I didn’t think a £75 air purifier would make a difference in my family home – but it’s compact, quiet and surprisingly effective

At Ideal Home, we test air purifiers in real-life home settings to see how they perform beyond the spec sheet. And as the affordable Coway Airmega 50 is designed for smaller spaces, I was eager to try it out.

So can it compete with the best air purifiers? After putting it through our usual series of real-world tests, I'd say it delivers more than you'd expect for the price - particularly when it comes to everyday performance and ease of use.

In a nutshell

After using the Coway Airmega 50 around my home for two weeks, it became apparent that it's designed with small spaces in mind. It's lightweight and compact, making it really easy to move between rooms - and it can be placed on a bedside table, kitchen worktop or office desk without getting in the way.

It's also incredibly straightforward to use. There's no app to download and you don't need to fiddle about with settings, as everything is controlled via the device itself. It has four airflow controls, plus a Sleep Mode and Timer, and it's impressively quiet too; most of the time you'll barely notice it's there.

When it comes to performance, I was really impressed with how quickly the Airmega 50 responded to noticeable changes in air quality. During both the cooking and aerosol tests, the colour indicator reacted almost instantly, although it did take longer to return to a normal level when the air was heavily polluted. And disappointingly, it didn't register a change in air during the match or dust tests.

Its key selling point has got to be its affordability, and it's also very energy efficient too - costing just a fraction of a penny to run. Overall, it's fair to say I'm a fan of the Coway Airmega 50, and it's earned a new place in my home.

Specifications

• Dimensions: (W x D x H) 17 x 17 x 32 cm
• Weight: 1.6 kg
• Power consumption: 14 W
• Recommended room size: up to 31m²
• Filter: 3 in 1 filter
• Air flow: 4 stages (Auto-1-2-3)
• Wattage: 14W
• CADR: 120.1 m³/h
• Noise levels: 18.4 -  44.1 dB
• RRP: £74.99

How I tested

Rebecca Lawyon

I'm Rebecca, and I write freelance content for Ideal Home, where I test a variety of household appliances, including mops, carpet cleaners, spot cleaners and air purifiers.

I tested the Coway Airmega 50 around my three-bedroom family home. As part of how we test air purifiers at Ideal Home, I performed a series of controlled tests to measure how quickly the device could register a dip in air quality and return it to an acceptable level.

Unboxing and set up

The Coway Airmega 50 arrived in a fairly compact, lightweight cardboard box that I found easy to carry myself. Inside, everything was very neatly packed and secured with with a layer of moulded cardboard, and underneath that, a round-shaped quick-start guide placed on top of the air purifier itself.

Each part was individually wrapped in plastic packaging, which if I'm honest, felt a bit unnecessary. The packaging was labelled PE-LD 04, which I later discovered is recyclable - although not with your typical household waste. Instead, it needs to be taken to a special collection point, such as some large supermarkets. While this did feel quite inconvenient, I was pleased to see it wasn't entirely wasteful.

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Overall, I can't fault the unboxing and set-up process - it was very straightforward. The contents were refreshingly minimal, with just the air purifier, quick start-guide and the user manual included.

And unlike many air purifiers, the Airmega 50 doesn't have app connectivity, and is controlled solely via the unit itself, which makes set-up completely fuss-free.

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The filter arrives inside the appliance, but it needs to be unwrapped before first use. To do this, I flipped the unit upside down and twisted the base unit anti-clockwise to remove the lid.

As with the other parts, the filter was wrapped in plastic, so once I'd removed it and slotted it back into place, I reattached the lid and turned the purifier upright again. From start to finish, it was ready to go in just a few minutes.

With all of the packaging removed, my first impression was that the Coway Airmega 50 is sleek, compact and lightweight. Despite being a budget-friendly option, it didn't feel cheap, and it looks more expensive than it's price tag suggests.

Design

The Coway Airmega 50 is compact and minimalist in design - it doesn't dominate a room and fits perfectly on a kitchen counter, bedside table or desk. At 32cm tall and just 1.6kg in weight, it is incredibly light and easy to use, so I could pop it wherever I needed it. And although I wouldn't describe it as premium-looking, it certainly looks more expensive than it is.

While it doesn't have the bells and whistles you might see on some modern air purifier models - such as the Dupray Bloom Air Purifier, which doubles up as a plant or accent table - the Airmega 50 is purely functional, and designed to blend subtly into your home rather than stand out.

