Winix 5520 Air Purifier: Trusted Review & Specs

After years of selling the Winix 5300-2 and Winix 5500-2, Winix decided to make new revisions, and with a different number. The Winix 5520 is a competent and capable air purifier under $200, and it has a new design taste that the Winix 5510 simply doesn’t have. Okay, let’s continue with our Winix 5520 review.

Winix 5520 ranks B+ in our air purifier ranking list. We give the biggest and most thorough database of air purifier reviews in the world.

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Winix is a South Korean air purifier brand founded in 1973, with a long track record of producing reliable, well-specified home air purifiers at competitive prices. The Winix 5520, along with the Winix 5530, is a continuity of a legend: the Winix 5500-2 that has been recommended many times at Breathe Quality. So, get ready for the Winix 5520 review.

Other Winix’s Air Purifier Reviews:

Winix 5520 Price

With the Winix 5510 suddenly going out of stock, the only readily available options at the moment are the Winix 5520 and the Winix 5530. In fact, the Winix 5530 is essentially the same air purifier as the Winix 5520, with the main difference being its white color finish.

If the Winix 5500-2 was going up against the flagships of the air purifier world in the past, the Winix 5520 faces off faces off against their more modestly priced successors. At $179, the Winix 5520 is asking for less than the launching 5500-2, and it seems that Winix really wants to dominate this spot. I mean, take a look at the new Winix C610, Winix T810 and Winix T830, all are competing at this price range.

Other air purifiers you can purchase new for around the price point include the Levoit Core 400S and Blue Pure 311i Max, but with its sale, the Winix 5520 is more competitive. Against the Levoit Vital 200S, however, it’s a tight draw.

Related post: Best air purifier 2026.

Winix 5520 Design and Size

The Winix 5520 is available in a single finish: an all-black rectangular housing with a textured front panel. The unit stands 25.2 inches tall and weighs 13.03 lbs – compact enough to sit against a wall without dominating a living room, though it is a meaningful physical presence in a smaller bedroom.

The Winix 5520 features a different front grille pattern compared to the Winix 5510. Its design is actually more reminiscent of the older Winix 5300-2 and Winix 5500-2. In fact, you may not find another current Winix air purifier that shares the exact same front grille design as the Winix 5520.

The textured front panel snaps on and off via magnets, which feels premium and makes filter access genuinely effortless. It is still the front-to-top airflow system concept from the predecessor, something that shares between Winix models.

While I ran the purifier in its usual position, I noticed that the textured front panel did accumulate dust in its recesses over time; and when it came to cleaning, the patterned surface proved to be a little bit of a hindrance. Where a smooth panel would have been good with a wipe or two, the textured grill of the Winix 5520 was harder to clean than its sibling, the Winix 5510 – though I got there eventually.

Overall, the Winix 5520’s design is aesthetically pleasing and well-balanced, but you might want to give some thought to your choice between this and the near-identical 5510, which in turn will dictate how easy your maintenance routine is.

Related post: Best air purifiers for bedroom.

Winix 5520 Filters

We check the performance of one air purifiers based on its air filters’ quality and material, as well as the number of air filter types. The Winix 5520 runs the signature 4-stage air cleaning system as other Winix air purifiers.

1. Pre-filter – The polluted air must pass through a fine mesh pre-filter. This pre-filter will capture the large objects of contaminants, such as pet hair and even some kinds of pet dander and skin.
2. Activated Carbon filter – The air filter can adsorb household odors from cooking, pets, and smoke and reduce VOCs.
3. True HEPA filter – The True HEPA Filter that captures 99.97% of as small as 0.3 microns allergens, virus particles, pollen, mold and fungi particles.
4. Winix PlasmaWave – This technology is somehow an ionizer, which can further reduce the amount of pollutants. Can be switched on/off.

