The air purifier for smoke that captures the ultrafine particles HEPA misses
Wildfire haze, cigarette smoke, cooking smoke — the harmful part is the fine and ultrafine particulate that hangs in the air for hours. AirSoap's filterless TPA technology charges and captures those particles on washable plates, down to 0.0146µm — about 20× finer than a HEPA filter.
Do air purifiers help with smoke?
Yes — if the purifier can capture particles small enough. Smoke is not one thing: it is a cloud of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and even smaller ultrafine particles, mixed with gases and odor-causing VOCs. The finest particles are the ones that stay airborne longest and travel deepest into your lungs — and they are exactly the ones a basic filter is worst at catching.
AirSoap's TPA (Two-Pole Active) technology charges and captures particles down to 0.0146 microns — about 20× finer than a HEPA filter — so it pulls in the ultrafine smoke particles ordinary purifiers let slip through, and removed 99% of PM2.5 in testing. Its catalytic stage also helps break down many of the VOCs behind that lingering smoke smell.
Built to capture the fine particles smoke is made of
Independent testing of AirSoap's TPA technology against the fine particulate and airborne pollutants that make up smoke.
| Airborne pollutant / measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Fine particles (PM2.5) | 99% |
| Particles down to 0.0146µm (14.6 nm) | >99.9% |
| Airborne particles / allergens (1 hr chamber) | >96% |
| Airborne bacteria (2 hr) | >92% |
| Formaldehyde clean-air delivery rate | 60.1 m³/h |
| Fine-particle floor vs HEPA (~0.3µm) | ~20× finer |
Sources: TPA Filter Performance Data and TPA white paper (third-party reference materials); 1-hour chamber result from the Guangdong Detection Center of Microbiology; particle-size floor from the National Center of Quality Supervision & Inspection for Air Conditioning Equipment; formaldehyde CADR per CVC/Vkan (GB/T 18801-2015). Tests conducted on Airdog TPA units (the same hardware as AirSoap X3/X5) under laboratory conditions; real-world results vary by room size, smoke source, runtime, and ventilation.
Smoke particles are tiny. TPA is smaller.
The most harmful smoke particles are the ultrafine ones that float for hours and slip past ordinary filters. AirSoap charges them and pulls them out of the air.
The air purifier for wildfire smoke
When wildfire smoke rolls in, the air fills with fine particulate (PM2.5) — and a large share of it is ultrafine, the size that reaches deepest into your lungs. That is exactly the range AirSoap is built to capture.
It is dominated by PM2.5 and ultrafine particles
Wildfire smoke is mostly fine particulate matter 2.5 microns and smaller, and much of it is ultrafine (under 0.1 micron). Those particles stay suspended indoors for hours, drift in through gaps around windows and doors, and are the ones health agencies warn about most during smoke events.
Captures down to 0.0146 microns
AirSoap charges and collects particles down to 0.0146 microns — about 20× finer than a HEPA filter — and removed 99% of PM2.5 in testing. Run it on high in the room you spend the most time in during a smoke event, with windows shut, to keep indoor smoke particles down. And because the plates rinse clean, a heavy smoke day will not cost you an expensive filter.
Charged-plate purifier — without the ozone worry
Many people shopping for a smoke air purifier have heard that some ionizers give off ozone, which is itself a lung irritant. Here is where AirSoap stands.
CARB-certified ozone-safe
AirSoap's TPA technology is certified under the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Executive Order for electronic air cleaners — the standard that limits ozone emissions. It cleans the air with charged, washable collection plates, not by flooding the room with ozone. So you get charged-particle capture of fine smoke particulate while staying within California's strict ozone-safety limits.
Why a filterless purifier wins against smoke
Smoke loads a HEPA filter fast — then you are buying replacements mid-wildfire-season. AirSoap captures the fine particulate on washable plates you simply rinse.
Loads up — and misses the finest
HEPA filters are rated at ~0.3 microns and are least efficient right around the ultrafine size that dominates smoke. Heavy smoke also clogs them quickly, so airflow drops and you replace a costly filter — often exactly when a smoke event has them working hardest.
Captures — down to 0.0146µm
AirSoap charges smoke particles and collects them on washable plates — capturing pieces ~20× finer than HEPA, including the ultrafine smoke particulate that slips through. Rinse the plates and the pre-screen, reuse them. No smoke-loaded filters to buy on repeat.
Wildfire, cigarette, and cooking smoke — handled
Wildfire smoke
Pulls fine and ultrafine PM2.5 out of your indoor air during smoke events — 99% of PM2.5 removed in testing — so the room you shelter in stays clearer while the haze is outside.
Cigarette & cannabis smoke
Captures the fine particulate from secondhand smoke on charged plates, while the catalytic stage helps break down many of the odor-causing VOCs that make smoke smell linger in a room.
Cooking smoke & grease haze
Handles the fine smoke and airborne grease from a scorched pan or a smoky kitchen — and because the plates just rinse clean, cooking residue does not ruin a disposable filter.
Set it up before the smoke arrives
During a smoke event, close the windows and run AirSoap on high in the room where you spend the most time — usually the bedroom or main living area. It quietly pulls the fine smoke particulate out of the air so you breathe easier indoors while it clears outside.
Dealing with year-round triggers too? See our air purifier for allergies and air purifier for pets pages.
The best AirSoap air purifier for smoke
Same filterless TPA technology, sized for your space. Pick by the room you want to keep smoke-free.
UP TO 860 SQ FTAirSoap X3
UP TO 1,600 SQ FTAirSoap X5
Air purifiers and smoke, answered
Do air purifiers really help with smoke?+
Is AirSoap a good air purifier for wildfire smoke?+
Does it remove cigarette and cannabis smoke?+
Does AirSoap produce ozone?+
Is a filterless purifier better than HEPA for smoke?+
Where should I put an air purifier during a smoke event?+
Clear the smoke out of your air
Filterless smoke relief that removes 99% of fine PM2.5, captures the ultrafine particles HEPA misses, and stays CARB-certified ozone-safe — with no smoke-loaded filters to replace.
Shop AirSoap Air PurifiersRemoval figures are from independent laboratory testing of TPA technology against aerosolized particulate under controlled conditions (TPA Filter Performance Data and white paper, third-party reference materials; 1-hour chamber result from the Guangdong Detection Center of Microbiology; particle-size floor from the National Center of Quality Supervision & Inspection for Air Conditioning Equipment; formaldehyde CADR per CVC/Vkan, GB/T 18801-2015). Test units are Airdog TPA models, the same hardware as AirSoap X3/X5. CARB certification refers to compliance with the California Air Resources Board ozone-emission limit for electronic air cleaners. Real-world performance varies with room size, smoke source, runtime, and ventilation. AirSoap is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.