Oh Yeah, I currently think it is probably much safer to go with those as opposed to a 3rd party manufacturer... Thanks!👍

I currently like the 300 for the overall value. If you make the gasket/seal stronger then it will force more air through the filter media itself, and I would expect more leakage in that area especially on higher CFM settings. So, my knee jerk reaction to this would be - If you improve the seal - I'd put the unit in a room size that it can easily accommodate and not run the unit on more than medium. The fact of the matter is, in most all air purifiers - the higher you run the CFMs- the more leakage that will occur. And that has even been documented on the most recent large IQAir Atem that retails for about $1,400. And I consider IQAir to be an elite air purifier manufacturer. Also, Coway - and MOST air purifier manufacturers - engineer their units to do well on the CADR ratings to get more sales... so I think they probably "Know" their seal isn't great but it helps them get better CADR ratings which helps sell more units. You will be making more air go through the HEPA media than they tested for... so I'd keep it on lower CFMS. It is possible there may be other issues that occur from modifying the unit, as well... But IDK. So, I'm not gonna tell you it's a good idea and I would not do it. For ex. if the unit somehow catches fire and burns up one of your rooms - then you may out of luck when it comes to legal issues... IDK but... there could be issues. Also, doing this will void the manufacturer's warranty - I'm pretty sure... but... I won't tell if you don't, LOL!😆 So, it is up to you... and Good Luck! 👍

Understood, thank you so much! 🙂@@AirPurificationEducation

Good Question. I kinda thought the same thing... If I had a really bad health issue and I was stuck with a Coway Airmega unit and I had to figure out how to improve the seal on the HEPA filter - I would probably experiment with something just like you mentioned and I'd try to put it on the back of the unit itself. That said, I think HEPA filters are much more fragile than they look and it may be easy to damage them and hurt their filtering performance moreso than most would think. So, I'd be pretty careful. Thank you! Happy Holidays! 😀

Thank you for your kind words - Appreciate it!👍

I originally planned on using a particle counter on all the units when I started this channel and I have a couple of them... but over time I started to think the counters were not consistently accurate and I eventually decided not to. Then came the "finger testing" method, lol! I am hesitant to use a particle counter for many reasons but can you please tell me what you think a good one is? Thank you!👍

Yes, I do think there are ways to make the seal better, however... A: If you make the gasket/seal stronger then it will force more air through the filter media itself, and I would expect more leakage in that area especially on higher CFM settings. So, my knee jerk reaction to this would be - If you improve the seal - I'd put the unit in a room size that it can easily accommodate and not run the unit on more than medium. The fact of the matter is, in most all air purifiers - the higher you run the CFMs- the more leakage that will occur. And that has even been documented on the most recent large IQAir Atem that retails for about $1,400. And I consider IQAir to be an elite air purifier manufacturer. Also, Coway - and MOST air purifier manufacturers - engineer their units to do well on the CADR ratings to get more sales... so I think they probably "Know" their seal isn't great but it helps them get better CADR ratings which helps sell more units. You will be making more air go through the HEPA media than they tested for... so I'd keep it on lower CFMS. It is possible there may be other issues that occur from modifying the unit, as well... But IDK. So, I'm not gonna tell you it's a good idea and I would not do it. For ex. if the unit somehow catches fire and burns up one of your rooms - then you may out of luck when it comes to warranty/legal issues... IDK but... there could be issues. Also, doing this will void the manufacturer's warranty - I'm pretty sure... but... I won't tell if you don't, LOL! So, it is up to you... and Good Luck! 👍

The Coway 400 is a good unit for the money, performance and size of space it will accommodate. I am not a big fan of the Blueair brand for performance. I currently have a Blueair 211+ running and it seems to leak dirty air around the filters possibly more than any of the 8 or so different units I am currently running in my home. The other unit that is a direct competitor to the Coway 400 is the American Made Austin Air Healthmate. I have 2 of them and have run them for over 15 years. They are built like a tank - real workhorse... So, you may also wish to consider the Austin Air Healthmate. Here is a fairly comprehensive video on the Healthmate: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/as6gfcV2x8DZcqs.html Here is a video on how the Healthmate compares to the Coway 400, IQAir HealthPro Plus and the Aeris 3 in 1: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rsWDhaiIuNy9ZYU.html Hope that helps - Good Luck!👍

Thank you for your question. 1) Yes, I have the Atem desk unit and I've used it for about 6 months at... my desk, lol! I believe it provides elite particle filtration and can be a great investment for people. I want to eventually make a video on this. It basically blows very good quality air on your face/breathing area and it can take a little while to get used to it blowing on your face but the air quality it provides is probably better than 99% of the air purifiers on the market for particles. 2) I will eventually be implementing an Atem Car unit in my vehicle in the future as I think it provides elite filtration for particles, as well. Thank you and Happy Holidays! 😃

I am not familiar with the iconS but after looking at it a little. They are using a similar filter to the Coway 400 and they have inserted it into the air purifier perpendicular to the floor, as well - just like the 400. And filters inserted into air purifiers in a perpendicular manner typically make it more difficult to create a good seal inside the units. I'll be making a video on the different seals of about 8 different air purifiers in the future. I would expect the IQAir HealthPro Plus to filter particles and VOCs/odors quite a bit better than the iconS. And the IQAir HPP will filter the ultrafine particles much better, as well. The IQAir HPP is elite for ultrafine particle filtration. I would also take a Coway 400 or even 300 over the iconS - it seems Coway just built a different box around a similar filter and they are trying to make this version look like a "piece of furniture" in your space. But, from a filtration standpoint - it will be similar to their other units with the exception that it really won't be able to cover as much space as the 300/400 units. Basically, they just took the filters from the 300/400 unit and put them into a box that looks more like furniture so they seem to have had "aesthetics" in mind mostly for this unit. Thanks!👍

Thank you for your inquiry. I do not have experience with this unit - that said: 1) I can see on Amazon that the carbon filter comes last in the filtration process and that to me, means they do not truly understand air filtration. If the carbon filter comes last - you will get some carbon particles in the air you breathe. All the best air purifier manufacturers that I have experience with: IQAir, Aeris, Austin Air, and Airpura, etc. know to put the HEPA filter AFTER the carbon filter because if you don't... you will get carbon in your air. It's kinda "Air purification 101", IMO. So, right out of the gates that is a big fail on their part, IMO. 2) the fan seems to be high on the air purifier which I think is rare compared to most air purifier designs, I've come across. I think they did this to improve their CFMs and maybe even CADR ratings but I do not see how it makes sense from an airflow and filtration standpoint. I think it will put more stress on the upper part of the filters over time and possibly create more opportunities for leakage. Unless there is something to this I don't know... it appears to be a design flaw, IMO. I think the best air purifiers try to have the fans pull air uniformly though the filters - not pull harder in one area... I'm just thinking here - I don't know 100% for sure... but it appears to be an engineering/design mistake from a filtration standpoint. How can that fan not be pulling harder at the top of the HEPA filter and not as hard for the lower part of the HEPA filter? 3) All that being said - it may improve the overall air quality in your environment vs. not having it… like most air purifiers… but it does not possess elite filtration, IMO. Happy New Years! 😃

Thanks for the details response! The more I look into air purifiers... the more frustrated I get lol. I may just go with a Coway 400s for now and be done with it@@AirPurificationEducation

Very Well- Good Luck!👍 @@TheeMikeD

Thank you for posting. Yes, I love "accurate" data and lots of it. However, the sensors on air purifiers tend to not be too accurate and on the particulate side - at best, can only "track" 1% of the particles in the air. They can only account for the larger particles (Coarse Particles = PM2.5). And these larger particles are the least dangerous to humans. The sensors cannot detect the smallest particles in the air we breathe. Ultrafine particles are .1 to .003 microns in size. And they represent 90% of all the particles in the air. Again, Ultrafine particles are the most harmful to humans and recent studies link them to Cardiovascular disease, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Autism, Erectile Dysfunction, and many other issues. Plus, it is even harder for sensors to accurately test for VOCs/chemicals and there are over 15,000 that could be in the air. So, IMO, we do not currently have the technology to really "test" the air accurately and therefore the "data" the units display with their inexpensive sensors is inaccurate. Thank you!

Yes, I do think there are ways to make the seal better, however... If you make the gasket/seal stronger then it will force more air through the filter media itself, and I would expect more leakage in that area especially on higher CFM settings. So, my knee jerk reaction to this would be - If you improve the seal - I'd put the unit in a room size that it can easily accommodate and not run the unit on more than medium. The fact of the matter is, in most all air purifiers - the higher you run the CFMs- the more leakage that will occur. And that has even been documented on the most recent large IQAir Atem that retails for about $1,400. And I consider IQAir to be an elite air purifier manufacturer. Also, Coway - and MOST air purifier manufacturers - engineer their units to do well on the CADR ratings to get more sales... so I think they probably "Know" their seal isn't great but it helps them get better CADR ratings which helps sell more units. You will be making more air go through the HEPA media than they tested for... so I'd keep it on lower CFMS. It is possible there may be other issues that occur from modifying the unit, as well... But IDK. So, I'm not gonna tell you it's a good idea and I would not do it. For ex. if the unit somehow catches fire and burns up one of your rooms - then you may out of luck when it comes to legal issues... IDK but... there could be issues. Also, doing this will void the manufacturer's warranty - I'm pretty sure... but... I won't tell if you don't, LOL! So, it is up to you... and Good Luck! 👍

That's cool - thanks 4 the comment👍

Yes, I have disabled it for the time being but you can just comment here and I'll tell you what I think - thanks!

