PureIllusion Scientifically Tested Gas & Odor Filter for IQAir HealthPro Series Air Purifier - Ultra Premium Filter fits V5 Cell Module - Genuine Crystalline

The filters fit exactly the same and the function seems the same. Air is as fresh as the name-brand IQ Air filters. I've purchased the official brand several times and there is no difference as far as I can tell. They include instructions on how to install as well as how to reset your filter notification (because who can remember how to do it each time). I found that really helpful. Really pleased with the quality.

I am a consulting scientist working on air filtration in adjacent areas of public health. I have no affiliation with anybody connected to this company (or with any other company that makes products for consumer air purifiers). I've been unimpressed with the design, quality, and/or safety of similar aftermarket carbon V-banks. This PureIllusion product is head and shoulders over the others I've examined. Most importantly, compared to IQAir's own offering, this aftermarket company leaves out the potassium permanganate, which is toxic and allergenic. You don't want to be exposed to potassium permanganate dust, which can cause severe eye damage, skin damage and more. Leakage from IQAir's V5 filter into the cabinet or onto hands while installing or disposing of the V5 would be of concern. Second, the third-party testing for toxic contaminants (I found the linke to the PDF right here on this Amazon page) was done by SGS, a leading Swiss-owned testing lab. Very impressive results! I’d prefer it if PureIllusion would repeat the SGS tests yearly, and also would provide a signed affidavit describing how the samples were selected (randomly, by a neutral third party, is key), rather than a single report on a batch of filters tested in 2023. If in-house testing is done regularly, as it absolutely should be, those reports should also be made available. But even without those data points, this appears to be a more conscientious and thoughtful company than competitors. The density of the pellet packing and the adequacy of the seal of the PureIllusion V-bank filter also seems superior to some similar models on the market (another review explains that the box's design was strengthened after user feedback). In general this is not a very sturdy filter design (a glued cardboard box covered in fabric), but this is the best of this kind that I've seen. The pricing is quite fair for approximately 8 lbs of nicely distributed, non-contaminated, certified AC in a well-designed chassis. (Note that certified, premium AC carbon costs a manufacturer a lot more than uncertified recycled carbon, but it is a lot safer to breathe air filtered by the premium stuff. Low-grade AC carbon may be contaminated. In some dreadful cases, it has turned out not to be carbon at all!) UPDATE: Let me add an explanation for the reviewer who experienced a 'sickly sweet odor' with this filter but did not experience that with the OEM filter: That sweet odor is a sign that an AC carbon has reached its limit for adsorption; it's at the end of its useful life. It is unable to adsorb any more VOCs ('volatile organic compounds'; a range of airborne chemicals you are inhaling), so as you ask it to adsorb more, it begins to let the weaker-bonded VOCs loose into your room air to 'make room' for your new incoming VOCs. Those weaker-bonded VOCs are not healthy to breathe. So, that sickly sweet smell means it's time to replace it. What does it mean if this sickly sweet smell appears just a few hours to a few days after you begin using a carbon filter? There are two main possibilities: One possibility is that the AC carbon is defective: It was already saturated with VOC's when you bought it, which is what the reviewer assumed happened. That happens a whole lot with cheap sources of AC carbon, but it seems unlikely from a reputable company like this, although it is possible (for example, it might happen if the filter was sealed into an airtight shipping bag before its glue finished curing: the VOCs from the glue could have 'nowhere to go' except into the AC carbon... loading it up before it is sold.) Another, more worrisome, possibility is that you're asking the carbon pellets to adsorb an unusually large quantity of VOCs in your building's air, so the pellets saturate really quickly. That could happen, for example, if you used a mere 8 lbs of AC carbon to try to filter paint fumes from fresh paint. This explanation is quite concerning, because it means your VOC levels are unsafe -- too high. You may want to think seriously about your exposure. 8 lbs of AC carbon is enough to handle very low levels of VOCs such as are usually the case in residences. It's not enough to handle, say, the VOCs in a room that smells like spilled gasoline, or spilled heating oil, or wet paint. Yes, it will work, but only briefly. For industrial-level VOCs, 20 lbs, 40lbs, 60 lbs, or even more AC carbon are commonly needed, and even then, it may be impossible to use *only* AC carbon to solve all of the emissions without also ventilating the building. (Whenever it's possible, *ventilation* is more effective than filtering.) The AC carbon functions by *trapping* the VOCs, but the permaganate in the OEM filter functions differently, by *oxidizing* a range of VOCs (breaking them down into other chemicals, and releasing many of those chemicals back into the air. Some of these oxidation products are not necessarily safer than the original compounds, and some could be more irritating or have different health effects. They might not be as odorous, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're safer to inhale). Also, people commonly report a lot of purple dust when they handle filters with permaganate in the matrix, and that is a visible sign that they are being exposed to permaganate. Not all exposure will be visible to the naked eye, however. The end user has to decide which concerns them more. Another consideration is that if you have a formaldehyde problem, AC carbon is not effective at capturing formaldehyde. In any case, when an AC carbon filter begins to emit that sweet odor, it means it is time to shut the filter off and ventilate instead, until you can replace the filter. I received no kind of compensation for this review, my review was not solicited, and as I said, I don't know anybody connected to the company.

This carbon filter makes a very noticeable improvement in filtering out my neighbor's smokes, including not only traditional types of tobacco, but also various kinds of E-cigarettes chemicals. The original V5-Cell from IQ Air, sadly, is unable to produce any noticeable improvement. I think it could be due to the fact that the IQ Air V5-Cell contains only 6 pounds of activated carbon, whereas this one contains 7.5 pounds. That extra one and a half pounds of carbon maybe is the determining factor of its effectiveness. The only thing this Pure Illusion carbon filter still needs to improve is the carton housing--it is not as solidly built as that of the original IQ Air. As a result, my first one had a problem of those carbon granules falling out because the five-stripe housing that contain the carbon granules were not securely glued to the carton frame. I had to spend quite a bit of time repair it to stop the leak. Update of my review (6/4/2022). I am adding one more star to my previous review, because I am quite blown away by the customer service of this company. Not only are their products as good as, or better (in the case of the stage 2 filter) than the IQ Air filter, their customer service is absolutely fantastic too. After learning from my review that my first filter was damaged during the shipping, they went through the trouble of redesign their packaging material, then sent me a new one free of charge. In addition, they are also in the process of improving the design of their carton housing after I made the suggestion of strengthen the attachment of the strips to the frame by adding staples, instead of using only glue. Highly recommend this company's products. Two thumbs up!

It fits, and it works just like the other. Make sure to take the styrofoam off both sides when unpackaging. I missed the bottom piece at first and it sounded very loud when running but is now just fine.

Nicely packaged, seems quite solid. Fits same as OEM filter. Have had it running a few weeks now, and seems to be doing the job.