Winix - 5510

it's everywhere now, friendo. My dad in KC was dealing with it as were my family in Oklahoma. Friends out in Oregon and Cali deal with it. Friends on the East Coast. - buy a nice indoor air purifier. I have a lovely [winix 5510](https://www.winixamerica.com/product/5510/) that does a great job in my studio apartment. - wear a N95 mask outside. They even have nice vented ones so you don't get unnecessarily hot. [Global Climate Change is happening and it's only getting worse](https://rand.0x520.dev/f5bd146b.jpg).

[Winix](https://amzn.to/46hW3zD) units have been my favorite for a while. To not have any dust in pollen you may need more than 1 unit.

Also could not find the Xxtra Quiet model on the Winix or Amazon websites. This is the one I bought in 2021, and can recommend, and is half the cost of the higher airflow XQ model. Buy 2, is more expensive than the pride I paid $155, but that price is now inflated. [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJG1731C/ref=sspa\_dk\_hqp\_detail\_aax\_0?psc=1&sp\_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVk](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJG1731C/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVk)

Freestanding air purifiers can't overcome walls and doors. You need one for each room or area. **Therefore we need each room's length x width x height to calculate Clean Air Delivery Rates (CADRs).** As for your questions: 1. Winix is good, but not the best. I'd generally say Coway is the best in terms of quality for consumer-grade units. 2. PlasmaWave is Winix's name for their bipolar ion generator. It can be turned on or off. PlasmaWave (in practice) seems to enhance Pollen CADR. I believe Levoit's PlasmaPro is also generates positive and negative ions. 3. HEPA vs. "True" HEPA is mostly marketing. What *is* important is listing the appropriate standard, the filter class (where applicable, like H13 or H14), and the filtration efficiency % at a particular particle size or sizes. 4. DIY Corsi-Rosenthal boxes can work very well, which typically use MERV 13 furnace filters. MERV 13 is a lower filtration efficiency than HEPA, meaning it captures fewer particles of certain sizes on a single pass. But... since MERV 13 is less restrictive, it can achieve more passes through the filter media faster which can result in higher CADRs. (Assuming sufficient airflow.) If you wanted to build a C-R box, I would recommend doing so with PC fans. Drawback: most C-R box configurations do not specify fine mesh pre-filters. Without these, the MERV filter media can clog sooner with coarse particulates such as visible dust and hair. 5. "Level of filter": I assume you mean filtration efficiency of a mechanical filter. Mold, fungus, pollen, and viruses are bioaerosols. They can be captured with HEPA, EPA, or certain MERV filters (generally MERV 13 and higher). EPA and MERV 13 filters are a lower filtration efficiency than HEPA, so it will allow more particles through on a single pass. But EPA and MERV 13 can achieve more filter passes and higher CADRs than HEPA with proper airflow for less money. 6. As for secondhand purifiers, that's up to you. Sometimes you can find items that are barely used. But it's also possible purifiers were used in highly polluted environments (e.g., lots of mold or post-fire remediation) or could have bed bugs inside. 7. The blue box looks like an air scrubber. These are meant for more challenging and large environments, e.g. during renovation, fire remediation, or serious mold remediation. Air scrubbers tend to be quite loud.

No, one [Winix C610](https://www.winixamerica.com/product/c610/) wouldn't be enough. The [Winix 5510](https://www.winixamerica.com/product/5510/) would be underpowered too. I would base my choice off of Clean Air Delivery Rates (CADRs), not Air Changes per Hour (ACH). See the AutoModerator comment about the [AHAM 2/3 rule](https://ahamverifide.org/ahams-air-filtration-standards/). For an open 500 sq. ft. space, *minimum* Clean Air Delivery Rates (CADRs) should be **334 CFM**. This assumes the ceiling height is 8 feet. The Winix C610 has CADRs of: * Dust: 252 CFM * Pollen: 262 CFM * Tobacco Smoke: 248 CFM If you want a conventional HEPA purifier, it's going to be hard to find one unit that isn't very expensive and large. A model that is slightly short on dust and smoke CADRs is the [Coway Airmega 400](https://cowaymega.com/products/airmega-400). (The [Coway Airmega ProX](https://cowaymega.com/products/airmega-prox) exceeds min. CADRs, but it's large and very expensive.) The [Alen BreatheSmart 75i product page](https://alen.com/products/alen-breathesmart-75i-air-purifier?variant=13172054491203) claims an averaged (?) CADR of 375 CFM with a big price tag of $799. This is probably using the "Pure" Allergen Collector filter. [Energy Star says the BreatheSmart 75i (version 2.0)](https://www.energystar.gov/productfinder/product/certified-room-air-cleaners/details/3417462) has CADRs of: * Dust: 351 CFM * Pollen: 431 CFM\* * Smoke: 370 CFM \*Likely with the ionizer turned on. Turning the ionizer off will probably decrease Pollen CADR. Alternatively, you can buy multiple smaller purifiers whose combined CADRs meet or exceed the minimum 334 CFM values. Just remember that CADRs for purifiers are for the highest airflow speed/setting only. Lower settings have lower CADRs.