@@AirPurificationEducation Thanks! I'll comment on your most recent video.

Yes, I just purchased a Blueair 211i and I'll review it in the future. My initial knee-jerk thoughts on Blueair units are: 1) They tend to have "good airflow". 2) They tend to be quiet 3) They tend to be good-looking 4) They probably don't filter at a HEPA level but they do improve the air quality of most environments they are put in (like most air purifiers). But I could be wrong - these are just my initial current thoughts. Years ago - someone from Blueair told our company that they knew their units didn't filter as well as the IQAir HealthPro Plus but they said that their units had "better airflow". But they've released many new units to the market since we were told that... so... Thank you! Happy Holidays! 😀

Yes, I do think there are ways to make the seal better, however... If you make the gasket/seal stronger then it will force more air through the filter media itself, and I would expect more leakage in that area especially on higher CFM settings. So, my knee jerk reaction to this would be - If you improve the seal - I'd put the unit in a room size that it can easily accommodate and not run the unit on more than medium. The fact of the matter is, in most all air purifiers - the higher you run the CFMs- the more leakage that will occur. And that has even been documented on the most recent large IQAir Atem that retails for about $1,400. And I consider IQAir to be an elite air purifier manufacturer. Also, Coway - and MOST air purifier manufacturers - engineer their units to do well on the CADR ratings to get more sales... so I think they probably "Know" their seal isn't great but it helps them get better CADR ratings which helps sell more units. You will be making more air go through the HEPA media than they tested for... so I'd keep it on lower CFMS. It is possible there may be other issues that occur from modifying the unit, as well... But IDK. So, I'm not gonna tell you it's a good idea and I would not do it. For ex. if the unit somehow catches fire and burns up one of your rooms - then you may out of luck when it comes to legal issues... IDK but... there could be issues. Also, doing this will void the manufacturer's warranty - I'm pretty sure... but... I won't tell if you don't, LOL!😆 So, it is up to you... and Good Luck! 👍

Thank you for your thorough and expert opinion. I purchased this unit after doing a lot of research, but that process also made me realise how knowledgable you are in this field. There is a lot of misinformation out there with air purifiers. Really appreciate you, and this KZfaq channel. Speaking of misinformation, I've read varying things on this.. does the airmega 400 have an ionizer? From what I understand there is not, but I have come across some people saying it does have one.

Thank you for your kind words... From what I currently understand, the 400 does not have an ionizer but the smaller Coway Mighty AP-1512HH does have an ionizing feature you can turn on or off. Thank you for your comments!👍@@draxosan7485

You're welcome and thank you, much appreciated! That's what I thought.

@@draxosan7485 How did you find the sealing on your one?

IDK about that as I don't really look at many other channels/videos - I'm too busy, lol! But thanks! And Happy Holidays! 😃

Happy holidays to you and your family as well. Speaking of Coway, the Mighty AP-1512 was my first purifier and I used it for years. Build quality is solid imo but its performance on VOC is minimal as it comes with a carbon sheet instead of pellet style filters. So I packed them up and retired it lol. But I do believe that it’s one of the best, if not the best budget purifier out there. I’ve been wanting to ask you a question regarding one of Coway’s newer model called Airmega ProX. It’s a large unit with dual filtration kind of like the Camfil City M. But the hepa/carbon filter placement is really odd. While most 2 in 1 filters are integrated front and back like a sandwich, this Airmega ProX uses a different approach. The Hepa filter is fitted at the top while the Carbon filter sits at the bottom, and as I mentioned, it uses dual intake from the sides. So what if the smoke gets sucked in to the Hepa filter first rather than the Carbon filter which is sitting separately at the bottom? What if the particles reach the carbon filter instead of the Hepa ? Is my question clear to you, Doug? Please take a look at the Airmega ProX because the filter placement is confusing to me. Coway released this unit at $1000 but in a matter of a year, they lowered it to $750 which doesnt really happen with high end purifiers. There must be a reason for this? Im no engineer but do you think it might be a design flaw? I reached out to Coway but got a generic answer so Id like your take on the filter placement, Doug. Thanks.

I agree and think the Mighty is really good for the money. 1) So, I looked at the video and it basically looks like a larger version of the Coway Airmega 300-400 units but the carbon only covers ½ of the HEPA filters. 2) At 12 seconds into the video they show that the carbon only covers ½ the larger HEPA filters. cowaymega.com/products/airmega-prox 3) The link to the replacement filters for the unit confirms this. The carbon only covers ½ of the HEPA filters. cowaymega.com/products/airmega-prox-filter-set 4) It looks like they put the same type of gasket arrangement around the HEPA filters (just like the 300/400). 5) I think they want high CADR rating scores as that is a known quantity for sales success - to a certain degree. 6) I think this unit will not filter as well as the Airmega 300/400s. But you will get more CFMs. 7) Coway tried to sell the Airmega 300/400 for $900 just like the IQAir HealthPro Plus when they entered the market and then dropped the price over the course of the 1st year. So, maybe it has become somewhat of a “pricing strategy” when they enter the market with a new unit. 8) They are saying it filters “more than 99.999%1 of all airborne contaminants down to 0.01 microns.” just like the 300/400 units but I HIGHLY doubt it. 9) I think more companies will be targeting business office spaces with higher CFM units as time goes on… and it appears that is what Coway is doing with this unit. Hope that helps -thanks!👍 @@xdean

@@AirPurificationEducation I’m pretty done with Coway. So with only 1/2 covered with Carbon, it’s doing half the job with smokes and VOC? lol yes it definitely looks like a way to increase CFM. Im trying to find the link but years ago, IQAir HPP scored very low in Korea and Im guessing the lack of smart feature and aesthetics has something to do with it given that Koreans are so into “ looks “.. the fact that they tried to push the Airmega 400 for $900 is pretty outrageous btw. Anyway, have you tested the Camfil yet, Doug? Really looking forward to your review on that one. I put mine under the christmas tree and wont open it till Christmas keke.

Yes, 1/2 covered seems like a very bad idea... I am pretty surprised they chose to do that. I am assuming it is because it lowers filter costs and probably more importantly to them, more CFMs, IMO. Yes, $900 a pop would have been a "profit dream". I still have the Camfil in the original packaging and I may wait to unbox it after I buy a few more units - like the AirDoctor and maybe even, GASP! the new Dyson unit... Then I can start running them all at the same time to gather dust, etc. for a more appropriate evaluation. We'll see... 👍 @@xdean

