The Winix 5500-2 turned in an almost unbeatable performance in our air cleaning tests, eliminating 99.99% of measured airborne particulates in the 150-square-foot testing room over the course of an hour. It backs up this stellar cleaning performance with a super-quiet operation, an easy-to-use interface, and reasonable operating costs.
winix 5500-2 is mainly the activated carbon filter upgrade of the best-selling 5300-2 model. The 5500-2 comes with an advanced carbon filter and a basic remote controller. The Winix 5500-2 is an affordable air purifier intended for medium-sized rooms up to 360 sq. ft. It features a simple design, and its black colour makes it particularly neutral in any environment. Additionally, it is equipped with many functions and advanced features that I cover in detail in this Winix 5500-2 review.
Design and size:
The Winix 5500-2 is a well-designed air purifier made of high-quality material. Many consumers find this air purifier design a bit outdated, but for me, it’s acceptable. The simple design with neutral black colour allows positioning this air purifier in almost any room. The air intake is on the front panel and also on each side. The good thing is that the air, once filtered, is released on top of the device. This feature is beneficial because air will not flow directly into you if you stand in front of it.
On top of the front of the air purifier is situated the control panel, which features many options and will grant you ultimate control. Above the control buttons, there are LED indicators, which indicate what features are active at the moment. Also, there is a very long LED indicator just below the PlasmaWave Button, and its purpose is to light in different colours, depending on the current air quality.
Filters:
Fine mesh Pre-filter – target larger particles: When the purifier is turned on, air flows through the fine mesh pre-filter. The pre-filter then traps all the large particles such as hair, carpet fibres, and dust. This filter can be washable to work permanently.
Granular activated carbon filter -target odors: This filter is made with granular carbon of a very high grade. The carbon helps with its efficiency in eliminating household odors. Made of high-grade granular activated carbon, this Activated Carbon filter will eliminate odors and smoke, and also reduce the common household chemicals.
True HEPA filter – target fine particles: The true HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filter removes tiny pollutants. The pollutants include pet dander, pollen, mold, bacteria, and dust mites. You can be sure that all airborne particles that are as small as 0.3 microns will be filtered. The True HEPA Filter captures 99.97% of down to 0.3 microns allergens, virus particles, pollen, mold and fungi particles.
PlasmaWave – target odors:
It’s also got a comprehensive 4-stage filtration process: In the first stage, the air gets through a washable fine mesh pre-filter which eliminates the largest airborne pollutants. It then goes through the washable AOC carbon filter to get rid of any household odors. After going through the carbon filter, it then passes through the True HEPA filter to eliminate any airborne allergens, then lastly, ionization happens courtesy of Winix plasmawave technology to neutralize bacteria and viruses.
Room coverage:
It is optimistic because the Winix 5500-2 air purifier can be used in small and large rooms. However, it is intended for a 360-square feet room. In that room, it will be most effective.
These scores show effectiveness at different speeds. You have noticed that the air purifier is seven times more effective in turbo mode than in sleep mode. This result suggests that you should always start an air purifier in turbo mode and let it run for some time (let’s say 10 minutes) at that speed. After that, you can turn on auto mode or manually choose a lower speed. The fan on Winix c555 has four-speed settings and can filter the air in a room up to four times per hour. The CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of Winix C555 is 243 Dust/ 232 Smoke/ 246 Pollen (cfm). The Winix 5500-2 on the other hand is verified by AHAM and does five clean air changes per hour (ACH) in the same 360 sq. ft room. The air purifier has a CADR of 232 (cfm) smoke, 243 dust, and 246 pollen (cfm). These CADR ratings are very similar and are considered very highly sufficient.
Sound:
Personally, I like when an air purifier has many different fan speeds. Having 5 different speed options makes the Winix 5500-2 air purifier a consumer-friendly device because it gives the option to every consumer to adapt the fan speed to their own needs. The Winix 5500-2 is very quiet on sleep mode, and that’s why I recommended using it in a bedroom or any other similar room. At peak speed or so-called “turbo mode,” the device is several times louder than at first speed. It is never preferable to have a very loud air purifier that even affects your concentration. Winix 5500-2 runs at 27.8 decibels and the Winix C555 runs at 28dB. When pushed to the highest setting, both of these purifiers go up to 54.8dB. This noise is barely inconvenient in any setting. If you are looking for an air purifier for quiet places, any of these two will fit in perfectly. It won’t affect your concentration but will continue to give you excellent results.
Power consumption:
Winix 5500-2: Energy Consumption and Annual Running Costs.
In any case, this unit is Energy Star certified. At max fan speed, the unit draws about 42 watts, though at the standard operating speed the number drops to a very palatable 5.2 watts. Another major difference in the winix c555 vs 5500-2 is the power consumption. The c555 consumes much less power when compared to the 5500-2. The C555 draws 65 watts (at maximum fan speed) but also has a low-powered sleep mode that runs at the lowest setting hence conserving power. Another disadvantage of using Winix air purifiers is the inevitable high power consumption, which can’t compare with things like Levoit LV-PUR131 or the Coway AP-1512HH.
Pros :
- Star Certified
- Remote control Modern design
- Robust and durable
- Ideal for allergies Lots of advanced options
- Low price
- Washable pre-filter
- Washable AOC carbon filter
CARB, AHAM, and Energy
- It activates sleep mode automatically when lights are turned off
- Specially designed for pet owners
- Has multiple colour options.
- Low cost
Cons:
- The smart sensor detects odors only
- In the user manual, there is no exact number on how much ozone is released
- Expensive replacement filters
- Some still claim that PlasmaWave irritate asthma
- High filter replacement cost
- Only effective for small or medium-sized rooms
- Has a 4-stage filtration system
FAQS:
IS winix5500-2 costly?
No, its price is in the normal range. winix 5500-2 the devices will guarantee one of the most progressive technologies within an affordable price tag.
How does it work?
It destroys microorganisms throughout the technology of plasma waves. It incorporates uses four stages of system filtration. Mesh pre-washable fine filter defends many bacterial particles. the odor of cooking, pets and smoke is captured and volatile through a carbon filter. According to winix a true hipa filter capture 99.99% smallest airborne allergens like pollen, dust, pet, and smoke.
Have winix 5500-2 controlling features?
- Reset button
- Sleep mode
- Checker filter indicator
- Adjust fan speed
- Set a timer (1 hr, 8 hr, 4hr)
Final thoughts:
In order to test how easy the Winix was to use, we tested the amount of time the model took to set up in our testing facility, its interface, and how easy it was to transport from place to place. Our research analysts said that this model does not feel too cumbersome to carry and appreciated the nifty handle that is not always included on all air purifiers.
