Anyone who knows a thing or two about air purifiers will be familiar with Winix, one of the most popular air purifier brands on the market. It’s time we reviewed the affordable, large, and effective Winix 5300-2 air purifier to assess the features, filtration, operation, pros, cons, and maintenance requirements.
We’ll also review it against the super popular 5500-2 to see how they compare.
What is the Winix 5300-2 best for?
Medium-large rooms: the Winix 5300-2 covers rooms up to 360 square feet, perfect for a medium or large living room, or even a very small entire apartment.
Household odors: the Winix 5300-2 features all of the aspects required to effectively reduce odors in the home (from cooking, pets, dampness, smoke, etc.). It has a carbon filter, a true-HEPA filter, and a smart sensor to assess when the air suddenly becomes more contaminated.
Pets: the Winix 5530-2 has been proven by numerous customer reviews to be an excellent air purifier for clearing the air of pet dander, fur, and odor. Winix also has a pet-specific model (the WAC9500), but the 5300-2 matches it in terms of effectiveness.
Allergy season: we at AirHonest take allergy-reducing air purifiers seriously, and the Winix 5300-2 is worthy of an “allergy season” award for its excellent ability to reduce sneezing, itchy eyes, and other allergy symptoms. The true-HEPA filter, air quality sensor, and auto mode are excellent at capturing allergens of all sizes from large pieces of pet hair to tiny pieces of dander.
Get the Winix 5300-2 Purifier on Amazon
Size, Weight, Coverage, and Ratings
CADR ratings:
Smoke: 232
Dust: 243
Pollen: 246
CADR refers to “clean air delivery rate” and indicates how fast the air purifier takes to clear a certain room size.
Size: 8.2 x 15 x 23.6 inches
Weight: 15.4 pounds
Coverage: 360 square feet
Energy-Star certified? Yes
Filtration System
The Winix 5300-2 has the kind of filtration system we like to see, with a pre, true-HEPA, and carbon filter. The pre-filter is permanent and washable, a nice touch to reduce the overall maintenance costs.
Pre-filters are great as they help to extend the life and effectiveness of the true-HEPA and carbon filters by catching all of the bigger, more abundant particles such as dust and pet hair.
The true-HEPA filter captures the required 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, which includes pet hair, dander, dust mites, mold spores, and some bacteria. The carbon filter works to neutralize and reduce odors in the home, even stubborn ones like cigarette smoke.
The other filtration stage is PlasmaWave technology, which is similar to an ionizer, with a few differences. However, if the word “ionizer” puts you off, don’t worry, as this feature can be easily disabled.
What is PlasmaWave Technology and does it produce ozone?
PlasmaWave sends negative and positive ions into the air (ionizers only send negative ones), as well as releasing oxygen and hydrogen particles. These particles join together to form “hydroxyls”, which are incomplete compounds.
To become complete, they steal from other compounds in the air, destroying them at the same time. Hydroxyls steal from and destroy VOCs, bacteria, viruses, gas, and other nasty pollutants and allergens.
According to Winix, PlasmaWave doesn’t send ozone into the air, and if it does, it’s in tiny amounts. The 5300-2 has been certified by the CARB (California Air Resources Board) which tests air purifiers against a strict limit of 0.05 parts per million of ozone.
Style, Operation, Modes, and Features
The Winix 5300-2 isn’t the most modern or sleek-looking air purifier in the world, but it’s certainly not ugly. It has a tall, rectangular construction in a deep charcoal shade. The air inlets are located on the front-facing side of the unit, (you can see by the row of grilles), with the air outlet on the top end next to the control panel.
The control panel at the top of the unit is easy to use, with well-marked symbols. The panel features the stock standards such as on/off, fan speed change (low, medium, high, and turbo), and filter check indicator light. It also features:
Air quality indicator LED light: located at the bottom of the control panel, this will change between blue, amber, and red to indicate good, average, or bad air quality.
