Winix 5500-2 Review: By Expert In 2023

By Chris Harding

Winix 5500-2 is the most popular model of the Winx brand, and it also wins the title of Amazon Choice. Here you can read the Winix 5500-2 review.The Winix 5500-2 can clean the dust, pollen, allergies, and mold.

It is the most affordable and best air purifier for larger rooms, Stay with us and read about the power consumption coverage, and filters.

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Winix 5500-2 Size & Design:

Table of Content

This Winix unit is 24 inches tall, 15 inches wide, and 8 inches deep. The Winix 5500-2 weight is 60 and a half pounds.

Winix is a well-designed air purifier at the lowest price in the market. It is completely made with solid plastic materials. However, it does not look cheap like the previous Winix 5300-2.

We will have five function buttons on the top front. In comparison to Winix WAC9500, this button is easier to press. In addition, the LED Smart Sensor shows you exactly where your room’s air quality stands in three different colors. The front of Winix 5500-2 also has an intake grille that pulls air into the system.

The air vent on the top of this Winix 5500-2 is similar to air vents on other classic air purifiers like Winix 5300-2, 6300-2, and Coway Mighty. Nevertheless, the air vent is a bit leaning to the back, making it difficult to direct airflow to the users.

Filters Review of Winix 5500-2

Winix 5500-2 also has a three-stage filtration system like 5300-2 and 6300-2. But the filter replacement cost of the Winix 5500-2 is less than Winix 5300-2 and 6300-2.

Pre-filter

Behind the front grill, you will see a washable pre-filter. The purpose of pre-filter to filter out larger particles so things like hairs, larger fibers, and all types of larger dust particles.

A washable pre-filter is most important because a lot of units in the market have a replaceable pre-filter that means buying and costly. But the pre-filter of Winix 5500-2 is washable and cleanable. So you just vacuum or wash every month so that it will work like a new pre-filter.

True HEPA Filter

Winix 5500-2 has a True HEPA filter. The HEPA filter cleans particles that we can’t see with the naked eye. We usually need a microscope to see these tiny particles. And the size of these particles is 0.3 microns.

The HEPA filter cleans the different types of particles like allergens, dust, mold spores.

Carbon Filter

This unit comes equipped with an activated carbon filter. Many units in the market, especially at this price point down, come equipped with a fibrous filter coated with carbon.

The carbon filter inside of this Winix 5500-2 has a plastic honeycomb design, and inside of that plastic frame, there are activated carbon pellets when the air travels through here.

Winix PlasmaWave – This technology is one kind of ionizer, Which can destroy the mold DNA markup and reduce the growth of the mold.

Note: The Winix 5500-2 has a washable carbon filter. So you can use this air filter for a long time.

Pros

Improved technology
Well built for the price
Good overall performance
Recommended For Asthma & Allergies
A Low Price

Cons

Some still claim that PlasmaWave irritate asthma

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Coverage of Winix 5500-2

With nearly the same price as Levoit LV-PUR131, Winix 5500-2 also offers similar room coverage, with no less than 360 square feet. The AHAM verified room size of our Winix 5500-2 is even much better than the successor Winix WAC9500, while has a 25% of price reduction.

Another important thing is Winix 5300-2 and 6300-2 are much expensive than Winix 5500-2, but they also cover the same 360 square feet. So that why this is the better one from the high price Winix 6300-2 and 5300-2.

Winix 5500-2 has only 4X ACH. It is still reasonable to exchange the air in your room every 15 minutes, even though it is not as good as the Winix WAC9500.

Winix 5500-2 has a CADR of 232 Smoke/ 243 Dust/ 246 Pollen (CFM). Air purifiers are rated by their CADR rating based on their capacity to clean the air within a room of a particular size.

Winix 5500-2 is a much better option if you have allergies and asthma, considering it’s a much lower price. In addition, the Winix air purifier with this CADR rating is more powerful than the later models from Winix.

How Winix 5500-2 Works?

Winix 5500-2 Sound

With 5 fan speeds, I don’t think any air purifier could be quiet, especially one with a high fan power rating like the Winix 5500-2.

Winix needs to do everything it can to reduce the sound, but Winix 5500-2 just produces the 28 decibels (DB). This is the noise level of the Sleep setting, which is very quiet in reality but still less quiet than other brands such as Coway or Rabbit Air.

When in Turbo mode, the Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier is much noisier. The highest noise level I measured was 58 decibels (DB), which is fairly quiet. It is still fine for use in the office if you are going to use it there. When the noise becomes unbearable, switch to a lower setting.

Winix 5500-2 Power Consumption

An air purifier is essentially a powerful fan with high power consumption. A device like Winix 5500-2, which has 5-speed settings, consumes a hefty amount of energy. Honestly, just a simple power consumption of 70 watts is enough to free me from a lot of shackles.

In comparison, Winix 5500-2 consumes a similar amount of power to Winix WAC9500, and Honeywell HPA300 consumes half as much power. The Winix 5500-2 consumes less energy if you use this air purifier at the lowest fan setting.

In a year, Winix 5500-2 will cost you about $25 if you use it for 8 hours a day. $25 is no different from what you pay for a light bulb every year, so I don’t believe it will affect any household’s energy bill.

