2024 the best air purifier and humidifier review

Price: $649.99 - $349.99
(as of Nov 21, 2024 13:34:08 UTC - Details)

You know the importance of indoor air quality. You should have an air purifier from a brand you trust. According to the EPA, when used properly, air purifiers can help reduce airborne contaminants, including viruses, in a home or confined space. The Plasmacluster 7,000 Series KC860U Air Purifier with Humidifier by SHARP is your ideal choice for large rooms. Effective up to 1,650 sq. ft. at one air change per hour, the KC860U will filter the air in the AHAM Suggested Room Size of 341 sq ft. at 4.8 air changes per hour. Raise your expectations of an air purifier and ensure a lower total cost of ownership over the years. Other brands may suggest replacing the filters every six months; that can really add up! Both the SHARP long-life True HEPA filter and the long-life Activated Carbon filter last up-to 5 years, depending on the environment. The triple filtration system helps clean the air that passes through the filters in three ways. The washable, microscreen pre-filter traps dust and other large airborne particles. The activated carbon deodorizing filter helps reduce some common household odors. Finally, the True HEPA filter effectively captures 99.97% of particles from the air that Passes Through the Filter from 0.3 microns and larger. Beyond passive filtration, our KC860U features Plasmacluster Ion Technology, dispersing ions into the room for an active cleaning process. Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Technology has been tested in 17 tests by laboratories in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, China, and Vietnam. The KC860U is AHAM Verifide Tested to provide a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) for three common irritants and allergens, Dust (231), Smoke (220), and Pollen (245). It is certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to meet its strict emission standards. The KC860U features Max, Med, and Low fan speeds, plus Pollen, Quick Clean, and Auto Mode. In Auto Mode, the sensors will monitor your air quality and adjust the fan speeds automatically. The KC860U includes a humidifier that may make your home more comfortable. The Library Quiet, Low setting is perfect for the bedroom. Sharp Plasmacluster Ion Technology has been used in over 90 million products worldwide, including leading auto makers and refrigeration appliance manufacturers. It’s no wonder people around the world trust SHARP. Now that is Simply Better Living.
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.75 x 11.38 x 24.75 inches; 24.9 Pounds
Item model number ‏ : ‎ KC-860U
Department ‏ : ‎ Air Purifiers
Date First Available ‏ : ‎ June 7, 2010
Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Sharp
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003BEZZCK
Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ China

