background. But to eliminate even more of the guesswork involved of owning the AP-1512HH, Coway has installed filter indicators that alert users when either the activated carbon filter or the True HEPA Filter need to be replaced. The washable pre-filter can be wiped clean with a damp cloth at any time.
A Bit Too Loud on High Speed
The AP-1512HH is rated at 53.8 decibels on its highest fan speed, which is about the same volume as normal conversation tones, but we and several customers found that it actually generates more noise than that. On its highest fan setting, it can be quite loud and more than disturbing, but on any other fan speed, the AP-1512HH is as quiet as a mouse.
This is not a deal-breaker in any way, but it’s definitely worth noting, especially for those who need an air purifier for their home office or bedroom.
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Verdict
As you can tell from our review of the Coway AP-1512HH, there’s really nothing to complain about. The noise production at its highest speed is only an issue when multiple windows are left wide-open continuously, but at any other time, this air purifier is as quiet as can be.
We’re also extremely happy about the auto and eco modes which reduce how often we need to check up on the unit. Essentially, the Coway AP-15122H is a self-sufficient air purifier that works beautifully in smaller areas of a home or office.
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Last update on 2023-09-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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