Levoit vs Coway Air Purifier: Verified CADR, Filters and Running Costs

Levoit or Coway comes down to which model fits your room, because each brand has a clear strength. Levoit’s purifiers carry CADRs verified in the AHAM directory and cost less up front. Coway’s newer models, the Mighty2 and the Airmega 400, have washable pre-filters, no ionizer and filters rated for up to a year, but their CADRs come from Coway or ENERGY STAR rather than AHAM. For a small bedroom we’d pick the Levoit Core 300-P. For a medium room it’s a close call between the Levoit Vital 200S and the Coway Mighty2, and for a large living room we’d pick the Levoit Core 600S on value or the Coway Airmega 400S on upkeep.

Everything below comes from the AHAM directory, CARB, ENERGY STAR and the two makers’ own pages, in line with our research policy. We don’t run our own lab trials.

Levoit vs Coway at a glance

Model	Smoke CADR (source)	Room size	Filters	Ionizer / CARB type
Levoit Core 300-P	139 (AHAM)	215 sq ft (AHAM)	One 3-stage cylinder, nothing washable	None advertised; most SKUs Mechanical
Levoit Core 300S-P	144 (AHAM)	223 sq ft (AHAM)	Same Core 300 filter family	None advertised; LAP-C302S codes listed as Electronic
Levoit Vital 200S-P	250 (AHAM)	388 sq ft (AHAM)	Washable pre-filter + particle + carbon	None; Mechanical
Coway AP-1512HH Mighty	233 (Coway)	361 sq ft (Coway)	Washable pre-filter, carbon, True HEPA	Yes, switchable; Electronic
Coway Mighty2 AP-1512N	240 (Coway)	about 360 sq ft (our calculation)	Washable pre-filter + Max2 carbon/HEPA	None; Mechanical
Levoit Core 600S-P	394 (AHAM)	606 sq ft	Pre-filter + particle + carbon, nothing washable	None advertised; WUSR code listed as Electronic
Coway Airmega 400 / 400S	376 (ENERGY STAR)	583 sq ft (ENERGY STAR)	2 washable pre-filters + 2 Max2 carbon/HEPA	None; Mechanical

All room sizes use the AHAM basis of about 4.8 air changes per hour, so they are comparable with each other. Both brands also print much larger figures on their pages: Levoit claims 1,066 sq ft for the Core 300 and Coway 1,800 sq ft for the Mighty2, but those assume a single air change per hour. Our guide to what CADR is explains why the AHAM number is the one to compare, and the air purifier size calculator turns any smoke CADR into a room size for your ceiling height.

Where Levoit is stronger

• Verified CADR. Every Levoit in this comparison is in the AHAM Verifide directory, which means a third party checked the numbers on the box. Coway isn’t a brand in the current AHAM directory, so its Mighty models rest on Coway’s own figures. The Airmega 400 is the exception on the Coway side: ENERGY STAR lists it at 376 smoke CADR, which is higher than Coway’s own 328.
• Price. In October 2026, levoit.com listed the Core 300-P at around $90 to $100, the Vital 200S-P at around $190 and the Core 600S-P at around $300. Coway listed the Mighty2 at around $270 and the Airmega 400S at around $750 on cowaymega.com. For large rooms, the Levoit Core 600S has a higher verified CADR than the Airmega 400 for well under half the list price.
• Apps. The Core 300S, Vital 200S and Core 600S all work with Levoit’s VeSync app and Alexa or Google Assistant. On the Coway side, only the 400S clearly has Wi-Fi and an app; Coway’s product page for the Mighty2 doesn’t describe app features, and the AP-1512HH has none.

Where Coway is stronger

• Washable pre-filters and longer filter intervals. The Mighty2 and the Airmega 400 both have washable pre-filters (the 400 has two), and Coway rates their combined carbon and HEPA filters for up to a year (its Airmega 400 product copy also says 6 to 12 months). Levoit’s Core 300 and Core 600S have nothing washable, and Levoit gives a 6 to 12 month interval for the Vital 200S and Core 600S filters.
• No ionizer on the current models, and no CARB quirks. CARB certifies the Mighty2 and Airmega 400 as mechanical air cleaners, and ENERGY STAR measured 0.00 ppb of ozone from the Airmega 400. Levoit advertises no ionizer and calls the Core 300 and 300S “Ozone Free”, yet CARB lists three Levoit SKU codes (LAP-C302-WUSR, LAP-C302S and LAP-C601S-WUSR) as electronic, which Levoit doesn’t explain. The Vital 200S has no such conflict. The older Coway AP-1512HH does have an ionizer, which its manual calls a “bipolar device”; you can switch it off with the IONIZER button. Our guide to the ionic air purifier covers why we flag ionizers at all.
• Quiet low settings. Coway lists 19 to 50 dB for the Mighty2 and 22 to 52 dB(A) for the Airmega 400. Levoit’s figures run from 22 to 50 dB (Core 300S) up to 26 to 55 dB (Core 600S). These are maker figures measured their own way, so treat small differences with caution.

Running costs: electricity and filters

An air purifier’s yearly cost is power plus filters. The table assumes top speed around the clock at the US average of 18.31 cents per kWh (EIA, July 2026), which is the worst case; Auto and Sleep modes use less, but neither brand publishes lower-speed wattage for these models.

