Do Coway Air Purifiers improve indoor air quality?

The below article talks about Coway, indoor air quality, the company’s air purifiers, along with some frequently asked questions on indoor air quality and air purifiers. 

Do Coway Air Purifiers improve indoor air quality?

Coway air purifiers are widely known across the globe for improving indoor air quality levels. The company has been recognized to provide for different needs in terms of clean air, water, etc. that are in line with the latest digital and technological developments. Coway recognizes that indoor air quality plays an important role in the overall health of humans and their environment, and the company works hard to ensure that any device introduced is the best in the market with high rates of filtration capabilities, is constantly researching and redesigning their technologies to meet new needs and ensuring that they are sustainable in their approach. The company reported that approximately 6,000 tons of plastic have been recycled since 2018 (Dresden D., 2021). 

About Coway

Coway is a Korean company founded in 1989, and has expanded globally to provide its services and devices to citizens all over the world. The company aims to improve holistic health of their customers and has been awarded several times for their efforts to do the same. Coway has been recognised internationally to effectively combine health needs and technological developments to best suit global needs in an innovative manner that enhances quality of life and user experience.

Coway aims to create purposeful design for all their products, that combines all relevant elements needed for healthy lives. Designing of devices is focused on increased efficiency that meets the device’s and company’s goals towards healthier environments. The company also ensures that at the very base of any device they might create, sustainability of the product and sustainable competitive advantage is taken into consideration, to assure the best possible solutions. The community’s community led approach ensures that intersectional needs are being met to create a balanced atmosphere. 

The company boasts immense steps taken in their research and development centers that are sprinkled across the world. With over 366 researchers, studying different elements and dimensions to everyday life, Coway ensures that varying sources of data are consulted to ensure the best results. With global operations in over 40 countries as of 2020, coway ensures that specialists are hired to provide the best of the field for its products and customers. The company provides air purifiers, water purifiers, and bidets. One of the biggest examples of commitment that can be observed from Coway are their actions towards employing qualified and certified water sommeliers to ensure that the water purifiers provide the best of what the field can offer. 

Indoor air quality

Good levels of indoor air quality, a key element to ensuring good physical and mental health; are quite often overlooked because of the assumption that there are no “pollutants” inside your house, office space, basement, etc. However, this is wrong as there are varying sources of airborne pollutants and these can have short-term to chronic health impacts on people depending on their age, health history, sex, duration of exposure, etc. 

Indoor air quality can be improved by several methods from installing an air purifier. dehumidifier/ humidifier, removing sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), having proper ventilation systems, cleaning your upholsteries, getting rid of mold and mildew indoors, etc. 

What are you breathing indoors?

Mildew, mold, and mold spores: 

Mold thrives and grows in damp environments leading to infestations that could have dire effects on health. 80% of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is contributed to mold infestations, the most common form being the black mold. Mildew and mold grow in environments that are damp, therefore, it is best to get rid of excess moisture in the room or basement by sealing any pipe leaks, getting a dehumidifier, etc. 

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): 

Various old buildings have been found to use unsafe paint and asbestos, while this is being rectified in the larger common areas; they are usually ignored in the lesser-visited spaces like a basement. Therefore, particles like lead dust, radon, other carcinogens, etc. would be present along with other particles originating from old upholstery, adhesives, paints, carpeting, varnishes, old furniture, pesticides, cleaning products, gym machines, gardening equipment, etc. 

Fiberglass particles:

Fiberglass insulation is commonly used in basements and is one of the major contributors to poor basement air quality. Since fiberglass is present all across ceilings and walls, there is very little effort made to reduce the impact caused by breathing in small glass particles. It is also used in the manufacture of piping, sports equipment, fire protection equipment, drum sets, etc. So, breathing in fiberglass doesn’t necessarily originate from insulation, it could be a breakdown of particles from items stored in a basement. 

Allergens

The dust, mites, pollen, vermin and its droppings, mold spores, bacteria build-ups, mildew particles, pet dander, etc. are some particles that can trigger allergic reactions. If there is equipment like washing machines and dryers, chances are lint is being inhaled as well. Not cleaning long-time stored equipment could trigger infestations that spread rapidly across stored items in a basement, room, office space, etc. leading to increased breakdowns of toxic particles. 

Toxic air pollutants:  

With increasing quantities of air pollution globally from varying sources, the air around us is contaminated with various chemical fumes, vehicular emissions, chemical particles, toxic pollutants, particulate matters, etc. that can cause irritation with respiratory systems and thus cause respiratory issues, these pollutants can travel indoors through your ventilation systems and settle indoors thus increasing your exposure to these pollutants. 

Chemical fumes: 

Fumes from paints, pesticides, cleaning products, bleach, varnishes, gas, solvents, etc. emanate strong chemical fumes. These fumes could cause inflammation to the outer skin as well as to lung tissue and can contribute to poisoning or cancer due to long-term exposure. A radioactive chemical that is often present in basements is radon. Radon has been found to be the 2^nd largest contributor to lung cancer in the US, with an average of 21,000 deaths every year (EPA, n.d.). Since radon is odorless and colorless, poisoning from radon is usually identified quite late. 

