Best Air Purifier For Smoke Under $100 | Buying Guide

We all know how harmful smoking can be for our lungs, yet some of us choose to do it anyway. However, even a chain-smoker, ironically, prefers to have a smoke-free room. Why is that? Well, it’s not quite well-known to everyone that second-hand tobacco smoke contains over 250 harmful chemicals. Unsurprisingly many people are now switching to air purifiers that can effectively remove the smoke from their rooms. Have you been wondering about the best air purifier for smoke under $100?


You are in good luck. We are going to guide you to the top 7 air purifiers that you can easily buy for under $100. These can effectively remove all kinds of smoke such as Tabaco, weed, and wildfire smoke.

Table of Contents

How well do air purifiers work for the smoke?

Unfortunately, not all air puffers can remove smoke particles from your room’s atmosphere. Tobacco smoke, for instance, is all about gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. Not all air purifiers are designed to remove those particles. The following are some types of air purifiers that can effectively get rid of most of the smoke.

  • UV-based air purifiers
  • HEPA filter air purifiers
  • Gas-phase filter air purifiers
  • PCO air purifiers
  • PECO air purifier

However, you should know that it’s difficult to guarantee that these air purifiers remove 100% of smoke particles from your room since many particles from secondhand smoke land on the surfaces of furniture and clothing. These particles may reactivate again once someone touches those surfaces. On the other hand, air cleaners also might not guarantee the total extinction of harmful health effects initially triggered by indoor smoking.

AT A GLANCE: OUR TOP 3 PICKS FOR SMOKE UNDER $100

Comparison Table of Best Air Purifier for Smoke Under $100 In 2021

GermGuardian 5-in-1 Air Purifier

GermGuardian 5-in-1 Air Purifier

  • 5-in-1 air purifier for home
  • Effective in medium to large rooms
  • Works against bacteria, virus, allergies, and smoke
  • Energy saver
Eureka Instant True HEPA

Eureka Instant True HEPA

  • Covers spaces up to 222 sq. ft.
  • Requires replacement every 3 months
  • True HEPA filter effective against Allergies, Pollen, Odors, Smoke, and Dust
  • AHMA Verified & Energy Star Certified
  • Noise-free
Germ Guardian 4-in-1 Air Purifier

Germ Guardian 4-in-1 Air Purifier

  • 4 in 1 Desktop Air Purifier with a True HEPA air filter
  • 11 inch in size perfect for smaller rooms
  • Effective against Germs, Allergies, Pollen, Smoke, Dust, Pet Dander, Mold, Odors
  • 3 Speed settings
Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier

Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier

  • Works in medium to large rooms, cover 743 sq. feet at 1 exchange per hour
  • 99.97% effective against harmful germs, mold spores, pollen, dust, pet dander, and other allergens
  • Aham verified & energy star certified
GermGuardian Pluggable Air Purifier & Sanitizer

GermGuardian Pluggable Air Purifier & Sanitizer

  • 7-inch wall pluggable sanitizer best suited for small rooms
  • Reduces odors from pets, smoke, cooking fumes
  • Energy saver and no filter replacement needed
TaoTronics HEPA Air Purifier

TaoTronics HEPA Air Purifier

  • Advanced 3-Stage Filtration System
  • Effective for Allergies, common impurities, and smoke
  • User-friendly and rapid purification
  • Multiple options for the speed of the fan
  • Kids and Pets Friendly
TaoTronics Air Purifier

TaoTronics Air Purifier

  • H13 Cleaner HEPA, CADR 200m³/h Desktop Filtration
  • Covers up to 224 square feet
  • Noise-free and Safe Night Light
  • Filter Replacement Alert

7 Best Air Purifier for Smoke Under $100

After having had thorough research on the best air purifier for smoke under $100, we have come to a decent list of the best 7 products. In this section, we are going to give you a brief understanding of their key features. Additionally, we would point out their pros and cons, so that you can make the best decision while buying your desired product.

