The Winix C610 is a compact, tower-style air purifier designed for medium- and large-sized rooms, such as bedrooms or living areas. It uses a 4-stage filtration system housed in a single cylindrical filter, combining a pre-filter, a True HEPA filter for capturing airborne particles, and an activated carbon layer meant for reducing household odors, along with a PlasmaWave feature intended to help break down certain airborne pollutants, which can be turned off if preferred. It also includes a built-in particle sensor that automatically adjusts the fan speed depending on current air quality, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity for control through the Winix smartphone app.
Our Verdict
The Winix C610 delivers strong clean air delivery performance at its highest fan setting, reducing airborne particles like pet dander, dust, and fine fur at a fairly quick rate. This makes it well-suited for keeping up with everyday shedding in spaces where pets spend a lot of time, such as bedrooms or living rooms. At quieter fan settings, however, it cleans the air more slowly, so you'll likely need to raise the speed during heavier shedding periods, after brushing your pet, or after vacuuming when particles get stirred back into the air. At these higher settings, the fan becomes very loud and could spook more noise-sensitive pets, especially in quieter rooms or overnight. That said, the Winix smartphone app lets you adjust settings and monitor air quality remotely, so you can make changes without disturbing your pet or walking over to the unit.
Quiet operation at lower fan speeds makes it less disruptive for everyday use.
App connectivity allows for remote controls, scheduling, and air quality monitoring.
Very good clean air delivery rate for medium- to large-sized rooms.
Loud fan noise at maximum settings may bother noise-sensitive pets.
Key features like scheduling and automatic shut-off are only available through the companion app.
The Winix C610 is great for bedroom use. It runs very quietly at lower fan speeds, making it easy to leave on overnight without disrupting sleep or adding much background noise while reading or relaxing. Its Sleep mode also helps by turning off all indicator lights except for a dim light on the Sleep button itself, reducing distractions in a dark room. The Winix companion app is also convenient in a bedroom setup, letting you adjust settings or check air quality without getting out of bed. At lower speeds, it filters particles more slowly, but this is still sufficient for the vast majority of bedrooms. If you're trying to clear the air after cooking, during allergy season, or on a particularly dusty day, however, you'll likely need to raise the fan speed. At its highest setting, the fan becomes quite loud, measuring around 65 dBA, roughly comparable to the volume of a normal conversation, which is likely to be disruptive for noise-sensitive sleepers overnight.
App connectivity allows for remote controls, scheduling, and air quality monitoring.
Very good clean air delivery rate for medium- to large-sized rooms.
Dedicated Sleep mode operates very quietly for overnight bedroom use.
Highest fan setting is loud enough to become disruptive when trying to sleep.
Key features like scheduling and automatic shut-off are only available through the companion app.
The Winix C610 has a great particle filtration rate, removing airborne particles efficiently in medium to moderately large spaces like bedrooms, living rooms, or home offices. In larger open-concept layouts where air has more room to circulate, it may struggle to keep up, particularly at quieter fan settings where lower speeds reduce how quickly it can remove airborne particles.
Very good clean air delivery rate for medium- to large-sized rooms.
Relies heavily on higher fan speeds for stronger air cleaning performance.
Changelog
- Updated Jul 16, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.3.1, which adds an additional field to indicate whether an air purifier's filtration system is HEPA-certified. To read more about the changes, see the changelog.
- Updated Jun 18, 2026: We've updated this review to Test Bench 1.3, which adds a new 'Footprint' test that's meant to score an air purifier's dimensions. If you're interested in learning more about why we made this change, read our changelog article.
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Updated Jun 17, 2026:
We've added a link to the Shark BreatheClear MAX HP365CO in the Filter Configuration section of the review to provide an alternative that incurs lower filter replacement costs.
- Updated May 11, 2026: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Winix C610 is available only in one color variant: 'White.' You can see the label of the unit we tested.
If you encounter another variant of this device, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Air Purifier Comparisons
The Winix C610 is a compact air purifier intended for medium- to large-sized spaces, offering solid overall air-cleaning performance and quiet operation at lower fan speeds. Within Winix's own lineup, it sits closely to the Winix C545, with the two delivering very similar performance and features. The C545 runs a little quieter overall, while the C610's cylindrical design gives it a more compact footprint that's easier to fit into tighter furniture layouts or awkward corners. For those who prefer adjusting settings or checking air quality without getting up, the C610 offers a more feature-rich experience than similarly performing alternatives like the Coway Airmega 200M, which delivers comparable performance in medium rooms but lacks app connectivity and remote operation entirely. The C610 can still hold its own in living rooms or more spacious layouts, though those needing faster air turnover in bigger spaces will find a noticeable jump in airflow and overall cleaning speed with larger units like the Levoit Core 600S.
If you're interested in alternatives, check out our recommendations for the best air purifiers, the best air purifiers for pets, and the best air purifiers for bedrooms.
The Winix C610 is better than the Shark BreatheClear MAX HP365CO. While both units provide a similar particle filtration rate, the Winix is far more compact, and at its lowest fan speed, it's noticeably quieter, making it the slightly more discreet option for overnight use or in rooms where space is at a premium. That being said, the Shark's NeverChange filter system does result in the latter incurring lower costs of ownership over time.
