When it comes to creating a healthier living environment, air purifiers have become a common addition to many households. With increasing concerns over indoor air quality, having a reliable brand at your side becomes essential. Enter Coway, a brand well-known for its commitment to air purification technology. The Coway AirMega 250 AP-1720H offers a blend of aesthetic appeal and functionality, aiming to give users cleaner, fresher air.
Coway AirMega 250 AP-1720H
29,900
What Is Good?
- Effective Hyper Captive Filtration System
- Smart Mode adjusts fan speed
- Night Mode for undisturbed sleep
- Easy filter maintenance
What Is Bad?
- Higher noise levels at max speed
- Filter replacement cost can be high
- Limited range of timer options
- Large size might not suit smaller rooms
If you’ve ever thought about improving the air you breathe indoors, especially in metro cities where pollution levels can be concerning, an air purifier like the Coway AirMega 250 AP-1720H could be just the solution you’re looking for. Its compact design, intelligent features, and user-friendly operation make it a potential contender for any home or office setting. Let’s dive into its features and offerings to know whether it’s the right fit for you.
Build Quality and Design
From the first glance at the Coway AirMega 250 AP-1720H, you can tell it’s designed with modern aesthetics in mind. The front panel boasts a sleek, perforated design with a subtle beige finish, which is both minimalist and elegant. The clean lines and square shape make it ideal for blending into various interiors without drawing too much attention, a bonus for those who value discreet, functional home appliances.
One of the standout features is its cartridge-style filters. These are thoughtfully designed for one-touch removal, making maintenance straightforward and hassle-free. You won’t have to struggle with complicated mechanisms; just a simple press and the filter slides out for easy replacement.
The 3-stage manual fan speed control lets you adjust between low, medium, and high speeds, allowing flexibility depending on your air quality needs. This manual setting could be ideal for someone who likes to have hands-on control over their devices, whether it’s during peak pollution hours or when the air feels fresh enough.
Finally, the real-time AQI (Air Quality Index) display on the front gives you instant feedback on the air you’re breathing. This feature not only adds a layer of tech sophistication to the design but also serves a functional purpose. Knowing the air quality at a glance ensures that you can adjust the settings or be reassured that the purifier is doing its job effectively.
Filters and Air Quality Testing
The Coway AirMega 250 is equipped with a robust filtration system that aims to significantly reduce pollutants in your indoor space. Its cartridge-style filters are not just easy to replace but seem to deliver on their promise of thorough air cleaning.
Filters
The Coway AirMega 250 is equipped with a Hyper Captive Filtration System, which aims to provide top-tier air purification through a combination of three filters:
- Pre-filter: This captures larger particles like dust and pet hair, ensuring that the other filters can focus on the smaller, more harmful particles.
- Deodorization filter: Designed to reduce household odours and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), this filter helps keep your indoor air fresh and clean.
- True HEPA filter: This filter is the real powerhouse, removing 99.999% of particles as small as 0.01 microns. From pollen and allergens to microscopic pollutants, the True HEPA filter ensures that even the tiniest harmful particles are captured.
This filtration system is particularly beneficial for those with allergies or sensitivity to air pollutants, as it’s designed to reduce the presence of airborne irritants significantly.
Corner Test
In our brief test, we evaluated the performance of the AirMega 250 under different time benchmarks, starting with extremely poor air quality (pm2.5 at 400 and AQI at 100) and observing the reduction over time. Here’s how the purifier performed:
| Time Period | AQI | PM2.5 (µg/m³) |
| 10-minute reading | 71 | 178 |
| 20-minute reading | 32 | 74 |
| 25-minute reading | 32 | 44 |
| Change | 39 | 134 |
The Coway AirMega 250 showed a noticeable improvement in air quality within the first 10 minutes, and by the 25-minute mark, it brought the pm2.5 levels down to a much safer range. This suggests the purifier can handle pollution in a relatively short amount of time, even when placed in a less-than-ideal corner of the room.
Centre Test
To ensure consistency, we also ran the same test with the purifier placed at the centre of the room. The performance here was quite similar to the corner test, showing efficient air cleaning.
| Time Period | AQI | PM2.5 (µg/m³) |
| 10-minute reading | 75 | 188 |
| 20-minute reading | 32 | 81 |
| 25-minute reading | 32 | 53 |
| Change | 43 | 135 |
Despite the centre of the room allowing for better airflow, the results mirrored the corner test, with the Coway AirMega 250 still delivering significant reductions in air pollutants.
