These HEPA Air Purifiers Will Help Keep Wildfire Smoke Out of Your Home

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

The smoke wildfires produce can be detrimental to your health—especially your lungs. While a face mask may help protect you against wildfire smoke when you’re out and about, wearing one is not a 24/7 solution. This is where the best air purifiers for wildfire smoke come into play. These high-tech devices cleanse the air in your abode, making your home safer (and more pleasant!). Currently, large swaths of the East Coast of the U.S. are enveloped in smoke due to Canadian wildfires. While staying indoors will definitely lessen potential smoke inhalation side effects, smoke can infiltrate your home.

Wildfire smoke can cause your eyes to burn, irritate your respiratory system, worsen chronic heart and lung diseases, and make you more prone to lung infections, including COVID-19, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Smoke is made up of a mixture of gases and fine particles that are created when wood and other organic materials burn, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explains. But the microscopic particles in smoke are the most concerning—they can travel deep into your lungs. That can cause a range of health problems, ranging from airway issues to premature death. So, looking for an air purifier that can lessen the number of microscopic particles is key for better breathing.

Our top picks

Ready to invest in an air purifier? Check out the top-rated options below, many of which were independently tested by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), which determines how effective the devices are.

Airmega AP-1512HH

Coway’s Mighty Air Purifier—which is Energy Star-certified and has a true HEPA filter—includes built-in sensors that can monitor your indoor air quality. If it doesn’t detect pollution for 30 minutes, it shuts itself off to conserve power, a feature that should delight frugal and eco-conscious shoppers alike. The air filter is designed to clean rooms up to 361 square feet, although it notes that it does a better job of filtering out smoke in a smaller space. Overall, it’s a solid device with good looks, making it a worthwhile investment this wildfire season.

AC4100

It’s tough to find air purifiers with true HEPA filters for less than $60, but GermGuardian’s 78-square feet model is the real deal. Looking something like a desktop speaker, it’s really only effective in smaller rooms, but that’s the point: Add this device to your bathroom or other small spaces.

Air Purifier and Tower Fan

This air purifier and tower fan duo are great for warm, smokey evenings. With over 87,000 ratings on Amazon and nearly five stars, shoppers love it too. It filters air in rooms up to 1,095 square feet, its H13 True HEPA filter works alongside the pre-filter and high-efficiency activated carbon filter to capture 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 microns.

AC4200W

Another GermGuardian gem, this tiny model can purify the air in rooms up to 105 square feet and is more affordable than comparable units without HEPA filters—an impressive feat for its sub-$100 price tag. Reviewers rave that the unit works well in small bedrooms, filtering out odors, pet dander, dust, and, of course, smoke.

Classic 205

Designed with wifi compatibility, this true HEPA air purifier allows you to control its speed, set a child lock, and set timers from your smartphone. It even circulates air up to five times per hour in small and medium rooms. Plus, its filters are entirely recyclable, meaning you won’t have to add them to the landfill when it’s time to switch them out.

D480

This air purifier by Winix is designed for rooms that are 480 square feet or smaller, making it a great fit for living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. The machine has a three-stage cleaning system that starts by filtering out larger particles before moving on to remove 99.97% of unseen particles, down to 0.3 microns. Four fan speeds and a sleep mode help ensure you’ll find the right setting for you, no matter the time of day.

Pure Cool TP01

Wildfire season falls during some of the hottest months of the year, meaning you probably need every ounce of cool air you can get. This bladeless fan-true HEPA purifier combo from Dyson more than delivers, offering the best of the brand’s fans while also ridding your home’s air of smoke and allergens. And its easy-to-use remote, remarkably quiet operation, and stylish looks further set it apart.

Air400

This true HEPA Bissell machine has a massive reach; it can filter a room that’s up to 1,200 square feet in size (although works best in rooms about 400 square feet). It features a honeycomb-style filter to weed out impurities in the air and a special sensor to monitor, report, and respond to changes in your indoor air quality by adjusting fan speed as needed. And beyond its impressive specs, it’s also beloved by reviewers, who praise its ability to cut down on allergens and filter a high volume of air on its top setting.

How to choose the best purifier for wildfire smoke

Measure your home. When looking for an air purifier, the EPA recommends checking its square footage rating; simply measure the length and width of the room you plan to use it in, then multiply those numbers to find its square footage. To be even more thorough, determine your unit’s clean air delivery rate (CADR), which expresses the volume of air cleaned every minute and is measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm). Divide your room’s square footage by 1.55 to find its minimum CADR rating; a 150-square-foot room, for example, requires an air purifier with at least a 97 cfm CADR rating.

Look for energy savers. The EPA’s Energy Star program tests and highlights high-efficiency air purifiers, helping consumers pick units that are cheaper (and more eco-friendly) to run. Energy Star-certified air purifiers are 40% more efficient than conventional models, the agency says, which translates to about $30 saved per year.

Go with true HEPA. Although they may be more expensive than other options, HEPA (or high-efficiency particulate absorbing) filters are more effective than non-HEPA filters, and experts strongly recommend sticking with them. (You might encounter “HEPA-like” and “HEPA-type” filters in product descriptions; they are not true HEPA filters.)Also keep this in mind, per the EPA: “Air cleaners that cost less than about $200 often do not clean the air as well and may not be helpful for wildfire smoke.” Finally, if you decide to invest in an air filter, Dr. Casciari says it’s important to use it properly. “In order for them to be really effective, you need to close off the room and run them 24/7,” he explains.

Can air purifiers reduce exposure to wildfire smoke?

Staying indoors when your region has poor air quality due to wildfire smoke is important, but fine particles in the air can still make their way into your home, says Raymond Casciari, M.D., a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA. “They can absolutely impact indoor air quality,” he explains.

That’s why running an air purifier or air filter can be helpful, says Jonathan Parsons, M.D., a pulmonologist at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. “Air purifiers draw in polluted air, trap the particles, then blow out clean air.” Portable air cleaners with high-efficiency filters can reduce indoor particle concentrations by as much as 85%, per the EPA.

That said, they won’t be “universally protective” in areas where high levels of smoke are an issue, Dr. Parsons says. But they’re better than nothing, especially if you plan to stay indoors or have respiratory issues that could be exacerbated by smoke, the EPA explains.

How we chose the best air purifiers for wildfire smoke

We spoke with Raymond Casciari, M.D., a pulmonologist at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA; Jonathan Parsons, M.D., a pulmonologist at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center; referenced the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) testing; and poured through countless user reviews to find the best air purifiers to rid your home of wildfire smoke.

Why trust us

For more than 70 years, Prevention has been a leading provider of trustworthy health information, empowering readers with practical strategies to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our editors interview experts to help guide our health-focused product selections. Additionally, Prevention also examines hundreds of reviews—and often conducts personal testing done by our staff—to help you make informed decisions.

You Might Also Like

• Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss?

• Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50