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Winix 5510 air purifier, black tower with washable pre-filter and True HEPA, front view

Best air purifier for pet hair and value

Winix 5510

Winix

9.0/10high confidenceLast checked

The discontinued 5500-2's successor and the new value champion: a washable pet-hair pre-filter, True HEPA, and ~370 sq ft of coverage for about $180 — now with a smart app, auto mode, and air-quality sensor. The pick for pet homes that don't want to overspend.

$179.99

$249.99

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Last reviewed Jun 21, 2026

What we like

  • ✓Washable mesh pre-filter traps pet hair and large dust before the HEPA — a real advantage in shedding-pet homes
  • ✓True HEPA plus a pelleted AOC activated-carbon filter handles dust, dander, pollen, smoke, and cooking odors
  • ✓Ranked #1 in Project Farm's independent air-purifier comparison test
  • ✓Smart Winix app, auto mode, gas and light sensors, and a color-coded air-quality LED for hands-off use
  • ✓Excellent price-to-CADR: ~$180 with coverage and cleaning speed matching pricier mid-size units

Trade-offs

  • −Loud at top speed (~67 dBA) — notably louder than other purifiers with a similar CADR
  • −Cleaning slows at quiet sub-45 dBA speeds (about 47 min to clear at speed 2)
  • −Winix app is bare-bones next to Levoit or Xiaomi apps
  • −Genuine replacement filters add roughly $50 per year
  • −PlasmaWave is a bipolar ionizer — leave it off for strictly filter-only operation

Best for

Pet households and shedding-pet owners who want a washable pre-filter that catches hair before the HEPA, plus strong dust, dander, and odor control in rooms up to ~370 sq ft — at a mid-range price with a smart app and auto mode.

Avoid if

Very large or open spaces over ~400 sq ft, anyone who needs whisper-quiet cleaning (it runs loud and slows at sub-45 dBA speeds), or buyers who want a feature-rich companion app.

Score breakdown

  • value9.5/10
  • filtration9.0/10
  • performance9.0/10
  • smart features8.0/10
  • noise7.0/10

Specs

Noise
~40.8 dBA (speed 2) to ~67 dBA (turbo)
Energy
Energy Star; ~$61/yr if run 24/7 at top speed
Ionizer
PlasmaWave (can be switched off)
Coverage
Up to ~372-392 sq ft (4.8 ACH)
Warranty
2-year limited
Auto mode
true
Smart app
Winix app (iOS & Android), Wi-Fi
True HEPA
true
Dimensions
25.2 x 15.9 x 11 in, 13 lb
Fan speeds
5
Filtration
Washable pre-filter + AOC carbon + True HEPA + PlasmaWave (4-stage)
Filter cost
~$50/yr genuine
Air-quality sensor
Smart sensor + light sensor
CADR (estimated PM1)
~248 cfm

How we know

High confidenceLast checked

Independently tested by HouseFresh, which cleared PM1 in their test room in 24 minutes at top speed and estimated a PM1 CADR of ~248 cfm (about 5 air changes per hour in rooms up to ~372 sq ft), and ranked #1 in Project Farm's air-purifier comparison test. Three-stage filtration pairs a washable mesh pre-filter — which catches pet hair and large dust before the HEPA — with a pelleted AOC activated-carbon filter for odors and a True HEPA filter rated to 99.97% at 0.3 microns. Adds a Winix smartphone app (iOS/Android), auto mode driven by gas and light sensors, sleep mode, and a color-coded air-quality LED. Reviewers note it runs loud at top speed (~58 dBA) and that the app is basic, but praise its price-to-CADR ratio after Winix dropped the list price to ~$180 following the US discontinuation of the 5500-2. PlasmaWave bipolar ionization can be switched off for strictly filter-only operation. AHAM-style coverage is ~372–392 sq ft depending on source.

Other expert reviews

Video reviews

  • Air Purifier First — Winix 5510 Air Purifier Review: Is it the New King?

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