Advance Features of Winix 5500-2

Four Fan Speeds With Auto Mode
Dual Air Quality Sensor
Sleep Mode
Timer
True HEPA Filter
Carbon Filter
Pre-Filter
Plasmawave

Four Fan Speeds With Auto Mode

Winix 5500-2 comes with a four-speed. You can manually set the fan speeds low, medium, high, and turbo. The unit output is 250 CFM.

But when the air quality sensor feels the room air quality is poor, the air purifier automatically operates at a high-speed level to quickly clean the air. It means the air quality sensors measure and adjust the fan speed in real-time.

Air Quality Sensor and Indicator

This is the most advanced feature of the air purifiers. LED light on the control panel that changes on the base of real-time air quality. When the indicator light color is red, it means the air is highly polluted, and if the air quality is fair, that time LED light color is orange. The air quality sensor color becomes blue it means the air is completely clean and healthy for breathing. The air quality sensor automatically controls the fan speeds for cleaning the room air.

Sleep Mode

If you off the lights of your room or your room is darkened in, the air purifier automatically goes on sleeping mode. In sleeping mode, the air purifier works quietly and shuts down the control panel light To sleep comfortably.

Timer

The timer is the so helpful feature of this air purifier. You can set the timer schedule 1 to 12 hours, and then the air purifier follows the Schedule time and automatically shut down on time.

Overall Performance

At its highest speed, this fan has a CFM to watt ratio of 5 to 1. In lower settings, the ratio is 10 to 1. With this Winix unit, you get a much better CFM to power draw ratio. Despite the amount of air it processes, it is a very quiet machine.

We like most about this machine, which is probably its value, which is probably what we like most about it. But, again, you will be paying around $150 for a unit that produces approximately 250 CFM.

This machine contains activated carbon pellets, and it has a washable pre-filter. As a result, it is one of the most cost-effective air purifiers on the market because you only have to pay 150 dollars for it.

Our Recommendations:

Our strong recommendation for Winix 5500-2 this also the best product and Amazon’s choice. This air purifier comes with the best quality Washable activated carbon filter, True HEPA filter, washable pre-filter, and plasma wave technology at this affordable price.

If you compare the Winix 5500-2 to the new models of Winix brand like Winix 5300-2 and 6300-2, then you will see the filter replacement cost is very in Winix 5300-2, 6300-2, and these are much expensive to Winix 5500-2 but comes with same design features and coverage. So if you want to read the complete comparison between Winix 5300-2 vs 5500-2 vs 6300-2, visit this post and clear the doubts.

FAQs

Does Winix 5500 2 produce ozone?

There is “no harmful ozone” produced by the PlasmaWave, states Winix. The amount present in this ionizer is minimal since it is, after all, an ionizer. Even so, the levels of ozone in the neighborhood do not exceed regulatory guidelines set by CARB (California Air Resources Board). Therefore, you can use Winix 5500-2 safely.

Is PlasmaWave an ionizer?

The PlasmaWave technology can clean and sanitize the air and reduce viruses and bacteria. The WINIX air purifier uses both a quality HEPA filter and these two technologies in tandem to capture most airborne particles and provide a powerful method of air filtration systems.

Main benefits of PlasmaWave

Effectively reduces viruses and bacteria in the air.
Deodorizes everyday smells (cooking, cigarette smoke, etc.)
Reduces mold growth rates in the indoor environment.
Enhanced air filtration effectiveness by reducing static electricity and directing air pollutants into multistage filtration, and capturing them.

Is it suitable for bedrooms and nighttime usage?

The answer is yes. During Sleep Mode, the lights will dim, and the fan will reduce to the lowest speed to ensure you have an undisturbed sleep. However, if you’re extremely sensitive to light at night, be aware that there are still a few tiny lights on when in Sleep Mode.

Can anyone help me decide between the Winix and the Honeywell?

I had a Honeywell (circular white one), not sure which unit. I needed to purchase separate filters bought separately costed me and was but cleaned the atmosphere rather nicely.

Rather I got the Winix 5300-2 that doesn’t have a distant nor washable filter (Winix 5500-2 does) but cleans efficiently nicely.

Because I endure allergies and some other incoming fireplace burning smoke, burnt cooking aromas make it difficult to breathe these functions fast.

Winix replacement filter that I move thru every 5-7 weeks is well worth the characteristic of fresh breathing air.

What is the negative ion output?

Many individuals don’t comprehend this, but damaging ions lead to Ozone production considerably greater than exists even outside rain.

Ozone, i.e., negative ion generation by air compressors, is revealed by an extensive investigation to be quite bad for people with respiratory difficulties, beginning with asthma and other worse states. Amounts can be rather high with use in closed interior surroundings and exacerbate respiratory ailments!

California does not even permit the selling of purifiers that make Ozone! Do not be fooled by terms such as”plasma-wave,” etc., and recognize that lots of air purifiers won’t say the term Ozone.

The negative ion, plasma wave, an attribute could be turned off or bypassed in several air compressors, and once I heard about this, I don’t use this feature in my Winix 5300.

It’s possible to use the negative ion attribute on a few vacuums and application the attribute to close off and only ventilate your area for 2-3 hours to take out the Ozone until you return to the closed atmosphere. Not all pumps permit you to do so! Otherwise, the Winix does a fantastic job. However, respiratory sufferers remember!

Does the air purifier emit any odors like plastic odor? And how loud is it?

No odor, and you won’t hear any noise in the low sleep setting. It sounds like any fan does on the turbo setting. Mostly a wind sound, not a motor noise.

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