About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the air purifier which I was sent by the company to test in May of 2023.

My take

The Winix A230 is an affordable purifier that provides cleaning power and portability. It’s great for bedrooms, dorm rooms, play areas, or larger spaces when combined with a decent HVAC system.

About the gear

• Model: 2023** **Winix A230 (black)
• Certified Room Coverage: 230 sq. feet
• Listed ACPH: 4.8

About me

• Experience: I’ve been testing air purifiers around the clock for about a year.

Test conditions

• When I received it: May 2023
• Days tested or how long you’ve used it: 24/7 since May
• Where I use it: On a tabletop in my main living/dining room area. It’s about 800 sq. feet.
• Conditions of the room it’s used in: I have a poor HVAC system with only one return vent in a multiple-floor house with four dogs and three cats. This room gets the most action, and there is pet dander, fur, and dust most of the time.
• Other air quality conditions I’ve used it in: Near the kitchen while cooking.
• Used for: I use this purifier to tackle pet dander and dust and help compensate for the poor HVAC system.
• How often it’s run: 24/7
• Preferred mode: Auto mode during the day with plasma mode off and night mode at night.

How it performs

What I was looking for

As an animal enthusiast, I have gathered quite a few pets in my home, most of whom (the four dogs) like to hang out in the same area where I am located: my living room. Three dogs are massive shedders most of the year due to our mid-Atlantic, often wet and humid weather. Pair that with my old house and an HVAC system with only one intake for four floors, and yikes. I needed a purifier to tackle the fur, dust, and dander and keep the air moving in a busy area.

Why I chose this unit

This product was given to me to test by Winix. Before I received my test model in May, I had already gifted the A231 (same purifier but in white) three times over the holiday due to its portability, affordability, and cleaning power. I had considered gifting the Bissell MYair Hub Air purifier but chose the A231 because it had a greater cleaning ability and was more affordable. As mentioned, the A231 and the A230 are the exact same thing, just different colors.

What I love about it

• Durability: While maintaining a purifier is a key part of achieving the best air quality output from a device, I can say there are many times that I have forgotten to perform the suggested maintenance at the suggested intervals. But the A230 keeps charging on. And the maintenance is relatively easy when it comes to air purifiers. I’ve had zero issues operating this purifier so far, and its casing can survive some hard knocks.
• ACPH (Air Changes per Hour): For its size, this purifier packs a walloping 4.8 ACPH in a 230 sq. foot room. I’m guessing a part of this is that the auto fan speed is set to a higher rate than some purifiers when the air quality indicator is blue, meaning that the air in the room is clean. This provides a lot of versatility for this unit as allergy sufferers can limit its use to a 230 sq. foot room, or the average user can place it in a larger space.
• Filters: The filter on the A230 adds to its affordability as it is an all-in-one filter containing the prefilter, carbon filter, and HEPA filter. Instead of replacing multiple filters, I just have to purchase one as needed for approximately $49.99. This is one of the least expensive replacement filters for a reputable purifier, and easy to replace.
• Portability: Weighing under 7lbs, the A230 is easily transportable from room to room. I could easily throw it into my tiny Ford Focus to take to a hotel or a less-than-ideal air quality situation. I’ve also been found traipsing my mom’s A231 (again, the same purifier as the A230) up and down the stairs at her house to see the air quality in different locations.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Design: My biggest issue with the A230 is that while it has a 360° intake, the purifier’s casing affects the intake. The casing is riddled with various-sized holes that keep large clumps of fur out, which is good. On the downside, the air particles tend to accumulate on the filter in little clumps after passing through the holes instead of being distributed evenly over the filter. The other issue is cleaning the fins or vents on the top of the air purifier can be a bit arduous.
• Noise Level: At this moment, I’m sitting about six feet away from my A230, and the sound is registering around 30dB, equivalent to a whisper. While quiet, I can noticeably hear the fan running on its low setting in auto mode, akin to if I was running a floor or table fan. Night mode does drop the decibels to around 25, but I don’t know at what cost to the ACPH. It could be hard to tune it out for someone who is noise-sensitive.

Favorite feature of this air purifier

For someone who is analytical and always trying to improve the ideal conditions at home, it really is a breath of fresh air to have a purifier that just plugs away. It doesn’t have a special app or sound. Still, the features it comes with (auto mode, night mode, and air quality indicator) are intuitive and simple enough to keep me from obsessing over numbers and settings on an app or whether it's working properly. Simplicity is my favorite feature.

Value for the money vs. other options

I chose the A230 over the Bissell MYair Hub for cost and effectiveness. A toss-up is with the Levoit Core 300. Both are very similar units and fall in similar price ranges. The Winix A230 is worth spending money on, and I would not consider anything much cheaper because it will not work as well. The A230 has great air cleaning capability, simplicity, and enough features to ensure it works.

Final verdict

The Winix A230 is my most recommended air purifier under the $150 range. It’s easy to use, durable, fairly lightweight, and powerful.