Air purifiers for smog and smoke

Levoit

Core 300S

The Core 300 with a sensor: the same compact HEPA cylinder, plus a laser PM2.5 sensor, auto mode and app or voice control.

Smoke CADR

141 cfm

Room size

20 m² 219 ft²

• Laser PM2.5 sensor and auto mode
• VeSync app, Alexa and Google

Levoit

Core 300

A compact, simple HEPA purifier for a bedroom or study, with a carbon layer for smells and a sleep mode quiet enough to leave on overnight.

Smoke CADR

143 cfm

Room size

21 m² 222 ft²

• HEPA filter with a carbon layer
• Buttons only: nothing to set up

Levoit

Vital 100S

The smaller Vital: a washable pre-filter for pet hair, a pet mode and an app, in a slim purifier for bedrooms of about 20 m².

Smoke CADR

143 cfm

Room size

21 m² 222 ft²

• Washable pre-filter for pet hair
• Auto, sleep and pet modes; app control

Coway

Airmega 150

A small, quiet Coway for bedrooms and nurseries, with an air-quality sensor and auto mode, in green, white or pink.

Smoke CADR

153 cfm

Room size

22 m² 237 ft²

• All-in-one HEPA + carbon cartridge
• Sensor, auto mode, 20 dB on low

Levoit

Core 400S

A mid-size smart purifier that shows the room's PM2.5 on its display, adjusts itself in auto mode and runs from Levoit's VeSync app.

Smoke CADR

231 cfm

Room size

33 m² 358 ft²

• Laser PM2.5 sensor with a live readout
• App, Alexa and Google control

Winix

C545

A four-stage Winix with a washable pre-filter, a separate carbon filter for smells and a True HEPA filter, rated for rooms of about 33 m².

Smoke CADR

232 cfm

Room size

33 m² 360 ft²

• Washable pre-filter
• Air-quality sensor and auto mode

Switch PlasmaWave off: it's an ioniser, and the filters do the cleaning.

Coway

Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty

Named a top pick by Wirecutter year after year: quiet, efficient and simple, with an air-quality light and auto mode. The one we'd buy first for most rooms.

Smoke CADR

233 cfm

Room size

34 m² 361 ft²

• HEPA + deodorization filter
• Air-quality light and auto mode

It has an ioniser you can switch off. The HEPA filter does the cleaning.

Coway

Airmega AP-1512HHS (Mighty with Wi-Fi)

The Mighty with Wi-Fi: the same 233 cfm of clean air, plus Coway's IoCare app, Alexa and Google, and a washable pre-filter.

Smoke CADR

233 cfm

Room size

34 m² 361 ft²

• Same clean air as the Mighty
• IoCare app, Alexa and Google

Coway

Airmega 200M

The Mighty in a different shell: the same filters, motor and controls according to Wirecutter and RTINGS, behind a square front grille.

Smoke CADR

233 cfm

Room size

34 m² 361 ft²

• Same filters as the Mighty
• Air-quality light and auto mode

Levoit

Vital 200S

Built for homes with pets: a U-shaped intake and a pet mode for hair and dander, a washable pre-filter, and an app with PM2.5 readings.

Smoke CADR

250 cfm

Room size

36 m² 388 ft²

• Washable pre-filter for pet hair
• Pet mode, auto mode and app

Honeywell

HPA300

A plain, powerful purifier: 300 cfm of AHAM-verified smoke CADR with simple touch controls and a turbo setting, but no sensor or auto mode.

Smoke CADR

300 cfm

Room size

43 m² 465 ft²

• 300 cfm smoke CADR
• 5-year warranty

Coway

Airmega 400

Coway's big two-sided purifier: two sets of carbon and HEPA filters, a smart mode with a live air-quality ring, and a 5-year warranty.

Smoke CADR

376 cfm

Room size

54 m² 583 ft²

• Filters on both sides
• 5-year warranty

Coway's "1,560 ft²" assumes two air changes an hour. The AHAM-style room size is about 583 ft² (54 m²).

Levoit

Core 600S

Levoit's largest Core purifier: nearly 400 cfm of smoke CADR, a laser PM2.5 sensor, auto mode and app or voice control.

Smoke CADR

391 cfm

Room size

56 m² 606 ft²

• 391 cfm smoke CADR
• Laser sensor, auto mode, app

Older listings quote 410 cfm. The current Core 600S-P is rated 391.

Blueair

Blue Pure 211i Max

The most clean air on this list: 435 cfm of smoke CADR by Blueair's current rating, from 23 dB on low, with a washable fabric pre-filter.

Smoke CADR

435 cfm

Room size

63 m² 674 ft²

• 435 cfm smoke CADR
• Draws air from all sides

Older listings show 410 cfm. Blueair re-rated it to 435 under the new US test method.

Filtrete

MPR 1900 MERV 13 filters for a DIY box-fan purifier (4-pack)

The US EPA's do-it-yourself air cleaner: a MERV 13 filter taped to a 20-inch box fan. Four filters make a Corsi-Rosenthal box, which cleans faster.

• MERV 13, the rating EPA suggests
• 4 filters: enough for a Corsi-Rosenthal box

It has no AHAM rating, so the room-size filter leaves it out. Replace the filters when they turn grey.