Anyone who is living with someone who smokes cigarettes or cigars may want to get the best air purifier for smoke that they can find. These devices are capable of pulling smoke out of the air quite well, and they’re not only good for dealing with cigar smoke but are also good for removing the smoke that results from cooking. And most of the better ones can also pull other contaminants out of the air. All of these reasons are why we’ve decided to review some of the more popular models being sold and list the ones that we think are the best.

Quick Summary of the Best Air Purifiers For Smoke

Best Overall: Levoit Vital 100 Air Purifier For Home

First and foremost, when someone buys an air purifier for removing smoke from the air, they are looking for a model that can pull particles out of the air. Fortunately, this purifier is such a model. Because it’s equipped with a True HEPA filter, it’s capable of not only capturing particles as small as 0.3-microns but they are also capable of pulling 99.97% of the particles out of the air. And this not only includes smoke from cigarettes and cigars, but also a variety of other particles such as pet dander, mold spores, dust, and pollen. It’s even capable of removing some of the germs out of the air as well.

The Vital 100 is capable of purifying the air in rooms up to 500 square feet in size, although several models could be used together for larger areas. This purifier can completely turn over the air in a 500 square-foot room in 30-minutes or the air in a 30 square-foot room in 18-minutes. This makes it a great purifier for not only use in homes but also in offices or other areas where air purification is needed. And because it’s so compact, measuring approximately 12.8×6.4×16.1-inches in size, they can be easily placed into just about any room including kitchens, living rooms, nurseries or even bedrooms.

Speaking of bedrooms, this air purifier is a great model for use while sleeping because it barely makes any noise. It only makes about 23-decibels of sound, which is exceptionally quiet. To see how quiet it is, just think about this. The average whisper clocks in at 30-decibels, so this air purifier is quieter than a whisper. Additional features that can be found on this exceptional device include a power rating of only 55-watts, an LED display that can be turned off for use in the bedroom, and a timer that can be set to turn the purifier off in 2, 4 or 8-hours.

What we liked about it
Does the best job of pulling smoke and other contaminants out of the air.

Also Recommended: Levoit Core 300 Air Purifer For Smokers

Another purifier that tickled our fancy is the Levoit Core 300. Although this model isn’t as large as the Levoit Vital 100, with the former only cleaning the air in a room up to 215 square feet and the latter capable of cleaning the air in a room up to 500 square-feet, we still think that it’s an amazing air purifier. It’s capable of removing particles as small as 0.3-microns out of the air, and that includes not only smoke and dust but also pet dander and pollen, too. And like the Levoit Vital 100, it’s extremely quiet, having a decibel level of only 24db. That allows it to be used perfectly in the bedroom.

And it’s in the bedroom that we think this purifier works exceptionally well in. It has a display light that can be turned off, has a timer that can be set from 2-8 hours, and it doesn’t make a lot of noise. And because many bedrooms aren’t larger than 250-square feet, then it can easily handle the job of purifying the air in the room. It’s also capable of pulling out 99.97% of the particles out of the air and is equipped with a filter life-time indicator that tells the homeowner when it’s time to replace the filter. Another thing that we liked about this purifier was that it did not use a UV or Ion light. These lights can cause secondary pollution and harmful ozone levels, so we’re glad that this device wasn’t equipped with one.

This device is Energy Star Verified, so it won’t use a tone of electricity while it’s running, and it’s ETL-Listed for safety. It also conforms to California Prop 65 standards and is certified by the FCC. And it’s made with a durable AC capacitor motor that’s abrasion-resistant and is designed to last a long time. All of these features make this not only a worth air purifier for eliminating smoke from the home but one that doesn’t cost an arm-and-a-leg.

What we liked about it
It does a great job of pulling contaminants from the air.

Also Consider: MOOKA 3-In-1 Smoke & Odor Eliminator

Since we fully understand that not everyone wants to spend $100+ for an air purifier for removing smoke from the air, we felt obliged to add this one on the list. It’s not as expensive as some of the other models on this list, but it’s also not as powerful. Although it does filter out 99.97% of the pollutants out of the air, it only cleans about 50 cubic feet of air per hour in normal mode. That’s good enough for smaller rooms for bedrooms, but for larger rooms, the consumer is probably going to want to either buy multiple models or just go with a larger air purifier.