1. GermGuardian True HEPA Filter 5-in-1 Air Purifier

GermGuardian True HEPA Filter is an optimal choice for medium to large rooms that is effective against germs and smoke. Let’s take a look at some quick facts about this product:

  • Cleans up to 99.97% of risky germs, pet dander, dust, mold spores, pollen, and other allergens
  • Comes with an antimicrobial agent that hinders the growth of mold, mildew, and odor-causing bacteria
  • Effective against airborne viruses such as influenza, and staph
  • Pre-filter option with effectiveness against pet hair, and other large particles
  • Charcoal filter ensures the total reduction of unwanted odors from pets, smoke, cooking fumes, and more
  • Ultra-quiet sleep mode ensures your good night sleep without any disturbance
  • Capable of purifying medium to large rooms (743 sq. feet at 1 exchange per hour, 371 sq. feet at 2 exchanges per hour, 248 sq. feet at 3 exchanges per hour, and 153 sq. feet at 4.8 exchanges per hour)
  • Aham verified & energy star certified

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Effective against germs and allergens
  • Removes smoke
  • Gets rid of all kinds of odors created by pets
  • Suitable for medium to large rooms
  • Easily replaceable filters
  • Energy saver

Cons

  • A bit noisy

2. Eureka Instant Clear 26' NEA120 Purifier 3-in-1 True HEPA

Eureka Instant Clear 26' NEA120 Purifier 3-in-1 True HEPA can be a perfect addition to your home appliance if you are looking for something with long-distance air circulation technology. Let’s take a look at some quick facts about this product:

  • True HEPA filter that ensures 99. 7% effectiveness against dust and airborne allergens as small as 0. 3 microns. Charcoal filters work against odors from pets, smoking, and cooking
  • CARB CERTIFIED Federal Ozone Emissions Limit which makes sure the elimination of the bacteria, viruses, and mold spores
  • A long-distance air circulation technology that can generate airflow at high efficiency even at a low-speed setting
  • With UV LED and noise level as low as 32dB makes sure you have an uninterrupted good night sleep
  • Long-lasting True HEPA filter and blue light indication for filter replacement

Pros

  • Limited Ozone Emissions
  • Ultra-quiet noise level
  • Long-lasting Filter

Cons

  • Performance can be compromised in large rooms

3. Germ Guardian HEPA Filter 4-in-1 Air Purifier

Germ Guardian HEPA Filter Air Purifier is a perfect home device designed for small to medium rooms and capable of purifying allergies, Pollen, Smoke, Dust, Pet Dander, Mold, Odors. Let’s take a look at some quick facts about this product:

  • 99.97% effective against all kinds of germs, mold spores, dust, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens.
  • A lightweight 11 Inch tabletop purifier is perfectly designed for smaller rooms or offices
  • Fits in small places because of its compact design
  • Airborne viruses such as Influenza, staph, and rhinovirus can be eliminated by UV C light and works with Titanium Dioxide to reduce volatile organic compounds
  • Gets rid of odors while pre-filtering traps dust, pet hair, and other large particles
  • The charcoal filter gets rid of unwanted odors from pets, smoke, cooking fumes
  • Available with 3-speed setting
  • Works best for small rooms up to 78 square feet
  • Filter replacement is required every 6 to 8 months
  • Adam Verified for the ability to clean tobacco smoke, dust, and pollen from rooms

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Perfect for small rooms
  • Space & Energy saver
  • Germ eliminator
  • Long-lasting filter
  • Cheaper
  • Kids and Pets friendly

Cons

  • Flimsy
  • Noisy

4. Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter 22 Inch 5-in-1 Air Purifier

Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier comes with a 5-in-1 air purification system that works for medium to large rooms. Let’s take a look at some quick facts about this product:

  • 99.97% of potentially dangerous germs, mold spores, dust, pet dander, pollen, and other allergens as small as .3 microns can easily be reduced by its electrostatic HEPA media air filter
  • The filter comes with an antimicrobial agent that prevents the growth of mold, mildew, and odor-causing bacteria
  • Airborne viruses such as influenza, staph, and rhinovirus are terminated by the UV-C light
  • Dust, pet hair, and other large particles get pre-filtered which helps the HEPA filter last longer
  • The activated charcoal filter makes sure the reduction of disturbing odors from pets, smoke, cooking fumes, and more
  • Comes with an option of ultra-quiet mode
  • Air filtration for medium to large rooms and can potentially cover 743 sq. feet at 1 exchange per hour, 371 sq. feet at 2 exchanges per hour, 248 sq. feet at 3 exchanges per hour, and 153 sq. feet at 4.8 exchanges per hour
  • Filters are Replaceable every 6-8 months (model FLT4850PT) and the UV-C bulb every 10-12 months (Model LB4000)
  • This air purifier’s ability has gained it an AHAM VERIFICATION & ENERGY STAR CERTIFICATION

Pros

  • The 5-in-1 air purification system
  • Suitable for medium to large rooms
  • Ultra-quiet
  • Energy saver
  • Long-lasting filters

