The Most Comprehensive & Complete Winix 5500-2 Review in 2019

The Winix 5500-2 is one of the most successful air purifiers released by the company, and there’s plenty of good reason for that:

• With a sleek black design, this air purifier looks great in any home environment.
• A washable carbon filter lets you double its useful life when compared to industry-standard carbon filters.
• Skyhigh CADR means this air purifier is removing all particles with ease!
• For all the features this air purifier has, the price will make your jaw drop!

These are only just a few of the many highlights from the Winix 5500-2 that you’ll see in this review. This Winix 5500-2 review is the most comprehensive one you’ll find.

You’ll learn about every spec and feature there is to know about the Winix 5500-2, and we’ll be going over why these things are so good for you to have!

Note: The 5500-2 is the successor of the 5300-2 and, as of recently, has been superseded by the Winix 6300-2.

Don’t Have Time To Read The Full Review? Here’s a Short & Sweet Summary!

 

Winix 5500-2 Technical Breakdown

Coverage – 360 sq. ft.

The first thing we’ll talk about when it comes to the Winix 5500-2 is its coverage area. Covering an area of 360 square feet, the 5500-2 is well-suited to handle bedrooms of any size.

It can also take care of small to medium-sized living rooms, but if you live in an open-concept kitchen & living room you may find the 5500-2 won’t be as effective as it could be.

Personally, for the size of this air purifier, I expected a better coverage area. However, seeing as 5500-2 was designed for apartments & bedrooms, this coverage area is well suited for those environments.

Power Consumption – 70 W

(If there’s one section you should read, it’s this one.)

When we’re looking at power consumption, the Winix 5500-2 does an incredible job. For all the features this air purifier is packed with, it’s hard to believe it only uses 70 watts.

It’s hard to understand just how energy efficient the 5500-2 is so I’ll break it down in a way everyone can understand – what it’ll cost on your power bill.

Let’s do some math.

To show just how energy efficient it is, let’s assume we’re running the 5500-2 at max settings so that it would require max power aka 70 watts.

Now, let’s assume you’ll have the air purifier on for 18 hours a day, a very high estimate.

Finally, the average cost of electricity in the U.S. is 12 cents per kilowatt-hour, so we’ll use that.

When all is said and done, you’ll be spending $4.50 on this air purifier A MONTH!

And let’s not forget we used a high estimate for how long we’d leave it on for.

If we cut the time in half down to 9 hours (a much more realistic estimate for most families) you’ll only be spending about $2.50 per month to use it.

Can you believe that? Cut one coffee per month out of your budget and it’ll pay for the 5500-2’s energy consumption! This is well worth the cost to pay for healthy living.

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Noise Level – 27.8 dB

At its lowest settings, this air purifier makes around 28 dB of noise which is extremely quiet and very hard to notice. This unit is about as quiet as a whisper which is typically 30 dB.

This is great news if you plan on using this air purifier in your bedroom. Pair it up with Sleep Mode and the 5500-2 will shut-off its LEDs, purify the air, and provide a little white noise for you while you get a good night’s rest!

Although there is no official dB level for when the Winix 5500-2 is on max settings there have been users who have measured its noise level and it reaches about 58 dB on the highest settings. At its max, the 5500-2 is about as loud as your casual conversation at the office.

Size & Design

The Winix measures 15 inches wide, 8 inches deep, and 23.6 inches tall, and weighs in at 15.4 pounds. It’s not an easy air purifier to move around due to its size and weight so be aware of that when you’re deciding where to put it in your home.

Size aside, the Winix 5500-2 is one of the best-looking air purifiers on the market. The sleek modern design with black finish makes it look like a piece that belongs in your home’s floorplan.

CADR & CFM

The 5500-2 has one of the best CADRs I’ve seen on an air purifier, and when you factor in the CFM, this unit is incredibly efficient.

The Winix 5500-2’s Clean Air Delivery Rates are Dust – 243, Pollen – 246, Smoke – 232. These numbers are phenomenal!

What’s even better is that there isn’t a category that’s weaker than the others. This tells us the 5500-2 is well equipped to handle every type of particle in your air, whether it be problems like pet dander, cigarette smoke, or kitchen odors!