Top 3 recommended Coway Air Purifiers

Airmega 400

• Covers up to 1,560 sq.ft. 
• Includes 1 Max2 filter that lasts up to 6 to 12 months. 
• Powerful dual purification, air enters the device through 2 sides and the filtered air is let out from the top of the device. This design ensures maximum air intake and efficient cleaning. 
• Unique air filter indicator to show when the filters need to be replaced, when pre-filters need to be cleaned, etc. 
• Pre-filter to help trap larger particles such as hair, pet fur, dander, dust, etc. 
• Max2 filter, which is a combination of an activated carbon filter and Coway’s true HEPA filter efficiently traps 99.999% of airborne contaminants. 
• Microbial treatment through the HEPA filter deactivates contaminants and their spread, and the microseal on the filter ensures that there is no leakage of pollutants from the device.
• Smart mode ensures constant adaptation to changing surroundings and environments and allows for the device to have automated fan speeds as required by the needs of the room’s air quality. 
• Eco mode to enhance sustainability of actions and allows for the device to switch between different modes to ensure maximum energy efficiency and drastically cut down on unnecessary energy intakes. 
• Sleep mode along with the device’s built-in light and pollution detectors keeps the room clean, switches off any lights that could disturb sleep, and reduces the purifier’s noise and power consumption throughout the night. 

Airmega AP – 1512HH

• Covers up to 361 sq. ft.
• Includes 1 Airmega AP – 1512HH filter set that lasts up to 6 to 12 months.
• Powerful 4-stage filtration using a pre-filter, deodorization filter, true HEPA filter, and vital ionizer. 
• Pre-filter to help trap larger particles such as hair, pet fur, dander, dust, etc. 
• The deodorization filter is oriented towards capturing strong odours from food, cigarettes, pets, etc. and removes volatile organic compounds such as nitrogen dioxide, acetaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, etc.
• The true HEPA filter removes finer contaminants such as disease causing bacteria, mold, virus, dust mites, pollen, germs, etc. It is capable of capturing up to 99.999% of airborne contaminants and alos includes an antimicrobial treatment to deactivate the contaminant spread. 
• The vital ionizer captures ultra fine particles through an electrochemical reaction. 
• Awarded the “Top Pick” in the airpurifiers category, for 7 years straight by Wirecutter, New York Times.
• Filter alerts to ensure timely replacements, cleaning of pre-filters, etc. and also shows how much air has been cleaned. 
• Different modes to best meet the needs of the room and ensure maximum energy efficiency and eco-friendly activity. 
• 3-stage manual fan speeds to control air processing speed and times, along with a timer to help users set the purifier periodically without any extra hassle. 

Airmega 300S

• Covers up to 1,256 sq. ft.
• Includes 1 Max2 filter set that lasts up to 6 to 12 months.
• Powerful dual purification, air enters the device through 2 sides and the filtered air is let out from the top of the device. This design ensures maximum air intake and efficient cleaning. 
• Equipped with Wi-Fi for remote control of the device through the Airmega mobile app and includes different smart modes and real-time air quality monitoring. 
• Pre-filter to help trap larger particles such as hair, pet fur, dander, dust, etc. 
• Max2 filter, which is a combination of an activated carbon filter and Coway’s true HEPA filter efficiently traps 99.999% of airborne contaminants. 
• Filter indicators that show when the pre-filter needs to be cleaned and when the Max2 filter needs to be replaced. 
• Smart mode to automatically adapt to the rooms needs by adjusting fan speeds, which makes the device energy efficient. 
• Eco mode to ensure that the device does not run excessively without required, and ensures that the device works towards conserving energy where possible. 
• Sleep mode along with the device’s built-in light and pollution detectors keeps the room clean, switches off any lights that could disturb sleep, and reduces the purifier’s noise and power consumption throughout the night. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Does the coway air purifier improve indoor air quality? 

What does the blue indicator on a coway air purifier mean?

Coway air purifiers provide real-time air monitoring data. The different colours as displayed by the indicator shows the health of indoor air in the area concerned. In the Coway Airmega model, the brightly coloured LED rings function to show the levels cleanliness in air quality, and as air quality gets worse, the purifier works faster and effectively to remove pollutants to get back to health air quality levels. Below is a chart that depicts what each colour of the LED rings mean. Source: Coway, n.d.

What is the difference in functions between the prefilter and the Max2 filters?

Pre-filter captures dust, hair, and other larger particles. The purpose of this filter is to maintain and prolong the life and productivity of the Max2 filter in coway devices. Since the pre-filter is washable, it can be easily cleaned of preliminary contaminants that would otherwise clog the other filters. Removing larger particles such as dust mites, hair, pet hair, dust, etc. allows for the inner filters to perform more efficiently in capturing more finer pollutants

Max2 filter is a combination of activated carbon filter and a trademark coway true HEPA filter. The Max2 filter aims to capture smaller contaminants, and is fitted with microseal that ensures there is no leakage of these contaminants from the filter. The activated carbon filter is oriented towards capturing strong odours from food, cigarettes, pets, etc. and removes volatile organic compounds such as nitrogen dioxide, acetaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, etc. The HEPA filter removes finer contaminants such as disease causing bacteria, mold, virus, dust mites, pollen, germs, etc. It is capable of capturing up to 99.999% of airborne contaminants and alos includes an antimicrobial treatment to deactivate the contaminant spread. 

Is there a comparison chart available to view the features, prices, and properties of all Coway air purifiers?

Yes, the comparison chart can be viewed on this site

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References

Coway. (n.d.). About Coway. Viewed on 01-15-2022. https://cowaymega.com/pages/about-coway 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (n.d.). Health Risk of Radon. United States EPA. Viewed on 01-15-2022.  https://www.epa.gov/radon/health-risk-radon   

Dresden D. (2021, September 30). Coway Air Purifier Review. Medical News Today (MNT). Reviewed by Sullivan D. Viewed on 01-15-2022. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/coway-air-purifier#_noHeaderPrefixedContent