Cons

  • Can affect asthma patients negatively

5. GermGuardian Pluggable Air Purifier & Sanitizer

GermGuardian Pluggable Air Purifier & Sanitizer offers the much-needed air purification system against pets’ odors and smoke for small rooms. Let’s take a look at some quick facts about this product:

  • Outstanding performance against germs and works perfectly to get rid of odors caused by bacteria, pets, and cooking fumes
  • Comes with a small size of 7 inches and can easily be pluggable on the wall; perfect sanitizer for the kitchen, litter box room, bathroom, or children's room
  • Odors caused by pets, smoke, cooking fumes, and more get cleaned by this air purifier
  • UV C light get rid of airborne viruses such as influenza, staph, rhinovirus
  • This plastic product offers a one year warranty
  • Super energy saver as operates on 120 Volt AC, 60 Hertz only

Pros

  • Compact design
  • Wall pluggability
  • Energy saver
  • Effective against all air impurities
  • One year warranty
  • Perfect for Kitchen and children room

Cons

  • Under-performs in low humidity

6. TaoTronics HEPA Air Purifier

TaoTronics HEPA Air Purifier can be a perfect choice if you are looking for a smoke-repelling, pet-friendly air purifying device for your home that also ensures the safety of kids. Let’s take a look at some quick facts about this product:

  • Designed with an advanced 3-Stage Filtration system (pre-filter, activated carbon filter, and true HEPA filter)
  • A complete air purifier effective against allergens, smoke, pollen, odors, dust, and smoke
  • Operates quietly at only 25dB which means a perfect sleeping environment at night
  • Works with a decent CADR rating of 150m³/h, circulates air quickly in a room up to 161ft² (15m²)
  • Works with 4 different fan speed (low, medium, high, and Turbo) which guarantees an optimal performance
  • Safe for kids against pets hair and pet dander
  • Easily replaceable filters

Pros

  • 3-Stage Filtration System
  • Relatively quiet and comes with a night light option
  • Safe for Kids
  • Pet-friendly
  • 4 types of fan speed, can be optimized based on purification needs
  • Affordable by most people

Cons

  • No smart assistance

7. TaoTronics Air Purifier

TaoTronics Air Purifier is an affordable device effective against smoke and Ideal for pet owners, parents with newborns, and people with sensitive nose/throat. Let’s take a look at some quick facts about this product:

  • Air Purifier features a three-stage filtration system (a pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter) that ensures filtration of at least 99.97% of fine airborne particles
  • Powerful enough to get rid of dust, pollen, smoke, odor, pet dander
  • CADR rating of 200m³/h ensures the covering up to 224 square feet and guarantees the significant improvement of indoor air quality
  • 100% Ozone Free Certification provided by CARB(EO NO.:G-20-228)
  • With noise levels as low as 24dB, it ensures your desired level of quietness with no disturbance for your sleep or study whatsoever
  • Works as a night light for both adults and kids, and offers 3 timer settings with 3 fan modes
  • With a filter replacement alert option, you do not have to worry about when to change your filter
  • Comes with Versatile Air Cleaning options 

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Kids friendly
  • Relatively quiet
  • 3 Stage filtration
  • Affordable by anyone
  • Elegant design
  • Filter replacement alert
  • Energy saver

Cons

  • Still can come up as noisy for some people

Benefits You Will Get With An Air Purifier Under $100

The most important benefit we get from any air purifiers is the purified breathable fresh air. However, when you are buying an air purifier at a rate as low as $100, there are always plausible concerns regarding the effectiveness of that product. The brief description we provided so far must have enriched your knowledge about this device. You have already learned that an air purifier that can be bought for under $100 is capable of functioning as effectively as an expensive one. Let’s have a look at some of the most important benefits you are likely to get from an air purifier under $100:

1. Remove Smoke

Smoke, in general, is something you do not want inside your room. It may get generated from cooking, wildfire, or tobacco. There are lots of affordable air purifiers you can buy under $100 that would remove smoke from your premises. Most of the air purifiers under $100 come with HEPA filters which play a pivotal role in removing smoke from your room.

2. Relieves Symptoms of Asthma

If you are an asthma patient, you must know by now the importance of pure air. Most of the asthma symptoms get triggered by the common impurities of our breathable air such as dust, smoke, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and other allergens. Most air purifiers under $100 are capable of providing you a guaranteed purified air that would eventually relieve your symptoms of Asthma.

