Appliances · Winix · 2018
Winix 5500-2
The recommendation-thread default: true HEPA plus carbon, and filters you can actually find.
Overall
8.1
out of 10
Axis scores
Appliances is scored on these 5 axes. The total is their plain average — nothing is weighted.
Average of 5 axes
8.1/10
- Performance
- 8.2
- Value
- 9.0
- Durability
- 7.6
- Ease of use
- 7.8
- Quietness
- 7.8
- Performance — How well it does the core job
- Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
- Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
- Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
- Quietness — Operating noise — a higher score means quieter
Specs
- Filter
- True HEPA plus washable carbon
- Extra
- PlasmaWave, switchable
- Sensor
- Auto mode with air quality light
As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.
Is it for you
Buy it if
- Cooking smells and smoke, where the carbon stage earns its place
- You want replacement filters from more than one supplier
- Auto mode that responds to actual air quality
Skip it if
- You want the ionizer permanently gone rather than switched off each time
- A visible control panel light in a dark bedroom bothers you
This unit has sat at the top of purifier recommendations for years for unglamorous reasons: a real HEPA stage, a washable carbon layer that handles kitchen odours, and a filter supply chain that includes third parties, so re-filtering never becomes a hostage situation.
The PlasmaWave ionizer can be turned off, but it does not remember that between power cycles, which is the single most common owner complaint.
Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.