6 Best Air Purifiers for Smoke Removal

Creating a smoke-free environment is good for everyone. Despite the well-known fact that smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals that cause irritation or damage to the lungs, some people still find ways to downplay its harmful effects.

In commercial establishments like bars and restaurants, getting rid of smoke is one of the most important things to consider for a healthier and more comfortable ambiance for patrons and employees. The World Health Organization (WHO) wanted to address this issue when they created the “Revolution Smoke-Free” campaign that invited all types of businesses to participate in making workplaces free from tobacco smoke.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), tobacco causes more than 480,000 deaths, and over 41,000 die due to secondhand smoke exposure every year in the United States.

Like tobacco smoke, cannabis smoke hurts the throat and lungs and can trigger the onset of heavy cough during use. It also contains levels of volatile chemicals and tar that are identical to tobacco smoke, putting the smoker or anyone who inhales it at a higher risk for developing cancer and lung disease.

Not as deadly as puffing a cigar, wildfire smoke is still hazardous to the lungs with its mixture of tiny airborne particulates, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and gases that irritate the airways and cause breathing problems. Researchers estimate that the heavy wildfire smoke in California that occurred from August to September 2020 led to the deaths of up to 3,000 people. So which are the best air purifiers for wildfire smoke elimination as well as other types of smoke removal? Read on!

How Effective are Air Purifiers?

Air purifiers are specially engineered to get rid of indoor air pollution caused by smoke. This state-of-the-art air filtration system pulls air and passes it through a series of filters that effectively traps various particles, chemicals, and even odor. After the complete cleansing process, the air purifier distributes healthy and breathable air back into the room.

Home air purifiers work best in conjunction with proper ventilation and home cleaning techniques. Since they only remove contaminants floating in the air, they will not help so much in removing particles that have already settled on surfaces.

In this post, we present the best air purifiers for smoke removal - the top-rated air purifiers according to different categories such as, elimination of wildfire smoke, cigar smoke, and cannabis smoke to help you decide on what to get. To learn more about how air purifiers work, check out – Does an Air Purifier Remove Smoke and Odor?

Best Air Purifiers for Cigar Smoke

Airpura T600 Air Purifier
Recommended for Cigar Smoke & Odor Control

The C600 DLX is the best air purifier for wildfire smoke. It delivers a maximum airflow of 560 CFM and cleans up to 2,000 square feet with two air exchanges an hour. With its capacity to clear thousands of airborne chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause significant harm, it’s clearly one of the best. But that’s not all! Its specially blended carbon formulas can tackle a wide range of specific chemicals, giving it a niche capability.

High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) barrier captures airborne contaminants 1 micron in size at 95% efficiency.

If you live or work within a close range of manufacturing plants or facilities that release chemicals or in regions with a high degree of pollution, then the Airpura C600 DLX is the perfect option for you.

Electrical components are placed in a sealed chamber away from the airflow to prevent off-gassing.

• Pros: Integrated with Poly Prefilter that removes larger particles and 26 lbs. of Enhanced Impregnated Carbon Filter that deals with highly toxic volatile organic compounds, gases, and fumes - all of which make this one of the best air purifiers for wildfire smoke removal.
• Cons: It’s a bit noisy at the highest setting. In addition, it’s also a bit pricey, but considering that it is one of the best air purifiers for wildfire smoke - with an exceptional capability to clear a high amount of toxic volatile compounds, fumes, and gases - it’s a given.

Airpura T600 DLX Air Purifier
Recommended for Heavy Tobacco Smoke & VOCs

With a calibrated airflow and carbon depth for the efficient absorption of over 4,000 chemicals, including Volatile Organic Compounds, the Airpura T600 DLX is naturally another top contender for the spot of the best air purifier for smoke removal.

Felt gaskets to seal the filter chamber and maximize air purification with no rubber off-gassing.

PCB-free capacitors and recyclable metal housing reduce the amount of waste in the environment.

• Pros: Comes with 26 lbs. of Enhanced Impregnated Carbon Filter that effectively removes airborne chemicals and odors as well as the most common VOCs from household products.
• Cons: Slightly more expensive than the Airpura T600 model.

Best Air Purifiers for Weed Smoke

Rabbit Air MinusA2 Ultra Quiet Air Purifier
Recommended for Strong Odor Elimination

If you’re looking for the best air purifier for smoke removal (for weed), consider the Rabbit Air MinusA2 Ultra Quiet. It’s equipped with a Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) Motor with inverter control that lacks friction and voltage drop for a more efficient and quieter operation.

