The Comprehensive Guide To The Best Air Purifier For Smoke
Contents
- 10 Best Air Purifiers For Smoke
- Different Types of Air Purifiers For Smokers
- Portable Air Purifiers
- Whole House Filters
- HEPA Filters
- Activated Carbon Filters
- Ozone Generators and Ionizers
- Pre-Filter
- Smoke Air Purifier Brands
- Honeywell
- Guardian Technologies
- Top 5 Air Purifiers for Smokers
- GermGuardian AC4825 3-in-1 Air Cleaning System
- Honeywell 17000-S QuietCare True HEPA Air Purifier
- Winix 5300-2 Air Purifier
- Breathe Fresh 5-in-1 Air Purifier
- SereneLife Air Purifier Cleaning System
- Honeywell 50250-S True HEPA Air Purifier
- O-Ion B-1000 Permanent Filter Ionic Air Purifier
- Honeywell HHT-011 HEPA Clean Compact Air Purifier
- Honeywell HFD-120-Q QuietClean Tower Air Purifier
- GermGuardian AC5350B Elite 4-in-1 Air Cleaning System
- Buying Guide
- Conclusion
- Sources
Smoking brings about a plethora of unfortunate side effects, and I’m not referring to the medical ones that you hear about in the commercials trying to convince you to stop smoking.
A more immediate effect is the smoke put into the air around you. This can, most noticeably, result in the air retaining the smell of tobacco and smoke.
A more serious effect is that secondhand smoke exposes people who have chosen not to smoke to its health harms. The CDC says there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
This can be especially concerning to families with small children or around roommates who don’t appreciate the smoke.
The only way to fully protect people is to keep smoking out of the home, so we’d recommend giving quitting a go!
An air purifier for smoke can still reduce smoke particles and lingering odor. It can’t remove every harmful gas in tobacco smoke, so it is not a substitute for a smoke-free home.
If this is a new concept to you, though, it can be difficult to find the best air cleaner for smokers without a lot of trial and error.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a guide to the best air purifiers for smoke so you don’t have to struggle to find the product you want and need.
From brands to product types to products, this guide has everything you might need to know about shopping for your new smoke air filter.
10 Best Air Purifiers For Smoke
Different Types of Air Purifiers For Smokers
There are usually multiple different versions of any product you might want. Shopping for an air purifier for smoke is no different.
There are a variety of types of air purifiers that you should know about, whether you’re purchasing them for smoke or otherwise.
While, depending on your needs, some of these air purifiers will work better than others, some of it does come down to preference.
This can be the size you are looking for, the style you want, or even the more obvious difference in some of these; quality and effectiveness.
In this section, we’ll discuss the different options you have in air purifiers so you can know without a doubt what you are looking for.
Portable Air Purifiers
These purifiers are what you need if you’re looking for something small and inexpensive.
They won’t work as a whole home purifier, but for a small apartment or bedroom, these are probably your easiest choice.
You’ll have to be careful to choose well-made ones to make sure that while inexpensive, these types of products aren’t cheaply made.
Whole House Filters
These filters are exactly what they sound like, larger filters that are to be employed to clean the air of an entire house, rather than a small apartment or room.
There is a downside to these systems, though.
In sacrifice for cleaning a larger area, these filters aren’t as thorough as some smaller systems.
There are versions of this you can place in your house yourself as well as whole home purifiers that need to be installed by professional.
HEPA Filters
These filters are especially useful and dependable. A true HEPA filter must capture at least 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in size, which covers most smoke particles.
They’re used in hospitals and commercial buildings as well as in homes.
They’ll clean the air in a house extremely well and thoroughly, but will be slightly more expensive.
Activated Carbon Filters
HEPA filters trap particles but not odors and gases. Look for a model that also has an activated carbon filter if tobacco smell is your main concern.
Ozone Generators and Ionizers
Avoid machines sold as ozone generators. The EPA warns that ozone is a lung irritant, that these devices can exceed health standards even when used as directed, and that ozone does not remove smoke particles or many odor chemicals.
Some ionizers also give off small amounts of ozone, so check a model’s specifications before you buy.
Pre-Filter
These filters are rarely used by themselves. They’re usually employed with a household or HEPA filter to filter larger particles.
This is helpful since many filters aren’t made to handle larger particles, but rather smaller ones in the air and larger particles can sometimes cause them damage.
Smoke Air Purifier Brands
When you go to the grocery store to buy food for the week, most products you’re drawn to can be traced back to brands.
Branding helps you as a shopper recognize a set of products that you know you can trust.
So, it only makes sense that knowing the best, most trustworthy brands for air purifiers would aid your choice in a filter.
However, since you probably don’t shop for air purifiers very often, you probably aren’t familiar with all the different brands there are to choose from and what they mean.
To save you some research, we’ve compiled some of the best brands here so you know what to look for in a purifier.
Honeywell
Honeywell makes high-quality filters, many of which made their way onto our list of the best products available to you.
It’s a successful company that puts a lot of money and effort into making their products quality and long lasting as well.
They also employ the use of HUE- Honeywell User Experiences- to continue to improve and provide excellent customer service.
Guardian Technologies
Guardian Technologies also appears on our list of products several times under the name GermGuardian, their air purifiers.
They put their focus on small appliances to help you keep your home healthy and the air around you pure.
If you buy their products, you’re sure to get something effective that lasts a long time.
Top 5 Air Purifiers for Smokers
Now we get into the source of the issue: the best air purifiers for smoke.
We’ve done all of the research, so by now you know the best brands and all of the types of air purifiers for your needs.
So, let’s get into what specific air purifiers are the best products available for you that will suit your needs.
GermGuardian AC4825 3-in-1 Air Cleaning System
The maker says its HEPA filter captures 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns.
A charcoal filter helps with smoke odor, and the HEPA filter traps smoke particles and allergens.
It also has a UV-C light with titanium dioxide that the maker says targets airborne germs.
It’s best used for medium-sized rooms and is a 22-inch tower to be placed in the room of your choosing.
The GermGuardian has also been safety tested by Intertek, a nationally recognized testing lab.
If it’s a little loud at first don’t panic, as the company assures customers that the mechanical whirring that accompanies the first few uses will fade away with regular use.
Honeywell 17000-S QuietCare True HEPA Air Purifier
Its HEPA filter is rated to capture 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns and larger, including many allergens and smoke particles.
It measures 16-in by 13-in by 17-in and weighs in at 11.5 lbs.
It features soft touch electronic controls with 3 speeds and indicator lights.
That means it’s easy to operate.
Honeywell sold this model with a permanent HEPA filter that you clean with a vacuum rather than replace. Follow the manual, since a damaged filter stops working well.
Check the current listing for warranty details.
Unfortunately, it’s important to note that this product is an item made for 120 volt systems and won’t be compatible with 220-240 volt systems.
The voltage system is usually country wide and it won’t be hard to find out which system your country uses with the aid of a quick search online.
Winix 5300-2 Air Purifier
Once again, the HEPA filter in this product is rated to capture 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns.
This includes pet dander, pollen, smoke, and anything down to the size of .3 microns.
A three-stage system does this with PlasmaWave, Smart Sensor, and Auto Mode technology.
These work together with a carbon filter to clean the air. PlasmaWave is an ionizing feature, and you can switch it off if you prefer.
They also work automatically. You don’t have to worry about trying to find the right settings to keep your home’s air clean.
It’s best suited for medium and large rooms, such as a bedroom, office, or living room. They should be around the 360-square foot radius that this filter is rated to clean.
There’s also a “sleep mode” for this feature that automatically kicks in at night. It makes sure that the machine operates as quietly as possible so it doesn’t keep you up.
Breathe Fresh 5-in-1 Air Purifier
The maker claims it covers up to 3,500 square feet, a figure we could not verify.
