It is important to maintain healthy air quality indoors since this is where you and your family spend most of your time together. Outdoor pollution can easily seep into residential and office buildings causing harm if inhaled repeatedly. Moreover, if any of the residents suffer from allergies or asthma then the best option is to invest in an Winix air purifier that will keep your air clean and fresh. The following review of Winix 5500 vs 5300 will help you when picking the best Winix air purifier.
List of The Best Winix Air Purifier
PRODUCTS | Winix 5500 | Winix 5300 | Winix A231 | Winix HR900 |
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Winix 5500 VS 5300: Which Is The Best Winix Air Purifier?
Both Winix 5500 and 5300 have some similar and different features. The performance of the 5300-2 is good, but it weighs only 17.6 pounds. The cost price of this purifier is relatively low, but its carbon filter needs to be replaced, which is very expensive.
The 5500-2 air purifier stands out with advanced carbon filtration technology, which can remove more household odors. In the long run, it is also more portable. Despite the high purchase price, the carbon filter can be cleaned without expensive replacement.
In the battle of Winix 5300 VS 5500, both are great products. But I’ll pick the 5500 air purifier over Winix 5300. It provides better air purification effect and low maintenance cost.
Check out the thorough reviews of the best Winix air purifier below.
1. Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA
Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA is one of the finest among air purifier products that are available in the market today. In this product review, we will explore its various features and how this product can be the right fit for your requirements.
Features of Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA
We have reviewed Winix 5500 based on parameters like design, size, features, functionality, operational cost, sound, effectiveness, coverage, and power consumption. These are discussed in more detail below:
Product Design
After you open the box and take out the air purifier, the first impression of the product is highly positive. The product is smartly designed, and the black color makes it look modern and impressive. The high-grade plastic body is suitable for this daily use product.
In comparison to the previous Winix air purifier models, the buttons on Winix 5500 are smoother and easier to press. It even boasts on an LED Smart Sensor that is designed to indicate the quality of air in the room. The sensor displays 3 different colors helping you assess when the air is purified.
Other than this, the product design has incorporated all essential features of traditional air purifiers including the intake grill and the outlet air vent.
Functionality
The Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA uses a dual activated carbon layer before filtering through the plasma-wave system. The 3 components help achieve effective filtering and air purification.
Winix’s AOC or Advanced Odor Control layer is the first stage where polluted air particles are filtered using the activated carbon filter. This filter is mainly responsible for scrubbing away all the dirt in the air present in the room. It is particularly effective in eliminating all odors.
On a functionality and performance front, the activated carbon filters in Winix 5500 work much better than most other purifiers. This is crucial as activated carbon filters act as the first step of the purification process and help eliminate all major dust and pollutants from the air.
Cost
It is certainly not easy to put a price tag on the quality of the air that you get to inhale with air purifiers. Having said that, Winix 5500 is aggressively priced at under $200 without compromising on the quality of its air purification process. Although, at this price range, it is also hounded by competitors as most mid-range air purifier manufacturers ten to price their products around the same price. In fact, Winix’s other air purifiers also come within the same price range. It really boils down to other factors like effectiveness, power consumption, noise level, etc.
Effectiveness
Air purifiers are indoor products and therefore, their effectiveness is typically measured in terms of the size of the room that they can help purify. The Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA can easily filter the air in a room the size of 360 square feet. This is despite the fact that the ACH of Winix 5500 is confined to 4X only. The per-hour air change rate is fairly average but the air within the room can be conveniently exchanged every fifteen minutes or so.
The CADR is another important measure of the effectiveness of an air purifier. In terms of CADR, the reading for Winix 5500 are smoke (232 cfm), dust (243 cfm), pollen (246 cfm). These readings are impressive considering the cost of Winix 5500 making it an ideal option for those with allergies or asthma and a tight budget. Although, some experts claim that the Plasmawave functionality can lead to irritation in those suffering from asthma.
Power Consumption
Air purifiers require to be switched on for longer durations to increase their effectiveness and maintain the quality of air indoors. Since these machines run on power, energy consumption is a key concern with users as well as air purifier manufacturers. Winix 5500 comes with 5 inbuilt fan speeds and this can take up the power consumption levels.
Surprisingly, Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA consumes almost half the power of industry leaders like Honeywell. On average, if you use Winix 5500 daily during office hours, then your annual consumption will be in the range of $24-$25. Therefore, from an operational cost point of view, our verdict is that Winix 5500 is a highly affordable air purifier that is efficient to run and operate as well.
Noise Level
The Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA comes equipped with high fan power. Moreover, it has 5 fan speeds making it nearly impossible to be a silent machine. In spite of all the improvements and modifications, this powerful machine is noticeable in the room. The noise levels are under 30 decibels. In fact, the sleep setting noise levels are rather low although not as low as the leading products in the air purification industry.
On the other hand, when switched to the ‘turbo’ level, the Winix 5500-2 air purifier can be noisy. And the noise levels can go up to nearly 60 decibels. While this may not be much of a concern in a residential setting, switching on the turbo mode in an office environment can cause loud enough noise that you cannot ignore. Therefore, in such cases, it is recommended to use it at regular settings or the sleep mode.
