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Buying guide

Air Purifier Filters: What HEPA Means and When to Replace Them

By iPickOne editorial team · Published · Reviewed

Short answer

“HEPA” on a box is a label, not a guarantee of how long a filter lasts: ENERGY STAR lists the Levoit and Winix models here as “HEPA-Type” and the Coway models as “Composite Filter”. Plan replacements from the maker’s stated filter life; of the five we cover, only Winix states one on the page we could read (12 months for the HEPA and carbon filters of the C610).

A black foam filter and a white pleated air filter on a yellow background
Photo by zeleboba on Pexels. Typical product type, not a specific model.

Who should pick what

  • You want the replacement schedule stated up front Winix C610 air purifier
    • 384sq ft
    • 248CADR
    • 235kWh/yr
    Winix states 12 months for both filters and the unit has a replacement-indicator LED.
  • You want an app and sensor mode and will read the manual for the interval Levoit Core 400S air purifier
    • 358sq ft
    • 231CADR
    • 237kWh/yr
    HEPA-Type per ENERGY STAR, Wi-Fi; the filter interval is not in ENERGY STAR’s data.
  • You want the larger Coway and accept two filters to track Coway Airmega 400 air purifier
    • 583sq ft
    • 376CADR
    • 366kWh/yr
    ENERGY STAR lists a Composite Filter plus a second Composite Filter.

Side-by-side comparison

Filter facts for five air purifiers
CriterionLevoit Core 400SWinix C610Coway Airmega 300Coway Airmega 400Levoit Core 600S
Filter type (ENERGY STAR label)HEPA-TypeHEPA-TypeComposite Filter; second filter: Composite FilterComposite Filter; second filter: Composite FilterHEPA-Type
Filter life stated by the makerNot stated in the ENERGY STAR data; check the manual for the replacement intervalTrue HEPA filter 12 months and activated carbon filter 12 months (Winix page); an indicator LED lights when filters need replacingNot stated in the ENERGY STAR data; check the manual for the replacement intervalNot stated in the ENERGY STAR data; check the manual for the replacement intervalNot stated in the ENERGY STAR data; check the manual for the replacement interval
Ozone emissions0 ppb1 ppb0 ppb0 ppb0 ppb
Energy use237 kWh/yr235 kWh/yr (best in this row)314 kWh/yr366 kWh/yr387 kWh/yr

Filter type, ozone and energy use are ENERGY STAR’s certified-product data (queried 2026-11-06). Filter life comes from the maker page where we could read one (Winix); otherwise it says so. We do not print replacement-filter prices. Highlighted = best value in the row: highest CADR, IEF, CEER, run time or suction; lowest yearly energy use or weight. Sources for every figure are listed under “Sources” below.

At a glance

Yearly energy use, kWh: lower is cheaper to run

Levoit Core 400S 237 Winix C610 235 Coway Airmega 300 314 Coway Airmega 400 366 Levoit Core 600S 387

How we compared: key criteria

  1. What the “HEPA” label tells youENERGY STAR calls the Levoit and Winix C610 filters “HEPA-Type” and the Coway filters “Composite Filter”; those are the program’s labels, not a test result. Winix’s own page calls its filter “True HEPA” and claims 99.99% capture down to 0.01 microns, which is Winix’s claim on its own basis. None of these labels gives you a replacement interval.
  2. Particles versus gasesEPA says most filters are designed for either particles or gases, so many purifiers carry two filters, and a carbon filter is what addresses gases. CADR, the number used to size a purifier, covers particles only. The Winix C610 page lists a pre-filter, a True HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter.
  3. Replacement timingEPA says all filters need regular replacement and that a dirty, overloaded filter won’t work well. Winix states 12 months for the C610’s HEPA and carbon filters and adds an indicator LED. For the other four, the ENERGY STAR data has no interval, so read the manual before you buy and set a reminder.
  4. How many filters to trackENERGY STAR lists two Composite Filters for the Coway Airmega 400, so that unit has two parts to replace. The Winix C610 uses an “All-in-One” filter set on its page. Count the parts, because each one has its own interval.
  5. OzoneEPA advises avoiding air cleaners that intentionally produce ozone, a lung irritant. ENERGY STAR lists ozone emissions for each model here (0 ppb for most, 1 ppb for the Winix C610), which lets you compare on one basis.

Our picks

Filter schedule stated on the page

Winix C610 air purifier

  • 384sq ft
  • 248CADR
  • 235kWh/yr

Why we'd pick it: 12 months for both the True HEPA and the activated carbon filter, a replacement-indicator LED, and an Amazon listing that bundles replacement filters (up to two years per Winix).

