Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Winix Air Purifier with True HEPA Carbon Filter

Fantastic Machine, Automatic, Very Quiet, Great looking

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2020

Color: Charcoal GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

** 3-week update **
After a few weeks a clicking noise developed in the fan when running on the sleep (lowest) speed. Looking at the fan it appears there maybe an imbalance that over the weeks developed into a motor shaft tapping. Make sure to inspect your unit for a balanced fan. I just issued a replacement on the 5500-2 so we'll see what happens.

** Original **
I spent weeks comparing units on Amazon and elsewhere. I didn't want to spent > 200 on an overbuilt fan, or be stuck buying overpriced filters. I ended up buying the Winix 5500-2 and Renpho AP002 and first impressions with the two units are that they both appear well built, quiet, and have the automatic mode I really wanted.

TL;DR;
Winix 5300-2 - Quieter w/Smarter hands off Automatic technology & Ionizer - Set and Forget!
Winix 5500-2 - Identical in Black w/Remote & washable carbon filter
Renpho AP001 - Incredible unit, Amazing filters, Low cost ownership!
Renpho AP002 - Almost identical, slightly more air volume

FILTERS
The Renpho filter has a price and feature advantage over the Winix. Both units have H13 Hepa filters, both have the honeycomb active carbon filters (for capturing VOC), and both have a washable pre-filters for catching large particles. The Renpho however has 2 bonus layers, a microbial coating on the Hepa filter, and an additional charcoal filter sitting before the carbon filter to collect larger particles. The Winix does claim the active carbon filter is washable - Renpho does not make this claim, however both appear similar so it maybe purely marketing. The Renpho filter is shorter and fatter - if you ran the numbers they both likely have similar surface area, thought the Winix is CADR rated for 360 sqr/ft while the Renpho is 330 sqr/ft. They are close.

Renpho OEM filters sell for $25 for a full replacement. Winix OEM filters sell for $50 for a full replacement. Renpo claims the filter should be changed every 6 months, Winix claims every 12. I assume this is reflected in their price strategy, however since the filters are so similar, I doubt both claims can be true - and this all depends on how dirty your air is! So cost of ownership is likely less with the Renpho.

AIR IONIZATION
The Winix comes with an Ionizer (called Plasmawave) and Renpho does NOT. The Ionizer charges any particles passing through the unit so they are heavier and will float to the ground and out of air. If you're concerned about Ozone gasses, then this is a feature you can disable and is not a feature on the Renpho.

SOUND
This is a real issue for me - I am sensitive to sound and like the home quiet at night. Deciding on a unit for my children makes this even more important, and I don't want to force them into a white machine for air filtration. In Sleep mode the Winix is significantly more quiet at (advertised) 26dB where the Renpho is at 35dB. With the Winix 10ft from the bed I can just barely hear it. The Renpho is noticable but not "loud". The Winix appears to have 5 speed modes, Sleep, Low, Med, High, and Turbo. The Renpho has just 3 modes, Low, Med, High, with Sleep mode being the Low mode with lights off. Here's the rub however - outside of Sleep mode, the Winix sounds "louder" having a higher pitched whine while the Renpho is more of a hum. If I was going to just set this on High in a corner and forget it, then Renpho is the winner. For a quiet bedroom the Winix appears the winner.

AUTOMATIC MODE
This was a huge feature for me and the Winix is a much "smarter" unit. Both units have a similar Automatic feature, sensing the air, bringing the fan speed up or down according to the readings. Both have light(s) indicating the current air quality reading. The Winix however had a light sensor that, when the unit is in Automatic mode, will place the unit in Sleep mode when the lights go out (for more than 1 min). In the morning the unit goes back into Automatic mode. This is huge if you appreciate how quiet the unit is. You can set the Winix to Automatic mode and not touch it until your next filter cleaning. If you wish to use the Sleep mode on the Renpho you will need to push the Speed button to cycle through the speed options back to Sleep - and then again in the morning cycle back to Auto. In reality you maybe better covering the lights with black tape and leaving it in Auto or just leave it in Sleep mode permanently.

REMOTE
Winix has one, Renpho not - for my needs this is a non-issue.

CHILD LOCK
Renpho has one, Winix does not - this is a great feature if young kids are around!

