WINIX 5500-2

I'm very happy with this air purifier. I have a cat and it visibly picks up a lot of hair, that must just be floating around in the air; hair that would normally go unnoticed. I started using a Levoit LV-PUR 131 machine a couple of years ago to remove the smell of vaped marijuana flower (prescribed medical). I love the smell myself, but I know how many don't, and I'm a considerate neighbour. I've had the Winix for 3 months now, and it is far superior to the Levoit model, which has now been demoted to hallway duties. I like the washable pre-filter, although I've not actually had to wash it yet. I find that a good going over with a vacuum once a week, to remove all the large debris, is enough. I vacuum the charcoal filter too. As I've said, my primary reason for using an air purifier was never to remove dust but this is a big bonus, and there is visibly less dust now. The sensor detects VOCs much better than smoke, and for anyone using it for smoke or weed should be aware of this. I just keep it on setting three most of the time, which works very well for cigarette smoke and marijuana vape. Setting 3 on the Winix is quieter than setting 1 on the Levoit. Setting 3 is my "go to" setting. It's really not noisy at all. For smoke, leaving it on "auto" doesn't work, but manually setting it to 3 does. The same is true of marijuana flower vape. The turbo mode (4th speed) is VERY loud but unnecessary for normal use. I occasionally give it a blast, just to clear the air quickly, and it's very effective for this. I have a large living room, and 10 minutes on turbo will just clear anything quickly. The one niggle I have is that when I want to leave it on, as I retire to bed, I have a practical choice of setting 3 for 4 hours, or turbo for an hour - the timer does 1, 4 or 8 hours. It would be more useful for my purposes, if I could choose 1, 2, and 4 hours. Ideally, I'd like to be able to leave it on setting 3 for 2 hours, but that's not possible. I leave the Plasmawave mode on because on or off, I don't notice any difference. People have talked about it making occasional snapping noises, but I've never heard anything. Unbranded filter sets are about 20 quid, so in practice, I change them every two months. Winix say the charcoal filter will last for a lot longer as it is washable, but TBH washing and drying is too much faff for me. Lastly... it LOOKS better than the Levoit, which has turned yellow from UV light, like many white/off-white plastics. I'm very happy with this Winix machine. From research and experience, I now think that it's probably the best in the UK home market, for smoke and vape. [Update: Aug 25] I'm still very happy with the performance. I've discovered that because I've been smoking rollies (tobacco) near the unit, a sticky film develops on the pre-filter. In fact, the surrounding black plastic is also sticky. I think it's nicotine. Anyway, I just laid the filter down in the bath, and went gently over it with some water and a little washing up liquid. This did the trick. Good as new. Another trick I've found is that the carbon filter is exactly half the depth of the Hepa filter, so it is possible to fit three carbon filters, and no Hepa filter. Of course, from the POV of smoke and vape removal, this is not, as one might think, three times the effectiveness, but rather 197% the smoke-reducing power (according to ChatGPT) - something to do with layer passing. That's still almost twice as effective. It doesn't get the fine dust through, that's just blown back into the room. I use this air purifier in the room where I smoke and vape. Just around the corner, in my hallway, I have another Winix with a Hepa filter. That one gets the dust.

Very good quality. Eficient, you can feel it after 2-3 days. Night mode is very quiet. Quality of the build is remarcabile. Easy of cleaning or to change the filters. Very good to eliminate the odor in your room. It has a timer build in as well. Regarding the power consumed, I have not checked yet, but I am not so concerned because is doing a great job. Is not very big but not small as well. Con: no remote or an app on the phone. No wifi.

This Air Purifier is outstanding! I was orginally going to purchase the Shark Neverchange Max. However after alot of research discovered that Winix 5500-2 was actually alot better, covered a bigger area space and was a fraction of the price. Having 2 dogs, and cat when i purchased I was always mindful of ensuring my home didn't smell. Especially as one is a long haired haired Working Show cocker spaniel and during winter when dogs are walked in all weather conditions. Also, since moving into this house i noticed my nasal discharge was alot more thick, green and gooey! Suggesting the area/enviroment is more dusty and polluted. I keep it on Auto mode 24/7. Fantastic results within 24hrs. The Air felt cleaner, lighter and fresh. Any odours are completly gone. The sensors respond affectively to areosols used in the room. I've even noticed that some coughing even activates the machine to spead up. After 2 weeks i checked the filters. The amount of dust, pet dander and hair (especially cat) was very suprising considering i hoover 2-3 times daily,and mop and dust daily. This was easy too hoover off, I hoover the carbon filter too. After another 1week ( the cat was no longer alive so hadnt been in the house) I checked and hoovered it again...still dusty but anywhere near as bad suggesting the air quality really is improved. To my amusement and experiment, very big stinkly christmas banging human farts also activate the Sensors to spead up the fans. Guests over christmas noticed a change in houses the air quality commenting it smelt really light and easy to breath. One Guest suffering from Asthma said she felt it was easier to breath since coming into the house. Highly recommended to anyone. I will be buying one for the top floor of our house too.

