A smoke filter for vaping: what it is and how it works

First things first: vapes don't produce smoke

A vape gives off an aerosol, a mist of tiny droplets of PG, VG and flavouring. It looks like smoke and hangs around like smoke, so most people just call it smoke. For practical purposes it doesn't matter much. You get a visible cloud, and a smell that works its way into curtains, sofas and carpet and is still there hours after you've left.

So when someone looks for a smoke filter for their vape, the real question is usually simple. How do I get rid of the cloud and the smell?

Two kinds of "smoke filter"

The first kind is the in-line filter. It sits between the vape and your mouth, a bit like the filter on a cigarette. It changes how the draw feels, but it has no effect on your exhale, and everything you breathe out still ends up in the room. If you're after discretion, it won't help.

The second kind works at the other end. With a personal exhale filter you take your puff as usual and then breathe out through the filter rather than into the room. The material inside catches the aerosol droplets. Very little visible vapour comes out the other side, and most of the smell stays behind in the filter too. Fumigo is this second kind. For a broader look at the options, read vape filter: what it is and which one to get.

How an exhale filter works

There isn't much to it. Inside is a dense filter material with a lot of internal surface area. When you breathe out through the mouthpiece, the aerosol has to find its way through that material, and the droplets that carry both the cloud and the scent get stuck along the way. Air gets through. The cloud mostly doesn't.

It needs no battery, no electronics and no cleaning. Breathe out, pocket it, done.

What it can do, and what it can't

A filter isn't magic, so here are the limits.

It filters your exhale, and that's where nearly all of the cloud and smell comes from. That's the part that counts.

It doesn't change any rules. Where vaping is banned, by law or by house rules, it's still banned with a filter. Fumigo is for the places where you're allowed to vape and simply want to keep the cloud and smell down.

It works with any vape. Disposable, pod system or mod, the filter doesn't care, because all it deals with is your breath.

And "virtually no smell" doesn't mean zero. In a small room with no airflow a faint trace can linger. Open a window a crack as well and you'll notice a big difference.

Reusable or disposable?

Reusable filters exist too, mostly made with smokers in mind. They tend to be bigger, and their filter material slowly fills up, so after a while you're relying on something that's been in use the whole time.

Fumigo went the other way. It's a disposable filter that fits in your pocket and lasts up to 100 exhales. Every unit starts with fresh material, so you're never relying on a filter that's been in use for months. When it's used up you throw it away and open the next. With no battery there's nothing to charge and nothing to break.

Where a smoke filter comes in handy

In a hotel room it keeps the cloud off the ceiling and the smell out of the sheets. At home it means flatmates and partners don't have to live with your habit. The car is another one, because vapour gets into seat fabric fast. And since Fumigo has no battery, it's easy to take along on a trip.

Try Fumigo

Fumigo is a personal vapor filter made for vapers. It's disposable, it fits in your pocket, it's good for up to 100 puffs and it comes in blue or black. One unit costs €8.95. The 3-pack is €24.95 and ships free for now.

See all the details on the product page or head straight to checkout. We ship within 24 hours from the Netherlands. Delivery takes 1–2 days in NL, 2–3 days in BE/DE and 3–7 days elsewhere in the EU. You're covered by a 30-day guarantee, no questions asked.