Korea Consumer Agency tests and evaluates 8 air purifier products
Up to 6-fold difference in purchase price, up to 2-fold difference in annual maintenance cost
When the Korea Consumer Agency (Director Jang Deok-jin) tested and evaluated 8 air purifier products, all products met the relevant standards for fine dust removal performance, but there were differences in key performance among products, with the purchase price differing by up to 6 times and the annual maintenance cost by up to about 2 times.
The products surveyed were: △Samsung Electronics (AX070B812SND) △Daewon CTS (AC-M13-SC) △Winia (WPA25D0XSW) △Winix (APRM833-JWK) △Coway (AP-2021A) △Cuckoo Homesys (AC-20T20FWH) △LG Electronics (AS202NBHA) △SK Magic (ACL-20U1C).
▲Standard usable area (fine dust removal performance): all products were found to meet the relevant standards. The standard usable area—the value converting a purifier's fine dust (0.3μm diameter) removal performance by dust collection into area (㎡) during operation—met the relevant standard (at least 90% of the labeled value) for all products, ranging from 51.5 to 85.2㎡ by product.
▲Harmful gas removal and deodorization efficiency: 6 products—Samsung, Winix, Coway, Cuckoo, LG and SK Magic—were relatively ‘excellent.’ When the removal rates of 5 gases—formaldehyde and toluene, which cause sick house syndrome, and ammonia, acetaldehyde and acetic acid, which cause the three major household odors—were examined, 6 products were relatively excellent at an average of 87% or higher.
▲Automatic mode fine dust removal performance: 6 products—Samsung, Xiaomi, Winia, Winix, Coway and LG—were relatively excellent. When the time required for high concentrations of fine dust (0.3μm diameter) to drop to a moderate level was measured under the automatic mode setting most commonly used by consumers, 6 products were relatively excellent within 9 minutes.
▲Noise: all products met the relevant standards. When the noise generated during operation at rated airflow (maximum airflow) was measured, all products met the relevant standard at 55㏛ or below; the Xiaomi product with the smallest standard usable area was 46㏛, and the remaining 7 products ranged from 49 to 53㏛.
▲Safety and labeling: all products met the relevant standards. All products met the safety standards for structure, electrical safety such as current leakage and electric shock, and ozone generation, and no harmful components (CMIT, MIT, OIT, etc.) were detected in any product's filter. Checks of the accuracy of the energy efficiency rating label and mandatory labeling requirements found all products compliant with the relevant standards.
▲Annual maintenance cost (electricity charges and filter replacement cost): a difference of up to about 2 times was found between products. For the annual electricity charge generated when operating an air purifier at rated airflow (maximum airflow), the Xiaomi product with the smallest standard usable area was the cheapest at 14,000 won, while the Winia product was the most expensive at 26,000 won, a difference of up to about 1.9 times. Because the usable area (standard usable area) differs by product, when converted into energy cost per unit area (㎡), the Winix product was the cheapest at 193 won per ㎡ per year, while the Winia product was the most expensive at 305 won.
The recommended filter replacement cycle differed by product, from a minimum of 6 months to a maximum of 14 months. When replaced annually, the Cuckoo product was the cheapest at 54,200 won and the SK Magic product was the most expensive at 120,000 won, a difference of up to 2.2 times.
▲Weight, built-in features, etc. differed between products. The weight of products with a filter installed ranged from 7.3 to 18.5㎥, and because convenience-related features such as IoT app connectivity, moving casters and handles differed by product, it is necessary to check the features you need before purchasing and select accordingly.
When purchasing an air purifier, key performance, price and maintenance (electricity charges and filter replacement) costs should be considered comprehensively. Since key performance (harmful gas removal and deodorization efficiency, automatic mode fine dust removal performance), purchase price and annual maintenance cost differ by product, it is necessary to select a product by comprehensively considering the intended use and preferences, referring to the results of the comprehensive evaluation table.