Unbiased Winix Air Purifier Reviews
There is a pretty extensive collection of air purifiers by the Winix company. The air purifier market is basically like a flash flood of fierce competitors. The competition is full of wild claims and one-uppers; some are good, and some brands are sub-par to say the very least. So, how do you know if you are getting a real deal with a true HEPA air purifier or some fancy-sounding advertising that’s nothing like the claims suggest? Well, stick with us to get all the information you need to make a well-informed decision.
The Winix company is a long-standing brand from Seoul, South Korea that has become a worldwide phenomenon. With their cutting-edge PlasmaWave technology in the air purifiers they make, they have a solid reputation that goes all around the world. They also make some impressive dehumidifiers, too. Aside from all that, this is the unbiased truth about the Winix A231 Tower H13, Winix AM90, and Winix 5500-2 air purifiers, models with some of the best capabilities and the best certifications you’ll be glad they have. In addition to the reviews we’ll be bringing you, we’re going to take a brief look at an integral part of understanding how the air cleaner could be right for your living space with the best air purifier by its clean air delivery rate rating (CADR). More importantly, we have the answer to the question, “what makes the CADR rating so important to you and your family?”
Winix A231 Tower H13
The Winix A231 Tower H13 True HEPA Air Purifier 4-stage filter system eliminates the air pollution of a 230 square foot room perfectly. With a few additional minutes, the machine can easily maintain clean air inside a large room, according to the Winix website. The 4-stage air purifying action reduces household odors, VOCs and smoke, pollen, dust, and pet dander.
The Stages of a 4-stage Winix Air Purifier
The first stage 1 is the washable fine mesh pre-filter. This is the first call to defense with the larger particles in the air.
Stage 2 is a true HEPA filter that eliminates 99.97% of impurities and allergens in the air like pollen, pet dander, dust mites, mold spores, microbes, and some viruses. The filter catches the particles 0.3 microns or bigger. That’s huge!
The 3rd stage is an activated carbon filter which effectively reduces VOCs and odors in the home. The carbon filter is a lifesaver, quite literally, for the lifespan longevity of the true HEPA filter. The carbon filter blocks the bigger particles in the air from getting into the HEPA filter. The COA filter requires changing every 90 days or potentially more frequently than that.
Finally, the 4th stage of this home defense system is the patented PlasmaWave air cleaning technology that reduces the impurities in the air more thoroughly.
Measurements and Features
The small air purifier measures 9.5 x 9.5 x 14.6 inches and weighs 9 pounds in total.
The A123 Tower H13 is perfect for home office, home classroom, bedroom, and baby’s nursery. The mighty petite air purifier is available in white and charcoal grey. This air cleaner also has a smart sensor paired with the automatic mode, ensuring the air is always clean. The smart sensor has an air quality meter indicated by LED lights. The blue, orange and red lights read the air quality as good, fair, and poor, respectively. As the quality of the air inside the home declines, the auto mode kicks it into high gear to correct it in real-time. The fully operational sleep mode will keep the machine whispering softly until the lights or the sunlight kicks it back to the regular mode. The air purifier has a nifty little light that illuminates a vivid orange hue to indicate that the HEPA filter needs changing and resides on the body of the appliance to be easily noticed.
Winix’s Certifications and More
This appliance for your home is AHAM Verified. The air purifier is tested and proven to reduce the pollen, smoke, and dust from any indoor environment effectively with this certification. The Energy Star that the air purifier wears proudly is the most trusted government symbol that’s granted to display the appliance is energy efficient. Furthermore, this air cleaner is ETL certified to show that it has gone through rigorous testing and passed all tests for safety. The ETL certification shows that this appliance is safe to use in your home for yourself and your entire family. The small Winix A231 tower H13 true HEPA air purifier is backed by a 2-year warranty and costs $99.99. With the lowest price point of these air cleaners, let’s see how it’s reviewed here. The thousands upon thousands of customers plus 20,000 more on Amazon’s page celebrating the improvements to their living spaces and their health, as well as people relishing in the odor-free, clean fresh air! Why not join them at the party?
by Winix
Winix AM90 With Wi-Fi Capabilities
4-stage Filter
The Winix AM90 Wi-Fi Air Purifier, medium in size, has a 4-stage filter starring the PlasmaWave for greatly reducing allergens like smoke, dust, and pollen lurking in the air. The same great 4-stage system with the washable fine mesh filter and an activated carbon filter that reduces VOCs and odors in your home. The activated carbon filter must be replaced every 3 months to keep it working properly.
