Mini carbon filters: Elegoo or Anycubic air purifiers

Mini carbon filters — such as the Elegoo or Anycubic air purifiers designed to fit inside a resin 3D printer — are not effective at eliminating the toxic fumes generated during printing. Due to their limited size and capacity, these filters cannot adequately capture and neutralize the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by resin materials.

We tested this directly: it took four of these mini filters taped inside the printer cover to meaningfully reduce the smell of resin during printing. Even then, there is no reliable way to determine how many fumes or VOCs are still escaping into the workspace. The filters also require battery recharging before each use.

Reducing odor is not the same as reducing VOC exposure. These mini filters are not a safety solution.

Ventilating all air from the printer directly outdoors — through a duct connected to the printer's exhaust port — is the required approach. Direct exhaust ventilation removes fumes at the source. A larger activated carbon filter can serve as a secondary measure, but it does not replace direct ventilation.

For ELEGOO resin printer owners, 3D Venting builds ventilation systems specifically designed to connect to your printer's exhaust port and vent fumes outside. View our ventilation systems.