Adding on to its efficiency, the CFM & air changes per hour make this air purifier capable of completely cleaning the air in your living space within minutes!

At its highest fan speed, the 5500-2 will clean 240 cubic square feet in just one minute. And that’s not all! The 5500-2 also completely changes out the air in a room 4 times in an hour!

This Winix’s ability to rapidly & effectively clean the air makes it one of the best air purifiers I’ve reviewed and I can say with almost 100% certainty you’d find this air purifier to be top quality.

Warranty – 2 years

To top it all off, the Winix 5500-2 is backed by a 2-year warranty. It might not be a major factor but it’s nice to know there’s coverage for a purchase like this.

Also for what it’s worth, most air purifier warranties are 1 year so the 5500-2 being 2 years is just another way this air purifier is above industry standards.

Worth The Price

Now here’s something worth talking about.

The Winix 5500-2 air purifier fights in a very competitive price bracket (sub $200). There are plenty of other makes & models that float around this price range, it can be hard to pick one from all the options!

So let me be straight forward and say this.

For the price, it’s hard to find an air purifier that’s as high-quality as the Winix 5500-2.

Firstly, the upfront cost of this air purifier is already on the lower end of the price range I mentioned above. And secondly, as I talked about under the Power Consumption section, the long-term costs of this air purifier are next to nothing.

Winix did a fantastic job with this air purifier by helping buyers get the most out of their money. The 5500-2 is the definition of “bang for your buck” when it comes to air purifiers. The number of features this unit has (which you’ll read about below), you’d think it was priced like some of the other $600 heavy-duty air purifiers.

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If you’re trying to keep costs down and don’t want to break the bank on an air purifier, then I can wholeheartedly recommend to you the Winix 5500-2.

Air Purification System

The 5500-2 features four different purification methods, with three of the four being a standard filter system found in most mid-to-high grade air purifiers. Nonetheless, these filters are important and are the key difference between a bad air purifier and a good one.

I’ll start by explaining each of the filters in the 3-stage filtration system and then tell you about the last purification method, Winix’s PlasmaWave technology.

1. Pre-Filter

The pre-filter is the first filter any airborne particle will approach when it’s sucked up by the 5500-2. The pre-filter’s primary responsibility is to capture the bigger particles found in your surroundings. Things like pet hair, dust balls and lint.

The benefits of having a pre-filter are often overlooked and underrated in my opinion.

By getting rid of the bigger particles that are easy to take care of the pre-filter extends the life of the carbon & HEPA filters, which are important filters to maintain. (And expensive to replace!)

Did I mention that the pre-filter is washable and reusable? That’s right! It just needs to be cleaned every 14 days. If you take good care of your pre-filter it’ll take good care of your carbon & HEPA filters. Which at the end of it all, helps take care of your wallet!

2. Advanced Odor Control (AOC) Carbon Filter

The second filter in this unit is the AOC carbon filter. This filter’s job is to remove odors, gasses, and VOCs found in your household. Tests have been done on Winix’s AOC carbon filter and results show this filter is 93% effective!

This filter is crucial because it gets rid of the potentially dangerous gasses and VOCs that most people don’t even know are in their homes. VOCs Getting rid of unpleasant odors in the home is always a nice plus too.

Something that stood out to me while I was looking at this air purifier’s carbon filter is that it’s washable and reusable. This is something quite rare in mid-to-high grade air purifiers like the 5500-2.

There are two big pros with this washable carbon filter.

First, instead of needing replacement every 3-6 months, this carbon filter only needs to replaced once a year. That’s a massive increase in the carbon filter’s lifespan and that also means you won’t have to spend as much on replacements! Secondly, by cleaning the carbon filter every 3 months you’re keeping it in tip-top shape year-round!

3. True HEPA Filter

And last but not least, the True HEPA filter. This is the most important filter for any and every air purifier.

The reason a True HEPA filter is so important is because of how efficient it is. It filters out 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.

True HEPA filters have to pass a certification test so when an air purifier does include a HEPA filter you can be 100% certain it’s the real deal.

