Winix Air Purifier With True HEPA Filter

I’m using this in my bedroom because it is very quiet. The air feels fresher but I won’t know what it is filtering out until I change the filter the first time.

I have been a big fan of Winix and their PlasmaWave technology for awhile as it makes a big difference in managing indoor air quality for me. We recently found mold in our house and were looking for solution to assist with managing the allergic reactions we were having – Already having an A231 and 5200-3 we opted to purchase a few more A231s so that there was at least one air filter in every room. This has made a huge difference while we are waiting for remediation. For the price, these are very impressive little units – though canister style filters are always a little more expensive/harder to come by.

I bought this air purifier as I have a mid-size bedroom (~120 feet; large enough that many smaller purifiers were not rated for that room size). I was also looking for an air purifier with HEPA filtration for allergies and filter changes that were reasonably priced. The official replacement filters run from about $45-50 depending on where you get them and last around a year (aftermarket filters are available and can be had for significantly cheaper, if you’re willing to take your chances on those). Many other smaller air purifiers have filters that last for much shorter lengths of time and/or secondary pre-filters and end up costing more per year to run, so in the long term this filter will save you a little money there. Filter changes and cleanings are easy (you should vacuum or otherwise clean the filter every 2 months to extend its longevity), but the directions were a little unclear about how to orient the filter. Based on what I’ve found, the solid black side of the filter labeled BOTTOM should face the bottom cover of the machine.

Noise levels with the filter are reasonable. The lowest speed on automatic is quite quiet and serves as nice background noise. Medium speed is louder but tolerable. High speed is loud, but it’s never kicked on automatically for me.

Note that this comes with PlasmaWave, which generates some ozone as a byproduct (though from what I’ve read, this is well below harmful levels). PlasmaWave can be toggled off. However, by default, whenever you turn the purifier on or wake it from sleep mode, PlasmaWave turns on. I would NOT recommend this model if this is would annoy you, but it’s a non-issue for me.

I like that this has a sleep mode, whereas it is extremely quiet (my fish tank motor is louder) and only the light from the power button is present, which doesn’t seem to light up the room but may bother someone who prefers pitch black to sleep. Also, the air smells more crisp and my daughter, who has allergies, has been having far less attacks. It is also light weigh, the filters last forever, it’s easy to clean, and you can turn off plasma wave (which I never use because it can be problematic for asthmatics). My only complaint is that I’m not sure how well the air quality sensor works. I’ve set my son’s poopy diaper right next to it and it still said the air quality was good. It also said the air quality was good when I could smell a strong smoke smell from my neighbors burning. However, any time someone is cutting onions in the kitchen, a room away from where the purifier is, it says the air quality is poor to very bad. Other times it randomly says the air quality is poor/bad for no reason discernible to me, and without there being any activities that may have effected the air quality. All in all it does its job and does so very quietly, which is what was most important to me due to having sensory processing issues, especially related to sound.

Edit: air quality sensor seems to be working. It’s picking up b/o and flatulence.

Also, my son has knocked it off the shelf several times and it seems pretty sturdy.

The coating on the wire is coming off near the machine.

Also, I kept noticing a faint helicopter noise coming from the machine where it does atop a book shelf (not recommended distance from the wall). I was worried it was the fan and quite irritated by the sound. I realized that what was causing it was the slight movement from the fan leading to the wire moving back and forth against the wall where it was pushed between the wall and the shelf. I pulled up more slack and moved the unit out from the wall as much as I could and the sound stopped.

Only real complaint : I wish that plasma mode had a lock on it. My kids keep turning it on, which is an issue for the asthma and allergy havers in this house.

We’re using this cute little air cleaner in our bedroom. It’s built with quality and has a sleek design. It’s easy to use and the automatic setting turns the fan higher when there’s smells or particulates to keep the air clean. It’s helped me sleep better and has helped me with my allergies.

This is my 2nd Winix unit and once again they are top tier at the price point. Buy it.