Winix C545 Review [4 Stage PlasmaWave Air Purifier]

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Over the years, the iconic Korean brand, Winix, has come out strongly as a manufacturer of affordable and reliable air purifiers. In this Winix C545 air purifier review, we’re going to analyze the features, strengths, and weaknesses of one of its best-rated units in 2020.

In a nutshell, we’re going to discuss its air filtration technologies and whether or not it’s a worthy investment for you.

Who does the Winix C545 Air Purifier Suit Most?

• People who have problems related to their pets’ hair, dander, and odor– the Winix C545 has a True HEPA filter that removes up to 99.97% of pollutants, including pet dander and pet hair.
• Homeowners living in areas that are prone to wildfires– the Activated carbon filter in this purifier is what you need to get rid of smoke smell.
• Individuals who want a quiet air purifier– this Winix air purifier is barely audible in its first 3 speed levels.
• Anyone looking for an air purifier for bacteria and viruses– the C545 employs Plasmawave technology that destroys these pollutants at the molecular level. However, there’s an option to turn it off if you wish.

Get the Winix C545 Purifier on Amazon

Assembly and Set up

The Winix C545 air purifier comes ready to start cleaning your air. It will ship with a full filter kit (already installed) to start you off. You’ll also find an extra set of carbon filters enough to take you throughout the first year and winix air purifier c545 manual.

Set up should be a breeze as well. You only need to plug it in and use the control panel at the top to adjust the settings. As a Wi-Fi enabled air purifier, you can also download the Winix Smart app and pair the air purifier with your phone.

Construction Quality and Design

Next, in this Winix air purifier C545 review, let’s get into this device’s build quality and overall design. Most of the external components of this air purifier are hard plastic, and there’s nothing to worry about that. Most air purifiers within this range use hard plastic as a way of putting the cost down.

All in all, the Winix filter C545 looks and feels well-made and has no loose parts that would otherwise raise suspicion.

Aesthetics-wise, we feel that this air purifier has a pretty minimalistic approach. Considering its all-white design concept, there’s no doubt that the Winix c545 air filter will look great in most rooms regardless of the theme.

The tiny holes on the front panel plus the 2 large and nicely cut openings on the sides form the intake vent. This is besides adding to the overall design of the air purifier. The front panel snaps off with ease to give you access to the filtration kit. The grill at the top just behind the control panel is where the purified air comes out through.

Size, Weight, and Placement Review

In terms of size, this air purifier is in the mid-range. It’s not bulky, but neither is it the smallest in the lot. The Winix c545 dimensions are 11.2×15.1×23.0 inches. We believe it’s going to fit well in most rooms and apartments.

Winix C545 weighs 16.7 lbs, which again is notably lightweight for an air purifier of this size. This weight makes it very easy for most people to move it from, let’s say, the living room to the bedroom.

What about placement?

This is a floor air purifier, but there are no strict rules regarding where to position it. Wherever you choose to place the Winix air purifier 4 stage, make sure that it won’t be a tripping hazard to anyone. In addition, ensure that its air intake, which is at the front, and grill, at the top, are not blocked.

Winix C545 Specs

• Size: 11.2 x 15.1 x 23.0 inches
• Weight: 16.7 pounds
• Recommended positioning: on the floor
• Covering area: 360 sq. ft.
• Noise: 27.2 – 55 decibels
• Warranty: 1 year
• Energy: 65 watts, Energy Star Rated

How the Winix c545 air purifier works

Let’s switch gear to another critical part of this Winix air purifier c545 review and see how it removes air contaminants in your room.

Similar to other air purifiers from this Korean brand, a motor in the Winix C545 sucks air through a 3-stage filtration kit that removes the pollutants. The clean air is then pumped out. This air purifier also has another purification technology called Plasmawave that we’ve explained below together with the rest.

4 filtration stages

Pre-filter

This is the very first filter that you’ll see after removing the front panel. It captures large air contaminants such as pet hair, dust, and lint from your fabrics. This pre-filter can be vacuumed or even washed to increase its efficiency.