It’s hard to grasp how small 0.3 microns is and what kind of particles the HEPA filter removes so I’ll try to put it into perspective – a particle of that size is 300 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

Airborne particles like tobacco smoke, allergens, and bacteria are all 0.3-1.0 microns big. Your True HEPA filter will capture those particles with a 99.97% effectiveness rating. Hard to beat that eh?

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4. PlasmaWave Technology

This last filtration feature is Winix’s own patented technology.

PlasmaWave creates hydroxyls into the air by releasing negative and positive ions that bind to water vapor. Once created, these hydroxyls clean the air by attaching to & neutralizing bacteria, odors, gasses, and VOCs.

It’s a proactive method Winix uses to prevent the growth & spread of airborne pollutants. This feature can be turned on/off at your discretion.

And the even better news? It’s much safer than ozone. The only downside is hydroxyls can’t clean the air as quick as ozone can (ozone can do it in 1-2 days, whereas hydroxyls take 3-5).

Features Worth Mentioning

• Auto-Mode & Smart Sensors – Set It and Forget It

The Winix 5500-2 has a combination of two features that individually are fantastic, but once combined they push this air purifier to the top! What I’m talking about is the auto-mode paired with the Smart Sensors!

The Smart Sensors on the Winix 5500-2 are air quality indicators that will give you a reading on how good/bad the air quality in your home is. If it’s good, the indicator’s light will be blue. If it’s fair, the light will turn yellow. And if it’s poor, the light will turn red.

On its own, this feature is great because you get an idea of how clean (or dirty) the air in your home is. You also get to see how effective your air purifier (and the hard-earned money you spent on it) really is!

The Smart Sensors start to shine once they’re paired with auto-mode. When the 5500-2 is in auto-mode it will use the Smart Sensors to determine what the air quality is, and then automatically adjust the fan speed accordingly. Air quality looks good? Low fan speed will do. Kitchen smoke in the air? Time to change the fan speed to high! – This is what you can expect from your 5500-2.

The benefits of these two features speak for themselves. Great for owners who like low-maintenance and don’t want to be constantly fiddling with settings.

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• Sleep Mode

If you’re planning to use the 5500-2 in your bedroom, this part is for you!

Before heading off to bed, you can turn on this air purifier’s Sleep Mode. And let me just say, it’s a savior for light sleepers everywhere.

When in sleep mode, the Winix 5500-2 will do two things to help you get the rest you deserve.

The first big thing you’ll notice in sleep mode is the fan speed. The 5500-2 drops to the lowest fan speed, which is only about 28 dB, a hardly noticeable whisper. At the same time, this air purifier will dim the lights on the control panel as well so that your eyes can get the break from lights they need!

• 1/4/8 Hour Timer

In my personal opinion, this is one of the most underrated features an air purifier can have. An auto shut-off timer is a feature that you don’t know how great it is until you don’t have it anymore. And with the Winix 5500-2, you’re able to set a time that’s suitable for you! You can set the Winix’s auto shut-off timer to either 1, 4, or 8 hours.

Not only is this great for convenience, but it also helps cut down on energy consumption! Here’s a quick couple of scenarios you’ll find the timer useful:

1. Heading off to bed? Set a 1/4 hour timer and you won’t have to leave it on all night! You’ll get clean air while you sleep AND save electricity.
2. Cooking in the kitchen? A 1-hour timer will get rid of any kitchen smoke or odors that might show up!
3. Going to work and want to come back to a fresh-smelling home? Perfect chance to set an 8-hour timer!

These are only a couple of scenarios I thought of, I’m sure once you buy your own Winix air purifier you’ll find plenty of opportunities to put this timer to use!

• Remote Control

The last feature I’m talking about here is not the least important one as we use these all the time – a remote control!

Think about it, you have one for your TV, why shouldn’t you have one for your air purifier?

Although the remote can’t access all the features the 5500-2 has, you’ll still be able to access the main controls on this air purifier.

With the remote control you’re able to:

• Turn the Winix 5500-2 on/off.
• Activate auto-mode.
• Change the fan speed (also causing it to enter manual mode).
• Activate turbo fan speed.

