Coway air purifier earns spot on TIME's best inventions list
Summary
Coway’s Airmega Mighty2 air purifier was named to TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026 list in the household category. TIME described it as a double-duty purifier because it combines air cleaning with real-time indoor air quality monitoring. The model uses enlarged filters and a laser sensor, and Coway says it uses 20 percent less energy than its predecessor. It is available in North America, with launches in Europe and Australia planned for the first quarter of 2027.
Key Facts
- The Mighty2’s high-efficiency particulate air filter is 20 percent larger than its predecessor’s, while its activated carbon filter is 45 percent larger.
- Its MegaScan laser sensor measures PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 particles and displays readings alongside a four-color air-quality indicator.
- The purifier consumes 56 watts and operates at noise levels as low as 19 decibels.
- The model received the Red Dot Design Award, the iF Design Award and the International Design Excellence Awards in 2026.
- Coway says the predecessor Airmega Mighty AP-1512HH was a longtime top pick at Wirecutter and entered the site’s Hall of Fame in 2026.
Coway’s Airmega Mighty2 air purifier / Courtesy of Coway
Coway’s latest air purifier earned a place among TIME’s best inventions of 2026, highlighting the Korean company’s efforts to make cleaner indoor air more accessible through improved filtration, quieter operation and automated monitoring.
The Airmega Mighty2 (AP-1512N) was selected in TIME’s household category, with the magazine describing it as “the double-duty air purifier” for combining air purification with real-time indoor air quality monitoring.
TIME evaluated nominations from its editors and correspondents worldwide, considering originality, effectiveness, ambition and impact, according to Coway’s announcement Monday.
The Mighty2 uses a three-stage filtration system featuring a high-efficiency particulate air filter that is 20 percent larger than its predecessor and an activated carbon filter that is 45 percent larger, designed to capture allergens, dust, pollen, mold, cooking fumes and wildfire smoke.
Its MegaScan laser sensor measures PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 particles, displaying numerical readings and using a four-color indicator to communicate air quality.
The purifier consumes 56 watts of power, which Coway says represents a 20 percent reduction in energy use, and operates at noise levels as low as 19 decibels.
The recognition builds on the reputation of its predecessor, the Airmega Mighty AP-1512HH, which Coway says was a longtime top pick at product review site Wirecutter and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2026.
The new model also received three major international design honors in 2026: the Red Dot Design Award, the iF Design Award and the International Design Excellence Awards.
A Coway official said the recognition affirmed the company’s commitment to combining filtration performance with user-focused design.
The Airmega Mighty2 is available in North America, with launches in Europe and Australia planned for the first quarter of 2027.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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