One of the most common uses of activated carbon is for filtering impurities from drinking water, as it removes dissolved organic molecules, chloramines, chlorine, and some heavy metals. But did you know that it is also used to remove chemicals from the air?
Activated carbon is derived from charcoal and is a form of carbon that has been processed to increase its surface area. When carbon is activated, it has small, low-volume pores that make it possible for a larger number of atoms or molecules to adhere to it.
The process through which activated carbon removes chemical gases from the air is called adsorption and it is not be be confused with absorption.
Through adsorption, odors and VOCs adhere to the carbon surface, effectively being removed from the air. This leads the carbon to become full over time so you need to replace the carbon filter as it becomes unable to continue to remove chemical gases from the air.
The right air purifier with a good amount of activated carbon will be able to rid your air from fumes from household cleaners, cooking, cigarette smoke and organic odors. Specialist models containing large amounts of carbon can also remove volatile organic chemicals (or VOCs), which are man-made chemicals used and produced in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, paints, refrigerants, etc.
Most small to medium-sized air purifiers contain only a small amount of activated carbon, which will get saturated quickly when used in a room with high levels of gases or odors. That is why on this list, we will only recommend devices with large amounts of pelleted activated carbon.
1. AC Infinity CLOUDLINE S8 fan with an 8-inch filter (16 lbs of activated carbon)
This is a DIY specialist device that I built with parts from AC Infinity and the only one with a refillable filter.
Okay, so this is not a traditional air purifier. This is a DIY activated carbon filter that I built with parts from AC Infinity, including a CLOUDLINE S8 fan, two noise reduction clamps, a pre-filter cloth and an 8-inch Carbon Filter with two (2!) years’ worth of carbon refills. The whole setup will set you back just $410, which isn’t a lot compared to other units with large amounts of carbon.
In our VOC removal tests, the AC Infinity CLOUDLINE S8 outperformed all other carbon-packed air purifiers we tested. It’s worth mentioning that performance dropped at top speed, so make sure to stick to speed 5 and below.
It’s designed for indoor gardeners so it’s supposed to be attached to the wall or ceiling, so when you place it on the floor, the fan blades are exposed. I fixed this by cutting out a circulat piece of carbon-impregnated fabric for the top .
CONS
PROS
| Filter technology: | VOC and odor adsorption |
| Carbon type: | Australian RC412 at 1200+ IAV (38mm thickness) |
| Carbon quantity: | 16 lbs (7.2 kg) |
| Airflow: | 857 cfm |
| Dimensions: | Fan: 3.3 x 2.9 x 0.5 inches (8.5 x 3.6 x 1.3 cm) Filter: 18.1 x 10.9 inches (46 x 27.7 cm) |
| Noise level in decibels from 3 ft. away: | Speed 1: 37.6 dBA Speed 2: 45.7 dBA Speed 3: 50.8 dBA Speed 4: 57.2 dBA Speed 5: 61.9 dBA Speed 6: 66.5 dBA Speed 7: 71.9 dBA Speed 8: 74.9 dBA Speed 9: 77.8 dBA Speed 10: 79.3 dBA |
| Electricity consumption in watts: | Speed 1: 3.7 watts Speed 2: 7.4 watts Speed 3: 12.3 watts Speed 4: 20.2 watts Speed 5: 30.3 watts Speed 6: 43.2 watts Speed 7: 60.3 watts Speed 8: 86.2 watts Speed 9: 113.2 watts Speed 10: 148 watts |
| Filter lifespan: | 12 months |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 2 years |
| Country of origin: | United States |
| Country of manufacture: | China |
2. Austin Air HealthMate (15 lbs of activated carbon)
This air purifier comes with a mix of activated carbon and zeolite, and it’s one of the few models made in the U.S.
This is the most powerful air purifier you could get for dealing with VOCs as it contains the largest amount of activated carbon you will find in a residential air purifier (15 lbs). That said, in terms of particle removal, it will only be able to provide five air changes in spaces up to 234 sq. ft. with a PM1 CADR of 156 cfm.
The filter in the HealthMate is larger than most small air purifier models you’ll see ranking highly as best-sellers on Amazon.
Its body is made completely out of metal and you don’t get any fancy features other than a dial to rotate through the different fan speeds.