Hey Mr. Kim, Thank you for your comments! Here are a few points to consider: *1) The foam gaskets on the Coway Airmega 300 and 400 units are inadequate for elite particle filtration. And the units certainly are not working at a HEPA level in the real world as too much air is escaping around the filters. I think consumers, in general, underestimate how difficult it is for an air purifier to actually work at a True HEPA level in the real world (which is 99.97% at .3 microns). Part of the reason for this is most every air purifier manufacturer markets their units as having “HEPA” filters and performance. However, 99%+ of the so called “HEPA air purifiers” on the market do NOT actually work at a HEPA level. I explain some of the reasons why in this video: “HEPA Filters - Are they all the same?” kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i9hmfZmb1q-pnY0.html *2) The gaskets on the Coway 300/400 units are not of good quality. If you could see and touch the gaskets on the Camfil City M filters - you would immediately notice the lack of quality in the Coway gaskets, in comparison. Plus, the gaskets should not be on the sides of the filters - they should be at the back of the filters - being pressed against the internal housing of the air purifier - to prevent air from escaping around them. Again, this is very apparent when presented with the Camfil City M filters and their gaskets which are far superior to the Coway 300/400 gaskets (in quality and location placement). Camfil is a billion dollar filter manufacturer - maybe the largest in the world - with over 55 years of experience and they are also experts at testing filters, as well. They are considered experts at HEPA filter manufacturing and they have extensive experience in the air filtration of medical and pharmaceutical environments, as well as, the ISS - International Space Station. In comparision, Coway makes many different types of products and one of their product lines happens to be “Air Purifiers”. Coway makes good air purifiers but definitely not elite, world class air purifiers. *3) Plus, the lack of a good prefilter will clog the HEPA filters quicker and this will also make more dirty air escape around the filters over time. The screen “prefilters” should be the “Pre Pre Filters” and they should have a real prefilter after the screens (like the Aeris 3 in 1). So, the 300/400 units will be letting more dirty air around the filters more and more - the dirtier (and more clogged) the HEPA filters get with more use. I was very surprised and disappointed in the 300/400 units when I actually took a look at their filters, gaskets and lack of a good seal inside their units. I thought they would have done a much better job. And TBH, putting the gaskets at the back of the HEPA filters is really “Air purification 101”. I cannot believe their “engineers” put the gaskets on the sides of the filters… I was extremely surprised and disappointed at this. It just does not make any sense from an engineering standpoint. Unless, of course, it helps to increase their CADR ratings which they could use to try to help market the units. But the CADR ratings are not legit and I discuss this issue in this video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g5uXe5l6p9e0m5c.html 4) I will define "elite particle filtration" as an air purifier that actually filters ultrafine particles (.1 to .003 microns) well in the real world, esp. after running for several weeks and having the filters getting dirty and dusty (not just based on a quick test in a sealed room with brand new filters). Air purifiers that have HEPA filters inserted perpendicular to the floor are typically at a disadvantage for elite particle filtration vs. units that have the air flow from the bottom of the units up through the filters like the IQAir HealthPro Plus and the Aeris 3 in 1, IMO. The HPP and 3 in 1 leverage gravity to improve the seals of the HEPA filters within the units. Units like the Coway Airmega 300/400, the Coway Mighty, the Winix 5500, etc. - all these units with filters that get inserted perpendicular to the floor are at a disadvantage because they need to figure out a way to get the back of the HEPA filters "pressed" against the inside wall of the purifiers. And this "force" must be applied very evenly around the entire filter. Plus, the filters must have a very good gasket "behind" them to prevent any air from passing by. This is difficult to achieve when the filters are inserted and standing perpendicular to the floor. The Camfil City M has a perpendicular HEPA filter arrangement very similar to the Coway 300/400 units but their filters have steel housing around the HEPA filters and they have 2 ways in which they force the filter’s gaskets up against the inside of the air purifier to form a tight seal. Unfortunately, I can actually feel/hear the filters shift inside the Coway 400 when I jiggle the air purifier… that means they possess a poor filter seal inside the unit. 5) Humans can only see particles that are 10 microns in size and larger. These are considered “Coarse Particles” and they make up only 1% of all the particles in the air we breathe. Therefore, humans cannot tell if their air purifiers are working at a HEPA level or not by sight alone. But we CAN tell if the air purifiers are NOT working at a HEPA level if we see any dust accumulation in certain places on the units (depending on which type of unit we are evaluating). Because any dust accumulation would most assuredly prove that smaller particles are also getting around the filters. Ultrafine particles are .1 to .003 microns in size and they make up 90% of the particles in the air we breathe and they are the most dangerous to humans… being linked to cancer, alzheimers, autism and many more other issues. We cannot tell if our air purifiers are able to filter these particles well but we can tell if they are NOT filtering them well. If we can see dust in certain areas on the air purifier - then we know the unit is not filtering UF particles at a good level. Because of these reasons - for my videos on air purifier evaluations - it is NOT advantageous for me to run the air purifiers in a “clean” environment with very little dust or debris… it is much better to run the air purifiers in a dusty environment or one filled with more debris in the air as it will better help show us if the units are leaking dirty air or not. Again, we can only see 1% of the larger particles in the air. A “more challenging” environment will more quickly enable us to see if the units are leaking dirty air or not. A TRUE HEPA performing air purifier will NOT leak air when the filters get dirty over time - they will actually filter BETTER for particulates when the filters get clogged. But they will produce less CFMs as it will become harder for the air to pass through the filters. So, the more dust and debris in the environment - the quicker we shall see which air purifiers are filtering particles at an elite level and which ones are not even filtering at a HEPA level. The Coway 400 clearly is not working at a HEPA level. And it shouldn’t because there is a poor seal between the HEPA filter and the inside of the unit. I knew as soon as I touched the HEPA filter and it moved inside the unit - that the unit wasn’t filtering at a HEPA level - even before I noticed any of the dust on the grill or behind the filters. 6) You had said, “because the foam gaskets DO work well”: But you have to realize that you can only detect particles that are 10 microns in size and larger and therefore you are limited to detecting only 1% of the particles in your environment. You are not able to detect Ultrafine particles which make up 90% of the particles you are breathing in your environment and they are the most dangerous to humans. The Coway in my relative’s home clearly shows the unit is not even working at a HEPA level so we know it is NOT doing a good job on UF particles either. Like I mentioned in my video - the Coway 300/400 units are good air purifiers for the money. I know many customers who are happy with their performance. They will definitely help improve the air quality of most all environments you put them in. However, they do NOT filter at a HEPA level in the real world (like 99% of the other “HEPA air purifiers”) and they do NOT do a good job of filtering Ultrafine particles. And they do NOT actually filter as well as Coway claims they do in some of their marketing/advertising. I want consumers to understand what they are actually getting for their money… not what they “think” they are getting due to misconceptions based on unregulated marketing/advertising campaigns. 7) Eventually, I plan to make a somewhat comprehensive video comparison of many different air purifier gaskets and seals within the units so people can see the difference between the seals of “Elite performing air purifiers” and the others that don’t filter particles, as well. I hope this explanation makes sense. Thank You! 👍

I wouldn't be too disappointed with the Coway 300/400 as I think they are good units for the money - just not elite. I've spoken to a lot of happy Coway 300/400 customers in the past. It is a better solution than most units in the market for particle filtration. You can try to "fix" the seal issue (that 99% of the air purifiers on the market have in one way or another)... and I've had people in the past ask me if they could add foam, etc... and this is what I tell them: Yes, I do think there are ways to make the seal better, however... If you make the gasket/seal stronger then it will force more air through the filter media itself, and I would expect more leakage in that area especially on higher CFM settings. So, my knee jerk reaction to this would be - If you improve the seal - I'd put the unit in a room size that it can easily accommodate and not run the unit on more than medium. The fact of the matter is, in most all air purifiers - the higher you run the fan - the more leakage that will occur. And that has even been documented on the most recent large IQAir Atem that retails for about $1,400. And I consider IQAir to be an elite air purifier manufacturer. Also, Coway - and MOST air purifier manufacturers - engineer their units to do well on the CADR ratings to get more sales... so I think they probably "Know" their seal isn't great but it helps them get better CADR ratings which helps sell more units. You will be making more air go through the HEPA media than they tested for... so I'd keep it on lower CFM. It is possible there may be other issues that occur from modifying the unit, as well... But IDK. So, I'm not gonna tell you it's a good idea and I would not do it. For ex. if the unit somehow catches fire and burns up one of your rooms - then you may out of luck when it comes to legal issues... IDK but... there could be issues. Also, doing this will void the manufacturer's warranty - I'm pretty sure... but... I won't tell if you don't, LOL! So, it is up to you... and Good Luck! 👍

@@AirPurificationEducation Thanks so much for the fast detailed reply! :) Much appreciated!

I have a Levoit 300 that I will review in the future. I think they got busted a few months ago for not actually having HEPA filters in their 300 and 600 units so they had to stop marketing them as if they had HEPA filters in them. So, they now market them focusing on the "Smart" features as if that was a good thing. Many companies seem to do this. Thank you! 😃

IQAir Atem www.iqair.com/us/products/air-purifiers/atem-car I think may be the best one I am familiar with.

Anything is possible but the unit is not sealed well. And the dirtier the filters get over time - the more dirty air will be pushed through the top of the unit. So, I currently believe that at least, some of that debris accumulation in the grill area is coming from the unit itself. Thanks for your comment!👍

@@AirPurificationEducation The dust is accumulated on the side where the air doesn't pass through. The area where the air passes looks clean.

I'd say there is a lot of dust accumulation on the sides of the grill where the air is coming out of the unit but at a slower pace - and that makes sense to me as the dust accumulation coming from the unit is in areas where the air is moving slower. If all the dust accumulation was simply due to the air in the room and it was just depositing the the debris on the unit - I don't think we'd see it so prominently on the sides of the grill and I think we'd see it more uniformly - all over the grill... but that's not what we see. We see more visible dust accumulation where the "purified air" is moving slower coming out of the unit. That would make it easier for the debris to accumulate on the grill. If the dust accumulation was not coming from the unit itself - and it was coming from the air in the room - then we should see a lot of accumulation at the top of the vent circle and the bottom of the vent circle - where there is virtually no air escaping the unit. However, we do not see dust accumulation in these 2 areas - which would probably have the most if the accumulation is just from debris in the room settling on the unit/grill. @@qewfsdsd65445

Thank you for the info!👍

I will keep it in mind - thanks for the suggestion! 👍

But not at an ultrafine level - and IMCO, there is really no such thing as an actual 100% "air exchange" in the real world... Thanks! @@qewfsdsd65445

Hey Marcus - yeah, I was kinda wondering the same thing but I guess it's just much easier (and or cheaper?) to make the filters the way they are made. I mean, I'm just a guy looking at these units - not an engineer or anything and it kinda blows my mind that their "engineering team" didn't realize to put a rubber gasket behind the HEPA filter and have it pressed up against the back side of the unit. It seems like "Air Purification 101", No? That said, these are good units and I know many customers are happy with the Coway Airmegas - they have improved air quality for many folks and the vast majority of their customers are very happy with their performance... but I just do not believe they filter particles at an elite level. I ordered a bunch of air purifiers to run and review and I have a Camfil sitting in my hallway that just arrived this week. Got it for $740 with tax and I think it retails for $1,299 in the US. You were the first to bring it to my attention and then another guy started to talk about it and he asked me if it was good... I saw the discounted price and the rest is history. That was air purifier #8 I ordered that week - NO presents for anyone in THIS house this Christmas.... Only Dad got presents, LOL! Thanks and Happy Holidays! 😀

@@AirPurificationEducation Haha hope you enjoy the Camfil. I got mine for £150. Someone was selling off on eBay as they were surplus to requirements after COVID for the National health service. But you still got a good price for what I consider to be the benchmark for particle filtration, and I'm sure it will give good service for many years as it's built like a tank 😊 Happy holidays to you too Doug 🎅 ho ho ho

Holy Cow! You literally "STOLE IT!" lol! Good on you!👍 @@2711marcus

@@2711marcusYou bought a brand new City M for 150?

