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Best Activated Carbon Air Purifier

Corey Majeau

With the vast number of particles and bacteria floating aimlessly in the air, many are pollutants and odors which create an unhealthy atmosphere. The concentration of allergens, pollutants, and odors in the air can become unpleasant, but there are ways to remove them.

Activated carbon air purifiers are a natural and easy way to clean the air within your home. Placing these around your rooms will silently and progressively improve the air around you and the air you breathe in.

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#1

Vitscan Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bag

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  • Lifespan: 2 years, recharge in sunlight once a month
  • Dimensions: 50g bag 6.7” x 2.9” 150g 6.7” x 5.9” 200g 7.5” x 5.9”
  • Number of Pieces: 6 pack, 8 pack, 12 pack, 16 pack, 24 pack
  • Floor Area: 100 Square Feet
#2

PRODUCTS4FUTURE Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bags

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  • Lifespan: 2 years, recharge under sunlight once a month
  • Dimensions: 4.72” x 4.72” x 5.12”
  • Number of Pieces: 4 in every purchase
  • Floor Area: 100 Square Feet
#3

MOSO NATURAL The Original Air Purifying Bag

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  • Lifespan: 2 years, recharge under sunlight once a month
  • Dimensions: 5” x 2” x 6”
  • Number of Pieces: minimum 1 maximum 5
  • Floor Area: 90 Square Feet
#4

MOSO NATURAL Mini 50g Air Purifying Bag

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  • Lifespan: 2 years, recharge under sunlight once a month
  • Dimensions: 4” x 5” x 1.5”
  • Number of Pieces: 12 purifier bags
  • Floor Area: Smaller confined spaces
#5

Ellis Harper Refrigerator Deodorizer

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  • Lifespan: Recharging packs under sunlight
  • Dimensions: 7.01” x 6.14” x 1.5”
  • Number of Pieces: 2 purifiers
  • Floor Area: 1058 Square Centimeters

What is an Air Purifier?

An air purifier is used to filter through the air inside of a singular room. They aren’t as strong as your internal, central ventilation system but they are more energy-efficient and subtle.

These machines can reduce the amount of pollution, allergens, and odors in the air. Naturally, they don’t have the same effectiveness as larger, more conventional purifiers, but they do leave promising results.

These smaller air purifiers aren’t as efficient at removing allergens so it’s not reliable to only trust in these if you’re attempting to eliminate allergic reactions to dust, pollen, and such in your home.

They are also not recommended when you’re exposed to dangerous gases.

What is Carbon or Charcoal?

Carbon, also known as charcoal, are the remnants of burnt materials. These materials could be wood, coal, or bamboo. The way this carbon is made is by vacuum compressing the materials inside of a chamber and heating them, removing all volatile compounds. This ensures that there is only pure carbon left.

How is Carbon Activated?

The next step to this procedure is to activate the carbon. This makes the carbon more efficient at trapping gas molecules of different types.

What happens is the carbon, after vacuum- compressed and cleaned, is injected with either hot air, carbon dioxide, or steam. This develops and widens the pores of the carbon. The wider they are, the wider the reach of their surface area. They will collect, attract, and consume more particles, odors, and moisture in the air during one use.

Many activated carbon air purifiers are treated with chemicals that can become problematic for those hoping to avoid chemical products. While these artificially treated air purifiers do have more surface area, it’s a less environmentally friendly option.

Adsorption vs Absorption

Before moving on, two terms are used interchangeably when describing carbon purifiers. Unfortunately, this can create confusion as to what exactly carbon purifiers can do.

Absorption, the term most people are familiar with is when pollutants, dirt, and other particles are pulled into the structure of the material or item. Take a sponge for example. Suds, water, and the grime from dishes and surfaces get absorbed and overwhelmed by the suds to thoroughly clean.

Adsorption is an attribute that carbon has. This is when particles stick onto the exterior surface of the carbon. This adsorbs all the particles in the air and snags them inside of the pores to prevent them from spreading.

Why Choose Activated Carbon Filters?

Now that you know how activated carbon is made and how it works, it’s time to distinguish why they are worth the investment.

What activated carbon is best known for is absorbing odor-generating molecules. They can also fight off VOCs and filter different gases that are found in the air.

While activated carbon does have its charm and effectiveness, it’s not the strongest air purifier out there. It’s best suited for smaller and targeted areas, partnered with another type of purifier when the room is larger.

To refresh or clean them out, you can leave them outside and let natural sunlight air out the carbon pores. This will remove the collected moisture, odors, and particles so it’s ready to be used again.

Why Choose Bamboo Carbon Air Purifiers?

You’ll notice, as you scroll through our selected options, that they all prefer to use bamboo charcoal for their interior filling. Why is this?

Bamboo charcoal has ten times the surface area of other types of charcoal. This means it can even take care of an entire room’s atmosphere on its own. They also have four times the adsorption rate than other carbons.

Bamboo has a naturally porous structure, which means there are more attraction and adsorption potential. Once it’s been activated, no odor will be safe from your carbon air purifier.

