Best Air Purifier For Smoke (Cigarette, Cigars, Weed)

 

If you smoke or live with a smoker, you’ll almost certainly face the dilemma of smoke and odors inside the home.

Even smokers who make a habit of going outside might be driven in by inclement weather.

It can lead to a tough choice between a happy smoker and an odor-free home.

But what if you didn’t have to make that choice?

Did you know that air purification technology has been proven effective at reducing particularite matter in homes with a smoker? (source)

Today, we’ll guide you through a selection of the latest & best air purifiers for smoke so you can determine whether you can cut through the smoke and smell in your house.

There are literally 100’s of air purifiers you can buy online and the seemingly endless options can confuse even the most savviest of shoppers.

So we did the homework for you and reviewed 9 of the BEST air purifiers you can find online to tackle the job of ridding your home of smoke and you can finally have house that smells good!

We broke them down into the top 3 based on the size of the room (large/open floor plan, medium and small) you want to remove cigarette, cigar or even marijuana smell from.

These air purifying devices are the perfect investment for your home while you are living there and will make it a lot easier for you to sell your house down the road.

Because having a fresh and clean smelling home is a critical step when preparing your home for sale.

Running an air purifier means you will not have to go through the large effort of manually removing smoke smell out of your home.

Best Air Purifier For Smoke Reviews

 

We’ll launch into the main event now with a actionable review of nine of the best air purifiers on the market split across three categories.

But keep in mind, these are the top 3, the best of the best and the difference between #1 and #3 is minimal.

You can’t go wrong with any of these picks, just decide which one has the features your are looking for in your home!

• Large Room and Open Floor Plan Coverage Area
• Medium Room Coverage Area
• Small Room Coverage Area

With each of these units, we’ll start by presenting the basic stats so you can determine type, square footage, and CADR rating at a glance.

Large Room and Open Floor Plan Coverage Area

Image	Product Name
	Coway AirMega 400 Air Purifier Check Price
	Rabbit Air MinusA2 HEPA Air Purifier Check Price
	Alen BreathSmart Air Purifier Check Price

 

 

 

 

Medium Room Coverage Area

Image	Product Name
	Honeywell HEPA Allergen Remover Check Price
	Co-Way Mighty Air Purifier Check Price
	Alen T500 HEPA Air Purifier Check Price

 

 

 

 

Small Room Coverage Area

Image	Product Name
	GermGuardian 3-in-1 HEPA Air Purifier Check Price
	Blue Pure 411 Air Purifier Check Price
	Co-Way 2-in-1 Air Purifier and White Noise Machine Check Price

 

 

 

 

Best Air Purifier For Smoke Buyer’s Guide

First in this buyers guide we will get started with the very basics and take a glimpse at the various types of air purifiers at your disposal for removing smoke from your home.

Types of Smoke Removing Air Purifiers and Filters: What Are They and How Do They Work?

As with most appliances, you can get air purifiers and special smoke-wicking filters in a number of styles.

Some are more effective than others so we’ll walk you through the main types and you can see which would make the best fit.

HEPA Technology

HEPA filters (High Efficiency Particulate Arresting) filters are the gold standard.

To be HEPA-rated, a filter must effectively dispatch 99.97% of particles down to as small as 0.3 microns. As a reference, you could fit 1000 individual microns on the head of a pin.

Whether you’re smoking a cigar, a cigarette, or some medical marijuana, all will kick off particles in the 0.3 to 0.5 micron range, so you’re in safe hands with a HEPA unit if you’re a smoker.

However, while a HEPA filter can work wonders on removing smoke that is currently in the air, be aware that a HEPA filter will do nothing to address the lingering smell of smoke in your home.

Activated Carbon Technology

There’s no argument that HEPA filters do a miraculous job when it comes to the smoke hanging in the air, but how about the odor?

Not only does smoke taint the air, it also works its way into furniture, curtains, and your carpet.

This is where an activated carbon technology comes into play.