The filtration of the Winix 5520 is excellent for capturing allergens, pet dander, smoke, pollen, and fine PM2.5 particles in everyday home conditions. The True HEPA layer is rated to capture 99.99% of airborne particles down to 0.01 microns, and testing confirmed this capability in practice. Even wildfire smoke particles and fine cooking particulate cleared noticeably within a 45-minute run at high speed.

For the ressult, the Winix 5520 shares the same result as the Winix 5510 and Winix 5530, under the same conditions. It is better than some competitors like the GermGuardian AC5900 and the Coway Airmega 160, though the difference isn’t large.

We need the new Winix filter Q for the Winix 5510, 5520 and 5530, which is a little bigger than the traditional Filter H. It is also costlier at $79, and you must replace filter every 12 months.

Related post: Best air purifiers for allergies.

Winix 5520 Room Coverage

The Winix 5520 has an AHAM-verified coverage rating of 392 square feet, and Winix only advertises the room size based on AHAM testing standards. In other words, Winix avoids the inflated “large room coverage” claims that some other brands use by quoting coverage at just 1 air change per hour (ACH).

The ACH of the Winix 5520 is 5X. The air purifier can fully clean its AHAM-verified room size approximately every 12 minutes.

The CADR of the Winix 5520 is 252 Dust/ 253 Smoke/ 247 Pollen (cfm).

Related post: Best large room air purifiers.

Winix 5520 Sound

The Winix 5520 must be powered by a larger motor designed for console air purifiers, so its noise level is noticeably higher than the Winix C610 at 30 decibels (dB) on its lowest speed. However, it is just as quiet as the library.

While you won’t be running the unit at top speed during the day if you value a quiet home, you can get comfortable all-day filtration at speeds 1 and 2, or a quick burst of high-power cleaning at top speed to clear a cooking event rapidly. On its highest speed, the noise level of the Winix 5520 can reach 60 dB.

Related post: Best air purifiers for baby.

Winix 5520 Power Consumption

One of our most FAQs is “Do air purifiers use a lot of energy?” In fact, air purifier must be used for a long time to be efficient. And power consumption is one important criteria to review if this air purifier is good or not.

The Winix 5520 and its sibling models are not Energy Star certified, but it is still better than the predecessor Winix 5500-2. Its power consumption is 65 watts.

The estimated operating cost for the Winix 5520 is only around $28.49 per year when used for at least 8 hours per day.

Related post: Best air purifiers for pets.

Winix 5520 Additional Features

After the success of the Winix AM90 – a candidate in our best air purifier list at Breathe Quality – it seems Winix is pushing the Wi-Fi capability into its new air purifiers. The Winix Smart app is super simple, but it is still a plus nonetheless, and you can use it to remotely control your Winix 5520.

Moreover, the Winix 5520 features dual air-quality sensors, just like its predecessors. These sensors are highly effective at detecting changes in indoor air conditions and can automatically adjust the fan speed whenever a significant change in air quality is detected.

Finally, we have a light sensor to activate the Sleep mode for the air purifier. There is an LED indicator for filter replacement, just as a staple in Winix models.

Related posts:

1, Best air purifiers for smoke.

2, Best air purifiers for dust.

3, Best air purifiers for mold.

Winix 5520 Customer Service

Established over 40 years ago, in 1973, the Winix company is truly an expert in the air purifier industry. It has many headquarters, not only in South Korea but also in both the U.S and Europe. You can reach its customer service from 9 a.m to 5 p.m, Monday through Friday, via phone or email. If you have trouble calling its service, you can email Winix America at info@winixinc.com.

On its official website, the company is selling both new and certified refurbished air purifiers, of course with free shipping in the U.S only. The Winix limited warranty is two years for most of its products. During the warranty period, Winix will repair or replace the product if it fails because of a defect in material or workmanship, as determined by Winix. Remember that this warranty will be null and void if the product is used for purposes other than home, consumer purposes.

Our verdict

The Winix 5520 doesn’t have such good ranking as the Winix T810, but it is still the iconic console air purifier from Winix. Buy it over the original Winix 5510 if you value a new front grill design.