LEVOIT vs Coway
Two brands that dominate this category, compared on the one axis nobody else uses: whose numbers are independently listed.
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Both brands make capable machines. The difference that matters is verifiability: more of LEVOIT’s current range appears in the ENERGY STAR register, including the best-selling Core 400S and Core 600S, while Coway’s most-recommended model — the AP-1512HH Mighty — is in neither register.
Brand-versus-brand is usually a bad way to buy an appliance, because ranges are wide and the badge does not filter air. It is worth doing here for one reason: the two brands behave differently about publishing to the certification registers, and that is a brand-level fact rather than a model-level one.
Which models are actually listed
| Model | AHAM directory | ENERGY STAR | Certified smoke CADR |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEVOIT Core 400S | Not listed | Listed | 231 |
| LEVOIT Core 600S | Not listed | Listed | 391 |
| LEVOIT Core Mini (LAP-C171) | Listed | Listed | 34 |
| LEVOIT Core 300S | Not listed | Not listed | 141 (LEVOIT's own) |
| Coway Airmega 400 (AP-2015F) | Not listed | Listed | 376 |
| Coway Airmega 300 (AP-1515H) | Not listed | Listed | 315 |
| Coway AP-1512HH Mighty | Not listed | Not listed | 233 (Coway's own) |
Quick picks
Ranked on certified Clean Air Delivery Rate against the room size each unit is certified for, then on what it costs to run. Tap any row for the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Certified CADR | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No photo Best verified LEVOIT LEVOIT Core 400S ENERGY STAR certified, 231 CFM, 0.00 ppb ozone, 38 watts. | Popular pick, mid-size rooms | 231CFM smoke ENERGY STAR verified | |
| 2 | No photo Best verified Coway Coway Airmega 400 ENERGY STAR certified, 376 CFM across 583 sq ft, 0.00 ppb. | Large rooms, verified Coway | 376CFM smoke ENERGY STAR verified | |
| 3 | No photo The famous unverified one Coway Airmega Mighty AP-1512HH Recommended everywhere, in no register, 77 watts. | The popular default, unverified | 233CFM smoke Manufacturer-claimed | |
| 4 | No photo LEVOIT for large rooms LEVOIT Core 600S 391 certified CFM across 606 sq ft at 387 kWh a year. | Large open-plan rooms | 391CFM smoke ENERGY STAR verified |
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The models people actually compare
| LEVOIT Core 400S | Coway AP-1512HH | Coway Airmega 400 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke CADR | 231 | 233 (claimed) | 376 |
| Certified room | 358 sq ft | 361 sq ft (claimed) | 583 sq ft |
| Verified by | ENERGY STAR | Nobody | ENERGY STAR |
| Power draw | 38 W | 77 W | Not published |
| Annual energy | 237 kWh | Not published | 366 kWh |
| Electricity / yr | $43 | Not published | $67 |
| Measured ozone | 0.00 ppb | Not published | 0.00 ppb |
| Ionizer | None | Bipolar device | None |
| Noise | 22–52 dB | 24–53 dB(A) | Not published |
| Washable pre-filter | Not documented | Yes | Not documented |
Electricity costs on this page use 18.34¢ per kWh, the U.S. average residential price for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3. Your rate is on your bill and is probably not this one; multiply the kWh figure by your own rate and you have your number.
The picks
LEVOIT Core 400S
LEVOIT · model Core 400S (LAP-C401S)
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The best-selling unit in the category, and a clean example of the coverage gap: ENERGY STAR certifies it for 358 square feet while the box advertises 1,718.
231 smoke / 240 dust / 259 pollen CFM · 236 PM2.5
- Certified room size
- 358 sq ft
- Advertised coverage
- 1,718 sq ft at 1 air change per hour
- Energy / year
- 237 kWh
- Electricity / year
- $43
- Air per watt
- 5.8 CFM/W
- Power draw
- 38 W
- Noise
- 22-52 dB
- Measured ozone
- 0 ppb
- Filter class
- HEPA-Type
No ionizer — filtration only
ENERGY STAR classifies this unit 'Fan and Filter' and measures 0.00 ppb ozone. LEVOIT markets it as ozone free.
231 certified smoke CADR, 358 certified square feet, 0.00 ppb measured ozone, 38 watts, and $43 a year. Well-evidenced and available everywhere.