[LARGE ROOMS] Effective up to 1,650 sq. ft. at one air change per hour, the KC860U will filter the air in the AHAM Suggested Room Size of 341 sq. ft. at 4.8 air changes per hour
[LONG LIFE FILTERS] Includes Activated Carbon Deodorizing Filter, True HEPA Filter, and Humidifying Filter. Each Filter May Last up-to 5 Years Depending on Environment. Permanent, washable microscreen panel included
[3-FAN SPEEDS] Max, Med, Low Fan Speeds, Plus Quick Clean, and Auto. The Library Quiet Sleep setting is perfect for the bedroom. The Library Quiet Sleep setting as low as 23dBA is perfect for the bedroom
[HUMIDIFIER] Auto Mode Monitors Air Quality and Adjusts Air Purification and Humidity Levels
Reviewer: Kate
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Very happy with this air purifier with humidifying function!!!
Review: Updated Feb 10,2016It's still working just fine. I've been using it everyday since I got it. Especially winter when it's dry and cold outside. I usually have the windows and doors closed coz it's cold and the heater is on. Hence the air purified is needed plus humidifier helps me a lot at night through out my sleep. The filters are still doing great. I washed the charcoal filter ( black one) once in awhile and still work like a champ. I can't say enough how much I love this air purifier which help me to get rid of allergies and flu ( Plasma cluster kill the virus and bacteria in the air). At this point I know it sounds so cheesy but I can't live without it in the daily life. Worth the money and best gift for myself EVER.************************************************************************************************It took some time to write this product review for me but so far I love it and very happy with it.Just to clarify I bought this product by myself I dont get discount to exchange the review.I did a lot of research before I bought it. Here is the reasons why1. My room is about 498 ft2 ( minus the bathroom, closet and laundry room it's about 350 ft2) which is perfect size according to product info it's for room up to 347 square feet. However when you buy air purifying you can calculate by using the number of AHAM Certified CADR x 1.5 = capacity of size's room (ft2) for this product it has Dust/Smoke/Pollen = 231/220/245 use the number of Dust 231 x 1.5 = 346.5 ft2 so it's pretty accurate to info of this product.Don't be fooled by some brand that tell you to use for medium or large room but the number of CADR is low because it's not efficient to purifying the air. The higher number the better air purify.Some companies /brands say their products for 550 ft2 or bigger but to be practical it's really not for exampleRabbit Air BioGS 2.0 : The BioGS SPA-550A air purifier advertise that will filter all the air in a room up to 550 sq but the CADR as belowSPA-550A CADRs / Sharp KC-860Test RatingDust 149 /231Pollen 162 / 220Smoke 135 /245as you can see Sharp KC-860U is better in every Category with the same price.Don't forget to look up CADR number before you buy air purifier any brands as you know they can say whatever... for mid size room , large room , 550 ft2 625 ft2 or anything but they CAN'T lie on CADR number.It's the same standard that test the products for every brand.2. This sharp KC-860 has Plasmacluster® ion technology from Sharp.It is remarkable!! It's better than Ionizer.. you know some brands only have filters or might have negative ion technology but Sharp is amazing that purifies the air by emitting positive and negative ions.It deactivates suspended airborne mould, viruses, dust mite allergens and bacteria and also odors like pet, cooking, garbage and cigarette smoke. Like I said I live in studio room which is kitchen is open sometime when I cooked it had smoke a lot and fire alarm went crazy I turn on high setting and everything was fine.(...)(...)3. Permanent Pre-Filter ( washable), long life active carbon filter ( up to 5 years and washable ) , long life True Hepa filter ( up to 5 years but can't wash it).For me It think this is one think you should consider when you buy air purifier because I know some brands are cheaper but look up on filter they have to be changed every 6 months ,8 month or 2 years cost of heap filter of course not cheap so total cost at the end would be the same but you will get a lot better quality product and definitely more functional and powerful.(...)4. Sharps's sensor works great !! it detects dust automatically and sensor display change from green to orange from orange to red( if it's really dusty) somehow I find this kinda entertaining. If you set on Auto setting the fan will go on high automatically until sensor is back on orange and green then the fan come back to medium and low eventually.(...)5. I love this special "Humidifying function" : Unlike any other air purifiers this product has advance and beyond technology. I live in Seattle I know it's rain a lot but in winter it's cold and dry or I usually turn on the heater so the humid in my room is pretty low during this time ( should be between 40 - 60 if it's less than 40 yes virus,bacteria and mold is hard to survive so am I lol however if more than 60 of course mold can grow easily ,bacteria and virus love high humid). This product control humidity and when it's dry or low humid it adds up quickly and constantly.When I sleep I normally set on "clean air and humidify" mode by overnight it runs out of water! wowIt helps me a lot when I have the heat on because I hate waking up with dry throat,dry nose and chap lips.****The tank holds 1.14 gallons, around 9 pints, of water.6. Sharp KC-860U is really quite on low setting mode ( they have 3 mode high/medium/low). I basically can't hear the noise of it at all when it's on low I saw on another website review this product is among the quietest air cleaners especially considering the air-cleaning power generated. Even on medium it doesn't bother me when I watch TV but on high it could be a lil loud well sound like when the heater is operating.7. sleek design, very stylish more than that you can adjust the light display ( normal/dim off)- Ion can be on/off- clean air ( only air filter) or Clean air& humidify ( air and humid)- Quick clean : very intelligent mode the fan will kick high first then clean the air for awhile and back to normal mode whatever you set.- Auto mode : adjust,detect and react automatically normally if the sensor display on green light the fan is on low but when it detects the dust the sensor changed color the fan go high and back to low.(...)Cons:1. Only one year warranty2. I heard from other review said their customer service is not good in this case I don't know yet but I will update my review in the futureWhat I can ask for more for this price range 🙂 so far I'm very happy with it and if you need more information you can check on the links below.Hope I can help you to decide :)http://www.sharpusa.com/ForHome/HomeEnvironment/AirPurifier/Models/KC860U.aspx?tech_specs=1http://www.air-purifier-power.com/sharpplasmaclusterkc860ureview.html

Reviewer: M
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Works well
Review: Very quiet and does its job. The water tank usually last a day or so.