Per the AHAM 2/3 rule, a 950 sq. ft. space needs minimum CADRs of 634 CFM. If you have elevated particulate matter pollution, higher CADRs would be recommended. If you're prone to wildfire smoke, the Smoke Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) needs to *equal* a room's square footage (assuming an 8 ft. high ceiling) at the least. The purifiers you mentioned are underpowered for the total space. The Winix 5500-2 has been phased out in the USA market. The [Winix 5510](https://www.winixamerica.com/product/5510/) and [Winix 5520](https://www.winixamerica.com/product/5520/) are its successors. The [AirDoctor 4000](https://airdoctorpro.com/product/airdoctor-4000) has a higher Smoke CADR than the two Winix models. But AirDoctor filters can be really expensive. Your budget doesn't accommodate 100% conventional HEPA purifiers. You may able to do a combination of conventional HEPA and non-conventional air cleaners. I would consider the [Winix C909 sold at Costco](https://www.costco.com/p/-/winix-c909-4-stage-air-purifier-with-wi-fi-plasmawave-technology/100842491). Top Smoke CADR is 323 CFM. But it's a bit of an energy hog (95 W max) and somewhat loud on Turbo (60 dBA according to the Decibel X Android app). The C909 has an optional bipolar ionizer called PlasmaWave. Keep PlasmaWave *off* if there are ever birds in your apartment as it could harm or kill them. (NB: PlasmaWave defaults to being enabled after a power off/power on cycle.) You may want to consider *three* [AirFanta 3Pro](https://air-fanta.com/products/airfanta-3pro) purifiers. They use Efficient Particulate Air (EPA) E11 filters which is two filter classes below HEPA H13. Top composite CADR for one unit is 413 CFM. You could also fully DIY large Corsi-Rosenthal boxes with [MERV](https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-merv-rating) 13/14 filters and PC fans. CADRs will depend on airflow speed, # of PC fans, # of filters, and filter size. For C-R boxes, we usually recommend [3M Filtrete MPR 1900 MERV 13 filters](https://www.filtrete.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b00039899/). Costco sells the [3M Filtrete MPR 2500 MERV 14 filters in a 4-pack](https://www.costco.com/p/-/filtrete-air-filter-1-mpr-2500-merv-14-high-performance-premium-allergen-ultrafine-particles-bacteria-and-virus-filter-4-pack/4000181409) cheaply. A C-R box with PC fans guide: [https://itsairborne.com/pc-fan-corsi-rosenthal-guide-a611dabf7e0c](https://itsairborne.com/pc-fan-corsi-rosenthal-guide-a611dabf7e0c)

Agree with other poster - if you have dog smells, get a filter with an activated carbon layer. Other than that, if I'm being totally honest, your filtration results are going to be pretty similar across the board, so whatever unit works best for your budget, space, and aesthetic. Personally, I really like my [Winix 5500-2](https://amzn.to/46hbNkH) unit, which you'll see recommended pretty frequently around reddit. I actually did some testing in a 10'x10'x9' room to compare the [Winix 5500-2](https://amzn.to/46hbNkH) vs [Germguardian](https://amzn.to/4mYBXQt) vs a DIY duct fan +4 hepa filters put together in box form (see attached picture, which I hope works) The Winix performed the best, but the others would honestly be acceptable, and more budget friendly. Pros of the winix: \- quiet (both other units were a good bit louder) \- can back all the way up to a wall (this is actually uncommon) \- auto on/off seems to work well \- can set it for 2/4/8hr cycles https://preview.redd.it/uwdd8mhv6fof1.png?width=749&format=png&auto=webp&s=779eec1baaad24c3d9de0fade0fab35bba2f18f7

