Air Purifiers / Winix
Winix 5510 (successor to the 5500-2)
The best verified CADR per dollar here, if you are comfortable turning PlasmaWave off.
Overall score 7.8/10
Pros
- + AHAM Verifide 253 smoke CADR — verified performance, not a manufacturer number
- + Leads with the 392 ft² 4.8-ACH figure and relegates the 1,882 ft² claim to a footnote
- + Publishes an actual ozone measurement (0.22 ppbv 8-h TWA) rather than just asserting "ozone-free"
- + One $55.99–79.99 part a year covers HEPA and carbon together; the pre-filter is washable
- + Works completely offline — every mode is on the panel, the app only adds remote control
Cons
- − PlasmaWave means CARB certifies it as an Electronic (ozone-capable) device; switch it off unless you want it
- − Winix publishes only the 23.5 dB minimum and never the top-speed noise, which at 65W is not quiet
- − 323 kWh/yr on the AHAM listing is the second-highest energy use in this file
- − The 99.99% HEPA claim rests on a Korean KCL test to a modified SPS-KACA method, not EN 1822 or IEST
- − $259.99 direct is well above the street price the outgoing 5500-2 trained buyers to expect
Winix 5510 (successor to the 5500-2) review: what the specs say
The best verified CADR per dollar here, if you are comfortable turning PlasmaWave off. At $259.99, Winix's 2024 model sits in the middle of the range — the air Purifiers we compare run from $49.99 to $1,014.99. It scores 7.8/10 overall, calculated from published specifications across 8 categories rather than from a subjective impression.
Its strongest showing is Verified Clean-Air Delivery at 9.0/10 — how much air the unit actually cleans per minute, weighted heavily toward AHAM Verifide smoke CADR over manufacturer-published figures. Self-reported CADR scores below Verifide CADR, and 'no CADR published at all' scores below both. The weakest is Freedom From Ozone & Air Chemistry at 6.0/10, which is the trade-off to weigh before buying: if that is the specification you care about most, one of the alternatives below will serve you better.
Worth knowing before you buy: PlasmaWave means CARB certifies it as an Electronic (ozone-capable) device; switch it off unless you want it; and winix publishes only the 23.5 dB minimum and never the top-speed noise, which at 65W is not quiet. Every specification on this page comes from Winix's own documentation or a verified retail listing — where a figure is not published, the table says so rather than estimating it.
Specifications and price last verified . Report an error
Full Specifications
| AHAM Verifide CADR (Smoke / Dust / Pollen) | AHAM Verifide: smoke 253 / dust 252 / pollen 247 CFM (ahamdir.com, model 5510; the 5520 and 5530 share the identical certification). Genuinely Verifide — Winix is one of the six consumer brands with current directory entries. CFM |
| AHAM Verifide Room Size (4.8 ACH) | 392 ft² (AHAM Verifide suggested room size at 4.8 air changes per hour) ft² |
| Coverage Claim & Its Air-Change Basis | Winix leads with "AHAM Verifide 392 ft²" and states the 4.8-ACH basis in a visible footnote, then adds "cleans up to 1,882 ft² in 1 hour" as the secondary figure. That ordering is the right way round and almost nobody else here does it. |
| Filter Grade (True HEPA / HEPA-Type / H13) | 4-stage: washable fine-mesh pre-filter, AOC pelletised activated-carbon filter, True HEPA rated 99.99% (Winix cites KCL report CT24-072905E under a modified SPS-KACA 002-132:2022 method — note that is a Korean test standard, not EN 1822), and PlasmaWave. |
| Pre-Filter (Washable?) | Yes — washable fine-mesh pre-filter, no recurring cost |
| Filter Cost per Year | $55.99–$79.99/yr — Filter Q, part 1712-0123-00, list $79.99 and currently $55.99 direct from Winix, replaced every 12 months. The HEPA and AOC carbon are combined in one part, so that is the whole consumable bill. |
| Ioniser / UV / PCO & CARB Classification | Yes — PlasmaWave is a plasma/ion stage. Winix states it "breaks down pollutants at the molecular level without producing harmful ozone" and, to its credit, publishes the measurement: "The 8-hr TWA Ozone for this product is 0.22 ppbv when tested in a 30 m3 chamber." CARB certifies the 5510 as an ELECTRONIC device (EO G-24-234, 2024-10-03) — ozone-capable, tested at or below 0.050 ppm. PlasmaWave has a dedicated on/off control and the unit filters perfectly well with it off. |
| Noise, Lowest to Highest Setting | 23.5 dB on the slowest of five speeds (Winix published). Winix does not publish a top-speed figure. dB |
| Air Quality Sensor | "Dual Smart Sensors" — a particle/air-quality sensor driving a 3-colour LED and auto mode, plus a light sensor that triggers sleep mode when the room darkens. Winix does not state whether the particle sensor is laser-based. |
| Smart Features & Offline Operation | Wi-Fi, the Winix Smart app and Alexa need an account. All five fan speeds, auto mode, sleep mode and the timer work from the top panel with no internet at all — the app is additive, not load-bearing. |
| Power Draw & Annual Energy | AHAM-measured 65.0W at the smoke-CADR speed; 323 kWh annual energy consumption per the AHAM listing |
| Warranty Terms & Conditions | 2-year warranty; certifications listed as AHAM / UL / CARB / Prop 65. Manufactured in Korea. |
| Connectivity | 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Winix Smart app, Amazon Alexa |
| Material | Not published by Winix — the spec table lists no housing material |
| Warranty | 24 months |
Compare Winix 5510 (successor to the 5500-2) With
Cheaper Alternative
Medify Air MA-40 (V4.0) — $249.99
Premium Alternative
Honeywell InSight HEPA Tower HPA180B — $263.48