Sensing some foul smells around your households?
Your grow room can often be the culprit.
The disgusting odor from the grow rooms are a huge concern for growers who live in a lightly congested area or apartment buildings.
Don’t give your noisy neighbors a chance to complain about your grow room.
In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about before choosing an activated carbon air filter.
What is an Activated Carbon Air Filter?
How do they work?
Activated carbon air filters are small pieces of carbon typically in powdered or granular form. They are treated to be extremely porous and so immense that just one gram off activated carbon can have a surface area of 500m2 or even higher.
The vast surface area of activated carbon enables them to absorb exponentially more amount of allergens and contaminants than normal carbon.
Adsorption is the process where organic compounds and other contaminants in air or water react chemically with the activated carbon causing them to stick to the filter.
The filters thus effectively remove hazardous compounds.
What to look for in an Activated Carbon Air Filter?
Considering the factors below you can narrow up your selection process.
1. Carbon Thickness
The thicker the carbon, the adsorption rate will be greater. The carbon filter will be more effective in removing odors when the carbon in it is thicker. You should expect a higher price for the thicker once since it offers higher efficiency.
2. Pre-filter
Carbon filters often come packaged with pre-filters that are placed outside the carbon filter. This pre-filters prevents particles like dust from entering the carbon filter. This pre-filter can thus improve the life span of the carbon filter and other parts of the appliance.
3.Portability
The compact models are more efficient in absorbing odor and smell and converting them into carbon granules. This model produces less noise and vibration comparing to its competitors. If you love portable gadgets, have a look at our complete guide to buying a rechargeable battery fan.
4.Durability
It’s always not a good idea to go for a cheaper one while looking for a carbon filter. A better life span could be expected for an expensive one. The sturdy carbon filters have higher performance and their maintenance is lighter compared to other models.
Top Recommended Activated Carbon Filters
After fare research, we’ve landed on a few handpicked activated carbon air filters from the top sellers in the market. A detailed review and specification are provided to ease up your purchase process.
1. Phresh Filter 701003 Inline Filter, 4 in x 12 in | 200 CFM

The Phresh filter 701003 is the most expensive one of all the products reviewed in this post. Yet it’s proven quality makes it our #1 activated carbon air filter.
Compared to other competing models, the Phresh Filter is lightweight and has an open air mesh design that maximizes airflow.
Product Description
Item Dimension: 7.9 x 8 x 14 inches
Item Weight: 7.35 Pounds
2. iPower 4 Inch Air Carbon Filter

It also comes with a pre-filter, which can keep your carbon clean.
The top and the base is made of sturdy, lightweight powder-coated aluminum that ensures longevity.
Product Description
Item Dimension: 8 x 8 x 13 inches
Item Weight: 6 Pounds
3. Amagabeli 4 inch Activated Carbon Air Filter

It is one of the best-rated carbon filters on the market.
The Amagabeli 4 inch Carbon Filter has washable pre-filters and elastic bands that can easily be mounted around carbon filter.
The inner and outer mesh is made of Aluminum which increases the airflow, thus making it the perfect equipment to use.
Customers are pleased with the filter’s quality and lifetime comparing with its competitors.
Since the unit is heavy duty some users found it a bit heavier.
Product Description
Item Dimension: 13.4 x 7 x 4 inches
Item Weight: 8.6 Pounds
4. VIVOSUN 4 Inch Activated Carbon Air Filter for Odor Control

The pre-filter wrapped around the VIVOSUN 4 Inch Activated Carbon Air Filter ensures that clean air is produced from the unit.
And while this is the 4” version, variants of 6” and 8” are also available if you want a larger size. The galvanized steel and high-quality charcoal built make it useful as an intake filter or exhaust filter. It comes with good instruction on how to install it in different ways.
Product Description
Item Dimension: 15 x 7.8 x 7.8 inches
Item Weight: 7.7 Pounds