The Best Air Purifiers for Wildfire Smoke

Air quality is a critical element in any living space. As a matter not only of comfort but also safety for yourself, your family, and your friends, it's imperative to prioritize indoor air quality and eliminate pollutants in your home year-round. It's particularly important to up the ante against harmful particulate matter and smoke particles during wildfire season each year in August, when wildfire smoke can infiltrate your home and toxify your clean air. The ultimate way to protect yourself and your loved ones during this dangerous time of year is to review the best air purifiers for wildfire smoke on the market right now and invest in the one that's right for you.

When it comes to choosing the best air purifier to combat wildfire smoke, it's first important to understand the different models, components, and overall technology of the machines. All air purifiers use filters, of which there are a few different kinds. High-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are the most powerful filters out there. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that HEPA filters remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and other fine particles of air pollution that are as small as 0.3 microns in size.

Meanwhile, activated carbon filters represent filtration technology geared toward odor control, removing gaseous pollutants like VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that might not be captured by HEPA filters. The most effective air purifiers use both HEPA and Activated Carbon Filters simultaneously, along with pre-filters for an additional layer of protection.

Of course, not all air purifiers are created equal, so we've scoured the market to source the cream of the crop of true HEPA air purifiers to use during wildfire season. Check out our breakdown below of the seven top air purifiers that will keep you safe and healthy this August.

This medical-grade air purifier is used throughout homes, offices, schools, and hospitals, as well as industrial and commercial sites. It can clean the air in expansive spaces up to 1,125 square feet, and removes 99.995% of all airborne particles down to 0.003 microns in size.

This true HEPA filter air purifier from Alen captures up to 99.9% of harmful particles as small as 0.1 microns. It's also suited for large, open-concept areas up to 1,300 square feet and is available in six different colors.

The Levoit Core 400S has a compact cylindrical shape and uses VortexAir™ Technology to increase indoor air circulation and filtration efficiency.

This air purifier offers 360 degrees of advanced filtration and comes with a pre-filter layer that removes large particles and extends the life of the main filter. It can also be upgraded during wildfire season with SmokeBlock Filters that provide additional activated carbon to remove up to 99.99% of wildfire smoke.

The Airmega from Coway boasts four-stage filtration and a Vital Ionizer that generates an electro-chemical reaction to reduce ultra-fine particles even further.

Here's another air purifier for larger spaces, with the ability to clean up to 840 square feet every 30 min. The MA-40 uses three layers of filtration, has three fan speeds, and a child lock for safety.

Designed for large rooms, the air320 Smart Air Purifier can filter a range of room sizes up to 1,582 square feet. It contains a three-stage filtration system including an H13 medical-grade HEPA filter, a fabric pre-filter, and an activated carbon filter.