APPEARANCE
Personally I think the Winix looks clean, modern, and the black color blends well into a corner near furniture. The Renpho AP002 like the Renpho AP001 have their signature funky look which is fine but not as refined. It's an air purifier, so who cares, but it is also a visible piece of equipment in your home.

For us the Winix seems more appropriate for a bedroom, the Renpho for a living room. Winix higher cost of ownership justified by the features and sound levels, Renpho for lower ownership cost.

If the Renpho unit was QUIETER (ahem - hint hint Renpho) then I would just go that route - save on upfront and ownership cost.

SIMILAR MODELS
The Winix 5300-2 and Winix 5500-2 are the exact same physical unit in different colors with different filters. The 5300 is gray, the 5500 is black. Only the 5500 has a remote. The 5500 has their "advanced" AOC Washable Active Carbon filter, while the 5300 has a disposable active carbon. The 5300 Hepa filter is slightly thicker (good) and you get 4 disposable filters with each replacement. If you buy the 5500 and don't like the washable filter it comes with you can buy the 5300 replacement pack and use them instead. For $23 more we went with the Winix 5500-2 to test the AOC filter, and for the black aesthetic. Currently you can get the 5300-2 for $129 (Amazon) and when I purchased the Winix 5500-2 for $152 (now listed at $159 on Amazon).

The Renpho AP001 (often found as RP-AP001 or AP-001) and Renpho AP002 are very similar products, both using the exact same filters, having different aesthetic designs, and with the AP002 having more airflow (for supposedly the same sound levels) and covering 30 sqr/ft more space. The AP001 has a dedicated Sleep button while the AP002 Sleep mode is the first option on the Speed cycle button - more daily button work for you. Currently the AP001 sells for $99 (Renpho direct) while the AP002 for $137 (Amazon). I bought the AP002 thinking the newer model maybe more quiet than advertised. If we get another Renpho it will be the AP001 for $37 bucks less.

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Mevo F.

Best Investment We Made!

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2024

Color: Charcoal GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

If you are here, I’d be willing to take a bet that you did your research and saw this air purifier recommended across the internet. I’m here to say, the research you did led you to the right place.

TL;DR:
Amazing, cut down on airborne pet hair, but a bit loud (when running on high) and may need multiple for a living area. Great value for your money. 5/5 ⭐️

UPSIDES:

This air purifier is simply amazing. Me and my wife purchased this due to our two dogs (Husky mix and a Shiba Inu) constantly shedding to the point you could visibly see hair floating through the air. While running one of these in our living room (which exceeds the 360 sq. ft. rating of the purifier) is not the end-all solution to the shedding, it has drastically increased the air quality, and after just 8 hours of running, it decreased amount of hair floating around. I had my doubts as air purifiers don’t particularly work to eliminate pet hair, but this puts in the work to bring it back to a manageable amount.

We have identified “hot spots” of where the dog hair tends to conglomerate due to fans and the A/C, and decided to place it in one of those areas. Within a half hour, the air quality was NOTICEABLY cleaner and easier to breathe. Me and my wife would walk in the area of the fan, then go to another room and physically feel the difference in air quality.

Around the 8 hour mark I opened the front face and removed a significant amount of pet hair that had been built up on the mesh screen. If you plan on using these to cut down on pet hair, I personally believe it would be beneficial to identify those areas where the hair tends to build up to position your air purifiers. I’m not saying that this has eliminated or even cut down on the amount we have to vacuum and sweep, but it has helped with the floating dust and hair that accumulates in the air.

DOWNSIDES:

Noise. (Potentially)
So if you’re expecting this to be super quiet and unnoticeable, I’m sorry to say this may not be it if you’re running this on turbo. If you only need to run this on a low to high settings to help remove small amounts of particulates from the air, it will be quiet. However, for our pet hair removal needs, we keep it on Turbo, leaving it sound a little louder than any average fan you get from the store. If you are okay with a bit of white noise running in the background, you will be fine. The noise is much quieter (borderline non-existent) when running on sleep mode to high fan, which could be enough based on your needs, but is not enough for us.