The caveat is the same as everywhere else on this site: ENERGY STAR classifies the filter HEPA-Type despite the True HEPA branding, and LEVOIT’s advertised 1,718 square feet is coverage at one air change an hour rather than the 358 certified.
Coway Airmega 400
Coway · model Airmega 400 (AP-2015F)
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The Coway that is actually in a certification register: 376 certified smoke CADR, 583 square feet, zero measured ozone. If you want a Coway, this is the one with third-party numbers.
376 smoke / 384 dust / 409 pollen CFM · 380 PM2.5
- Certified room size
- 583 sq ft
- Energy / year
- 366 kWh
- Electricity / year
- $67
- Air per watt
- 6.1 CFM/W
- Noise
- Not published
- Measured ozone
- 0 ppb
- Filter class
- Composite Filter
No ionizer — filtration only
ENERGY STAR classifies this unit 'Fan and Filter', 0.00 ppb measured ozone.
376 certified smoke CADR across 583 certified square feet, with 0.00 ppb measured ozone and no ionizer. This is the machine to buy if you want a Coway with numbers somebody checked.
$67 a year at 6.1 CFM per watt is mid-pack for efficiency, and it is a substantially more capable machine than the Mighty in every measured respect.
Coway Airmega Mighty AP-1512HH
Coway · model Airmega Mighty AP-1512HH
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The most-recommended air purifier in this category, and the one with no third-party CADR to check. Coway's own figures are good; at 77 watts it is also the thirstiest machine here for its output.
233 smoke / 246 dust / 240 pollen CFM
- Certified room size
- 361 sq ft
- Advertised coverage
- 1,748 sq ft in 60 minutes
- Power draw
- 77 W
- Noise
- 24-53 dB(A)
Bipolar device — fitted
Coway lists a 'Bipolar Device' as the fourth filtration stage. Because this model is in neither register, there is no independent ozone measurement for it — and Coway does not publish one.
A decade of recommendations behind it and figures that are internally consistent with AHAM’s own room-size formula. Coway also documents the pre-filter procedure and filter intervals better than most.
It is in neither register, draws 77 watts — the highest here for its output — and its fourth stage is a bipolar ionizing device with no independent ozone measurement published anywhere. The full head-to-head against the Core 400S.
LEVOIT Core 600S
LEVOIT · model Core 600S (LAP-C601S-WUS)
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391 certified smoke CADR is real large-room capability, and it is honest about needing 387 kWh a year to deliver it — the highest electricity bill of any unit we recommend.
391 smoke / 398 dust / 436 pollen CFM · 394 PM2.5
- Certified room size
- 606 sq ft
- Advertised coverage
- 2,909 sq ft at 1 air change per hour
- Energy / year
- 387 kWh
- Electricity / year
- $71
- Air per watt
- 6 CFM/W
- Power draw
- 49 W
- Noise
- 26-55 dB
- Measured ozone
- 0 ppb
- Filter class
- HEPA-Type
No ionizer — filtration only
ENERGY STAR classifies this unit 'Fan and Filter', 0.00 ppb measured ozone.
391 certified smoke CADR across 606 certified square feet, 0.00 ppb ozone, no ionizer. It uses 387 kWh a year — $71 — which LEVOIT publishes openly.
Against the Airmega 400 it delivers slightly more certified air across a slightly larger certified room for slightly more electricity. They are genuinely close, and both are verified, which is the point of this page.
Common questions
Is LEVOIT or Coway better?
Is the Coway Mighty AHAM certified?
Which brand is cheaper to run?
Sources
- ENERGY STAR certified room air cleaners database
- AHAM VERIFIDE directory of certified room air cleaners
- LEVOIT Core 400S product specification
- Coway Airmega Mighty AP-1512HH specification
Figures were read on the dates shown against each source. If one has changed, or if we have got something wrong, tell us and we will correct the page.
Read next
- Pet allergiesLEVOIT Core 400S vs Coway Airmega Mighty AP-1512HHThe Core 400S is ENERGY STAR verified at 358 sq ft and 38 W. The Coway is in no register and draws 77 W.
- CADR & costWhat CADR actually meansThe cornerstone explainer: what CADR measures, why it resists gaming, and certified versus claimed.
- AllergiesThe Best Air Purifiers for AllergiesThe flagship roundup: certified CADR, measured ozone, computed running cost, and the coverage claims checked against the registers.