Sharp KC-B50 Air Purifier: Trusted Review & Specs

We have the chance to make a review of the Sharp KC-B50-W air purifier. This is a strange device with not many searches on the Internet, but since there are some requests for a proper review of this device, we will do it. So, get ready for the first Sharp KC-B50 Review in the world.

Sharp KC-B50 ranks B+ in our air purifier ranking list. We give the biggest and most thorough database of air purifier reviews in the world.

Update: If you want an air purifier with stronger performance, you should look for the Sharp KC-F70-W. However, I recommend you get the Sharp KC-850U or Sharp KC-860U to be covered by Sharp’s warranty in the U.S.

In Breathe Quality, we have reviewed all air purifiers under these sections. Also, we guarantee that:

• 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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Sharp doesn’t give any information about this air purifier, but we can still find it online at many well-known retailers, making it one of the most mysterious devices from a famous brand. Given that we don’t know much about the Sharp models in Asia, an unofficial air purifier like the Sharp KC-B50 (and its brother, the KC-H50-W) needs thorough testing before purchase. So, that’s why you need our Sharp KC-B50 Review.

Other Sharp’s Air Purifier Reviews:

Sharp KC-B50 Price

It is clearly an air purifier in the same product line as the Sharp KC-850U because the Sharp KC-B50 is a device with humidification technology from Sharp. Even the name gives a hint that it could be the closest brother to the common device in the U.S. market, as well as another unofficial Sharp KC-H50-W.

According to Sharp, there are a lot of air-purifying products in the Asia and Australia regions. With the Sharp KC-B50, this company plans to take on the budget segment of hybrid air purifier and humidifier combinations.

You can only buy this Sharp KC-B50 online, with the used ones starting at $345. I guess if you want to buy a new one, the cost would be the same as the KC-850U model, so it is a little bit pricier than the high-end standalone Sharp FP-A80UW air purifier.

This air purifier seems to use the same air filtration system as the latest products from Sharp, but you should know Sharp is one of the most reputable manufacturers of air filters in the world. That’s why you can believe this Sharp KC-B50 has what it takes to stand out in the air purifier+humidifier combination market.

Still looking for an alternative? The Oreck Air Refresh and Boneco H300 are the best ones you could get for the price of this Sharp KC-B50. There are also new air purifiers like the Sharp KC-H50-W and KC-F70-W, which I will review soon.

Related post: Best air purifier 2023.

Sharp KC-B50 Design and Size

The Sharp KC-B50 has a plastic body with a diamond-shaped front plate, just like the Sharp KC-850U and Sharp KC-860U. However, with the white tone, the Sharp KC-B50 is definitely unique and snazzy, but it might come across as a bit ostentatious and gaudy to some.

Thanks to its impressive dimensions of 25 inches in height and 16.5 inches in width, the Sharp KC-B50 is more solid than the official KC-850U model. It has four legs to hold the device firmly on the ground.

Based on an unconventional design, the Sharp KC-B50 has air intakes from both the rear and the front. There is an open-air grill outlet on top, just like the Winix HR1000. Of course, this is the bottom-to-top airflow system concept, just like any Sharp air purifier.

You can see the air quality index displayed right above the Plasmacluster logo. Also, there is a top control panel to help you control this air purifier. There is only one problem: all buttons are in Japanese, and you need to find out the function of each button.

The Sharp KC-B50 is 20 pounds, which is really heavy. However, it is still normal for a Sharp air purifier with a humidifier function to have such a heavy weight.

Related post: Best air purifiers for bedroom.

Sharp KC-B50 Filters

Just like any other air purifier with humidifier function, the Sharp KC-B50 has a traditional 3-stage air cleaning system, as shown below.

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.

A humidifier is in fact necessary for purifying the air. If you can keep the indoor humidity between 30 and 50%, you can avoid irritation of the skin and dry eyes, which lead to respiratory illness.

The Sharp KC-B50 uses a top-notch air filtration system with a honeycomb carbon filter (which has a higher efficiency against odors than budget carbon filter sheets) and a high-quality True HEPA filter. The HEPA filter from Sharp can last as long as 2 years, which is truly impressive.

Moreover, we have the signature Plasmacluster technology. Just like other Sharp air purifiers, the Japanese-awarded technology can emit both positive and negative ions into the air to form hydroxyls that decompose the protein and suppress the activity of the viruses. This technology can even remove static electricity.

Source: Amazon.com

I made a test for the Sharp KC-B50, KC-H50-W and KC-F70, all in the same room of 200 square feet and in 1 hour. The Sharp KC-B50 and KC-F70 were the best performers, with high efficiencies of 99.95% for trapping particles down to 0.3 microns.

You can use the Sharp air filter model FZ-D50HF for the Sharp KC-B50, which can last for 2 years.

Related post: Best air purifiers for allergies.

Sharp KC-B50 Room Coverage

Just like other Sharp air purifiers with humidifier functions, the KC-B50 doesn’t have much room for a big fan. The device has a suggested area of 375 square feet.

The ACH of Sharp KC-B50 is 4X. This air purifier can clean your room every 15 minutes.

The CADR of Sharp KC-B50 is 240 cfm in general. It is as powerful as the Sharp KC-860U, so it can clean the room quickly.

Related post: Best large room air purifiers.

Sharp KC-B50 Sound

The Sharp KC-B50 is an air purifier with impressively silent operation, especially at low speeds. During our review period, this air purifier was only 13 decibels (dB) to 38 decibels, which is even quieter than the sound of rustling leaves.

It can handle day-to-day use in bedrooms, with the highest noise level just lower than any noise in a library. That said, it is very quiet.

Related post: Best air purifiers for baby.

Sharp KC-B50 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 KC-B50 is an air purifier with low power consumption, managing the rated power to be as low as 4 watts on the lowest speed. The maximum power consumption is just 54 watts, which is a bit higher than the Sharp KC-850U.

If you run the Sharp KC-B50 for 8 hours per day, you need to pay $2 to $20 each year.

Related post: Best air purifiers for pets.

Sharp KC-B50 Additional Features

The Japanese leader Sharp added a lot of high-end features to the KC-B50, such as the Smart Sensor. It can tell us exactly the air quality index in your room and then automatically adjust the fan power to match the need of the air cleaning process.

No need to say; it has a humidification setting with a humidity level indicator in a numeric value. It will also warn you when the water tank needs to be refilled.

If you find the light of the display to be too bright, you can turn it off with the Light Dimmer setting. Finally, you can check the filter’s life anytime, thanks to the LED indicator for filter replacement.

1, Best air purifiers for smoke.

2, Best air purifiers for dust.

3, Best air purifiers for mold.

Sharp KC-B50 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.

For any imported products like the Sharp IG-EX20, Sharp KC-F70-W, Sharp KC-B50 and Sharp KC-H50-W, however, you don’t get any support from this company.

Our verdict

The Sharp KC-B50 is an air purifier only meant for the Japan region, so it doesn’t have any English instructions, and it comes with a 100V output, so you need a power adapter for this air purifier. If you can accept all this trouble, the Sharp KC-B50 is really a good air purifier with a humidifier function to use at home.