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Stinky gym clothes, beloved pets, and home cooking can all contribute to household odors. Products like air freshener sprays can mask odors, but to properly outwit olfactory offenders, consider adding bamboo charcoal bags to your odor eliminating arsenal.
These products rely on the porosity of bamboo charcoal. Enclosed in breathable fabric bags and placed in different locations around the house, bamboo charcoal bags naturally trap unpleasant smells and freshen indoor air. Several factors go into choosing these odor eliminators, so use this guide to shop wisely, and learn why the following products are considered among the best bamboo charcoal air purifier bags you can buy.
- BEST OVERALL: MOSO NATURAL: The Original Air Purifying Bag
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Kisx Nature Fresh Air Purifier Bags
- BEST MINI: PURGGO Bamboo Charcoal Shoe Deodorizer
- BEST LARGE: MOSO NATURAL Stand Up Purifying Bag, 600g
- BEST GRAPHIC: Little Luxe Designs Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bag
- BEST DECORATIVE: Huanlemai Moso-Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bags
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifier Bags
Bamboo charcoal is created by burning bamboo at very high temperatures; specific burning conditions can also create activated bamboo charcoal, which is even more porous. Both types of bamboo charcoal may be enclosed in bags as all-natural odor eliminators that are affordable, reusable, and safe to use around kids and pets. Bamboo charcoal bags come in a range of sizes and designs to suit different needs, from freshening old sneakers to deodorizing an entire room.
Usage
Bamboo charcoal bags tackle all types of odors, from cat litter to sports equipment. They can be used alone or in tandem with other air fresheners to improve the way a home smells. Unlike air freshener sprays, bamboo charcoal bags don’t add chemicals or fragrances into the air, making them a wise choice for those who are sensitive to fragrance.
Bamboo charcoal bags come in a range of convenient designs and shapes to work for different applications. A tubular shape can slide into shoes, while a standing bag design is ideal for whole room deodorizing. Bags equipped with hooks are easy to hang in a car or closet.
The best bamboo charcoal bags can last for up to two years with monthly refreshing. To refresh a bamboo charcoal bag, most manufacturers recommend simply placing the bag in direct sunlight for a few hours to reactivate its odor-adsorbing power.
Functional vs. Decorative
The out-of-sight spots in our homes can harbor the worst smells. For these locations, function usually wins out over style, since there’s little use in choosing a decorative charcoal bag to stick behind a garbage can. Some air purifier bags include functional features like hanging hooks and straps.
While many bamboo charcoal bags are plain, those with a decorative design can add a bit of personality and style—perhaps to a bathroom or near the pet bed where an older pooch snoozes. Decorative charcoal bags can come in a range of colors, patterns, and graphics.
Size
The size of a bamboo charcoal bag affects how much it can filter. The bag needs to have a large enough volume of porous charcoal to deodorize. Bamboo charcoal deodorizers come in a range of sizes, from as small as 50 grams to over 1,000 grams.
A larger bamboo charcoal bag can freshen up larger rooms and vice versa. Small bags are ideal to put in shoes and backpacks, medium-size bags fit in a closet or dresser, and the largest size bags are a good pick for whole-room deodorizing, like in a bathroom or kitchen. Some bamboo charcoal bags come in multi-size sets for flexibility.
Material
Charcoal may be derived from a range of different materials including wood, peat, and coal. Bamboo charcoal is a naturally derived material, which appeals to those looking for a natural odor eliminator. Fast-growing bamboo is also relatively sustainable. In fact, old bamboo charcoal bags that contain 100 percent bamboo charcoal can be added to compost to biodegrade.
Bamboo charcoal comes packed in breathable fabric bags that allow air to flow through. Linen is popular for these bags because it’s breathable but sturdy and also attractive, making it ideal for home deodorization.
Charcoal Purity
Knowing that an air deodorizer contains safe, all-natural ingredients can provide peace of mind. The best bamboo charcoal bags use 100 percent bamboo charcoal that can safely go into composting when the charcoal is no longer effective. Keep in mind, however, that bamboo charcoal bags are designed to trap odors. To properly purify the air and tackle air quality, consider an air purifier to filter allergens and pollutants.
Our Top Picks
Bamboo charcoal bags are a popular all-natural odor eliminator. The top picks described here are affordable, stylish, and effective—any of these recommendations should suit your needs.
Best Overall
MOSO NATURAL: The Original Air Purifying Bag
The MOSO Original Air Purifying bag is ideal for small spaces up to 90 square feet. Each bag contains 200 grams of bamboo charcoal to freshen up cars, closets, pet spaces, and small rooms. With monthly refreshing in direct sunlight, each bag can last up to two years.
The bags, made of linen in a neutral gray shade, are available singly as well as in two-, three-, and five-pack sets. The three-pack is popular, as it provides enough to deodorize key areas in most homes, such as behind a kitchen trash can, inside a closet, and in a tertiary smell-prone spot. Each bag has a metal grommet in the corner to allow for hanging in closets or the car.