Reviewer: Don
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Breath Easier
Review: I've suffered with allergies for over 10 years. They get worse every year and I just kept taking my OTC allergy meds and dealing with it. This year I decided I had had enough. I went to an allergist that is now giving me the allergy shots and they recommended that I pick up one of these. I can't be happier with this thing.We have this about 4 feet from our bed and my wife, baby daughter and I can all easily sleep in the room with it on.It is very quiet except on full blast. On full it is about as loud at my 1,200 watt Microwave or an oven hood on high. It only goes on high when I manually set it to though. You can set it to high to boost the humidity if you want, otherwise it stays on Auto and blows so quiet you can barely hear it. When I rustle something around it senses the dust and picks up a little until it doesn't sense any more.I have to fill the water about twice a day but it is a very dry winter in Maryland so hopefully that will fix itself soon.I've noticed that we don't have the dust accumulations on our furniture like we used to. I also don't wake up with a dry bloody nose in the morning. My baby was getting dry skin on her forehead until we started using this and now she doesn't have those problems. For all of those reasons, and just because I can breathe better, I love this thing and can't recommend it enough.

Reviewer: Westerner
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: nice unit; consider the fp-a80uw also
Review: I recently evaluated this unit and the Sharp FP-A80UW before buying several more FP-A80UW's. I selected the FP-A80 because of value. It offers a good combination of an activated carbon element, a pleated filter, and a 'plasmacluster' ion generator. It doesn't incorporate a high-maintenance humidifier and it offers a good flow-rate for the respective noise levels. I also have an IQ Air Health Pro Plus, to which I can compare this Sharp unit.The most important thing to understand is that this is a bedroom size unit that will do a good job in a typical suburban house bedroom -- certainly not a whole house.The activated carbon element in this unit is light and although it's nice to have, you will probably realize a significant benefit from a filter with a much larger carbon load. The IQ Air GC series is a good example, but costly. The "V5" unit the the Health Pro Plus is good for a room, but it's a significantly larger and more noisy than this Sharp unit which simply lacks enough carbon. I built my own attic unit using sheet metal and bulk ctc60 I bought here on Amazon.The pleated filter on the Sharp is effective, though certainly not as meticulous as the IQ Air HEPA filter. Bear in mind that "HEPA" is a performance rating of the filter media and not the filter unit or system. Laser-particle counter wielding fanatics have proven the IQ Air's superiority as a complete system. But certainly some filtering is better than none and the Sharp offers two advantages: a dust detection circuit that can be set to automatically increase fan speed based on the detection of particles; and a quieter noise level at low speed.I suppose to compare the noise levels fairly, you would have to evaluate the clean-air delivery rate (CADR) to noise ratio. But "noise" is a subjective measurement and average-weighted "dB" ratings don't tell the whole story. Air filters are not often rated in "sones" either, and people have different opinions on various sound pressure levels at different frequencies. Regardless, the IQ Air HPP on the lowest setting is louder than the Sharp on the lowest setting. Whether it has a higher CADR or is better at any given noise level for any other reason, the IQ Air is louder. Possibly it can be made as quiet as the Sharp if you take out the V5. I don't know, but it's still several times more expensive and a lot bigger than the Sharp -- which is simply to say that if you're looking for something quieter for the bedroom, the Sharp is worth considering.The plasmacluster technology is interesting. While ion generators could be meaningful additions to air purifying equipment, they have side effects and their overall effectiveness seems questionable. If the technology was totally effective, we would certainly see more significant commercial applications. Sharp PR boasts of an application in the Imperial Hotel, but it certainly has the appearance of a promotional operation. Even ordinary, non 'plasmacluster' ion generators do not have widespread commercial adoption. Sharp's literature is nevertheless certain to point out how many millions of units they've sold to convince you otherwise.Nevertheless, I 'believe' in the plasmacluster technology. I 'bought it' so to speak, figuratively and literally. While I have no way of objectively evaluating the results I'm getting as a consequence of using the plasmacluster ion generator, I can clearly distinguish one negative side-effect. Running the plasmacluster overnight significantly lowers the room's humidity to a level where it can become irritating -- this is even with the humidifier in the KC-860U running. I had to supplement the KC-860U with an additional humidifier in the room to prevent this. Admittedly, I have very low natural humidity levels.During the non-heating season, my house typically has 30 to 35% RH. My family is adjusted to living in low humidity. 30% would be irritating to anyone coming from a 50-60% norm, but we're usually not too irritated until it gets down into the teens or "bone dry." Even though I have several hygrometers, including the built-in unit on the KC-860U, the readings vary wildly. They're simply not accurate. More subjectively I can tell you that the plasmacluster unit seems to dry out the room badly. The reason I chose the FP-A80 is because it dispenses with the inadequate humidifier. My home's needs are much greater than the tiny unit built into the Sharp 860U which hardly keeps up with the unit's own demand. I opted for the FP-A80 and some higher output humidifiers that require less frequent maintenance. During the heating season, the demand for humidity is even greater as the cold air is incapable of holding much moisture and when heated, the RH drops to very irritating levels. I have a furnance-mounted 12gpd unit that helps with the extra demand in that season.I suspect the Plasmacluster's consumption of water-vapour outstrips the 860's humidifier's output on low fan speeds. In order to get enough humidifier output to counter the plasmacluster, you have to run high and loud fan speeds or the Plasmacluster will dry out your air. Of course, this is a good thing if you have naturally high humidity -- in which case you should certainly prefer the FP-A80.While exactly how plasmacluster works is somewhat shrouded in marketing babble that is more bent on convincing you that it's good than explaining what it actually does in simple and realistic terms that would truly lay it bare, it's apparent that that Sharp is using some kind of plasma streamer to ionize water vapor molecules, the components of which are subsequently dispersed as both negatively and positively charged particles. While I find this explanation insufficient, we can at least be certain that it uses water. That not only means that it will dry out your room, but also that providing adequate water will also make it more effective. Since a humidifying unit like the 860 provides water vapor "at the source," the air passing through the plasmacluster should actually be at a much higher humidity than the room itself after the humidified air is diffused. Does that intense humidity at the source improve the plasmacluster's performance compared to an FP-A80 operating at room-level humidity? I suspect not because once the 860's hygrometer reaches 60% or so, the humidifier shuts off, at which point it would not have any continuing advantage to a non-humidifying unit, even if there was any advantage to it while the humidifier was actually running.Unfortunately it's not clear with the FP-A80 and 860 units are what sharp calls "25,000 ions/cm3" or "7000 ions/cm3" generators. They advertise some very costly Japanese units as having the higher output generators but don't make it clear where the US models stand. At first I was concerned that I get "more power" because, of course, I want "more" of these things, whatever they are, because if some are good, more must be better! I suspect, but have no concrete evidence that the FP-A80 and the 860U have the higher production generators, but if they don't, I don't really care because they certainly fry enough water out of my air as it is. The costly imports from Japan do not have the value proposition of this FP-A80 at all. In that price range, I would go for IQ Air.One thing worth mentioning in favor of this KC-860U is how nicely finished the product is. Compared to the FP-A80U, the 80 looks and feels cheap, while this 860 gives the impression it's worth twice as much. The casework is beautiful and seems totally solid by comparison to the flimsy-feeling 80. The controls feel and respond better. The lighting on the front panel is spectacular. I really like it. While the 80 is totally plain and uninspired. You certainly get something for the extra hundred fifty-something dollars, but it's up to you to decide whether it's worth it or not. Practically speaking, you get the small humidifier -- not a very good bargain. More subjectively, the 860 is definitely more pleasing. But since I am buying four or five units, I chose to be practical.

