Air purifiers for smoke:
Either stop smoking or stop breathing

Really, that's what it comes down to...

But the title says air purifiers for smoke, it doesn't say anything about a lecture on smoking.

Let's talk about ways to clear the air of tobacco smoke.

What you are up against

There are few things in the air you breath that are more difficult to tackle than cigarette and cigar smoke.

Talk about a toxic stew:

• carbon monoxide
• formaldehyde
• nitrogen dioxide
• hydrogen cyanide
• do we really need to keep going?

OK, we said it before, but it bear repeating. Stop smoking.

The bottom line ...

As long as the source of tobacco smoke is in the house, good luck.

A cigarette or cigar is a such a pollutant it will easily overwhelm air purifiers that are placed in the room.

The best solution? If you can't stop smoking, at least do it outside the house and away from any open windows or exhaust vents.

If the smoker refuses to smoke outside, try to limit the smoking to a single part of the house, such as a laundry room or utility room.

Close air vents, open a window and fan air outside while smoking.

Can air purifiers for smoke help?

If you keep smoking in the house, frankly no.

Almost any type of home air purifiers for smoke will be of limited use, and even those specifically made to address smoking will be more successful at limiting the odor than actually clearing the air of dangerous chemicals.

Air purifiers are not cures for secondhand smoke. A very good purifier many help limit exposure, but the cure is simple: Don't smoke in the house.

Air purifiers and carbon

The best air purifiers for smoke are those with carbon filters.

How carbon works:

Air pollution is made of two physical states - solid particles and gas odors.

Carbon has microscopic nooks and crannies that act like sponge, trapping odor molecules. So active carbon filters physically absorb gas molecules into their pores.

They are often referred to as gas filters and can be found in air purifiers of almost any technology.

Keep in mind:

• Like sponges (and other types of filters), they get full

When carbon becomes saturated, it must be replaced. Carbon filters are typically more expensive than the standard HEPA filters that are found in most carbon-free air purifiers.

• Carbon is great for gas, useless for particles

While these gas filters remove many gases and odors and some part of smoke, they will little or no impact on particles in the air. In typical home air purifiers for smoke, they are accompanied by a HEPA filter to strain out airborne particles.

• Weight = effectiveness

When considering carbon filters, look at the weight. With a few exceptions (like the IQ Air models), the more pounds of carbon, the better the cleaning ability.

Even a small amount might help with odors, but you want a strong air cleaner to do more than a superficial job.

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