Whether you’re dealing with smoke from wildfires or cigarettes, installing the right air purifier in your home can make a noticeable difference. The best air purifiers for smoke are effective at filtering out microscopic particles that can lead to discomfort, including coughing, stinging eyes and a scratchy throat—and some premium options can help you monitor your air quality. Our top pick overall, the Coway Airmega 400, is a quiet, powerful unit that offers three-stage filtration and covers spaces over 1,500 square feet.
Dyson, Coway and Levoit are some of the brands behind the best air purifiers for smoke.
Illustration: Forbes / Image: Retailers
“The effectiveness of an air purifier depends on its design, the type of filters it uses and the specific pollutants you want to remove,” explains Mandy De Vries, registered respiratory therapist and vice president of education for the American Association for Respiratory Care. “For smoke removal, it’s important to choose an air purifier with a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter.” De Vries also recommends looking for a model that’s able to filter the air in your room several times per hour and has an appropriate clean air delivery rate (CADR) for your space. The general rule of thumb is that the CADR should equal at least two-thirds of the room’s square footage.
If you want to improve the air quality in your home and create a healthier environment, the best air purifiers for smoke can remove airborne irritants and help you breathe easier all year round.
An Efficient Unit That Can Handle 1,500-Plus Square Feet
Amazon
Coway Airmega 400
Dimensions: 14.8 x 14.8 x 22.8 inches | Weight: 24.7 pounds | Coverage area: 1,560 square feet | CADR: 328 | Noise level: 22 to 52 decibels
Pros:
Filters the air in a 1,500-square-foot room twice per hour
Three-stage filter captures more than 99% of particles
Smart mode adjusts settings based on air quality
Cons:
Some customers find the app difficult to use
The Coway Airmega 400 is a top-notch model that can handle large spaces—in just 30 minutes, it can thoroughly clean the air in a 1,500-square-foot room. Thanks to a washable pre-filter, an activated carbon filter and a HEPA filter to remove smoke and other pollutants from the air, this powerhouse model can capture 99.999% of 0.01-micron particles, according to Coway.
Like some other premium air purifiers on this list, the Coway Airmega 400 adjusts its fan speeds based on the level of pollution when running on “smart” mode. Meanwhile, a colored LED circle on the front of the device allows you to monitor the real-time air quality in your home. Lastly, while you might expect this model to be noisy, it’s impressively quiet. When placed on “sleep” mode, it operates at around 23 decibels—that’s no louder than whispering.
Best Budget Air Purifier For Smoke
A Reliable (And Inexpensive) Pick For A Single Room
Amazon
Levoit Core 300
Dimensions: 8.7 x 8.7 x 14.2 inches | Weight: 7.48 pounds | Coverage area: 1,095 square feet | CADR: 141 | Noise level: 24 to 50 decibels
Pros:
Reasonable price point
Compact design for smaller spaces
Smoke-specific replacement filters available
Cons:
Only suited for smaller spaces
If you’re shopping on a budget, the Levoit Core 300 Air Purifier is a reliable option for a single room (plus, it’s small enough to keep on a side table or nightstand). While the brand claims this petite model can be used in spaces up to 1,095 square feet, it’s better suited for spaces around 200 to 300 square feet. In such spaces, it can refresh the air several times every 60 minutes.
This air purifier comes with a pre-filter, an activated carbon filter and a main filter that together help you breathe easier. If you’re especially concerned about smoke, though, the brand also sells an additional compatible filter that’s designed specifically for smoke.
Best Upgrade Air Purifier For Smoke
A Powerhouse For Purifying Large Open Spaces
Dyson
Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet
Dimensions: 16.3 x 17.1 x 32.7 inches | Weight: 26.2 pounds | Coverage area: 1,000 square feet | CADR: Not listed | Noise level: Less than 56 decibels
Pros:
Well-suited for big, open rooms
HEPA filter only needs to be replaced every five years
Sends air quality data to your smartphone
Cons:
Very expensive
Large
As you’d likely expect from a Dyson air purifier, the Big+Quiet is as high-tech as these devices come, monitoring air quality in real time and sending the info directly to your smartphone. Equipped with a long-lasting HEPA H13-grade filter that captures 99.7% of fine particles as small as 0.31 microns and a carbon filter that minimizes smoke odors, this model can be controlled via the Dyson app and smart home voices services like Alexa. It also has multiple sensors that detect the levels of particles, formaldehyde and CO2 in your air and tell you how much your air quality has improved. One more perk: It can even destroy formaldehyde, a harmful substance that’s given off by woods, glues, paints and some household cleaners.