Rated Area. (Potentially)
This fan is rated for a room 360 sq. ft. While that is large enough for most bedrooms, it may not be enough to satisfy a living area, especially if your house is open concept. I would recommend considering investing in two fans for a larger room (but keep in mind how loud the fan is). If you think you need multiple for a single room, consider investing in one to start so you can hear how loud it is, if you like it and want another for a second room and a second for the same room, only get one more and see how well you can manage the noise of two running at the same time in the same room.

Air Quality Light:
The purifier has a built in light indicator to indicate air quality which is nice, but not super informative, as there is no guide to tell you what it’s measuring or what the measurements are… honestly it could just be a light on a timer schedule for all we know, as the manual only says it indicates air quality in “red (poor), Amber (fair), and Blue (good)”

VALUE:
If you can continue to find this around $150 dollars (how much I was able to purchase it for), the value for the amount you’re spending is perfect.

I will try to update this review when we purchase a second system and have it running in the same room as the first.

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anonymous

Works great. Very quiet. Easy to use.

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2020

Color: Charcoal GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

After much research and reading and watching reviews, I chose this brand and model. I like it because it has a washable carbon filter with actual charcoal chunks, and many other brands do not. I like the Plasmawave to generate negative ions, and I can turn it off if I want. I like the Auto and Night settings and the timer option. I was interested in the remote, but haven't used it much yet. It runs very quietly unless you turn it on High/Turbo, but that is usually for only a few moments, and it really isn't that noisy. Seems very sturdy and well built (apparently in Korea). It is attractive looking and doesn't take up much space.

It was easy to get setup, and exciting to turn on for the first time, as I've become a bit obsessed with fresh air. Being that my house is clean, no pets, no smoking, mostly fresh foods and not much cooking, one person most of time, the air is pretty clean anyway. So I wasn't surprised to see the Air Quality Indicator deem my great room to be "fair" (amber colored light) instead of "poor" as you would expect in a home not previously purified. I put it on high, and after 10 minutes the room was "good" (blue light). I let it run on high for another hour, and moved to another area of the large great room area. That room started at good and stayed that way.

I then moved it to my bedroom, which started out as at fair, then quickly changed to good. I put it on Auto, and it ran so quietly I didn't even hear it. I kept it on Night mode in my bedroom and it didn't bother me at night at all. The only light that stayed on was the little white night mode light - the air quality bar and all other lights turn off. It did illuminate my room a bit, but nothing that my usually worn eye mask can't take care of. But I will probably place tape over it when I use it in my bedroom going forward. I loved the fresh air scent of the house in the morning after my first night. Moved it to great room again for the day and set on Auto. All still "good" blue color, until I made coffee. Quickly turned to amber "fair", automatically ramped up to fan setting 3, and in 5 minutes the odor was cleared and I was back to good. A little disappointing, I love the smell of freshly ground coffee, but that is the price paid for fresh air.

It being hot here, I really enjoyed the slight breeze from the movement of air in the rooms. I found myself turning the A/C to a higher temp because I already had some air flow from the purifier. It is like having a fan on in the room, without the additional noise of 2 units.

The instructions were clear, easy to setup, easy to understand how to use. Lightweight for a 60+ woman to carry from room to room. I believe I will get another one for my bedroom, so can keep one setup in the great room as well so I don't have to move it around. Wish it also came in white for my bedroom.

I am mostly keeping it on Auto, and Night mode in my room. So far it seems to keep the air nice and clean that way. I've seen reviews where they suggest keeping on Manual so you can run it on fan setting 2 or 3. But since Auto is doing the job, why do that? When I know something may have assaulted the air quality and I want it cleared pronto, I turn it to High myself until clear, and then set back on Auto - only because I'm obsessed right now about clean air. Going forward, I will probably just leave on Auto the majority of the time. If you decide to buy this air purifier, I think you will be very happy with it.

26 people found this helpful

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Don Quixote, et al.

Great purifiers, but skip the washable carbon filter.

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024

Color: Charcoal GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

UPDATE:
I've raised the star rating on the 5500-2, but only because I replaced the included washable carbon filter with one of the wool-style disposable ones. With the washable one, the machine was noticeably louder than the 5300-2 model. Using the disposable filter brings the noise level down to normal. I'm still reserving one star because of this inconvenience. I'd certainly recommend the 5500-2 machine if you use the filters intended for the 5300-2. The only actual difference between the machines is that the 5500-2 has a remote control.