The tiny pores in a carbon filter do a great job of adsorbing cigarette smoke.

And no, that’s not a typo. Unlike absorption, where liquids are collected, adsorption is when molecules go from their gas state onto a solid surface.

Choose from a range of filters according to the gravity of the smoke issue and bring back some much-needed freshness to your home.

Pick one with enough charcoal to comfortably deal with the area you have in mind.

UV Technology

Ultraviolet light can be harnessed to help you fight back against smoke in the house.

This does not involve filtration per se.

As the tiny particles pass, rays of UV light incinerate them.

While UV air purifiers are highly effective, since they are still in their relative infancy, they remain pretty pricey.

Negative Ion

The key to a strong negative ion air purifier is to get one kicking out beneficial negative ions rather than potentially harmful ozone.

This type of purifier copes with reducing odors admirably and it will filter out some airborne pollutants as well.

Safe and efficient, negative ion air purifiers are well worth putting on your shortlist.

Ozone

Ozone gets a bad rep but ionizing, anion and ionic air purifiers principally produce ozone rather than negative ions.

As long as you stick below the CDC limit of 50 parts per billion by volume, you should be fine. Breach this limit and you’ll run the risk of developing irritated lungs.

So…

With the main categories of air purifier covered, we’ll look into some broad features worth taking into account when you’re on the buying trail.

Overall Features of Air Purifiers That Will Remove Smoke Smell

Price

OK, so the price doesn’t directly do anything for the smell, but if you spend a little more, you’ll generally get a unit that’s more capable of wicking away the odor as well as those irritating particles.

As with anything in life, you generally get what you pay for.

It’s sound practice to set a budget and stick to it before you even think about research.

That way, you’ll be able to whittle down your options before you even make a shortlist.

If you have a serious smoke problem, it’s worth investing a little more for a long-term solution.

Smoke CADR Rating

CADR stands for clean air delivery rate.

Much like HEPA, you’ll see this acronym everywhere when you’re hunting down air purifiers.

The CADR scale translates to the amount of air cleaned of contaminants in cubic feet in units per minute.

This rating will usually be plastered front and center on the packaging of the purifier.

Performance varies considerably.

As a benchmark, sub-100 CADR units are likely to underwhelm.

The hardest hitting air purifiers are rated at 350 CADR and above.

Size and Weight

Air purifiers can be incredibly portable or hulking units that are tough to move around once installed.

You should carefully analyze the dimensions of your room and think about where you’ll set up your purifier.

It’s senseless to search for a huge unit if it will end up dominating a tiny apartment.

Similarly, portability might not be a driving factor if you live in a sprawling house.

Size and weight should always be secondary concerns to performance.

As long as the unit you have in mind will deal with the space you need it to, you can then make decisions based on the size factor.

Room Coverage and Air Changes per Hour

It’s obviously key when you’re looking at air purifiers to get something fit to clean the desired space.

An otherwise solid-unit will fail dramatically if you expect it to do too much work.

When calculating what coverage you need, you should look for an air purifier that will filter all the air in a given room five or six times an hour.

This is often labeled air changes per hour (ACPH).

Since this variable is crucial to the effectiveness of an air purifier, don’t be suckered into focusing on quoted room size alone.

Look for the ACPH rating so you can buy with confidence.

Operating Costs

Some air purifiers can cost you a few hundred bucks a year on your power bill.

Fortunately, you can easily work this out in advance and determine whether you find those running costs acceptable.

Divide wattage by 1000 then multiply this by number of kilowatt hours (KWH) your utility company charges.

Assuming you’ll run your purifier around the clock, multiply the number above by 8760 and you’ll arrive at your annual electricity cost.

Noise Levels

You can’t escape the fact that most air purifiers give off some degree of noise.

This is unavoidable.

Noise is rated in decibels (dB), but what does this mean in plain English?