Bamboo also naturally absorbs polluted air particles such as formaldehyde, ammonia, and benzene.

Factors to Consider

— Quantity of Carbon

Some air purifiers will claim to be primarily carbon when in truth they are only partially carbon. They may not even be more than half actual carbon. This is because instantaneous results come from artificial chemicals, which is what many people are looking for.

Unfortunately, this leads to chemical exposure which can harm your air even while it pulls out all the other particles from the room. The most natural and environmental you can go is getting a complete carbon air purifier. Yes, the results will take longer until they’re in full swing, but you will be safer, and you’ll have made a more environmentally friendly purchase.

Carbon, when not combined with chemicals, can be recycled as fertilizer in your garden. So, from start to finish your carbon air purifiers will be helping you stay clean and safe.

— Airflow

The airflow within the carbon air purifier is an important feature as well. The greater the airflow, the more pollutants will flow through it and be captured within the pores.

The amount of airflow that passes through the pores is known as the ‘dwell time’. The higher the dwell time, the better and longer it’ll last. Thicker carbon is also recommended for a more porous design.

Maintenance

Finally, there is replacing your carbon filter. Since they are adsorbent, they will eventually fill up and no longer remove odors and moisture around them.

Figuring out when exactly, to change your filter is a different situation. Sometimes, the filter will smell once it’s full, and other times it won’t. It may feel heavier, or there may be no physical difference at all.

The more polluted the air in your home is, the shorter the lifespan of the carbon purifier will be. Many natural carbon air purifiers can be placed outside in the sunlight or fresh air for a handful of hours to regain their porous state. Since it’s hard to assess when precisely the carbon air purifier is full, it’s ideal to periodically let it sit outside at least once a month.

Best Activated Carbon Air Purifiers

1. Vitscan Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bag

SPECS:

  • Lifespan: 2 years, recharge in sunlight once a month
  • Dimensions: 50g bag 6.7” x 2.9” 150g 6.7” x 5.9” 200g 7.5” x 5.9”
  • Number of Pieces: 6 pack, 8 pack, 12 pack, 16 pack, 24 pack
  • Floor Area: 100 Square Feet

Best Bulk-Bought Activated Air Purifier

Vitscan is the first option on our list and provides you with the two things you need to make your home cleaner and fresher. Firstly, you need quality carbon air purifiers to properly enjoy the benefits carbon has to offer. Secondly, you need a decent amount of them for effects to sufficiently take place.

This air purifier has a porous design that is targeted to remove odors and moisture from the environment around it. It’s three times stronger than other carbons, with more surface area and adsorption.

Some areas will have stronger smells. To remove these, you’ll require more bags in the same concentrated area. They will not remove the scents immediately, but the result will begin to take shape after 10 days of use.

There are various packs you can purchase with different sizes included in them. Vitscan offers three different sizes of 50 grams, 150 grams, and 200 grams. They also offer 5 different packs. The smallest is a 6-pack with all 50 grams. Then there’s an 8-pack with 150-gram bags, a 12-pack with 200- and 50-gram bags, a 16-pack with 50 packs, and finally a 24-pack all 50 grams.

ProsCons
  • Safe for children and pets
  • Purifies air from pollutants, odors, and moisture
  • No fragrance
  • May come with a smell of their own

Who Should Buy This?

There’s no doubt that it comes to carbon air purifiers the more the merrier. Vitscan provides you with not only quantity but choice as well for how much you want and in what sizes.

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2. PRODUCTS4FUTURE 4 Pack of 200g Naturally Activated Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bags

SPECS:

  • Lifespan: 2 years, recharge under sunlight once a month
  • Dimensions: 4.72” x 4.72” x 5.12”
  • Number of Pieces: 4 in every purchase
  • Floor Area: 100 Square Feet

Best Overall Activated Charcoal Air Purifier

These activated carbon air purifiers are unique in not only their construction but their performance as well. With a 100% natural and organic structure, they can remain chemical and fragrance-free while still doing justice to your home. They have a modern pyramid design with a built-in fabric rope for hanging it. This makes it easier to fit with your home décor and interior. You can place it anywhere you please without it sticking out like a sore thumb.

The activated carbon used in this product is moso bamboo charcoal which has been treated with high-temperature oxygen-free carbonization. There are four bags in each purchase, colored red, green, blue, and grey, all in pastel neutral colors.

When you first receive your carbon purifiers, place them outside in the sun for 5-7 hours before placing them around your home. This will properly open the pores.

You can continue to use them for up to 2 years, so long as every month, you place them outside in the sun for 1-2 hours. 

ProsCons
  • Recyclable product, environmentally friendly
  • Simplistic modern design is easy to match with décor
  • Chemical and fragrance-free
  • Takes time to remove light odors, lessens constant odors

Who Should Buy This?

These are a bundle of strongly activated carbon air purifiers that help in making the air fresher and cleaner. You can place them in closets, kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms, to come home to sweet results of scentless bliss.

