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H aving a good-quality air purifier in your home can bring you many benefits health-wise as it protects from the potential effects of inhaling pollutant particles, as well as benefits related to how welcoming the house will feel as it can reduce unpleasant odors. However, not all systems perform alike, evidently, and if you seek a cheap yet effective purifier for home or office use, the Winix PlasmaWave 5300-2 upgraded version we review here is among your top choices. Whether you choose to install it in your bedroom, living room, or any other room that is large in size, you can rest assured knowing that it will deliver great performance with each and every use.
Technical Details
It features a 3-phase filtration system so it uses several processes to clean the indoor air. In the first stage, the pre-filter traps large particles like dust and pet hair. The pre-filter contains activated charcoal, which is highly efficient at getting rid of unpleasant odors as well. Next, the True HEPA filter is used that, as you likely know by now, is highly efficient at capturing tiny particles that are invisible to the naked eye.
Compare it to other air purifiers for odor removal here to see firsthand how well it actually performs when it comes to providing fresh air indoors.
It can capture microscopic particles of up to 0.3 microns, as well as viruses and bacteria that can put your health at risk. The third and final stage involves the use of negative ions that get attached to the contaminants and impurities in the air, and are then attracted by the HEPA filter. There’s one minor drawback and it’s the fact that because the air cleaner acts as an ionizer, the ionized particles that are constantly being released can be inhaled quite easily and this can cause some health issues.
Specifications
| Winix PlasmaWave 5300 Spec Sheet | |
|---|---|
| Area coverage | 360 sq. ft. |
| Air purification efficiency | 99.97% |
| Filtration stages | 3 |
| Filter media | Carbon filter, True HEPA filter, PlasmaWave technology |
| Air changes per hour | 5 |
| Air circulation | 236 CFM |
| CADR rating | 232 for smoke, 243 for dust, 246 for pollen |
| Energy Star certification | |
| Noise output | 27.8 dB |
| Filter life | 6-9 months |
| Filter check indicator | |
| Speed settings | 4 |
| Size | 8.2” x 15” x 23.6” |
| Guarantee | 1 year |
Performance
The CADR score is as follows: 232 for smoke, 243 for dust, and 246 for pollen, while the ACH rating is 5. Another reason why it is so popular is the fact that it features the PlasmaWave technology which ensures that the negative ions released into the air during the third filtration stage are not harmful to your health. The good news is that this particular model uses a very weak charge of ionized particles that disappear very quickly, as soon as they are being released into the air.
Features
- Works at its best when used in spaces of up to 360 square feet, which is quite impressive for a residential air purifier.
- It offers 4 fan speed settings, so you have quite an extensive range of functional prowess to select from to ensure it suits your needs at that specific moment. For instance, you can pick the lower setting while you are reading a book or watching TV because it will deliver good performance without being too noisy.
- The Turbo mode can be pretty loud but it’s a great solution for when you want to remove cooking odors or tobacco smoke very quickly.
- The built-in air quality sensor is a great addition here because this sensor is able to adjust fan speed according to actual indoor pollution parameters. To benefit from this technology, simply opt to run it in Auto mode.
- Filter change indicator announces when the appropriate moment has come to replace filter media and upkeep the performance of the system.
Design
Design-wise, it doesn’t stand out too much as it boasts quite a simple design, yet modern. However, this simplicity can actually come in handy as it ensures that the decor of the room won’t be ruined by its presence. As it measures 8.2” by 15” by 23.6”, you might want to consider placing it near the door or in a corner as it takes up quite a lot of space, which is normal considering this is more of a heavy-duty system performance-wise. It uses inexpensive air filters, which is good news considering that this means maintenance won’t be costly in the slightest. Furthermore, it produces only 27.8 decibels on the low fan speed setting, which makes it usable even in the nursery as the baby can sleep calmly with the system running without noticing it is on.
Check out other air purifiers for baby room here to see what silent yet effective air filtration means are available on the market that you can use for the nursery.
Warranty and Support
Likely this is where the only drawback of this system arises as, unfortunately, Winix only backs the product during the first year after you acquire it. Nonetheless, statements from satisfied customers prove that even as the years pass, it doesn’t start to get confronted with performance issues or malfunctions. Seeing how the company is quite serious and customer support has been praised for promptitude, you should not worry in the slightest regarding the product’s durability.
Conclusion
The Winix PlasmaWave 5300-2 air purifier provides a full set of smart features that make it the preferred choice of many customers interested in clean air indoors. With smart sensors that help it run automatically based on the actual current state of air purity, to practical indicators that let you know beforehand to change filters so that performance drop caused by neglected maintenance won’t be an issue, it comes as no surprise that this system ranks among the best. Moreover, considering the positive feedback, proved results in air purification, and modern design that grants an intuitive use, it comes as quite a pleasant surprise to see that the asking price isn’t high at all but rather places it among the more cost-effective options available.
