Winix is a South Korean company that specializes in home appliances. For over forty years, Winix has made providing the best air purifiers, water purifiers, humidifiers, and dehumidifiers their top priority.
Winix packs their air purifiers with features to keep the air in your home as clean as possible. And, each model is rated by the AHAM for its ability to clean the air of dust, pollen, and smoke. They also offer Energy Star certification. So, any model you buy comes with the promise that they won’t run up your electricity bill.
Winix Air Purifier Features
In their top three models, Winix offers a 5-stage filtration. It starts with a washable pre-filter and ends with their PlasmaWave technology. However, their base model, the 5000B, uses a 3-stage filter. Either way, these features add up to clean air for your home.
5-Stage Cleaning
First, a washable, anti-microbial pre-filter captures large particles. This extends the life of the unit’s HEPA filter.
Next, an activated carbon filter traps odor and VOCs. But, this filter also uses a nano-silver coating to kills bacteria, germs, or mold spores.
Then, a third stage presents a HEPA filter to remove particles as small as .3 microns.
The final stage is their PlasmaWave technology. This uses Hydroxyl Radicals to kill bacteria and odors at the molecular level. And, it kills organisms without using excessive amounts of ozone.
Smart Sensors and Auto Mode
Winix air purifiers use smart sensors to automatically adjust the unit’s settings. This allows the machine to meet your needs no matter what is in your air.
AHAM-Verified
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers is an independent body that rates home appliances so that every participating appliance will have a rating that consumers can compare to others. Winix air purifiers all come with a Clean Air Delivery Rate, or CADR, which measures the amount of dust, pollen, and smoke in the air and rates air purifiers by their ability to clean the air.
Energy Star Certified
All Winix products come with an Energy Star sticker and the guarantee that they won’t drive up your electricity bill. And this is good news for anyone who wants clean air.
Winix HEPA Air Purifier Reviews
Below we cover a few of the models offered by Winix. They design each model for a different set of needs, from small apartment living to multi-pet houses. While Winix does offer a wide variety of purifiers; we think these present some of the best values in their lineup.
Winix PlasmaWave 5300 Air Cleaner
The PlasmaWave 5300 is one of their smaller models, suitable for rooms no larger than 350 square feet. As we mentioned earlier this model only offers a 3-stages of filtration. Yet, the 5300 will still keep the air in your home clean.
Because it is less sophisticated it is priced accordingly. This is one of their more affordable models. In addition to an affordable price, it offers great performance. In fact, it costs less than half the price of similar models from other manufacturers.
Features
- CADR of 248/235/251 (dust/smoke/pollen)
- Area Coverage of 350 Square Feet
- True-HEPA filter
- PlasmaWave™ technology doesn’t generate ozone
Cons
- The motor emits a plastic smell
- Corona discharge unit does produce ozone
- PlasmaWave generator makes a “chirping” sound, like crickets
Winix WAC5500 True HEPA Air Cleaner Review
The Winix WAC5500 offers a washable HEPA filter, which is an upgrade to their 5300 model. With an Area Coverage of 350 square feet and a CADR of 250, the WAC5500 keeps your home clean. And, it toils away with minimal noise.
Features
- Area Coverage of 350 Square Feet
- CADR 248/235/251 (dust/smoke/pollen)
- Washable True-HEPA filter
- Filter life of 2-3 years
- Energy Star Qualified
Cons
- Can produce a squeaking sound
- Some users report problems with auto mode
- Produces a plastic smell
Winix WAC9500 Ultimate Pet True HEPA Review
The Winix WAC 9500 Ultimate Pet combines their Advanced Odor Control Carbon filter with an anti-bacterial washable pre-filter and their PlasmaWave™ technology. This provides pet owners with a home that is free from airborne allergens and strong pet odor. Plus its Smart Sensor technology is able to detect pollutants in the air. It then automatically adjusts the speed of your unit to match the needs of your home.
Features
- 99% effective True-HEPA filter
- Washable Advanced Odor Control carbon filter with an anti-microbial nano-silver treatment
Cons
- Corona discharge unit produces ozone and is not advertised
- Hydroxyl Radicals may be more harmful to your health than advertised
- Customer Service can be lacking
Final Thoughts
We think Winix is one of the best value air purifier manufacturers. With this in mind, it does not make sense that they would be dishonest about their products.
Another point to bring up is Ozone. They often tout that their PlasmaWave™ technology produces Hydroxyl Radicals instead of ozone. Which we feel leads shoppers to believe that “PlasmaWave” means no ozone at all.
However, their units all contain a “corona discharge unit”, which is a small unit within the appliance that generates ozone. Technically, the units produce less than the 0.05ppm. Which is lower than EPA standards for safety. But, we think consumers should know what they’re buying. Ozone is a serious lung irritant. And, anyone with respiratory issues like asthma, bronchitis, or COPD, should know if their purifier emits any ozone at all.
Despite a few mechanical issues, these air purifiers all operate without producing much noise, making them perfect for home use.
Overall, the WAC9500 Ultimate Pet is the best air purifier in this review. The area coverage (250 Square Feet) is a bit smaller than the other two. But, the Ultimate Pet has a 5-stage air cleaner to trap more allergens and air contaminants.