Carrying Clear Air Around

'Portable Air Purifiers' Released One After Another... Clean Zones Wherever You Stay

Cheongho Nice Portable Air Purifier 'Always'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] Mid-sized air purifier manufacturers are launching a series of new 'portable' products to secure market dominance. With growing interest in air quality management, demand for portable air purifiers is expected to increase. However, some companies remain cautious about releasing new products, citing low customer satisfaction with the effectiveness of portable air purifiers and limited market growth potential.

According to industry sources on the 16th, Cheongho Nice's portable air purifier 'Always,' released at the end of last month, sold over 3,000 units within just two weeks. This new product boasts a small size that fits in one hand and a lightweight design. It features a built-in high-capacity rechargeable battery that allows continuous operation for up to 20 hours on a single full charge (based on L mode, low wind operation). The Always model is equipped with two motors, two fans, and two filter sets. The double motors draw in pollutants, which are then removed by double filters installed on both sides of the intake, and clean indoor air is circulated quickly and evenly through double fans. It also includes convenient features such as a low-noise, low-power sleep mode and a four-level air pollution indicator using a fine dust sensor.

Coway also entered the market earlier by launching the portable air purifier 'Airbottle' in October last year. After surpassing 1,000 units sold in its first month, sales have continued steadily. This product applies a double clean fan with the same structure as general air purifiers but in a reduced size. The Airbottle features an integrated filter combining a microfiber pre-filter and a fine dust collection filter, providing strong suction power to purify surrounding air. The filter needs to be replaced every six months. It is equipped with a laser dust sensor capable of detecting ultrafine dust. The air quality pollution level is displayed in real-time through numerical values and four colors on the top control panel.

Coway 'Airbottle'

This product uses a large-capacity built-in battery that allows wireless continuous use for up to 12 hours (at level 1 operation) after a 3-hour charge. For the Airbottle iOcare (model AP-0119R), the company explains that users can check real-time air quality information such as ultrafine and fine dust via a dedicated smartphone application, as well as control the device and monitor filter life.

Portable air purifiers can be used in various spaces such as inside vehicles, strollers, and office desks. Compared to conventional air purifiers used indoors, their smaller size and lighter weight make them easy to carry anytime and anywhere, which is their biggest advantage. The price range for portable wireless air purifiers released by Cheongho Nice and Coway last year and this year is around 240,000 to 290,000 KRW.

SK Magic and Kyowon Group, competitors in the air purifier market, reportedly have no plans to launch new portable air purifier products for the time being. Due to the small size of portable products, their purification area is limited, making it difficult for consumers to fully experience the cleaning effect, and market demand has not shown significant changes yet.

SK Magic stated that it will monitor the market situation and respond accordingly. Kyowon Group is known to have once considered developing a vehicle air purifier but has never officially launched such a product. An industry insider said, "Some companies have introduced portable products in the past, but they did not gain much popularity among consumers. Small-sized products have limitations in air purification functions, and to improve this, technological innovation is needed to enhance cost-effectiveness."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.