Thank you for your comment. I think anything is possible in this dust accumulation regard. That said, I did find dust inside the unit after the filters in 2 different places. Either way - there are many ways dirty air will escape around or through the filters on 99%+ of the air purifiers on the market. If we consider the type of seal that is created between the filters and the inside of the air purifiers for units like the IQAir HealthPro Plus, Airpura units, the Camfil City M and the Aeris 3 in 1 - and all these units are more elite at filtering particles... what we see is a much, much tighter seal inside the units versus most all other air purifiers on the market.... including the Coway 300/400 units. I was actually very surprised and disappointed when I first saw how poor the seal was on the Coway 300/400 unit. That said, it IS still a good air purifier and better then most on the market... and a very good option for the money. It just is not an elite solution like the other ones I mentioned. I hope that makes sense. I will eventually make an "Air purifier Filter Seal" video and it will compare the seals between the elite units and many other units on the market - and it will be very easy for people to see the difference. Thank you! 👍

​@@AirPurificationEducation Thank you for your reply. Airtightness/HEPA is not that important in a regular home air-cleaning scenario. Airtightness is only critical for ultra-clean rooms. You would need an HRV/ERV system to suck a lot of dirty air from outside your building, clean it, push it into your house, maintain a positive pressure system, and eliminate any particles in the air. It is used for chip factories or patients with immunodeficiency, etc. HEPA is not for "cleaning air super effectively" but for "securing that the air behind me is ultra-clean, regardless of the efficiency." HEPA is expensive, needs regular maintenance, introduces more resistance in the airflow which needs a more powerful engine, consumes more electricity, and produces more noise. For a home scenario, as your air is already "polluted," using HEPA is unnecessary. Airtightness and true HEPA are great if you want to invest extra money into your system; it makes people feel they are being well-protected, but some level of leakage is totally okay for a regular home. Noise level, CADR, CFM, and operation cost are more important.

@@willshen5051 1) You said, “Airtightness/HEPA is not that important in a regular home air-cleaning scenario.” The seal within the air purifier between the HEPA filter and the inside of the unit is one of the most important issues for a good air purifier. So, I do not agree with you on this if you are talking about the internal seal. 2) You said, “Airtightness is only critical for ultra-clean rooms. You would need an HRV/ERV system to suck a lot of dirty air from outside your building, clean it, push it into your house, maintain a positive pressure system, and eliminate any particles in the air. It is used for chip factories or patients with immunodeficiency, etc.” I think we may be talking about 2 different things. I am talking about the seal between the HEPA filter inside the air purifier with the inside of the unit, itself. It sounds like you may be talking about a “sealed/clean room” for chip manufacturers and patients, etc.? 3) You said, “HEPA is not for "cleaning air super effectively" but for "securing that the air behind me is ultra-clean, regardless of the efficiency. HEPA is expensive, needs regular maintenance, introduces more resistance in the airflow which needs a more powerful engine, consumes more electricity, and produces more noise. For a home scenario, as your air is already "polluted," using HEPA is unnecessary. Airtightness and true HEPA are great if you want to invest extra money into your system; it makes people feel they are being well-protected, but some level of leakage is totally okay for a regular home. Noise level, CADR, CFM, and operation cost are more important.” 3.1.: You said, “HEPA is expensive, needs regular maintenance, introduces more resistance in the airflow which needs a more powerful engine, consumes more electricity, and produces more noise.” A1: Expensive in comparison to what? Healthy food can be expensive. Good water filtration systems are expensive. Safer cars tend to be expensive. High Quality Supplements tend to be expensive. But it all depends on what the individual person perceives “expensive” to be. I spent a good amount of money on equipment for my home gym. Some would consider the equipment to be “expensive” and it wasn’t cheap but I consider it to be an “investment” in my long term health. I am physically stronger and healthier than I’ve been in many years. I feel the same way about high quality air purification solutions. 3.2: You said, “Noise level, CADR, CFM, and operation cost are more important.” A2: I do not agree with you on all of this. **Yes, CFM and airflow are important to make sure you get a good amount of air exchanges in your space. I think we agree on this. **The CADR Ratings are not important as there are multiple flaws with the testing methodology. I made a video on this called: “Is the CADR Rating Important? NOPE! It's GARBAGE!” kzfaq.info/get/bejne/g5uXe5l6p9e0m5c.html&ab_channel=AirPurificationEducation ** Noise level: Everyone will have their own individual opinion as to what they consider to be an acceptable noise level for an air purification solution. Plus, the noise levels are adjustable base on the speed you run the units on. And many people like myself prefer the white noise of louder air purifiers as it can drown out other noises and even help you sleep better. For example: I prefer the louder white noise of the older IQAir HealthPro Plus to the more recent quieter version. ** You said, ”and operation cost are more important” More important than what? Also, This totally depends on the individual consumer and their budget and what they are willing to invest in their air purification solution. **Ultrafine Particles: If ultrafine particles are being linked to cancer, autism, heart attacks and erectile dysfunction and many other physical ailments - then, I think many people who are aware of this issue will try to limit their exposure to them as much as possible. In order to minimize our exposure to UF particles in the best way… we will need a very well sealed HEPA or ULPA/Super HEPA air purification solution. I don’t currently see any way around this. Regardless of the CADR Ratings, the cost of maintenance, or the noise levels… As an example: What if we do a test on our drinking water at it has 1% lead and chlorine in it? Do we want to be drinking water with 1% lead and chlorine in it for the next 20 years? Not me. Or do we want to buy a superior water filtration system that takes 99.99% of the lead and chlorine out of our drinking water? What are we willing to invest to make this happen? How sensitive are we to the maintenance costs and noise and look of the filtration solution? The answers to these questions will depend on the individual consumer. I hope some of my answers make sense - thanks!👍

Thank you for your comment. 1) I am not familiar with the Xiaomi air purifiers but I just looked quickly on their website and on Amazon and the 4 Compact looks pretty cheap and reminds me of the Levoit 300 air purifier that I recently purchased. I don't know how well they filter but I'm pretty sure they won't filter at an elite level. 2) Yes, I agree most all air purifiers will be better than nothing and most HEPA units will filter better in the beginning when the filters are clean. 3) For $200 I would say I tend to like the Winnix 5500 and Coway Mighty - I think they are decent units for the money. Won't filter at an elite level but for $200 and less they are really good investments for a bedroom/smaller space, IMO. Thanks and Happy Holidays! 😀

What a well structured and useful review of the Conway products! I purchased the 400 due to the variable air quality in this area during fire season. It’s nice to know that it will still be useful for that purpose. At least I now know that this is not an equal or in the competition to the much more expensive units on the market. One thing I’ll be doing is looking at those filters and seeing if a halfway decent seal improvement can be achieved. Again, thanks for one of the more useful videos on these products.

I think making a Xiaomi vs Dyson air purifier video makes a very popular video. Many people believe they get amazing performance after watching KZfaq reviews. You obviously talk about very complicated topics and gullible people always have unrealistic expectations. Companies tell them PM 2.5 is amazing. I know you say that cheap air purifiers are better than nothing but sometimes, it also feels like you say that air purifiers are terrible because they don't get 0.1 microns and companies lie about their performance. I know you mean air purifiers are still useful but the problem is that people could think the air purifier protects them while it doesn't because they were lied to by salesmen. good job

I think you may be correct about this -thanks for the feedback. 1) Can you please say what country you are located in? Where Xiaomi is marketing so much. 2) What do you think is the best Xiaomi air purifier to review? 3) Which Dyson unit would you compare it to? 4) I was on Amazon and looked at the Xiaomi 4 Compact air purifier and there is a program I uploaded called Fakespot which checks for fake reviews and it gives the page an "F" score saying there are a lot of fake reviews on the page. I don't know how accurate Fakespot is but I wouldn't be surprised if they were playing with the reviews. 5) Most all air purifiers help improve the air quality of an environment but only the more expensive elite ones really help with Ultrafine particles and I want people to know this. Many companies are starting to pretend that their air purifiers are also good for ultrafine particle filtration when in reality the vast majority are not. Thank you!👍@@apexfractals2555

Thank you for your feedback - it is much appreciated! Happy Holidays! 👍@@56westmoor

Thank you for your comment!😃 Yes, I have read some similar information and I've also read some sources which do not totally agree with this line of thinking. I do question if this is 100% true for all the "HEPA" filters on the market. Some companies claim their $29 "HEPA" filter will basically perform in the exact same manner as the HEPA filters on the ISS - International Space Station. They will point to the testing results from the HEPA filters on the ISS and claim their HEPA filter's performance is "Backed By Science." And it seems like the air purification companies without any 3rd party testing on their units or filters... and cheaper units, in general - will tend to throw this line into their marketing spiel, "Backed by Science". But the more reputable Air purification manufacturers will tend not to use this phrase. Now, I am a very open-minded individual and I think anything is possible but I currently highly doubt every single HEPA filter on the market - manufactured from different locations like China, Switzerland, the US, Mexico and S. Korea... made of different HEPA materials and thicknesses and attached to different housings using different adhesives... are ALL going to perform in EXACTLY the same manner... and they ALL will perform just like the HEPA filters on the ISS. So, I currently am not sure all the HEPA filters will perform in this manner. Maybe they do but... that does not really make 100% sense to me at this point. I do need to learn more about this. Thank you for your comment! 👍

