AllerAir - AirMedic Pro 6 Ultra Air Purifier

Thank you for this. I have been very impressed with allerair as well. They took my spec sheet from my recent window installs and figured out what we were dealing with. Super impressed. Will likely go this route. Thanks for sharing!!

So if memory serves correctly that specific model does not have HEPA filtration due to the large amount of carbon. If you go one model down that has \~20 something lbs of activated carbon that one will have the HEPA filter. Although you don't necessarily need HEPA to filter out PM2.5 so I think the AirMedic should still work just fine for that as even Corsi-Rosenthol boxes will do a great job of filtering out PM2.5 pollution from the air with wildfire smoke. The AirMedic filters should last longer between having to change them but they will be costly. Although IQAir filter replacements ain't cheap either. I'd personally go with whatever one you can get the fastest, you can't go wrong with either one.

I just ordered the AllerAir Smoke Eater which has over 30lbs+ of carbon (Los Angeles)

Sorry, “Smoke Eater”: [AirMedic Pro 6 Ultra S - Smoke Eater Air Purifier](https://allerair.com/products/airmedic-pro-6-ultra-s)

[Iqair](https://www.iqair.com/us/products/air-purifiers/gc-multigas) (ships from California) or [allerair](https://allerair.com/products/airmedic-pro-6-ultra?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc&pr_rec_id=7f8d24bda&pr_rec_pid=8225197699&pr_ref_pid=8225328195&pr_seq=uniform&variant=42969115470) (ships from Canada). They have hepa filters and pounds of activated carbon to filter out VOC’s. However, the iqair purifer is much quieter. I recommend getting a [Temtop](https://a.co/d/e6atbsG) air quality monitor to measure particulate matter and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC’s), to ensure the purifier actually works and when to take extra precautions of the air inside/ outside is really bad. I tried both due to the LA wildfires when the smoke was really bad and even now as I live near the fire zone and there are concerns of bad air quality as the cleanup is expected to last 1-2 years. My favorite is the iqair one since it’s quieter and looks nicer, but it has less activated carbon. However, the Temtop monitor doesn’t show any issue filtering out VOC’s. I do live in an 1bedroom apartment however. The allerair is good too, it’s just too loud and the customer service is not as good. For your house , you have to get 1-3 of either of them.

The first recommendation for new builds is **exhaust ventilation**. This is way cheaper than multiple sorbent media purifiers. You can do this by opening windows, building DIY Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs), or installing ERVs or Heat Recovery Ventilators (HRVs) as part of your HVAC system. ERVs or HRVs trade indoor air for "fresh" (oxygenated) outdoor air. This can reduce VOC and CO₂ levels. But the *non-DIY* versions may not be enough to counteract high levels of VOCs. Another problem is the exact mix of VOCs. The issue is that plain/untreated sorbent media do *not* have high removal efficiencies for all gaseous "species". You would need to modify something like plain activated carbon increase removal of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetylene, ethylene, for example. See [American Hakko Products, Inc.'s Activated Carbon Capacity Index](https://kb.hakkousa.com/Uploads/Attachments/584400cf-c9f4-4201-99bf-33c4.pdf). If you wanted a more exact answer, you could hire an environmental consulting group to do gas testing. A cheaper option is a home test kit you send away for gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. If you only use plain/untreated sorbent media in purifiers, you may still have high levels of other VOCs. There's also the issue of competitive adsorption as the sorbent media begins to saturate. Potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) is an impregnating compound for activated carbon and activated alumina. It's a strong oxidizer that breaks down gases and often used to increase formaldehyde removal. But in highly complex air chemistries, it can produce new compounds. And KMnO₄ itself can off gas as it saturates or becomes spent. As far as actual purifiers are concerned, I would tend to suggest **AllerAir** over Austin Air and the IQAir HealthPro Plus. **Airpura** is another worthy alternative, although their units tend to be more expensive. Austin Air has about 15 lbs. of sorbent media for several models, but also particulates filtration. The [HealthPro Plus](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0065/4780/0182/files/Tech-Specs_HPP-NE_120V_120924.pdf) only uses 5 lbs. of activated carbon pellets and KMnO₄ impregnated activated alumina spheres. This could saturate very quickly in a high VOCs environment. Certain [IQAir GC](https://cms.iqair.com/sites/default/files/documents/Tech-Specs_GC-NE_120V_130723.pdf) or GCX models have more sorbent media (especially the [GCX series](https://cms.iqair.com/sites/default/files/documents/Tech-Specs_GCX-NE_120V_130723_0.pdf)). AllerAir does offer some lower weight models. The [AllerAir AirMedic Pro 5 Plus (VOCARB option for VOCs)](https://allerair.com/products/airmedic-pro-5-plus-exec?variant=42969221454) has about 18 lbs. of carbon for $637.98. The model with the most carbon is the [AllerAir AirMedic Pro 6 Ultra Air Purifier (VOCARB for VOCs)](https://allerair.com/products/airmedic-pro-6-ultra?variant=42969115470) with 32-34 lbs. carbon at $1,019.98. **Important:** Exec and VOCARB blends are *plain/untreated carbon*. AllerAir does offer over 40 blends of carbon. You must contact them first to do this. But obviously you'd need to know the VOCs in your airspace first.