It features a built-in UV sterilizer that also kills airborne germs and viruses while ridding the air of pet dander, pollen, and smoke.
Safety warning: this unit also has an ozone generator. Based on the EPA guidance above, we do not recommend using the ozone function, and never run it in a room where people or pets are present.
If you keep this model, use only its filter and fan settings.
It has a five-speed fan and five levels of adjustable purifier, which means that it offers multiple settings for whatever your home needs.
It does have an audible sound when the fan and purifier are on, but it isn’t anything unbearable.
The sleek design offers a modern look that won’t be an eyesore in your home either.
The big LCD display and remote control will also make changing the settings on your purifier a breeze.
It’s also easy to install, so you can set it up on your own right away.
SereneLife Air Purifier Cleaning System
This air purifier is a little different from the other ones we’ve covered so far.
That’s because it features an aroma oil diffuser tray, which means you can add therapeutic oils or fragrance.
This lets you scent the room as it runs. Skip the oils if anyone in your home has asthma or is sensitive to fragrance.
This purifier uses dual layer purification with a built-in HEPA filter and an additional carbon filter and adjustable fan speed to offer thorough purification of the air in your home.
This filter also offers the simplest installation you could ask for. Just plug it in and it’s ready to go.
The air purifier also offers a small, sleek design so you can put it wherever you please in your house and it won’t be an eyesore.
However, just because something’s the best, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s right for you.
This guide wouldn’t be very comprehensive if we didn’t give you more than five products to choose from.
So, to further ease your shopping, here are another five products you might want to consider as you make your decision.
Honeywell 50250-S True HEPA Air Purifier
O-Ion B-1000 Permanent Filter Ionic Air Purifier
Honeywell HHT-011 HEPA Clean Compact Air Purifier
Honeywell HFD-120-Q QuietClean Tower Air Purifier
GermGuardian AC5350B Elite 4-in-1 Air Cleaning System
Buying Guide
Before we throw you into the world to find yourself the best smoke purifier possible, let’s recap what you need to know.
The first thing we covered was the types of purifiers. While your needs may not be to a specific type of filter, knowing what you’re looking at when reading the description for a product will help you decide quality or not.
Next up is brands. Knowing what brands are best, as we discussed before, will help you know whether a product is worth a deeper look or where you should look first.
In this case, you should probably start with Honeywell or Guardian Technology (also known as GermGuardian) to find the most durable and effective air purifiers.
You should also remember to look at your personal considerations when purchasing an air purifier.
For example, if you live in a small apartment but buy an air purifier made to clean the air in the entirety of a full-size house, you probably spent much more money than you needed to on a product that far exceeds your requirements.
On the other hand, if you spent money on a small air purifier when you need to purify a full house, you’ll probably find your purchase frustratingly lacking.
Further considerations may include whether you want the air cleared of odors by your new purifier or if you want to be able to put essential oils into the air like one of the purifiers we looked at offered the choice of.
Most of all, you must remember to not be afraid to look around.
We’ve gathered the best products for you, but, as we mentioned before, just because one product suits most people’s needs and wants, doesn’t necessarily mean it will suit your needs and wants.
While our research is thorough and tailored to help you find the best possible product for your needs, only you know the specific, unique points that you’re looking for in a purifier.
Conclusion
All in all, finding an air purifier that cuts down smoke particles and tobacco smell doesn’t have to be a stressful process.
Choose a true HEPA filter with activated carbon, sized for your room, and skip ozone generators. Remember that only a smoke-free home fully protects your family.
With the help of this guide, you’ll be able to accurately analyze what brands and features mean.
In this way, you’ll be able to tell exactly what you need as well as what you are looking at when your scrolling through product descriptions.
It will help to decode some of these features that previously had no meaning to you.
So, keep this advice in mind and enjoy your new air purifier!
Sources
- About Secondhand Smoke, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Ozone Generators that are Sold as Air Cleaners, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
