Coway AP-1512hh Vs Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier Comparison 2022

Having clean indoor air is a trend that has been increasing year by year, and with good reason! Considering the huge amount of air pollutants in the air we breathe, it is no wonder that many people turn to air purifiers as a solution for cleaner air. The Coway AP-1512HH and Levoit Core 300 are two very popular low-to-mid-tier air purifiers currently on the market. Both of these devices are great for achieving cleaner, fresher air, but how do they differ?

Picking the correct air purifier for your situation is a very important thing, as you want the best one for your situation – especially if you have any children or respiratory issues. The Coway AP-1512HH vs Levoit Core 300 is a common struggle for many people looking to invest in a new air purifier, which is why I made this comparison post.

This comparison review will start with a side by side comparison of product specifications, where I will list all of the technical details of both devices. I will dedicate the main portion of this review to the analysis and comparison of all of the different features and performance. By the end, you will hopefully have all the necessary information to decide if the Coway AP-1512HH or Levoit Core 300 is a better fit for you. Let’s start.

Coway AP-1512HH vs Levoit Core 300 – Product Specifications

Let us start things off with a basic side to side comparison of more technical product specifications between Coway AP-1512HH  vs Levoit Core 300.

As you can see from the table, there are a few small but important differences between the two. The Coway AP-1512HH is already considered as a small and lightweight air purifier, but Levoit Core 300 is an even smaller unit – almost half the size! While the Coway model is suitable to use pretty much anywhere, Levoit is truly portable – it is just more compact and convenient to take with you anywhere (traveling for example).

There is also a noticeable difference in maximum wattage – this is basically energy consumption measured on the highest fan speed. Levoit Core 300 has only 45 watts, which is almost twice as less than the Coway AP-1512HH. This is understandable because of the considerable size difference – bigger fans usually translate to bigger wattage. Both air purifiers are Energy Star certified, which means that they are both energy efficient. Energy Star certified products usually consume between 20-30% less energy than other similar products in that category. Even tho both devices are going to reduce your electricity bill, Levoit Core 300 is still going to save you a little bit more money over time.

The last thing I want to touch on here is the warranty. Coway AP-1512HH comes with a 3-year warranty, by default. On the other hand, Levoit Core 300 comes with a 1-year basic warranty. You can extend this 1-year warranty by 1 extra year if you register your device at Levoit, and 2 extra years if you register your device within 2 weeks of purchase. The device registration link can be found at the Levoit official site – here is the link.

Coway AP-1512HH vs Levoit Core 300 – Comparison of Features and Effectiveness

This is going to be the main part of my comparison – looking and analyzing all of the main product features and capabilities of both air purifiers, one by one. As a general overview, I have first prepared a short and simple side-by-side feature comparison. With it, I want to summarize and highlight all of the important aspects of both models.

Filtration system

What both the Coway AP-1512HH and Levoit Core 300 share in terms of air cleaning method, is the same 3-stage filtration system which consists of a pre-filter, HEPA filter, and a carbon activated filter. Each one of these has a specific role, with HEPA filter being the main air cleaning filter. Both devices have a similar washable pre-filter that removes larger particles, and a carbon activated filter that deals with odors and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). However, do note that while carbon activated filters are very effective at absorbing a large number of chemicals and smells, they are not very effective against specifically formaldehyde or hydrogen sulfide.

Levoit Core 300 does not specifically list which grade of HEPA filter it uses (update: H13 HEPA confirmed). But based on the information that it removes up to 99.97% of harmful pollutants as small as 0.3 microns, we can conclude that it is a grade H13 HEPA filter. This would put it in the same category with Coway AP-1512, so in the top tier for air purifiers. You can see the HEPA efficiency percentages (for air pollutant removal rate) in the table below.

The main difference between Coway AP-1512HH vs Levoit Core 300 is the extra ionization feature that Coway offers. This negative ion generator releases negative ions in the air, which can remove all even the smallest sized air pollutants from the air. So the Coway AP-1512HH gives you an extra layer of air purification that Levoit Core 300 does not. While the 3 in 1 above mentioned filtration system is sufficient for most air pollutants, it is not effective against bacteria and viruses. An ionizer, on the other hand, can deal with both viruses and bacteria. The downside of this ionizer is that is releases a small amount ozone, which is a lung irritant. We wrote more about air ionizers in our post here.

In terms of filtration system, we would have to give the edge of Coway AP-1512 due to added air ionizer function.

Room coverage

Both of these air purifier models have an advanced air cleaning technology, which shows directly in the room coverage area. Both are also AHAM certified, which means that you can trust the actual CADR and room coverage numbers. If you are curious more about CADR or what exactly it is, feel free to look at our other post here. In short – CADR stands for clean air delivery rate and it measures an air purifier˙s air cleaning effectiveness.

Coway AP-1512 covers rooms of up to 361 square feet, has a CADR rating of 233 for smoke, and has 4 air changes per hour (ACH). In comparison, Levoit Core 300 covers rooms of up to 215 square feet, has a CADR rating of 141 for smoke, and 5 air changes per hour (ACH). As you can see, the Coway AP-1512 is suitable for even large rooms, while Levoit Core 300 is limited to small or medium-sized rooms. The noticeable difference here is the number of air changes per hour (ACH)- this is especially important for anyone that suffers from allergies. The more times an air purifier can exchange the air inside a room, the fresher and cleaner it will stay.

Coway AP-1512 covers a larger area than Levoit Core 300, but it cleans the room about 20% slower. While Coway does have an ACH rating of 4 (which is very good), it is beaten by Levoit’s ACH rating of 5. In other words, for rooms or areas which are 215 square feet or lower, the Levoit Core 300 will perform better.