Ah okay. In this case, you would want to maximize sorbent media weight. As someone else mentioned below and as I've told others, you can also build your own sorbent media purifier via AC Infinity. This can save you quite a bit of money. AC Infinity sells [refillable carbon canisters](https://acinfinity.com/refillable-carbon-filters/), [inline fans](https://acinfinity.com/inline-fan-systems/), and [air filter boxes](https://acinfinity.com/air-filter-boxes/). But please note that AC Infinity sells untreated activated carbon or "charcoal" only. Some gases are not well adsorbed by untreated activated carbon. Instead you can buy potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) impregnated alumina or carbon, which you can buy from the likes of [Industrial Odor Control](https://www.industrialodorcontrol.com/activated-carbon.html), [Hepner Air Filters](https://hepnerairfilter.com/activated-carbon-potassium-permanganate/), or possibly [Hydrosil International](https://hydrosilintl.com/air-filtration/). I would recommend removing some of the AC Infinity untreated activated "charcoal" out of the canister and adding the KMnO₄ impregnated alumina or carbon instead. I don't know what percentage (50%?) would be ideal. r/AskChemistry could be helpful. If you're still keen on buying a sorbent purifier, you could go with the [Airpura C700DLX](https://www.airpura.com/products/c700-dlx-chemicals-and-gas-abatement-plus-air-purifier) or the [AllerAir AirMedic Pro 6 Ultra S - Smoke Eater Air Purifier](https://allerair.com/products/airmedic-pro-6-ultra-s). This AllerAir model has a 32-34 lbs. carbon canister and it's cheaper at $934.98. However, I don't know the exact blend of carbon, impregnating compounds, etc. You may want to ask Allerair the exact type(s) of carbon inside.

Most common air purifier brands do not have enough nor the right type of sorbent media for gases, vapors, or odors. Sorbent media in air purification = activated carbon, activated alumina, or synthetic zeolites. Heavyweight sorbent media purifiers are very expensive, very loud, and clean the air more slowly than particulates-focused units. This is due to the need for ["dwell time"/"residence time"](https://www.airscience.com/carbon-filters) and the thick media beds. The two major heavyweight brands in the USA & Canada are **Airpura** or **AllerAir**. You want to look for models with 15 lbs.+ carbon canisters. Most standard options for these purifiers are plain/chemically untreated sorbents, which do *not* have high removal capacities for all gaseous "species". This sometimes presents problems where an odor emanates from the sorbent bed (possibly the not-well-adsorbed acetaldehyde) or there's a spike on tVOC monitors despite a reduction in odors. Assuming you don't live near a refinery or have really bad air chemistry otherwise (e.g., from fires), you may want to look into potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) impregnated activated carbon from Airpura or AllerAir. You'd have to contact the respective company first to specify this. KMnO₄ works in part via redox (reduction oxidation) reactions by breaking down certain gases. This can be problematic in unknown and/or highly complex air chemistries where resulting gases may be problematic. It can also off gas as it saturates or loses efficacy.