Did I mention that the remote control comes with a wall cradle too?! If you’re anything like me, then you’ll appreciate not having to play-and-seek every time you want to use the remote!

Shortcomings of the Winix 5500-2

Because I like to be as transparent and honest with my readers as possible, I’m including this section that highlights the weaknesses I’ve found in the Winix 5500-2. There aren’t many, but here are a few of the things I felt could’ve been better.

• Size

The Winix 5500-2 isn’t exactly one of the smallest sized air purifiers out there. Weighing 15 pounds and being about 2 feet tall and 15 inches wide can make it quite difficult to grab, lift, and carry around the house. I’m not saying it’s impossible to lift but compared to smaller air purifiers out there, moving it from room to room will prove to be a slightly difficult task. (Be sure to read this guide on Where To Place Your Air Purifier before deciding on a spot!)

• Coverage Area for the Size

This ties in a little with my last point – for being a bigger sized air purifier, I expected a better coverage area from it. I wasn’t expecting 1000 square feet of coverage but I think ~500 square feet seemed appropriate when considering the size of this air purifier. The actual 360 square feet of coverage the 5500-2 provides isn’t all that bad though. It’s still able to handle small-to-medium sized living rooms & bedrooms which shouldn’t be a problem for most people!

It’s worth noting that Winix is a South Korean company so the 360 sq. ft. coverage is perfect for their native customers as most living spaces there are much more compact.

• Costly Filter Replacements

For the all the amazing cost-saving the Winix 5500-2 gives you, there had to be one spot where they just couldn’t get it to work :(. That spot is with their filter replacements. While it is below $75, the price of replacement filters for the 5500-2 is about 1.5 times the price of replacement filters for almost all other Winix models.

On the bright side, only needing to replace the filters annually means you won’t have to make frequent purchases! And, let’s not forget that the carbon filter is washable meaning you’ll only have to replace that annually instead of semi-annually like most carbon filters.

Here’s a little secret I’ll share with you though.

I managed to find a budget-friendly version of the 5500-2 filters. They’re about half the price of the official Winix 5500-2 replacement filters and they’re just as effective.

The only little thing is the carbon filters included in this package are not washable and reusable like the one originally in the 5500-2. The carbon filters included in this package are the industry-standard single-use type that needs replacing every 3-6 months. So the 4 carbon filters included in this budget package might get you maximum a year and a half of use before you’ll need to buy more.

NOTE: The carbon filters in the budget package have to be used with the True HEPA filter included in the package as well, you won’t be able to mix and match, unfortunately.

Help & FAQ

• How to Clean Winix 5500-2 Exterior & Interior

Cleaning the exterior & interior won’t have an impact on the performance of the 5500-2 but it’s good to keep things clean anyway!

Exterior – To clean the exterior of the 5500-2, just wipe it down with a soft damp cloth using room temperature water. Once done, go over it with a clean dry cloth after.

Interior – To clean the interior of this air purifier, first, you’ll have to open the front panel and remove all the filters. Once you’ve emptied the air purifier you can go in and clean it with a vacuum cleaner (preferably with a brush attachment). It’s recommended you clean the interior at least once every 2 months.

• How to Clean Winix 5500-2 Pre-Filter

To clean the pre-filter on the 5500-2, here are the steps you’ll need to follow:

1. Remove the pre-filter from the air purifier.
2. Use a vacuum with a brush attachment to clean it.
3. If still dirty, rinse the filter with room temperature water. (Important: Do not use any soap or detergent!)
4. Allow the filter to dry for 24 hours before using again.

That’s all! It’s recommended you clean the pre-filter every two weeks.

• How to Clean Winix 5500-2 Washable Carbon Filter

Cleaning the carbon filter is simple. It’s the same process as cleaning the pre-filter except you skip vacuuming it and go straight to rinsing it with room temperature water!

1. Remove the carbon filter from the air purifier.
2. Rinse the filter with room temperature water. (Important: Do not use any soap or detergent!)
3. Allow the filter to dry for 24 hours before using again.

The washable carbon filter should be cleaned once every 3 months. The “Check Filter” indicator light will only turn on when it’s time to replace both the carbon & HEPA filter.