Air Purifiers / Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty vs Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty vs Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty
Cheapest filters in the class and an honest coverage table — but check the ioniser button is off.
Wins overall by 2.1 points
Quick Verdict
A 2.1-point gap makes the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty the straightforward choice here. Cheapest filters in the class and an honest coverage table — but check the ioniser button is off.
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty and Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) are both closely matched air Purifier models, and the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty is $10 cheaper than the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) ($239.99 vs $249.99). On Running Cost, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads (8.0 vs 3.5/10) — filters, pre-filters, cartridges and subscriptions over three years, against the purchase price. Several units here cost more to feed than to buy; a high score means cheap, long-lived, non-proprietary consumables. On Sensor Quality, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads (5.0 vs 1.0/10) — whether there is a real laser particle sensor resolving PM1/PM2.5/PM10 with numeric output, a vaguer 'air quality' index, an inference from a cheap VOC element, or no sensor and therefore no auto mode at all. On Coverage-Claim Honesty, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads (7.0 vs 3.5/10) — the trap dimension for this category. Almost every brand derives its headline square footage from ONE air change per hour, which does close to nothing for smoke, pollen or wildfire particulate — the useful standard is 4.8 air changes an hour, and it is typically a fifth of the number on the box. A high score means the manufacturer publishes the 4.8-ACH figure prominently and it survives comparison with the AHAM Verifide room size; a low score means a big number with no stated air-change basis, or no CADR at all to derive one from.. Overall, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty scores 6.9/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 4.8/10 for the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty | Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $239.99 | $249.99 |
| Release Year | 2013 | 2019 |
| AHAM Verifide CADR (Smoke / Dust / Pollen) (CFM) | Coway publishes smoke 233 / dust 246 / pollen 240 CFM itself. NOT AHAM Verifide as of August 2026: Coway does not appear in the AHAM Verifide directory's brand index at all, so no Coway model — including this one — currently carries a Verifide CADR. These are manufacturer figures. | Medify publishes smoke 239 / dust 231 / pollen 240 / PM2.5 235 CFM itself, footnoted "Smoke CADR when operating at highest fan speed". Medify's own listings display an "AHAM Verified" badge on every product — but a query of the AHAM Verifide directory in August 2026 returns the brand "Medify Air" in the brand index with ZERO currently certified models. Treat these as manufacturer figures until a directory entry appears. |
| AHAM Verifide Room Size (4.8 ACH) (ft²) | Not listed in the AHAM Verifide directory (August 2026). Coway's own 4.8-ACH figure is 361 ft². | No current AHAM Verifide listing (August 2026), despite the "AHAM Verified" badge on medifyair.com. Medify's own 5-ACH figure is 358.5 ft² and its 4-ACH figure is 448 ft². |
| Coverage Claim & Its Air-Change Basis | Coway's own spec table gives "1 air change/hr 1,748 ft² / 2 air changes/hr 874 ft² / 4.8 air changes/hr 361 ft²" — the most complete ladder any brand here publishes. The retail listing headline is the 1,748 ft² number. | Medify's own table: 1,793 ft² at 1 ACH, 896 ft² at 2 ACH, 448 ft² at 4 ACH, 358.5 ft² at 5 ACH. The headline everywhere — site, packaging, Amazon title — is the 2-ACH number, "896 sq ft in 30 minutes". Two air changes an hour is roughly half what smoke or allergen control needs. |
| Filter Grade (True HEPA / HEPA-Type / H13) | Four stages: washable pre-filter, deodorisation (activated carbon) filter, True HEPA filter rated 99.97% at 0.3 µm, and a bipolar ionising device. Coway calls the HEPA stage True HEPA; the newer Mighty2 is marketed as "IEST certified HEPA" instead. | Medify markets "True HEPA H13" (and H14 on some SKUs). The footnote on every page reads "Tested by Intertek Lab for HEPA filter material" — the H13 grade is a claim about the media, not a whole-unit sealed-system rating. Three stages: pre-filter, H13 media, pelletised activated carbon. |
