I was ready to toss my vacuum cleaner to the landfill until I started using these activated charcoal bags. I used to use a Hoover Y type HEPA bag and for some reason the smell was just awful. I've noticed this with most vacuum cleaner bags (hopefully not just me!), but they give off an odor reminiscent of burnt hair mixed with burnt rubber (yeah, not good). Luckily I decided to test the carbon model and I'm very happy about it. No odor was detected using this new bag yesterday on the first flight. It was, to say the least, an epiphany. If you're wondering whether it makes sense to spend the extra $2.78 on carbon HEPA packs, don't think about it, just do it. Trust me it's worth it.