But overall, these winix purifiers, especially the 5300-2, are amazing. My oldest one has been running 24/7 for almost 10 years and is still working perfectly. It also excels at catching cat hair in the outer prefilter. And the Sleep setting makes the machines virtually silent at night. Sure, some other brands may be prettier, but for me the most important thing next to purifying ability is being as quiet as possible at night.

One last note for cat owners: One of my Winix purifiers is reserved for sitting right next to the litter box. It does an amazing job at helping with fresh odors. As long as you clean the box daily, guests may not even realize there's a cat.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I've had 2 if the 5300-2 modelsnfor several years, and they're awesome air purifiers. I wanted a third, so bought the 5500-2 because it was on sale. I'm not going to return it, but am a little disappointed that on Level 1 power, it's noticeably louder than the 5300-2. I thought the new one would go in my bedroom, but I might keep the older model there.

It's possible the problem is the washable carbon filter. I have no intention of wasting my time washing a carbon filter that needs to be replaced once a year anyway, especially since you get so many disposable carbon filters free when you buy Hepa filters. I intend on using the same 5300-2 filters in the 5500-2 unit when it's time to change. Despite the confusing instructions, the 5300-2 filters fit fine, and don't require washing and waiting 24 hours for the carbon filter to dry.

So to summarize, the older 5300-2 gets 5 stars. This newer model only gets 3.

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N. Bajza

Excellent

Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024

Color: GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

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I like the air quality first sneezeless night in years.
Studio apartment so unit has to cover at least sleep/living room area 267 sq ft
I like the auto feature / select and unit does the rest. Light dims when lights go out.
Powerful and efficient well made
Easy to clean just remove front panel. Pre filter can be easily removed for cleaning or left in place and vacuumed. Way easier than round purifiers. I had 3 of a well known brand and I didn’t like flipping them upside down to open and remove filter. I also didn’t like rotating the filter to vacuum …very awkward
I like the price of the unit and the filter replacements which are cheap. Reading reviews that said the washable carbon filter made the 5505 noisier so I went with the 5503. I don’t like washable and prefer disposable anyway…,faster. The round brand name unit is expensive and filters expensive to replace.
Winix has Easy to carry handle built into top if it needs to be moved.
I think this model will go into my large bathroom next to the litter box… I have 2 cats. It is a separate room from the rest of the apartment so it needs its own. Winix has a smaller round model which would probably be a more appropriate size but I don’t like the round ones. Then I plan to get the 9800 to replace it to be sure my whole studio is fully circulated. There is the kitchen and hall. It is the same as 5503 with same filters but wider opening on front panel and larger motor/fan and deeper (12”) to accommodate.
I set the 5503 on auto and leave it whether my windows are open or not. Might as well purify air coming on.
9800+5503 for studio probably way overkill but I like that…they will clear the air fast and noiseless. Larger units can run on lower speeds. I am sitting here writing this review with my nose enjoying every breath…. Ahhhhhhhh. It feels so good I just want to sit and breathe

Update 4/27 one week later
As planned got the 9800 for living/sleeping/kitchen in my small studio and moved this one 5503 to large bathroom next to litter box
New pics added showing filters when I first removed front cover. 5503 did nice job of catching fur and litter dust.
Second set of pics show after vacuuming both pre filter and carbon since it is not washable. Area lower right is next to litter box so filtered more. Rotated and replaced
Hepa filter pristine
May have to replace carbon more often
Might get 2 washable and rotate weekly so use one while other dries like I do with my robot vac
Update 4/30
My cats eyes have cleared up. They both used to have a lot of discharge in the corners that I was always cleaning off. They don’t have that anymore since I started using Winix 5503 and 9800.
Update 5/1
Last night my nose was runny so I turned up the 9800 to 3 and my nose cleared up restful night sleep

Update 6/23/24
stayed with replacement carbon filters for both don't like washing, vacuum once month.
5300 doing great in bathroom, gets dust, pet hair. air quality light/fan change with humidity. Carbon filter looks like it will need replacing every 3 months
9800 doing great in living/sleeping/kitchen air quality light changes at times

49 people found this helpful

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Cody

5 years later, still doing a great job

Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2024

Color: GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

We bought this purifier in 2019 to help improve the air quality in an apartment. The building was older and had a ventilation system that, during the winter, would pull cooking smells, smoke, and other odors into our living space. The overall timing turned out to be fortuitous since we ended up spending a lot more time indoors when the pandemic kicked off a year later.

