Winix AW600 Air Washer Review

This Winix AW600 Air Washer Review was updated on the 4th May 2020.

I decided to review the AW600 air washer for its numerous features. Besides offering a 3-stage air filtration system, it also works to add humidity to a room. Many people are looking for a high-quality 2 in 1 machine these days – especially those living in dry climates and those that suffer from Asthma.

In 2020, we decided to look at the AW600 again, as it has now been on the market for a couple of years. When we first wrote this article on it, there weren’t many user reviews on Amazon for it, so I’d like to see what individuals in the market think of it now.

Personally I live in a very humid place already, so if anything I need a dehumidifier and air purifier, but I’m always on a lookout for anything new in the industry to review for my readership.

This 2 in 1 machine can service rooms up to 600 square feet – which is huge for a combination device like this.

It uses a special CleanCel technology to produce pure water for humidification purposes. At the first glance, the unit seems to have a nice design. Let’s go deeper into the specs.

Filtration System

The Winix AW600 Triple Action Humidifier with Plasmawave technology is the full title of this machine. The name is almost as big as the machine itself! (more on that later).

It comes from a company called Winix that have been in the air purification game for a long time and highly appreciated by industry professionals. They’re known for building good quality machines at very affordable prices.

It offers the following stages of air filtration:

Pre-Filter – Takes care of large particles in the air, allowing the HEPA filter to work longer. This pre-filter is easy to remove and it can be washed with tap water. It’s important to wash this pre-filter at least once every three months in order to add longevity.

HEPA Filter– This 2-in-1 filter takes care of 99.97% of contaminants 0.3 microns in size. It deals with mold spores, allergens, pet dander, and numerous other impurities. This is a high-quality filter, which needs to be replaced once every 9 months. There is no filter replacement indicator, so you need to time the filter replacement yourself.  It comes in a combination with a carbon filter and costs about $40 for the two.

Carbon Filter – A high-quality carbon filter takes care of odors and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the air. It can also deal with smoke and numerous kitchen odors. Replacements are combined with the HEPA filter. See above

PlasmaWave – PlasmaWave technology allows this air purifier to work as an ionizer. It keeps the air smelling and feeling fresh. The technology produces no ozone. The ionizer is optional. Therefore, you can turn the air purifier on without the ionizer if necessary. PlasmaWave technology creates Hydroxyls, which neutralize viruses, bacteria, odors, gases, and more.

CleanCel technology  – This special technology consists of discs with antimicrobial treatment. These discs are turning inside the water dealing with 99.9% of the water contaminants. The discs can be washed with tap water and detergent. The washing procedure is necessary every time the water tank is refilled. Winix say this technology is designed with Asthma sufferers in mind, which can be cleaner and more sterile than normal humidifiers. For more information on air purifiers for Asthma , check out our new guide.

Overall, this unit has a strong purification system with a moderate filter replacement cost. Annually, you would need to spend about $60 on the combi filter. The rest of the components are washable, which is something we love to see in this day and age. Keeps the costs down. The maintenance of this machine is very simple.

However, the design of it doesn’t seem to be well thought out. Many users complain that the humidifier doesn’t work as it should. While operating at the highest speed, and therefore doesn’t provide sufficient humidity when attempting to humidify a large area quickly. The water in the tank is being used up slowly, thus forcing the humidifier to consume more energy without proper output.

 Design

At the first glance, I had a positive feeling about the design of this unit. However, by looking closer, I discovered that it’s quite bulky. The model weighs over 15 pounds (without water in the tank), making it tough to haul around the house in case you need to use it in different rooms. If the tank is full, then it can weight up to 30 pounds which is a significant weight.

The aw600 also has a fairly large footprint. Its dimensions are 13.4 x 13.4 x 17.7 inches. Even though it looks fine against numerous backgrounds, its size is a little overwhelming when you get it home. On the plus side though, its still better than having two different machines in it’s place (a Humidifier and a separate Air Purifier)

The controls are located on the top of the unit and are pretty straightforward. You can adjust the fan settings (there are three speeds), choose auto, continuous, and night mode, set the timer, and turn the ionizer on and off.

The contemporary design with a straightforward control panel give this unit high scores.