This device can remove particles out of the air as small as 0.3-microns, so it’s great for dealing with not only smoke, but also pet dander, food odors, and pollen. It also does a pretty good job handling dust, thanks to its TRUE Hepa filter and activated carbon filter. Probably one of the best things about this device, other than its’ reduced price, is that it consumes very little power. It has a power rating of 8-watts in normal mode, and in quiet mode, it consumes even less power. It’s a device that can be sold in California, is FCC-certified and Ce-Listed.

This device is quiet, but it’s not as quiet as some of the other models we’ve reviewed. In quiet mode, it produces about 35-decibels, which is a bit higher than a whisper. It also has a bright blue LED light that didn’t bother us too much, but some people think that it’s too obnoxious and too difficult to turn off. In our experience, we thought that it was a great purifier that did a good job of removing smoke in small rooms. Overall, it’s a good device that works well and doesn’t cost too much. And of course, it does a good job of removing smoke from the air.

What we liked about it
Works well for smaller rooms.

A Guide To Buying Air Purifiers For Smoke

Anyone looking to remove smoke and other contaminants from their household air merely have to choose one of the best air purifiers for smoke that we’ve selected. All of those models will do a great job for that very specific task. However, since we understand that people might not want to choose one of the models we’ve selected and instead might want to strike out on their own, we decided to write this little guide. It’s a guide that will give everyone the tools they need to make an informed decision when buying a new purifier. Okay, now that we’ve outlined what we’re doing here, let’s get started and find out how to buy an air purifier for smoke. 

Consider Room Size

We think that the first step to choosing one of these purifiers is to decide what size is going to be needed. These purifiers come in sizes that can handle 100 square-foot rooms, all the way up to 500+ square-foot rooms, so the consumer has to think about what size they need. The consumer should also keep in mind that a larger purifier for a smaller room will turn the room over a lot quicker. They should also keep in mind that just because a room is bigger than the purifier it doesn’t mean that it won’t turn over the air in the room. All that it means is that it will take longer to turn the air over in the room. 

Look For A Model With A True HEPA Filter

The next thing that the consumer is going to want to consider is the type of filter that is equipped with the purifier. The most effective ones not only use a TRUE HEPA filter, but they also use a pre-filter and a carbon filter. This combination is great for not only removing smoke but also for removing pet dander, dust, pollen and other contaminants that may exist in the air. The purifiers that are equipped with these 3-in-1 filters can usually clean 99.95% to 99.97% of the contaminants out of the air, which is about as good as any purifier can accomplish. Remember, no purifier on the market is capable of removing 100% of the particles out of the air. It’s just not possible. However, 3-in-1 TRUE HEPA filter systems come close. 

Look For A Model That Isn’t Noisy

Another thing to keep in mind before choosing a new air purifier is how quiet the consumer needs it to be. And this can be one of the more difficult parts of the process. Most people are going to want to purchase an air purifier that’s 30-decibels or quieter. Our two top models have decibel levels under 25-decibels, which is exceptionally quiet. How quiet is that? Well, take a look at our decibel chart below to see how quiet that sound level actually is.

  • The Sound Of Normal Human Breathing: 10-Decibels
  • Whispering From 5-feet Away: 20-Decibels
  • Close Whispering (Under 5-Feet): 30-Decibels
  • The Sound Of A Library: 40-Decibels
  • Washing Machine: 70-Decibels
  • Siren Of An Ambulance: 120-Decibels

As can be seen from the above list, the consumer is going to want their air purifier to be as quiet as possible. It’s also a good idea for the consumer to choose a model with a Quiet Mode. A Quiet Mode makes the purifier less effective at turning over the air when it’s one, but it makes the device very quiet. This allows the purifier to be used at full power during the day when it’s most likely needed for removing smoke and then turned to its quiet mode when the consumer wants to use it while sleeping. 

Additional Purifier Features To Think About

The above features are what we would call the core of the air purifier. With just those features, the purifier will do its job and do it without being annoying. However, although there are basic models that only have those main features, most people expect a few other features out of their air purifiers. That’s why we’ve decided to list some of the features that can be found on these purifiers. Not everyone will want or need all of the features below, but they worth considering before the consumer puts down good money on a new air purifier for smoke. 

  • Adjustable Shut-Off Timer (2-8-Hours Is Standard)
  • Easy-To-Read LED Display
  • Dimming Switch For Turning Down LED Display
  • Adjustable Fan Speeds
  • One Button Control
  • Easy-To-Replace Filter
  • A Compact Design
  • Energy-Star Compliant
  • California CARB Complaint