Over the last few years, I have tested nine different air purifier models from Winix, and by the end of this article, you will know which one is the best choice for you.
Since 2020, I have tested and reviewed 110+ air purifiers from different brands, and devices manufactured by Winix tend to stand out.
In fact, at this point, I’m confident enough to say that Winix is a brand that generally makes good-value, high-performing air purifiers, so choosing the best ones hasn’t been easy.
All my recommendations are based on our first-hand experiments, including a particle removal test at top fan speed and sub 45 dbA speed, sound tests from 3 feet away, electricity consumption, and yearly running costs. We also live with the air purifiers in our home to assess the overall user experience in the long term and test out features like app support and auto mode in different day-to-day situations. Read more about how we test.
Let’s kick things off with the best Winix air purifier for most people.
1. Best for most people: Winix 5510
A brand new model from Winix that came to replace the now discontinued Winix 5500-2
The two reasons why the Winix 5510 is my number one pick are its performance and its price — now that the 5500-2 has been discontinued, Winix has dropped the price of the 5510 to $179.99.
At top speed, the 5510 completed our particle removal test in a speedy 24 minutes, which is faster than much more expensive devices like the Coway Aimega 250S or the Dyson Big+Quiet BP06.
Based on our particle removal test, we estimate a PM1 CADR of 248 cfm (which PlasmaWave enabled), which makes the 5510 a solid choice for those wanting to get five air changes per hour in spaces up to 372 sq. ft.
What we really like
What we think could be better
When running at speed 2, the 5510 generates 40.8 dBA of noise so I repeated our particle removal test at this fan speed and it managed to clear all PM1 pollutants from the air 60 minutes. This is much slower than the 43 minutes I recorded when testing the older 5500-2 at speed 2, but it is a larger device with a bigger fan and filters so it makes sense.
If you care about quiet performance, then I recommend running the 5510 at speed 3 which generates 51.6 dBA of noise but is powerful enough to clear the air much faster — completing our particle removal test in 38 minutes.
| HouseFresh rating: | ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◻️◻️◻️◻️ 6.8/10 |
| Time to clean our 728 cubic feet test room (with the device running at top speed): | – 24 minutes (top speed) – 60 minutes (sub-45 dB speed) |
| Air filtration technology: | True HEPA particle filter with carbon and removable pre-filter |
| Recommended room size (5 air changes per hour): | 372 sq. ft. |
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | – HouseFresh PM1: 248 cfm – AHAM PM2.5: 252 cfm (dust) |
| Dimensions (in inches / in cm): | 15.9 x 11 x 25.2 inches (40.4 x 27.9 x 64 cm) |
| Weight (in pounds / in kg): | 13.03 lbs (5.91 kg) |
| Filter life: | 12 months |
| Noise level in decibels (measured from 3 ft. away with a sound level meter): | – Sleep mode: 35.2 dBA – Speed 1: 36.8 dBA – Speed 2: 40.8 dBA – Speed 3: 51.6 dBA – Speed 4: 67.2 dBA (top speed) |
| Electricity consumption in watts (recorded with an electricity usage monitor): | – Standby: 0.65 watts – Sleep more: 3.51 watts (3.77 w/ PlasmaWave) – Speed 1: 4.59 watts (4.87 w/ PlasmaWave) – Speed 2: 6.58 watts (6.89 w/ PlasmaWave) – Speed 3: 15.68 watts (15.98 w/ PlasmaWave) – Speed 4: 52.62 watts (53.94 w/ PlasmaWave) |
| Estimated running cost (electricity consumption + official filter replacement): | – Annual energy cost: $59.98 – Annual filter cost: $79.99 |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 2 years |
| Country of manufacture: | South Korea |
2. Best for small rooms: Winix A230 / A231
The best choice for those looking for a Winix air purifier for a room smaller than 200 sq. ft.
I always recommend that most people push for a mid-sized air purifier as they have similar long-term running costs as small devices and you can run them at lower fan speeds but still get excellent air cleaning performance without the noise. However, I know not everyone has space for a large device so for those of you looking for a small Winix air purifier, my top pick is the Winix A231 in white and grey or A230 in black.
In our testing, it cleaned our test room of PM1 particles from incense smoke in 40 minutes (with PlasmaWave enabled), which is faster than what we recorded when testing more expensive and similarly sized air purifiers like Levoit Core 300S or the Xiaomi 4 Compact.