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3. MOSO NATURAL The Original Air Purifying Bag

SPECS:

  • Lifespan: 2 years, recharge under sunlight once a month
  • Dimensions: 5” x 2” x 6”
  • Number of Pieces: minimum 1 maximum 5
  • Floor Area: 90 Square Feet

Value Pick

MOSO NATURAL brings to the table a simplistic yet efficient little bag of activated carbon. You can purchase their 200 bags in a 1, 2, 3, and 5-pack deal depending on your needs. These bags adsorb environmental pollutants and moisture, leaving the interior of your home dry and odorless. Unlike air fresheners, carbon air purifiers don’t try to mask unpleasant scents with a chemical one, but instead, work to remove them and leave the room odorless.

There are no fragrances or chemicals in these bags for a safer and more natural performance. You can use these bags in closets, cars, bathrooms, and it’s even safe to use around your pets! Each bag comes with a small metal grommet in the corner. This allows you to hang the bag anywhere in your home or car, so they have the best possible effect.

These bags can be used for two years with monthly exposure to the sun. Once they can no longer help remove particles and odors from your home, you can open them up and use the carbon as fertilizer for your garden.

ProsCons
  • No fragrances or chemicals
  • 2-year lifespan
  • Metal grommet for easier hanging
  • Not letting it sit in the sunlight will trap the stenches

Who Should Buy This?

Great value is a hard deal to beat, but this deal is one to collect happily. You can get the strong and natural activated carbon air purifier you desire without having to hurt your wallet’s capacity.

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4. MOSO NATURAL Mini 50g Air Purifying Bag

SPECS:

  • Lifespan: 2 years, recharge under sunlight once a month
  • Dimensions: 4” x 5” x 1.5”
  • Number of Pieces: 12 purifier bags
  • Floor Area: Smaller confined spaces

Best Compact Activated Charcoal Air Purifier

The worst smelling spots are the smallest and compact ones. Closets, bags, shoes, all develop strong stenches. Even drawers that don’t open often will start to foster a damp smell.

The best solution for these situations is smaller, more compact air purifiers. MOSO NATURAL provides customers with a 50-gram bag of activated carbon. These can come in packs of 1, 2, and 3. The charcoal being used is bamboo charcoal for a stronger and longer-lasting performance. This charcoal naturally absorbs both moisture and odor that’s in the air, leaving the atmosphere dry and odorless.

These bags are perfectly sized to fit inside of bags, drawers, and shoes without taking up too much valuable space. They’re a safer solution than shoe sprays which are chemically produced and toxic to inhale.

The bags are chemical and fragrance-free, so you have a more natural experience. These bags last up to 2 years, just like their larger counterparts, and they can be refreshed or recharged by placing them in the sun for an hour every month.

ProsCons
  • All-natural construction
  • No fragrances or chemicals
  • Dry and odorless results
  • Continuous use will remove the odor completely, not one use

Who Should Buy This?

If you or someone at home plays sports often, then it’s probably best for you to invest in an air purifier specifically made to fit around the sports equipment. These bags are small, convenient, and compact, perfect for travel and tight spaces.

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5. Ellis Harper Refrigerator Deodorizer Natural Bamboo Activated Charcoal Fridge Deodorizer

SPECS:

  • Lifespan: Recharging packs under sunlight
  • Dimensions: 7.01” x 6.14” x 1.5”
  • Number of Pieces: 2 purifiers
  • Floor Area: 1058 Square Centimeters

Best Refrigerator Activated Carbon Air Purifier

The final option has a twist to its use. These activated carbon air purifiers are made to help clean out the odors created inside the fridge, freezers, and lunchboxes. It’s a much more effective and less laboring solution than baking soda.

This purifier will remove the food gases that develop and create strong smells. It can also control the humidity inside of your fridge to keep your produce fresh. Fresh produce lasts longer and stays good for much more time.

This charcoal is naturally activated and doesn’t use any artificial fragrances or chemicals.  To recharge the carbon, place it in direct sunlight for an hour. Whenever you feel the charcoal isn’t working as well as it was before, take it out and leave it in the sun. If you work better with a schedule, refresh the charcoal purifier every month.

Along with the purchase of these two purifiers, you can also get a free fridge thermometer. This can help you keep track of the actual temperature of the fridge and ensure that you don’t have your temperature too high or too low.

ProsCons
  • Rechargeable packets under sunlight
  • Free fridge thermometer
  • Keeps producing fresh
  • Smell is faint and doesn’t overpower other stenches, only absorbs it

Who Should Buy This?

Fridges and lunchboxes are prime places where stenches can build up. To keep them fresh, usable, and odorless, there is no better option than Ellis Harper’s activated charcoal air purifiers.

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Conclusion

Smells are everywhere, there’s no escaping that. But some smells are worse than others and just aren’t wanted. The solution to this? Air purifiers.

Most purifiers and fresheners come with chemicals and fragrances that attempt to mask the smells rather than eliminate them. With a completely natural activated carbon purifier, you can get the results you want with less risk.

Now that you have this information, feel free to share it with others looking for a way to make their homes odor-free.