Thanks for replying. I partly agree with what you've said about Coway not filtering at a HEPA level but it all comes down to the environment you put it in, like the size of room for instance. I use Airmega 250S in my one room flat and it does filter at HEPA level though not removing 99, 97% of 0.3 micron particles in 15 minutes, I've seen some independent amateur, how ever good attempt, to test the unit at HEPA level claiming after 15 minutes on low, the air purifier cleared 83% percent of particles of 2.5 microns and cleared 74% of the 0.3 micron particles in 15 minutes on high. That was in a room of 619 sq, my flat is 330 sq so the Airmega 250 is OK in my room. I have confidence it protects my health . I also own two older Coway units but I only run all of them when pollution levels are high or for clearing the air from aerosols from un-masked visits. @@AirPurificationEducation

Hey Mr. Peters - thank you for the feedback. The less-than-ideal, HEPA filter seal inside the 300 and 400 units = Not gonna filter at a HEPA level - esp. when the filters start to get dirty... This also means they will not do a good job against the most dangerous ultrafine particles, IMO. The Elite air purifiers like the IQAir HPP and the Aeris (both EN1822 certified) and even reputable air scrubbers like the Dry-Eaz and Phoenix brands, have very strong seals between the HEPA filters and the inside of the units (so it is very hard for dirty air to get around the filters even when they become dirty). Something (gravity, glue, latches, and even screws) is pushing the HEPA filters (and their gaskets) up against the inside of these particular air purifiers/scrubbers creating a very strong seal. This must exist for an air purifier to perform at a high level, IMO. My current definition of "High Level" air purification performance/filtration also includes how well they filter ultrafine particles. I really want to eventually make a video on the different seals between some of the different air purifiers... it is on the "check list" of things to do down the line. But again, this does not mean the 300s and 400s are not useful units - I think they are good units (and def. better than most air purifiers on the market) for improving the overall indoor air quality and I know they've helped many people with their air quality issues. That said, I do want people to realize what level of filtration they are receiving and help educate them on the ultrafine particle issues (as the UF particle issue will start to become more understood and discussed in the coming years). Thank you for your feedback and info - I appreciate it!😃 @@tobypeters7102

I just spoke with iRobot yesterday and the units are currently only being sold in Japan. However, they said they are bringing it back to the US in 2024. It will be called the Klaara P7 Pro and it will link and talk with the iRobot vacuums and even turn on when the vacuums turn on. I am very happy about this but IDK exactly what changes they made to the filters vs. the original Aeris 3 in 1 and if I had to guess - I'd bet they will be making them in China (like they have all the iRobot vacuums since 2002). So, IDK if it will really be as good as the one I currently have - mine was made in Switzerland. Man, IQAir is KILLING IT with their profit margins these days now they they got rid of all their NA dealers. As a dealer, we used to get the HPP units for about $440/unit, if I remember correctly. So I could discount them and sell them to folks for $750 or if in bulk (100 units or so) - even down to $550/unit. But now that they are selling direct - IQAir must be making something like $550 in profit per unit. But they are so STINGEY with discounts - I think they've only offered me $25 off on any unit the past 2 years. That's like 2.7% off, LOL! Come on now! I almost feel like they have a moral obligation to discount the units to "Help" people obtain them for the betterment of their health... Aaaaaand that's probably why I don't run that company (right into the ground), LOL!😆 Thank you!👍

@@AirPurificationEducation Interesting about the Aeris. I'm tempted to pick up a refurb for just under 500, with a protection plan. I saw them in white on walmart for $750 and probably should have picked one up new.

I am assuming the Klaara filters will fit the original 3 in 1 units - so, I do think it is probably a really good health investment for anyone... that said, I don't know if the new filters will do as good a job as the originals. **I saw iRobot selling the 3 in 1 for $550 on their website about 2 months ago and then raise it to $900 within a week. So they may play the "Price fluctuation Game" in the future with the new Klaara units, as well. Meaning someone may be able to get a great deal on one if they are patient and check the pricing. But they may have been just trying to get rid of their inventory - as they said they are now completely out of stock on the 3 in 1 units. **Also, they will probably sell the Klaara units through their current US distribution channels and if that is the case - you can probably get a decent discount from a dealer, as well. I think it kinda depends on how patient you are willing to be. Thanks! @@applisense

When Coway introduced the Airmega 300/400 units in the US about 10 years ago they said they filtered as well as the IQAir HealthPro Plus (which was known as the best solution) and they tried to price their units at about $900 just like the HPP. Within about a year they dropped their pricing dramatically (@$400 to $600) and within 3 years they had really started to make good headway into the US market. It is a tough market to enter and be successful in. I didn't show Coway the results as I would probably only be able to get to a C/S or Sales Rep. and I don't think they would bring this issue to the attention of the "right people". Plus, Coway is doing very well with their sales on these units and my experience with companies has been, "If it ain't broke don't fix it". For Example: Dyson got totally embarrassed a couple of years ago with their air purifying fan (TP07) on a TV show in Canada. The show ranked a few different air purifiers and the Dyson unit came in DEAD LAST and it cost more than any of the other units tested. So, Dyson sent an engineer to get interviewed by the show to explain why their unit performed so poorly. Fast forward to this year and now Dyson has a brand new, totally different air purifier called the Big+Quiet Formaldehyde which they are pushing very hard. It is a completely different unit from the one that got shot down on Canadian TV. And magically it is appearing as the "#1 Best Air Purifier" on some popular KZfaq air purifier lists. Dyson wouldn't "Financially Influence Influencers" to push their new unit to be successful... would they? Hmmm... IDK, it came out of nowhere and suddenly was at the top of some pretty popular lists... My point is - their successful air purifying fan got savaged in front of maybe millions of viewers so they came back with a better, stronger solution. I think THAT is what it takes for true change with most companies that are successful... Especially with larger companies. Thank you! 👍

So you invited them to your office for what then? To just say all these things about their unit after they leave? What was the conversations about? Besides they were dressed nice. You have so much to say after. They leave why was none of this addressed while they were in your office is my biggest concern? I completely understand what you’re saying but going behind their back and making this video after they leave is wrong. Make it in their face and show them just like they did Dyson and Dyson did not want to interview or respond. If they came to your office obviously they were interested in what your concerns were to better their product. Dyson purification on their fans are horrible, I did see that video, you pay for the so called fan and purifying but it doesn’t do a good job purifying the air. Now if you show them this video and they have no response like Dyson then everything you just said is valid but if you never give them a chance to respond or show them this video then what is the point? Btw you make some Great points! I don’t want you to think I don’t think that. I just want to see if Coway will respond or run and hide like Dyson did when the facts were put in front of them.

1) I worked for an Indoor Air Quality Internet Dealer for 15 years and sometimes when we would add new products and brands to our Internet catalog - the manufacturers would actually come and meet with some of our staff to explain how some of their products work. We met with several different manufacturers through the years. Usually, the manufacturer would send 1 to 3 people to visit with some of our staff. Coway brought about 8 people which had never happened before and they were all dressed very nicely and professionally and no other manufacturer ever dressed as nicely. Everyone always came in business casual attire. So we were very underdressed when we met with the Coway staff. 2) So, Coway came and visited with us about 10 years ago when they wanted to break into the American market with their Airmega units. In our meeting - they said their units filtered better than the IQAir Healthpro Plus. Many companies through the years would say the same thing but none of them actually filtered as well as the HPP... until we added Aeris to our product line about 3 years ago... Aeris actually does filter as well as the HPP. 3) These "Dealer/Manufacturer" meetings are not environments where one would tell a manufacturer "NO! I don't think your unit filters as well as the HPP" and we didn't know at the time how well their units actually filtered as we had never seen them before and they were brand new to the market. But now, after 10 years of them being on the US market. And examining them after months of real world use... it is easy to see that dirty air is escaping around the HEPA filter and therefore, they are not filtering at a HEPA level nor are they filtering as well as the HPP. 4) It has been 10 years since our initial meeting and I don't work for the Internet Dealer anymore so I am able to say anything I want... and I am able to tell the truth. The Internet dealers will NOT say anything bad about the products they carry or the manufacturers will prevent them from selling their units. 5) " but going behind their back and making this video after they leave is wrong." *It has been 10 years since we met with them and I think it is much MORE wrong that they are marketing their units as providing Elite particle filtration. I am just showing the truth. 6) "If they came to your office obviously they were interested in what your concerns were to better their product. " * No, that is not how these meetings work. They met with us to just start our "partnership" and show us their new air purifiers - they were not interested in hearing our concerns about their units or they would have sent us the units a month in advance for us to "evaluate" and then ask our opinions. These Manufacturer/Dealer meetings are more about them educating us on their product line... not us telling them what we think about it... because we are going to sell their products on our website. When you work for a dealer you cannot "tell the truth" about deficiencies that products have - I got in trouble a few times for telling customers the truth about a few products and the customers went back to the manufacturers and told them what I said. I was telling the truth - but, that will only cause big problems in the relationship between the manufacturer and dealer. I had to be "careful" about what negative things I wanted to inform consumers of... but not anymore - I can now say anything I wish as I don't work for a dealer anymore... 7) “Now if you show them this video and they have no response like Dyson then everything you just said is valid but if you never give them a chance to respond or show them this video then what is the point?” *The point is I am educating consumers on what the best air purifier solutions are on the market. There are tons of air purifier companies making inaccurate claims about their products and I am showing consumers who to trust and who not to trust. Many consumers are very confused about the advertising/marketing they see… and the companies are taking advantage of consumer’s lack of industry knowledge. Manufacturers can typically say anything they want about their products no matter how much they embellish the truth. Plus, I am educating consumers on air quality health issues like Ultrafine particles. 8) "if Coway will respond or run and hide like Dyson did when the facts were put in front of them" * Dyson did send an engineer to answer some questions from the reporter on TV so I give them credit for that. Dyson also created - what appears to be - a much better air purification solution after the TV show so I give them a lot of credit for this too. They chose to create and offer consumers a better air purification solution... because they were kinda forced to do this... I think 3 million people saw that TV episode. I am just a small KZfaq channel so Coway doesn't really care what I say as I won't really affect their sales. Thank you! 👍 @@jonathanbellamy7453

@@AirPurificationEducation I hope your show grows much larger and you are able to show more people the Truth and make these companies tell the Truth or at least back up their claims. Last thing The HPP filter is made to last 4 or 5 times longer than the Coway so comparing the filters is unfair that’s like comparing a 1 inch home air filter to a 4 inch home air filter, there is no comparison one is made to last a month or two while the other is made to last up to a year. I hope they are able to come up with a test to actually test the ultra fine particles because all test that I have seen only test for PM 2.5 and PM 10. I want to see them test that ultra fine area that you speak of because I do believe that it will be a problem for us.

