Do you need the best air purifier for cigarette smoke removal? You have come to the right place.
According to the CDC, about 31 million people in the USA smoked in 2020. This means there is a lot of cigarette smoke lingering around in our indoor air.
If you are a smoker, you must hate having to go outside every time you have to smoke. Oh, and your neighbor could start complaining about secondary smoke getting to them.
However, now that you are here, we can help solve that problem for you, by helping you choose the best air purifier for cigarette smoke odor.
Keep reading!
Best air purifier for cigarette smoke removal
You do not want an air purifier for cigarette smoke blindly. You need to know how it works. Most importantly, you do not want to get an air purifying unit for smoke alone. It must also be able to remove other pollutants from your indoor air.
How an air purifier removes cigarette smoke
The secret is in the filter type that the unit you buy uses. Therefore, you must insist on getting one that has a HEPA filter.
But even then, you have to understand something about the smoke particles. Are they big or are they small?
What is the size of smoke molecules?
The size of tobacco and weed smoke particles is 0.1 microns to 0.5 microns. This is really small! However, don’t worry because modern HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Arrestor) filters can handle most of these tiny wee bit particles.
Most HEPA filters can remove particles that are really small, say, up to 0.3 microns in size. This is where most virus, bacteria, dust, mold spores and other indoor air pollutants fall.
Simply put, if the pollutant is bigger than 0.3 microns, the HEPA air purifier filter such as you find in Honeywell Air Purifiers is going to help.
But then, we have already mentioned that smoke particles are really small, say, about 0.1 microns in size.
Don’t worry! There are special HEPA filter air purifiers that are made specifically for removing such small smoke particles.
For instance, the LEVOIT Air Purifiers for Home Large Room that you can buy on Amazon.com has H13 True HEPA Filter and it can help with smoke, dust, pet dander, pollen, dust mites, mold spores and other common indoor air pollutants.
Smart features and others
This is another important consideration when you are buying an air purifier for smoke, dust removal and other pollutants.
Smart features in a unit come in the form of automatic start and stop. This way, the unit can start running automatically even when you are not at home. This maintains the indoor air in a constant state of purity.
Check the noise level of the air purifier. With a low noise level, you can sleep through the night while the unit runs in the background.
Get an air purifier that has Energy Star rating. It will save energy, so it will not rack up your energy bill too much. This is especially vital if you live in a place that has high air pollution.
Can any air purifier with HEPA filter remove tobacco smoke?
Unfortunately, any air purifier that has a HEPA filter is not going to remove cigarette smoke from your indoor air.
The reason for this is that most smoke particles are smaller than 0.3 microns. Most TRUE HEPA filters are only going to remove bigger pollutants.
When you are buying one, you have to look for HEPA filter grade that can filter out particles as small as 0.1 microns.
Best air filter for cigarette smoke
Removing the smoke and removing the smoke odor are two different things. This is because the odor cannot really be “filtered” out since it is not a particle. It can only be absorbed! You have to find an air purifier with a carbon filter.
Now, in the design of the true HEPA filter, there is actually another filter behind it. This is a carbon filter for absorbing the smoke odor from the air.
Precisely, this filter contains activated carbon, which absorbs smells, formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOC).
Even then, do not buy an air purifier on the promise of it having activated carbon. Some vendors will claim that their units contain activated carbon.
However, if the units are cheap, they most likely contain just a pinch of activated carbon. Therefore, they will not do a good job of removing tobacco smoke odor from your indoor air. You will not get good value for your money.
It is better to pay more money and get the best air purifier for cigarette smoke odor with a lot of activated carbon, even up to 1000 grams if you can find it.
Best large room air purifier for cigarette smoke removal
Air Purifier for smoke | Best For | Price | |
BLUEAIR Air Purifier |  | Large room air cleaning Filters particles of up to 0.1 microns High budget air purifier | |
Medify MA-40 Air Purifier |  | Large room fast air cleaning Touch-screen panel for settings Can capture particles of up to 0.1 micron | |
AROEVE Air Purifiers |  | Low budget price Really low noise level at 22dB Has an aroma pad that you can use with essential oil | |
HATHASPACE Smart Air Purifier |  | For odors, VOCs and smoke Will detect pollutant level and adjust fan speed automatically 24-month warranty | |
Alen FLEX Air Purifier |  | HEPA Filter that lasts longer by 5 months Can filter particles as small as 0.1 microns Fast operation on Turbo speed |
If you are looking to purify air in a commercial space such as a restaurant or other, you will need the best large room air purifier for cigarette smoke removal. Luckily, there are so many of these in the market.
Three important things matter very much when you are choosing an air purifier for a large room:
- Space rating
- ACH – air changes per hour
- Air filtration method
Space rating
If you have a large home and you invite friends over, the tobacco smoke can stay around for days. Therefore, you need a large room air purifier to remove the smoke and the odor.
Air purifiers, humidifiers and dehumidifiers come with space rating. If you buy a small air purifier, it will not serve you very well. In fact, it might not remove smoke and odor from your rooms.
To know whether a unit is going to be enough for your room, you need to have an idea of how big the space is. This is easy since you just need to know the length, width and height of the room.
Air changes per hour
Let’s demonstrate this by a simple example:
If the unit has an air change per hour rating of 5 times an hour, it means it changes air over five times an hour. That’s pretty high and most units do 3 to 4.8 times an hour.