Best Bang For the Buck
Kisx Nature Fresh Air Purifier Bags
Banishing household odors needn’t break the bank. This affordable six-pack of 100 percent activated bamboo charcoal bags includes two 200-gram bags and four 50-gram bags. Buying in bulk helps save money, while different sizes offer versatility.
The 200-gram bags have a metal grommet with a string loop in the corner, ideal for hanging in closets or the car. The 50-gram bags are tube shaped to slide into shoes or bags and also have a small string loop to allow for hanging. The gray bags are reusable for up to two years if given a monthly refresh in the sun for four to six hours.
Best Mini
PURGGO Bamboo Charcoal Shoe Deodorizer
Little spaces can make a big stink. While these PURGGO bamboo charcoal bags were designed to trap footwear odors, their small size and skinny tubular shape make them handy helpers in other smell-prone zones such as closets, pet beds, gym bags—even in the fridge.
Each bag contains approximately 55 grams of 100 percent activated bamboo charcoal and can be used for over a year, with refreshing in the sun as needed. The bags are sold in sets of two. Each bag is made from hemp, a sustainable material, and comes in a dark gray shade with a blue string loop for hanging.
Best Large
MOSO NATURAL Stand Up Purifying Bag, 600g
To keep odors at bay in an entire room, opt for a larger bamboo charcoal bag, like this one from MOSO. Each bag has 600 grams of bamboo charcoal to deodorize areas up to 300 square feet, making them well suited to medium-size and large rooms such as kitchens, bedrooms, and basements.
Thanks to a wide and sturdy flat base, this large bamboo charcoal bag can sit on the floor as well as on a shelf, countertop, or desk without toppling. Should a smelly situation call for hanging the bag, there’s also a reinforced metal grommet.
Best Graphic
Little Luxe Designs Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bag
When appearance counts as much as deodorizing—in a guest bathroom, for instance—consider these bamboo charcoal bags. Made of fine gray linen, they feature two attractive tropical designs: a palm tree and a pineapple.
The bags are sold as a set that includes four 200-gram bags; each one can deodorize closets, cars, and small rooms. There’s a corner metal grommet on each bag for hanging. The eco-friendly set even comes in biodegradable packaging. The bamboo charcoal can be reactivated in the sun for up to two years.
Best Decorative
Huanlemai Moso-Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bags
Send unpleasant odors packing with these pretty bamboo charcoal bags. They come as a set of four in four decorative colors: light gray, sage green, rusty orange, and natural beige. Each cylindrical bag can stand firmly on its own and looks good enough to display on countertops, desks, or shelves.
These bags have a pouch design, are made of breathable linen, and each boast a different decorative pattern. Each bag contains 250 grams of activated bamboo charcoal and can eliminate odors in rooms up to 100 square feet. They can be used for up to two years with monthly reactivation.
The Advantages of Using Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifier Bags
Even the cleanest home can have odor challenges. Products that merely mask smells can make matters worse by adding cloying fragrances and chemicals to the air. Bamboo charcoal bags are a fragrance-free option. Their porous nature works to trap odors instead of covering them.
Bamboo charcoal bags are popular with folks who prefer natural products. Air freshener sprays, candles, and plug-ins can release chemicals into the air, which is a concern to some consumers. Bamboo charcoal bags usually contain 100 percent bamboo, a natural ingredient. They also don’t aerosolize or release chemicals or fragrances into the air, making them a safe option in homes with children and pets. And, as they are fragrance-free, they’re also a good choice for those who have fragrance allergies or sensitivities.
- Bamboo charcoal bags trap odors to actually reduce bad smells instead of masking them.
- Bamboo charcoal bags are an all-natural and fragrance-free deodorizing option.
- Bamboo charcoal bags are safe to use around pets and children.
FAQ About Charcoal Air Purifier Bags
Bamboo charcoal bags are easy to use and can be placed pretty much anywhere around the home. These all-natural products are an effective way to eliminate indoor odors. If you still want more info about choosing and using bamboo charcoal bags, consider the answers to these common questions.
Q. How does a bamboo charcoal bag work?
Bamboo charcoal contains tons of tiny pores that trap odors and other pollutants, leaving fresher smelling air.
Q. What size bamboo charcoal air purifier bag do I need?
It depends on the purpose and room size; smaller bags are effective for cars and closets, while the largest options can deodorize an entire room.
Q. Do bamboo charcoal air purifier bags kill mold?
No. A bamboo charcoal air purifier is designed to trap odors; it will not kill mold.
Q. How do you activate bamboo charcoal bags?
Most manufacturers recommend activating bamboo charcoal bags by placing them in the sun for a few hours.
Q. How long does each charcoal air purifier bag last?
With monthly recharges in the sun, bamboo charcoal bags can last a year or two.
