The Best Air Purifiers for Smoke Buying Guide

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Smoke is no match for these air purifiers we tested and reviewed.

Michelle Rostamian is a freelance writer specializing in home decor, kitchen, wellness, and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in many publications including Real Simple, Allure, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Byrdie, The Zoe Report, W Magazine, Mashable, USA Today, Retail Me Not. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.

In This Article

Better Homes & Gardens / Caitlin Sole

You can’t control the air outside, but you can improve the air quality inside your home with an air purifier that removes odor and contaminants. They're particularly beneficial for smokers (or those living with smokers) or those in wildfire risk areas, says Jenna Podjasek, M.D., allergist, immunologist, and author.

Podjasek says that smoke inhalation “can irritate the airways and cause asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations.” Long-term exposure can lead to chronic respiratory conditions and reduced lung function.

"For these individuals, air purifiers can help reduce exposure to harmful particles and chemicals in smoke, improving respiratory health," Podjasek says.

To find the best air purifiers for smoke, we evaluated over 70 models based on design and features, effectiveness, and noise level. For more on how we tested air purifiers, see our testing process below.

This model removed smoke quickly and effectively, improving the air quality significantly.

The bulky appearance might be a turn-off to some aesthetically minded consumers.

After we added smoke and pet hair to our testing environment, the air quality monitor measured the PM2.5 level at 999.99 (which is extraordinarily high). However, the Bissell air400 Air Purifier quickly brought that number down to 3 on both high and low settings. Suffice it to say, it's best air purifier for smoke and it works quite well for other pollutants.

The easy-to-use features are a step above other models, with a timer that allows you to set the air purifier to run for one, two, four, or eight hours and a colored digital display that indicates high, medium, or low levels of contaminants (we matched this to our air quality monitor during testing, proving its accuracy).

The air purifier even automatically shuts off some of its lights when detecting a dark room, which makes it ideal for light sleepers. While VOC levels were relatively low when we recorded the levels before the air purifier was turned on, the carbon filter lowered them even further, proving efficiency for those pollutants as well.

It has a pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and a carbon filter. While the manufacturer recommends the HEPA filter be replaced every six months, the carbon and pre-filters need to be swapped out more often. A bundle of all three should last around a year. There’s a filter change indicator, so you'll will be notified when it's time to change them.

If aesthetics are an important element, it' less attractive than some other models. Still, with its whisper-quiet function and its ability to reduce smoke and other pollutants in a space of up to 432 square feet, it’s a great choice.

The Bissell air purifier continued to impress us when we took it home. In a household with two people allergic to pollen, ragweed, and dust, and a Great Pyrenees that sheds heavily, it made us feel significantly less groggy in the mornings when we ran it at night.

The size is a bit of a drawback in a small space, but, at the same time, it's extremely effective at purifying the air. Our least favorite aspects: the blue light indicating air quality on the front doesn't turn off, even in Night mode, and a screwdriver is required to access the particle sensor in order to clean it.

Product Details: Room Size: 486 square feet | CADR Rating: 313 CFM (smoke), 353 CFM (pollen) and 319 CFM (dust).| Noise Level: 30–65dB | Dimensions: 18.9 x 27.24 x 12.2 inches | VOC Filtration: Yes

For the price, this is one of the best models we tested, and it would be ideal for a bedroom given how quiet it is.

We didn’t find a very noticeable difference between the high and low settings.

The LEVOIT Compact True HEPA Air Purifier is a great pick for someone looking to purchase an affordable air purifier for their bedroom. This compact model is best suited for a room around 129 square feet. It’s incredibly quiet at 50dB max (quieter than a toilet flushing, for comparison), and has a handy night-light feature as well.

Even at its lower price, it’s still equipped with a three-layer HEPA filter, a three-speed fan, and two brightness levels. It also features a button that will light up continuously when the filter needs to be replaced (to turn it off, replace the filter and press the button for three seconds).

