Winix 5500-2 Vs Blueair Blue Pure 411

Both of these companies are well known on the market, and they have businesses all over the world. Today, I will compare Winix 5500-2 vs. Blueair Blue Pure 411. Both these devices are good; both of them use standard filtration methods. However, Winix uses ionizer, a well-known PlasmaWave technology that they gloriously promote in their air purifiers.

Blueair 411 uses HEPA filters, while Winix 5500-2 uses true HEPA filters, which we all know is a better filter. Blueair, on the other hand, has a better design and portable product that can fit in any room environment. These two air purifiers are not meant for the same room sizes. 5500-2 is built for rooms up to 360 sq. ft. On the other hand, Blue Pure 411 is intended for smaller rooms up to 161 sq. ft. Room recommendations tell us that the fight between these two air purifiers is not fair. 

Yet many customers, even with the clear power stated by the manufacturers, have a dilemma which one to pick. I will try to help you choose the perfect air purifier for your needs.

Winix 5500-2 Vs Blueair 411

Below is a complete list of important specifications and features included on the Winix 5500-2 and Blueair 411 Air Purifiers:

What Features and Functions do these air purifiers offer?

At the start, I must say that these two models are not identical at all. They have entirely different functions and features. Blueair 411 is a minimalistic device with only one button. On the contrary, Winix 5500-2 has many advanced features and functions. The only thing that they have in common is the filter reset indicator.

Controls

As already said, Blueair 411 uses one button to control the device. With this one button, you can turn it on or shut it down. You can also change fan speed and reset the filter. That’s about it.

Winix 5500-2 has a whole control board on top. Buttons are working on the pressure; the control board is not a touch screen like we used to see in some air purifiers. However, even with so many buttons, 5500-2 is easy to use. If you like, you can also use a remote controller.

Working Mode

Blueair 411 has three speeds, and that’s it. 

On the other side, Winix 5500-2 has four speeds, auto mode, and sleep mode. The auto mode will change working speed according to the pollution in the room. Sadly sensors in Winix only measure odors. Auto mode also has the power to switch to sleep mode when there is dark in the room. Sleep mode will further slow the fan speed, making this air purifier even more silent.

Timer

Winix 5500-2 offers a nice timer which you can set to 1h, 4h, and 8h. This option is great if you like to turn PlasmaWave technology and leave the room. This way, even if small amounts of ozone are released in the air, you will not stay in the room. The timer can also be useful if you like to shut it down during the night automatically—no need to wake up and press the button. The air purifier will shut down at the desired period.

Remote Control

Winix 5500-2 is a relaxing air purifier that you can control from the chair using a remote controller. You can turn it off or on, change fan speed, turn on auto mode, or turbo mode.

PlasmaWave

As already mentioned, a patented PlasmaWave technology is actually an ionizer. The bad news is that this option is on by default, but you can turn it off anytime you like if you have any concerns about ionizers.

Airflow

Winix 5500-2 air intake is on the front side and after filtration is released at the top of the device. Blueair 411 air intake is from all sides, and 2/3 of the device is taking the air. After filtration, the air is also released on the top.

Filtration

Filtration technology is maybe the same at these models, but the quality is different. Firstly Winix 5500-2 uses a true HEPA filter, which is a much better filter than the HEPA filter used in Blueair 411. 

Winix also uses a better carbon filter. Winix implements honeycomb carbon pellets in their activated carbon filter, while Blueair uses fabric carbon filters. The result is that Winix removes odors faster, and there is no bad smell that can get away from Winix. The activated carbon filter in Winix is washable. If all this is not an advantage for Winix, then an additional filtration layer in PlasmaWave technology needs to make a difference. PlasmaWave will additionally help in removing pollution from the air. Both air purifiers have washable pre-filters.

How to replace filters?

Air filters in both devices are easy to replace. You won’t need to hire a handyman. Winix 5500-2 needs to change filters every 12 months. However, activated carbon filters need to be cleaned every three months for best performance. Check out the links below for detailed information about filter replacement.

Noise

Both devices are extremely loud at the highest fan speed. Some people may find that noise annoying. Winix 5500-2 is producing the same noise level on sleep mode as Blueair 411 on first speed. I can say that Blueair 411 first speed can also be called sleep mode speed. Check out the table below for more information about the noise.

Performance

I have tested both devices in recommended room sizes. All tests are done at the highest speed in real-life scenarios, except auto mode tests, which automatically switch fan speed.

320 sq. ft. Room Test

I tested both devices in this large room just to see if Blueair 411 can keep up. Winix 5500-2 in turbo mode while working for 60 minutes managed to improve air quality by 96%. I must say that in the first 30 minutes air quality was already improved by 94%. In the same room, Blueair 411 improved air by 90%. 

While in auto mode, Winix 5500-2 improved air quality by 93% in 60 minutes. Blueair 411 did a good job even though results show that Winix 5500-2 is clearly better at filtering air in such a big room. But that’s normal, and I can say that Blueair 411 actually did a pretty good job working at the room twice the size from the recommendation.

194 sq. ft. Room Test

I put Blueair 411 in the same room size as the recommended one, and I have seen that in one hour of work at the highest speed, air quality was improved by 95%.

Operating Costs

Winix 5500-2 has seven times more powerful motor than Blueair 411. That also means that Winix can cost you seven times more to operate. In dollars, I can say that Winix 5500-2 will cost you around 5$ if it works for one month in turbo mode. On the other hand, Blueair 411 will cost you less than one dollar if the electricity price is 0.12$ kW/h as it is in the US. 

A much higher cost is filter replacement. Since Winix uses a true HEPA filter, then you need to know that filter replacement will cost you several times more than the filter replacement in Blueair 411. After considering all these, I can say that Blueair 411 operating costs are much smaller than Winix.