How Does Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier Work?
At a high level, Winix 5500 works on a 3-step filtration level. These three layers include the activated carbon layer, the HEPA filter, and finally the plasmawave filtration.
The air is first cleaned of all major pollutants and dirt before sending it to the HEPA layer. The HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) system cleans the air further with minute level filtration and purification. At this stage, even harmful bacteria, dust mites, pet dander, and viruses can get trapped in the HEPA filter making the hair pure and harmless.
Plasmawave is the last stage of the 3-step filtration process. The system functions by releasing hydroxyls inside the air that is filtered before it is released into the room. Hydroxyls naturally occur in the environment and attack the pollutants and harmful substances in the air by helping to kill them. The air purifier works on the same principle and releases these hydroxyls along with the air for purification as well as odor control.
Functioning
The Winix 5500-2 air purifier includes different fan speeds. Depending on your requirement, you can set the machine to work at turbo, high, medium, or low fan speeds. Moreover, you also have the option of switching off the plasmawave process. The LED indicators show three levels of air pollution and you can see the light changing as air quality improves.
Other than this, the sleep mode and auto mode features are excellent for ensuring that you inhale a healthy air quality at all times without worrying about the settings of the air purifier.
Filter Replacement
The filters will require a replacement when the indicator light comes on. In Winix 5500 this will happen annually. Both activated carbon filters, as well as the HEPA filter, will require replacement once a year. In fact, the replacements come as bundles of 1 HEPA and 2 carbon filters. Apart from filter replacement, the Winix 5500, like other air purifiers, does not incur any expense with regard to specialized maintenance service requirements.
In comparison to older Winix air purifier models, the Winix 5500 is definitely an improvement. Here is a comparison of its benefits and disadvantages from a product point of view.
Pros And Cons
2. Winix 5300-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA
Even though the air quality in office or residential spaces might seem clean to the naked eye, it can be dense with pollutants, bacteria, viruses leading to allergies or other ailments. Air purifiers are the best gadgets to take control of this situation, especially if you are prone to allergies or suffering from asthma. The Winix 5300-2 air purifier with true HEPA is an excellent option for first-time users as it offers all of the main benefits of an effective air purifier at an attractive price. In this guide, we will highlight its main features and how the product can help you breathe a purer air indoors.
Features of Winix 5300-2 Air Purifier with True HEPA
The following feature review of Winix 5300 talks in detail of essential air purifier elements like cost usability, design, coverage, noise levels, and power consumption.
Product Design and Shape
The first look of Winix 5300-2 air purifier with true HEPA leaves an average impression. There is nothing new or exciting about the design and shape of this product. Having said that, it is sensibly designed with a small base and durable plastic exterior. It is also much lighter in weight as compared to the original Winix 5300 model.
The air purifier is designed to work with a bottom-to-top flow of air and this design feature is popular with most Winix products. This system is created to quicken the pace of air purification in smaller or compact devices and Winix 5300-2 is no exception.
The control panel is conveniently located near the top rather than in the front making it easier to turn on and control. The panel also includes a Smart Sensor indicator that is the only LED light feature in this air purifier.
Price
Like most Winix products, this air purifier is also reasonably priced and is quite affordable to operate as well. But you get what you pay for. For instance, the air purifier functions excellently well with respect to its price point, but it does not include certain luxury features like a remote control.
Priced under $200, this Korean product is often sold with attractive deals to bring down the price even further.
Moreover, the filter replacements are available from Winix at an affordable price as well. And apart from the filters, there is no need for replacing any other component.
Ease of Use
The Winix 5300-2 is user-friendly and convenient to operate. Just make sure that the air purifier is set up on a hard and level surface, to begin with. Try and keep it away from other electrical appliances. Once you have removed all the plastic wrapping from the filters and other components and assembled the unit as per the manufacturer’s instructions, you can go ahead and plug it in. The Winix 5300-2 air purifier with true HEPA works on different intensity levels and also comes with inbuilt sleep and auto function modes.
Lastly, the filters are easy to clean and replace. The prefilter can be cleaned manually every week or so. The carbon filters require a change every quarter and the HEPA filter needs to be replaced annually. The replacements can be easily sourced from the marketplace or Winix online.
Coverage
The fan power of Winix 5300-2 remains the same as the older 5300 models and the room coverage is defined at a comfortable range of 360 square feet. This is pretty much standard for most air purifiers in this price range and capacity.
The product’s CADR is dust (243 cfm), smoke (232 cfm), and pollen (246 cfm). These figures are an improvement on the previous 5300 models. In other words, the Winix 5300-2 models are capable of cleaning the air in the room much faster than the older versions.
On the ACH front, the Winix 5300-2 is at 4X. This is a fairly decent ACH reading and you can easily expect the air to be filtered and cleaned every 15 minutes or so when the air purifier is on.
Noise Level
Noise levels of the Winix 5300-2 air purifier with true HEPA are slightly lower than other products in the same price and feature range. With the levels at under 29 decibels, this air purifier can be installed in any indoor space without having to worry about disturbance and noise. And despite the low noise levels, there is no reduction in the fan speed or the level of air purification in the premises.