While it's not meant to remove pet hair or VOC irritants, it was indeed effective in removing PM2.5 particles from the air—after we released the pollutants and turned on the humidifier’s low setting, the air returned to lower levels than it had started at. The levels dropped even lower after 10 minutes.

On the high setting, it didn’t outperform the results seen from the low setting. Still, both settings did prove its efficiency, and is a great budget option for those looking to spend less than $100.

Product Details: Room Size: 129 square feet | CADR Rating: 40 CFM | Noise Level: under 50dB | Dimensions: 7.9 x 12.6 x 7.9 inches | VOC Filtration: No

This ultra-quiet option from Dyson is not only one of the top-performing air purifiers, but it also doubles as a cooling fan.

This model doesn’t filter out VOCs, which is disappointing considering the price.

The Dyson TPO7 air purifier boasts a number of additional features that make this an elevated purchase. The first is its ability to connect to an app on your phone, which allows you to monitor air quality and turn on the product when not at home, as well as control the machine itself with voice commands.

The LCD screen is equally impressive—sensors analyze the air and detect any new pollutants, broadcasting live reports that show pollution levels in real-time. Side buttons allow you to switch to night mode, adjust the 10 available fan speeds, and see how much life the current filter has left before a replacement is needed.

This Energy-Star certified option is also worth the splurge because it functions as a fan (the only model on this list to do so). The Dyson also oscillates up to 350 degrees, and you can switch modes to produce a backward air flow with no fan if so desired. It’s also incredibly quiet, producing around 65dB of sound at its loudest setting.

Of course, all of this would be useless if it didn’t work, but the Dyson does indeed work—although it doesn’t filter out VOCs, the PM2.5 level went all the way down to 8.0 on its lowest setting and 7.3 on its highest setting during our pollutant testing.

The model itself doesn’t come with a CADR rating, and you won’t find it on any of Dyson's other models—the brand doesn’t find it to be a useful metric of efficacy. Still, with its cooling fan, the unique LCD screen, and the ability to effectively purify rooms up to 800 square feet, it’s a great model to spend some money on.

The Dyson purifier impressed us even more at home. Though it's relatively large, it's nicely designed, and the fact that it doubles as a fan helps it earn its price tag. Additionally, we could really tell that it was working to purify the air in our dusty, 70-year-old home that counts one dog among its inhabitants.

It's extremely quiet, but the noise level increases slightly when the air quality decreases—a quality we actually liked, as it let us know it was working as it should be. The purifier is very sensitive to changes in the air, which is great for detecting smoke.

Product Details: Room Size: 800 square feet | CADR Rating: Not listed | Noise Level: 43–64.5dB | Dimensions: 4.72 x 8 x 41 inches | VOC Filtration: No

This is a tech-forward option that performs similar functions to our splurge model.

It takes 60 minutes for the machine to completely purify the room.

We were impressed with the Levoit Core 400S's high-tech features. It’s the best air purifier for smoke in a large space, and it’s also one of the more tech-forward options on this list. Aspects of it reminded us of our Best Splurge pick from Dyson—at about half the cost.

The air purifier connects to an app that allows you to turn it on and off, set a timer, or use voice commands to operate it. It also features a display that allows you to monitor PM2.5 levels and a laser dust sensor that reports back levels to the app in order to show you improvement in real-time.

It’s an Energy Star product, so won’t take up much wattage, and can work in a space up to 1,980 square feet. The HEPA H13 filter traps most pollutants, while the additional activated carbon filter removes VOCs as well. We loved how quiet this was in its sleep setting, too.

During testing, PM2.5 levels lowered to 5 on the low setting and 8 on high, after going all the way up to 999 with the introduction of pollutants, including smoke. One interesting data: The app reported levels to be slightly lower than our air quality monitor, so consider that fact when using the app to see your room’s air quality.

A great air purifier to keep in a bedroom, the night mode is exceptional. The volume becomes nearly silent and all the lights turn off so it won't disrupt sleep. It's also fairly compact, considering it works in spaces up to 1,980 square feet; we hardly noticed it once we placed it in a corner. Our morning allergies dramatically decreased when we slept with it on.

