Coway Airmega 100 review: a compact air purifier that quietly gets the job done | Tech Radar

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‘Clean your air without spending a fortune’: I discover that this Coway air purifier’s tremendous filtering is well worth its low price — as long as you don’t mind its lack of smarts

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The Coway Airmega 100 is a compact, well-priced air purifier that does its core job impressively well for the money. It's quiet yet powerful, and still small enough to tuck into a bedroom or home office without it dominating the room. The lack of app control and some reports of tricky filter availability take the shine off slightly, but at this price it's hard to complain. If you want clean air without spending a fortune, this is a top shout.

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The Coway Airmega 100 is a small, cylindrical air purifier. It's designed for rooms up to around 63 square meters, packing an impressive Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 244 cubic meters per hour and a three-stage filtration system (pre-filter, True HEPA and deodorization filter).

Design-wise, it's a compact white cylinder that's light enough to carry one-handed and small enough to sit on a desk or tuck into a corner. The touch controls on top are simple and intuitive, with an air-quality indicator ring that shifts color based on what it detects.

Performance is where this purifier really shines, though. It's remarkably quiet even for one of the best air purifiers, especially in sleep mode where it drops to just 20 d B, and the auto mode does a good job of ramping up when it detects something in the air. There was also a noticeable reduction in surface dust after a few days of running it, and cooking smells triggered the sensor quickly. While it won’t eradicate stronger smells completely as a purifier with pellet-based carbon filters would, it still performs brilliantly when it comes to everyday dust, pollen and pet dander.

As you’d expect, there are some downsides, though, such as a lack of any Wi-Fi connectivity or app control. A quick look at the Amazon reviews will highlight a number of reports of replacement filters being hard to source in the UK, and while build quality is perfectly fine, it does feel a bit budget in places. Nevertheless, at around £110 / $84 on sale, it represents exceptional bang for your buck.

Inseparable 3-in-1 filter (Vacuumable Pre-Filter, True HEPA Filter, Deodorization Filter)

Inseparable 3-in-1 filter (Vacuumable Pre-Filter, True HEPA Filter, Deodorization Filter)

On-device touch controls (Auto mode, Fan speed, Timer, Light, Filter reset)

On-device touch controls (Auto mode, Fan speed, Timer, Light, Filter reset)

Real-time PM2.5 particle sensor, 3-color LED air quality indicator, 360-degree air intake, soothing night light, timer (1, 2, 4, 8 hours)

Real-time PM2.5 particle sensor, 3-color LED air quality indicator, 360-degree air intake, soothing night light, timer (1, 2, 4, 8 hours)

Coway Airmega 100 review: Price and release date

Replacement filters cost a very reasonable £27.99 /

One thing to flag: a few buyers have reported difficulty finding genuine replacement filters on Coway's UK site, with stock appearing to come and go. Filters are available on Amazon, but some buyers have reported sketchy availability from Coway’s official web store, so it's worth keeping an eye on this if you're planning to keep this long-term.

Running costs are minimal too. With a 25W motor, you're looking at pennies per day even if you leave it running around the clock.

Feels a little cheap, and there are no carry handles

The Airmega 100 is essentially a small, white cylinder measuring just 8.66 inches / 220mm across and about 15.75 inches / 400mm tall. This compact size means it can easily sit on a bedside table, a desk, or the floor in a corner and, at 6.61 pounds / 3kg, it's light enough to pick up and move around to put wherever you need it with ease. The minimal white finish might leave a bit to be desired, but it’s nice enough and will blend in with pretty much any room without drawing attention to itself.

As for the touch panel on top, this is a straightforward design that makes it super easy to navigate, sporting haptic buttons for fan speed, sleep mode, timer, light on/off and a control panel lock. Wrapping around the 360-degree fan grille is an air quality indicator ring that changes color from blue (clean) through green and yellow to red (polluted), giving you a quick visual check on air quality status without needing to press anything. I found the whole thing easy to get to grips with, no manual needed.

If I had to pull out a negative, I’d say build quality is where the Airmega 100 lets itself down a bit. It looks nice enough from a distance, but up close the plastic feels a bit on the cheap side. It's not flimsy or poorly made; it just doesn't have that reassuring heft you get from pricier models. There are also no carry handles, which is a minor gripe given how light it is, but still feels like something Coway could have added without much effort.

Air is drawn in through inlets at the bottom and expelled upwards through the top grilles, so, like its bigger sibling the Airmega 350, don't expect it to double up as a fan. This device is for cleaning air, not cooling you down.

Coway Airmega 100 review: Features and performance

For such a compact air purifier at such a low price, the Airmega 100 performs surprisingly well. The three-stage filter (pre-filter, True HEPA and deodorization) does a top job of capturing dust, pollen and pet dander, and I noticed a genuine drop in surface dust after just a few days of running it in my open-plan living and dining room.