The immediate effect of the purifier was noticeable. Unwanted odors were improved, there was less dust in the air, and we experienced fewer allergy symptoms. Especially since we were in a smaller space (~600 sq ft), this thing really did a great job, even staying on its low setting. It was great piece of mind knowing the air quality was a bit better for our newborn, too.

We’ve since moved into a larger house and this thing is still humming along in our living room. I’m sure it’s less effective in such a large open space, but it’s positioned near our A/C air return, so it’s cleaning up a lot of the air as the A/C circulates air through the whole house. It has remained quiet and effective. I just vacuum out the dust shield every couple weeks, replace or vacuum out the charcoal filter every few months, and change the HEPA filter out annually.

Overall, I don’t think you can beat this for the price. I like that it doesn’t have a remote, an app, and other extraneous things when all I need is cleaner air. I’ll likely upgrade to something larger at some point, but I’ve been super happy with this little guy for over 5 years now.

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Vee.

BUY this if you have pets.

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2024

Color: Charcoal GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

We currently have two cats and this removes any type of odor in the room. It’s so easy clean and doesn’t make noise. If you have the Winix on auto it uses the appropriate setting and is easy to set up. It functions wonderfully under seconds, worth every cent. The shape is a little large and boxy but it’s light enough you can set it up anywhere. It doesn’t get in the way if you set it down anywhere and it sits comfortably anywhere you need it.

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Richard Gross

This actually works!!

Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2023

Color: Charcoal GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

Very impressive appliance. I purchased the Winix 5500-2, after doing a bit of research. I wanted an air purifier, but did not think I "needed" one. Boy, was I wrong. After it was delivered, I ran it for a few days and wanted to know, for sure, this thing actually worked. I purchased a little PM 2.5 meter, that not only allows me to see how much particulate matter was in the air, but also the smaller PM particulates to down to .3um/L. I was amazed at how much was floating around in the air, and what I was breathing.

On average, the PM 2.5um/0.1L barely showed anything. I see anywhere from 2 to 5 ug/m3 on the meter at any given time. Smaller particulates, there were many more of. For instance, particulates in the .3um/0.1L range was constantly over 500, and the particulates in the .5um/0.1L was usually half that. I was completely blown away at how "dirty" our air was.

OK, now the test. Can the Winix 5500-2 clean the air.

Closed up the room, turned the Winix 5500-2 on full blast and let it do its thing. Within just minutes, I can watch (in real time) the numbers drop for the smallest (.3 micron) particulates go from over 500 down to 250, down to 100, and then bottom out at around 20 or so.
For .5 microns, those will hover around 5 or so, and for 1.0 micron, it was usually only 1
Nothing registered for 2.5 microns, unless I made lots of dust deliberately.
So, YES!!! This actually works!!
Remember to watch your carbon dioxide (Co2 numbers) in a closed up room. Air purifiers do not clean Co2

Things that's can be a negative for many folks...
It's loud on full speed. I'm OK with this myself, as it pushes out 250 CFM.
It only has a "sniff" meter, and not an actual PM 2.5 meter. The color bar will only change, if it detects any VOC (volatile organic compound) in the air.
Color bar can not be turned off, unless in sleep mode only. Sleep mode is the lowest fan setting, and can not be adjusted. It is whisper quiet, but air purifying is very low.
Plasma-wave feature can only be turned off from the unit, not with he remote.

For the price, its outstanding filtering performance, and its not bad looking, I give this unit a A+.
Made in South Korea (NOT CHINA)

Update**
I decided to purchase another one. I will update if my opinion changes.

Winix, if you plan to update this model (5500-3), things that should be considered.
Make a Wi-Fi version of this unit.
Keep the VOC sensor, but add a particular sensor.
Plasma-wave needs to be off by default. Let the "user" decide if they want this on or off.
Add the ability to install a 4th filter as an "optional feature", not just a pet/hair filter
Sleep mode fan should be higher.
All lights on the unit should dim in dark rooms or give the "user" the ability to turn them off (not just in sleep mode).