Product Details: Room Size: 990 square feet | CADR Rating: 260 CFM | Noise Level: 24–52dB | Dimensions: 10.8 x 20.5 x 10.8 inches | VOC Filtration: Yes

You have the ability to opt for customized filters, with one specifically designed for smoke removal.

It’s a little more expensive for such a small model thanks to its ability to connect with an app.

There are lots of options available on the market that can handle a few hundred square feet, but the Levoit Core 300s is the best air purifier for smoke in small spaces because it goes above and beyond some of the more affordable picks.

One of the more interesting features is your ability to choose the filter that might work the best for you: There’s the HEPA filter that comes standard, but there are also options for a pet allergy filter, a toxin absorber filter, and a smoke remover filter.

During testing, it reduced air pollutants and improved air quality by 90 percent. Additionally, we liked that it emitted very little light, the filter was easy to replace, and we could toggle between three settings with ease. Night mode and auto mode, which only turns on when there’s an increase in PM2.5 levels, are nice features.

The purifier has an app you can connect to so you can control it from a distance. This is a nice touch, but it does drive up the price for such a small purifier. At its loudest, it only reaches 55.4dB, about equal to the a refrigerator's hum.

We loved using this small but mighty air purifier at home. Operation is extremely straightforward, with simple buttons on the device itself and a useful app that allows the user to change settings or monitor air quality remotely. Within the testing period, we were able to see how well it filtered cat odors and dander.

Product Details: Room Size: 219 square feet | CADR Rating: 141 CFM | Noise Level: 28–45dB | Dimensions: 88.7 x 14.2 x 8.7 inches | VOC Filtration: Yes

This air purifier noticeably removes odors from the room thanks to an activated charcoal filter.

There is no way to turn off the lights on the machine, and they're probably too bright for a bedroom.

Strong odors can be a bothersome side effect of dealing with wildfires or cooking mishaps, so the ability to cut down on them makes the GermGuardian AC5900WCA 4-in-1 Air Purifier one of the best choices.

Its activated charcoal filter gets rid of unwanted odors through a process called adsorption (when positively charged charcoal attracts negatively charged contaminant ions). During testing, we noticed that it dramatically reduced litter box odors and cooking smells.

Given its ability to work in rooms up to 1,760 square feet, it’s great in large kitchens for removing cooking and food waste odors. It has an eight-hour auto shut-off timer and a nightlight. We do wish there were an option to turn off the lights completely, as we think it’s too bright to use when sleeping.

However, we liked the quiet operation. Other notable features include three fan speeds and an indicator notifying you that it's time to change the filter (typically every six to eight months). It's also easy to clean and simply requires using the brush attachment on a vacuum.

One thing that sets this model apart, other than its odor-reducing filter, is the UV-C light filter, which reduces airborne viruses and bacteria—great for those with young children or weakened immune systems looking to reduce germs in their home.

Another plus: Its medium size and sleek, glossy design won't be an eyesore if you choose to place it in a room that gets a lot of visitors (like the living room). And, because of its white hue, it's also less likely to show fingerprints.

Product Details: Room Size: 1,760 square feet | CADR Rating: Not listed | Noise Level: 53db | Dimensions: 15.95 x 20.87 x 9.65 inches | VOC Filtration: Yes

Its decorative design stands out from other air purifiers in terms of aesthetics and makes for a beautiful living room centerpiece.

For the higher price, it’s a bit disappointing that there's a lack of customizable settings.

The Dupray Bloom Air Purifier is a beautiful option you'll be proud to display. It’s great for a large space like a living room, and doubles as either a planter or accent table. The table option has two finishes, and the purifier portion comes in 12 colors, so you can easily customize it.

We liked that the light on the front panel disappeared after initially turning it on, so it looked less like a purifier masquerading as a planter. With 10 fan speeds, the Dupray automatically adjusts its purification level based on detected air pollutants, so you don’t have to manually toggle between settings.