3. Eliminates Harmful Chemicals

External pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide are responsible for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. There is no way you can halt their entry inside your house. Toxic chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine, and phthalates exist in our common cleaning agents. Occasional exposures to these chemicals might not be a big issue, however, continuous exposure can potentially cause issues like a tumor, cancer, cardiovascular, or neurological disorders. Most air purifiers that come with activated carbon are capable of eliminating these harmful chemicals from your air, even the ones that you can buy for under $100.

4. Eliminates Unpleasant Odors

When you have guests coming over to your house, you would not want to have a house full of unpleasant odors. Sometimes we do not have any control over the primary source of odors and therefore we need divides that can make our work easier. Most of the air purifiers under $100 are defined to function against the unpleasant odors potentially caused by gas, pets, smoke, cooking fumes. Air purifiers with HEPA and activated carbon filters can trap gases as well as particles. This way it provides you an odorless atmosphere.

5. Reduces Airborne Diseases

Most of the air purifiers under $100 come with a pre-filter, a HEPA filter, and an activated carbon filter that ensures a complete filtration of at least 99.97% of fine airborne particles. Ozone emitting UV C light helps to get rid of airborne viruses such as influenza, staph, rhinovirus. CARB CERTIFIED Federal Ozone Emissions Limit means there is no health risk whatsoever. Even the cheapest air purifier can become a perfect shield against all air-borne diseases.

6. Improves Sleep

The noise created by most of the air purifiers can be a disturbing issue for your sleep. Many people are overly sensitive about their sound sleep and they often show their doubt about the noise level. Well, most air purifiers under $100 now come with an ultra-quiet mode. This means there is no disturbance, on the contrary, you can have a better sleep with all those purified fresh air around you. Besides, allergens such as bacteria, dust mites, and fungi cause a runny nose frequent sneezing, nose congestion, watery eyes, coughing, or sore throat. You would not have to worry about them once you have an air purifier.

7. Reduces Harmful Radon

Radioactive elements such as uranium are found in certain building materials such as rocks, soil, and granite and they can produce colorless and odorless gas. This gas is can potentially increase the risk of lung cancer. HEPA and activated carbon filters are effective against radon particles and radon gas. Luckily most of the air purifiers are designed with these components and using them can ease your tension regarding these harmful effects.

What should I look for when buying an air purifier especially for smokes?

If you are considering buying an air purifier especially for smokes, there are multiple factors you might have to look for. Let’s take a brief look:

1. Filter (HEPA)

A HEPA filter is a specially engineered air filter that can clean at least 99.97% of particles from the air down to at least 0.3 microns in size. Smoke, especially tobacco smoke in general comes with a size of 0.3 to 0.5 microns, which means an air purifier that comes with a HEPA filter is capable of removing smoke particles from your air. Most of the air purifiers under $100 come with a HEPA filter.

2. Air Quality Indicator

Air Quality Indicator is another important component of an air purifier that can work against smoke. Some air purifiers come with built-in sensors that identify the number of harmful particles in the air. Advanced air quality sensors can easily detect the air quality of your room. They can show you red or green light as an indication of bad quality or good quality air. Before you buy an air purifier for smoke, these features can come in handy as sometimes you are not aware of how harmful the smoke can be.

3.Room Size

The size of your room is very crucial before you buy an air purifier. The bigger your room is, the less air exchange would happen per hour. If you have a bigger room to purify, you had better buy a stronger air purifier. The optimum air exchange should be 5 times an hour. If you are buying an air purifier for smoke, this issue should be taken seriously. This is a decisive factor in how effective your air purifier is.

4. EPA Rating

Let me make you clear what the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) rating is. Most air purifiers have a germs eliminator. Air purifiers generate a small amount of ozone to eliminate germs from the air, remove odors and kill mold. Ozone is an inorganic molecule and it’s radioactive. An appropriate amount of Ozone emission is good for air filtration, but if not so, it can potentially harm our health, especially Asthma patients. EPA rating means your air purifier holds an EPA-designated ozone limit of 0.08 parts per million.

5. Portable purifier for flexibility

Flexibility can be a deciding factor while we are buying an air purifier. We need an air purifier that can potentially cover up all the spaces of a whole house. However, most air purifiers function greatly in smaller spaces because of their air exchange rate per hour. Because of its functional limitation, we have to switch it from room to room sometimes. Owning an air purifier that can be easily moved and placed would solve many of our problems. Especially when we are buying an air purifier for Smoke, it comes in handy.

