Want to know how best to purify the air after cigarette or cigar smoke fills your room? This article is the one for you!
This buying guide will help you decide which air purifier is the best for your needs. We compare the pros and cons, including price, performance, room capacity, features, and so on.
Most of these picks will ensure your indoor air is free from many contaminants but are also good for removing the smell of cigarette smoke in your home.
Odors are removed by activated carbon fibers within the purifiers. Due to many of these purifiers being HEPA compliant, they can also remove smoke particles that are very fine.
Smokers, people who frequently host smokers in their homes, or people living with a smoker will all benefit from reading this guide.
This guide will help you choose the right air purifier for you based on your needs, room size, and budget.
—
Air purifiers – How Do They Work?
The air from the room is pulled into the purifier by a fan. After that, it goes through a few filters before being pushed out of the purifier as clean air, which will disperse around the room.
Air filters are typically set up like this:
Large particles such as pet dander, pollen, and dust are picked up by a pre-filter.
Tobacco, cooking odors, and pet smells can be eliminated by a filter made with active carbon.
Allergens, cigarette smoke, viruses, and airborne bacteria will be trapped by a HEPA filter, too.
Airborne germs can also be neutralized by a UV light, which is present in some purifiers.
A fan pushes the air out into the room after it has been through every filter. The air inside the room will be cleaner depending on the frequency of the purification, for example, if it is filtered multiple times an hour.
Faster fan speeds will result in quicker cleanups as well; this will increase the airflow in and out of the air purifier.
The noise will be quieter at lower speeds, but it will also be slower to remove pollutants from the air.
What are the benefits of buying an air purifier for cigarette and cigar smoke?
Secondhand smoke kills. One estimation says that since 1964, 2.5 million people have died from it. The smoke carries many toxic chemicals and can cause respiratory issues, heart disease, and cancer.
Particularly affected by these noxious fumes are pregnant mothers, children, and infants.
Getting a smoker to smoke far from the house, or better yet, to quit, is the best way to save you and your family from these dangers.
Possibly this is not within your power to control, such as if the smoke comes from a neighbor.
The effects of this smoke can be fatal, so an air purifier is not only able to give you fresher air, but it can also save lives.
—
Cigarette smoke air purifiers – how do I choose the best one for me?
As we have said, the features and functions of a device will likely be your best indicator of which device you need. The next thing you need to be aware of is the CADR rating of the device.
Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR)
According to the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), indoor air pollutant levels can be up to five times higher than outside. These rates can be even greater if you are a smoker.
Products with a high CADR are the ones you want to be on the lookout for as they can filter better, for example, by filtering greater numbers of air contaminants in a minute. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers developed the CADR measurement, which is measured in cubic feet.
Although most products will show this calculation, some don’t. So will have to calculate it yourself.
Here’s how:
First, find out the room’s square footage you want to check, then multiply that figure by 0.75. For example, if you want to check which purifier you need for a room that is 300 cubic feet, it would be:
300 x 0.75 = 225 CADR
Please note that it is a good idea to buy a purifier that has a slightly higher CADR rather than one that is exactly for a room using this formula. This is because the CADR is calculated under controlled lab conditions, which your room will not be under.
Budget
There is a wide variety of prices for air purifiers, so having an idea of what you’re willing to spend is essential. The range of prices starts at $50 but can go up as high as $700.
If this is your first purifier, it may be worth getting one of the cheaper models, like the Hamilton Beach. If you find that you’re in a space with polluted air for a long period of time, a more expensive model may be preferable.
Maintenance
Replacement filters are also something you should think about when you’re considering your budget. Expensive models tend to have expensive filters, but they do last longer.
Noise levels
There will be some noise with any of the filter-based purifiers. All noise levels are measured in decibels, and there are references for you to check here. The noise will also vary depending on the space you want to place the purifier in.
Portability
Depending on whether you want to use the purifier in multiple rooms, you may need to consider how easy it will be to move. Some units may be too bulky for this type of use, so you need to think about that too when buying, as the large units may be better left in place.
Ease of Use
There are simple air purifiers with easy-to-use interfaces which will require little thought to use. Similarly, there are others with timers, mobile controls, and other features if you want to tailor your experience, but these will be more expensive.
FAQ
Q: Will smoke be filtered through an air purifier?
A: Yes. Activated charcoal filters and HEPA filters will take away the smoke smell by capturing smoke particles from the air.
Smoke from the following can all be filtered by air purifiers:
• Cigarettes
• Marijuana
• Wildfires
• Other tobacco products, including cigars
Q: Can smoke be absorbed by anything?
A: No, but smoke can be absorbed by an activated carbon filter.
Usually, carbon filters are pore-filled powdered blocks. It is like our lungs. It has a huge surface area but is small in size.
The porous, charcoal filter creates a surface that smoke sticks to, meaning it is taken from the air circulation indoors.
Q: Is it possible for walls to stop the smoke smell?
A: Yes.
Old brick walls will often conduct smoke. This means it is possible to have poor indoor air quality when you yourself do not smoke, but the person in an adjacent apartment does.
Modern paints, as well as concrete, will not have this same problem.
Q: Will smoke be removed by HEPA filters?
A: Yes and no.
They remove smoke particles. The DOE assures consumers that HEPA filters will capture 99.97% of particles with a diameter up to 0.3μm, which includes smoke particles.
Q: Will the smoke smell be removed by the charcoal filters?
A: Yes. Indoor air smells will be removed by charcoal filters as they are specifically designed to do so.
A smoke smell removal air purifier will definitely have a charcoal filter.