Activated carbon filter

The second filtration stage is what puts the Winix C545 among the best air purifiers for smoke. This is charcoal treated with oxygen to create millions of pores that trap contaminants in the range of 0.5 to 50 microns. In your home, these contaminants include Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), gases, and odors from your kitchen and pets.

True HEPA filter

The third Winix air purifier c545 filter is a true HEPA filter. We’ve written a complete guide on everything you need to know about True HEPA filters in this guide. For the sake of this post, just know that HEPA is an acronym for High-Efficiency Particulate Air, and it refers to a filter that is certified to block up to 99.97% of contaminants that measure 0.3 microns. Most of the allergens that aggravate asthma symptoms and allergies are trapped here. Think of pet dander, dust, mold, and pollen. It will also remove asbestos.

Winix Plasmawave

The Winix C545 air purifier also has one more filtration technology called Plasmawave. This technology releases positively charged ions that trap and destroy unwanted particles lurking in the air you breathe. These include VOCs, viruses, and bacteria. Now, although Plasmawave is entirely safe, Winix allows you to turn it off in case you’re skeptical about its effects.

Controls and Modes

All the physical controls of this air purifier are at the top, right-hand side. Here is a glimpse of the notable features and modes;

Smart sensor– in auto mode, this intelligent sensor will continuously monitor the quality of air in the room.

Color-coded LED indicator– after the sensor has analyzed the air quality, the results are displayed on the LED indicator in 3 colors. Red=poor, Amber=fair, and Blue= good.

Auto mode LED– this LED indicates when the Auto mode is activated. Auto mode adjusts fan speed depending on the quality of air in the room.

Sleep mode– this LED will light ON when sleep mode is activated. This mode resets the fan speed to quiet besides dimming the Air Quality LED indicator for a silent night.

Filter light– this one lights ON when the True HEPA filter requires replacement.

Filter reset button– after replacing the HEPA filter, you’ll need to press this button to reset and turn OFF the filter light.

4 cleaning speeds– the 2 arrow buttons let you cycle through the different fan speeds in the following sequence: Auto, Low, Medium, High, Turbo, and then back to Auto.

Plasmawave button– pressing and holding the 2 fan speed buttons for 3 seconds will enable or disable Plasmawave. Note that this technology is enabled by default whenever you first turn the purifier ON.

Plasmawave indicator– a small light between the fan speed buttons lights ON/OFF when you enable or disable Plasmawave.

Wi-Fi button and indicator– pressing the button for 3 seconds allows you to pair the purifier with your phone. The LED indicator will flash when in pairing state and then go to a solid white light when successfully paired.

Light sensor– when the device is on Auto mode, this sensor will detect the amount of ambient light in the room and turn the sleep mode ON or OFF accordingly. 

Additional optional control options

Winix app

As mentioned earlier, there’s an option to pair the Winix c545 with your phone via Wi-Fi and operate it from the Winix app. This app requires you to have a 2.4 GHZ wireless router and a smartphone that is either iOS 10.0 or later (for iPhones) or Android 5.0 and later. 

Note that you can cycle through all the modes of this purifier right from the control panel. However, we feel that the app will be a good thing to have if you value the convenience of controlling the air purifier from the comfort of your couch or bed.

The chief benefit that this app offers is the ability to control your air purifier from anywhere. For instance, if you’re at work, you can turn the device ON an hour before reaching home, so you come to already cleaned air.

This app has 2 more functions that you won’t find on the device’s control panel;

• A timer– lets you set the purifier to run for a specified number of hours before turning off
• Set schedule– with this function, you can set your purifier to run on preset days and at a given time.

The Winix app keeps you posted on the real time air quality in the room. You’ll also receive air filter alerts and errors, such as a malfunctioning fan or sensor.

