An Honest Review Of Coway's Airmega IconS Air Purifier — What We Love & What We'd Change

As someone who has moved apartments over 10 times in her adult life, I think long and hard before adding any new appliances or devices to my home. I fully believe that how cluttered or well-kept my living space is plays a huge role in my overall health and well-being. So, when I began researching air purifiers for dust, mold, and allergies, I was struck by the idea that my home might not be as clean as meets the eye.

Research backs that the air indoors tends to be significantly more polluted than outdoors1. And while many of us wish we could alleviate air quality concerns by simply spending more time out in nature, the reality is that most of our lives require an extensive amount of time spent indoors. 

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.

We've talked with experts at length about how an air purifier can impact your health. In terms of who might want to consider an air purifier, Shelly Miller, Ph.D., previously told mindbodygreen it could be a good choice if you live in a highly polluted city, your home is exposed to traffic-related air pollution regularly, your area is prone to wildfires, or you have a sensitive respiratory system or condition such as asthma. 

Before I wax poetic about the things I love about my new air-cleaning device, let's cover a few things I would change if I could. I was at first intrigued by the fact that this sleek purifier connects to Wi-Fi, with a corresponding app for adjustments from afar. Unfortunately, the app has proven to be less than ideal—so much so that I don't even use it. With glitches that made me struggle to even create an account, it simply doesn't provide a great user experience. 

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.

We've covered that I love the design: It's sleek and unsuspecting with a beige exterior that blends in with any surrounding décor. What's more, the extremely convenient touch screen turns off automatically after 30 seconds, as opposed to other appliances with glaring lights that might interfere with your sleep or aesthetic.

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. 

The Airmega IconS uses a dual-filter system. First, the pre-filter catches larger particles such as dust and hair. The brand's Max2 filter includes a HEPA filter, which, per our expert, eliminates 99.9% of ultrafine contaminants, and an activated carbon filter to remove odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). According to the brand, the device removes dust mites, pollen, bacteria, odors, mold, viruses, and more unwanted pollutants. A light on the purifier's screen will indicate when the filters need to be replaced, often every year or so.