"The HPP filter is made to last 4 or 5 times longer than the Coway so comparing the filters is unfair that’s like comparing a 1 inch home air filter to a 4 inch home air filter, there is no comparison one is made to last a month or two while the other is made to last up to a year. " *I think you are talking about the prefilters between the 2 units. The Coway Airmega Prefilter is going to let a lot of particles get embedded in the Carbon and HEPA filters. But this is the way they designed the unit... because they know consumers tend to want to just wash off their prefilters and not buy a new one. Coway advertises this as a "benefit" over other air purifier brands that make you purchase more prefilters. It makes consumers feel like they are saving money. The problem is their Carbon and HEPA filters will perform more poorly much more quickly. I believe it is a very fair comparison... IQAir, Aeris, Austin Air, and Airpura - ALL have much better prefilters than the flimsy screen on the Coway Airmega units. This is a flaw in their air purifier design, IMO. Thank you for your comments and feedback! 👍 @@jonathanbellamy7453

Thank you for your inquiry and these are good questions. So, I'll just throw in my 2 cents. 1) "This therefore mean that a good volume of air is getting HEPA treated which reduces volumes of ultrafine particles." - Unfortunately, not all HEPA filters perform the same, at all. Most people see the word "HEPA" and then assume one "HEPA" filter will filter similarly as another "HEPA" filter but this is not the case. So many people will point to the results of a "HEPA Filter Test" conducted by NASA a few years ago and say, "Well, it has been proven that HEPA filters will trap all ultrafine particles down to .003 microns... and they are easier to filter than the larger particles that are .3 microns in size. NASA proved this in their test." Well yes, NASA performed testing on a HEPA filter that was very well engineered and manufactured. I saw a picture of the HEPA filter they used a while back and it would be considered an "Industrial HEPA" filter, IMO. Very large with steel housing which is totally different than the majority of the "HEPA" filters we see on the consumer market. So IMO, the results from the NASA test (or ANY HEPA test, for that matter) ONLY apply to the HEPA filter that was tested. But so many people take the results from these tests and try to apply them to all the "HEPA" filters on the market - whether it is a $200 HEPA filter made by Camfil - the largest filter maker in the world or a $30 Chinese made HEPA filter... And there is NO way they all filter the same as they are made of different materials, different adhesives, different housings, etc. and have different levels of Quality Control in their manufacturing plants/processes. So, how good is the Coway Airmega 400 HEPA filter at filtering ultrafine particles by itself? And how good is it at doing this on the lowest speed vs. the highest speed ? As most HEPA filters tend to perform worse as you add more CFMs to them. 2) When the filters get dirty after some use - much more dirty air will escape around the filters and in some cases - even penetrate the HEPA filters - depending on the brand, the quality of the HEPA filters and the CFMs being pushed through... It is kinda tricky but the HEPA filters are not impenetrable and some debris can and will get through the HEPA filters - or between the filter material and the housing, etc. Basically, in general, the HEPA filters will oftentimes not perform as well the dirtier they get. 3) Ultrafine particles (.1 to .003 microns in size) make up over 90% of the particles in the air we breathe and according to a lot of research - are by far the most dangerous to humans... Would a consumer be OK with an air purifier filtering only 50% of these particles after 6 weeks of the air purifier being used continuously? Or would the consumer be willing to spend more money on a solution that takes out 95% of the UF particles - even when its filters are dirty? Also, not all UF particles will be of the same levels of danger to humans, I'm guessing... some are probably more detrimental than others... so which ones do we have in our specific environment? Are we able to find out through testing? I do know mold spores are typically not considered to be super small in size but I've talked to many people who got sick from mold poisoning through the years and many became super depressed, some housebound due to chemical sensitivities, many lost their jobs, some spent tens of thousands of dollars for treatment, many became isolated from friends/family, etc. So, I think some things (consumers motivation to use a more elite air purifier) will also depend on how toxic the particles are in the surrounding air, as well. Bottom line for me is... the more particles/VOCs my air purification solutions can take out of my air - the healthier I will be... this is how I currently look at it... 4) It is much harder for an air purifier to filter at a HEPA level than most folks realize. I currently believe over 99% of the "HEPA" air purifiers on the market do not actually filter at a HEPA level. The filter must be of very good quality - the seal with the housing must be very strong - the seal between the filter and the inside of the air purifier must be very strong... this level of filtration is actually very difficult to pull off. The Department of Energy said they found a 12% failure rate in their HEPA filters when they checked every 6 months. Those filters are of industrial quality with steel housings and get tested before they leave the factory. Then they are very carefully shipped to the DOE locations and installed by a professional installer.. After installation, they are tested again to make sure there are no leaks. And they still realized a 12% failure rate every 6 months. And these are stand alone installations - meaning they are not moving… Imagine the failure rate of Consumer HEPA air purifiers that typically do not get tested b4 they leave the plant… get shipped by UPS, FEDEX, etc. There can be damage to the HEPA material due to transit… etc. So, the failure rate must be much greater for consumer HEPA air purifiers - than the carefully manufactured, shipped, and tested overall process of the DOE’s rate, I’m thinking. 5) In the next video I make - I will show what a Camfil City M HEPA filter looks like and I think many people will immediately realize not all the “HEPA” filters can possibly filter the same. I refer to it as “HEPAzilla”, LOL! But I think the name is fitting. 6) The Coway 400/300 units are good for the money and I’ve dealt with a lot of happy Coway customers - I just wouldn’t classify them as elite like IQAir and even Airpura. I have an airpurifier ranking list for dust/allergies/asthma… that I am currently making a video on and it can be found at this link: airpurificationeducation.com/asthma-allergies-and-dust-particulates-in-general/ I rambled some on this answer but I hope some of it made sense. Thank you!👍

@@AirPurificationEducation I stayed in a hotel a couple of weeks ago and accidently sat underneath the HVAC vent. Within 2 minutes (i kid you not) most of my MCAS (sort of an allergy) symptoms were gone. I have a Coway Airmega Almighty in my study (20 m2) which never gave me a similar effect hence looking at a bigger unit. But I think you are right - why go half when it comes to your own health?! I guess I needed someone else to tell me that )) Thank you once again!

I think it is possible the air coming from the HVAC vent was somewhat clean air from outside and that is why it affected you this way. I had a guy with MCS in Hawaii tell me something similar. So, I checked and he lives in a city which is considered to have the 2nd cleanest air in the US - so, he was bringing in clean air from outside and it outperformed all the air purifiers he tried. Just a thought.@@aleksandrk9452

@@AirPurificationEducation Coinccidently, of course, my MCAS got totally out of control right after Covid (eye roll). This is not a particular popular condition amongst healthcare professional so for the last 4 years I am forced to do a lot of medical detective work myself. Air quality is not the only thing that triggers MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) symptoms, but it is the one that can send you into a flare in a matter of minutes. I am very reactive to things like pollen, open fires (not gas burners though) and dust. So I think it was the filtering in that hotel that did the trick because air outside was not particularly good. However I totally agree that outside air when clean will do exactly the same - whenever I go to the seaside my symptoms tone down significantly. Except sea areas with a lot of wind which apparently creates sea salt based PMs which mast cells often treat as a trigger just as well, plus sand dust and all that. Got a bit unlucky with the resort in Turkey where it was windy - I left feeling almost worse than before I came there, oh the irony )

I initially thought the same thing - I initially thought, "maybe the hotel's HVAC/AC system had good air filtration"... but then I remembered, the air quality of the last 4 hotels I've stayed in - in the US... 3 out of 4 of them had HORRIBLE air quality. Just TERRIBLE... so I figured the hotel you stayed in probably didn't have a good filtration system - as we don't have that in the US, that I've experienced... That said, I don't stay at expensive hotels so maybe some of the more expensive ones do have much better air quality in the US. So - I figured that it was probably the outside air coming in.... so I brought up the Hawaii guy and air exchanges... but yeah, if it was air coming from the HVAC ducting and it wasn't due to the outside air coming in and the outside air wasn't particularly clean, in the first place... then YES, that must mean the hotel had some type of decent air filtration system associated with it's ducting/HVAC system... Maybe it was a nice hotel (expensive) or you have different regulations for the hotel industry in the area you stayed... because in the US - the hotels can literally rain mold down on your head all day long and it appears nobody does anything about in in our country, LOL! I mean, I am NOT chemically sensitive but some of the levels of chemicals you can smell in some of these US hotels is kinda frightening - very, very BAD levels of VOCs/chemicals. Funny thing is my Temtop and Atmo air quality monitors BOTH said, "Good" air quality, regardless... LOL! Those things can't be trusted. 😆