Reviewer: Essie 75001
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: As silent and efficient as advertised (check out youtube's videos. I confirm, they're for real), this is quite an impressive piece of electronic that does filter out most of the smaller particles. I have not yet tried to wash the filters, but I have used my vacuum cleaner to clean the hepa filter.The KC860U can handle one room, but not more. I loved the first one so much that I bought a second one for the living room.With my NEATO vacuum robot and these Air Purifiers, I hardly have to dust my rooms anymore.The humidifier is quite a plus even though you must refill it daily, sometimes faster.BTW, Amazon's customer service was absolutely fabulous in handling my issues with one of the Air Purifier.

Reviewer: Marc dulude
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Received within 2 days , perfect packaging, unit work as describe… no panic !!! the off button is for shuting down the unit not to start … if you unplug and plug the unit, do not press « off » button « ..use the « clean air as « on button » to re-startButton ..

Reviewer: Gail F. Nestel
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I bought a Sharp Air Cleaner 10 years ago and needed another one for a second bedroom/office. It is silent on the low fan setting unless you are standing next to it, and then it sounds like a quiet breeze. Perfect for a noise sensitive person like myself. It was recommended to me by a staff member at Sharp Electronics of Canada and the customer service was very much appreciated!

Reviewer: Kelvin
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Great machine with great design. We are happy to get this one . It is good to have this during this season. It is great, but it is expensive.

Reviewer: Five Star One
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I have bought many different humidifiers, including ultrasonic, large and small, with and without filters. I have bought many different ozonators. I have used many essential oil diffusers. I usually get sick within a few days of travel because of the dry stale impure air. I used to have an immediate reaction to mold; many hotel rooms have mold. Many homes on the ocean have areas that are musty. I stayed in a house on the ocean that had one of these humidifier/purifiers and left as healthy as I arrived. For the first time when traveling, I had no sore dry throat, coughing, plugged nose, headache and all the other symptoms that go along with dry unclean air. I bought one of these immediately for my home. What a difference in air quality!