Even for people who aren’t sensitive to smoke particles, breathing them in can be a real pain. Not only is the smell unpleasant, but the simple act of breathing also becomes very uncomfortable. There’s also the fact that in general, breathing smoke in is pretty harmful.
Should you be smoke sensitive, all the negative effects multiply, and it becomes a highly uncomfortable experience. Such people can benefit greatly from having a wearable air purifier on them.
You’re probably more familiar with larger air purifiers that are typically used to improve the air quality in rooms. Personal air purifiers do the same thing, but on a smaller scale, and are typically designed to be conveniently worn by their users.
The idea is to improve air quality near the device, which will protect from:
- Smoke particles
- Pet dander
- Dust mites
- Bacteria
- Mold spores
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Today, you’ll get a quick rundown of the three best personal air purifier options on the market to help you make a decision on which one might be best for you!
The Best Wearable Personal Air Purifiers For Sensitivity To Smoke
If you are in a hurry, here are links to our favorite personal air purifiers.
| Rank | Name | Picture | Price | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Triad Shield Aer |  | $$ | Visit Website |
| #2 | PureAir Solo |  | $$ | Visit Website |
| #3 | AirTamer 320 |  | $$$ | Visit Website |
1. Triad Shield Aer
At the top of the list is none other than the Triad Shield Aer, which has managed to effectively stand out from its competitors in the market of portable air purifiers. Its name comes from the fact that it functionally creates a shield with a 4-foot radius, which allows the person using it to experience consistently fresh air.
The compact air purifier is small and lightweight, allowing it to be easily transported and used in just about any context. There’s also no complication in using it and the idea of getting 28 hours of usage time from a 3-5 hour charge is an excellent deal.
This personal air purifier comes under the ionizer category. Many portable air purifiers of today use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter designs and may even also feature an activated carbon filter setup to improve their efficiency.
While the filtration scheme of HEPA air purifiers is reputable, ionization tends to work best for wearable air purifiers. Not only are ionizers lighter than their HEPA filter counterparts with carbon filters, but they also keep the air clean by repelling the unwanted particles altogether instead of filtering them.
Read Our Detailed Review Of The Triad Shield Aer
2. PureAir Solo
Like the previous personal air purifier on the list, this is yet another ionization-based design that will inactivate smoke and other pathogens in the air. Again, this means that there are no HEPA filters to be replaced, which is always a plus.
Its design is super sleek, which is what you always want to see in wearable air purifiers. Who would want to wear a device around the neck that stands out in the most unattractive way imaginable?
You’re getting a 3-foot protection zone with this wearable air purifier, and it’s of course, incredibly light! The operation is fanless, which is great for those who are big on the quietness element of personal air purifiers.
After all, they’re worn pretty close to the body and become obnoxious if not designed with a low enough decibel rating. Having no fan means no fan noise to think about. Finally, this is one of those personal air purifiers that requires minimal upkeep, so it should stick with you for some time to come.
Read Our Detailed Review Of The PureAir Solo
3. AirTamer A320
The final entrant on the list is none other than the AirTamer A320, which is well-known for being one of the best personal air purifier options on the market today. In testing conducted by the Kitasto Research Center for Environmental Science, the model was proven to reduce a couple of known viruses by 99%.
It stands to reason that its effect on particles of smoke (which are larger than virus particles, and, therefore, easier to block out) would be very noticeable.
This is another ionizer, which means no need for replacement filters as you would need to think about with HEPA filter designs.
One thing that makes this air purifier truly incredible is the battery life that you get on what is a very quick charge. It will perform for over 150 hours before you need to plug it in again. Considering anything over 24 hours is considered great for wearable personal air purifiers, achieving that kind of time is next level!
Read Our Detailed Review Of The AirTamer 320
Why a Portable Air Purifier?
There’s a reason why there are so many air purifiers out there for you to choose from. Sure, there are those people who just want to be able to breathe clean air by default. However, there are others who smoke, pet dander, etc. will affect them negatively, so they need to protect themselves.
Just because smoke irritates you, it doesn’t mean you should go anywhere. People are burning garbage, companies are letting off smoke, and there are many cigarette smokers around. These are all reasons to get your hands on the best wearable air purifier possible.
Bear in mind that these are not the same as a mini air purifier. Such designs are meant to provide clean air to an entire room. Many personal air purifiers are pretty powerful but they still were never designed with those kinds of workloads in mind.
Isn’t Ozone Production a Problem?
This is a great question, especially when you’re talking about an air purifier, which is the kind of thing that you’ll be wearing close to the chest. Ionization is commonly associated with ozone production, after all.
Realistically though, while there is some ozone production, your air purifier isn’t going to be producing a problematic amount. There’s a reason why the units are considered safe enough to be so close to you.
Pros and Cons of Having a Personal Air Purifier
So you’ve decided to get an air purifier from the list above to guarantee yourself fresh and clean air. What are some of the advantages that you can look forward to?
- The lightweight and portable design mean that both transportation and wearing are no issues.
- Maintenance requirements are pretty easy to meet.
- The rechargeable battery design is optimal, allowing for long use with minimal charging.
- Quiet operation means that you won’t find the air filtration process disruptive.
On the other hand, what are the downsides to consider?
- Depending on your budget, you could potentially find the units a bit pricey.
- If you’re in a large space, the devices can become less viable.
Maintenance and Versatility
The versatility of a personal air purifier should never be understated. Accessing fresher air, especially when there’s smoke around with just the push of a button is nothing short of huge.
Many models that feature HEPA filters are now designed to ensure that you don’t need to change them very often. While this is a step in the right direction, as alluded to above, ionizers are even better in this regard, which further reduces the maintenance requirements associated with owning one.
Typically, manufacturers will provide a basic list of maintenance requirements in the user guide or manual, and you’ll find that for personal air purifiers, they’re not prohibitive at all. If desired, you can download an electronic copy of the documentation before purchase to get an idea of the requirements.
A Couple Tips for Air Purifier Use and Shopping
As great as a wearable air purifier is, you may not find it as useful as it’s intended to be if you aren’t using it as expected. For example, remember that they are designed to give you cleaner air within a small radius.
Some will even tell you that they are for small spaces. Pay attention to manufacturer recommendations and stick to them for the best results.
Remember that while maintenance requirements may not be much, they still exist and should never be ignored. Typically, the overarching requirement is to keep the air purifier clean, and you will be instructed on doing so. Considering the unit’s job, cleanliness is non-negotiable.
Realistically, even if you check out reviews, you’ll never know what your experience with an air purifier will be unless you’re the one using it. To this end, you should look out for warranty or money-back guarantees, whether they are offered by the manufacturer or whichever storefront you may be using for your purchase.
Remember the Noise Consideration
One of the things that stands out about the models that were chosen is their ability to remove airborne contaminants without being a complete nuisance to the user. Even when an air purifier fan may not sound too bad when a bit further away, it can get intense when it’s around your neck.
It’s never a bad idea to see what the noise level ratings are on purifiers that you may be interested in to get a feel for what you can expect when you start using them.
Final Remarks
Being smoke sensitive can be hard to deal with in a world where there are so many places where it’s prevalent. Thankfully, you can use a wearable air purifier to make your life that much easier with cleaner air.
Above, you got to see a few of the best ionizers available, as well as some useful details to help you buy and use them when the time comes.