CONS
PROS
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | – Top speed PM1 CADR: 160 cfm – Sub-45 dBA PM1 CADR: 77 cfm – AHAM PM2.5 CADR: 154 cfm (dust) |
| Filter technology: | HEPA particle filter with 15 lb of activated carbon and zeolite mix gas filter |
| Recommended room size: | 169 sq. ft. (5 air changes per hour) |
| Dimensions: | 23H x 14.5W x 14.5D inches (58.4H x 36.8W x 36.8D cm) |
| Weight: | 20.41 lbs (9.26 kg) |
| Noise level in decibels from 3 ft. away: | Speed 1: 42.5 dB Speed 2: 53.2 dB Speed 3: 61.5 dB |
| Electricity consumption in watts: | Standby mode: 0 watts Speed 1: 61.1 watts Speed 2: 85.05 watts Speed 3: 147.6 watts |
| Filter lifespan: | 5 years |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 5 years |
| Country of origin: | United States |
| Country of manufacture: | United States (Buffalo, New York) |
3. IQAir HealthPro Plus (5 lbs of activated carbon)
An air purifier manufactured in Germany with a large filter packed with 2.26 kg of carbon and KMnO4-impregnated alumina.
In addition to a large HyperHEPA filter, the HealthPro Plus comes with a V5-Cell, which contains 5.5 lbs of activated carbon and KMnO4-impregnated alumina to increase the effectiveness of the charcoal. We estimate a PM1 CADR of 213 cfm which will provide five changes per hour in rooms up to 319 sq. ft.
The gas filter inside this device is very different from the usual honeycomb rectangular filter you get with most residential air purifiers.
You need to know that this device is large — here you can see how its size compares to the Austin Air HealthMate (above).
CONS
PROS
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | – Top speed PM1 CADR: 213 cfm – Sub-45 dBA PM1 CADR: 86 cfm |
| Filter technology: | HyperHEPA and V50-CELL with 5lbs of activated carbon + zeolite mix |
| Recommended room size: | 319 sq. ft. (5 air changes per hour) |
| Dimensions: | 28H x 18W x 16D inches (71H x 38W x 41D cm) |
| Weight: | 35 lbs (15.88 kg) |
| Noise level in decibels from 3 ft. away: | Speed 1: 36.9 dB Speed 2: 37.2 dB Speed 3: 40.9 dB Speed 4: 47.2 dB Speed 5: 53.9 dB Speed 6: 61.2 dB |
| Electricity consumption in watts: | Standby mode: 1 watts Speed 1: 16.5 watts Speed 2: 32.7 watts Speed 3: 47.3 watts Speed 4: 69 watts Speed 5: 94.3 watts Speed 6: 145.2 watts |
| Filter lifespan: | 4 years |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 10 years |
| Country of origin: | Switzerland |
| Country of manufacture: | Germany |
4. Smart Air Blast MKII (3.74 lbs of activated carbon)
A commercial air purifier with excellent particle removal performance and a large H13 HEPA filter with optional pelleted activated carbon.
The Blast is a commercial air purifier completely made out of metal that can handle the bumps and scrapes of a busy environment, making it perfect for classrooms, offices, event venues and gyms. Based on our tests, we estimate a PM1 CADR of 547 cfm so it can clean the air five times per hour in large spaces up to 820 sq. ft.
The Blast has the third largest amount of carbon (3.74 lbs) we have seen after the IQAir HealthPro Plus and Austin Air HealthMate.
Whether you choose to go with HEPA only or HEPA + Carbon, the filters in the Blast is much larger than what you’ll see in a standard air purifier.
CONS
PROS
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | – Top speed PM1 CADR: 547 cfm – Sub-45 dBA PM1 CADR: 375 cfm – Manufacturer provided PM2.5 CADR: 559 cfm |
| Filter technology: | H13 HEPA particle filter with optional activated carbon filter (3.74 lbs) |
| Recommended room size: | 820.5 sq. ft. (5 air changes per hour) |
| Dimensions: | 22.6L x 14.4W x 25.3H inches |
| Weight: | 59 lbs (38 kg) |
| Noise level in decibels from 3 ft. away: | Speed 1: 41.9 dB Speed 2: 49.4 dB Speed 3: 54.7 dB |
| Electricity consumption in watts: | Standby mode: 0 watts Speed 1: 56.3 watts Speed 2: 94.5 watts Speed 3: 133.5 watts |
| Filter lifespan: | 19 months |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | 1 year |
| Country of origin: | China |
| Country of manufacture: | China |
5. Alen BreatheSmart 75i (3.6 lbs of activated carbon)
An air purifier with a H13 HEPA filter and 1.63 kg of pelleted activated carbon that comes with smartphone connectivity.