Thank you for your kind words and I'm glad you got the IQAir units. They are a good investment in your health, for sure. I like the Winix 5500 and plan on doing a review on it soon (famous last words, LOL!). I have both the older version (7 years old) and the newer one... That said, I think for particles, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty may be just a little better for bedrooms than the 5500. They are close to each other in performance... Either way, I feel they are 2 of the best solutions for less than $220 for particulates. Will they do a good job at ultrafine particles? No, not really, IMO. But the solutions that do well for UF particles are expensive like the IQAir HPP/Aeris 3 in 1. The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty is currently on sale for $160 on Amazon. I purchased one for $210 last November and this $160 price is the lowest I've ever seen for it. Coway Airmega AP-1512HH: amzn.to/3PwBq9H That said, I now see the Winix 5500 is currently on sale for $128 on Amazon - Wow... I paid $160 in November for this... I don't think you can really lose with either option. Good Luck!👍

They possess poor seals between the filters and the inside of the units so there is dirty air leaking around the filters. Also, I think there may be some leaking through the filters themselves over time and on higher CFMS... @@qewfsdsd65445

Hey James - thank you for your question. Smart Air Filters is an Air Purification Manufacturer and like ALL Air Purification Manufacturers, they are going to create content that aligns with their product lines and furthers their agenda(s)/sales. ***Air purifier Manufacturers that utilize Ionization in their filtration process will create content which includes "studies" etc. that "proves" Ionization is a critical component of the air purification process. *** Air Purifier Manufacturers that have UV lights in their solutions will create content that "proves" that UV lights are a critical component of the air purification process. ***Air purification manufacturers that are not able to create/engineer/manufacture air purifiers that are sealed at an elite level will create content that "shows/proves" that solutions that leak dirty air around the filters are "as good as/better" than solutions that are sealed better. And so on and so forth. Please take a look at this video which shows the Owner of Smart Air being very deceptive as he compares his cheap $45 Air Purifier to the $900 Elite IQAir Product line. And decide for yourself if this is a company you are willing help "Educate" you on Air Quality issues. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/l5OSp5ap1KnShYk.html I think the answer will be pretty obvious. Good Luck!👍 @@qewfsdsd65445

Hey James - this is a very interesting topic to ponder and discuss... Here are some of my current thoughts on it: 1A.) 100% Total Air Exchanges in the Real World?: There is really no such thing as a "True 100% Air Exchange" in an environment in the real world, IMO. 3rd party labs may achieve them in "sealed" rooms for their testing of air purifiers/equipment but in someone's home or office - air will continuously be entering and leaving a space. To me, this would make it seem like the more CFMs - the better, if we are attempting to achieve something close to Complete Air Exchanges in our space. This line of thinking agrees with what you mentioned, I believe. 1B.) Also, just to highlight the fact that air (and small particles + VOCs/chemicals) is constantly entering and leaving our indoor environments... I saw an interview with the Director of Harvard's "Air Quality for Buildings" (he had some title like this) a few months ago... and he said that when wildfire smoke is outside our homes - studies show that a portion of it actually gets into our indoor air, as well, and we breathe it over many hours... so our exposure to the wildfire smoke is significant even if we don't go outside... it's just that we are exposed to lesser quantities of it over many more hours vs. going outside and breathing it in larger quantities in shorter time frames. Either way, some of the outside air is getting into our indoor environment so we can’t really achieve 100% total air exchanges with a room air filtration solution, IMO. 2A.) What are the Goals of our Air Filtration Solutions in the Specific Environment we are dealing with?: We have to ask ourselves - what is the goal of the air purification/filtration solution in our specific environment? 2B.) Woodshop Environment? Do we work in a woodshop and need a lot of CFMs to take the larger particles out of the air ASAP? If yes, then even a MERV 11 filter strapped to a fan would help us achieve this to a certain degree, right? And A LOT of CFMs would be very beneficial, of course. The more the better... as we want to get the larger particles out of the air ASAP. Will there be some leaking around the filter and fan on a DIY setup like this? Sure - absolutely, but it’s not a deal breaker as we are mainly trying to take the larger particles out of the air quickly and the solution meets our needs and achieves our filtration goals in this situation/environment. 2C.) Are we doing Mold Remediation? In a mold remediation situation - the contractors will put up plastic (tape it to the ceilings, walls and floor) and "section off" the area that they are going to remediate from other rooms and the rest of the house. And then they will tear the drywall down (if there was a leak within the walls). When they do this, mold will shoot everywhere into the air. But the vast majority of the mold spores are very small particles that we cannot see with our naked eyes - and they are VERY HAZARDOUS to our health. Therefore, they will use a serious piece of filtration equipment like an industrial air scrubber to protect the workers and homeowners… In particular, they will oftentimes use the Dri-Eaz HEPA 700 in the space. ServPro is a large Water Restoration company which has over 2,200 Franchise locations in the US and Canada and they ONLY use Dri-Eaz equipment for their dehumidifiers and air scrubbers. Plus, Dri-Eaz owns over 70% market share of the entire Water Restoration industry in the US - so we know they make good stuff. This Dri-Eaz HEPA 700 air scrubber is HEPA-rated and thoroughly tested to achieve 99.97% filtration at .3 microns which is VASTLY superior filtration to the MERV 11 filter we used in the woodshop example. Plus, it can achieve 700 CFMs so it is simultaneously very powerful from an “Air Exchange” standpoint, as well. The tiny mold spores are super dangerous to our health so these types of projects warrant utilizing top-notch filtration equipment. Is there leaking between the filters and the air scrubber? No… we don’t want ANY of the mold particles to escape and get into the air we breathe so “leaking” air scrubber/purification equipment is NOT an option in this environment. I know a guy who worked in these types of moldy environments but he didn’t use top-notch purification/filtration equipment to protect himself and he eventually got super sick… and it didn’t take long for him to become debilitated… it is NO JOKE! 2D.) General Air Purification for the Home/Office, etc. What level of air purification are we trying to achieve in our home/office/bedroom/family room, etc? For me, my main goal is to reduce Ultrafine particles as much as possible in the air in my home. Why? Because more and more studies are showing that UF particles have DEVASTATING long-term effects on humans. Modern research and studies performed all over the world are providing results that link UF Particles to Cancer, Heart Attacks, Alzheimer's, Autism, Erectile dysfunction, etc. How and Why? Because UF particles are .1 to .003 microns in size and they can get into our bloodstream. When they enter our bloodstream they can travel to ALL the organs in our bodies including our brains! 2E.) Of Note: PM2.5 particles only comprise 1% of ALL the particles in the air we breathe and they are less hazardous to our health. While Ultrafine particles comprise 90% of all the particles in the air we breathe and they are the MOST DANGEROUS to our health and long term well being. 3) What are some of the best mass-produced, residential air purification solutions for UF particles? Probably the $899 IQAir HealthPro Plus and the $750 Aeris 3 in 1. Do these units leak air around the filters? NO! All solutions will probably “leak” some… but these 2 solutions will certainly not leak much, at all - and their “leaking rate” will be better than 99.9% of the other units on the market. Can’t we just use leaky air filters with higher CFMs and get more air exchanges in the room and eventually catch the UF particles through utilizing more “air exchanges”? No… we need EXTREMELY well-engineered filters and air purifiers that do not leak to capture the UF particles… “More CFMs and Air Exchanges” is not the answer/solution. There may be more “air exchanges” but the filters and purifiers are not engineered to catch the really small stuff. 4) Someone may opine: "Well, I disagree with your current “Line of thinking” on this…" That is OK - I don’t know everything - I’m only human… but, if one possess this viewpoint - we must realize that they are disagreeing with some of the most elite, and talented air quality engineers in the entire world on this issue. Camfil is one of the largest filter manufacturers in the world and they are a Billion dollar company. Plus, they are experts at testing filters, as well. Their solutions “don’t leak” to get more air exchanges, etc. and they have engineered filters for NASA for the ISS - International Space Station, etc. I have a Camfil City M sitting in my upstairs hallway and it is a hardcore piece of equipment vs. the vast majority of “residential air purifiers” on the market. It is engineered, designed, and tested “not to leak” dirty air… while at the same time achieving decent CFMs. The Aeris 3 in 1 was partially developed by an engineer with a Master’s degree in Engineering from MIT… Yes, MIT… perhaps the leading Engineering School in the entire world. Does it “leak dirty air around the filters for better CFMs?”. Heck, NO! It is amazing in that it filters particles and UF particles even a little better than the IQAir HealthPro Plus but it also has 30% MORE CFMs than the HPP… Therefore, it is an AMAZING piece of engineered filtration equipment. So much so, that iRobot purchased them for $72 MILLION dollars a few years ago - when they only had 35 employees and were only 5 years old. Why didn’t iRobot just spend millions of dollars on one of the many air purifier manufacturers, in the market, who create solutions that “leak a significant amount of air” around the filters for more CFMS? The answer is self-evident - I believe. (CONTINUED BELOW) @@qewfsdsd65445