| Pre-Filter (Washable?) | Yes — permanent washable mesh pre-filter. Coway's instructions: pull it out, rinse or vacuum, dry fully, reset. No recurring cost. | Integrated into the single replaceable cylinder — not separately washable |
| Filter Cost per Year | $54.99/yr — Airmega Mighty AP-1512HH & 200M filter set (SKU 3304899 / 3109905 / 3118096) contains one HEPA filter (1-year life) and two deodorisation filters (6-month life), i.e. exactly one year of consumables. Specialty sets run $54.99–$56.99 (Intense Smoke, Allergen, Pet). | $119.98–$179.97/yr, and Medify's own site cannot agree with itself: the MA-40 filter page sets the subscription cadence at 120 days, the purifier page sets it at 180 days, and the body copy says the filter lasts "up to 3,000 hours or 4-5 months". At $59.99 a filter that is two to three filters a year. The subscription discounts the first filter 40% ($35.99) and later ones 10% ($53.99). |
| Ioniser / UV / PCO & CARB Classification | Yes — the fourth stage is a bipolar ionising device, and it is listed in Coway's own filter composition. CARB records the AP-1512HH as an ELECTRONIC device (Coway/Woongjin Coway, EO G-13-027 and G-16-011), meaning it is capable of generating ozone and was certified only because it tested at or below 0.050 ppm. The revised AP-1512HHC (EO G-25-347) and the Mighty2 AP-1512N (G-26-042) are certified as Mechanical. The ioniser has its own button and can be switched off. | The standard MA-40 has an optional ioniser (Medify's own controls list reads "Ionizer (Optional)") and Medify describes the unit as ozone-free. CARB history is instructive: the original MA-40 (EO G-21-461, 2021) and the MA-40UV are certified as ELECTRONIC devices, while MA-40-V3.0 (G-23-267) and the current MA-40-V4.0 (G-25-237, 2025-09-10) are certified as MECHANICAL. Buy the current V4.0 HEPA SKU, not a UV or ioniser variant. |
| Noise, Lowest to Highest Setting (dB) | 24 dB(A) lowest to 53 dB(A) highest (Coway published) | Medify publishes only the sleep-mode figure, "as low as 40.5 dBA". No figure is published for the top speed. 40.5 dBA is by far the loudest quiet-setting in this file — the Levoit Core 300S-P is 22 dB and the Blueair 23 dB. |
| Air Quality Sensor | Coway calls it a "dust sensor" on this model and does not describe it as a laser particle counter. The successor Mighty2 upgrades to a "MegaScan laser sensor (PM1, 2.5, 10)" — which tells you what the AP-1512HH's sensor is not. | None. The MA-40's own controls list is "Preset Timers, 3 Fan Speeds, Sleep Mode, Filter Indicator, Touch Controls, Child Lock, Ionizer (Optional)" — there is no particle sensor and therefore no auto mode at any price. |
| Smart Features & Offline Operation | None on this SKU. No account, no app, no cloud, no firmware; every function is on the top panel. That makes it the most future-proof mid-range unit here. | None. No Wi-Fi, no app, no account. Fully offline. |
| Power Draw & Annual Energy | 77W maximum (Coway published) | 68W (Medify published); Integrated Energy Factor 3.6 |
| Warranty Terms & Conditions | 3-year limited warranty per Coway's retail listing; Coway's own product page does not state a term | Limited Lifetime Warranty with no filter-subscription requirement — unusually generous, and the reason warrantyMonths is recorded as 0 rather than a month count. Plus a 30-day home trial. |
| Warranty | 36 months | 0 months |
| Colors | White, Black | White, Black |
Category Scores
Coverage-Claim Honesty
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads clearly here, 7.0 against 3.5 — a 3.5-point margin on the trap dimension for this category. Almost every brand derives its headline square footage from ONE air change per hour, which does close to nothing for smoke, pollen or wildfire particulate — the useful standard is 4.8 air changes an hour, and it is typically a fifth of the number on the box. A high score means the manufacturer publishes the 4.8-ACH figure prominently and it survives comparison with the AHAM Verifide room size; a low score means a big number with no stated air-change basis, or no CADR at all to derive one from.. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Verified Clean-Air Delivery
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads clearly here, 6.5 against 6.0 — a 0.5-point margin on how much air the unit actually cleans per minute, weighted heavily toward AHAM Verifide smoke CADR over manufacturer-published figures. Self-reported CADR scores below Verifide CADR, and 'no CADR published at all' scores below both. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Filtration Quality