You might also want to check the CFM rating. This means cubic feet per minute, a unit that’s used to measure air movement through the air purifier.
To calculate the CFM of a unit, just find the cubic size of the room (in feet) that you intend to use the unit in. Multiply it by the ACH of the unit (given by manufacturer) and then divide by 60 to know how much air it will move per hour.
{Length X Width X Height of room} X ACH/60
This is just an example that we are giving here. However, you get why size and space considerations are so important when buying an air purifier.
For large rooms, try the BISSELL® air280 Smart Purifier that you can buy on Amazon.com. It comes with HEPA and Carbon Filters so it does a great job of capturing smoke and odor from your indoor air.
Three stage filtration
It also has a large space rating of up to 1350 square feet. It also has three-stage filtration so it can remove large as well as very fine particles or pollutants. The filter with activated carbon captures odors and gasses, VOCs and others.
This unit has air change per hour rating of three times in an hour. Before you think this is too low, well, it is not.
In fact, it is recommended for an air purifier for cigarette smoke removal in large rooms. The idea is to get the air to pass slowly through the carbon filter so that it can remove the odor. If it passes through the filters fast, the carbon won’t be able to absorb all the odor.
Consumer Reports best air purifier for cigarette smoke
If you do not know how to get the best air purifier for cigarette smoke removal, you can just pop over to the Consumer Reports website. It brings you information about many things, especially appliances that you need in your home.
There, you can learn about the best air purifiers for smoke. You will also find the worst ones that will not give you good value for money.
They also bring you good reviews on different appliances. For instance, we wanted to see whether they have reviewed the best air purifiers for smoke, and they have!
This is not just cigarette smoke, but they also have done a full write up on units that you can use to remove wildfire smoke.
On their About Us page, they say they work hand in hand with consumers to bring credible information. Therefore, their reviews are more trustable than what you would get from most other sources.
Other ways to remove cigarette smell from house
If you do not want to use an air purifier to remove cigarette smoke from your indoor air, there are other ways.
These are what we call DIY cigarette smoke removal tips. And they are effective. However, they will never match the effectiveness of an air purifier for cigarette smoke removal especially when there is intense cigarette odor.
Try some of the following ways:
Use white vinegar
White vinegar is very good for neutralizing smells. Therefore, pour small to medium amounts of it and place them at different points in the room.
Leave them overnight or even for a bit longer than that and they are going to neutralize the smell. Even if you place too much of white vinegar in the room, it cannot do any harm.
White vinegar is also a good cleaning product for removing mold, so you can use it to clean different areas in your home.
Wash your clothes with baking soda
Like white vinegar, baking soda is also very good for removing cigarette smoke from your clothing. You need to pay attention to the clothes because they absorb the smoke.
To remove the smell of tobacco smoke from your clothes, use baking soda in the washing machine or in the sink when handwashing.
Add one or more cups of baking soda to the washing machine, or to your basin with soapy water. You can add more baking soda if you think it is necessary.
Open the windows and run your fans
Opening the window brings in fresh air while the stale air escapes. This is also a good time to keep the fans running.
They will whip the air over and over again, pushing it out of the house through the ventilation and whipping fresh air back in.
An exhaust fan might help too. It pulls the humid air out of the house. The most important thing here is to try and get as much of the smoke filled air outside and bring fresh air in.
Remove your carpets and clean them
Old carpets can soak up a lot of tobacco smell over the years. It can be really hard to clean the smoke out of them.
Tear the old carpets out and install new ones. While you are at it, also remove other soft surfaces on your walls. You can replace them with new ones. If the carpets are not too old, you can clean them thoroughly.
Steam cleaning your furniture
If you have upholstered furniture, it has been absorbing cigarette smoke. It has been contributing to the strong smell of cigarette smoke in your home.
Steam cleaning the upholstered furniture, your carpets and any soft surface in your home can help a great deal.
Cleaning with steam is also very effective for removing dust mites, pet dander and grease that builds up in small nooks and crannies over time.
Remember, steam cleaning involves using heat, so you might want to hire professionals for the job.
Avoid smoking in the house or stop altogether
13 out of 100 American adults smoke cigarettes. If you are one of them, you might consider stopping altogether.
This is the best, long-term solution to cigarette smoke smell in the house, in your car, in your office and elsewhere.
However, if you cannot stop, just consider giving your indoor space a deep steam cleaning every so often.
Also, run the best air purifier for removing cigarette smoke from time to time. It is possible to keep smoking and still keep the air in your house odor-free and fresh.
You can also designate a smoking zone so that the smell is confined to one room. It will spread to the rest of the house, but not as much as it would if you smoked in any room.
Final thoughts
Knowing the best air purifier for cigarette smoke removal to use at home has many benefits. It can make your indoor spaces comfortable and enjoyable to live in.
Running an air purifier often does not cost a lot of money. Today’s star-rated units are very efficient.
With many of them coming with smart functions such as automatic start/stop, air quality sensors, it can keep your air clean all the time, even when you are traveling.
Just stay on top of your appliance’s health. If it requires filter cleaning or replacement, do it in good time so that it can remain effective.
Finally, you can use some of the DIY cigarette removal methods we have discussed here alongside your air purifier. This helps especially if you or anyone else has been smoking heavily for years.