Command it with Alexa

For smart home owners, you’ll be delighted to know that the Winix c545 is compatible with Alexa too. Using Alexa app or an Echo, you can ask Alexa to do pretty much anything from turning the purifier ON/OFF to cycling through the fan speeds and modes.

What about Google Home?

Unfortunately, the Winix c545 does not work with a Google Home at the moment. Winix America tells Air Honest  that it’s not yet clear whether or not Google and other compatibilities will be added to this purifier.

Performance

Coverage

Winix has a CADR of 243 (dust) (232) smoke 246 (pollen) cfm. Its ACH is 4x. With these rates, the manufacturer says that Winix C545 covers rooms measuring up to 360 sq. Ft. This coverage puts it in the same range as most large room air purifiers.

Noise level

Going through most Winix c545 4 stage air purifier reviews on Amazon, a lot of current users are excited about how quiet this unit is. At speed 1 and 2, this air purifier barely makes any noise. At speed 3, the Winix C545 is 27.2 dB, which is just slightly louder than a whisper. Speed 4, which is the highest, is a little bit louder, but not irritating. In fact, most buyers who’ve reviewed it say that this speed produces white noise, which bars other noises when sleeping.

Power consumption

As an energy star-rated air purifier, the Winix c545 consumes 65 watts of power. This means that assuming that it runs for 8 hours every day, this air purifier will be costing you around 6.5 cents daily or approximately $23 annually.

Maintenance and Warranty

Winix c545 warranty is 1 year. Now, besides prompt filter replacements, air purifiers don’t have complex maintenance needs, and this model isn’t different. The Winix c545 air purifier filter replacement needs are as follows;

• Pre-filter- this one requires regular cleaning or vacuuming only
• Activated Charcoal- replace the filter every 3 months
• True HEPA- should be renewed annually

Unfortunately, Amazon seems not to stock these filters. However, you can get them in one pack from Winix.com (see Filter S – 1712-0096-00).

 What’s the difference between Winix C545 AND C535?

The Winix c545 is the sibling to another highly rated air purifier that we’ve discussed in this Winix c535 review. Both of these models are quite similar in design and employ the same air filtration technologies, including Plasmawave.

However, the C535 has a slightly smaller coverage at 300 sq. ft. Again, compared to the c545, the c535 has lower CADR ratings for dust, smoke, and pollen at 220, 194, and 220, respectively. That’s to say that although the difference is negligible, the Winix C545 is the leader in removing these contaminants from your air. Lastly, the c535 is not Wi-Fi enabled, but it has all the controls and modes on its control panel. It also ships with remote control, whereas the C545 doesn’t have one. 

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Pros

• Unbelievably quiet
• Energy star rated
• Wi-Fi compatible
• Compact
• Functional air quality detector

Cons

• App has minor issues
• Plasmawave causes some headache for some

Our Verdict

There is no doubt that this is one of the best Winix air purifiers to buy this year. This model adds several upgrades to the Winix 535, including Wi-Fi compatibility and even quieter operations without being overly expensive. If you’re looking for an air purifier for pet dander and odor, smoke, and dust, we believe the Winix True HEPA c545 won’t disappoint.

Winix C545 Review: FAQs

How long should the Winix c545 run?

This air purifier has an air exchange rate of around 4 times per hour. As such, you could run it for 8-10 hours.

How do I turn Plasmawave off?

To turn the Plasmawave off on Winix c545, press and hold the power button for around 3 seconds until the green light at the top (Plasmawave indicator) turns off.

Is Winix Plasmawave safe?

Winix says that it’s safe. From the reviews, though, some users report that it causes headaches. However, others say that it’s okay for them.

Tips

• Close the windows and doors as you use the air purifier to prevent the entry of new contaminants.
• If you have allergies and asthma, don’t turn it off. It’s super energy-efficient, anyway.
• Make sure that you replace the filters regularly.
• Ensure that the intake and outflow vents aren’t blocked when in use.
• In a large room, position the purifier close to you to get the best benefits.

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