Noise

The noise levels for Coway AP-1512HH and Levoit Core 300 are very similar. For both devices, the lowest fan speed produces 24 decibels (dB) of noise, which is very quiet. Quiet enough to not disturb the sleep of even the lightest sleeper. On the highest fan setting, there is only a slight difference – 50 dB for Levoir Core 300, and 53.8 dB for Coway AP-1512HH. So the Coway air purifier is a little bit louder, but not that much. This comes as no surprise due to the sheer unit and fan size difference.

The highest fan setting of both air purifiers produces over 45 dB of noise. This is important information because 45 dB is the upper noise limit for good sleep. Anything noise over 45 dB has a high chance of disturbing your sleep, especially if you are a light sleeper. I wrote a separate blog post specifically on the topic of room purifiers and noise, which you can find here. 

All in all, there is almost no noise difference between Coway AP-1512HH vs Levoit Core 300. Both are equally silent at low settings, and both also have max fan speed noise over 45 dB. The overall noise range makes both units suitable for your bedroom – just set the fan speed below the max fan speed before sleep.

Control panel

The control panel of Coway AP-1512HH is rectangle-shaped and comes with a power on/off button, single button for different fan speed + eco mode + auto mode, air ionization button, timer (1h,4h,8h), filter reset indicator, and an air quality indicator. The overall control panel is very clean and intuitive, there is no LED screen. You get a very decent amount of customizable options and a lot of automatization features. What is missing, which Levoit Core 300 has, is an auto-lock feature and sleep mode.

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The control panel of Levoit Core 300 is circle-shaped and comes with a power on/off button, fan speed button, timer (2h, 4h, 6h, 8h), display lock, filter indicator, and an option to turn off all LED lights. Although this is a very basic control panel, it has all the necessary settings to customize according to your needs. It is also very stylish and pleasant to look at. The display lock feature comes really handy, as it prevents your current settings from being changed.

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The main difference here between Coway AP-1512HH and Levoit Core 300 is that the Levoit unit lacks many of the smart features and settings that the AP-1512HH has. While you do get everything you need with the Core 300 model…nothing really stands out. Coway AP-1512HH is very heavy on the automatization features and settings, making it quite a bit more convenient than its Levoit counterpart. In this regard, I also give the edge to Coway AP-1512HH. While it does not have an auto-lock feature or sleep mode, it does have two different automatic modes, which are basically an upgraded version of auto-lock and sleep mode.

Replacement filters

Both Coway AP-1512HH and Levoit Core 300 air purifiers come with a washable pre-filter that you do not need to replace. It is sufficient if you clean or vacuum the pre-filter once every 2-4 weeks to maintain its effectiveness. Both models need to replace their HEPA and carbon activated filters regularly. I can not stress how important it is to do that as you otherwise lose CADR, increase secondhand pollution, and experience higher costs. Both air purifiers also come with a filter indicator light, which tells you when to replace the filters.

Coway’s AP-1512HH HEPA and carbon filters are replaced separately. The HEPA filter needs to be replaced once a year and the carbon activated filter twice a year (every 6 months). You can heck the current price and availability of these filters on Amazon here. This specific set has 1x HEPA filter and 2x carbon activated filters, and represents the total yearly cost of maintenance.

Levoit’s Core 300 HEPA and carbon filters are replaced together. You need to change them once every 6-8 months and they are cheaper than Coway`s filters. Here is the Amazon link to replacement filters. The set includes 1x combined HEPA and carbon activated filters.

Longterm you will spend more money on Coway’s replacement filters AP-1512HH than Levoit’s Core 300 model. This cost different may seem small at first, but over the span of a few years it does add up!

Coway AP-1512HH vs Levoit Core 300 – Conclusion

Here is the part where I give our recommendation and explain the reasoning behind it. This is a tough decision because I really like both of these air purifiers. Coway is a well-established brand that has been making high-quality products for over 30 years now, and the Coway AP-1512HH is a great example of that. While Levoit was established only recently (2017), they continue to innovate and provide the air purifier marketplace with stylish, cost-effective, yet powerful air purifiers and the Levoit Core 300 is one of them. The price point is different as Coway AP-1512HH is considered middle price tier, and Levoit Core 300 is considered low price tier.

That being said, if you are choosing between these two models, I would pick Coway AP-1512HH for most situations. With a bigger CADR rating, it can cover even larger rooms (up to 361 square feet), making it a very versatile choice for most rooms in your house or apartment. The advanced filtration system with an added ionizer will make sure that not even viruses or bacteria escape you, while smart features will take care of automatization and optimization of the device. I would pick the Levoit Core 300 model over Coway AP-1512HH only if you are looking for an air purifier specifically for small or medium-sized rooms of up to 215 square feet, especially if you have allergies or other respiratory issues. This is because Coway can produce ozone (due to the added air ionizer function), which is a lung irritant and a big enemy of anyone with respiratory issues. Levoit Core 300 does not produce any ozone and it also has an ACH rating of 5 (Coway has 4), making it a safer and better choice in this case.

Overall, you are looking at two great air purifiers. The Coway AP-1512HH has an edge in pretty much every category, but that is completely understandable, as it comes with an appropriate price tag. While the price can fluctuate a bit, you can expect to get the Coway AP-1512HH between $180-$200, while Levoit Core 300 usually costs $99. Despite the fact that the yearly filter replacement cost is higher for the AP-1512HH model, it is an acceptable price difference longterm. And although both air purifiers are also Energy Star certified, you will save more money with Levoit Core 300 longterm.

Latest price and availability of Coway AP-1512HH:

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Latest price and availability of Levoit Core 300:

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