Best Compact Air Purifier For Smoke
A Petite, Quiet Pick Perfect For Bedrooms And Nurseries
The Blueair Mini Max is a small but mighty air purifier that’s perfect for compact spaces like nurseries, offices and bedrooms. Don’t let its size fool you—this little unit works hard to remove 99.97% of airborne particles greater than 0.3 microns in size, including smoke, dust and pollen, making your home’s air cleaner and healthier. It’s also extra quiet, operating at 25 decibels (that’s as loud as whispering), so you can keep it running while you sleep or work without any disruption.
The Mini Max is easy to use, with just two buttons to control the fan speeds, and its display automatically dims for nighttime use. The washable pre-filters capture larger particles, which helps extend the life of the main filter. It’s also portable, making it a versatile option for various small spaces.
Best-Designed Air Purifier For Smoke
An Attractive Pick For A Single Room
Amazon
Molekule Air Mini+
Dimensions: 8.3 x 8.3 x 12 inches | Weight: 11 pounds | Coverage area: 250 square feet | CADR: Not listed | Noise level: 39 to 62 decibels
Pros:
Sleek, compact design
Connects to your smartphone
FDA-cleared for medical use
Cons:
Expensive replacement filters
Air purifiers are often bulky and utilitarian in their design—but not the Molekule Air Mini+, which is ideal for single rooms up to 250 square feet. With its white cylindrical form and vegan leather handle, this unit is stylish enough to place in plain sight like atop a side table or desk. Just as important, it’s good at it’s job: It purifies the air using the brand’s PECO-HEPA Tri-Power Filter, which includes a true HEPA filter and layers of carbon to reduce odors.
The Molekule Air Mini+ is also an excellent model for those who want an air purifier they can operate remotely. When you connect to the brand’s app, you can control the fan speeds, plus monitor your air quality, filter status and more; meanwhile, when the unit runs on auto mode, the purifier reacts to particle levels in the air, changing its speed accordingly. One more perk to help you breathe easier: This unit is FDA-cleared for medical use to destroy bacteria, viruses and mold.
This story is regularly updated for freshness and accuracy. It was last updated in September 2024 by Vetted contributor Kelly O’Sullivan. In addition, air-quality expert Dr. Daniel Westervelt, a Lamont Associate Research Professor at Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory and air pollution advisor to the US State Department, reviewed it.
How We Chose The Best Air Purifiers For Smoke
It’s no secret that breathing in smoke, be it from wildfires or cigarettes, can inflame and damage your lungs and airway, potentially causing serious health concerns. We researched the most effective and highly rated air purifier brands, including models from trusted manufacturers like Coway, Dyson and Levoit.
We consulted with two air quality experts: Mandy De Vries, a registered respiratory therapist and president of education for the American Association for Respiratory Care, and Dr. John McKeon, MD, CEO of Allergy Standards Ltd. and principal at the iAIR Institute. to ensure our selections were guided by expert recommendations.
We focused on air purifiers that use both a True HEPA filter and activated carbon for effective smoke removal. We also prioritized models that are appropriately sized for different room types, with purifiers ideally able to filter all the air in the room four or more times per hour.
We evaluated each of our top picks based on factors like efficiency, coverage area and noise level.
We carefully considered customer reviews, selecting products that consistently receive positive feedback and have an average rating of at least four stars.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
While they may seem fairly high-tech, air purifiers are actually quite simple in their operation. “Air purifiers are designed to filter out harmful particles and contaminants from the air,” says Dr. John McKeon. “They typically draw air in through fans and pass it through various filters to trap pollutants before circulating the cleaned air back into the room.”
The efficiency of an air purifier largely depends on what type of filters it uses: “High efficiency particulate air (or HEPA) filters can capture over 99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns,” he says. “Validated air purifiers with certified True HEPA filters are very effective at removing smoke, dust, pollen and other fine particles that can irritate lungs and trigger allergy or asthma symptoms.”
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