(CONTINUED FROM ABOVE) 5) Wow - well, that kinda turned into somewhat of a rant. LOL! 😆 I didn’t really mean to go that deep but… sometimes I can’t really explain my position/opinion or do a topic justice in only 4 sentences… I guess… LOL! But these are some things for us to think about when we talk about: **“air exchanges” **CFMs, **the goals of the level of air quality we are trying to achieve in our particular environment… etc. And lesser quality air purification manufacturers creating content that basically says, “Hey, it’s cool to have a certain amount of dirty air go around the filters for more CFMs.”, etc. Believe me when I say - if they had MIT level, World Class, Brilliant Engineers creating their air purifiers and filters… And they were protecting NASA astronauts on the $150 Billion dollar ISS… they would NOT have significant leaking in their air quality solutions and they would NOT be making content stating that it is OK... LOL! 🤣 There is a reason why we don’t see Camfil, IQAir or Aeris (industry leaders) creating such deceptive content about the filtration process. So, for larger particles and general larger particle filtration: More CFMs, more “air exchanges”- sure, some leaking around the filters.. DIY MERV 11 filter with a fan, or whatever inexpensive “general filtration” solution we put together… OK, fine. But, for ultrafine particle filtration and smaller particulates - it is no time for “Amateur Hour”- if we want this level of filtration we will require hardcore, extremely well engineered solutions that “don’t leak” - engineered by High Level, Brilliant, Engineers. It depends on what we are trying to achieve in our environment - and how much money we are willing to invest - at that point. I hope a lot of this makes some sense. These are some of my current beliefs on the topic... I reserve the right to change my mind and opinions as I gather more information in the future and learn more over time... etc. Thank You!👍 @@qewfsdsd65445

1) You are the 2nd person to mention my crooked glass frames - the first guy sent me a short video with the frames corrected, LOL! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/m7B3fpur0Ny2fnk.html&ab_channel=SoulReaver 😆 I'm used to it so it doesn't bother me but apparently not everyone feels the same. 2) "making them focus less on the seal+engineering" **They have ALWAYS had somewhat of poor seals in their units - as the 300/400's and the Mighty have been on the market for many years. 3) " ive felt my best these past 5 days i really feel like I can breathe better compared to the dusty, polluted air of chicago w/o a filter" Glad to hear it is helping you - I've had tons of customers say they like some of the Coway products. Even without a great seal - the 300/400 and Mighty (and we'll also throw in the 150 as it is very similar to the Mighty) are some of the better filtering units on the market- however, they just are not elite. I have an updated rankings on some of the best filtering air purifiers on the market and the Coway 300 and 400 come in at #10 and 11. And the Mighty comes in at #13. So, they are good units - and they have helped tens of thousands of people all over the world - they just are not elite filtering solutions. But they are a very good value for the investment. airpurificationeducation.com/asthma-allergies-and-dust-particulates-in-general/ Thank you!👍

I think the Airmegas (300 and 400) are "Good" units and better than most on the market. And they will help improve the air quality of people's environments. But they don't filter particles at an elite level, IMO. Esp. the ultrafine ones... and they def. are NOT hitting 99.999% at .01 microns like they say on their website and in some videos, LOL! Happy Holidays! 😀

What are elite purifiers ​@@AirPurificationEducation

Thank you for your question. My current definition of an elite air purifier is one that does a good job of filtering Ultrafine particles (.1 to .003 microns). Ultrafine particles comprise 90% of all the particles in the air we breathe and are the most dangerous to our health. UF particles have been linked to Cancer, Alzheimer's, Autism, etc. and many other ailments. Unlike larger particles that may get lodged in our throats or lungs... the smaller UF particles can access our bloodstream and affect all the organs of our bodies including our brains. Very few air purifiers do a good job of filtering these smaller particles. They must be extremely well engineered. The IQAir HealthPro Plus is tested at filtering 99.5% at .003 microns and I consider that to be elite particle filtration. The Aeris 3 in 1 may actually perform even better than the HPP. I hope that makes sense. Thank you!👍 @@itscard0man

Thank you for your comment. 1) I started this YT channel thinking I was going to test various air purifiers with different air quality sensors but after buying 5 of them and researching it more I came to the conclusion that the air quality sensors/monitors tend to be inaccurate and I lost trust in the whole idea. I think the units can only be tested by 3rd party testing labs with expensive modern equipment, sealed rooms, and trained/expert staff. 2) So then I thought - some/many of the units have 3rd party testing so I can maybe rank them by the types of certifications they have. I mean, the 3rd party labs aren't gonna lie about the testing results, right? But after looking into this - it seems this is not nearly as easy to do as it initially seemed. 2A) I think some of the manufacturers are "manipulating the results" from their 3rd party tests to make their units appear to filter better than they actually do. Some of the manufacturers have become very "creative" with the way they present their testing results. 2B) I think the units are only being tested when the filters are brand new and the units typically filter worse over time when the filters get dirty. 2C) I think some/many of the manufacturers ONLY have their HEPA filters tested and then make it seem like the "entire air purifier" was tested. And it is typically much harder to get the entire air purifier to filter at an elite level - even with clean filters... as they need Great Seals between the filters and the internal parts of the units, IMO. 3) "So it’s only impressive from 3rd party if it comes from IQ air? You don’t trust 3rd party results unless it comes from IQ air?" I currently ONLY trust the 3rd party data from IQAir and Aeris. I think these 2 brands have elite filtering capabilities when it comes to particles and I think they both do a really good job on ultrafine particles. That said, I only know so many units/brands on the market and I know there is an ocean of solutions out there that I am unfamiliar with. I may trust other companies in the future as I learn more but I've only started to look at units and their certifications and I'm already seeing that it looks like companies are playing games with the data/tests. There is just way too much money to be made by making outrageous claims and that is how so many companies are making millions. It is ALL about the slick marketing for many of the manufacturers. 4) "Third-party testing and home environment are not the same so technically every air purifier should have that claim on their are purifier." I agree, 3rd party testing environments and home environments are not the same, for sure. That said, I really believe that an IQAir HealthPro Plus and an Aeris 3 in 1 will perform at elite levels for particle filtration under most all conditions unless... IDK, it's maybe 130 degrees or something like that which is really out of the ordinary. At some point in time... a high temperature would probably hurt the performance of even the HPP and the 3 in 1 I would guess. Thank you! Happy Holidays! 😃

Agreed, there is no such thing as a "Total Air Exchange" in the real world. I'd go with the lesser expensive Coway 300 or 400 without the S. Thanks!👍

Or go with a better product. Now I’m sold on the iqair for the lower level… I wonder what the winnix 5500-2 would do under this channel’s review?

I have a listing of some of the best air purifiers for particles/dust/asthma/allergies for smaller and larger rooms and they are at different price points: airpurificationeducation.com/asthma-allergies-and-dust-particulates-in-general/

@@AirPurificationEducation what do you think about the alen 75i?

@@aichan5235 I sold Alen units in the past and they are good air purifiers and better than most that insert the filters into the unit in a perpendicular manner. However, I never owned or sold this particular Alen unit so this is my initial opinion on the unit based on what I see online. 1. Gasket/Seal: This unit actually has the gasket at the back of the filter like it should be. Plus, you click the filter into place so that should improve the seal, as well. So, the seal inside the air purifier between the HEPA filter and the back of the unit will be better than most units with a perpendicular filter installation that don’t do this (which is the vast majority of them). 2. Carbon: You can get a filter from them with carbon to help with odors for $39 more. But they made a mistake by putting the carbon at the back of the filter. The best brands put the carbon before the HEPA filter so carbon gets caught before entering the air. Plus, if you get the carbon version the filter is missing 60%+ of the HEPA material that the regular filter comes with. So, I’m not crazy about that setup but I would guess it will be somewhat effective for odors - at least in the short term. 3. Particle Performance: All in all, I’d say I like the Alen 75i version without the carbon for particle filtration. I think it may filter particles better than the Coway Airmega 300/400 (assuming both the HEPA filters are of the same quality). 4. Comparison to R414: That said, you can get an Airpura R414 for about $535 which is less money. The Alen 75i is currently on sale for $561. **But with the Airpura R414 you get 8 pounds of carbon (more than even the 75i carbon version). So it is vastly superior for VOCs/odors/chemicals. **The HEPA filter comes after the carbon to prevent it from entering the air. **The R414 has a much better prefilter to prevent the Super HEPA from getting clogged with debris. **Plus, you get a Super HEPA filter which is better than HEPA and performs at 99.99% at .3 microns. **When it comes to coverage of a space: the Alen 75i is good for 650 sq. ft. and the Airpura R414 is good for 500 sq. ft. - both with 8 ft ceilings and both units will get about 4 air exchanges per hour in those sized spaces. **Size of the units: The 75i is 27” tall, 18.5” wide and 11.5” deep. The R414 is 15.5” tall, 12” wide and deep (it is cylindrical shaped). So the R414 is much smaller than the 75i and could even sit on a table. 5. Warranty: The Airpura R414 has a 5 year warranty but the Alen only has a 1 year warranty which I think is Terrible! Now, they say you can get a “Forever Guarantee” if you register the unit and change the filters every 12 months but I’m not sure exactly how that would all work out… Do you get a new unit in year 5 if it fails? IDK…. So, that is what I currently think of the unit. Hope that helps. Thanks!👍

If someone wants really good particle filtration and ultrafine particle filtration then I would currently probably go with the IQAir HealthPro Plus. I'll be posting a video in a day or 2 comparing 4 pretty good units. Thanks!👍