Control is straightforward, with all the settings managed directly on the unit - there's no smartphone app to contend with. The control panel sits on the top of the purifier and features clear, identifiable touch-screen symbols. This includes three air flow speeds, a Sleep Mode, preset timer, a filter replacement indicator, and a control panel lock, something I particularly appreciated with small children around.

Air quality is displayed via a colour-coded AQI light: blue for good, green for moderate, orange for unhealthy and pink for very unhealthy. It's an at-a-glance system that makes it easy to understand what's going on without checking a screen.

As someone who's short on storage space, the size of the Airmega 50 is ideal. When not in use, I kept it on my living room side table, and it blended in with the rest of my decor seamlessly.

Performance

After switching on the Coway Airmega 50, it begins monitoring the air immediately, using its built-in sensor to assess the air quality. The indicator light cycles through the different colours, before settling on the one that correlates with the current air quality level.

When we test air purifiers at Ideal Home, we judge them based on how they function in real-life home settings. To do this, we carry out a series of tests designed to put the appliances through their paces, helping us build an accurate picture of how they perform.

First up, I carried out the match test - which is designed test the air purifier's ability to detect and filter out smoke. I switched the Airmega 50 on, and keeping it in auto mode, I lit a match a safe distance from the device, before allowing it to burn out, which took under 30 seconds.

Although I could definitely smell the smoke, I waited a couple of minutes but the air purifier didn't pick up on the change in air quality, and after several minutes the light indicator remained blue - indicating the air quality was good. This is likely because the sensor detects sustained airborne particles, not brief bursts of smoke or odours, which is to be expected for compact air purifiers like the Airmega 50.

Next, I moved to the aerosol deodorant test, spraying the can very generously directly in front of the appliance. Almost immediately (under three seconds), the light changed from blue (good) to green (moderate), before quickly switching to orange (poor) and then pink (very poor). This all happened within ten seconds, which I hadn't expected. The light settled on pink for around 60 seconds, before changing back to green. The light then stayed this colour for six minutes, before returning back to blue, indicating the air quality was good again.

Although the odour had lifted, I could still smell the deodorant after the air purifier had returned to its normal level of air quality, indicating it's a reflection of the particle levels not the odour.

Probably my highlight of the testing process, I then moved on to the bacon test. Designed to see how air purifiers cope with fumes, this is usually the part that sends the devices into overdrive.

My extractor fan doesn't seem to do the best job of clearing smoke, so I was keen to see how the air purifier would handle it. Making sure all the doors and windows were shut, I placed the air purifier close to the hob and fried two rashers of bacon until they were nice and crispy.

After 50 seconds the indicator light switched from blue to green, and then it took another ten seconds to turn orange, and a few seconds later it turned pink, indicating the air quality was very poor. This process less than 90 seconds, and the smoky smell in the room was immediately obvious.

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I then left the air purifier working - the light remained pink for a further 30 minutes, before turning orange. It took another 15 minutes for the light to change to green. The indicator light finally returned to blue - it's normal air quality level over an hour later (70 minutes to be exact).

Interestingly, even though the indicator stayed pink for a while and didn't return to a healthy level for more than an hour, the smell dissipated much quicker, showing that the air feels fresher far quicker than the sensor alone might suggest.

The final test, the dust test, involved emptying the contents of my vacuum next to it, to see if the Airmega 50's built-in air quality sensor would register any dust particles. Despite the vacuum being almost full when I emptied it, the indicator light remained stubbornly blue throughout.

I kept a close eye on it for over 20 minutes, but there was still no change in colour or fan behaviour. This could be down to the fact that my vacuum has a built-in HEPA filter, which captures the majority of dust particles before they escape the machine. As a result, the contents that were released onto my kitchen floor might not have contained enough micro-particles for the air purifier's sensors to detect.

Ease of use

When it comes to household appliances, I'll always favour ones which are easy to set up and use. I can't fault how straightforward the Coway Airmega 50 is to use. It's an ideal choice if you've never used an air purifier before as everything is controlled on the device and the control panel is touch-sensitive.

I guess the downside of it not having an app is that you will have to adjust the settings yourself, but in practice, the auto mode handles most situations well.