Certifications and CADR
This product is AHAM certified for a 360 square foot room, yet the Winix website states that the machine cleans a 1,740 square foot room in 1 hour, and as the times get lower so do the square footage of cleaning space; 870 square feet in 30 minutes, 580 square feet in 20 minutes, )and 435 square feet in 15 minutes. This device runs at 65 watts and has a CADR score for dust 233, smoke 230, and pollen 240 each. Even if you have an area wherein you use the air purifier that’s smaller than the recommended square footage, that only means that it gets a quicker clean-up. Also, this tidbit may help discover the dream appliance that’s the best at saving energy from the appliance.
Wi-Fi and Amazon Capabilities
Use the Wi-Fi enabled Winix Smart App on your smartphone to access stats, notifications, and be able to control your device anytime, and from anywhere.
The Amazon Alexa allows you to use voice commands to control your device with ease. The Dash Replenishment permits you to have your COA and HEPA filters shipped directly to your front door on a set schedule, to keep your device running smoothly.
Dimensions, Certifications and Awards, and Ratings
The corded appliance is 15.1 x 8.7 x 23.5 inches and weighs in at 16.5 pounds. This baby will cost you $219.99 aside from any awesome deals or sales. The appliance has the AHAM, energy star, and ETL certifications, and this appliance was the recipient of 3 design awards and a nomination from prestigious agencies in 2018. As far as the necessary frequent filter changes, it’s extra money. Hey, if you aren’t exactly on a budget, go for it! Other than that point, the Winix website and the Amazon website are full of verified customers who are just overjoyed, and some wish the price were lower, and are absolutely enthralled with their purchases with the company.
Winix 5500-2
The 3-Stage Filter
The final Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier to review has a 3-stage filter. The same reliable protection as the 4-stage filter, this air cleaner has it in 3 stages. The 3-stage filter includes an odor control carbon pre-filter that’s not the same as the activated carbon filter in the 4-stage filtration system. However, the pre-filter is equally efficient. A true HEPA filter, and the PlasmaWave filtration systems, are the same that’s in the 4-stage system to catch and trap the air pollutants that cause allergy flare-ups and microbes that lead to the worst viruses like Covid-19. The smallest particles that the air purifier catches are a minuscule 0.3 microns. The same protection and efficacy are offered in the 3-and-4-stage filters to ensure the best clean air possible.
Clean Air Delivery Rates
The CADR ratings for dust, smoke, and pollen are 243/232/246, respectively. This air purifier is a medium-sized appliance, fit for large and extra-large rooms like the family room or a vast master bedroom or kitchen. The 360 square foot range of good air cleaning is variable in the time it takes the air purifier to clean the air in different sized rooms or areas. The machine can purify a 1,740 square foot space in an hour. An 870 square foot space in 30 minutes, 580 square foot area in 20 minutes, and 435 square feet in 15 minutes. In the regard to the filter lifespan, the washable fine mesh filters can be washed as needed. The COA filters should be replaced every 90 days, more often if the house sees a lot of cooking or the kids spend their time going in and out of the house. Also, the HEPA filter needs to be replaced every 12 months
by Winix
Features of the 5500-2
The features are incredibly practical. For instance, the dual smart sensor with the auto mode makes the device foolproof. The air purifier machine’s body has a triple sensor to measure the quality of the air in the room, then the auto mode senses the dip in the quality in real-time and kicks on to bring it back up. This particular machine comes with a remote for convenience and an air quality indicator for peace of mind. The automatic sleep mode starts working when the device senses the lights have been turned down, just as it’s in the other devices made by Winix.
Device Stats and Certifications and Ratings
This powerhouse machine weighs 15.4 pounds and is available in a Charcoal Gray hue to blend into any décor or style. The price point is at a fair $249.99 considering the other similar devices’ price points. It doesn’t seem like the Winix company is at all concerned with further improving upon the products, as much as it is with releasing the same quality technology within the existing products in larger, yet more efficient, sized machines. It seems to be A-OK with their customers over on Amazon. The 4.6 out of 5 stars and reviews that credit Winix for saving their lives. Some reviewers were sick when they bought one and are later found some healing. It’s phenomenal! Winix websites reviewers left a total of 4.9 out of 5 stars. Finally, the certifications this air purifier has achieved are the AHAM, Energy Star, and the UL US Listed certifications. To be UL Certified means that you have passed testing for standard safety practices within the production and management of the product.
