Coway Airmega Halo Review: Is Your Air Really Clean?

I cannot overstate the importance of having an air purifier that not only has enough power to actually purify a room's air, but also caters to your home's particular needs. Pollutants like wildfire smoke, pollen, unventilated gas stoves, pet allergens, and even litter box odors can be potentially harmful additions to the air you breathe in your home. Air purifiers from Coway have been a consistent top pick in our guide to the Best Air Purifiers for years, including the Coway Airmega Mighty2, which was released in March this year. Its predecessor, the Coway Airmega Mighty, had been our reigning “Best Affordable Air Purifier” for many years as well. I was excited to test the newest mid-size option built for medium to large rooms in Coway's Airmega line, where it sits between the compact Airmega 50 or 100 and the higher-capacity 350 or 450 models. Released at the end of August, Coway’s Airmega Halo is an affordable, lightweight air purifier that aims to deliver whole-room air purification at an accessible price point. Plus, its focus is on promoting a healthier night's sleep with smart sleep features and quiet noise levels when in sleep mode. Overall, it delivers on most of its promises, but I ran into some problems during field testing that made me question its sensor, and I wish it had more transparency with pollutant levels. Simple Design That’s Maybe Too Simple The Halo is only 9.7 pounds, making it lightweight and portable as far as air purifiers go, but it doesn't have accessibility features like a top handle or wheels for easier moving. It has a small cut-out in the back to grip, but because I have an upper limb disability, moving it was awkward—I essentially had to hug the purifier to maneuver it, since I don't have large hands that can easily grip the inlet. The purifier's cylindrical design with a 360-degree air-intake structure draws in polluted air from all sides, making for fewer spatial constraints and more options for placement around the home. The inside of the machine uses Coway's HyperVortex filtration system, which is an aerodynamic fan and duct design that Coway states is “inspired by eagle wings and golf ball dimples.” It uses wing blades to stabilize airflow, along with aerodynamic blades for powerful airflow for the generator fan and dimples to reduce air resistance for smoother air intake. Setup was extremely easy—I just needed to unscrew the bottom, remove the filter from the plastic protective covering, screw the bottom back on, and plug it in. There's no need for a Wi-Fi connection, no app, and no remote. I started testing air purifiers earlier this year, and I've found I actually like having a connected remote, or better yet, an app that allows me to monitor air quality and adjust settings from afar. This model had neither. I also appreciate getting transparent numbers of pollutant levels directly from the machine rather than relying on colored lights, but this machine had the latter.