The Winix C610 is the better overall choice than the Blueair Blue Pure 511i Max. While both offer app connectivity, automatic fan adjustment, air quality monitoring, and cylindrical filter designs, the Winix delivers substantially stronger air-cleaning performance. Its higher CADR allows it to maintain air quality more effectively in medium-sized rooms and larger living spaces where the Blueair begins to reach its limits. Despite its stronger performance, the Winix remains compact enough for a bedroom corner or beside furniture, though it is still noticeably larger than the Blueair. The 511i Max's main advantage is noise performance; it stays quieter across its fan range and is less disruptive at maximum speed. However, if air-cleaning performance is the priority, the Winix's higher airflow and broader room coverage make it the clear winner.
The Winix C610 is the better overall choice than the Levoit Core 300S. Both air purifiers offer a similar suite of convenience features, including app connectivity, automatic fan adjustment, air quality monitoring, and voice assistant support, but the Winix pairs those features with significantly stronger air-cleaning performance. Its higher airflow makes it much better suited for medium-sized rooms and larger living spaces where the Core 300S can start to struggle. It's also a little quieter at its lowest settings, so it holds up just as well for overnight bedroom use. The one area where the Levoit has an edge is size; its smaller footprint makes it easier to tuck it onto a nightstand, shelf, or dresser if space is tight.
The Winix C610 is a better overall choice than the Coway Airmega 200M. On the features side, the Winix offers a more complete experience, with app connectivity that lets you adjust settings, check air quality, and manage schedules remotely from your phone, something the Coway lacks entirely with no app support or remote operation of any kind. The Winix also has a smaller cylindrical design that's easier to fit around furniture or into tighter room layouts, while the Coway's wider, boxier shape feels more intrusive in smaller spaces. The Coway does have an edge at quieter fan settings, maintaining stronger air cleaning performance without needing to ramp up the fan speed as aggressively, making it a slightly better fit for quieter bedrooms or offices. It's also marginally quieter at its highest setting, though both units get fairly loud at max fan speed, enough to distract from watching TV or sleeping nearby.
Test Results
The onboard LED air quality indicator changes color based on current conditions:
- Blue: Good
- Green: Average
- Yellow: Fair
- Red: Poor
Onboard controls cover Sleep mode, the PlasmaWave feature, and power across five fan speed settings. There's no physical remote control, and features like scheduling and automatic shutoff are only accessible through the Winix smartphone app. It also lacks a traditional timer, but the app's scheduling system is fairly flexible, with support for multiple schedules per day.
Outside of Sleep mode, the display can only be dimmed, not fully turned off. When Sleep mode is active, all indicator lights shut off entirely except for a single dimmed light on the Sleep button itself. The unit also only includes a filter replacement indicator for the True HEPA filter, with no dedicated indicators for the carbon layer or pre-filter.
The Winix C610 uses a three-stage physical filtration system comprising a fine-mesh pre-filter, a True HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter, intended to help reduce odors and other airborne pollutants. Winix advertises a four-stage filtration system, but the fourth stage uses PlasmaWave technology, an ionizer-style process rather than a true physical filter layer. Like other ionizer-style technologies, it produces a small amount of ozone during operation, which can irritate the respiratory system for some people, particularly those with asthma or other respiratory sensitivities. That said, Winix claims the ozone output stays well below the generally accepted safety threshold of 0.05 ppm, and the feature can be turned off independently if preferred.
The fine mesh pre-filter catches larger particles like hair, lint, and dust before they reach the main filters, and Winix recommends cleaning it every 14 days with a vacuum or soft brush to keep it running efficiently. The True HEPA filter and activated carbon filter are both non-washable and will eventually need to be replaced; replacement Filter Z assemblies can be purchased here. Consider the Shark BreatheClear MAX HP365CO if you want an air purifier with filters that are expected to last for years at a time without having to be replaced.
Unlike some higher-end purifiers that use denser activated carbon pellets, the C610 uses a thinner activated carbon sheet, which means less carbon material overall and a lower capacity for absorbing odors and gaseous pollutants before becoming saturated. It's also worth keeping in mind that activated carbon filters generally need a significant amount of carbon material to have a meaningful impact on odors and gaseous contaminants; you can read more about that in our air purifier performance research.
This unit's maximum clean air delivery rate is great. At its highest fan speed, it handles medium- to large-sized rooms like living rooms, primary bedrooms, and home offices well, regularly cycling the air and maintaining air quality over time. In larger open-concept spaces, it will take longer to fully cycle the air, especially when airborne particles build up from things like cooking, vacuuming, or opening windows during allergy season. It's also worth noting that these results were measured with the PlasmaWave feature disabled.
The low-noise particle filtration rate is fairly limited, and at quieter fan settings, this purifier is really best suited for smaller bedrooms or home offices where it can run continuously over longer periods. To achieve more meaningful air-cleaning performance in medium- to large-sized rooms, you'll need to raise the fan speed, making it considerably more effective at keeping up with airborne particles.
This air purifier delivers mixed noise performance. In its Sleep mode and lower fan settings, it operates very quietly, making it easy to run overnight in a bedroom or keep nearby in an office without becoming distracting. However, its highest fan setting is simply loud. At full speed, it reaches noise levels similar to a normal conversation, so it will compete with nearby TV audio or conversations and become distracting in quieter living spaces.