A Complete Guide to CADR for a Good Buy
The most misunderstood concept of in-home air purifier certifications from the AHAM ( Association of Household Appliances Manufacturers), is the CADR. However, if we break it into bite-sized pieces, then it’s really simple. To start this off, the CADR is simply a clean air delivery rate. What’s measured here is the volume of cleaned, or filtered, air with the machine on its highest setting. They measure this way to find out what kind of efficiency and speed the air purifier has. On the other hand, having the device at the lowest speed will yield a lower CADR rate. Because of the difference in speed and input at a lower setting, the air won’t be filtered as quickly as it would on the high setting. Hence, the test is performed on the highest setting, to yield more accurate results consistently. So, the amount of clean air is delivered by cubic square feet in one minute, is the CADR score. After configuring the generalized score, there are separate scores each for pollen, dust, and smoke; the scores will be indicated with backslashes between the numbers, typically. For example, 230/200/180 (the numbers are made up just for the example). The scores for pollen and dust may range from 0-to 450. The score for smoke can range anywhere from 0-to 400. So, the room size is directly affected by the clean air that’s delivered the quickest and most efficiently. So a 90 cubic square foot room, with no high ceilings, will need a purifier with a score of at least 100 CADR. If you have ceilings higher than 8 feet you will add the extra square footage to your CADR when shopping for your new air purifier.
With all the hype about the CADR, it’s a bummer to discover that the certification is completely voluntary for creators of air purifiers. That means not every company will have a rate for the consumer. As good of products as Winix makes, they don’t necessarily have one set number from the AHAM’s tests, but instead, they give you the info based on what sizes of the rooms will be compatible with their CADR number, offering the shopper more options. Like a 1,730 square foot room will clean its air in an hour while the square footage they advertise is the actual room size that the machine cleans the air the fastest, and is really 360 square feet. By putting the information that way, you can gain some perspective on the options the machine has in store for you. Really, the higher the clean air delivery rate the better.
More of the Best Air Purifiers by Winix
Winix C545 Air Purifier
The main air purifiers that are the most impressive by Winix not already mentioned are the C545 and the HR900. Let’s start with the C545. It has a 4-stage filtration system for a good deep air clean. The largest space the C545 effectively filters the fastest is 360 square feet. This air purifier is wi-fi enabled for Winix’s smart app and it comes complete with Alexa for voice commands, and Dash Replenishment. All the standard capabilities are here, like the triple air quality sensors with auto mode for poor air in the room to be cleaned with no effort on your part. Moreover, the sleep mode automatically activates when the lights are turned down. The C545 costs about $219.99.
Winix HR900Air Purifier
The HR900 is a 5-stage filter specifically designed for our furry companions. First, we have a pre-filter that catches and traps all pet dander and hair. The 3 others, the carbon, the true HEPA, and PlasmaWave filters are deliberately made to reinforce each other to greatly reduce the smells associated with pets. For cats, that may be the odor of the cat litter box. For dogs, this may be a missed grooming appointment or bath. Let’s face it, some dogs have an unpleasant odor they carry all over the house with them. Not anymore, with the HR900! It still has the same protection from allergens and potential viruses with the true HEPA and PlasmaWave filters. This is a fan favorite, and the dogs and cats love it too! This bad boy will knock your socks off with a $349.99 price point. That’s a great deal for the value in the AHAM and Energy Star certifications it has.
Some Thoughts to Consider
Winix is a very impressive brand and pleasantly surprises people daily. There are some other great brands like Honeywell, InvisiClean, Coway, and more. The Winix brand has the winning PlasmaWave filter and is at the perfect price point. It really screams aloud the care and respect a company has for its consumers when they make good products with a reasonable price tag. The customers are speaking back to them, absolutely loving their air cleaners and passing the good news along with friends and family. If you want to get an air purifier that’s built to last and exceeds all expectations, you have you already know the answer. Get a Winix! Even if you don’t know what you are looking for yet, there are many very good alternatives to Winix, just really research the brand and the products you happen to find on your search. There are just as many phonies, as there are real deals. Be leery of the not-so-well-known brands and stick to the ones we all know while looking. This is the way to freedom and good air.
