Sharp FPK50UW Air Purifier for Medium Rooms

I did a lot of research about HEPA air purifiers, because I had never had one before. I read the NY Times article on them, but they didn't even include this Sharp for some reason. I looked at everything they reviewed, and got some insight into what features to look for, but all of the products they reviewed seemed to be deficient and expensive.Then I saw this Sharp, and it's perfect. You need a large fan to be able to filter a large amount of air quietly, and you need a quiet setting so it won't disturb you at night. This was the quietest fan I found--27 dB. The air inlets don't have to be in front--this one's are in back, and that makes it even quieter. It also has medium and fast modes, which will clear a room of smoke quickly. It lets you turn off the indicator lights too--they would make it impossible for me to sleep. In that "lights off" mode, there are just 1 or 2 small LED indicators on top, which I cover with a piece of cardboard, blocking all light coming from it. It has a timer feature that you can use to set it to turn off in (I think) 2hr, 4hr, and 8hr, but I just manually turn it on at night, and off again in the morning. It also has an air ionizer, but I leave that turned off because I don't like the smell of the ozone it generates. It has two filter panels--one with activated charcoal, and the other one is the HEPA air filter. You need to open the back air grille and remove the plastic bags around these air filter panels before you use it. I read one review where someone didn't do that, and they complained about a plastic smell, but I don't think you'd get any airflow at all through it if you don't remove the plastic wrap around the two air filter panels.So, I've been very satisfied with this unit, and I'm still amazed that the NYT didn't review it.

Easy to set up and has made a difference in my allergies. I now wake up with less respiratory stuffiness.

This is my must have list for each room. Quiet , clean air, and ionizing air.

Really quiet and looks like working to clean up in the room. However, I do not have a way of clarifying as to whether cleaning the air or not. Also, a bit expensive.... I'm still on the fence to evaluate

Night mode is quiet without lights on which is great

Stylish enough to put in a living room, and nothing beats the Sharp plasmaclusters to actively purify the air. Just wish this model still had auto fan sensor like older units (which was superb at ramping the fan speed).

Easy to operate and maintenance is easy enough. As long as you are not using the high power mode, the sound does not bother me and my kids during the night.

Replacement filters can run up to ~$80.xx per set! I've been using a vacuum every 6 months to try to extent the life but now it's time to send this unit to the e-waste facility and look for an Air Purifier using one of the two most common replacement filter sets/sizes.Before you buy any of the Sharp units, you should price and compare the filter prices.I'm left remembering how ink-jet printers were practically given away and you found out why when you went to replace the ink cartridges.

Very impressed with this high quality Japanese engineered hepa filter. Quiet 24/7 reliability, and very attractive. There is no comparison between this sharp unit and a cheap Chinese filter. The complexity of the ion generator for example is extraordinary and ensures you are not breathing in ozone in your house as you would with a cheap knock off.

Sharp's air purifier is always reliable, and this one is even better as it has a timer, which allows us to clean the room before we leave home.

I cannot tell if it does a better job than my old germ guardian tower, but I don't have to buy new filters every few months. The machine looks beautiful and stay quiet even on high speed.

Acheté il y a deux semaines pour réduire le taux de spores dans l'air de la chambre (moisissure), étant allergique, et il fait le travail, je n'ai plus de symptôme. Chambre petite, pas besoin de le faire fonctionner toute la journée. Je ne mets pas le mode « ioniseur ». Très silencieux en mode nuit.

J'ai acheté un purificateur d'air en croyant que c'était une solution aux odeurs de fumée de cigarette sortant de ma fan de cuisine mais NON aucun résultat alors j'ai retourné l'article car ça ne répondait pas à mon attente.