6. Consider the noise level of the purifier

Most people have this stereotypical notion about air purifiers that they make quite some noise, bad enough to interrupt your sleep. Well, I don’t blame them, as most of the air purifiers used to be noisemakers, to be honest. However, Modern air purifiers are designed with ultra-quiet mode. This means noise control is an option for users now. Besides, we can choose the speed of the fan to optimize the noise. Before you buy an air purifier for smoke, this can be an issue for you to consider.

How To Take Care of Your Air Purifier

It goes for all the electric devices- proper maintenance is the key to a long-lasting service. Many people do not care about the proper maintenance, and they end up questioning the quality of a product once it starts malfunctioning. Our recommendation is you take good care of your electric products. If you are wondering how to take care of your air purifying device perfectly, there are some tips:

  • Keep the area around your air purifier clean
  • Keep an eye on the air purifier filter indicator, make the replacement accordingly
  • The positioning of your air purifier is pretty important: make sure it’s placed somewhere from where it can suck air regularly
  • Avoid keeping stuff on top of it, it’s not a shelf nor table!
  • Detergent or other solvents are prohibited to clean your air purifier, they can ruin your product
  • Turn it off before you unplug it
  • Dry clothes are recommended to use while cleaning
  • Avoid using a vacuum cleaner on HEPA and Carbon filters
  • Try to clean your permanent filter every three months

FAQ

Can air purifiers remove the smoke smell?

Air purifiers that come with HEPA filters and activated carbon can efficiently remove smoke and smoke odors from your air. HEPA filters were originally designed to protect scientists from radiation during nuclear testing. HEPA filters are capable of removing small particles from the air, as small as 0.3 microns, believed to be the most difficult micron size to capture. 99.97% of the time True HEPA filters can effectively do their job.

Activated carbon, on the other hand, does the job to remove smoke odors from the air. Chemicals, odors, and gases pass through the activated carbon having been absorbed into its porous surface. It should be noted that, the amount of smoke you are likely to get exposed to plays a vital role in deciding which product you want to buy. The more powerful your HEPA filter and Activated carbon are, the more amount of smoke you can filter.

Does a HEPA filter remove smoke?

HEPA filters are capable of removing small particles from the air, as small as 0.3 microns, which is believed to be the most difficult micron size to capture. The effectiveness of the True HEPA filter is quite impressive, it works 97.97% time! Smoke created by Cigarettes or other tobacco products usually sizes from 4 to 0.01 microns. It’s important to purify the smoke during the time someone is smoking as once the smoke spreads, its particles reduce in size and make it quite challenging to capture. We recommend you use an air purifier at the time someone is smoking.

Do air purifiers work for bushfire smoke?

Yes, Air purifiers work for Bushfire as well. However, you must consider how frequently you are likely to expose to bushfire. If you have a chance to encounter frequent bushfire, you might consider buying air purifiers that comes with a stronger HEPA filter and Activated carbon. Usually, the air purifier that comes with relatively a small amount of activated carbon is efficient for tobacco smoke or cooking smoke. Wildfire, on the other hand, might require a much stronger filter to have uninterrupted service.

Can smoky air make you tired?

Smoke, in general, is not good for our health. Smoke is a complex mixture of gases and fine particles, usually created by the burning of woods and other organic materials. These fine particles that we penetrate deep into your lungs by inhaling smoky air can cause lung cancer and other lung diseases. Burning eyes, coughing and a runny nose are also some of the side effects of smoke. When your lung stops working properly because of smokey air, of course, you will feel extremely fatigued.

Product Recommendation

Our entire article is a complete result of some subtle research and studies we have made on the current market. Based on our research and observation, we would like to recommend you the best air purifier for smoke under $100. Our recommendation is GermGuardian True HEPA Filter 5-in-1 Air Purifier.

 
This lightweight 5-in-1 Air Purifier is quite effective against germs and allergens, it removes smoke and gets rid of all kinds of odors created by pets. Besides, it’s suitable for medium to large rooms and filters are easily replaceable. We believe this is the best product you can buy for under $100 among those 7 products we reviewed.

Conclusion


When you can buy something for only under $100, it might make you reluctant to study about the product, however, sometimes it’s not about the money at all. Sometimes it’s the time and affords you put on a product and they all might go in the vein once you don’t get your desired service out of it. We believe we have been a great help to make some points about the best air purifier for smoke under $100 in the market. Our article will quite you to make a realistic buy.


We, (Dominic and Ignatius) are the editors of Elegant Home Pro, we are Senior Air Quality and Comfort Specialist. We do in-depth research and analysis for high-performance home products with reputation and reasonable preferences to make your day-to-day exertion at ease.

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