It’s a brilliant air purifier, simple to use, not too big or heavy, and the air seems better already after 2 days, HOWEVER it clearly says in the product information that it has a remote but it DOESNT , disappointing

Truly the Best I’ve Ever Owned. I’m 70 (but still lucid, I think ;-) and have tried several air purifiers over the years, but this one is by far the best I’ve had — by a very long way. Clean air? Ironically I’m a casual smoker, and this machine completely clears my kitchen of cigarette smoke almost immediately after I finished.. Normally, even one cigarette lingers for hours and is obvious to any non-smoker the moment they walk in. Not with this unit. I tested it thoroughly and the results were excellent. It’s whisper-quiet most of the time — you’ll only hear it when it’s working hard, and even then, only briefly. Left on auto mode, it ramps up for just a few minutes before dropping back down because it’s so efficient. The truly efficient four-stage filtration system and automatic shut-off really do make a massive difference to the air quality. I couldn’t be happier, especially at this price. I’ve found nothing that comes close, and the three-year warranty is a great bonus. My previous “good” purifier finally gave up after 3½ years, but this model is at least three times more powerful, has far better filtration, and cost about the same. Brilliant product — many thanks. An easy five stars, and I’m very fussy.

I believe this is the BEST Air Purifier on the market. Strong and very effective, no very noisy. I am so glad I found this one. The first Air Purifier I bought on here was dreadful, okay to begin with but nowhere near the power of the WINIX 5500, it broke after a few weeks and Amazon accepted its return. That was when I found WINIX 5500 and I am so glad I did. I can only say good things about it, perfect performance and great price.

and this model seemed to be quite highly regarded, despite it being an older and now discontinued model. I also read somewhere that WINIX will support this with filters for a good few years yet too. It is easy to use, you switch on and set the fan speed and timer if needed, or you can set it to auto mode which adjusts the fan speed as required, though mainly this is on the lowest and quietest setting. On fan speed four this is quite loud but is good to give the room a blast before you start using it. I put this in the bedroom and hour before I go to bed and give it a blast on fan speed 4 to get a good turn over of air, then I set it to auto / night and this shuts down most of the the LED lighting though the 'Night Mode' light is still quite bright. I stick something on this at night and it's fine. On the lowest setting you can hardly hear it at all, but whether the lowest setting is enough to actually move the air, probably not. I do notice a difference in the month since we bought this. The air does feel fresher and you can notice it when you breathe it it. We have a long haired cat and I'm sure this helps. Certainly I have noticed less dust around the house. When cooking something smelly it's useful to have this blasting in the vicinity and this quickly gets rid of smells too. So far I am happy with this units performance and use it in conjunction with an Amazon air quality monitor.

I’ve been using the WINIX 5500-2 Air Purifier for a few months now in our multi-cat household, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. Having multiple pets means a constant battle with dander, fur, and litter dust. This purifier has been a total game-changer. The HEPA filter is incredibly effective- The air in our home feels noticeably cleaner, fresher, and lighter. Allergy symptoms, which used to be a daily nuisance, have dropped dramatically. One of my favorite features is the real-time air quality indicator. It’s reassuring to see how the purifier automatically adjusts its speed in Auto Mode depending on the air quality. After the cats use their litter box or when I both are having their daily zoomies, it kicks into high gear on its own and clears the air within minutes. We use ours predominantly in the open plan lounge/dining area and it keeps the whole space feeling fresh. Overall, I highly recommend the WINIX 5500-2 if you have pets, especially multiple cats. It’s powerful, smart, and has made a noticeable difference in our air quality and daily comfort.