Based on the particle removal results, we estimate a CADR of 148 CFM, which makes the Winix A231 a good choice for those looking for a device that could offer five (5) air changes per hour in spaces up to 222 sq. ft.
What we really like
What we think could be better
The A231 generates 57.9 dBA of noise at top speed and this will be loud for many people. We repeated our particle removal test with the A231 running at speed 1 (35.2) and it needed 86 minutes to clear our test room of PM1, so we estimate a CADR of 66 CFM (good for 5 air changes per hour in spaces up to 100 sq. ft.)
| HouseFresh rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Time to clean our 728 cubic feet test room (with the device running at top speed): | 40 minutes (with PlasmaWave) |
| Air purifier technology: | Fine mesh pre-filter, True HEPA filter, activated carbon filter, PlasmaWave technology |
| Recommended room size (4.8 air changes per hour): | 231 sq. ft. |
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | Dust: 154 CFM Smoke: 149 CFM Pollen: 147 CFM |
| Dimensions (in inches / in cm): | 9.5D x 9.5W x 14.6H inches (24.13D x 24.13W x 37H cm) |
| Weight (in pounds / in kg): | 7.1 lbs (3.2 kg) |
| Filter life: | 12 months |
| Noise level in decibels (measured from 3 ft. away with a sound level meter): | Speed 1: 35.2 dB Speed 2: 48.3 dB Speed 3: 57.9 dB |
| Electricity consumption in watts (recorded with an electricity usage monitor): | Standby mode: 0.06 watts Speed 1: 35.4 watts Speed 2: 37.7 watts Speed 3: 45.6 watts |
| Estimated running cost (electricity consumption + official filter replacement): | $119.54 per year |
| Cost per CADR cfm (based on dust CFM as reported by AHAM): | $0.51 |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 2 years |
| Country of manufacture: | South Korea |
3. Best for medium-sized rooms: Winix T810
A new model from Winix that rivals popular air purifiers such as the Levoit Core 400S and the Xiaomi Pro 4
Based on their latest releases, it is clear that Winix has been focusing heavily on the smart functions and design aesthetic. In fact, the T810 (or T830 in blue) is, in my opinion, the best-looking Winix device on the market. But looks are not the reason why I have included the T810 on this list.
The performance of the T810 in our testing was good at both full speed (26 minutes with PlasmaWave enabled) and also at its highest sub-45 dBA speed (46 minutes) — this is the sweet spot I’m looking for when testing air cleaning speed as most devices are loud at top speed.
What we really like
What we think could be better
If you want a medium-sized Winix air purifier with app support and the benefit of an onboard screen to see the real-time data from the air quality sensors inside the device, then the T810 in grey (or the T830 in blue) are my top picks.
| HouseFresh rating: | ◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◼️◻️◻️◻️ 7/10 |
| Time to reach PM1 zero (running at top speed in our 728 cubic feet test room): | – 26 minutes (top speed) – 46 minutes (sub-45 dB speed) |
| Air filtration technology: | True HEPA particle filter with carbon and pre-filter mesh |
| Ionization technology: | PlasmaWave bipolar ionization that can be disabled |
| Recommended room size (5 air changes per hour): | 343 sq. ft. |
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | – HouseFresh PM1: 229 cfm – AHAM PM2.5: 267 cfm (dust) |
| Dimensions (in inches / in cm): | 11.3 x 11.3 x 20.4 in (28.7 x 28.7 x 51.8 cm) |
| Weight (in pounds / in kg): | 10.4 lbs (4.7 kg) |
| Filter life: | 12 months |
| Noise level in decibels (measured from 3 ft. away with a sound level meter): | – Sleep mode: 35.1 dBA – Speed 1: 37.4 dBA – Speed 2: 44.8 dBA – Speed 3: 50.3 dBA – Speed 4: 62.5 dBA (top speed) |
| Electricity consumption in watts (recorded with an electricity usage monitor): | – Standby: 0.52 watts – Sleep more: 2.2 watts – Speed 1: 4.40 watts (4.72 w/PlasmaWave) – Speed 2: 8.23 watts (8.47 w/PlasmaWave) – Speed 3: 12.30 watts (13.42 w/PlasmaWave) – Speed 4: 41.92 watts (42.59 w/PlasmaWave) |
| Estimated running cost (electricity consumption + official filter replacement): | – Energy consumption: $47.31 per year – Filter replacement: $79.99 per year |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 2 years |
| Country of manufacture: | Thailand |
4. Best in the UK & Europe: Winix 5500-2
Winix has recently discontinued the 5500-2 in the U.S. but this excellent air purifier is still widely available across Europe.
