Best Air Purifier with Activated Carbon Filter (To Remove Smells!)

Last updated on February 3rd, 2023

Regular air purifiers have filters that capture airborne particles, such as dust, smoke, pollen, and pet dander. The filter traps these particles and prevents them from circulating in the air. While this type of air purifier can reduce airborne particles, it does not remove odors, gases, and other volatile organic compounds.

Portable air purifiers with activated carbon filters are more effective at purifying air. Activated carbon is a porous material that absorbs odors, gases, and other volatile organic compounds from the air. As these compounds pass through the filter, they are trapped and removed from the air. Activated carbon filters can also reduce the levels of airborne particles, making them more effective at purifying air.

Down below I present for you my five best picks for the portable HEPA air purifiers with activated carbon filter in 2023!

Airpura V600: Simply the Best Air Purifier with Activated Carbon Filter

Airpura V600 is an excellent choice for anyone looking for an air cleaner that is equipped with an activated carbon filter, especially if you are looking to filter out unpleasant odors or VOCs from your home or large rooms up to 2,000 square feet.

The Airpura V600 is a state-of-the-art air purifier that is designed with the user in mind. It has four different stages of filtration that ensure that your air is purified to the highest standards. This includes a pre-filter, a true HEPA filter, an activated carbon filter, a UV-C light to kill airborne bacteria. The air is circulated by a powerful fan that can deliver up to 560 cubic feet of clean air per minute. It you are interested in even more powerful units, check out this CADR rating.

The main feature of the Airpura V600 is its large, 18-pound activated carbon filter. This filter is specifically designed to filter out odors from your home. It has more than 400 square feet of activated carbon, which is the largest available filter size on the market for home use. This means that it is able to capture more odors and particles than other air purifiers.

The activated carbon filter is also infused with zeolite, which is a natural mineral that is highly effective at removing odors. Zeolite is able to absorb and trap odors and other pollutants, making it an ideal choice when it comes to odor removal in your house, artist studio, laundry room, warehouse, etc.

Overall, the Airpura V600 is an excellent choice when it comes to odor removal. With its large, 18-pound activated carbon filter, infused with zeolite, and its four-stage filtration system, it is able to capture and filter out odors and other pollutants from large spaces.

Winix PlasmaWave 5500-2: Excellent Value for the Price

I recommend the Winix PlasmaWave 5500-2 HEPA air purifier as the best affordable air purifier with an activated carbon filter for the two following reasons: price and its honeycomb-styled activated carbon filter.

Honeycomb carbon filters are designed to be more effective at trapping impurities than regular carbon filters. They use a lattice of tiny carbon particles to trap impurities and odors. The carbon particles are also arranged in an efficient honeycomb–like pattern, which allows for more surface area to trap more impurities than a regular carbon filter. I share more details on Winix’ honeycomb-styled carbon filter here.

This Korean-designed and manufactured unit is made of a hard, matte black plastic, which feels sturdy and durable. The front panel is easily removed, and attaches to the unit with a secure magnetic clasp. There are three filters in total, which fit snugly in the filter chamber and are secured in place by a pre-filter.

The control panel is intuitive and user friendly. The buttons are clearly labeled and there are visual cues to explain what each button does. There is a light bar that runs along the bottom of the panel, with a three color scheme (green for clean, orange for okay, and red for bad).

The Winix air purifier can be set manually on four fan settings, or can be set to auto mode which lets the machine choose the settings based on data collected from the sensor. There is also a night mode that sets the fan to its lowest setting and dims the lights on the panel.

This air purifier is also relatively quiet. Even on the highest setting, it is no louder than a standing floor fan.

Smart Health Blast: Best Pick for 2500 Square Feet

Smart Health Blast air purifier is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to improve the air quality in their home or office. It features a large activated carbon filter that is designed to trap and remove odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. It is effective at filtering out formaldehyde, benzene, ammonia, and other common VOCs. The filter is also effective at removing smoke, pet odors, and other airborne particles.

The Smart Health Blast air purifier has a special feature that sets it apart from other air purifiers. It uses a double–filtration system that utilizes a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter to remove contaminants from the air. This means that the air is more thoroughly cleaned than with other air purifiers. Additionally, the filters are easy to replace and are designed to last for a long time.