Power Consumption
Air purifiers need to operate almost all throughout the day to have the required effect on the air quality indoors. Therefore, they can become a financial burden to operate if these gadgets are not optimized for less power consumption.
The Winix 5300-2 can consume up to 58 watts of power. While this is on the higher side when compared to industry leaders, the annual increment in your electricity bill with 8 hours of daily average usage will only be around $20-$22. This is a very low cost to incur for the availability of pure, clean, and healthy air.
How Does Winix 5300-2 Air Purifier Work?
Winix 5300 works similarly to the Winix 5500 model. The only difference is that Winix 5300-2 does not contain AOC carbon filters and remote control. The product comes with inbuilt dust sensors that are high in quality and a game-changer for entry-level air purification products like the Winix 5300.
The Smart Sensor will switch on as and when it detects any deterioration in the air quality, prompting you to activate the air purifier and prevent allergies. Also, the lack of remote control can be easily overcome with the ‘auto’ feature. The auto mode is capable of adjusting the speed of the fan depending on the conditions of the room.
Filtration Process
The Winix 5300-2 air purifier with true HEPA follows a 3-step air filtration process. In the first stage, known as pre-filter, the contaminated air passes via the built-in filter where large size pollutants like pet hair, dander, etc., are caught. The activated carbon component of the filter also helps reduce foul smells and odors from entering with the clean air.
The next step in the filtration process is further air purification in the HEPA filter. The HEPA filter of the Winix 5300-2 is capable of capturing over 99% of pollutant particles including bacteria, fungi, viruses, mold, pollen, and other allergens. This is also the main layer of the filtration process.
Lastly, the cleaned air passes through the Winix PlasmaWave technology. This is where the ionization of the clean air happens to further eliminate pollutants from the air before it is finally released back in the room.
Filter Maintenance and Replacement
The pre-built filter can be removed and cleaned manually every 10-15 days as it does most of the heavy lifting. The carbon sheets require change and replacement every 3 months for the product to function properly and the HEPA filter must be replaced with a genuine part every year in order to maintain optimum air quality. The frequent cost of filter replacement can make this a relatively expensive product in the long run.
Benefits and Drawbacks
Like most other products that are available in the market, the Winix 5300-2 air purifier with true HEPA comes with certain drawbacks. However, these are overshadowed by the numerous benefits of this air Winix air purifier.
Pros And Cons
What Makes A Good Winix Air Purifier?
1. Purification Technology
It is recommended to choose air purifiers with three types of technologies: physical filtration, chemical decomposition filtration, and ion technology. Physical filtration technology is the first choice. In order to ensure the purification effect, try to choose air purifiers with multiple purification technologies when purchasing, and avoid choosing air purifiers with electrostatic dust collection technology.
2. The Amount of Clean Air
An air purifier with a larger amount of clean air has a larger purification area and more purification cycles. The standard for the number of cycles of the air purifier is 5 cycles per hour. When purchasing, you need to consider whether the clean area of the air purifier matches the room area. If the clean area is smaller than the room area, the expected cleaning effect will not be achieved. Therefore, you should try to buy an air purifier with a large amount of clean air.
3. Filter Grade
The higher the HEPA network level, the smaller the particle diameter that can be filtered, and the better the filtering effect. It is recommended to choose an air purifier with a HEPA network level above H12, and if possible, choose an air purifier equipped with a H13 level HEPA network.
4. Energy Consumption
Under the same purification effect, the lower the power of the air purifier, the lower the power consumption. In addition to power, some air purifiers have an automatic mode, which can automatically adjust the air volume according to the indoor situation, so as to save power, and can also extend the service life of the filter. When purchasing, you should try to choose air purification with automatic mode device.
5. Noise
The following three aspects are recommended to consider the noise problem when purchasing. The first is whether the sleep mode can really achieve ultra-quiet, the second is whether the noise generated during the maximum air volume can be tolerated, and the third is whether the noise in the automatic mode acceptable. Some purifiers use DC brushless ultra-quiet motors and additional silent cotton technology to effectively reduce noise. When buying, you can give priority to air purifiers that have adopted these two silent technologies.
Final Thoughts
As one of the oldest companies in this business, Winix 5500-2 air purifier with true HEPA is supported by a robust customer care system that users have access to at all times of the day. Further, the product is built to offer the best quality for air at an extremely affordable price point both from a one-time purchase and the daily operation as well. Winix 5500-2 also comes with a one-year warranty and is suitable for a number of situations. This product may fall short of features offered by industry leaders, but it is certainly an improvement from its predecessors.
If you are looking for an entry-level air purifier with all the essential features, then the Winix 5300-2 air purifier with true HEPA is an ideal buy. While it may not contain the luxury feature of Winix 5500-2 or other high-end air purifiers, Winix 5300-2 air purifier is true value for money, especially if you are not sure how long you will use it for. At such a low price point, very few products in the market are capable of cleaning the air in such an effective manner.
Enjoyed this? Then be sure to check out our other guides on Medify MA-40 air purifier and Best Ozone Free Air Purifiers.