The 75i is the largest and most powerful air purifier from Alen’s BreatheSmart line. Based on our particle removal tests, we estimated a PM1 CADR of 333 cfm, which will be able to provide five air changes per hour in rooms no larger than 448 sq. ft.
There are multiple filter options available but the one that has the largest amount of activated charcoal is the Fresh filter, which comes with a HEPA H13 filter and 3.6 lbs of carbon.
It also has a high quality laser particle sensor onboard, an air quality indicator in the form of an LED ring in the control panel and smartphone connectivity through the Alen app.
CONS
PROS
| Clean air delivery rate (CADR): | – Top speed PM1 CADR: 333 cfm – Sub-45 dBA PM1 CADR: 164 cfm – AHAM PM2.5 CADR: 351 cfm (dust) |
| Filter technology: | True HEPA H13 filters with activated carbon pellets + Ionizer technology |
| Recommended room size: | 448 sq. ft. (5 air changes per hour) |
| Dimensions: | 27H x 18.5W x 11.5D inches (68.58H x 46.99W x 29.21D cm) |
| Weight: | 27 lbs (12.2 kg) |
| Noise level in decibels from 3 ft. away: | Speed 1: 36.5 dBA Speed 2: 44.7 dBA Speed 3: 51.9 dBA Speed 4: 54.6 dBA Speed 5: 57.5 dBA |
| Electricity consumption in watts: | Standby: 0.75 watts Speed 1: 5.19 watts Speed 2: 13.27 watts Speed 3: 25.85 watts Speed 4: 33.99 watts Speed 5: 47.4 watts |
| Filter lifespan: | 12 – 15 months |
| Manufacturer’s warranty: | Lifetime (with product registration & active filter subscription) |
| Country of origin: | United States |
| Country of manufacture: | China |
Special mentions
The air purifiers with large amounts of carbon that didn’t make the cut, but that might be a good choice for you.
➜ Dyson Big+Quiet BP06 or BP04
With a list price of around $1,000, these Dyson Big+Quiet units are pretty expensive. In terms of particle removal performance, we estimate a PM1 CADR of 198 cfm at top speed, which is powerful enough for rooms up to 297 sq. ft. (or 27 m²).
In terms of carbon, it comes with a pretty unique wraparound filter that is made out of carbon-impregnated fabric and packs 1.9 lbs (900g) of carbon. The BP06 and the BP04 both performed well in our VOC removal tests but the filters become saturated quickly.
➜ Levoit EverestAir
This is a premium model from Levoit that comes with app support, a laser dust sensor, adjustable vents and wheels to move it around your house. It has a PM1 CADR of 375 cfm so can clear rooms up to 562 sq. ft. (52m²).
It has a bonded filter with a side of gas filtration and another side of particle filtration. The gas filter comes with just 0.88 lbs (400g) of carbon, which isn’t a lot. That said, it ranked 5th in our VOC removal test – not bad!
➜ AirFanta 3Pro
This is the cheapest option on my list. The 3Pro is box with four PC fans on top and a filter at each side. Even though it’s small, it offers a whopping PM1 CADR of 353 cfm so can clean the air five times per hour in spaces up to 529 sq. ft. (49 m²).
You can get a HEPA only version but for $180, you can get a HEPA + carbon version which comes with bonded filters packed with 1.3 lbs (or 600g) of activated carbon pellets to tackle unwanted odors and small levels of VOCs.
➜ Levoit Core 400S (with Smoke Remover filter)
This is a cylindrical air purifier from Levoit that usually goes on sale for less than $200 and has a PM1 CADR of 249 cfm – this is powerful enough to clean the air five times per hour in spaces no larger than 373 sq. ft. (34 m²).
You get multiple filter options: The Original filter has 240g of carbon. The Pet Allergy and Toxin Absorber filter have 400g of carbon. Finally, the Smoke Remover filter comes with 450g of carbon.
Final thoughts
Many cheap air purifiers include carbon, such as the Levoit Vital 200S and the Coway Airmega Mighty2. However, while these will be fine to deal with the mild odors created in a home, they will be unable to deal with major issues with VOCs and gasses such as cigarette or cigar smoke.
If you have a serious issue with chemical gasses, you will need an air purifier with a large filter packed with as much pelleted activated carbon as possible to ensure the carbon doesn’t become saturated too soon.
I hope the above guide is helpful and be sure to email me if you have any specific questions or issues that you need help with.