The auto mode is the standout feature here, though. With a built-in PM2.5 sensor, it’s able to monitor air quality in real time and adjust fan speed accordingly. Start cooking, spray some deodorant or disturb some dust, and the ring will shift color before the fan kicks in. Then, once the air clears, it’ll settle back down. It's properly hands-off, and works really well.

Noise levels are also excellent. In sleep mode, the Airmega 100 drops to a claimed 20 d B, and I can confirm it's near-silent. I ran it overnight in the same room and totally forgot it was there. Even on its highest speed, it's not what I'd call loud, topping out at around 52 d B — that's roughly dishwasher territory, so for a bedroom or home office it's ideal.

The one area where the filtration falls a bit short is when it comes to strong odors. The deodorization filter uses a carbon-coated fiber rather than the pellet-based activated carbon you'll find in pricier models. While it handles light smells and general stuffiness fine, don't expect it to neutralize strong cooking smells or smoke from a burnt pan. For everyday dust, allergens and general air quality improvement, though, it's perfectly capable.

As with its older brother, the Coway Airmega 350, there's no Wi-Fi connectivity, app nor smart-home integration on the Airmega 100. This means you can't check air quality stats remotely or control it from your phone. That's not ideal, although — unlike on the pricier models — it doesn’t feel as much of a missing feature here. Still, it still feels like something Coway should be thinking about, as a basic app showing air quality trends and filter life isn’t exactly a cutting edge feature these days.

Nevertheless, the purifier’s timer options (you can choose between one, two, four or eight hours) and the control panel lock are both pretty useful additions. And there's a mood-light feature that provides a soft glow for bedroom use, which is a nice touch.

You want a quiet, compact purifier for a bedroom or office The Airmega 100 is one of the quietest small purifiers around, and it's small enough to go practically anywhere.

You're on a budget At around £110 / $84 on sale, with cheap filters and minimal running costs, it's really good value.

You have allergies or pets ECARF-certified and ozone-free, with solid HEPA filtration for dust, pollen and dander.

You need to tackle strong odors The carbon filter is fine for light smells, but won't cut it for serious cooking or smoke.

You want smart features There’s no app, no Wi-Fi, and no voice control, so if remote access matters to you, look elsewhere.

You're worried about long-term filter availability Some UK buyers have reported difficulty sourcing genuine replacements, which is worth keeping in mind.

3-in-1 integrated filter (Pre-Filter, True HEPA, Deodorization)

3-in-1 integrated filter (Pre-Filter, True HEPA, Deodorization)

3-in-1 custom side-load filter (Pre-filter, True HEPA, Activated Carbon)

3-in-1 custom side-load filter (Pre-filter, True HEPA, Activated Carbon)

3-in-1 cylindrical filter (Pre-filter, True HEPA, High-Efficiency Carbon)

3-in-1 cylindrical filter (Pre-filter, True HEPA, High-Efficiency Carbon)

On-device touch controls, Ve Sync App, Voice control (Alexa/Google Assistant)

On-device touch controls, Ve Sync App, Voice control (Alexa/Google Assistant)

Real-time PM2.5 particle sensor, 3-color LED indicator, 360° air intake, night light, timer

Real-time PM2.5 particle sensor, 3-color LED indicator, 360° air intake, night light, timer

Real-time particle sensor (up to PM10), 4-color LED indicator, Eco mode, Mute mode, Light sensor, Control lock, side-loading filter hatch

Real-time particle sensor (up to PM10), 4-color LED indicator, Eco mode, Mute mode, Light sensor, Control lock, side-loading filter hatch

Air Sight Plus laser particle sensor, 4-color LED indicator ring, Auto mode, Ve Sync app scheduling, voice control, display lock, sleep mode

Air Sight Plus laser particle sensor, 4-color LED indicator ring, Auto mode, Ve Sync app scheduling, voice control, display lock, sleep mode

Coway Airmega 350 If you need to cover a much larger space, Coway's own 350 offers significantly more power and coverage. It shares the same lack of smart connectivity, but the filtration performance is top notch. Read our full Coway Airmega 350 review here.

Levoit Core 300S A popular compact alternative that has a similar RRP to the Airmega 100. It also boasts built in Wi-Fi and Alexa support, filling the smart features gap the Coway lacks. Read our full Levoit Core 300S review here.

I used the Coway Airmega 100 for several weeks across different spaces in my home, from my home office to open plan living room and dining area. I tested all fan speeds and modes, monitored the sensor's reaction to cooking, dust and general household air, and assessed the build quality, noise levels, filter access and overall usability throughout.

Lee Bell is a freelance journalist & writer specializing in consumer technology, health, and lifestyle. Lee is a qualified personal trainer, testing fitness watches, training shoes and everything in between.

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• ‘Clean your air without spending a fortune’: I discover that this Coway air purifier’s tremendous filtering is well worth its low price — as long as you don’t mind its lack of smarts

• When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission