6 Best Air Purifiers for Smoke, Tested and Reviewed

Blue Pure 311i+ Max tops our winner's list of the best all-purpose air purifiers, so it's no surprise that it's also our favorite for capturing smoke within the home.

Extensive lab testing supported a key point our engineers believe: Multiple filters often correlate to higher efficiency of an air purifier. The 311+ Max starts with a washable fabric pre-filter that encases the device, where it captures fur, dust and other large particles. "This first line of defense also puts less strain on its interior components," explains DiClerico. The purifier’s smoke-busting prowess comes from its interior True HEPA filter, which reduced concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 particles in less than half the time of the next-best model. PM stands for particulate matter and PM2.5 and PM10 refer to particles smaller than or equal to 2.5 and 10 microns in diameter, respectively. These fine particles can enter airways and even the bloodstream and cause adverse health effects.

Blueair purifiers usually score well for usability and that was the case again with the Blue Pure 311i+ Max. The device features simple controls and an on-unit indicator light that changes color in accordance with the air quality. For a more granular understanding of your house's air quality and the purifier's functionality, you can use the accompanying Blueair app to track pollutant levels over time and filter life cycle so you know when it needs to be replaced. The app also allows for setting up an auto shut-off and turn-on feature that activates the purifier when you're home and turns it off when you leave.

Our testers also liked that this machine is backed by a Quiet Mark certification, meaning it effectively cleans the air in your home without being unduly noisy. With a coverage area of 465 square feet, this unit can do an exceptional job of keeping a small apartment or living room's air clean, though larger homes may require a more substantial unit.

Since multiple air purifiers are often needed throughout the home, the cost can quickly add up. At one third of the price of our top pick, this air purifier from GermGuardian will save you money without too much sacrifice on performance. Featuring a True HEPA filter that can filter particles down to the size of 0.1 microns, it can effectively help protect your home from common pollutants like those found in cigarette or wildfire smoke.

What's more, this air purifier features an activated carbon filter, which removes bad odors and some harmful chemicals through the process of adsorption. Just be mindful that if you live in a hot or humid climate, you won't be able to reap the full benefits here as chemical adsorption is less effective when temperature and air moisture content is high, and elevation of either of these throughout the day can cause the carbon to re-release compounds that have been bound to it.

Though we didn't get to run our intensive air quality tests of this model in the Lab, our testers put it through the ringer with at-home road tests when New York's air quality was affected by the Canadian wildfires. One tester remarked that after just one hour of operation, "the room felt normal and livable." Another tester found that it could be relatively noisy at the maximum setting, so those seeking ultra-quiet purification should consider our top pick instead.

The Rabbit Air MinusA2 is one of the best-looking air purifiers to pass through our Lab, with its wall-mounted design and sleek finish. More importantly, it’s engineered to pull a range of pollutants from the air, thanks to its multiple levels of filtration. That includes a customizable filter that can be matched to specific pollutants in the home. In the case of smoke, there’s the “odor removal filter,” which traps bad smells from cigarettes and cigars, as well as cooking, mildew and pets.

The version of the Rabbit Air MinusA2 that we brought into the Lab for testing had the pet allergy customizable filter, designed for dander-based allergens. We were impressed with the performance and expect the air purifier will also be effective against smoke, especially given the other filters that are standard on all units. That includes the all-important True HEPA filter, rated to capture 99% of particulates less than 0.1 microns in size; the pre-filter for large-size dust and particles; and an activated carbon charcoal filter to reduce chemicals and common household odors.

While pricey, the Rabbit Air also lives up to its ultra-quiet claim, especially in silent mode, where its fan is literally whisper-quiet; even on the highest "turbo" setting, the fan only gets up around 49 decibels, or as loud as a soft conversation.

One important caveat: The MinusA2 has an ionization setting, which our experts don't recommend with any air purifier, since ionizers can release small amounts of ozone (an irritant that can exacerbate existing respiratory conditions) and the science on ionizer efficacy and safety is still inconclusive. While we prefer purifiers without any ionization mode, at least with the MinusA2 the process for turning it off is straightforward and an indicator light on the face of the unit clearly indicates if it's in active ion mode.

Clorox is probably one of the names you think of first when it comes to cleaning the home, so it's no wonder the brand recently entered the air purifier category. Based on our initial testing experience, Clorox's air purifier is capable of combating smoke at a decent price. Designed for medium-sized rooms, the Clorox 11010 air purifier is a good example. Thanks to its True HEPA Filter, it's effective at removing airborne particulates, especially on higher fan speeds; the brand says the device will clean the air in a 225-square-foot room up to five times an hour. "In our tests, the air purifier was a bit noisy when running at full tilt, so you might want to consider a quieter model if you’ll be running the air purifier in a bedroom," says DiClerico, though he adds that some testers say they don’t mind the white noise effect of louder devices.

We also evaluated Clorox's Large Air Purifier, designed for spaces up to 1,500 square feet. Pet owners will appreciate the active carbon filter on both units that does a solid job of neutralizing bad odors. (We also looked at the new Tabletop Air Purifier, but don't recommend it because it doesn't feature active carbon).

In our usability tests, Clorox earned high marks for the intuitiveness of its LCD display. We also like the fact that the on-board sensor monitors air quality in the room and displays the information clearly. For smart home enthusiasts, Clorox offers an Alexa-enabled version of its air purifier that lets you control the device from anywhere via the smart phone app and operate it via voice control through any Amazon smart speaker.

For those living in a small apartment or only hoping to focus purification on a small space, shelling out for a large, expensive air purifier doesn't make a lot of sense. Though this one features less bells and whistles than some of our more pricey picks, this model from Coway effectively helps keep air clean in spaces up to 214 square feet.

In our Lab tests, we were impressed by the Airmega 160's ability to remove PM2.5 and PM10 particles, reducing them by 99.5% in 30 minutes in our test chamber. We found the set-up simple and the controls intuitive, although we found the air-quality monitor on the unit not as easy to navigate. It also had one of the highest fan speeds of all of the models we tested, meaning it's effective at circulating air in the area it's rated for.

The Airmega 160 has the same rectangular shape that our experts have come to expect from Coway. Though the design maximizes surface area for the filters, it means air can only be drawn in from the side of the machine, which slows down the process of purifying. Coway recently released its first cylindrical model, the Airmega 100, which is able to draw air from 360 degrees, which Coway says will deliver faster air cleaning. Our experts will report back on the results once performance testing is complete.

Blueair purifiers stand out in our Lab tests due to their fast and efficient purifying, quiet operation and simple controls. Though we haven't tested this exact model, it comes from the same line as our top performer, and based on testing of several other Blueair air purifiers, we are confident it will deliver similar performance.

The 211i Max features the same proprietary HEPASilent technology that powers our top pick, and claims to be able to clean the air of spaces up to 1,524 square feet in as little as 30 minutes. Despite its impressive filtration ability, it still has received certification from Quiet Mark, meaning it'll adeptly clean the air of any large space without causing a raucous. While the pre-filter is washable, the True HEPA filters that work with this purifier can get pricey, so we only recommend this model if you need to cover a large area.