Winix - 5500-2

Both of my Winix air purifiers started smelling like smoke, they are different models, cleaned weekly and filters changed regularly, I don’t recommend them.

I’ve had a Winix 5500-2 for about a year. Seems to be decently built and works well. I know this isn’t exactly forever but so far so good.

I also had a ticking 5500-2 out of the box. Luckily winix replaced it free of charge, but still.. seems like they have some QC issues.

you can't beat the physics. what you want is the big size as prioirty thing to look for first. then you can look into other things but the size of purifier(filter) has biggest impact. winix is solid imo for basiaclly 99% of the use case.

Winix seems to be the play here. I have two and they seem to work and are common enough for filters to be inexpensive. The prefilter is easy to clean. I did recently have a DOA unit but the replacement was easy through Amazon.

I have the Winix. No issues to date. I don’t use the plasma wave feature.

Any filter with a charcoal filter layer will help some (Winix is one brand commonly available at Costco…I also have a more elaborate Rowenta)…my Winix came with multiple charcoal layer replacements. Dealing with total incontinence here, and not to criticize your MILs efforts, but you might want to look into the actual sources of the odors. Chairs, clothes that sit around waiting for wash, previously soaked furniture or carpet? If bedding or fabric furniture smells and you can replace it, do so. I use a combo of Depends on my father, and all his sleeping or seating surfaces have a first layer of puppy pee pads (Costco has large ones that work well and are cheap), and then a fabric layer on top (whether sheets or a chair cover or towel, tucked into the sides of the chair). Once he’s wet, after I changes his pants all clothes and chair covers and bedding goes in the wash (3-5 loads a day).  For the mattress you can find on Amazon washable mattress covers (the whole bed ones don’t work that well but that’s my base layer and then a thicker more absorbent one that I fit across the middle section of his bed, and on top of that layered dog pee pads).  So again, not sure if any of this advice helps but this method works for me.

Definitely recommend Winix. Australian and comes out top of various tests. (If you haven’t been warned- don’t buy Dyson) Super sensitive to more than just particulates and has a ‘pet filter’ that is changed monthly that goes around the main filter and prevents it getting clogged with dust. Helps to prolong its life if you have pets

Winix is a solid air purifier, but not this model. This only uses a thin filter, no charcoal. The true HEPA rectangular ones are not that much more but work so much better.

To be super explicit; the 5500-2 does come with a honey comb style carbon filter with pellet style activated carbon. Its not their lower end models with a black foam filter with activated carbon dust. Here's an image: [https://www.winixamerica.com/product/filter-h-116130/](https://www.winixamerica.com/product/filter-h-116130/) A filter that advertises the weight of their activated carbon weight is great; but its not an end all and be all; as activated carbon performance varies significantly based on its product. However; its a good guideline that if its not advertising its activated carbon content that its potentially not a great filter for VOCs. Again - guidelines don't apply to all, and the 5500-2 is an exception to this guideline Like most filters not designed for long term high performance VOC removal, the 5500-2's original carbon filters do get exhausted fairly quick. There's just not enough activated carbon in nearly all consumer room sized filters to be effective for more than a few weeks to a few months.