Rabbit Air, Air Purifier Filter Replacement - Genuine BioGS Activated Carbon Charcoal Replacement Compatible with Model SPA-421A and SPA-582A Kit for Air Purifiers

I have worked in the filtration industry. Even got a patent for one design. I am also very picky about home air filters. I have been disappointed by so many brands and designs. Either they are ineffective, noisy, gimmicky, expensive to maintain, or any combo of these. I bought my Rabbit Air two years ago. So this is not a one week review. This review will focus on the carbon filter. Did I say carbon? Yes. It is not charcoal. Charcoal is what you use in a BBQ grill. This filter contains activated carbon (AC). AC is made from wood char or coal, in a kiln. The heating process burns off the organics and leaves a black porous structure called activated carbon. The surface area of the carbon can bind and hold many organic chemicals that are in the air. That is how it works. The AC captures the stinky stuff as the air is pulled through the filter. The "Charcoal" filter is protected behind the the other paper air filter. This keeps the dust particles from clogging up the surfaces of the AC. The filter frame was aluminum on my original filter. The new replacement is all plastic. I believe I can take the aluminum frame apart and refill the filter myself-I have not tried yet. The all-plastic replacement filter arrived in a sealed bag. No damage, nothing wrong at all.How long does the "Charcoal" filter really last? It depends on how polluted your air really is. If you are a smoker I suggest the filter is exhausted after one or two months. It is very difficult to scientifically provide a replacement date due to so many uncontrollable factors such as the existing air quality in your home. I let mine go for two years. I only use the filter in the winter months, when the windows are closed. Overall-this is a well-made and designed AC air filter. Best I have seen in any consumer filter.

The original filter that came with my Rabbit Air is made from hard plastic, with the activated carbon trapped in the appropriate maze of the web that holds it. It was clear that I could wash it, as is recommended by Rabbit Air. However, the replacement filter seems to be made from paper that appears to be glazed with some sort of plastic coating. It's no where near as good of construction as the original filter. It is also not clear that it can be washed, even though the wrapper for the filter does say that it can be washed. It will be a while before I make that washing attempt. I did not mind paying the price for the replacement, as that seemed reasonable to me. I was able to wash the original filter 3 times over about 16 months and the first two washings went well, but the last one did not as the filter smelled even after washing. Upon contacting Rabbit Air, it appears that this was because this was the first time I tried washing it in summertime. With the higher humidity, it took about 8 days for the thing to totally dry out and the smell to disappear. However, when I used it, I noticed that the "smell-o-meter" on the Rabbit Air kicked into gear almost for no apparent reason, and that it ran in high gear for much longer times. I then concluded that it was time for a replacement.Since installing the replacement, the "smell-o-meter" seems to be working normally again, and when it does kick on, it now finishes it's cycle much faster than with the apparently expended old filter. (like before it would run for 8-10 minutes, now it runs in 2-3 minutes)I hope that Rabbit Air reads these reviews, as I would like to make a suggestion. Make a filter that is made out of hard plastic, as good as the original, but make it so that it can be unsnapped apart, so that the activated carbon can be replaced, and then snapped back together. I, for one, would pay $100 to Rabbit Air for such a filter unit, and I'd still be happy to pay Rabbit Air for the replacement activated carbon, sold in a bottle, and even pay the same price as the replacement filters being sold today. I'm not concerned about the cost so much... I am much more concerned about great quality, which is why I bought the Rabbit Air cleaner in the first place. By making a reusable filter cage, Rabbit Air would be contributing to the environment because they would never go to the trash until the entire machine fails; and they would be eliminating the environmental impact of making these cheap "paper" filters, while not losing any profit margin what-so-ever.I also want to point out something else, sort of related... a person I know also has a Rabbit Air. And when he determined it was time to replace the carbon filter, he bought commercial activated carbon, normally used for fish tanks I believe, and he made his own filters. He said it worked but that the activated carbon he was buying must have been of a lower quality as the filters only lasted about 3 months, and he had to do it all over again. So consider that a heads-up for those who might consider walking the same path, because they don't like these lower quality carbon filters from Rabbit Air. You do get what you pay for, as they say.

I needed to purchase a replacement filter because I dropped one and it broke spilling charcoal all over the place. I love Rabbit Air's products. I have 2 of their Bio GS units and have had them for years. I am glad they have not discontinued making replacement hepas and carbons for these units. They are run 24/7 in our house because of asthma and allergies. Rabbit Air products are good quality and really do make a difference in air quality.

Exactly as described. It's a factory replacement and it effectively removes odors from the air passing through the air purifier. The original charcoal filter lasted much longer than expected (almost 5 years) running nightly. Would hope that the price would be lower especially as newer model air purifiers are available with the same functionality for equal or less cost. But I am pleased with this product in both function and fitment.

This is a little pricey ($33) but it doesn't need to be replaced often, and does seem to do a good job of removing odors, allergens, etc. from the air. If you have this air filter, I'm not aware of other HEPA filters that fit the unit, so you're kind of stuck, but luckily it does the job well.

I think it is important to get the genuine Rabbit Air filter as opposed to a copy. This one was just that and worked perfectly. The filter needs to be changed light went away once I got this filter in and my eight year old Rabbit Air BioGS works again.