Determined to ensure I was breathing healthy air but not willing to sacrifice my thoughtful home design, I set out to find an air purifier that would add to the aesthetic. The first option to catch my eye? The Coway Airmega IconS. Below, learn my honest thoughts on the device and what I’ve learned about air quality and air purification. In fact, those household chores are oftentimes what pollutes the air in the first place. Think burning your favorite candle, cooking a new recipe, or even using conventional cleaning products. Each of these seemingly harmless activities can negatively affect the air in your living space. Dust and other small particles can be harmful to your respiratory health2, worsening symptoms (like sneezing and wheezing) or conditions such as asthma. Of course, pollutants can enter your home from outside3, too. Additionally, many homes have more airborne mold than you might think, which can cause brain fog4, anxiety, and chronic fatigue5. Mold is another reason to invest in an air purifier: “Mold spores are usually under 40 microns in size, so air purifiers with HEPA filters can usually filter out airborne mold spores,” allergist Anjuli Mehrotra, M.D., previously told mindbodygreen. Just remember that you need to replace our filters regularly to ensure those captured spores don’t bloom. The app is certainly not required to properly operate your purifier, but it does (allegedly) have some great features, such as timer settings, customized scheduling, outdoor air quality readings, and viewings of how your indoor air quality has changed over time. Current air quality can be monitored on the device’s touch screen, which is what you will use to switch between modes, should you choose not to use the app. While the size of the device does not bother me, those who live in small spaces might find it a bit large (and may be better off with something more compact like the previously mentioned Airmega AP-1512HH). One albeit unnecessary but greatly appreciated feature is the built-in wireless charging station on top. Simply place a compatible device on top and it will charge right up. I enjoy the optional glowing light that indicates how clean your air is (measuring the current concentration of PM2.5 particles), showing blue for good quality (0-15), green when moderate (16-35), yellow when unhealthy (36-75), and red when very unhealthy (76 or higher). When I first plugged mine in, it indicated that my air was unhealthy (42)—and I was quite impressed by the speed at which the device cleared the air. It took less than 10 minutes to bring it down to 1. For reference, PM2.5 measurement tells you the amount of matter in the air measuring 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter. We’ll note, there are other models (from this brand included) that offer additional air quality readings, such as PM10 (particles as small as 10 microns), VOC, CO, and CO2. Others even measure humidity and temperature. If those details are important to you, or you’re looking for something a bit less expensive, you might consider another device, such as those listed below. The control screen is also incredibly easy to use; it allows you to switch between the device’s three modes: smart, sleep, or eco—or manually select from three purifier speeds. In smart mode, the purifier automatically switches between levels depending on how clean the air is. Eco mode turns the machine off automatically for up to 30 minutes when the air quality is good. Most appreciated, sleep mode actually detects darkness in the room and powers the device down to level 1 to minimize noise (and save power) while you sleep.