Similar boat - I have absolutely murderous pollen allergies for 2ish months of the year so I've gone deep down this rabbit hole. Good news: most air purifiers are pretty effective, including the low priced ones. The difference in pricing normally comes from features and aesthetics. I actually did some testing in a 10'x10'x9' room to compare a few units: the [Winix 5500-2](https://amzn.to/46hbNkH) vs [Germguardian](https://amzn.to/4mYBXQt) vs a DIY duct fan +4 hepa filters put together in box form. link to charts: [https://imgur.com/a/is5RQHN](https://imgur.com/a/is5RQHN) The Winix actually performed the best, but the others are acceptable and more budget friendly. Pros of the Winix: \- quiet (both other units were a good bit louder); I sleep with this on every single night \- space savings - can back all the way up to a wall (this is actually uncommon) \- auto on/off works well \- can set it for 2/4/8hr cycles, or just keep it cranking I also hear great things about the [Coway Omega](https://amzn.to/4gfiCI0), but haven't personally used it. End of the day, the unit that best fits your aesthetic and has the features you want is the one you should go with. Efficacy is gonna be pretty similar, at least according to my testing.

I use the Winix 5510 and I know for a fact I have 1 cat. Works great!

Most stuff I have in that room is dark, so it blends in great. Barely even hear it.

We used to use a kinda crap/cheap one and it never helped much. We recently invested in the Winix 5510 ($150) and it makes a world of difference, honestly, even overnight. It's a bit pricy but you only have to swap the filter once a year and it has a two year warranty. We checked a lot of reviews before we bought. If you have allergies you should have one!

What the website/product listing says is that it will let you know when the filter needs replaced--it has wifi connectivity and an app. But on a listing for replacement filters, and also in the app, it says typical lifespan is one year. It didn't really qualify that. The Winix 5510 has an "auto" mode where it turns off when it's completely dark and adjusts the fan speed according to the air quality it detects. I imagine the year lifespan is an average when the machine is on auto mode where it doesn't run heavily. I just turn it on and off manually because auto mode spooks me.

Winix 5510 - after some research I got that as it has the separate filters along with the front washable filter. Plus it’s got the carbon pellets instead of the carbon mesh which makes it more effective. Many of the others have integrated filters so have to replace the entire thing instead of just one which is bad. Apparently the previous model 5500-2 was even better but they discontinued it for the current 5510 which is a bit more noisy as they reduced the size. The new definitely looks better than the older one. It is for $128 currently on Amazon. The videos from this guy for air purifiers did help me make the decision - https://youtu.be/e3X-w9W4lws?si=EIte54rxT_VKO5iB

Just got the winix 5510 on Amazon on deal at 128. Check it out. Pretty great reviews. Have been watching this guy’s reviews to finalize this. In one of his videos he makes a valid point of having a pre filter that can be washed and this one has it. Those round winix models are all in one filter making it toss the entire filter even if the hepa filter part might be good. https://youtu.be/e3X-w9W4lws?si=ZeFZHh9Vqr9CIH9N He prefers the older model 5500-2 over this but that’s now discontinued.

Portable hood by the window for capture. HEPA + big carbon purifier running high during + a few hours after. If money is tight: consider a DIY Corsi–Rosenthal box (for particles) + a smaller carbon purifier or the hood for odors. If money is not as tight and smoke is frequent: consider a smoke-focused purifier with heavy carbon (Winix 5510, Levoit large-room, Oransi TrueCarbon, Austin Air, etc.).

Definitely return it and buy the new Winix 5510 or 5500-2. If you have a bigger space, the Coway Airmega 350/450 is amazing.

Winix should be $150 or less.

Winix 5510 for the smaller rooms. Coway Airmega 350 for large wide open spaces.

It 100% would. I'd recommend a Winix 5510 or Coway Airmega ap-1512hh.

I'd get a Winix 5510 or Coway Airmega ap-1512hh. 1 in the main living space and 1 in the bedroom.

Winix 5510 and Coway Airmega 1512 is going to be the best bang for your buck.