The [AllerAir AirMed Pro 6 Ultra](https://allerair.com/products/airmedic-pro-6-ultra) has even more (either the Exec Carbon 31-33 lbs. filter or VOCARB Carbon 32-34 lbs. filter). However, I believe both carbon choices above are plain/untreated activated carbons. Some gaseous species are not well-adsorbed by plain or untreated sorbent media in general. This can lead to some VOCs/gases being adsorbed while others are not. Sometimes this creates a "sweet" odor (possibly acetaldehyde) alongside a spike in tVOC levels. There may be issues with competitive adsorption as well. AllerAir does offer over 40 customized blends of carbon, but that's contingent on knowing the air chemistry. Might be worth talking to them about chemicals in air fresheners and fragrances. And lastly... because of the large carbon canisters, the particulates filtration capacity is greatly reduced.

I would call the Air Purifier Store, they were very knowledgeable and helpful. If you need a large carbon filter for smoke look at alleraire or airpura or Austin. They have models specifically for smoke with large carbon filters, like 25 to 40 pounds of carbon. I have been happy with my 2 alleraires. They will be more than 300 dollars but may be worth it if they work. I’d definitely call and see what they recommend as when I purchased I had decided on a particular model. When I talked to them they explained what was best for my needs, which was cheaper than what I thought I needed.

I have a couple allerair I have been happy with. They have some of the largest carbon filters, work great for smoke and pet odors. I have one in a bedroom with a cat box. If the cat uses it at night the smell is gone in minutes. Allerair, airpura, Austin air are similar units. Metal cabinet, a switch, a fan and a filter. Very little to go wrong.

Check out Allerair they have models with large carbon filters specifically for wild fire smoke. I believe they are also made in Canada. Airpura is another similar one not cheap but I’m happy with the ones I have. I’m in Wisconsin and we have gotten a lot of smoke this year and don’t smell anything inside.

I feel for you, OP. I am an allergic-to-everything person to the point that I've needed to move homes to get away from paint, varnished wood, carpet, etc. The biggest trigger for me, though, and maybe for you is any centralized heating and cooling system. The systems' filters don't matter - the room's unfiltered air is also being blown in your face. I haven't found a purifier that can offset this problem. I don't use ACs and all my heat is water-based or electric. I experimented with Dyson - if it's the model that provides heating or cooling, there is a chemical in the device that can cause reactions. You can also be sensitive to the material in any carbon filter, like coal. The imperfect journey continues, but I ended up getting a custom purifer from Aller Air and I use it in the same room as a Coway HEPA. One for gas and chemicals, one for particulates. It still doesn't save me completely from my dusty old building, but I can now be confident that it's the only issue. Good luck!

I use AirMedic Pro 5 Air Purifier. 14LBS of carbon. Commercial grade fan that should last forever. Made of metal. Anything with a thin carbon sheet isn’t doing crap. Pro 14LBS Pro plus 18lbs Pro hd 23lbs Pro ultra 28lbs

I use AirMedic Pro 5 Air Purifier. 14LBS of carbon. Commercial grade fan that should last forever. Made of metal. Anything with a thin carbon sheet isn’t doing crap. Pro 14LBS Pro plus 18lbs Pro hd 23lbs Pro ultra 28lbs

All of the conventional options recommended won’t cut it if you’re being serious. I have a few coway airmegas and blueairs and they don’t do much for real VOCs/smoke. You need a lot of carbon for that. My airmega has like 1lb of carbon, I’d recommend an allerair- I’ve got two airmedic 6 pro and the difference is remarkable. I think they have 25+ lbs of carbon. Very simple design, no bells and whistles, but very effective.

Mine is out of reach for most people, but im about to have 3u3 in the middle of wildfire season, so i had to invest in what actually works on the smoke. Allerair Airmedic Pro 6. They are *very* expensive. But wildfire smoke requires at minimum 20lbs of carbon. Mine has 34lbs. For a normal, everyday animal hair/allergens model, Oransi Airmend is great.