We’ll look at some common decibel ratings and liken them to a real-world sound…

• Whisper Mode: produces 41.5 dB, which is as whisper quiet as the name proclaims.
• Speed 2: 44 dB steps things up to something like light rainfall.
• Speed 3: You’ll hear a noise in line with heavy rainfall at 50 decibels as you slip your purifier into higher gear.
• Turbo Mode: The 56 dB generated by turbo mode is as loud as a box fan.

 

Think about placement of your purifier and whether or not the sound will disturb you and others.

After all, it’s pointless having a smoke-free bedroom if the racket stops you from sleeping.

That said, even fan-based models tend to run pretty quietly on the lower settings so you shouldn’t let the noise factor put you off.

Fan Speeds

Fans on air purifier don’t need to be particularly rapid.

While they do move and circulate the air in your room, they do not do so with the drone of a standard electric fan.

Because of the extra work they do purifying the room, you won’t end up with that same rapid speed of the fan blades.

Even when negative ions are pushed around the room, the air purifier will harness the natural airflow of the room so the fan doesn’t need to do much heavy lifting.

Service Indicators

Once we’ve reached the stage of extras like service indicators, we’re out of the territory of essentials and looking at added bonuses.

With all elements of this purchase, you should focus on what’s right for you rather than expecting a one-size-fits all solution.

If you feel that being given the heads up when it’s time to get your unit serviced is a worthwhile privilege, look for models offering this functionality.

If not, pay attention to the instruction manual and make sure you keep on top of things manually.

Programmable Timers

If you’re tech-savvy and enjoy the convenience of setting your air purifier up to run at set times even if you’re not at home, a model with a programmable timer makes perfect sense.

If, on the other hand, you don’t like gadgetry and you prefer a simple, no-nonsense unit, you can save yourself on the purchase price…

However, keep in mind that the presence of a timer will certainly be capable of slashing your utility bills if you have a habit of dashing out with the purifier still running.

Remote Control

As with the previous two elements, a remote control is nothing more than a convenient add-on.

This is unlikely to be the sole reason for your decision.

Depending on where you house your air purifier, if it’s a freestanding unit you may not even feel the need for a remote anyway.

Warranty

You simply won’t know how well any given air purifier will perform until you’ve got it up and running.

Many manufacturers understand people’s skepticism with air purifiers and offer a money-back guarantee period of usually one month.

If you’re still on the fence, this can act as an incentive, since you have nothing to lose but a bit of time and some postage costs.

Beyond this, look for an air purifier with a comprehensive and lengthy warranty.

Read plenty of user feedback, as poor customer service and failure to honor guarantees usually rate a mention.

Air Purifiers For Smoke FAQs

We’ll round out this buyers’ guide for smokers with a glimpse at some of the most common concerns with air purifiers.

1) Why should I use an air purifier in a home to remove smoke smell?

If you live in a smoky environment, it’s not just irritating to your eyes and throat but potentially extremely harmful.

Especially if you have a pregnant woman or infants who live in a home with a smoker (source).

While we are well aware of these risks from second-hand smoke, how about the smell?

Simply blasting a spray of air freshener from time to time won’t pass muster.

If you want to cut through and neutralize the smell of smoke, a purifier – particularly one packing an activated carbon filter – is arguably the most effective method of achieving this.

2) How are smoke air purifiers different from other types of air purifiers?

Cigarette smoke is tough to shift since you’re faced with a double problem.

First, a purifier must comb out the ash and byproducts of combustion measuring around 0.7 microns.

The additional threat comes from VOCs (volatile organic compounds), so it pays to get an air purifier designs to deal with this twin issue.

Even a strong HEPA filter will not do anything much to combat those pesky VOCs or toxic gases so you’re best advised to consider a dedicated unit if you want both the smoke and the smell gone.

Pro Tip: If you have pets check out our article How to get rid of dog smell if you want a detailed step by step guide to getting the smell of dog out of your house before running a pet air purifier to keep the smell away!

