Cuckoo and Coway are two of the most popular water filter brands in Malaysia. In addition, there are upcoming brands like SK Magic and LG Puricare.
The purpose of this article is to compare Coway and Cuckoo indoor water filters, which are both market leaders for household water filters. While they offer outdoor water filters, we will discuss them in another article.
Many are confused about which to choose between Coway and Cuckoo water filters.
Which one is better? Does one really need Cuckoo and Coway water filters?
Let’s find out the differences between Coway and Cuckoo water filters.
Comparison between Cuckoo and Coway Water Filter
The main difference between Cuckoo and Coway water filters is that Cuckoo uses only nanofiltration that induces mild alkaline balance, while Coway uses primarily Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration which is very pure and neutral in pH.
Currently, Coway offers a few water filter models with nanofiltration technology, but most still use RO filtration.
Check out the table below for a full comparison between Cuckoo and Coway Water Filter
| Cuckoo | Coway | |
| Filtration technology | Nanofiltration with mild alkaline balance | Reverse Osmosis (RO) |
| pH | 7.3-7.9 | 6.5-7.5 |
| Service interval | Every 4 months | Every 2 months |
| Time to refill | Fast | Slow |
| Monthly rental (cheapest) | 65 | 69 |
| Monthly rental (highest) | 118 | 184 |
| Contract Period | 5 years | 5 years |
List of Cuckoo Water Filter Models
Cuckoo has more water filter models than Coway. It offers tankless models, large tanks, compact models, hot and cold water models, and more.
Cuckoo Water Filter models:
- Cuckoo Titan
- Cuckoo Warrior
- Cuckoo King Top
- Cuckoo Xcel
- Cuckoo Vivid
- Cuckoo Iris Top
- Cuckoo Prince Top
- Cuckoo Icon
- Cuckoo Marvel
- Cuckoo Jazz
List of Coway Water Filter Models
Previously, Coway tankless water filters were available, but now they are no longer available.
There are two Coway water filter models which do not use RO filtration, which is Coway Kecil and Coway Inception.
Coway Water Filter Models:
- Cinnamon
- Neo Plus
- Glaze
- Kecil
- Villaem 2
- Ombak
- Inception
Cuckoo vs Coway Water Filter Price
| Model | Monthly Rental (1st-3rd year) | Monthly Rental (4th-5th year) | Contract Period | Buy Outright |
| Titan | RM113 | RM108 | 60 months | RM4300 |
| Warrior | RM100 | RM95 | 60 months | RM3200 |
| King Top | RM80 | RM75 | 60 months/ Goood Plan | RM2999 |
| Xcel | RM85 | RM80 | 60 months/ Goood Plan | RM3700 |
| Vivid | RM93 | RM88 | 60 months | RM3200 |
| Iris Top | RM97 | RM92 | 60 months | RM3773 |
| Prince Top | RM118 | RM113 | 60 months | RM4200 |
| Icon | RM115 | RM110 | 60 months | RM4200 |
| Marvel | RM65 | RM60 | 60 months | RM1999 |
| Jazz | RM90 | RM90 | 60 months | RM3500 |
| Coway Water Purifier | Monthly Rental | Contract Period | Buy Outright |
| Cinnamon | RM69 | 60 months | RM2490 |
| Neo Plus | RM85 | 60 months | RM3640 |
| Glaze | RM119 | 60 months | RM3900 |
| Kecil | RM99 | 60 months | RM3590 |
| Villaem 2 | RM120 | 60 months | RM3900 |
| Ombak | RM140 | 60 months | RM4300 |
| Inception | RM184 | 60 months | RM7070 |
| Ferry -discontinued | RM66 | 60 months | RM2260 |
| Mate -discontinued | RM65 | 60 months | RM2200 |
Rental prices are the main concern of most people besides filtration technology and cleanliness of the water.
Based on the tables above, on average, Cuckoo water filter rentals are cheaper than Coway water filters.
In addition, Cuckoo uses a slightly different rental pricing package, in which the rental price drops by RM5 on the fourth and fifth year of renting.
Cuckoo vs Coway Water Filter Features
The two brands offer many different water filters, so I would handpick the most popular models and compare them head-to-head.
Cuckoo Warrior vs Coway Villaem 2
| Cuckoo Warrior | Coway Villaem 2 | |
| Filtration technology | 6-stage Nano Positive Filtration System | Reverse Osmosis (RO) |
| pH | 7.3-7.9 | 6.5-7.5 |
| Tank Capacity | 1.0L ambient water 2.8L cold water 1.4L hot water | 6.4L ambient water 3.7L cold water 1.2L hot water |
| Service interval | Every 4 months | Every 2 months |
| Monthly rental | RM100 | RM120 |
| Unique feature | Faucet sterilisation | Detachable faucet, adjustable warm temperature |
| Size | 260mm x 508mm x 508mm | 340 x 523 x 518 mm |
| Contract Period | 5 years | 5 years |
The RO water produced by Coway Villaem 2 is without a doubt cleaner than the Cuckoo with almost zero impurities, with no dissolved minerals.
Another advantage of the Coway Villaem 2 is that users can adjust the hot temperature based on their own preferences.
On the other hand, the Cuckoo uses a Nano Positive Filtration system that produces mild alkaline drinking water.
While it can dispense both cold and hot water, it lacks the adjustable hot water feature found on Coway Villaem 2.
One of its unique features is the integrated faucet sterilization system that sterilizes the faucet and prevents bacterial growth.
Both Cuckoo Warrior and Coway Villaem 2 have their own pros and cons.
With an adjustable hot water selection, Coway Villaem 2 is probably better for people who have kids and need to prepare baby formula.
In contrast, the Cuckoo Warrior is a great choice for small and medium families. It has a cheaper monthly rental price and a unique faucet sterilizer.
Cuckoo Titan vs Coway Kecil
| Cuckoo Titan | Coway Kecil | |
| Filtration technology | Nano Positive Filtration System | Coway Nanotrap |
| pH | 7.3-7.9 | 7.5 |
| Tank Capacity | Tankless | 1.35L Cold |
| Service interval | Every 4 months | Every 2 months |
| Monthly rental | RM113 | RM99 |
| Unique feature | Instant 100°C, adjustable hot water temperature, electrolysis sterilization system, adjustable faucet | Detachable faucet, adjustable warm temperature, cold water tank |
| Size | 166mm x 514mm x 399mm | 180 x 440 x 422 mm |
| Contract Period | 5 years | 5 years |
Both Cuckoo Titan and Coway Kecil use instant water heating instead of hot water tanks for hot water storage. And both of them are nanofiltration water filters.
The Cuckoo Titan is more expensive but it packs more advanced features that are not available on the Coway Kecil.
The three most distinct features are the Instant 100°C, electrolysis sterilization system, and adjustable faucet. They could make a huge difference and be more convenient for daily usage.
If you’re OK with spending RM14 extra a month on the Cuckoo Titan for these extra features, go for it.
For those who prefer cold water on demand, Coway Kecil is the better choice.
Conclusion
As we can see from the comparison, Cuckoo water filters tend to have more innovative features and are cheaper to rent, whereas Coway water filters focus on producing the cleanest drinking water and essential features such as hot and cold water.
It is true that both Cuckoo and Coway water filters are very convenient, but please be reminded that they both require a five-year contract and a monthly commitment of almost RM100.
In fact, I recommend that most families should just purchase a water filter from brands like 3M or Aquasana, which can be bought outright and the cartridges can be changed on their own.