Winix Air Purifiers

Winix makes some of the best air purifiers on the market.

The Winix 5500-2 is a top rated unit. It provides:

• Excellent CFM – can be used in small rooms on lower settings, larger rooms on higher settings
• A HEPA filter for particle filtration and a proper pellet based carbon filter for gas filtration
• Excellent energy efficiency
• Low noise output
• A great value – very reasonably priced around $150

The Winix 5300-2 would be a top rated unit if it wasn’t a bit redundant with the 5300-2:

• Same CFM
• HEPA filter, but thin fiber coated carbon filter
• Again, great energy efficiency, quiet, and great value – about $20 less expensive than 5500-2 but we feel the better carbon filter is well worth the extra cost

The only real negative for these Winix units is their warranty. It lasts for only 1 year. Most other air purifiers on the market come with at least a 3 year warranty. Many come with a 5 year warranty.

That being said, most other units on the market are made in China. All Winix units are made in South Korea, and it shows:

All Winix units we’ve tested so far were very well made with high quality parts – with notably better workmanship and quality of parts than most other air purifiers we’ve tested.

So, while the warranty isn’t as good for Winix units, it’s much less likely that you’ll actually need to use their warranty than it is for most other air purifiers on the market.

Other popular Winix air purifiers

1. Winix C535

Very similar to 5300-2:

• Identical CADR and max. CFM
• Identical size, shape, weight, control panel
• 4 fan speeds
• Washable pre-filter
• Thin fiber coated carbon filter
• HEPA filter

But

• White body including white front grille with holes instead of slats (control panel is still black)

The C535 is essentially a version of the 5300-2 that’s only sold at Costco. The C535 is usually a similar price to the 5300-2 but comes with 2 HEPA filters and 8 carbon filters compared to only 1 HEPA filter and 4 carbon filters when you buy the 5300-2 at another retailer.

2. Winix 9500 (WAC9500 on some retail sites)

This model is very similar to the 5500-2:

• 4 fan speeds
• Washable pre-filter
• Washable pellet carbon filter
• HEPA
• Remote control
• 1 year warranty

But

• It’s more expensive than the 5500-2 at most retailers - around $200 compared to approx. $150 for the 5500-2.
• Only 184 max. CFM (vs 250 max. CFM for the 5500-2)
• Dated design – especially control panel buttons (oval shaped chrome) and display (compared to the more modern design of the 5500-2).

The bottom line? There’s really no reason to buy the 9500 over the 5500-2.

3. Winix U300

Essentially an updated version of the 9500:

• Higher CFM - highest CADR = 214 = approx. 220 CFM = higher than 9500 but still slightly lower than 5500-2, 5300-2
• More modern aesthetic
• Uses same filter replacement cassette – same prefilter, carbon filter, HEPA filter

Again, the 5500-2 is the better option with a lower price and higher CFM.