What is Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA PlasmaWave? PlasmaWave acts as a permanent filter to safely break down odor, allergens, chemical vapors and other pollutants with no harmful ozone. When the room is darkened, the unit automatically activates Sleep Mode to ensure continuous, quiet and energy-efficient operation. It changes back to Auto Mode in the presence of light. Get details in Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA review.
What’s in the box?
In the package box, you need to find a Winix 5500-2 air purifier, pre-filter, AOC Carbon Filter, True HEPA filter, remote control, and user manual.
Pros & Cons – Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA
Pros
- Built-in Odor sensor to detect pollution
- Permanent pre-filter, True HEPA-grade particle filter
- Has a total 4 level filtration system
- A pellet-based activated carbon filter, also washable
- Auto-activated sleep mode based on room lights
- AHAM-verified CADR, CARB approved for ozone safety
- Value for money air purifier
Cons
- Remote control lacks a backlight
- PlasmaWave technology produces a small amount of ozone
- There is only one color variant
Specs – Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA
- Weight 14.7 lbs
- Dimensions 23.6″H x 15″W x 8.2″D
- HEPA Class True HEPA
- Filter Life
- HEPA: 12 months
- Carbon: 12 months
- Filtration Technology
- Mechanical 3-Stage: Washable pre-Filter, activated carbon filter, and HEPA filter.
- Electronic: PlasmaWave.
- Common air cleaning technologies of air purifiers.
- Maximum CADR 232 cfm (Tobacco Smoke)
- Room Coverage (8 ft ceilings) 350 sq ft with 5 air changes per hour (calculate ACH for your room).
- Sensors ✔️ (Odor sensor and ambient light sensor)
- Fan Speeds 4
- Automatic Mode ✔️
- Noise Level 27.8 – 54.8 dB
- Rated Power 70 Watt
Price
First Coway, then Winix also takes away some of the flashy extras, without all that much of a day-to-day compromise in this Winix 5500-2. This cost optimization is what holds the Winix 5500-2 in an aggressively competitive segment – the $200 battle. With only one edition, the Winix 5500-2 comes with an official price of $199.
The Winix 5500-2’s air filter cost is $79, which is even higher than the $68 Honeywell HPA300 or $39 Levoit LV-PUR131. Given that the performance rating is just the same with the air purifier from Levoit, we need to consider a lot when buying this Winix 5500-2. Also, you need to replace the air filter once per year, pushing the annual filter cost of this $150 air purifier nearly the same as a $619 high-range Rabbit Air MinusA2.
Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA review
Design
The machine is lightweight overall at only 14 pounds. It also has a deep-pocketed handle at the top of the machine of the back, which makes it easy to pick it up and move it around. It is only 2 feet tall, 15 inches long, and a surprisingly short 8 inches in depth.
The 5500-2 Air Purifier has a boxy, rectangular design with a front and sides air intake and an outlet at the top. The front and sides intake draws in air and passes it through the 3-stage physical filters.
The Winix 5500-2 is a well-designed air purifier. It has a plastic body covered with a luxury Black color
Top panel
The control panel may look reasonably busy, but it makes selecting a control fast and easy. You have the following controls:
- Power button
- Mode (Auto & Sleep)
- PlasmaWave
- Fan Speed (Low, Medium, High, & Turbo)
- Timer (1hr, 4hr, 8hr)
- Filter Reset
The mode button enables you to activate preset modes, namely Auto and Sleep mode.
On the front, we will have 5 function buttons. The button is much easier to press than Winix WAC9500. There is one LED Smart Sensor with 3 different colors to show you exactly the current air quality status in your room. Also, from the front of Winix 5500-2, there is an intake grill to bring in the air.
Room coverage
*The room size calculation is based on an ideal situation. For best practice, consider the size of the room a little less than the calculated value.
| Condition | Required minimum Air Changes per Hour (ACH) | Suitable Room Size (8 ft ceiling) | The time it takes to clean the air in the room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | 2 | 870 sq ft | 30 min |
| Allergies and/or asthma | 5 | 350 sq ft | 12 min |
| Smoke or highly contamination | 8 | 220 sq ft | 8 min |
If you have higher ceilings, use our Air Changes per Hour Calculator to calculate the suitable room size.
the ACH of Winix 5500-2 is only 4X ACH. While the air changes per hour is not as good as the Winix WAC9500, it is still reasonable to exchange the air in your room every 15 minutes.
The CADR of Winix 5500-2 is 243 Dust/ 232 Smoke/ 246 Pollen (cfm). CADR rating tells exactly how fast an air purifier can clean the air within a particular size room. We know the CADR of Winix WAC9500 is slightly better than Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0, but we never expect the power of a cheaper Winix 5500-2 can beat these both $350 air purifiers easily.
At the much lower price, and you have serious problem with allergies and asthma, you should consider Winix 5500-2. This air purifier can cover larger room with a better CADR rating than even the later models of Winix air purifiers.
Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA Filter review
It still utilizes the powerful True HEPA filter with the well-known PlasmaWave Technology to destroy even the smallest pollutant particles. The PlasmaWave is a great technology, that forms Hydroxyl Radicals to attack airborne pollutants that include viruses, bacteria, germs, odors, and chemical gases (VOCs). The pollutants destroyed in the process will reform into the water vapor or harmless air molecules.
