While high-surface-area activated carbons (ACs) are widely recognized as essential for maximizing H 2 adsorption, this study emphasizes the importance of tap density and explores the potential of using more cost-effective ACs with lower surface areas for H 2 compression by adsorption. We thus critically evaluated the performance of an adsorption compressor using six commercial ACs with BET areas ranging from 1000 to 3300 m 2 g -1 and tap densities from 270 to 560 kg m -3 . Experimental and numerical analyses revealed the impact of these parameters on compression efficiency. Our results suggest that optimizing both surface area and tap density is essential for improving the viability of porous materials in the hydrogen economy. Specifically, the ACs tested here can achieve outlet pressures up to 70 MPa, but with minimal H 2 discharge. Therefore, lower discharge pressures (<30 MPa) are required to maintain a stable H 2 flow rate, which can be further improved at temperatures above ambient (298 K).