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads clearly here, 8.0 against 7.5 — a 0.5-point margin on what the media is really rated at — sealed H13, True HEPA, HEPA-Type, EPA 12 or charged fabric — whether the whole machine is sealed so air cannot bypass the filter, and how much genuine activated carbon there is for odours and VOCs. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Running Cost
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads clearly here, 8.0 against 3.5 — a 4.5-point margin on filters, pre-filters, cartridges and subscriptions over three years, against the purchase price. Several units here cost more to feed than to buy; a high score means cheap, long-lived, non-proprietary consumables. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Quietness
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads clearly here, 7.5 against 4.0 — a 3.5-point margin on measured decibels at the lowest setting you would run overnight AND at the top speed you need in a smoke event — a purifier is only useful at a speed you can tolerate. Not publishing a figure at either end costs points. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Sensor Quality
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads clearly here, 5.0 against 1.0 — a 4.0-point margin on whether there is a real laser particle sensor resolving PM1/PM2.5/PM10 with numeric output, a vaguer 'air quality' index, an inference from a cheap VOC element, or no sensor and therefore no auto mode at all. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Freedom From Ozone & Air Chemistry
The Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 5.0 — a 2.0-point margin on whether the unit adds an ioniser, plasma, UV or photocatalytic stage to the airstream, whether that stage can be switched off, and how CARB classifies the device — 'Mechanical' means filtration only, 'Electronic' means capable of generating ozone and certified only as being at or below 0.050 ppm. If that is what you are buying for, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty does not close the gap elsewhere.
Controls & Independence
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty leads clearly here, 8.0 against 6.0 — a 2.0-point margin on whether every mode works from the machine itself with no account or cloud, how good the auto mode is, filter-change access, and whether losing a remote or a login costs you function. If that is what you are buying for, the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty if…
- • Running Cost matters most to you — the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty scores 8.0/10 here (filters, pre-filters, cartridges and subscriptions over three years, against the purchase price. Several units here cost more to feed than to buy; a high score means cheap, long-lived, non-proprietary consumables).
- • Sensor Quality matters most to you — the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty scores 5.0/10 here (whether there is a real laser particle sensor resolving PM1/PM2.5/PM10 with numeric output, a vaguer 'air quality' index, an inference from a cheap VOC element, or no sensor and therefore no auto mode at all).
- • Coverage-Claim Honesty matters most to you — the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty scores 7.0/10 here (the trap dimension for this category. Almost every brand derives its headline square footage from ONE air change per hour, which does close to nothing for smoke, pollen or wildfire particulate — the useful standard is 4.8 air changes an hour, and it is typically a fifth of the number on the box. A high score means the manufacturer publishes the 4.8-ACH figure prominently and it survives comparison with the AHAM Verifide room size; a low score means a big number with no stated air-change basis, or no CADR at all to derive one from.).
- • Quietness matters most to you — the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty scores 7.5/10 here (measured decibels at the lowest setting you would run overnight AND at the top speed you need in a smoke event — a purifier is only useful at a speed you can tolerate. Not publishing a figure at either end costs points).
- • You want to spend less — it's $10 cheaper.
Choose the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) if…
- • Freedom From Ozone & Air Chemistry matters most to you — the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) scores 7.0/10 here (whether the unit adds an ioniser, plasma, UV or photocatalytic stage to the airstream, whether that stage can be switched off, and how CARB classifies the device — 'Mechanical' means filtration only, 'Electronic' means capable of generating ozone and certified only as being at or below 0.050 ppm).