Noise levels

When it's in auto-mode, I could barely hear the Coway Airmega 50. And at it's quietest, it measures 18.4 dB - which is considerably quieter than a lot of other models, including the Blueair Pure 511i Max, which runs at around 19db.

When the fan ramps up in response to poorer air quality, its maximum noise level is 44.1 dB. Compared with some models on the market, such as the Shark NeverChange5 - where noise levels sit between 38-66dB - the Airmega 50 feels much quieter.

Even when cooking bacon and running the deodorant test, the noise wasn't disruptive and I could continue normal activities - like watching tv or working.

The dedicated Sleep Mode makes it whisper quiet, dimming the display and slowing the fan right down so I couldn't even hear it unless I moved purposely close to it.

Portability

One of the standout points of the Coway Airmega 50 is how portable it is. At just over a foot tall, and weighing only 1.6 kg, it's one of the most compact and lightweight air purifiers you'll find. While it doesn't have any handles or handholds, that's really not issue for its size.

I really like that it can fit into small spaces easily - I've used it on my kitchen worktop, desk, bedside table and coffee table, and it blends in discreetly too. And because it's small and light, it's easy to store and tuck away if you need to. - it easily fits neatly on one of my utility cupboard shelves.

Energy use

One of the Coway Airmega 50's key selling points is how impressively energy efficient it is. It draws in 14W at full power - which is the same as a small lightbulb. Based on the latest Ofcom energy price cap, it costs only a fraction of a penny to run.

Energy use is also kept low thanks to the Airmega's smart auto mode function, which automatically adjusts fan speed based on the air quality.

When it detects clean air, the air purifier reduces activity and can pause operation altogether, restarting only when pollution levels rise again. While it's not a dedicated Eco mode as such, in day-to-day use it helps to avoid unnecessary energy use without the need for manual input.

Filter replacement

Replacing the filter on the Coway Airmega 50 is simple, with no guesswork involved - the filter replacement symbol on the control panel will light up. I haven't reached that stage yet, but it's reassuring to know that when it’s needed, the light will illuminate.

If you're wondering how often you need to replace an air purifier filter, the good news is most models - including this one - typically last between 6-12 months. Replacing the filter is an ongoing cost you'll need to factor in, but Airmega 50 filters are reasonably priced at £21.99 and can be purchased directly from Coway's website.

Ongoing maintenance is minimal - the manual recommends cleaning the particle sensor every two months. If dust or debris builds up around the appliance, it can affect how accurately the air purifier detects air quality, so it's worth staying on top of it.

Thankfully cleaning the air purifier is quick and straightforward. A soft brush or vacuum on its lowest setting, can be used to gently clear the sensor holes (just be careful not to push dust further inside). You can then use a slightly damp cotton bud to wipe the area - followed by a dry one to remove any moisture.

How does it rate online?

On the brand's website, the Coway Airmega 50 has a 4.4 star rating, from 19 reviews. Many users praise how quiet it is, although some note that this also means it's hard to tell when it's running. Ease of use comes up repeatedly, and several reviewers mention the colour-coded air quality indicator as a helpful feature.

On Amazon, the Airmega 50 also scores a 4.4 star rating, based on 95 reviews. Customers frequently praise its effective cleaning quiet noise levels and straightforward controls. That said, feedback on the light indicators is more mixed, with some users finding them useful while others were less convinced.

Beyond these sites, I struggled to find further in-depth reviews of the product. That's likely because the Airmega 50 is still relatively new - it was released in June 2025 - so I imagine it hasn't had much time to build up wider coverage.

Verdict: Should you buy the Coway Airmega 50?

If you're after a simple, budget-friendly air purifier that performs well in everyday settings, I think the Coway Airmega 50 is well worth considering. Its compact, lightweight design makes it a great fit for small spaces, and it's easy to move from room to room and use it in different areas of your home.

There are more advanced models on the market - and some that will detect subtler changes in air quality or restore clean air more quickly, but they come with a much higher price tag.

In day-to-day use, I found the Airmega 50 reacted impressively fast to noticeable pollutants, like cooking fumes, even if it did take longer to bring heavily polluted air back to normal levels.

For me, the positives outweigh the limitations. It's one of the most affordable purifiers you can buy, it's cheap to run, and it still offers enough useful features to feel effective, rather than basic. If you're buying for a small room and want something hassle free that does the job without blowing the budget, the Airmega 50 is hard to beat.