Meanwhile, heaviness, bulkiness, and absence of caster wheels don’t make it a good choice for people, who are pressed for space or not able to lift such a heavy machine.

The water tank is not transparent, so you can’t watch the water level. However, there is a small transparent line, which helps you get an idea about the disappearing water. You need to watch the levels yourself. However, the system will automatically shut off when the water level is dangerously low.

One big advantage with the design we overlooked in our initial review could be of help to those in hard water areas. Typcially a humidifier works by spraying a fine mist of water into the air, which effectively adds moisture to it. However in hardwater areas, this can cause the machine to get clogged up, especially around where the mist comes out. The AW600 have a wick like most misting humidifiers. Instead, ti uses plastic discs that are treated with microbial chemicals, which means there’s a larger surface area and no small openings that can get clogged up in hardwater areas!

Smart Options

The number of smart options for this machine are quite limited. Here are a few I found. All of them are useful, but since the unit isn’t cheap, it could have come with a bigger variety.

Night Mode – You can set the purifier to the night mode. It will turn off the lights and slow down the fan speed. The unit does it automatically as soon as it gets dark. However, you can turn this mode on any time you wish.

Humidity Sensor – If you set the auto mode, it will activate the humidity sensor. The machine will try to maintain the humidity at 60 % by changing the fan speed according to the readings.

Timer – You can set the timer for the unit to turn off or on in 2, 4 or 8 hours. It’s a good energy saving option, which can help you maintain proper humidity and clean air levels in your home.

Unfortunately, this air purifier doesn’t have an auto mode for the air purity. So if you are thinking about keeping the air clean while enjoying the right humidity, you need to rely on the unit to do a good job without a sensor.

Thankfully, this model doesn’t consume too much energy. It uses about 16 Watts at the highest fan setting which is below the average for combined filter machines like this.

Coverage Area

The manufacturer claims that the unit can work in the area of about 600 square feet. This air purifier doesn’t have a CADR rating so we can’t perform the calculations to check the claims.

I’ve read numerous reviews left by the users and came to the conclusion that as a humidifier, this model doesn’t do a good job in large rooms. It’s not clear whether it’s a design flaw or the manufacturer’s mistake. The 2-in-1 model should be used for large areas. In fact, some units have trouble maintaining 65% humidity even in the smallest rooms due to the design problems.

Noise Levels

This is a fairly quiet unit. It produces about 44 dB at the highest fan setting and about 25 dB at the lowest level. Even when the fan is working at full speed, it will hardly interfere with your everyday activities.

At its lowest speed, the fan is about as loud as the sound of approximately 7 to 8 rustling leaves, making it ideal for the bedroom. As a light sleeper, I always look for air purifiers with the lowest noise levels of about 20 dB.

Warranty

This air purifier comes with a formidable 3-year warranty. I think it’s a reasonable warranty for a complex 2-in-1 unit. Winix has an excellent customer support service, which can answer questions over the phone or email. The majority of customers are satisfied with the way the support and warranty work.

Pros: Cons:

Aw600 air washer review conclusion

Even though this unit has a 4-stage filtration system, it’s a humidifier rather than an air purifier. And I can’t give it high scores for humidifying properties. Overall, if you want a high-quality air purifier, I would recommend getting another model. If you want a high-quality humidifier, think about purchasing a humidifier instead of a 2-in-1 option.

This machine doe offer excellent features. However, the design is a little off. As a result, not all of these wonderful options are performing as planned. I think that it would be a better idea to purchase two units separately or take a look at our comprehensive combo page where we look at the best 2 in 1 devices on the market right now.

In 2020 during this update we’ve discovered one great plus of this unit. Many air purifier humidifiers are a real hassle to use in hard water areas. Any home appliance that deals with water is prone to clog up unless you use distilled water. Thankfully in this device, winix have moved away from the typical ‘wicking’ style of humidification. Instead they use plastic disks that look like an accordion, which we’re told are designed not to clog up and can continue working unaided, even in hardwater areas.

Also, we’ve seen a number of new user reviews which commend this device and so we’ve decided that we were perhaps a tad harsh on the AW600 in our initial review. I’ve decided to award it with an extra 3 points, giving it a new, commendable 81 out of 100.

This article was written by Julia Montague – check out her author bio here