FPA80UW

I've had this air purifier for about a month, and I like it! For now I'll give you my initial impressions, and I'll come back if I have anything to add later.Some reviewers have mentioned plastic smells. When I first opened the included filters and installed them into the unit, I did notice a very slight odor. However, once I turned the machine on and started using it, there was no smell whatsoever. The air that comes out of this air purifier has no odor that I can detect. I tend to be sensitive to chemical smells, but I'll admit that some people may be able to sense odors that I cannot. The best we can do here is describe our own experiences.One of the first things you will notice about this model is that it is always processing a significant amount of air, even if it is making no noticeable noise. It's quite impressive. The clean air blows out of the top of the device, so it contributes to air circulation without blowing in your face.I've had two air purifiers before this one. The first was one of the round Honeywell HEPA models. I bought that one in the late 90s, when HEPA air purifiers were a novelty. The Honeywell was very loud, and I never really felt that it was doing much to keep our air clean. Eventually I think I gave that one away. Back in 2011 I bought a Sanyo ABC-VW24 Air Washer Air Purification System with Electrolyzed Water Technology. That was a very nice device, and I'm still using it. The electrolyzed mist feature doesn't work as well as it used to, but the machine pops into action when smells appear, and it noticeably improves the air quality in our home. Sanyo was acquired by Panasonic, which still makes a line of air purifiers but apparently doesn't sell them in the United States.The Sharp FPA80UW is bigger than my Sanyo, and it seems to be at least as effective. It doesn't respond to smells as noticeably as the Sanyo but it doesn't have to, since as I said it is *always* processing a significant amount of air--and silently! If you put your ear right next to the unit you can hear some air flow and a very slight sound of small particles of activated carbon rustling in the filter, but this thing is amazingly quiet.I think it makes sense to get this model over the FPA60UW, unless you are only going to use it in a small room. The two use the same filters, but the FPA80UW can process more air in less time, which means it will make a bigger difference in your air quality.The thing to remember about air purifiers is that they can't eliminate odors whose source remains present. So no air purifier will get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke if there's a smoker in your home, or the smell of mildew if you have a moisture problem. If you have a damp basement, probably the best thing you can do for the quality of the air in your home is to install a dehumidifier in your basement. Once you have eliminated odor sources, I would strongly recommend this air purifier to help keep your home's air clean.Finally, when I was shopping for an air purifier I found the following resource to be very helpful: air-purifier-power dot com.

It's an excellent air purifier & very quiet. I have it in a large bedroom and it works very well. I have terrible allergies, but now don't wake up sneezing in in the middle of the night or all congested. And, another plus is I barely have to dust! It runs 24/7 even with the bedroom door open and it's very effective for that whole part of the apartment. Where I live is not only near major intersection & freeway, but there are many blooming trees and gardens year round. This is the first time in the 3 years that I've been living in Sherman Oaks that my allergies are under control. I've tried many other brands of air purifiers, but this one is the best.At first I thought it might not be working because it was so quiet, but when I brought in a basket of dirty laundry to sort suddenly I heard swoosh & the light turned red in reaction to the dirty clothes as it went into attack mode. Same thing if I've happened to open my window and a smoker walks by. There is something about the Plasmacluster technology that makes the atmosphere very relaxing (I have a Sharp portable AC with the same technology in another room). I am sold on this technology.It's a very nice design and looks great. It's light enough to move easily. If you don't like the display lights you can hold down the touch panel button on the left and the lights go out.The delivery from Amazon.com came much faster than anticipated (I think I got it in less than 2 days) and it was well packaged. Highly recommend this product.

If you do not live in a dry area, having a reasonable amount of humidity (water) for this "Plasmacluster" Ionizer to create hydroxyl ions from, then this tech cannot currently be beat. This tech definitely works. The closest competitor are PCO (Photo-Catalytic Oxidation) devices which also create hydroxyl ions although a different process, but they use 10x the power. To be fair, a "good" PCO will also kill more airborne viruses, but apparently they are not all "good" at this point.Back to Sharp's entry, the FPA80UW and FPA60UW are the same device, except 2 things. First the motor is heavier duty in the FPA80, and both run at low speed at 71cfm but the FPA80 is 2dB quieter, and 2dB in a range that you can tell. So it's worth the extra money, if you are sleeping with this in the bedroom to get the 23dB FPA80 rather than the 25dB PFA60. I can hear the difference. It's worth the money if you need to clean a large area, the FPA 60 won't handle it. Our calculation of Sq. Ft. "CADR", the CFM produced, and reality, lead us to believe the room size in Sq. Ft. is overrated by Sharp Japan, using probably a 7 ft. ceiling as the constant. Keep this in mind if you have 9 ft. ceilings, we figure 7/9 of rated Sq. Ft.. The second thing different, the FPA80 has the dust sensor built in. A nice feature, it seems to sense higher levels of dust as designed, but not a "have to have".Filters. Sharp has a standalone FZ-A60HFU 1.5" HEPA replacement. You can buy the charcoal foam in rolls. They(edit) did step up and supply part FZ-A60HFU for their units. The Whirlpool and Alen each make superior 2" filter (the filter bay is over 2" deep so it fits), for less $$, that could be made (cut) to fit.In conclusion, Sharp has a great product and is charging a premium for it.