When it came to performance, we didn't notice a major difference in air quality, but we did find cat hair in the filter, which speaks to the product's efficacy for pet owners. And our sensitive smoke alarm didn't go off nearly as often during cooking while the Dupray was running.

The filter has two parts: a washable pre-filter and a medical-grade filter that is made of activated carbon and is HEPA-approved. In terms of noise level, it ranges from 10 (normal breathing) to 50 (rain drops) depending on the setting, which is lower than other models we tested.

For its higher price tag, we expected it to come with more customizable features or app connectivity. However, we appreciated how easy it was to set up and maintain. We also loved its dual functionality as a planter or side table, and appreciated its straightforward, no-fuss controls.

Product Details: Room Size: 1,517 square feet | CADR Rating: Not listed | Noise Level: 10–50db | Dimensions: 13 x 19 x 13 inches | VOC Filtration: Yes

The Bissell air400 Professional Air Purifier is our top pick thanks to its efficiency, ability to also remove VOC pollutants from the air, and added features that make it simple to operate.

For a cheaper option, we were impressed with the Levoit Compact True HEPA Air Purifier, which effectively removed smoke and other contaminants from the air for a fraction of the cost of other models.

After removing each air purifier from the box and putting it together, we recorded notable information, including relevant certifications and any listed CADR ratings. Additionally, decibel levels were measured from 2 and 8 feet away on its highest and lowest setting (if applicable).

We marked the following locations: Six feet in front of the purifier (Mark B), 4 feet from the left of Mark B, 4 feet from the right of Mark B, 4 feet from the left side of the air purifier, 4 feet from the right side of the air purifier, and (when a tested model had an applicable high setting) 3 feet from the front of the air purifier.

Once these marks were created (in an enclosed space with a draft strip under a closed door), we recorded the air quality with a provided monitor at each mark. We distributed pollutants in the air—incense, a mix of flour, sawdust, and dirt, and room deodorizer.

Then we monitored and recorded air quality at each mark again and set the air purifier on its lowest setting. We exited the room for 30 minutes, coming back to measure the results with the air quality monitor on each mark.

For air purifiers with a high setting, we performed the same tests, this time with the addition of faux pet hair, which we tossed in the air around 15 minutes after the original test had begun. After the test was complete, we recorded how much pet hair was collected in the filter.

Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock

Air purifiers will always list a recommended square footage, so it should be easy to tell whether a small or large room air purifier will match up with the size of the room you want to use it in.

For example, our top pick for large rooms, the Levoit Core 400s, says it works in rooms up to 1,980 square feet, whereas our choice for small spaces, the Levoit Core 300s, works best in rooms up to 219 square feet.

Another factor is the air purifier’s CADR, which stands for clean air delivery rate. Typically, it measures three common pollutants—smoke, pollen, and dust—and calculates how quickly they can be removed from the air. The number is listed according to CFM (cubic feet per minute).

CADR is calculated by the fraction of particles that have been removed and multiplied by the air flow rate that passes through the air purifier. Essentially, the higher the CADR, the faster the air purifier works to purify the air, thus proving its efficiency in the home.

When shopping for the best air purifier, the filter it uses should also be considered. As Niha Qamar, M.D., board certified in allergy, immunology, and internal medicine, notes, if you have allergies or asthma, a HEPA filter is a must.

HEPA stands for high-efficiency particulate air. A HEPA filter is defined by the U.S. Department of Energy as one that can theoretically remove at least 99.997 percent of pollutants (like dust or pollen) up to .3 microns in size. All of the purifiers on our list have HEPA filters.

If you’re looking for even more protection from pollutants, you can check out a filter’s MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating, which measures a filter’s efficiency in removing particles larger than .3 microns and up to 10 microns.

The higher the MERV—it can go up to 16—the more efficient it is at moving larger particles, and Qamar recommends a MERV rating over 13 if you’re shopping with that number in mind.

If you’re living in an environment near a lot of construction or renovation, you might consider shopping for a filter that also removes VOCs.

According to the EPA, VOC stands for volatile organic compounds and typically refers to synthetic chemicals such as paint, paint thinner, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials, correction fluid, and more.

