Sharp FP-F50UW Air Purifier: Trusted Review & Specs

Sharp’s first air purifier for the U.S. market, the Sharp FP-F50UW, looks like a fresh new budget device, but its price is still higher than most of the common budget air purifiers. It comes with a new and improved air cleaning technology that is exclusive to Sharp devices. Get ready for our latest Sharp FP-F50UW Review.

The new Sharp FP-K50UW is a good alternative for the Sharp FP-F50UW, especially when it has a better price than the discontinued product.

Sharp FP-F50UW ranks B in our air purifier ranking list. We give the biggest and most thorough database of air purifier reviews in the world.

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Sharp is a Japanese multinational corporation with more than 100 years of experience in designing and manufacturing electronic products. The company has been a long-time leader in the whole Asian region, but just like Coway, it only sent a few representatives to the U.S. market. Today, we will start with our Sharp FP-F50UW Review.

Other Sharp’s Air Purifier Reviews:

Sharp FP-F50UW Price

The Sharp FP-F50UW stormed onto the scene in 2016, sporting a, well, sharp design and good specs. It is made to be an instant hit at the budget end of the air purifier market. However, I believe that the Sharp FP-F50UW does not have an affordable price anymore because more and more other brands can keep the price below $200. Even with a recent price cut of $50, the Sharp FP-F50UW is still far from what Winix and Coway can do.

It slotted in below the Sharp FP-F60UW, propping up Sharp’s Plasmacluster and Quick Clean mode at the competitive low-range price point. Yes, the Sharp FP-F50UW costs you $279, which is a bit more expensive for the entry-level air purifier from Sharp. It also paves the way for the new Sharp FP-F30UH and Sharp FP-K50UW. Actually, I quite miss the times this air purifier’s price dropped to just $177 in the past.

But to be fair, the top competitors that can threaten the position of the Sharp FP-F50UW are even at $200 or less. The trio from Winix—Winix 5300-2, Winix 5500-2 and Winix C535—have similar technology and better fan power, but with a much more enjoyable price tag than this device.

It has also been replaced by the Sharp FP-A80UW and, later, the Sharp FX-J80UW. Though you may find the air purifier available with our deal below, it seems this company completely ignores the entry product. It is not easy to find the filter replacement, and you can see a lot of complaints about this issue on Amazon.

Related post: Best air purifier 2023.

Sharp FP-F50UW Design and Size

Like all recent air purifiers, the Sharp FP-F50UW has a white coat for the whole body. With a rounded (not sharp) edge, this air purifier looks a lot like the GermGuardian AC9200WCA or Alen BreatheSmart FIT50. Of course, smooth plastic is used to cover the back and front of this air purifier. That shell actually improves the bright color in the Sharp FP-F50UW, which can’t be achieved by any other colors, though.

The base of this air purifier is way smaller than normal, but the Sharp FP-F50UW is bigger in the bottom, and it is really hard to make it lay on the ground. For the dimensions, the Sharp FP-F50UW is 21.6 inches in height and 15 inches in width. This size is normal for a portable air purifier, and the white color can easily match your decor. It is also the color language for the next Sharp FP-K50UW.

The Sharp FP-F50UW features a bottom-to-top airflow system, with the air intake grill from the back. So to say, you must place this air purifier at a distance from the wall or other furniture so it can operate properly. The air outlet is set on top and near the air intake, so the fan won’t need to be as powerful as in a 360° air system like the Honeywell HPA300.

This air purifier has a little bit of a complex control panel. It is reasonable because the Sharp FP-F50UW packs lots of features.

Source: Amazon.com

This air purifier only weighs 10.5 lbs, which is just 1.25 gallons of milk. With two handles on both sides, you can easily move it around your home.

Related post: Best air purifiers for bedroom.

Sharp FP-F50UW Filters

When we decide to buy an air purifier, we need to know about the air filtration process and what types of air filters are used. With a 3-stage air cleaning system, the Sharp FP-F50UW is one of the strongest air filters available in Japan.

1. Activated Carbon filter – It helps reduce pet odors and smoke, as well as some common household chemicals.
2. True HEPA filter – The True HEPA filter captures 99.97% of as small as 0.3 microns of particles like pollen, dust, pet dander, smoke, germs, bacteria, viruses, odors, mold, and fungus.
3. Plasmacluster Technology – This technology is one kind of ionizer that can further reduce the amount of pollutants. Can be switched on/off.

You may be surprised, as the air cleaning system in this Sharp FP-F50UW is similar to exactly the Winix C535. The only difference is the name of its technology: Sharp called it Plasmacluster, while Winix named it PlasmaWave. However, the Plasmacluster technology has the same working mechanism and emits both negative and positive ions to form hydroxyls that decompose the protein and suppress the activity of the viruses. This technology can even remove static electricity.

The True HEPA filter from this Sharp FP-F50UW is a high-quality one that can remove any common household allergens, such as dust, pollen, pet dander, and smoke, from the air. With more filter media, this air filter can last for 2 years, which is 2-4 times longer than the normal HEPA filter.

