The title of this post doesn’t sound right. Both are good quality home air purifiers. To pit the Winix 5300 against the Winix 9000 is a bit unfair. But they do have different attributes, so a comparison is in order.
CADR values & Room Size
One objective way to do that is to cite their CADRs (Clean Air Delivery Rates). For the Winix 5300 that is 235 for smoke, 248 for dust and 251 for pollen. For the Winix 9000 that is 182 for dust, 183 for smoke and 194 for pollen.
But those numbers are only part of the story. The Winix 5300 covers over 350 square feet of a room with a normal 8-foot ceiling. The Winix 9000 covers a more modest 284 square feet and the smaller Winix 9000S just 215 square feet.
Multi-Stage Filter Systems – 3 Stages vs 5 Stages
The filter system in the Winix 9000 is terrific. It’s a five stage system composed of a washable and vacuumable pre-filter, essentially the same HEPA filter as the 5300, followed by a nano-silvered mesh filter that kills bacteria on contact. Then there’s the Activated Charcoal filter, followed by the PlasmaWave Ion generator.
The Winix 5300 has also a great filter system, but lacks the pre-filter and silvered mesh filter and the Charcoal filter is a bit on the light side. It makes up for the lack of the silvered filter, in part, by coating that carbon with anti-microbial compounds that can help combat bacteria and other nasty bugs in the air that pass through the HEPA filter.
Both air cleaners use the same PlasmaWave ion generator. This interesting device produces both negative and positive ions. Those combine with water vapor in the air to produce hydroxyl ions (OH molecules). Those zap all sorts of common home air pollutants, including deteriorating many VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) along with destroying airborne bacteria.
Since the Winix 5300 has fewer filters, there are fewer to replace making yearly replacement costs less expensive. The Winix filter kit #115115 for the 5300 and the Winix 119110 Ultimate Replacement Filter for the Winix 9000 are both available.
Control Panels
Many users like to monitor the state and operation of their home air purifier. The 5300 lets you do that by offering indicators for filter replacement (1), fan speed (2), sleep/auto mode (3), and air quality (4).
A quick look to the Winix 9000′s panel and you’ll notice that it is much more goody-filled, offering in addition a timer function (1) and plasmawave indicator (6). The 5300 has only one sensor, for odor while the 9000 senses both dust and odor (3). The 9000 even features a light sensor (7) that will automatically put the unit in sleep mode when the room is darkened. That is the lowest, quietest fan setting including a dimmed display panel.
Conclusion
In the end, it may come down to considering price vs. room size. So, those who have a larger room to keep clear of pollutants may opt for the Winix 5300. Given that the price of the Winix 5300 is so much less than the Winix 9000 it might seem mysterious why anyone would buy the Winix 9000.
But sometimes other criteria than price come into play. If you like the Winix 9000′s more advanced control panel, the extra pre-filter and nano-silver coated anti-microbial filter, it’s good to keep in mind that even the Winix 9000 will keep a larger room fresh, it just takes longer. That’s assuming the room isn’t constantly re-polluted, of course.
Either way, both the Winix 5300 and the Winix 9000 are stellar products. It’s always nice when you really can’t go wrong.