As of May 2025, Winix was confirmed that the 5500-2 and the 5300-2 will be discontinued in the U.S. and Canada BUT this is an excellent device and it is still available in the UK and Europe, so I have to include it on this list.
I have reached out to Winix to ask about their long-term plans, and they confirmed that they will keep producing filter replacements for the 5500-2 until 2032, so if you find this air purifier on sale where you live, then it is definitely worth considering as it offers EXCELLENT air cleaning performance both at top speed and sub-45 dBA speed.
A big advantage of the Winix 5500-2 is that there are various filter replacement options both OEM and generic, which can lead to big savings in terms of long-term running costs and also guarantee filter replacements long after Winix stops manufacturing their genuine filters:
What we really like
What we think could be better
| HouseFresh rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Time to clean our 728 cubic feet test room (with the device running at top speed): | 23 minutes (with PlasmaWave) |
| Air purifier technology: | PlasmaWave, removable pre-filter, washable activated carbon filter and True HEPA filter |
| Recommended room size (4.8 air changes per hour): | 360 sq. ft. |
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | Dust: 243 CFM Smoke: 232 CFM Pollen: 246 CFM |
| Dimensions (in inches / cm): | 15W x 8.2D x 23.6H inches (38W x 21D x 60H cm) |
| Weight (in pounds / in kg): | 14.8 lbs (6.7kg) |
| Filter life: | 12 months |
| Noise level in decibels (measured from 3 ft. away with a sound level meter): | Speed 1: 38.8 dB Speed 2: 42.5 dB Speed 3: 47.5 dB Speed 4: 58.9 dB |
| Electricity consumption in watts (recorded with an electricity usage monitor): | Standby mode: 0.34 watts Speed 1: 6.5 watts Speed 2: 9.11 watts Speed 3: 14.80 watts Speed 4: 53.46 watts |
| Estimated running cost (electricity consumption + official filter replacement): | $161.53 per year |
| Cost per CADR cfm (based on dust CFM as reported by AHAM): | $0.66 |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 2 year |
| Country of manufacture: | South Korea |
Other Winix air purifiers we have tested
A round-up of Winix units we have reviewed, and why they didn’t make the cut.
Winix 5300-2
We first tested the 5300-2 in 2021 and it offered excellent value back then. These days, however, there are other solid options from Winix like the 5500-2 and the 5510 that will give you more powerful air cleaning for a similar price.
Plus, as of May 2025, Winix America has confirmed that they are discontinuing the 5300-2 in the U.S. and Canada in favor of the newer Winix 5520.
Winix C545
The C545 first showed up in 2019 and these days you can only find it refurbished on the Winix website BUT it was brought back by Costco and became pretty popular in 2023.
It offers great performance on par with the Winix T810, but I didn’t include it on my main list as you will only be able to buy it if you’re a Costco member.
Winix Zero-S / Zero-SE
The Winix Zero-SE is a Costco version of the Winix Zero-S, which is widely available in Europe and the UK. This is an good-performing air purifier and it has lower long-term costs than newer models like the 5510 and the T810.
I didn’t include it because its design means that the front cover comes off easily when moving it around, and moving it around is in itself more awkward than it needs to be due to its shallow handle at the back. BUT if you find it at a good price and know you won’t need to move it around the house, then the Zero-S/Zero-SE is a solid device.
Winix Zero Pro / HR900
Only a few days after publishing my video review for the Winix Zero Pro or HR900 in the U.S., Winix announced that it would be discontinued so that is why I didn’t include it on this list.
This was a real shame, as I really liked this device. It offers good air cleaning performance, looks good, and has a dual gas and particle sensor for improved auto-mode performance.
Wrapping up
I hope this article will help you choose the right Winix air purifier for your unique situation.
If you decide to buy one of these devices, please use the affiliate link we included in the buttons throughout the article to support the work we do at HouseFresh. We will get a small 3% cut at no extra cost to you and this will allow us to continue buying and testing air purifiers in the future.
As always, feel free to ask away any questions you may have in the comments below.