Source: Amazon.com

There are many candidates to compare with the performance of this air purifier. So I chose the three strong competitors: the Coway AP-1512HH, AeraMax 300 and Blue Pure 211. They will all run under the same testing conditions: a space of 150 square feet and a duration of 1 hour. As you can see from the below chart, the Sharp FP-F50UW is quite weaker than others, with an efficiency of only 99.92% for trapping allergens as small as 0.3 microns in size.

But don’t worry, as in real-world use, such efficiency is too high for a portable air purifier. And the filter cost (model FZ-F50HFU) of the Sharp FP-F50UW is about $86, which means $43 for the annual filter cost. It is quite good, especially when compared with the high filter cost of the Winix C535 or Oransi OV200.

Related post: Best air purifiers for allergies.

Sharp FP-F50UW Room Coverage

One of the biggest drawbacks to the performance of this Sharp FP-F50UW is the weak fan. For a cheaper price, a Honeywell HPA300 can double the CADR rating of the Sharp FP-F50UW with ease. The manufacturer recommends using this air purifier in a 210-square-foot room, and the fan power is adequate. 

The ACH of Sharp FP-F50UW is 4X. With this air changes per hour rating, this air purifier can clean your room every 15 minutes.

The CADR of Sharp FP-F50UW is 153 Dust/ 133 Smoke/ 155 Pollen (cfm). If you need an air purifier that can clean your room faster, you should look for the Winix 5300-2 or Honeywell HPA200. They are only below $200 and have the same quality air filters as the Sharp FP-F50UW. In fact, even the cheaper Sharp FP-K50UW has better fan power than our today reviewed unit.

Related post: Best large room air purifiers.

Sharp FP-F50UW Sound

But, as an unspoken rule, a weaker fan means a more silent air purifier. The Sharp FP-F50UW has 3 fan speeds, and if you are running this device, you will enjoy the exclusive LibraryQuiet operation of the Japanese company.

I measured the lowest noise level of this Sharp FP-F50UW at only 29 decibels, and it is even more silent than a whisper. Even if you switch to the highest setting, the noise level is only 45 decibels (dB) and won’t annoy you at all.

Many people have complained about the crackling noise of the Plasmacluster, but in 2 weeks of testing, I’ve never heard any sound like this from my Sharp FP-F50UW unit. I will update the status as soon as I find anything wrong for you. But until then, I believe this is one of the quietest air purifiers in the world.

Related post: Best air purifiers for baby.

Sharp FP-F50UW Power Consumption

One of our most FAQs is “Do air purifiers use a lot of energy?” In fact, air purifiers must be used for a long time to be efficient. And power consumption is one important criterion for reviewing how much energy this air purifier will consume.

The Sharp FP-F50UW is Energy Star rated, and it will only run at 32 watts on the lowest setting. But if you need to run it at its highest speed, the rated power will be 64 watts, which is a bit higher for an air purifier with a weak fan like the Sharp FP-F50UW.

For running the Sharp FP-F50UW for 8 hours per day, you need to pay $11 to $23 each year.

Related post: Best air purifiers for pets.

Sharp FP-F50UW Additional Features

It is becoming more and more popular for a low-range air purifier to have many additional features. In fact, this is the top selling point for a budget device, especially when it needs to trade off both the air filter quality and the fan power to effectively cut costs. The Sharp FP-F50UW is a great example of a budget air purifier with lots of additional features.

First, we need to mention the great Smart Sensor of this air purifier. It can precisely detect the status of the air pollution and react immediately with the Auto Mode, which changes the fan speed to help clean your room better. It also tells you what happens in your room via the light indicator on top of the control panel. I know, it is quite convenient, right?

Do you see the button with a cluster of grapes? This is the button to turn on or off the Plasmacluster function. Sharp said that when water molecules surround ions that are generated by plasma discharge, the result looks much like a cluster of grapes.

The Sharp FP-F50UW also has a great child lock function to prevent your kids from accidentally changing the settings of this air purifier. And finally, you have the timer. Remember to hold it for 3 seconds to end the timer setting if you need to.

Related posts:

1, Best air purifiers for smoke.

2, Best air purifiers for dust.

3, Best air purifiers for mold.

Sharp FP-F50UW Customer Service

Sharp is a huge brand; of course it is. But this brand is not as popular in the U.S. market as it is in the rest of the world. Yes, marketing is one aspect of this unpopularity, but it also implies a difficulty in finding good customer service if you live in the United States.

But don’t worry, as the U.S. subsidiary of Sharp is quite active and would like to hear from you. You can reach its customer service toll-free at 800-237-4277 or via email through the “Product Support” page. Sharp’s customer service is available to you 24/7, every day.

However, for air purifiers, the company only provides a 1-year warranty. For most situations, I believe this warranty is enough to cover your device.

Our verdict

The Sharp FP-F50UW looks good, and the combination of both True HEPA filter and Plasmacluster is the unique selling point of this air purifier. However, for the price, this air purifier is overshadowed by many great names on the market, like Honeywell HPA300, Coway AP-1512HH or Blue Pure 211.

Sharp removed the Sharp FP-F50UW from its website, so I guess the product has been discontinued.