I used to think of my air purifier as a “set it and forget” kind of appliance. I knew I wanted to remove dust and other particles from the air in my apartment, and I trusted my device to handle it. After spending some time with Coway’s Airmega Mighty2, the newly released successor to our favorite air purifier, I’ve found that using a more powerful purifier with more robust settings and controls helped me breathe easier.

Bigger = Mightier

The Mighty2 features the same three-stage filtering process as the original Mighty. (Coway describes the Mighty’s filtration process as a four-stage process and the Mighty2 as a three-stage process, but they are effectively the same.) First, the pre-filter catches large material like pet hair. (It’s a grid of mesh and plastic that looks a lot like the filter in your air conditioner.) Second, a carbon deodorization filter absorbs gaseous contaminants like cigarette smoke and pet odors. Finally, the HEPA filter catches particulate matter that we may not be able to notice like pollen and mold.

While the process is the same, the Mighty2 finds its way to better performance by using larger filters: According to Coway, the deodorization filter is a whopping 45 percent larger than the one in the original Airmega Mighty, while the HEPA and pre-filter are 20 and 22 percent larger, respectively.

As a result, Coway claims that the Mighty2 can clear the air from an 1,800 square-foot room or space in 60 minutes. Presumably that’s while using the purifier’s “turbo” mode for when there’s a sudden surplus of stuff in the air. Under normal circumstances it has three standard air speed settings, from 1 to 3.

Coway said that it has also redesigned the structure of the filter, making it easier to remove the pre-filter for regular cleaning. I found that installing and removing all of the filters was easy, and with a vacuumable pre-filter, a basic cleaning seems simple.

Surprisingly, the new design managed to create more room for the larger filters without making the Mighty2 physically larger: The new model measured 17 by 17.9 by 8.5 inches (width by height by depth). That’s not much bigger than Coway’s estimate for the original Mighty (16.8 by 18.3 by 9.6 inches). It is, frankly, substantially wider than my BlueAir 411 (precursor to the 511), and thus it needs a bit more space, but I’d still consider it to be relatively compact. You can absolutely stow it next to an end table or in the corner of a room next to some shelves.

With those specs, the Mighty2 should be powerful enough to clear the air throughout my apartment. I found that it handled that job well, improving the air quality in every room, including my bedroom where I previously had a smaller air purifier running.

Knowing Is Half The Battle

As much as I love its performance, the bigger improvements to the Mighty2 are on the control panel. First and foremost, it has a new and improved built-in air quality index (AQI) sensor. The original Mega used an indicator-based system that told you whether your air quality was good, okay, or bad. The Mighty2 upgrades to a so-called “MegaScan Laser Sensor,” which allows you to check the amount of particulate matter in the air in real time, similar to the core info you get from a dedicated AQI sensor.

Specifically, you can check the amount of PM1.0 (microscopic particles), PM2.5 (dust and smoke), and PM10 (pet hair, large pollen spores, etc.). I checked the readings I got against a discrete AQI sensor; I found that the Mighty2’s readings were accurate to within 1 to 2 PM2.5 and 1 PM10, on both its “standard” and “sensitive” sensor settings, which leads me to feel comfortable trusting it as an effective sensor.

If digging into the nitty-gritty of your air quality doesn’t sound like a fun use of your time, though, the Mighty2 leverages its sensor with a smart mode setting, increasing and decreasing its fan speed based on the amount of particulate matter in the air. That helps minimize its energy footprint, as well as reduce noise. I found that the filter was able to put itself to sleep intermittently in smart mode many times per day, even in the litterbox danger zone.

That said, noise isn’t exactly a huge issue here. It doesn’t run silent, but it’s not loud enough to make an impression in an active household. Using a decibel reader, I found that the Mighty2 generates about 55 to 60 decibels (dB) from 5 feet away—that’s slightly louder than a running refrigerator. I have mine front and center in my apartment, so I do hear it, but if you’re sensitive to sound, just tuck it in an out-of-the-way spot and I doubt you’ll notice it.

Filter Vs. Litterbox: An Air Quality Showdown

I wanted to see whether or not the Mighty2 is as effective as Coway claims, so I set it up in a place that might be too much for another air purifier—directly next to my cat’s litterbox. Living with a cat in a relatively small New York apartment, I had come to accept that there’s a certain amount of dust in the air that would probably never go away.

The test came in three forms: First, I set up the Mighty2 and checked to see how fast it could fully clean the air immediately around the litterbox. Second, I cleaned the litterbox, which throws a fair amount of litter dust into the air, to see how fast it could deal with a sudden influx of particulate matter. And, finally, I circled back after a day or so to see if there was any long-term difference in performance and air quality.

Frankly, I was thrilled with the results on all three counts. On initial setup, the sensor detected 12 particulate matter PM2.5 in my apartment: That number dropped to 1PM2.5 within 5 minutes using the “2” setting. Second, when I scooped the litter, the AQI spiked to 199 PM2.5 and 500PM10–kitty litter, while fine, is a visible particle and thus reads as larger on the PM scale: The Mighty2 brought the readings down to 10PM2.5 within 2 minutes, and under 5 within five minutes using air speed “3,” the highest standard setting.

Finally, the “long-term” results after about a day were already noticeable. The air in the room seemed clearer and there was less dust on the ground in the area immediately around the litterbox. Not enough that I’m going to have to sweep up any less, mind you, but there was a material difference that I wasn’t getting from using a smaller purifier.

So Should You Buy The Coway Airmega Mighty2?

Coway has done it again. We praised the original Airmega Mighty for its power and simplicity. The Mighty2 builds on that strong foundation, generating better performance while giving you a better understanding of the air in your space. Whether air quality is a serious concern or you just want a way to ensure that you are breathing in the best possible air, I think the Airmega Mighty2 will improve the AQI in your space, without imposing too much on your life.