If these are concerns, choose an air purifier that says it removes VOCs as well as other pollutants—they’ll typically come with filters that are made with carbon.

Finally, you should consider the price of filters and how often you’ll need to replace them. While manufacturers will often claim less frequent changes are necessary, Qamar recommends swapping out filters every 1–3 months for best results. If price is a major consideration, note this cost in your decision-making.

The best air purifiers for smoke should remove pollutants from the air, first and foremost. But there are other features you can consider when finding the one that will work the best in your home.

This can include the ability to customize fan speed or utilize timers for the machine. Several of the air purifiers on our list feature displays that show air quality and/or the PM2.5 levels in the room, which can be especially useful if you’re trying to quickly dispel smoke from the air.

If you’re looking for an air purifier to use in your bedroom and you’re a light sleeper, consider one with lower decibel output or a night-light option. Many models will remind you to change your filter according to manufacturer guidelines.

Fancier options have fancier features, such as the ability to control the purifier via an app, LCD screens, and fan capabilities so you can cool the room down as well as purify the air.

Better Homes & Gardens / Caitlin Sole

Considering the higher cost of the Blueair, we were surprised at how ineffective it was on the lowest setting. While the high setting brought the PM2.5 levels down to a 10.8, the lowest kept the air at unhealthy levels (a PM2.5 of 85.5) after 10 minutes.

This air purifier is large and bulky, and while it performed fairly well, it’s expensive compared to other models of the size without having the extra flair of our splurge pick from Dyson. We didn’t think it was quite worth the hefty cost due to the lack of special features.

While this air purifier was easy to set up, had an intuitive interface, and produced noticeably fresher air in the bedroom, the lights were far too bright for us to sleep with. It also was far louder than other models we tested, and was cumbersome to listen to while on the highest intensity setting.

Yes, "Air purifiers remove smoke by using a combination of filters, primarily HEPA filters (which capture the fine particulate matter present in smoke) and activated carbon filters (which filters adsorb volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and odors)," explains Podjasek.

If you’re purchasing an air purifier with a HEPA filter and a high MERV rating (and you place it in a room with a proper CADR) you can absolutely remove smoke pollutants from the air.

According to Qamar, common PM2.5s can also include vehicle exhaust, burning, fires, tobacco, cooking fumes, candles, and heaters, and that the best models can reduce these PM2.5s by at least 30–50 percent.

The best air purifiers for smoke have a HEPA filter and will lower PM2.5 levels considerably to ensure it can remove the larger particles of wildfire smoke as well as the smaller particles of cigarette or tobacco smoke.

"HEPA filters…trap particles as small as 0.3 microns with 99 percent efficiency," says Podjasek. "Since smoke particles are typically within this size range, HEPA filters are excellent for removing smoke from the air, preventing it from entering the respiratory system and causing harm."

When looking for the best air purifiers for smoke, you'll also want to take into account your room size, as proper room size coverage ensures the purifier can handle the air volume in the intended space, says Podjasek.

Once you purchase the air purifier itself (the ones on our list range anywhere from under $100 to over $600), there are additional costs to consider. The main one is filter replacements. Filters cost around $15 each—if you end up replacing them every three months or so, you’ll spend around $60 a year.

Some models have multiple parts—for instance, our top pick has pre-filters and carbon filters in addition to regular filters. Finally, there is the factor of how an air purifier will show up in your electric bill. If you pick a model that is EnergyStar compliant, energy costs should be pretty negligible.

Better Homes & Gardens / Brie Goldman

Alida Nugent is a commerce writer for BHG with years of expertise in kitchen, pets, beauty, bedding, and home. She has written several articles on air purifiers for the site. For this article, we consulted Niha Qamar, M.D. for expertise on air purifiers.

The article was updated by Michelle Rostamian, a freelance writer and editor with over a decade of experience writing about home, lifestyle, and wellness products. She also spoke to Jenna Podjasek, M.D., allergist, immunologist, and author of Particles in the Air.

Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.