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writersblock73

Keeps Wildfire Smoke Outside

Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2024

Color: Charcoal GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

We've had one heck of a fire season this year--and if you live in the Western United States, I can already see you nodding your head in agreement. That's probably why you're here reading this review. Thank goodness for air purifiers. Chances are you've already looked at tons of them. You might even be confused as to which one to choose. Hopefully I can help you out with that.

In essence, all an air purifier has to do is filter the air and expel it in better shape than it inhaled it. Most units (including the Winix unit here) do this by pulling the air through a HEPA filter--and that certainly helps. If all you're looking to do is reduce dust, you can stop here. Pick a filter, any filter. You'll get the job done.

But why stop with one layer of filtration when this unit offers you four?

When the air enters your Winix, it will first encounter a cleanable dust screen. This screen is much like what you may have in front of your computer case fans. Large particles get stuck here rather than in your HEPA filter, meaning you won’t have to replace the HEPA as often. In fact, Winix recommends replacing the HEPA once a year; you may have noticed that other brands recommend changing filters every three months or so. That’s why, and it serves as Layer One.

The next layer is a honeycomb filter which is filled with activated carbon. You see, HEPA filters alone won't eliminate odors. Just like how activated carbon will remove odors from fish tanks when used as part of the tank's filtration, it also removes odors from the air. Pet dander, wildfire smoke, a certain someone’s love of gassy foods… yeah, you’ll like this function. That’s Layer Two.

Layer Three is the HEPA filter itself. Small particles you may not be able to see--but will still do a number on your eyes and sinuses--get stopped in their tracks here.

Layer Four is a negative-ion filter that Winix calls “Plasmawave.” Without over complicating the science behind it, this feature will make it harder for viruses to spread and will cause smaller particles to sink where they can be collected easier. This feature can be turned off if you don’t see the need for such thoroughness or perhaps you’re skeptical of the process, but I strongly suggest leaving it on.

When it’s time to change (or clean, in the case of your dust screen) your filters, getting to them is easy. The entire front panel is held on by magnets (better than plastic tabs which can break over time). The filters themselves are easy to find right here on Amazon, and they are reasonably priced. You’ll be switched over in minutes. Your biggest hassle just might be tearing your new filters out of its packaging.

Now let’s talk about features. For the vast majority of the people, simply hitting the “auto” button will work. This unit has an air quality sensor, and it will automatically increase its fan speed when it senses that your air quality has declined. Once air quality improves, it’ll slow down its fans. It’s a set-and-forget type of thing.

For those who are more hands-on, you can bypass the auto mode and choose your own fan speed. This is useful if you’re running this unit in a room that needs more “reach,” or if you find the white noise of the fans to be soothing. On maximum speed, the unit is still quiet enough to hold a conversation next to it—a box fan is far, far louder. The filtered air is pushed upward, where it can more easily circulate in the room without diluting the denser polluted air it has yet to filter. This helps the purifier do a more efficient job.

The air quality monitor lets you know what your room’s air quality is by showing you one of three colors: Blue means your air quality is good; Amber means it’s… well… mediocre; Red means bad. Pretty easy stuff, and easy to see from across the room. The various functions and features are backlit, so even in a dark room you won’t have any trouble selecting what you want. For those who are bothered by the indicator lights, there’s a night-time mode which turns them off.

The unit itself is well thought-out and constructed. It doesn’t draw attention to itself, and will blend with most any decor. There’s no remote control that you’ll never use, and the controls are so well laid-out you’ll very likely never need to go digging around for the manual.

My brother-in-law owns this unit, and it was on his recommendation that we ordered ours. We liked our first one so much, we quickly bought a second unit to go in our daughter’s bedroom. The difference has been striking. Now we only have to deal with wildfire smoke when we venture outside. The dry eyes and sniffles have reduced dramatically. If that sounds like the kind of world you wish to create for yourself in your own home, why not place your order today?

