Sharp FP-A80UW Air Purifier: Trusted Review & Specs

The Sharp FP-A80UW is the most complete Plasmacluster air purifier to date. It’s the first to properly challenge the might of other well-known brands, like Winix HR1000 or Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0. You will see a new ‘sharp’ design as well as all-round powerful specs, so you can’t ignore this air purifier. Sharp has been in our country for four years, and it’s still never had the standout air purifier that shows it is a decent competitor to those American brands, but we hope after reading our Sharp FP-A80UW Review, you may know one.

Update: If you want the best flagship of this company, you should look for the Sharp FX-J80UW.

Sharp FP-A80UW ranks A- 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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• We provide honest reviews (both pros and cons) so that everyone can make the best decisions.
• We do not (and never will) exaggerate one product just to let you click the links and buy that product blindly.

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As a giant in electronic product manufacturing history, Sharp stepped into the air purifier industry a long time ago. However, this brand only established a subsidiary in our country after 2016. Its air purifiers feature a very high-quality True HEPA filter as well as an exclusive technology named Plasmacluster for the air cleaning process. The Sharp FP-A80UW is considered the flagship of this brand, with the most powerful fan power and performance. If you are not convinced, you really need to read this Sharp FP-A80UW Review.

Other Sharp’s Air Purifier Reviews:

Sharp FP-A80UW Price

Sharp flagships are rare breeds, not just in terms of new models but popularity as well. Almost four years have passed since the first Sharp FP-F50UW entered the American market, and a lot has happened in that time, not least the evaporation of this brand’s already paltry market share.

The Sharp FP-A80UW was nominally the last flagship-class device in the classic air purifier era before this brand moved on to the Sharp KC-850U, with the addition of a humidifier function. Now, the Sharp FP-A80UW is still an elite-tier device that Sharp needs in order to compete. With the current high quality of its True HEPA filter, an improvement in fan power is becoming the norm rather than the exception, and there’s little room for compromise at the top.

This Sharp FP-A80UW is also the dream of this brand: to make great air purifiers for everyone and see the Plasmacluster as the technology that conquers the world of air cleaners. But it is quickly replaced with a more modest ambition, making devices to reward fans who knew this brand through the lean times.

For the price of this Sharp FP-A80UW, you must pay $349, as written on the official Sharp website. The price is not too high if compared with the previous Sharp FP-F60UW, and given the much better fan power, it gets more chance to shine in the aggressively competitive mid-range segment. The old price tag of $334 is now official for the FP-F60UW model.

To be fair, this is a very stable position for the most well-known air purifiers, like the Rabbit Air BioGS 2.0, Levoit LV-H134, GermGuardian AC9200WCA and Alen BreatheSmart 45i. These American air purifier brands are more present than our current unit, and in the minds of most consumers, the Sharp FP-A80UW is just an unknown device.

But after rigorous tests, we all have good reviews for the Sharp FP-A80UW. If you can get a good deal on this device, for example, from Breathe Quality, don’t hesitate to buy it.

Related post: Best air purifier 2023.

Sharp FP-A80UW Design and Size

The Sharp FP-A80UW starts with a design named the Sharp FP-A60UW, and it has a lot of differences from other machines like the Sharp FP-F50UW or the Sharp FP-K50UW. At first glance, the Sharp FP-A80UW is almost totally unremarkable, at least from the front. The plate is distanced from the air intake grill instead of setting the grill on the back, and I feel a connection to its rival from Korea – the Winix WAC9500.

It removes the base completely, and with a height of 24 inches, the Sharp FP-A80UW can hold the ground firmly without any trouble. My personal hate is only for the ugly carving of the Sharp logo near the bottom. Maybe it makes the air purifier sharper, but I still like the elegant design of the predecessors, such as the Sharp FP-F60UW.

Though you still have the classic bottom-to-top airflow system, the outlet air vent is now on the direct top of this air purifier, and you can enjoy the fresh air easier. However, the control panel has been moved to the front, and in my opinion, it is annoying to change the settings of this air purifier. I have experienced the same problem when testing the Winix WAC9500.

Source: Sharp website

The rear of the handset also tends towards a corporate look and feel. The handles are much smaller, but it is still convenient enough to move this device. This may sound like a minor detail, but as someone who has known the Sharp air purifiers for years, I found the back design concept of this Sharp FP-A80UW great throughout my review period. It is something that you can put anywhere in your home without worrying about it becoming unsuitable.

The weight of this Sharp FP-A80UW is 17.6 lbs, and you won’t have any trouble moving it hundreds of times per day.

Related post: Best air purifiers for bedroom.

Sharp FP-A80UW Filters

As the most important criteria to decide the performance of one air purifier, normally we will check the air filtration process and what air filter types are used. Just like others in this brand, the Sharp FP-A80UW still features the signature 3-stage air cleaning system.

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, which can further reduce the amount of pollutants. Can be switched on/off.

Day-to-day use is pretty good, especially when the Sharp FP-A80UW combines the unstoppable True HEPA filter and Plamacluster technology to trap any airborne contaminants in your home. When you see a certified True HEPA filter, you will know this thing can remove 99.97% of any particles down to 0.3 microns in the air.