Pros & Cons
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty
Pros
- +Coway publishes a three-rung coverage ladder — 1,748 / 874 / 361 ft² — instead of hiding the 4.8-ACH figure
- +$54.99 buys a complete year of filters, the cheapest running cost of any 200-plus-CADR unit here
- +Washable permanent pre-filter genuinely removes a consumable rather than renaming one
- +Completely offline: no account, no app, no firmware, nothing to be discontinued
- +3-year warranty and a decade of continuous production behind the design
Cons
- −Coway is not in the AHAM Verifide directory at all in August 2026, so the 233/246/240 CADR is self-reported
- −The fourth stage is a bipolar ioniser and CARB classifies this model as an Electronic device — ozone-capable, certified only as under 0.050 ppm. Switch it off
- −The air-quality sensor is a dust sensor, not the laser PM sensor Coway put in the Mighty2 successor
- −77W is the second-highest draw here for a mid-size unit
- −No Wi-Fi, no scheduling, no filter-life telemetry — you watch an indicator light
Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)
Pros
- +239 CFM smoke CADR is real firepower for $250 and beats every unit here below $340
- +Limited lifetime warranty with no registration-plus-subscription strings, unlike Alen's Forever Guarantee
- +Pelletised carbon rather than carbon-coated mesh gives it more genuine odour capacity than most
- +Publishes its coverage at four different ACH values, so the honest number is at least findable
- +The current V4.0 is CARB-certified Mechanical — no ozone pathway on the standard HEPA SKU
Cons
- −Every Medify listing carries an "AHAM Verified" badge, yet the AHAM Verifide directory shows zero certified Medify Air models in August 2026
- −The famous "896 sq ft" is a 2-ACH figure; at the 4–5 ACH that actually controls smoke it is 358–448 ft²
- −H13 is footnoted as "tested by Intertek for HEPA filter material" — media grade, not a sealed-unit rating
- −Sleep mode is 40.5 dBA. That is audible-conversation territory and the top speed is not published at all
- −$59.99 filters on a 120–180 day cadence — Medify's own pages disagree — means $120–180 a year, near the price of a whole Levoit
- −No sensor of any kind, so no auto mode: you are the air-quality sensor
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty or Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Running Cost, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty or the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)?+
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty scores higher on Running Cost (8.0/10 vs 3.5/10) — filters, pre-filters, cartridges and subscriptions over three years, against the purchase price. Several units here cost more to feed than to buy; a high score means cheap, long-lived, non-proprietary consumables.
Which is better for Sensor Quality, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty or the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)?+
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty scores higher on Sensor Quality (5.0/10 vs 1.0/10) — whether there is a real laser particle sensor resolving PM1/PM2.5/PM10 with numeric output, a vaguer 'air quality' index, an inference from a cheap VOC element, or no sensor and therefore no auto mode at all.
Which is better for Coverage-Claim Honesty, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty or the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)?+
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty scores higher on Coverage-Claim Honesty (7.0/10 vs 3.5/10) — the trap dimension for this category. Almost every brand derives its headline square footage from ONE air change per hour, which does close to nothing for smoke, pollen or wildfire particulate — the useful standard is 4.8 air changes an hour, and it is typically a fifth of the number on the box. A high score means the manufacturer publishes the 4.8-ACH figure prominently and it survives comparison with the AHAM Verifide room size; a low score means a big number with no stated air-change basis, or no CADR at all to derive one from..
Which is better for Quietness, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty or the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)?+
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty scores higher on Quietness (7.5/10 vs 4.0/10) — measured decibels at the lowest setting you would run overnight AND at the top speed you need in a smoke event — a purifier is only useful at a speed you can tolerate. Not publishing a figure at either end costs points.
Is the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty worth the price difference over the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)?+
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty is the cheaper option at $239.99 versus $249.99. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Running Cost.
What's the warranty on the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty vs the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0)?+
The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty ships with a 36-month warranty; the Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) ships with a 0-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty — $239.99
Premium Option
Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) — $249.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.