Best Air Purifiers for Cigarette Smoke, and Their Honest Limits
The best air purifiers for cigarette smoke pair high AHAM smoke CADR with real carbon. Our picks, and why ASHRAE and the CDC say no purifier makes it safe.
Affiliate disclosure: product links on this page go to Amazon, or to the maker's own store for brands that sell only direct. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you; a link to a maker's store earns us nothing. No retailer or brand sees our picks before they are published or has any say in them. How we choose.
For cigarette smoke, choose the Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max with Blueair's SmokeBlock filter: AHAM Verifide rates the purifier at 435 cfm of smoke CADR for a 674 square foot room, the most certified smoke airflow at its price, and the SmokeBlock version adds carbon for the gases. For a heavy smell that lingers in furniture and walls, add or choose the Austin Air HealthMate Plus for its deep carbon bed.
Be clear about what a purifier can do. Tobacco smoke is fine particles plus gases. ASHRAE's position on environmental tobacco smoke says air cleaning and ventilation can reduce exposure somewhat but cannot eliminate it, and that only banning smoking indoors does. The CDC says the same. These purifiers make a room with smoke drifting in from a neighbor, or a home where someone smokes outside, noticeably better. They do not make indoor smoking harmless for anyone else in the home.
Our top picks at a glance
1. Best for cigarette smoke
Blueair Blue Pure 211i MaxSmoke CADR: 435 cfm (AHAM) · Room size: 674 sq ft (AHAM) · Carbon: SmokeBlock filter, $84.99 (Blueair) · Electronic stage: Electrostatic (CARB electronic)
2. Best for lingering smoke smell
Austin Air HealthMate Plus (HM450)Smoke CADR: Not published · Room size: Not published · Carbon: Deep sorbent bed, 5-year filter · Electronic stage: No
3. Best value for smoke
Winix 5510Smoke CADR: 253 cfm (AHAM) · Room size: 392 sq ft (AHAM) · Carbon: AOC carbon panel, about 12 months · Electronic stage: PlasmaWave, can be switched off
4. Best filter-only for large rooms
Levoit Core 600S-PSmoke CADR: 391 to 394 cfm (AHAM) · Room size: 606 to 611 sq ft (AHAM) · Carbon: Carbon layer · Electronic stage: No
| Pick | Smoke CADR | Room size | Carbon | Electronic stage | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blueair Blue Pure 211i MaxBest for cigarette smoke | 435 cfm (AHAM) | 674 sq ft (AHAM) | SmokeBlock filter, $84.99 (Blueair) | Electrostatic (CARB electronic) | Amazon |
| Austin Air HealthMate Plus (HM450)Best for lingering smoke smell | Not published | Not published | Deep sorbent bed, 5-year filter | No | Amazon |
| Winix 5510Best value for smoke | 253 cfm (AHAM) | 392 sq ft (AHAM) | AOC carbon panel, about 12 months | PlasmaWave, can be switched off | Amazon |
| Levoit Core 600S-PBest filter-only for large rooms | 391 to 394 cfm (AHAM) | 606 to 611 sq ft (AHAM) | Carbon layer | No | Amazon |
Best for cigarette smoke
Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max
435 cfm of certified smoke CADR on 46 W, with a SmokeBlock filter option for the gases.
- Smoke CADR
- 435 cfm (AHAM)
- Room size
- 674 sq ft (AHAM)
- Carbon
- SmokeBlock filter, $84.99 (Blueair)
- Electronic stage
- Electrostatic (CARB electronic)
Pros
- Most certified smoke CADR for the price
- Very efficient
- Choice of filters
Cons
- Carbon is a layer, not a deep bed
- Electrostatic stage
Smoke particles are mostly below a micron, the hardest size to filter, which is exactly what AHAM's smoke CADR measures. The 211i Max clears a 300 sq ft room about 11 times an hour on high, so it can run on a middle setting all day. Fit the SmokeBlock filter for smoke homes. See our 211i Max review.
Best for lingering smoke smell
Austin Air HealthMate Plus (HM450)
A deep carbon, zeolite and impregnated carbon bed rated for five years, for the gases behind stale smoke odor.
- Smoke CADR
- Not published
- Room size
- Not published
- Carbon
- Deep sorbent bed, 5-year filter
- Electronic stage
- No
Pros
- Most gas capacity here
- $445 filter over five years
- No ozone (Austin Air)
Cons
- No certified particle CADR
- Expensive and heavy
Stale smoke smell comes from gases absorbed into fabrics and walls and slowly released. A thin carbon layer saturates in weeks against that; a deep bed lasts. Pair it with a high-CADR HEPA purifier if particles are also coming in. See the HealthMate Plus review.
Best value for smoke
Winix 5510
253 cfm of certified smoke CADR and a granular carbon panel at a mid-range price.
- Smoke CADR
- 253 cfm (AHAM)
- Room size
- 392 sq ft (AHAM)
- Carbon
- AOC carbon panel, about 12 months
- Electronic stage
- PlasmaWave, can be switched off
Pros
- Particles and gases in one mid-priced unit
- Odor sensor reacts to smoke smell
- About 12-month filters
Cons
- Less carbon than the Austin
- Change carbon sooner in a heavy smoke home
For an apartment where a neighbor's smoke drifts in, the 5510 handles both the particles and the smell at a reasonable price. Its odor sensor raises the fan when smoke smell rises. See our 5510 review.
