Best Air Purifier for Smoke Under $100

The hOmeLabs Air Purifier is super small, but it is still well suited for small to medium-sized rooms and offices. It can filter the air in rooms up to 194 square feet. The unit utilizes a common three-step filtration method to clean the air of the space it is placed in. The three layers are made up of a pre-filter, a HEPA sheet, and an activated carbon filter. The pre-filter is designed to remove large particles from the air, such as small pieces of ash from nearby fires. The HEPA sheet takes care of finer smoke particles, and then the carbon filter removes the smoke odor and toxicity that comes along with it.

This product is super small and could blend into any home. It is recommended as the air purifier to remove smoke primarily because of its large coverage size. It can be placed into realistically sized living rooms or kitchens to protect families from the negative side effects of smoke and fire. It is also impressively efficient, cleaning particles down to a size of 0.1 microns.

The Levoit LV-H132 is another unit considered to be one of the best cheap air purifiers for smoke. It was designed in California, one of the nation’s wildfire hotspots. The designers kept this in mind when designing their three-step filtration system that eliminates 99.97% of airborne particles down to a size of 0.3 microns. It is a cylindrical shape colored white with black accents and a blue night-light. This night-light has two different settings – one brighter and one dimmer. Users can also choose to turn it completely off if they prefer to sleep in complete darkness. On the exterior of the unit is a light that illuminates when its owner should change out its dirty filter for a clean one. Fortunately, this only has to be done every 6-8 months, which makes for relatively inexpensive maintenance. The replacement filters are also on the cheaper side for the industry. That being said, the poorer the air quality the product consistently filters means the faster the filter should be changed.

This product is able to filter the air in rooms up to 86 square feet in size up to four times per hour. For the most part, this room size is more in line with small rooms such as college dorms than the medium-sized rooms the product advertises. That being said, it can be placed in larger rooms, it just will not filter as efficiently. On the product’s lowest fan setting, it only makes about 25 decibels of noise. The users can also choose between medium fan speed and a high one, depending on how poor their air quality is. Whether it’s cigarette smoke or wildfire smoke, this might be a good place to start for those with smaller spaces.

The Levoit Vista 200 is a modern-looking purifier that will look classy in a home-setting. It is white and cylindrical like the LV-H132, but this one has a milder yellow-orange night-light instead. The night-light still has two different brightness settings, or it can be turned off for those who prefer darkness while sleeping. It is ozone free and utilizes the common three-step filtration process, consisting of a pre-filter, a HEPA sheet, and a carbon filter. While it is great for eliminating smoke from its surroundings, like many other filters, it can also eliminate other pollutants as well.

In the center of the fan is a control panel. Here, users can toy with the product’s many settings. They can set an automatic shut-off timer in hourly increments of 2, 4, and 8. They can also choose between the unit’s three different fan settings. When it is turned on to the lowest fan setting, it will only make about 26 decibels of noise. This should not disrupt even the lightest of sleepers.

One of the best things about this product is its incredible energy efficiency. While running, it only needs as few as 0.9 watts to clean the surrounding air. In energy-efficient homes, this product could run for 24 hours a day every day of the year and only cost the user $6 annually. Of course, for homes with outdated electric systems, it could cost more. Users should bear in mind that its filters will also have to be replaced every so often, which tacks on a bit more maintenance cost to running the unit. Fortunately, this brand’s replacement filters run for cheaper than average. Overall, for users who care about being environmentally friendly and saving money on electricity, this may be a great product to check out.

The Germ Guardian has a very different aesthetic than most purifiers. It is a stormy grey color with a mesh front. It looks very similar to a speaker and could blend right into a sound system. It stands at less than a foot tall for tucking into smaller spaces. This product is capable of filtering the air in rooms up to 78 square feet. Its CADR ratings for dust, pollen, and smoke are as follows: 56, 76, and 50. It was also Adam verified to clean specifically tobacco smoke, as well as other irritants. Though this product is likely not powerful enough to be placed in a large room, it would be ideal for small offices or college dorms and apartments.