Skip it if… you want ENERGY STAR’s zero-ozone figure: it lists 1 ppb for the C610; the bundle also means you pay for filters up front.

View on Amazon — Winix C610 air purifier on Amazon.com

Smaller room, app control

Levoit Core 400S air purifier

  • 358sq ft
  • 231CADR
  • 237kWh/yr

Why we'd pick it: HEPA-Type filter per ENERGY STAR, 358 sq ft recommended room size, Wi-Fi and an air-quality-sensor mode.

Skip it if… you need the filter interval stated: it is not in ENERGY STAR’s data, so you have to read the manual; check the box code, as ENERGY STAR lists two Levoit rows.

View on Amazon — Levoit Core 400S air purifier on Amazon.com

Larger room, two filters

Coway Airmega 400 air purifier

  • 583sq ft
  • 376CADR
  • 366kWh/yr

Why we'd pick it: 583 sq ft recommended room size, a sensor-driven automatic mode and two Composite Filters listed by ENERGY STAR.

Skip it if… you want one filter to track or Wi-Fi control; this model has two filters and no Wi-Fi.

View on Amazon — Coway Airmega 400 air purifier on Amazon.com

Downsides and when not to buy

  • ENERGY STAR’s data does not list filter life, replacement cost or warranty, so for four of the five models the “filter life” cell says so instead of guessing.
  • We could not read the Levoit and Coway US product pages, so their stated filter lives are missing here, not confirmed absent.
  • A filter label (HEPA-Type, True HEPA, Composite) is not a performance measurement; CADR and room size matter as much for results.

When the pricier option isn't worth it

A purifier with a filter-life indicator isn’t worth extra effort to find if you will set a calendar reminder anyway; the indicator saves guesswork but changes nothing about how well it filters.

Who should skip this product type

Skip a portable purifier as your only measure if the main problem is a source you can remove or a room you can ventilate; EPA says source control and ventilation come first and filtration supplements them.

Extra costs, installation and compatibility

Ongoing costs
Replacement filters are the recurring cost of any purifier. We do not print prices because the pages we read do not state them and they change. The Winix C610 Amazon listing already includes two filters.
Installation and space
We did not find a filter-replacement procedure in the sources we read, so follow the manual and leave the clearance it specifies around the unit.
Compatibility
Filters are model-specific. Match the model code on the box (ENERGY STAR lists a second Levoit Core 400S row, LAP-C401S-WUSR) before ordering a replacement.

View on Amazon

Winix

Winix C610 air purifier

  • 384sq ft
  • 248CADR
  • 235kWh/yr

Mid-size Winix with Wi-Fi and a sensor-driven automatic mode.

This Amazon listing is a bundle: the C610 purifier plus two years of replacement filters. The purifier is included; the filters add to what you pay.

View on Amazon — Winix C610 air purifier on Amazon.com

Levoit

Levoit Core 400S air purifier

  • 358sq ft
  • 231CADR
  • 237kWh/yr

Mid-size smart purifier with an air-quality sensor and Wi-Fi.

Amazon lists this as Model Number Core 400S (Model Name Core 400S-P). ENERGY STAR lists two Levoit rows; the figures here are the row named “Core 400S” (358 sq ft). The other row, LAP-C401S-WUSR, is rated 363 sq ft, so check the model code on the box.

View on Amazon — Levoit Core 400S air purifier on Amazon.com

Coway

Coway Airmega 400 air purifier

  • 583sq ft
  • 376CADR
  • 366kWh/yr

Large-room Coway with a sensor-driven automatic mode.

Amazon prints the model number as AP-2015F(G); ENERGY STAR lists AP-2015F. A second Amazon listing for the Airmega 400 (B01C9RIACG, model 111012) exists; we link the AP-2015F one.

View on Amazon — Coway Airmega 400 air purifier on Amazon.com

Links to Amazon.com are plain product links. We may earn a commission in the future if we join affiliate programs; this never decides what we recommend. Prices and availability change, so we don't print them — check the current details on Amazon. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

Research method, sources and review date

Research-based comparison: we compare manufacturer specifications, user manuals and published guidance, and note where a figure is a manufacturer claim. We do not test products in a lab. Filter type, ozone and energy use come from ENERGY STAR certified-product data; filter life from the Winix America C610 page; upkeep guidance from the US EPA Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home, all read on 2026-11-06. How we compare · Editorial policy

Sources

Last reviewed · Next scheduled review . Spotted an error? Tell us.

Update log

  • — Rebuilt (IPK-BUILD-5) around models confirmed to exist on Amazon.com. Figures come from ENERGY STAR certified-product data and, where we could read one, the manufacturer page; where a source does not state a figure we say so. Models not found on Amazon.com were removed from the picks.
See our picks