Auto mode: takes a reading from the air quality sensor and changes the fan speed accordingly. (i.e. if you get a sudden rush of dust or smoke, the fan speed will increase to quickly clear the air).
Sleep mode: changes the fan speed to low (the quietest level) and turns off the air quality indicator light. The “mode” button is used to enable both the auto and sleep modes.
PlasmaWave: easily enable or disable the PlasmaWave.
Timer: set the unit to run for 1, 4, or 8 hours before automatically shutting off to save power.
Maintenance and Filter Requirements
The Winix 5300-2 does not require high maintenance; it needs a wipe with a damp cloth when visible dust forms on the exterior, and the inside should be vacuumed with a brush attachment every month or so. Aside from that, you just need to change the filters for the best performance.
How often do the filters need to be changed?
The pre-filter is a permanent filter and can be washed whenever you feel it needs it, (when it is visibly dirty). The true-HEPA filter should be changed every 12 months, approximately, and the carbon filter should be changed every three months.
Can the filters be cleaned or washed?
The pre-filter can be vacuumed, brushed, or gently washed in plain water. However, the true-HEPA and carbon filters cannot be washed or cleaned, they must only be replaced.
Where can I get replacement filters for the Winix 5300-2 and how much are they?
You can find Winix 5300-2 replacement filters for the lowest price on Amazon here. Remember to only use genuine Winix replacement filters (Filter A 115115) as you may run into issues with mimics.
Winix 5300-2 vs. Winix 5500-2 Comparison
The Winix 5500-2 is a very similar model to the 5300-2, so similar that you have to dig to find the differences. However, one of the key differences is that the carbon filter in the 5500-2 is washable, (the one in the 5300-2 isn’t). The 5500-2 uses the Filter H replacement, while the 5300-2 uses Filter A. What’s more, the 5500-2 has a remote control but the 5300-2 doesn’t.
Noise and Light
When studying 5300-2 reviews by unbiased customers, the general consensus is that this is a quiet unit on the lower fan speeds, but reasonably loud on “turbo”. Only the minimum decibel level is given, (27.8) which is equivalent to rustling leaves. We’re confident that the lowest fan speed would be suitable for light sleepers.
Light, on the other hand, is another issue. While the sleep mode switches off the air quality indicator light, the control panel lights won’t shut off entirely. For some people, this is too disruptive at night.
Pros & Cons
Pros 👍
✔ True-HEPA filter
✔ Effectively reduces allergy symptoms
✔ Reduces household, smoke, and pet odor
Cons 👎
✘ Reports of a plastic-like odor
✘ Very loud on the “turbo” fan setting
Review Verdict
The Winix 5300-2 is a surprisingly affordable air purifier considering the excellent filtration, user features, and air cleaning ability. Pet owners and allergy sufferers should put this on their shortlist. If our review has made you want to welcome this machine to your home, grab it for an affordable price on Amazon in 2020 here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some reviews report a plastic-like odor coming from the Winix 5300-2, and it is thought to be the pre-filter when the unit is new. Most have found that the smell goes away after a couple of days. Winix also states that if the unit produces an odd smell, it might be due to a dirty filter that requires cleaning (pre-filter) or replacing (true-HEPA and carbon).
Several customers reviewed the unit with concerns about the air quality sensor’s accuracy. This could mean that the sensor is blocked or dusty. Wipe it with a soft cloth to remove built-up dust.
After you’ve finished replacing the filters, use a paperclip to press the button for 5 seconds or until the light switches off.
The carbon filter and PlasmaWave can help to reduce VOCs in your air, but may not completely eradicate them.
Get the Winix 5300-2 Purifier on Amazon
- What is the Winix 5300-2 best for?
- Size, Weight, Coverage, and Ratings
- Filtration System
- What is PlasmaWave Technology and does it produce ozone?
- Style, Operation, Modes, and Features
- Maintenance and Filter Requirements
- Winix 5300-2 vs. Winix 5500-2 Comparison
- Noise and Light
- Pros & Cons
- Review Verdict
- Frequently Asked Questions