Though this unit is a fine air purifier for wildfire smoke, it doubles as an overall wellness maintainer. To do so, it utilizes a less common four-step filtration method. First, the air gets passed through a pre-filter that doubles as an activated charcoal filter. Then, it makes its way through a HEPA sheet. Finally, it passes through the less common step, which is the UV-C light. This feature is capable of literally killing germs and viruses such as the flu and Staph. The light bulb can make it 10-12 months before it will burn out and need to be replaced. The filter, on the other hand, should be replaced every 6-8 months. Because this unit features two elements that must be replaced semi-annually or annually, this unit machine costs more than others to maintain. Users should not that it’s not Energy Star rated, which may also increase its maintenance costs after the initial purchase of the unit. Still, for those who live in a large household where people are always getting sick, this might be their best option.

The OION Technologies B-1000 is a futurist looking purifier with a futuristic filtration system to match its aesthetic. The unit cleans the air in spaces up to 1000 square feet. It is long and slender and can be bought in either a black or silver color, but both have a built-in blue night-light. On the front of the product just below the night-light is an on and off switch in case of users prefer to sleep in the dark. The light will help users locate the switch in the dark.

This product was actually designed to work best for tobacco smoke thanks to its electrostatic ionization capabilities. Normal HEPA filters get clogged too fast by cigarette smoke and other types of smoke. It would have to be replaced almost weekly to work as well as this one. Instead of a HEPA sheet, this unit has a charged metal filter inside the unit traps thirdhand smoke and other particles down to a size of 0.01 microns. Then, air passes through a UV light. This UVGI technology will kill any germs still lingering in the air. The light only needs to be replaced once every year or two. Though the product does not have a carbon filter, its metal filter absorbs smoke smells instead.

The product is quiet enough to sleep around while running. Users do not have to feel guilty running it while they sleep since it is energy efficient. It only uses 7.5 watts of electricity, which is much lower than most of the purifiers on the market today. Because the electrostatic filter on the inside is made of metal, this filter can just be wiped down from time to time instead of replaced. Both of these money-savers make this a great option for those seeking a low-maintenance product.

This Partu Smoke Air Purifier is available in black and has a cylindrical shape. That being said, placing this unit with its back to a wall or another object will not disrupt its airflow. It is referred to as the best cheap air purifier for smoke because of its aromatherapy abilities in addition to its smoke removal. Users can remove the fan on top of the product to reveal a box with a sponge inside. Drops of essential oil, such as lavender or citrus, along with a bit of water can be added to this sponge to leave a home smelling fresher than ever.

The product utilizes the common three-step filtration process to clean smoke and other types of pollution out of the air in its surroundings. Its system can remove particles in the air down to a size of 0.3 microns and air pollutants of PM 2.5. Above the airflow holes on the front of the unit is a control panel. Via this panel, users can turn the unit on and off as well as set their fan speed and light preferences. They can also lock the unit onto a certain setting and reset the machine.

This product is designed to be used in rooms up to 107 square feet. This is pretty small but could still suit small offices or bedrooms. Consumers should also take note of how long this product’s filters last before investing in it. Its filters need to be replaced every 3-6 months instead of every 6-12. Filters may have to be changed as often as every few weeks when being used to filter heavy wildfire smoke. This might be a good option for those with light smoke issues, but those with serious smoke issues should probably look elsewhere.

The KOIOS air purifier is a short but powerful machine with a 360-degree air cleaning system. The purchase of the product comes with the product, an AC adapter, as well as a user manual. It is shaped like a cylinder with grated airflow holes at its base. Above those grates is a ring that wraps around the unit with a built-in blue night-light. This light is not very bright, however, unfortunately, it cannot be turned off while the unit is running. That being said, some past consumers have figured out how to deactivate the light using a screwdriver and creativity. These tutorials can be found online for buyers who like this product but do not want to use its light.

The product, like most of the others on this list, utilizes the common three-step filtration process with a pre-filter, a HEPA sheet, and an activated carbon filter. This method eliminates 99.97% of air particles and unpleasant household odors, including smoke smell. Users can choose between the product’s two fan speeds by pushing the on and off button multiple times. Even on its highest fan speed, it will not make more than 50 decibels of noise. While running, it uses less than 2 watts of electricity.

The manufacturer of this product offers great customer service with a 24/7 live-chat feature to help make buying it worry-free. It was also constructed from high-quality materials so it could be used long-term. This product is ozone free, keeping it environmentally friendly. Just note that it cannot be placed into corners or right up against other objects. This will disrupt its airflow and cause it to work inefficiently. Those seeking a classic air purifier for smoke odor and pollution without many extras may end up being happy with this one.