Auto Mode Test (Centre)
We also tested the auto mode for 30 minutes to observe how well the purifier adjusts itself. During this period, the device maintained steady air quality without manual intervention. The starting conditions were the same as previous tests (100 AQI and PM2.5 at 400 µg/m³).
| Time Period | AQI | PM2.5 (µg/m³) |
| 30-minute reading | 33 | 41 |
The auto mode appears to be a reliable option, keeping the air quality stable while automatically adjusting the fan speed based on real-time AQI feedback.
Ease of Changing Filters and Cost
One of the standout features of the Coway AirMega 250 is its ease of maintenance. The air filter indicator conveniently lets you know when it’s time to replace the filters or clean the pre-filters, ensuring that the air purifier continues to work efficiently. The indicator is based on the amount of air processed by the machine, meaning it’s designed to alert you at the right time rather than on a fixed schedule.
According to the brand, the life expectancy of the filters is up to 1 year or 8,500 hours of use, depending on your environment and how often the purifier runs. This is a fairly generous lifespan, especially when compared to other purifiers in the market.
If you’re wondering about the replacement costs, the filter set for the AirMega 250 is priced at approximately ₹6,990 on Amazon. While this might seem a bit on the higher side, the extended filter life could make it a cost-effective option in the long run.
Noise Levels
Noise is always a consideration when it comes to home appliances, and the Coway AirMega 250 strikes a decent balance between performance and quiet operation. During our brief time with the unit, we found that the noise levels were within an acceptable range:
- Peak sound (at 1-foot distance): 60.6 dB(A)
- Minimum sound (at 1-foot distance): 33.2 dB(A)
At its peak, the noise level is comparable to light office chatter, which could be noticeable in a quieter environment. However, at its minimum sound level, the purifier operates quietly enough to not disrupt conversations or activities, making it a solid choice for bedrooms or living spaces where silence is preferred.
Features
The Coway AirMega 250 comes with a number of smart features aimed at enhancing its convenience and efficiency.
- Smart Mode: This is where the AirMega really shows its intelligence. In Smart Mode, the purifier adjusts its fan speed automatically based on the air quality detected in the room. This feature has three settings:
- Auto Mode: Automatically adjusts fan speed to maintain optimal air quality.
- Eco Mode: Conserves energy by reducing fan speed when the air quality is good for an extended period.
- Sleep Mode: Activates a quieter operation mode for restful nights.
- Timer: The built-in timer allows you to schedule the unit to run for 1, 4, or 8 hours, making it easier to manage energy consumption. This is especially helpful when you want to purify the air while you’re out or overnight without worrying about overuse.
- Rapid Mode: If the air quality drops significantly, you can activate the Rapid Mode. This mode runs the purifier at maximum power to quickly improve air quality, which can be useful after cooking or when dealing with sudden spikes in indoor pollutants.
- Night Mode: For those who are light sleepers, the Night Mode is a thoughtful addition. The purifier turns off its AQI display when it detects darkness in the room, ensuring that no unnecessary lights disturb your sleep. This feature, combined with its lower noise levels, makes it an ideal option for use in bedrooms.
Final Verdict
The Coway AirMega 250 proves to be a reliable and efficient air purifier for those looking to improve indoor air quality. Its Hyper Captive Filtration System effectively tackles allergens, pollutants, and volatile organic compounds, while features like Smart Mode and Rapid Mode make it easy to use in various conditions. The AQI display and automatic fan adjustments enhance convenience, ensuring that you’re always aware of your environment’s air quality.
In terms of design, the minimalist, square build blends seamlessly with most interiors, and the one-touch filter removal is a handy feature for those who prefer low-maintenance appliances. Though it operates quietly on its lower settings, the noise level can be a bit noticeable at maximum power. Additionally, while the filter replacement cost might seem high, its long lifespan (up to 1 year) makes it more economical in the long run.
Overall, the Coway AirMega 250 is a solid choice for urban households dealing with poor air quality, offering a range of practical features that help ensure cleaner, healthier air.
Note: Shubh Bhushan conducted the AQI and PM2.5 tests with calibrated equipment along with the author for this review.
