Honeywell Hpa300 vs Winix 5500-2 | Air Purifier Comparison

Honeywell HPA300 and Winix 5500-2 are two of the most popular air purifiers that you will find in the market today – and for good reason! But how do they compare when put against each other and which one is the better choice for you? Picking the correct air purifier is important, as you are likely investing in something that will stick with you for a while. In this post, I am going to do a detailed comparison between these two great air purifiers. My goal is to give you all the necessary information to help you decide which one would be a better fit for you and your air purifier needs. Let’s dive straight into this comparison!

Honeywell Hpa300 vs Winix 5500-2 -product specifications

As is the case with most of my reviews, I will start things off with a side-by-side comparison of both air purifiers.

As seen from the table above, these two air purifiers are quite similar in terms of product dimensions, with Honeywell HPA300 being a bit heavier and bulkier than its Winix 5500-2 competitor, but not by that much. In terms of certifications, both of these models come with pretty much all you want to see in an air purifier – CARB certification, AHAM Verified, and Energy Star compliance. I am not going to go over each one of these individually – the bottom line is that they basically assure you are getting a quality product that is more energy-efficient than your average household appliance.

The biggest difference between Honeywell Hpa300 vs Winix 5500-2 is power consumption. As you will get to see, later on, Winix uses quite powerful fans, which can rival those of much higher-priced competition. This is why it is really surprising that the power consumption is capped at 70W, almost half less than HPA 300, which consumes up to 140W on maximum fan speed. What this means is that Winix 5500-2 is much more cost-efficient, as it consumes almost half less energy than the HPA300 model from Honeywell. 

The other noticeable difference is the warranty period. Honeywell backs up the quality of their air purifier with a 5-year warranty, which is a long time. On the other hand, Winix products come with a warranty period between 1-5 years – at the time of writing this, the model 5500-2 comes with a 2-year warranty, which is quite average.

Honeywell HPA300 vs Winix 5500-2: Features and effectiveness

This section is going to be my main part of the comparison, as I will be discussing the differences and similarities between these two great air purifiers. To make everything a bit easier to follow along, I have first prepared a side-by-side comparison of the important features, of both devices. After the graph, I will go into greater detail and pick my winner in each of the different categories.

Filtration system

Honeywell HPA300 comes with a pretty interesting filtration system. It basically consists of only a pre-filter and uses HEPA technology as the main air cleaning component. While simplistic, make no mistake – this is a very efficient setup and not your ordinary prefilter + HEPA combo. First of all, the pre-filter actually contains a carbon-activated filter inside of it – this makes it effective not only against larger air particles but also against smells and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The device also uses three sets of true HEPA filters, proven to capture 99,97% of all harmful air pollutants sized 0.3 microns and above. It is also able to capture some viruses, which is always great (especially in these times). What I like most about this filtration system is that it is completely safe, as it emits no ozone (a common problem in quite a few air purifying technologies).

Winix 5500-2 comes with an advanced 4-stage filtration system that consists of a pre-filter, carbon-activated filter, TRUE HEPA, and PlasmaWave technology. The most interesting feature here is the addition of PlasmaWave technology, which uses hydroxyls in order to neutralize all bacteria and viruses. This extra layer of filtration takes care of the main HEPA filter weakness, which is limited effectiveness when it comes to successfully removing harmful air particles below 0.3 microns in size (many viruses and some bacteria). You can think of PlasmaWave as an air ionzer, which can be activated or deactivated at will. As for the HEPA filter – it is a high-quality one, that can also remove 99.97% of all air pollutants (0.3 microns and above). I would like to note here that the pre-filter is washable and does not need to be replaced.

In terms of the filtration system, I give Winix 5500-2 a slight edge due to the addition of Plasmawave technology. Other than that, you can not really go wrong with either one of these, as they both use top-tier HEPA filters as their main air cleaning method. HPA300 can also neutralize some viruses, but Winix 5500-2 just does it better.

Room coverage

Honeywell HPA300 is a straight powerhouse when it comes to room coverage, especially at this price point. Designed for large and extra-large rooms, this device can effectively clean areas of up to 465 square feet! This makes it suitable for virtually any room in your home, without worrying about losing effectiveness. It achieves this result through the use of a powerful fan, that can push the air much further than the vast majority of the similarly-priced competition. You can tell that the fan is utilized as much as possible, as the ACH can reach up to 5, making it a really powerful air purifier. The CADR rating is between 300-and 320, is verified by AHAM, and basically confirms (officially) that you can totally use this device for an extra-large room without any doubt. We are talking about elite CADR rating, which is mostly associated with much more expensive, top-tier air purifiers.

