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Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier vs Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto

Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto leads 4 to 1 on the 5 rankable specs, but Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier costs $180 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier
$1591 spec win
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Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto
$3394 spec wins
Swap

Compare a different air purifier

Levoit Core 300S Smart True HEPA Air Purifier$149Levoit Core 400S$219Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty$229Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max$229Honeywell HPA300 HEPA Air Purifier$249Levoit Core 600S Smart True HEPA$299Coway Airmega 250$399Coway Airmega 400$549Blueair Protect 7470i$649Alen BreatheSmart 75i Large Room Air Purifier$749Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde HP09$799

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your air purifier.

Straight answer

Overall: 1 to 4

Buy the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto.

  • Leads 4 of 5 rankable overall specs; Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier takes 1.
  • CADR: 353 CFM vs 232 CFM
  • Coverage area: 550 sq ft vs 360 sq ft
  • Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier is $180 cheaper. Pay the difference only if cadr matters to you.

Check first: the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto has over 55 dB on high. Tick them under deal-breakers if that rules it out.

1 Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier5 rankable of 11 specsBlueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto 4

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

  • row

    No schedules or remote control from your phone.

    Trips:Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier · Auto Mode + Sleep Mode with Smart Light…Trips:Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto · One-touch Auto Mode
  • row

    Louder than normal conversation at full speed.

    Clear:Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier · 27.8 dBTrips:Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto · 23 dB (Low) – 56 dB (Turbo high)
  • row

    Undersized for an open-plan living area.

    Trips:Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier · 360 sq ftTrips:Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto · 550 sq ft

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

2 of 2 differ

CADR

Winix

232 CFM (Smoke), 243 CFM (Dust), 246 CFM (Pollen)

Blueair

353 CFM (Smoke), 347 CFM (Dust), 380 CFM (Pollen)

Coverage area

Winix

360 sq ft (5 air changes/hr) / 880 sq ft (2 air changes/hr)

Blueair

550 sq ft (4.8 air changes/hr) / 1,320 sq ft (2 air changes/hr)

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier

Upfront list price$159
3-Yr Washable AOC + True HEPA (Every 12 months (~$45/yr))+$135
3-Year Estimated Total$294

Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto

Upfront list price$339
3-Yr Foldable Particle+Carbon filter (Every 6 months (~$45/yr))+$135
3-Year Estimated Total$474

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Winix: What to watch for

  • Maintenance

    Requires periodic filter replacements to maintain airflow and odor capture.

    Activated carbon and HEPA media gradually saturate, needing replacement once or twice yearly depending on air pollution and pet shedding.

Blueair: What to watch for

  • Maintenance

    Requires periodic filter replacements to maintain airflow and odor capture.

    Activated carbon and HEPA media gradually saturate, needing replacement once or twice yearly depending on air pollution and pet shedding.

Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier$1591 win
Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto$3394 wins

Performance

leads 2-0
Performance specifications. Middle column is Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier, right column is Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto.
CADR232 CFM (Smoke), 243 CFM (Dust), 246 CFM (Pollen)353 CFM (Smoke), 347 CFM (Dust), 380 CFM (Pollen) (wins this row: higher)
Room sizeBedrooms, nurseries, home offices up to 360 sq ftLarge living rooms, open floor plans, master suites
Coverage area360 sq ft (5 air changes/hr) / 880 sq ft (2 air changes/hr)550 sq ft (4.8 air changes/hr) / 1,320 sq ft (2 air changes/hr) (wins this row: higher)

Filters

leads 1-0
Filters specifications. Middle column is Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier, right column is Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto.
Filter typesFine Mesh Pre-Filter + Washable AOC Carbon + True HEPA (99.97%)Washable fabric pre-filter + HEPASilent main filter (Particle + Carbon)
Filter life12 months (HEPA) / Washable carbon filter (wins this row: higher)6 months

Usability & Smart

leads 1-0
Usability & Smart specifications. Middle column is Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier, right column is Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto.
Noise levels27.8 dB (Silent) – 54.8 dB (Turbo)23 dB (Low) – 56 dB (Turbo high) (wins this row: lower)
Energy consumption70 W max (Energy Star)38 W max power consumption
Smart featuresAuto Mode + Sleep Mode with Smart Light Sensor (No Wi-Fi)One-touch Auto Mode (no Wi-Fi app)
Air quality sensorsSmart Optical Air Quality Sensor (3-color LED indicator)Integrated particle sensor with 3-color air quality LED indicator

Design & Ownership

leads 1-0
Design & Ownership specifications. Middle column is Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier, right column is Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto.
Weight14.7 lb (6.7 kg)12.5 lb (5.7 kg) (wins this row: lower)
Warranty2 years2 years (with product registration)
Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.
Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier source (opens in a new tab)Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto source (opens in a new tab)

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier

Budget favorite with PlasmaWave technology, Washable AOC Carbon Filter, and True HEPA filtration.

  • Washable Advanced Odor Control (AOC) carbon filter with real carbon pellets
  • PlasmaWave technology breaks down pollutants at molecular level
  • Unbeatable performance per dollar in medium rooms

What you give up

  • No mobile app connectivity or smart home controls
  • Aesthetics and plastic chassis are dated
Full Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier specs →

Pick this one if

Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto

High-capacity large-room air purifier with 360-degree HEPASilent filtration and machine-washable fabric pre-filters.

  • High 353 CFM CADR cleans a 550 sq ft living room in just 12.5 minutes
  • HEPASilent electrostatic + mechanical filtration maximizes airflow and efficiency
  • Interchangeable washable fabric pre-filters in multiple designer colors

What you give up

  • No mobile app or Wi-Fi schedule controls (one-button operation)
  • Reaches 56 dB at highest turbo fan setting
Full Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto specs →

Best for each use

Bedrooms

Quiet nights: low-speed noise, sleep mode, schedules from your phone

For bedrooms, buy the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto.

  • Leads 2 of 2 rankable bedrooms specs.
  • Noise levels: 23 dB vs 27.8 dB
  • Weight: 12.5 lb vs 14.7 lb
  • Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier is $180 cheaper. Pay the difference only if noise levels matters to you.

Big rooms & allergies

Open-plan rooms or allergies: CADR, coverage, filter grade

For big rooms & allergies, buy the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto.

  • Leads 2 of 3 rankable big rooms & allergies specs; Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier takes 1.
  • CADR: 353 CFM vs 232 CFM
  • Coverage area: 550 sq ft vs 360 sq ft
  • Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier is $180 cheaper. Pay the difference only if cadr matters to you.

Low running cost

Cheap to own: filter life, power draw, warranty

Too close to call on low running cost from the spec sheets. Only filter life is rankable here.

  • Energy consumption: 70 W max vs 38 W max power consumption
  • Warranty: 2 years vs 2 years

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier spec sheetBlueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier ↗ · Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier or the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto?

Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier costs $180 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier or Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto?

Both has this deal-breaker: no Wi-Fi app. No schedules or remote control from your phone.

Which is better for bedrooms, the Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier or the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto?

For bedrooms, buy the Blueair Blue Pure 211+ Auto. Leads 2 of 2 rankable bedrooms specs. Noise levels: 23 dB vs 27.8 dB

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 11 specs tracked here, 6 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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