The best way to reduce the VOCs level from the house is through ventilation and source control. When these options are limited, or you have multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), you can use an air purifier with an active gas and odor control technology. We have researched and compiled a list of the 7 best air purifiers for VOCs in a closed space.
We have also included a VOCs air purifier checklist to simplifying your selection process.
Let’s go.
Jump to:
If you’re in a hurry, check out our best picks:
- Don't off-gas
- Deep bed HEPA filter
- Industrial design
- Two types of VOCs filter
- High air delivery
- No VOC sensor
- Huge adsorbents media
- Long-lasting filters
- Expensive
- Don't off-gas
- Deep bed HEPA filter
- Industrial design
- Two types of VOCs filter
- High air delivery
- No VOC sensor
- Huge adsorbents media
- Long-lasting filters
- Expensive
What are VOCs?
Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs are released into the air in the form of gases and vapors from paints, perfumes, air fresheners, cleaning products, furniture’s or from activities such as smoking, cooking, or burning wood.
The most common VOCs are formaldehyde, toluene, benzene, and ethylene glycol. Long-term exposure to VOCs raises many health issues, including the risk of growing cancer.
Learn more about VOCs and their sources.
VOCs Filtering Tecnologis:
The technologies for controlling VOCs, odors, and gases from the air are:
- Chemical Adsorption (commonly use activated carbon as adsorption material),
- Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO),
- Plasma, and
- Ozone generator.
Chemical adsorption is the common method used in portable air purifiers. Learn more about the 8 types of air cleaning technologies of air purifiers.
VOC Air Purifiers Checklist:
Here is a checklist you can follow:
✓ A thick layer of activated carbon or adsorbent media
The amount of adsorbent material in the gas and odor filter is directly proportional to VOCs control effectiveness. Select only those which have more activated carbon or other adsorbent material. Common adsorbing materials are:
- Activated carbon
- Activated alumina
- Zeolite
- Potassium iodide
- Earth minerals
Only select the pelletized or granular adsorbent media filter. Avoid the impregnated-type thin activated carbon sheet filters, which are less effective.
✓ Avoid Ozone Generators
Ozone generators are very effective at neutralizing VOCs, and chemicals in the air. But these are not suitable for residential spaces.
Also, avoid the other electronic VOCs filtrations such as PCO or Plasma. These works slower and also produce ozone which is not suitable if you have asthma or respiratory issues.
If the purifier has some electronic add-ons, make sure it is CARB-approved.
✓ Built-in VOC Sensor
For your convenience, you can select an air purifier with a built-in VOC sensor. It will automatically adjust the fan speed based on the indoor VOCs level. However, the feature is not common in consumer air purifiers. You can always get a TVOC & Formaldehyde sensor to monitor the real-time VOCs concentration in your house.
Related reviews:
List of the 7 Best Air Purifier for VOCs:
1. Oransi EJ120 Air Purifier
Oransi EJ120 air purifier comes with a granular activated carbon (GAC) filter. It has 3.5 pounds of carbon material which is strong enough to neutralize medium to strong VOCs, and odors from the air.
Also, Oransi offers a pleated-type odor filter that is treated with 1 pound of activated carbon material. This filter has more surface area for adsorbing. An independent test demonstrates the filter can reduce 99% of Formaldehyde, Sulfur Dioxide, and Nitrogen Dioxide within 48 hours from a closed space.
The pleated carbon filter also outperforms the GAC filter to control VOCs, according to Oransi. Both the carbon filters are 1-inch thick and last up to 12 months.
For particle filtration, Oransi EJ120 comes with a 3-inch deep MERV 17 grade HEPA filter, which is more efficient than True HEPA, as they claim.
We also liked that you can remove the HEPA filter and replace it with two additional carbon filters for heavy VOCs and odor control. By this combination, a total of 3 carbon filters will become the ultimate VOC remover.
Adsorbent Materials: 3.5 lbs of granular activated carbon (GAC) filter or optional 1 lb of pleated carbon filter.
Room Coverage: 495 sq ft five times per hour (CADR 330 cfm).
Sensors: None.
Gas & Odor Filter Cost: ~ $79 for GAC Carbon Filter and $79 for Pleated Carbon Filter (12 months usage).
2. IQAir GC MultiGas Air Purifier
IQAir GC (Gas Control) air purifier is primarily designed to remove heavy VOCs, odors, chemicals, and gases from the air. It is equipped with four cylindrical-shaped gas cartridges as core filtrations. These filters have a total of 12 lbs of granular activated carbon and impregnated alumina as oxidizers for VOCs and odors.
The gas filters can be used for up to 29 months based on daily 10 hours usage at level 3 fan speed. However, the lifespan also depends on the VOCs and other gas levels in the air.
At the first stage, it has an H11 class HyperHEPA pre-filter that removes 99% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns.
The gas filter cartridges are also covered with electrostatically charged fiber sleeves, which prevents any secondary pollutions from the filter media.
Adsorbent Materials: 12 lbs of granular activated carbon and impregnated alumina.
Room Coverage: 450 sq ft five times per hour (CADR 300 cfm).
Sensors: None.
Gas & Odor Filter Cost: ~ $295 for four MultiGas Cartridges, 29 months usage (check availability & filter price on Amazon, IQAir).
3. EnviroKlenz Mobile Air System Air Purifier
If you are looking for a zero-off-gassing VOC air purifier for medium to large rooms, the EnviroKlenz air purifier is for you. EnviroKlenz adopts its odor filter with its patented Earth Mineral Technology for neutralizing VOCs and chemicals from the air. This filter’s adsorbents media are earth minerals that include Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, and Titanium Dioxide.
The earth minerals act as oxidizing agents to neutralize formaldehyde, ammonia, and other VOCs from the air. Unlike the activated carbon, earth minerals don’t re-release VOCs after adsorbing.
This chemical adsorption filter lasts up to 6 months.
Additionally, it has a strong deep bed True HEPA filter for particulates removal with 99.97% efficiency for 0.3 microns. This HEPA filter lasts up to 24 months.
Adsorbent Materials: 1.5 lbs of Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, and Titanium Dioxide.
Room Coverage: 375 sq ft five times per hour (CADR 250 cfm).
Sensors: None.
Gas & Odor Filter Cost: $99 for the Chemical filter, 6 months usage (check availability & filter price).
In-depth review of the UV model >>> EnviroKlenz UV-C Air Purifier.
4. Molekule Air Pro Air Purifier
One of the downsides of activated carbon to neutralizes VOCs is they often re-release VOCs after adsorbing. To solve this problem, you can use air purifiers with zero-off-gassing adsorbent materials. Or a completely different tech. Here comes the Molekule.
Molekule Air Pro uses a PECO filter that can effectively neutralize odors and VOCs by destroying them. The filter is a pleated fiber filter coated with a proprietary catalyst. The filter activates with low-energy UV-A lights and starts neutralizing odor by a harmless chemical reaction.
Although PCO (Photocatalytic Oxidation) is a years-old tech and releases byproducts, the PECO process by Molekule is completely safe, doesn’t produces ozone, and effectively reduces VOCs, including toluene and formaldehyde – tested by Berkeley Lab.
Molekule Air Pro incorporates a pleated PECO filter that lasts up to 6 months, and the recommended room coverage is 1,000 square feet with 8 feet ceilings. The purifier is also app-enabled, where you can check the filter status, different types of particulates level, and change the modes.
However, Molekule Air Pro lacks a TVOC sensor that could help control VOCs efficiently.
VOC Control Tech: PECO without releasing ozone or other toxic byproducts.
Recommended Room Coverage: 1,000 sq ft.
Sensors: Particle sensor.
Gas & Odor Filter Cost: ~ $149 for the PECO filter, 6 months usage (check availability & filter price on Amazon, Molekule).
5. Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier
All of the models we reviewed here are slightly expensive. Because there are simply no cheap air purifiers for active VOCs and odor control. However, if you are looking for an inexpensive VOC air purifier to reduce light VOCs and odors, then the Winix 5500-2 is the perfect fit.
To combat with VOCs and odors, Winix 5500-2 have:
- A washable honeycomb pelletized carbon filter,
- Plasmawave, and
- A built-in VOC sensor.
The core VOCs filter is a honeycomb-structured activated carbon filter, and the secondary filtration for VOCs is the Plasmawave.
The AOC carbon filter can be washed with water, which will boost the adsorption effectiveness during its 12 months of lifespan. Also, by cleaning with water, you will get more freshen air than before.
Additionally, it comes with a True HEPA grade particle filter, which will trap all tiny particulates from the air that are sized down to 0.3 microns.
VOC Control Tech: Activated Carbon pellets for adsorption and electronic PlasmaWave.
Room Coverage: 350 sq ft five times per hour (CADR 232 cfm).
Sensors: VOC sensor and light sensor.
Gas & Odor Filter Cost: ~ $60 for HEPA and Carbon filter, 12 months usage (check availability & filter price).
In-depth review >>> Winix 5500-2 Air Purifier.
6. Austin Air HealthMate Plus Air Purifier
If you are looking for a thick activated carbon media filter air purifier with simple controls, then the Austin Air Healthmate Plus might be a good fit for heavy VOCs control. The composite cartridge filter has 15 lbs of activated carbon impregnated with zeolite and potassium iodide, which is the highest on our list.
The zeolite is good adsorbent material for odors, and the combination of adsorbents will effectively reduce strong odors and VOCs. The filter can be used for up to 5 years.
Austin Air Healthmate Plus also has a True HEPA particle filter with a 60 square feet surface area, capable of removing 99.97% of 0.3-micron particles, including ultrafine dust, smoke particles, bacteria, and viruses.
Adsorbent Materials: 15 lbs of activated carbon and zeolite impregnated with potassium iodide.
Room Coverage: 375 sq ft five times per hour (CADR 250 cfm).
Sensors: None.
Gas & Odor Filter Cost: ~ $360 for the composite filter cartridge, 60 months usage (check the current filter price on Amazon, Sylvane).
In-depth review >>> Austin Air HealthMate Plus Air Purifier.
7. Airpura V600 Air Purifier
Airpura has a wide range of filters for different air purification purposes. The V600 model is primarily for VOCs and chemicals. It has a 2-inch deep chemical filter that has 18 lbs of activated carbon impregnated with potassium iodide. Made from coconut shell carbon, this filter will effectively remove VOCs, formaldehyde, odors, and other chemicals.
The filter also lasts longer, up to two years.
Besides the chemical filter, Airpura V600 comes with 40 square feet of True HEPA filter to remove all airborne particles that are sized 0.3 microns with 99.97% efficiency. It also has a cotton pre-filter to protect the main filters.
Adsorbent Materials: 18 lbs of activated carbon impregnated with potassium iodide.
Recommended Room Coverage: 1,000 sq ft (Airflow is 560 cfm without filters).
Sensors: None.
Gas & Odor Filter Cost: ~ $360 for the 2-inch thick carbon filter cartridge, 24 months usage (check the current filter price).
Final Thoughts
The best way to remove VOCs, odors, and gases from the air is by opening windows where HVAC is not available. The fresh air from the outside is very effective at lowering the VOC concentration from the indoor air. However, when ventilation is not possible due to the poor outdoor air, a portable air purifier with effective chemical filters will freshen the air.
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