3) What is the best type of home air purifier for removing smoke smell?

This is debatable but it’s a toss-up between appliances with active carbon filters and negative ion air purifiers.

While effective at masking smells from smoke, activated carbon can cause the filter to clog up pretty quickly, so think about how much you’ll use your purifier and decide accordingly.

As long as you avoid those kicking out too much nasty ozone, negative ion models are relatively good at drawing away the smell of stale smoke, but they don’t have quite the impact of those with carbon filters.

4) What is a whole house air purifier versus a portable air purifier?

A whole house air purifier is far more than a single device.

This type of unit forms part of your home’s integrated HVAC system and as such needs professional installation.

Whole house units are strongly recommended if you have any allergies or asthma.

Portable units, on the other hand, can be up and running straight out the box.

While they are not as expensive, they might not be as effective either.

That said, you should choose based on costs and personal preferences since there’s no right or wrong answer.

5) Why shouldn’t I use an ozone air purifier in my home to remove smoke?

Ozone gases are bad news.

Since the whole purpose of your venture into air purification is a healthier environment, it doesn’t make sense to purchase a model that will put harmful ozone back into the air.

While most purifiers don’t create ozone in dangerous levels, most will release at least some of these contaminants back into the air.

Manufacturers often hold back with regard to this information so you’ll need to dig a little deeper into the models you’re considering if you feel ozone output is a concern.

6) How do I determine what size air purifier I need to remove smoke?

As mentioned above in the buying guide, you’ll need to think about those air changes per hour as well as the square footage of the area you want to rid of smoke.

You should look for a purifier capable of filtering all the air in a room every ten minutes or so for best results.

Make sure you do your own calculations based on the formula we outlined above rather than relying on often questionable data used by manufacturers to better market these products.

7) When should an air purifier be run to remove smoke smell in a house?

This depends entirely on your needs and budget.

If cost is of no real concern, there’s no problem allowing your purifier to run around the clock.

It obviously pays to give it some downtime rather than simply working it into the ground, but a robust unit can stand up to plenty of use.

If you prefer purifying in bursts or are looking to keep electricity costs low, look for a model with a programmable timer to streamline this process.

8) What is the proper place to put an air purifier to eliminate the smell of smoke?

This depends on the size and type of unit in question.

If your air purifier is portable, you need to think about which areas in your residence need attention and set up the unit there.

If you’re buying a single unit for the whole house, think about what room you want to target and position it wherever works best.

Whole house units are already tucked away out of sight so if you want a solution for every room, these make most sense.

But it is recommended to have several placed in various rooms to achieve maximum benefit. (source)

9) What type of maintenance is needed for a smoke air purifier?

Air purifiers don’t require much by the way of maintenance.

You’ll be able to clean the outside of your unit with a damp cloth.

Remove filters and wipe them down with a dry cloth. HEPA and carbon filters should not be washed.

If you keep your filters clean and you replace them as suggested in the manual, you’ll get many years of service with little upkeep needed.

10) What are the best ‘nice to have’ features on a smoke removing air purifier?

Tech-driven extras like programmable timers and remotes are always nice but we’ll be blunt here…

With an air purifier, these extras are just that, something thrown in for the sake of convenience.

They are not essential and your primary focus should be on performance and how much smoke and odor can be removed at the most cost-effective price point.

Final Thoughts on Smoke Air Purifiers

We hope you’ve enjoyed this detailed rundown of air purifiers for smoke.

With minimum research, you should now be well-placed to find the best model for your requirements and the size of your home.

Focus on what type will fit most neatly into your home, and then concentrate on the noise factor and size so you’ll end up with a personalized solution to the issue of smoke in your home.

Question or Comments? Leave them below and we will get back to you…

Further Reading: Once you have purified the air of the smell of smoke in your home, consider using an essential oil diffuser to indulge in some aromatherapy.

• 25 of the BEST Essential Oil Diffusers for Aromatherapy in Your Home