The Smart Health Blast air purifier is also designed for energy efficiency. It has an energy-saving mode that helps to reduce energy costs. Additionally, the air purifier is whisper-quiet and is designed to operate without producing any loud or disruptive noises.

When compared to the Airpura V600, the Smart Health Blast air purifier has a few advantages. The major difference is that the Smart Health Blast air purifier has a double-filtration system, which is more effective at removing VOCs and other airborne particles. Combined with higher CADR rating, the unit delivers great results when it comes to the removal of airborne particulates, including VOCs and smells. Additionally, the Smart Health Blast air purifier has an energy-saving mode and is designed to operate more quietly than the Airpura V600 despite having a more powerful fan.

Overall, the Smart Health Blast air purifier is an excellent choice for anyone looking to improve the air quality in their large spaces over 2,500 square feet. It is effective at removing odors and VOCs, it has an energy-saving mode, and it is whisper-quiet.

Medify Air MA-40: Yet Another Great Air Purifier with Carbon Filter

Medify Air MA-40 air purifier is a great choice for anyone looking for an affordable, large-scale solution for their home’s air quality. It has a large filter that is capable of trapping particles as small as 0.3 microns, providing a comprehensive cleaning of the air. It also has an impressive airflow rate of 224 CFM, which is impressive for a unit of its size, and helps to quickly filter the air.

The MA-40 has a sleek design that allows it to fit easily in any room, and its LED display and controls make it easy to use. It has a timer feature which allows you to program when the air purifier should turn on or off, and it has a ‘smart’ feature which monitors the air quality and adjusts the speed of the fan accordingly.

One of the best things about the MA-40 is its affordability. It is priced lower than many other similar products, making it a great choice for those on a budget. It also has a low power consumption, making it more energy efficient than many other models. The filters are also easy to access and replace, which is a great convenience as you will have to do it at least once in 4 months.

The MA-40 is a great choice for anyone looking for an affordable air purifier with a large filter and high airflow. It has all the features you need to keep the air in your home clean and safe, and the timer and Sleep mode make it even more convenient. There is no Auto mode, unfortunately.

Overall, the Medify Air MA-40 air purifier is a great choice for anyone looking for an affordable solution for their home’s air quality needs. It has a large filter, high airflow rate, and low power consumption, as well as convenient features like the timer and ‘smart’ mode. It is a great choice for those on a budget, and it is much more affordable than the Smart Health Blast air purifier reviewed previously.

Coway Airmega AP-1512HH: Good and Affordable

Coway Airmega AP-1512HH is a great value for the price, and it does an excellent job of removing odors from the air. The filters are easy to access and replace when needed, and they are also reasonably priced.

The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH has four stages of filtration, including a washable pre-filter, an activated carbon filter, a True HEPA filter, and an in-built ionizer. This system is designed to remove dust, pollen, smoke, pet dander, and odors from the air. In my experience, the odor filtration was particularly impressive, as the air was noticeably fresher after running the air purifier for a few days.

The Coway Airmega AP-1512HH also has a smart mode, which automatically adjusts the fan speed according to the air quality. This is a great feature that allows the air purifier to run more efficiently and conserve energy. Additionally, the air purifier is relatively quiet, even on the highest setting.

In comparison to the Medify Air MA-40 air purifier, the Coway Airmega AP-1512HH offers slightly better kitchen odors filtration and Auto mode is a nice touch too. However, in my opinion, it somewhat less effective at removing pet smells compared to the Winix PlasaWave. It’s made in Korea as well.

How to select an air purifier with the activated carbon filter?

1. Look for an air purifier with a true HEPA filter and activated carbon filter. True HEPA filters are the most effective at capturing airborne particles and allergens whilst activated carbon filters are good at absorbing various household odors.
2. Check the size of the air purifier. The size of the air purifier will determine how effectively it can purify the air. Look for an air purifier that is designed to treat the size of the room you will be using it in.
3. Look for an air purifier that has an adjustable fan speed. This will allow you to adjust the flow of air through the air purifier and increase the amount of air it can purify.
4. Consider the noise level of the air purifier. Air purifiers can be noisy, so look for one that has a low noise level if you are planning to run the unit at night.
5. Check the cost of the air purifier and the cost of replacement filters. Make sure the cost of the air purifier and the cost of the replacement filters are within your budget.