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Allen D. Reinecke

One of the better rated air purifiers, but…

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2023

Color: Charcoal GrayPattern Name: Air PurifierVerified Purchase

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UPDATE 3:
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Nov 17 2023, and about 9 months in, I just changed the filters, using genuine Winix filters. The HEPA filter was pretty clogged, as heard from the higher, noisier airflow after changing it. The filter change light had come on a few days ago. I have blown out the HEPA filter several times but I guess a 6-month change is going to be ideal for our home, with all the pet hair and dander.
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The unit continues to run flawlessly on speed '3', 24/7, and noticeably reduces the amount of dust in the living room. The air quality LED is always blue. I read that the sensor only senses odors, not dust, which is probably why. The only exception is when it picks up my freshly applied cologne!
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Definitely a recommended air purifier, though I'm also going to try the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH in our bedroom since there is an Amazon deal. It is also a highly commended and comparable air purifier. It senses dust level, though the carbon filter is inferior.
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UPDATE 2:
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6 weeks in and the purifier is definitely reducing the dust in the living room. I have cleaned the filter elements a couple times and noticed a couple issues. The screen has two snap-in features halfway up the sides. If you don’t ensure they are pushed in fully, dust will bypass the screen, as shown by a gray build-up on the carbon filter at those two areas. Those snaps also cause a problem when removing a dirty screen. The screen vibrates as you pull it out and the snaps disengage with some force. The dust on the screen falls off and makes quite a mess (see photo). You cannot stop this from happening.
Other than these, the purifier is working well.
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UPDATE 1:
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It's been a week and the dust level in the living room is noticeably less, as seen by the much fewer particle count on the surfaces. It's also helping in the adjacent dining room. It's been on speed 3 24/7, only on Turbo when I vacuum. I've already rinsed the prescreen filter and used a damp cloth to wipe the light accumulation from the mesh on the carbon filter.
About 3 days in, I researched the best location for an air purifier. I found some articles that recommended raising the unit 2 to 3ft off the floor. So, I placed my Winix on the side table. It seems to be working well. While I can't prove it's any more effective, it will certainly improve the room air circulation, being more in the center of the airspace. This should also capture more airborne particles.
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The LED bar has only once changed from blue to red. It was because of my cologne!! I had just showered and applied my cologne. As I walked into the room, I saw a red bar. A few minutes later it went back to blue. I got my cologne bottle and sprayed it a few feet from the air purifier and it immediately turned red. The sensor certainly picks up odors!
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I'm still very pleased with the Winix 5500-2 and my daily electricity consumption is not noticeable. Being an engineer, I have a spreadsheet to record my daily kWh year-round! ;-)
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ORIGINAL REVIEW:
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We have 2 dogs and a cat, in a 100-year-old home with air heating blown through old wooden and rusty tin ducts and floor spaces. So, there’s lots of dust. In my research, I saw that dust is never eliminated by air purifiers but can be reduced if it’s suspended in the air and near the filters. It never hurts to have clean air to breathe either.
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The Winix 5500-2 seems to have good performance reviews and at just $145 is excellent value, especially since it contains an activated carbon filter with pelletized carbon within a honeycomb and mesh housing, and not the thin impregnated fabric, which has little absorption capacity and does little. The replacement filters aren’t too expensive when you consider the carbon and pre-screen filters are both washable and will extend the time between filter replacement. The power consumption is low too at only 13.2W on Speed 3, the most practical setting in my opinion (see later). 1kWh of electricity is only consumed after 76 hours, or 3 days, of use. So, in a month, running 24/7, you’ll only consume just under 10 kWh; just over a $1 where I live. Not bad at all.
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When you first plug the unit in and turn it on, it will start up in AUTO mode and it will cycle through the colors on the air quality LED bar as well as play a little tune. On subsequent uses of just the power button, the cycling does not occur and the chime plays, though the color might change as it samples the air quality. It always starts in AUTO with the PLASMAWAVE function on. You have to manually turn that off if so desired.