We don’t count the effects of its Plasmacluster technology. But first, you must want to know what the Plasmacluster is, right? Well, the Plasmacluster technology is exclusive to only Sharp, which is actually an ionizer. It emits both negative and positive ions, giving water in the air a positive charge and oxygen a negative charge. Through plasma discharge, in which voltage is applied to the discharge electrode, these ions will bond on the surface of airborne viruses and other substances and change them into OH radicals. This process is called “hydroxyls form”, and the Plasmacluster technology can decompose the protein and suppress the activity of viruses, mold spores, and bacteria. The result of this process is water (H₂O), which is returned to the air.

Source: Sharp website

With such a powerful combination, the Sharp FP-A80UW can guarantee fresh air for your home. Moreover, Plasmacluster is made up of both positive and negative ions and therefore reacts to both, so it can easily remove static electricity.

To test the practical use of this Plasmacluster technology, I put this Sharp FP-A80UW into a room of 300 square feet and let it run for a full hour. I also added the Winix HR950, Blue Pure 121 and Alen BreatheSmart FLEX into this test to compare with the efficiency of this Sharp FP-A80UW. The final results show that the Sharp FP-A80UW and Blue Pure 121 are both clear winners, with an efficiency of around 99.95% for any particles smaller than 0.3 microns. The Winix HR950 (and even the Winix HR1000) can only clean 99.92%, while the Alen BreatheSmart FLEX dropped to just 92%.

The Sharp FP-A80UW is not only powerful; its True HEPA filter (named FZ-A80HFU) can last longer than normal HEPA ones, up to 2 years. With a filter cost of around $50, you only need to pay $25 for the annual filter cost. If you compare this cost with the air filter cost of the Oransi OV200 or Oransi Max, you will see the difference.

Related post: Best air purifiers for allergies.

Sharp FP-A80UW Room Coverage

The best improvement of the Sharp FP-A80UW is the fan power, and because this is the second most important criteria, we can compliment the Japanese brand for making such a high-quality air purifier. The Sharp FP-A80UW is meant for large rooms, and it can clean a room of 454 square feet with no problem.

The ACH of Sharp FP-A80UW is 5X. With this air changes per hour rating, this air purifier can clean your room every 12 minutes.

The CADR of Sharp FP-A80UW is 303 Dust/ 293 Smoke/ 360 Pollen (cfm). Finally, we have a Sharp air purifier that can clean this quickly. With a high CADR rating like this, the Sharp FP-A80UW can easily surpass the Levoit LV-H134 or Austin Air HealthMate Jr in the same price range.

Related post: Best large room air purifiers.

Sharp FP-A80UW Sound

Sharp described its air purifier as having LibraryQuiet operation, and the Sharp FP-A80UW is really, really quiet. Though the fan power is upgraded, Sharp still keeps the noise level of its air purifiers as low as possible. In the case of the Sharp FP-A80UW, the lowest noise level is only 23 decibels, which is even quieter than the Rabbit Air MinusA2 Ultra Quiet air purifier. This is exactly the noise level of the rustling leaves, and you won’t notice any sound at all.

If you run the Sharp FP-A80UW at its highest speed, the noise level is still 55 decibels (dB). It is noticeable, but it is just like other electric appliances in your home. So to say, I suggest using this Sharp FP-A80UW in any places that require silence, like your office or bedroom.

Related post: Best air purifiers for baby.

Sharp FP-A80UW 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-A80UW is Energy Star rated, and it will only run at 5 watts on the lowest setting. There are not so many air purifiers that can compete with the Sharp FP-A80UW in terms of power consumption. But when you run at the highest speed, the power consumption is really, really high, up to 94 watts.

For running the Sharp FP-A80UW for 8 hours per day, you need to pay $0.2 to $35 each year. Even if you always run your fans at highest speed, the power consumption is only $0.1 per day to keep your indoor air quality as good as possible.

Related post: Best air purifiers for pets.

Sharp FP-A80UW Additional Features

If there was one advantage to waiting so long before bringing out the elite Sharp FP-A80UW, it was that this Japanese brand has packed a lot of necessary features into this air purifier. As such, the Sharp FP-A80UW comes well equipped, both by the standards set for 2020 and for the future.

Sharp has worked hard to bring back the beloved Smart Sensor, which for unknown reasons was removed from the Sharp FP-A60UW, in our today’s Sharp FP-A80UW. There is no need to repeat the necessity of this sensor, but any modern air purifier needs to acquire it. The Smart Sensor can help your air purifier precisely react to the current indoor air quality and change the most suitable fan power to match it. As a result, the Smart Sensor will help you preserve energy better and improve the lifetime of your True HEPA filter.

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. If you hold this button, you will activate the light dimmer function, mainly for bedtime use.

There are no child lock or off-timer functions in this Sharp FP-A80UW, but you will still enjoy the Quick Clean function. Whenever you need the maximum performance with only one button, just press it, and the Sharp FP-A80UW will continuously discharge strong airflow cycles and release the high-density Plasmacluster ions to remove the airborne allergens as they are drawn through the filter systems.

Related posts:

1, Best air purifiers for smoke.

2, Best air purifiers for dust.

3, Best air purifiers for mold.

Sharp FP-A80UW 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

Energy star-rated, with a powerful air filtration process and improved fan power. It seems there is nothing you can complain about with this Sharp FP-A80UW, which is clearly the top air purifier your money should buy.

However, you should check the Sharp FX-J80UW model, which is designed only for the U.S. market. It has more high-end features than our current unit, and it beats the Sharp FP-A80UW in nearly every aspect.