Provided herein are chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), comprising an extracellular BCMA-binding domain, in particular a scFv. The CAR also comprises a spacer of at least 125 amino acids in length, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular signaling region. It may also include an intracellular costimulatory domain. Also provided are genetically engineered cells expressing the CARs and uses thereof such as in adoptive cell therapy.