Best filter-only for large rooms
Levoit Core 600S-P
391 to 394 cfm of certified smoke CADR without an electronic stage, for a big living space.
- Smoke CADR
- 391 to 394 cfm (AHAM)
- Room size
- 606 to 611 sq ft (AHAM)
- Carbon
- Carbon layer
- Electronic stage
- No
Pros
- High certified smoke CADR
- Laser sensor
- Filter-only
Cons
- Thin carbon
- Large
If you want maximum particle removal without any charging stage, the Core 600S-P is the pick. Its carbon layer helps with smell but will need replacing more often in a smoke-heavy home.
How we chose purifiers for cigarette smoke
Smoke needs two things. We ranked on AHAM-certified smoke CADR from the AHAM Verifide directory for the particles, and on the type and amount of carbon each maker describes for the gases. A machine strong on one and weak on the other only solves half the problem.
What air purifiers can and cannot do about tobacco smoke
ASHRAE's position document on environmental tobacco smoke concludes that the only way to eliminate indoor exposure is to ban smoking, and that air cleaning and ventilation can reduce exposure somewhat but cannot eliminate it. The CDC states that separating smokers, cleaning the air and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate nonsmokers' exposure. The EPA notes that most air cleaners cannot remove the gaseous pollutants in tobacco smoke.
So the useful cases for a purifier are: smoke drifting in from a neighbor or a balcony; a household where someone smokes outside and brings smell in on clothes; and clearing a home after a smoker has moved out. In those cases, high smoke CADR plus carbon makes a real difference.
Smoke purifier buying guide
Size generously
For smoke, aim higher than the usual five air changes an hour. Sizing for seven or eight lets the purifier pull smoke down quickly when it drifts in.
| Room | Floor area | 5 ACH | 8 ACH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedroom | 180 sq ft | 120 cfm | 192 cfm |
| Living room | 300 sq ft | 200 cfm | 320 cfm |
| Studio | 450 sq ft | 300 cfm | 480 cfm |
Replace the carbon more often
Smoke loads carbon faster than everyday odors. When the smell starts to come back at the same smoke level, the carbon is full, whatever the schedule says.
Seal the gaps
In apartments, smoke often comes through gaps around doors, outlets and plumbing. Weatherstripping and sealing those openings reduces how much enters, which helps the purifier keep up.
Clearing a smoker's former home
Smoke residue clings to walls, ceilings, carpets and HVAC ducts and keeps releasing odor. Cleaning surfaces, replacing furnace filters, and sometimes repainting with a sealing primer do more than any purifier. Run a high-carbon purifier during and after that work.
What to skip
- Ozone generators sold for smoke odor. The EPA advises against them; ozone irritates the lungs and can react with other chemicals indoors.
- Purifiers with no carbon, which do nothing for the smell.
- Any claim that a purifier makes indoor smoking safe.
For wildfire smoke, a different problem with the same particle physics, see our wildfire smoke guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do air purifiers remove cigarette smoke?
They reduce it: high smoke CADR removes the fine particles, and substantial carbon reduces the gases and smell. ASHRAE and the CDC both say air cleaning cannot eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke.
What is the best air purifier for cigarette smoke?
The Blueair Blue Pure 211i Max with its SmokeBlock filter: AHAM certified at 435 cfm smoke CADR for 674 sq ft. For lingering smell, the Austin Air HealthMate Plus has a deep carbon bed.
Can an air purifier make indoor smoking safe for others?
No. ASHRAE's position is that only banning smoking indoors eliminates exposure; air cleaning and ventilation can only reduce it somewhat.
Will an air purifier remove smoke smell from an apartment?
A purifier with substantial carbon reduces airborne smell. Smell absorbed into walls, carpets and furniture keeps coming back until those surfaces are cleaned or sealed.
How big an air purifier do I need for smoke?
Size for seven or eight air changes an hour rather than five. A 300 sq ft room with 8 ft ceilings needs about 320 cfm of smoke CADR for eight.
Sources
- ASHRAE Position Document on Environmental Tobacco Smoke, ASHRAE
- Ventilation Does Not Effectively Protect Nonsmokers from Secondhand Smoke, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home, US Environmental Protection Agency
- AHAM Verifide Directory: Certified Room Air Cleaners, Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
- SmokeBlock Replacement Filter for 211i Max, Blueair
Related guides
Alen BreatheSmart 45i Review: Strong Mid-Size Purifier, Strings Attached
The 45i is Alen's mid-size purifier: a strong claimed CADR, a choice of filters for different problems, and a lifetime warranty that only lasts as long as your filter subscription.
Alen BreatheSmart 75i Review: Big-Room Purifier, Big-Room Price
The 75i is Alen's large-room machine, built for open plan spaces up to about 540 sq ft at allergy-level air changes. It is quiet and efficient, but its CADR is Alen's own and it costs more than certified rivals.
Austin Air HealthMate Plus Review: For Smoke, VOCs and Chemical Sensitivity
The HealthMate Plus is the chemical-focused version of Austin Air's HealthMate: the same heavy steel body, with an impregnated carbon blend aimed at formaldehyde, VOCs, wildfire smoke odor and traffic fumes.