Winix 5500-2 can cover rooms of up to 360 square feet, which is more than the above average for air purifiers at this price point. Since the device is also AHAM verified, you can trust that this number is true and not inflated. A powerful fan enables an ACH rating of 4, which is not really mind-blowing but still above average and a very good choice for anyone suffering from allergies. The CADR rating is also very formidable, measuring 232-246 cfm. This is a high number for such a cheap air purifier and basically tells you that Winix 5500-2 is capable of beating much more expensive air purifiers when it comes to air cleaning effectiveness.

In terms of room coverage, the clear winner here is Honeywell HPA300. It can cover bigger rooms, changes clean air more frequently, and has a higher CADR rating. That being said, Winix 5500-2 is still nothing short of great in this area as well, but just overshadowed by the amazing fan utilization of HPA300.

Noise levels

Honeywell HPA300 is quite a noisy air purifier, as the noise range spans from 43 dB -61 dB. While there is no official information found about this part, quite a few users measured the noise levels and their numbers came out pretty much identical. The device is loudest when using the turbo setting, and quietest when using the lowest fan speed. In other words, this air purifier can get quite noisy. This is a direct result of a large room coverage and high CADR rating, as the fan has to be powerful enough to be able to move that much air that fast. Because of that, HPA300 is not very suitable for the bedroom or any area that requires long periods of silence, such as a study room. It also has no sleep mode, further limiting its use.

Winix 5500-2 has a noise range from 28 dB – 58 dB. These are pretty average numbers for Winix purifiers. On turbo fan speed settings, the device can get quite loud, which is to be expected. 5500-2 model also comes with a Sleep mode and is the main reason why the noise level can go down to 28 dB (decibels). While you can find even quieter air purifiers on the market, 28 dB is still very quiet, making this air purifier suitable even for a bedroom.

In terms of noise levels, the clear winner here is Winix 5500-2 as it has a lower minimum and maximum noise level, a smaller fan, and a sleep mode button. On the other hand, Honeywell HPA300 is a lot noisier on all settings and has no sleep mode – this makes it a poorer choice for a bedroom or study room.

Control panel

Honeywell HPA300 comes with quite a basic control panel, which contains a power on/off button, 3 fan speeds + turbo speed, an automatic timer, a filter replacement indicator, and a light dimmer. It does not come with a lot of smart features and it also lacks an air quality sensor. While there is nothing really that impressive to talk about here, you still have enough settings to get the job done. The light dimmer is an interesting choice, as this device is not really suited for the bedroom. Overall, the control panel is located on the top side of the device, is easy to use, and is activated by touch. Here is a picture of how it looks:

Winix 5500-2 comes with a richer control panel. In addition to all of the above-mentioned features, you can also find the plasma wave on/off control button, automatic mode, air quality monitor, and sleep mode. This is quite a rich control panel, which does come with smart features – always a welcome addition. Automatic mode works together with the air quality indicator, changing the settings automatically, based on the current room air quality. PlasmaWave technology can be activated at will, forming Hydroxyl Radicals that seek and destroy viruses. The control panel is located on the top side of the device, looks very elegant, and offers a lot of adjustable settings. You also get a remote control that can be used to control the settings from a distance – a “nice cherry on top of the cake”. Here is how it looks:

Overall, the control panel of Winix 5500-2 has the edge over Honeywell HPA300 in this category, as it comes with additional smart features, a remote control, and an air quality sensor. You get all of the essential settings that you would want in an air purifier and some more. HPA300 has only a basic control panel, that does get the job done, but is missing any smart features which can be a downside to some.

Honeywell HPA300 vs Winix 5500-2 Conclusion

We have two great and very popular air purifiers, from two respectable brands. So which one of them is better? While this is not a clear-cut “one fits all” definite winner situation, it is still possible to determine the winner.

Overall, Honeywell HPA300 is the winner your main concern is air cleaning effectiveness over versatility. What do I mean by this? Well, you should pick HPA300 over Winix 5500-2, if you are looking for a powerful air purifier that can cover large and extra-large rooms without any performance issues. What the device lacks in terms of smart features and noise, it more than compensates with its powerful and advanced fan. 5 ACH also makes it a better choice for anyone suffering from allergies and asthma. as it will keep all allergens out of the air. Not very suitable for bedrooms or study rooms.

On the other hand, I would pick Winix 5500-2 over HPA 300 if you are looking for a small/medium-sized room, or if you want a device that you simply turn on and let smart features do all of the heavy lifting.  The low noise range will make sure that you can get a good night’s rest, making it a good choice for the bedroom. I would not recommend this unit that much for someone that suffers heavily from allergies or asthma, as quite a few users report that the plasma wave feature actually irritates asthma and allergic reactions.

All in all, you are looking at two great choices here. I hope this comparison helped you pick out the winner.

The latest price and availability of Honeywell HPA300:

The latest price and availability of Winix 5500-2: