Coway Airmega 160 Air Purifier: Trusted Review & Specs

While the different design doesn’t always make sense in the world of air purifiers, the Coway Airmega 160 is a device like this. It doesn’t receive the same positive reviews as its direct brother – the Airmega 240 gets an edge over the Airmega 230, however, it’s still worth a test with our Coway Airmega 160 Review.

Update: The latest devices in the Airmega lineup are the Airmega 230 and Airmega 240. Also, we have been testing the Coway Airmega 250S for a while and will make a review of it as soon as possible.

Coway Airmega 160 ranks B+ in our air purifier ranking list. We give the biggest and most thorough database of air purifier reviews in the world.

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Coway has been the top air purifier manufacturer for many years, winning Korea Consumer Electronics Market Share & Brand Awareness 1st prize. The company has had a successful year, bringing many new devices to the U.S. market, which is in love with the great Coway AP-1512HHS at the moment. So, let’s check out the Coway Airmega 160 Review, which is really the Airmega 150 in a different coating.

Other Coway’s Air Purifier Reviews:

Coway AIRMEGA 160 Price

Last year, though, there were too many Coway air purifiers released for the average person to keep up with, and there’s now much more competition from brands such as Levoit, Bissell and GermGuardian.

However, it seems the company has managed to compete at any price point on the market, thanks to the new release of the Airmega 230, Airmega 240 and especially the Airmega 250S. Each device features enough performance and good smart features to keep up with the competition, mainly the wide gap between the Coway AP-1512HHS and Airmega 300S.

The Airmega 160 is not really an air purifier that the company would put effort into marketing, as the Airmega 150 is still doing well. It also costs a bit more than the Airmega 150, which is always on sale. So you need to spend $189 for the Airmega 160. And just for a different coating.

With a price that pitches the air purifier directly against its 150 and Coway AP-1512HH stablemates, you might well wonder what exactly the Airmega 160 is for. Perhaps that should be the question for the next Airmega 240.

The price you pay for the Airmega 160 is in the same ballpark as the LivePure Apsen, Hunter HP700, Bissell air220, Vornado AC550 and Medify MA-25. Wow, that’s a lot of competition, so without further ado, let’s scroll onto the next section.

Related post: Best air purifier 2023.

Coway AIRMEGA 160 Design and Size

Well, you might think I should put more effort into writing this section, as the design is surely the most noticeable difference between the Airmega 160 and its brother, the Airmega 150.

Not that I’ll try to disappoint you, but for much of the design and size, the Airmega 160 is exactly like the Airmega 150. It follows the distinctly familiar-looking brother with the same size at 18 x 13.4 x 6.5 inchesactly like the Airmega 150. It follows the distinctly familiar-looking brother with the same size at 18 x 13.4 x 6.5 inches. Well, the Airmega 160 still has good design, provided that the old 150 won three international design awards: the Good Design Award, the IF Design Award, and the Finalist Award.

Perhaps Coway knew about my review and doesn’t want the next air purifier to be mistaken with other popular products on the market like the Winix AM90 and AM80. The Airmega 160 has a new design for the air outlet, which is very stylish and unique. To the point that you can’t make a mistake with this air purifier compared to anything else on the market.

So the air purifier does feel premium and sleek, and at this price point, that’s really a great plus. Other than that, the Airmega 160 keeps the same formula as the previous model. It has the same bottom-to-top airflow system concept and features the same easy-release, washable pre-filter.

There are new color options for the new Airmega 160: blue and white, which in general we rather like. The top control panel, however, is completely the same as the previous model.

Source: Amazon.com

Well, it’s a small air purifier at 12 lbs, which is the same as the Levoit LV-PUR131, and it is lighter than the popular Winix 5500-2.

Related post: Best air purifiers for bedroom.

Coway AIRMEGA 160 Filters

Inside the Airmega 160, we have the same internal parts and air filtration system as the Airmega 150. So, let’s repeat the air cleaning process in 3 stages.

1. Pre-filter – An extractor-type washable pre-filter will help you capture the large particles of contaminants, such as pet hair, human hair, and mold. It is easy to remove, so you can maintain your unit easily. Slide out, rinse, and hang to dry.
2. Activated Carbon Filter –
   This deodorization filter works its best to deodorize and trap harmful gases to keep your place fresh and odor-free.
3. True HEPA filter – The high-performance composite True HEPA filter captures 99.97% of allergens, virus particles, pollen, mold, and fungi down to 0.3 microns. It has an antibacterial backing to prevent bacteria and mold spores from growing there.

Yes, the Airmega 160 does the same as the Airmega 150, so we don’t need to make another performance test. However, it is part of the process of reviewing an air purifier in Breathe Quality, so we couldn’t resist putting the Airmega 160 in the same room with the same conditions.

Let’s talk a little bit about the Airmega 160’s air filter. If you have read the previous model’s review already, you should know that Coway has revamped its air filter, naming it Max2. The Airmega 150 and 160’s air filter is the smaller version of such a Max2 filter, adding antimicrobial treatment to prevent the spread of contaminants inside the filter.

However, it doesn’t include a honeycomb-style Activated Carbon filter like other higher-end devices in the family. Instead, the Airmega 160 uses the same carbon filter as the old Coway AP-1512HH.

Again, not so much to talk about the performance test of the Airmega 160, as its data is behind only the Filtrete FAP-T03BA-G2, Honeywell HPA200 and TCL Breeva A5. However, it still has good performance, as the air purifier can clean up to 99.92% of all particles down to 0.3 microns that we throw into 150 square feet in 1 hour. This performance is as good as the GermGuardian AP5800W and is better than the Bissell air220.

The air filter of the Airmega 160 is the same as the one in the Airmega 150 (AP-1019C), which costs $45, but it can last for only 1 year. For the price range that the Airmega 160 is competing, it is okay for the price.

Related post: Best air purifiers for allergies.

Coway AIRMEGA 160 Room Coverage

The Coway Airmega 160 has the same room coverage suggestion as its brother, so you should use it in a room of 237 square feet, according to the Energy Star. The air purifier can clean up to 518 square feet.

The ACH of Coway Airmega 160 is 4X. This air purifier will clean your room every 15 minutes.

The CADR of Coway Airmega 160 is 161 Dust/ 138 Smoke/ 219 Pollen (cfm).With its low smoke CADR, the air purifier is only recommended for personal use in small rooms.

Related post: Best large room air purifiers.

Coway AIRMEGA 160 Sound

The Airmega 160 is another quiet air purifier from the manufacturer, which can trim the noise level to as low as 24 decibels (dB) if you run it on the lowest speed.

Given the purpose of having small air purifiers for bedrooms, the noise level of the Airmega 160 is more than fine, and you can even test it at its highest speed, which has a noise level of only 48.3 decibels. It is, in fact, better than the Coway AP-1512HH in terms of quietness.

Related post: Best air purifiers for baby.

Coway AIRMEGA 160 Power Consumption

One of our most FAQs is “Do air purifiers use a lot of energy?” In fact, air purifiers must be used for a long time to be efficient. And power consumption is one important criterion for reviewing how much energy this air purifier will consume.

It seems the signature Eco Mode doesn’t return to the new lineup of Airmega air purifiers, and the Airmega 160 isn’t an exception. The air purifier is, however, another Energy Star air purifier with only 35 watts of rated power.

If you’re going to use the Coway Airmega 160 for 8 hours per day, you only need to pay $12.5 per year.

Related post: Best air purifiers for pets.

Coway AIRMEGA 160 Additional Features

The Airmega 160 does what the Coway AP-1512HH did best, introducing the Auto Mode that changes the fan speed according to the air quality, thanks to the dust air sensor. Real-time monitoring keeps you informed of the status of your air quality, and you can also turn off the light if you need to sleep.

You can adjust the sensitivity of your air sensor by pressing and holding both the Mode and Filter buttons at the same time. The Airmega 160 has three different levels of air sensor sensitivity.

Finally, we have LED indicators for filter replacement. This feature will keep reminding you when to change the filter for optimal performance.

Related posts:

1, Best air purifiers for smoke.

2, Best air purifiers for dust.

3, Best air purifiers for mold.

Coway AIRMEGA 160 Customer Service

As one of the top electronic brands in Korea, Coway is somehow as huge as Samsung. This brand not only carries out clean innovations for the customers, but Coway also delivers its direction as Coway Trust. That’s why Coway always places a strong focus on its customers and community. With global subsidiaries and regional dealerships that serve over 60 countries, you should believe in the customer service of the company.

Moreover, you can contact Coway’s customer service via phone at 800-285-0982 or via email at support@coway-usa.com. Normally, customer service will try to contact you within 24 hours.

All air purifiers made by Coway have their motor and electronic parts warranted for 3 years, while other internals are warranted for 1 year.

Our verdict

What we want to say about the Airmega 160 is fully covered in the review of the Airmega 150. However, the Airmega 150 is often on sale, so we should expect a reduction in the price of the Airmega 160, provided that you can buy one.