HEPA filtration system that gets rid of common allergens, mold spores, bacteria, and viruses at 99% efficiency.

Energy Star certified and integrated with Wi-Fi connectivity for remote monitoring using a smartphone.

• Pros: Six air filtration stages that trap chemicals and greatly reduce odor from smoke. Stylish design and the ability to wall mount.
• Cons: No wheel casters so moving it between rooms may be an issue for some people.

Austin Air HealthMate Air Purifier
Recommended for Odor Removal from Secondhand Smoke

Massive coverage area up to 1,500 square feet and a 360-degree intake that pulls air from all sides.

One of the best air purifiers for smoke removal, the Austin Air HealthMate’s medical-grade HEPA filter traps 99% of all particles down to 0.3 microns and 95% of all airborne viruses larger than 0.1 microns in size.

100% designed and manufactured in the United States. Backed by an excellent warranty.

• Pros: Comprehensive four-stage filtration process with Activated Carbon and Zeolite mix filter that effectively absorbs odor and smoke.
• Cons: No modern features like Smart Sensor or Wi-Fi.

Best Air Purifiers for Wildfire Smoke

Airpura C600 DLX Air Purifier
Recommended for Gas Abatement & Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)

Delivers a maximum airflow of 560 CFM and cleans up to 2,000 square feet with two air exchanges an hour.

HEPA barrier traps 1 micron-sized airborne particles at 95% efficiency.

Electrical components are placed in a sealed chamber away from the airflow to prevent off-gassing.

• Pros: Integrated with Poly Prefilter that removes larger particles and 26 lbs. of Enhanced Impregnated Carbon Filter that deals with highly toxic volatile organic compounds, gases, and fumes - all of which make this one of the best air purifiers for smoke removal (wildfire).
• Cons: A bit pricey and noisy at the highest setting.

Austin Air The Bedroom Machine
Recommended for Dust, Chemicals, Smoke & Odors

Two separate clinical trials proved this unit to be highly effective at removing high levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and other indoor pollutants from homes. It’s safe to say that the Austin Air is another promising contender for the ranking of the best air purifier for wildfire smoke removal.

True Medical Grade HEPA - this air purifier smoke eater removes 99.97% of all particles larger than 0.3 microns and 95% of all particles larger than 0.1 microns. The particles it can effectively tackle include bacteria, dust, allergens, and dander. Like the Airpura C600 DLX it has a carbon filter blend that helps clear harmful chemicals, VOCs, and gases.

The Austin Air - The Bedroom Machine is also one of the best air purifiers for wildfire smoke removal and is perfect for those looking to improve their symptoms of allergy or asthma at night. In addition even individuals who want to enhance their quality of sleep, those having sleep issues, and those who’re simply looking for cleaner indoor air will benefit from using the Austin Air.

Above all, it reduces snoring and provides peaceful, uninterrupted, and high-quality sleep.

• Pros: Military-grade HEGA Carbon Cloth (High-Efficiency Gas Arrestance) that provides an extremely large surface area for the absorption of chemicals, gases, viruses, and bacteria - an attribute to look for, when searching the options for the best air purifier for wildfire smoke removal.
• Cons: Loud at high settings and lacks smart features.

What to Look for in an Air Purifier?

• CADR Rating (Clean Air Delivery Rate) – CADR refers to the speed and efficacy of an air purifier at removing pollutants. An air filtration system with a high CADR rating means that it is equipped with a powerful fan and motor that circulates clean and breathable air to cover a large room.
• Capacity – The size of your room is a major consideration when selecting the ideal air purifier for your space. Understandably, small devices are ineffective at purifying large spaces. The best air purifiers for smoke removal in small establishments like a small office or bar are desktop purifiers. However, for larger commercial establishments such as large offices, bars, clubs, pubs, hotels, or restaurants, it’d be best to opt for heavy-duty air purifiers, which are perfect for extra-big spaces or ones with heavy use of tobacco or cannabis. A good rule of thumb in order to make the most out of the machine is to choose an air filtration system with a larger coverage area than the square footage of your room. To calculate the area of your space, all you have to do is measure the dimensions of your room in feet and multiply the length by the width.
• True HEPA filter – The HEPA filter is one of the most important considerations when picking the best air purifier for smoke removal as it denotes one of the standards recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Lung Association. A HEPA air purifier effectively pulls in and collects ultra-fine particles like allergens and viruses. The air purifier must meet the industry standard and should remove at least 99.97% of particulates measuring 0.3-micron diameter.

Ready to invest in an air purifier? Learn how to use it properly and run it 24/7!

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