Model	Power at top speed	24/7 on top speed	Electricity a year	Replacement filter
Levoit Core 300-P	53.3 W (AHAM)	467 kWh	about $85	around $30; no interval published
Levoit Core 300S-P	37.9 W (AHAM)	332 kWh	about $61	around $40 (Smoke Remover); no interval published
Levoit Vital 200S-P	52.4 W (AHAM)	459 kWh	about $84	around $50, every 6 to 12 months
Coway AP-1512HH	77 W (Coway)	675 kWh	about $124	set around $60 to $65 covers a year
Coway Mighty2 AP-1512N	56 W (Coway)	491 kWh	about $90	price not published; up to 1 year
Levoit Core 600S-P	65.6 to 67.3 W (AHAM)	575 to 590 kWh	about $105 to $108	around $60, every 6 to 12 months
Coway Airmega 400 / 400S	66 W (Coway)	578 kWh	about $106	2-filter set around $130, 1 year

The math is watts × 8,760 hours ÷ 1,000 for kWh, then × your price per kWh. Try your own hours and electricity rate in the air purifier electricity cost calculator. Two efficiency notes: the Core 600S and the Airmega 400 (AP-2015F) are ENERGY STAR certified under the current V3.0 spec, and ENERGY STAR estimates the Airmega 400 at 366 kWh a year in normal use. The AP-1512HH’s older “ENERGY STAR” claim refers to a previous spec; it isn’t in the current list.

On filters, Coway’s longer intervals narrow the gap with Levoit’s cheaper cartridges, but the dusty, smoky or pet-filled homes that need a purifier most also wear filters faster. Our guide on how often to change an air purifier filter covers the warning signs.

Which to pick for each room

Levoit Core 300-P

For a bedroom or office up to about 215 sq ft, this is the budget pick of either brand. The AHAM directory lists 139 smoke, 156 dust and 155 pollen CADR. It uses one 3-stage cylindrical filter (pre-filter, main particle filter, activated carbon) with Toxin Absorber, Pet Allergy and 4-stage Smoke Remover options. Levoit lists 24 to 54.5 dB. The trade-offs: no sensor or app, nothing washable, AHAM lists the filter type as “HEPA-Type”, and Levoit publishes no filter interval. Coway has nothing this small in the comparison; the AP-1512HH and Mighty2 are rated for rooms about two-thirds larger. Our full Levoit Core 300 review covers it in detail, including the Core 300S with sensor and app.

Levoit Vital 200S-P

The Levoit we’d pick for a medium room of up to about 388 sq ft. AHAM lists 250 smoke, 254 dust and 289 pollen CADR, slightly above the Coway Mighty models, and this one is verified. It has a washable pre-filter, a main particle filter and activated carbon, an infrared dust sensor with Auto mode, Pet and Sleep modes, and the VeSync app. CARB certifies it as mechanical and it has no ionizer. Levoit lists 23 to 54 dB and a 6 to 12 month filter interval. It isn’t ENERGY STAR certified. See our Levoit Vital 200S review for the filter options.

Coway Airmega Mighty2 AP-1512N

The Coway we’d pick for the same room. Coway lists 240 smoke, 242 dust and 249 pollen CADR, which by AHAM’s rule suits about 360 sq ft; that’s our calculation, not a Coway claim, and no third party has verified the CADR. It launched in March 2026 as the next generation of the AP-1512HH, and it improves on it in the ways that matter to us: no ionizer (CARB certifies it as mechanical), 56 W instead of 77 W, and one combined Max2 carbon and HEPA filter that Coway rates for up to a year, behind a washable pre-filter. It also has a laser particle sensor with a real-time air-quality reading and Coway’s lowest noise figure here, 19 to 50 dB.

Against the Vital 200S, it trades a verified CADR and app control for quieter rated operation and fewer filter changes. If you still find the original AP-1512HH in stock, our Coway Airmega AP-1512HH review explains its ionizer and filter set; in most cases we’d pay the extra for the Mighty2.

Levoit Core 600S-P

For a living room or open-plan space, this is the value pick. The AHAM directory lists 394 smoke, 398 dust and 433 pollen CADR, the highest verified number of either brand, for about 606 sq ft. It has a laser PM2.5 sensor with Auto mode, a light sensor, the VeSync app and Alexa or Google support, and its main variants are ENERGY STAR certified. AHAM measured 65.6 to 67.3 W at top speed, and Levoit lists 26 to 55 dB. Nothing is washable, and CARB lists one variant (LAP-C601S-WUSR) as electronic despite no advertised ionizer.

Coway Airmega 400S

Our pick if you want a large-room purifier with the least fuss. ENERGY STAR lists the Airmega 400 (AP-2015F) at 376 smoke, 384 dust and 409 pollen CADR, for 583 sq ft; Coway’s own page gives lower figures (328, 328 and 400). It draws air through both sides, each with a washable pre-filter and a Max2 filter combining honeycomb activated carbon and HEPA. There’s no ionizer, CARB certifies it as mechanical, and Coway lists 22 to 52 dB(A) and 66 W. The 400S adds Wi-Fi, the Coway app, scheduling and voice control to the otherwise identical 400. The catches: it’s around $750 (the non-Wi-Fi 400 is around $650), it weighs 24.7 lb, and ENERGY STAR covers only the 400.

Our verdict

If you value a third-party-verified CADR, app control and a lower price, Levoit is the stronger brand: we’d buy the Core 300-P for a small bedroom, the Vital 200S-P for a medium room and the Core 600S-P for a large one. If you’d rather wash a pre-filter, change the main filter once a year and know there’s no ionizer inside, Coway’s Mighty2 and Airmega 400S are the better fit, at a higher price. We’d skip the older AP-1512HH now that the Mighty2 sells alongside it, unless you find it in stock for a lot less.