True HEPA filter – The True HEPA Filter that captures 99.97% of down to 0.3 microns allergens, virus particles, pollen, mold and fungi particles. Can not be washed.
Pre-filter – A pre-filter will help you capture the large particles of contaminants, from pet hair, pet dander, dust and pollen. It attached with an Activated Carbon filter made of high-grade granular activated carbon, to reduce odors and smokes, and protect against VOCs. This pre-filter is washable to be used for a long time.
Winix PlasmaWave – This technology is one kind of ionizer, which can further reduce the amount of pollutants. Can be switched on/off.
PlasmaWave
Winix PlasmaWave is an advanced technology that is useful at removing harmful airborne pollution. PlasmaWave will start automatically at the first startup. But you can control it with a button on the control panel. If you hear a chirping or buzzing sound while PlasmaWave is on, that is perfectly normal and is a sign that large particles are passing through PlasmaWave.
Noise level
When the air purifier is on a low speed I was able to get a reading of 45 decibels, which is very low. The average noise a home makes at night when nothing is running is about 40 decibels. Whereas something as low as 10 decibels is someone breathing normally. So 45 decibels is barely a whisper. I could hardly hear the machine at this low speed. Unless someone would have told me it was on, I would have never known. It was that quiet.
I decided to run the same test and from the same position when the air purifier was running on turbo speed. I was able to gain a reading of 67 decibels which is still relatively quiet. In comparison to other noises, 70 decibels is what it sounds like when you are driving your car at 60 miles per hour with the windows rolled up. At 80 decibels, the noise level is similar to a hairdryer or washing machine running at low speed.
How to setup Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA?
The Winix 5500-2 air purifier is really simple to operate. There are only a few controls but there are several indicator lights to alert you when something is wrong or needs to be changed. Let go over the indicator lights first.
There is a total of nine different sensors and indicator lights on the air purifier to either keep you informed about the quality of your air or to allow the machine to control itself without you having to do anything. The most basic indicator lights are just to show you how the machine is operating. The fan speed indicator shows you the current fan speed. The timer indicator shows you the amount of time set on the timer function. The sleep indicator, auto indicator, and Plasmawave indicator tell you whether any of these modes have been turned on and are active.
Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA customer review
You don’t know until you smell it
I’ve always been a believer in Air Purifiers and finally got some for our place. We got one from Costco, and then we got a second one (this one). It wasn’t until the Bobcat fire and few others were raging that our SoCal air quality was bad, that we could actually smell the difference in our home from the outside air. The Winix works amazing and the Auto feature is awesome to have, especially for the price (in comparison to the BlueAir 411, that I have in my work office). I feel that the actual Charcoal filter on this model works better than the carbon filter on the cheaper Winix models (we have the C535 in our bedroom), but that is my opinion. I highly recommend, this was my second unit purchased. Got one for my lil bro to use in my nieces bedroom, and got one for the Mother in Law also.
By Torito at Best Buy
Alternate of Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA (review)
Blueair Blue Pure 211+
Pros:
- Robust 540 square feet of cleaning capacity
- Industry-leading five air changes per hour
- AHAM Verifide
- Energy Star certification
- Impressive CADR rating
- Single-button design
- Smart features for filter replacement
- Respectable five-year warranty, including 60-day free returns
- Free shipping
- Lowest setting produces 31 decibels
Cons:
- No Wi-Fi connectivity
- No on/off timer
- Filter replacements are $50 every six months
When you consider the risks associated with indoor air quality (3), this air purifier is a true lifeline. While it does not have a true HEPA filter classification, it outperforms HEPA standards in several ways. The air purifier captures 99 percent of pollutants 2.5 microns or larger.
Think about what the best air purifiers should have in them. Expansive coverage. Thorough filtration. Low energy consumption. Odor elimination capacity. The Blueair Blue Pure 211+ has all of these features in spades.
Blueair air purifiers pack an impressive punch, covering 540 square feet with five air changes each hour. That comes with a CADR rating of Smoke 350 / Dust 350 / Pollen 350. This CADR makes it one of the best pound-for-pound air purifiers available.
The secret is advanced Swedish filter technology. Each of the air purifiers can trap bacteria, dander, and pollen as well as the minuscule particles like viruses that a HEPA filter cannot. Plus, the pre-filter is machine washable and comes with an indicator when it needs to be replaced.
The outstanding design also extends to Blueair’s efficiency. The air purifier has Energy Star certification, using no more than 60 watts while active. Additionally, the entire device uses a single button interface, and AHAM independently confirmed the CADR rating.
This Blueair air purifier will well-equipped to any handle room in the house. The compact design fits snuggly in any open area. Meanwhile, the lowest speed produces only 31 decibels, which is the equivalent of a whisper.
The only components that may earn your ire are the filter replacements and lack of smart features. The filter needs to be replaced every six months, which costs $50 each time. Additionally, the device comes with the apps, voice controls, or Wi-Fi connectivity that you can find on Dyson air purifiers. That said, if you want a reliable air purifier with world-class filtration, the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ is worth a look.
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