Pet Allergies & Dander

Winix 5500-2 vs LEVOIT: the comparison the spec sheets settle

One is AHAM certified with an ion generator. The other line is ENERGY STAR certified with none. And Winix's own AT41 quietly beats both.

By Scooter M.

Published September 2, 2026

Last verified September 2, 2026

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The short answer

On certified data the Winix AT41 wins: 265 smoke CADR against the 5500-2’s 239 and the LEVOIT Core 400S’s 231, no ion generator, and 272 kWh a year against 356 and 237. The 5500-2 keeps one real advantage — a washable pre-filter and substantial carbon — that matters in a shedding household.

This comparison gets searched because the 5500-2 and the LEVOIT range are the two names people arrive with. It is worth doing carefully, because the answer involves a third machine from one of the same manufacturers that almost nobody mentions.

The certified figures

Certified performance and running cost
	Winix 5500-2	LEVOIT Core 400S	Winix AT41
Smoke CADR	239 CFM	231 CFM	265 CFM
Certified room size	370 sq ft	358 sq ft	410 sq ft
Verified by	AHAM VERIFIDE	ENERGY STAR	AHAM + ENERGY STAR
Power draw	57.8 W	38 W	45 W
Annual energy	356 kWh	237 kWh	272 kWh
Electricity per year	$65	$43	$50
CFM per watt	4.1	5.8	5.6
Measured ozone	Not published	0.00 ppb	0.00 ppb
Ionizer	PlasmaWave (switchable)	None	None
Washable pre-filter	Yes	Not documented	Not documented
Carbon	HEPA + carbon (AHAM)	Carbon variants sold	HEPA + carbon (AHAM)

Electricity costs on this page use 18.34¢ per kWh, the U.S. average residential price for June 2026 from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3. Your rate is on your bill and is probably not this one; multiply the kWh figure by your own rate and you have your number.

What the table says

The 5500-2’s certified output is genuinely good and its room size is genuinely larger than the Core 400S’s. It also uses 50% more electricity than the LEVOIT for 3% more air, which is the kind of thing that only shows up when somebody puts the certified annual energy figures next to each other. Over five years of continuous running that is roughly the price of a replacement machine.

The AT41 resolves the tension. It is from the same manufacturer, is certified in both registers, delivers 11% more air than the 5500-2, covers a larger room, has no ion generator, and uses 84 kWh a year less. There is no dimension on which the 5500-2 beats it except the documented washable pre-filter — which, to be fair, is the one dimension that matters most if you have a heavy-shedding dog.

The PlasmaWave question

Who should buy which

Heavy-shedding dog, no asthma in the house: the 5500-2. The pre-filter and carbon are worth the extra electricity and the PlasmaWave switch stays off.

Cats, asthma, or a bedroom: the AT41 or the Core 400S. Both are ionizer-free with zero measured ozone; the AT41 has more headroom, the LEVOIT is slightly cheaper to run.

Cost per unit of air above all: neither. The Honeywell HPA4300 does 229 CFM on 31 watts, which beats all three on efficiency and is classified HEPA rather than HEPA-Type.

Quick picks

Ranked on certified Clean Air Delivery Rate against the room size each unit is certified for, then on what it costs to run. Tap any row for the full write-up.

#	Product	Best for	Certified CADR	Price
1	Winner Winix AT41 More certified air than the 5500-2, no ionizer, and 84 kWh a year less.	Pet allergies, whole living room	265CFM smoke AHAM VERIFIDE	Check price on Amazon
2	No photo Best LEVOIT here LEVOIT Core 400S ENERGY STAR verified at 231 CFM, 0.00 ppb ozone, 38 watts.	Popular pick, mid-size rooms	231CFM smoke ENERGY STAR verified	Check price on Amazon
3	The incumbent Winix 5500-2 AHAM certified and pre-filtered, but PlasmaWave and the highest energy use of the three.	Pet odor, if you switch PlasmaWave off	239CFM smoke AHAM VERIFIDE	Check price on Amazon

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Common questions

Is the Winix 5500-2 or a LEVOIT better for pet dander?

They are close on certified output — 239 CFM smoke for the Winix, 231 for the LEVOIT Core 400S. The Winix has a washable pre-filter and more carbon, which helps with hair and smell; the LEVOIT has no ionizer and uses a third less electricity. If you have a heavy shedder, the Winix. If anyone is asthmatic, the LEVOIT. If neither applies, Winix’s own AT41 beats both.

Should I turn PlasmaWave off?

If anyone in the house has asthma or another respiratory condition, yes. The EPA advises avoiding portable air cleaners that intentionally produce ozone and names plasma cleaners among technologies that may emit it. With PlasmaWave off, the 5500-2 is a straightforward HEPA-plus-carbon machine and loses nothing measurable — its certified CADR does not depend on it.

Why is the AT41 better than the 5500-2 if it costs about the same?

Because Winix updated the platform. The AT41 is AHAM certified at 265 smoke CADR against the 5500-2’s 239, covers 410 certified square feet against 370, has no ion generator at all, and uses 272 kWh a year against 356. It is simply a newer, better machine that has not yet displaced its famous predecessor in search results.

Sources

Figures were read on the dates shown against each source. If one has changed, or if we have got something wrong, tell us and we will correct the page.