NOTE: the air quality sensor just senses odors, not dust or pollen particles. It’s very limited in its usefulness. I have a nose to tell me if there are odors! I’d never seen anything other than a blue bar in my living room. Neither the smoke from a single match near the sensor, nor the scent of a candle burning in the room, changed it from blue. However, my wife made a Grilled Cheese sandwich in the kitchen and when I went into the living room, the LED bar was red. Interesting, as the smell was very minimal! I switched to AUTO mode to see if the fan would spool up to Turbo mode, as it should when indicating red. It didn’t. Then the bar changed back to blue. Not sure if it was a software glitch or what. I see little use for the sensor with its limited sensing. 1 Star lost! ☹
The lights are very annoying even in a brightly lit room and absolutely blinding in the dark. They are so bright yet cannot be turned off. The only time they do go off is in the dark, due to the light sensor, but only if the mode is on AUTO, or if you manually select SLEEP mode. The Auto and Sleep mode white light indicators remain on all the time and are still bright.
In AUTO mode at night, if the sensor doesn’t detect any odor, as mine doesn’t, the speed is at miniscule SLEEP speed as that is the predetermined setting for nighttime, which is basically of little use. So, for effective air purification at night in your bedroom, either enjoy the room-illuminating, blue backlight with the fan speed set at 1 or 2, or place a piece of thick card over the lights. This is a bad design feature and loses another Star in my rating! ☹
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For noise levels, Max. level 4 (turbo mode) is very noisy. Just like a simple, cheap window fan. In my living room, it’s not practical to have it running on 4 while watching TV. If you like lots of white noise, this is the setting for you. On setting 3, the TV is watchable and you just get a low-level, pleasant fan hum. My video tries to capture this, and the bright lights. It’s perfectly acceptable at level 3 and has good air cleaning performance. Levels 2 and 1 are very quiet, but of course you are sacrificing fan speed and performance. Speed 3 is half the cleaning power of speed 4. My heating air vents make more noise than speed 3 when the heating is running.
I just leave the air purifier on speed 3, with PLASMAWAVE on, cover the LED display with cardboard and run the Winix 24/7. Initially, I did run at speed 4 for an hour, along with teh ceiling fan, to clean the air after vacuuming. This is useful whenever you see lots of floaters, or you have smells in the room you want to eliminate quickly.
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The exhaust flow from the top vent is biased toward the right, when looking at the front of the 5500-2, by about 30 degrees. This is because the fan is a hamster wheel design, sucking into the center, blowing out radially, and there are baffles inside the exhaust chamber below the top vent, directing the air out of the fan up and to the right side. That is actually useful to develop a circulating airflow around the room, especially on speed 4.
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Per Airpurifiersfirst, CADR scores for dust are 243, pollen 246, and smoke 232.
Fan airflows are…
sleep mode 35.3 cfm
speed 1 70.6 cfm
speed 2 91.8 cfm
speed 3 123.6 cfm
& speed 4 (turbo) 240.1 cfm
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I did not receive the wall-mounted caddy for the small remote. Not happy about that omission, but I wouldn’t have used it anyway. So, no biggie. The remote is limited in its functions (no Plasmawave or timer control), and it’s not that necessary in my opinion. I rarely change the settings and I’m up anyway when I want to. You may like having it.
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CONCLUSION:
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The Winix 5500-2 seems to be working very well. It sits in a 15ft x 16ft x 10ft high (2400+ cubic ft) carpeted living room, with a staircase and a 7ft wide opening into an adjacent 14ft x 14ft x 9ft (1770 cubic ft) hard floor dining room. After vacuuming, dusting and running for an hour in turbo mode, then setting it to speed 3, it’s been running 3 days and the air is actually pretty dust free. This afternoon, the sun was shining in the window and that’s when you see all those particles floating in the air. I saw nothing, literally. Only when the dogs walked through the sunlight did the shedding dander show up in their wake. I could actually see some particles float into the air purifier, some simply landed on the carpet. No air purifier is going to get everything and hair will still pile up on the floor. Turbo mode will get more, certainly not all, but at the cost of excessive noise and energy.
The surfaces in the room usually collect a fine dust layer very quickly, one you can write in! So far, after 3 days, I have negligible dust settling compared with before the purifier, and just a few larger particles on the glass TV stand, for example. So that has been a pleasant surprise. 😉
Looking at the front face of the black carbon filter, I can see that fine dust is collecting on the mesh. It’s a lighter shade than the back face. That material is really fine as it has managed to get through the pre-screen. It’s good that this filter is washable!
At $145 for this level of performance and filtration (go see Airpurifierfirst’s comprehensive reviews), I do think this is an excellent buy. It has its faults with those annoying lights and a limited sensor. If those were addressed, this would be an absolute winner.
I might well buy a second unit, but will see how it performs longer term, and report back. Fingers crossed I don’t need to invoke the 2-year warranty!