What is a Sploof?
A Sploof is another name for a personal smoke filter, a device that stealthy smokers use to keep their sessions discrete. The exact origin of the word is unknown but the predominant theory is that it is a portmanteau (blend the sounds and combine the meaning) of the words “Spliff” and “Spoof”. A Spliff is defined differently depending on region, to most it is a marijuana cigarette mixed with tobacco and to some it simply means a particularly large or potent joint. A Spoof is another term for a playing a hoax with intent to deceive. When you blend those two words and concepts, you get a Sploof, a device intended to mask or restrain the smell of marijuana and/or nicotine.
The Evolution of the Sploof
The sploof has taken may different forms over the years, to varying degrees of success. The original sploofs were improvised DIY style devices used by people to hide the smell of marijuana smoke in a time when marijuana was strictly illegal nationwide. The sploof has evolved a lot since then and now you can buy professionally made smoke filtration devices from the same store that legally sells you recreational/medical cannabis. Let’s take a look at the history of the sploof:
The “OG” – Gained popularity in the 1970’s and that popularity continues to this day, for the uninformed. The “OG” is a simple cardboard tube stuffed with dryer sheets (or the even less efficient, single dryer sheet rubber banded to the end) and is also the most common improvised sploof you’ll see. I’m sure many of you remember trying the toilet paper roll sploof & towel stuffed under the door combination, with mixed results. This crude solution is better than nothing, but unfortunately it only masks some of the odor with fresh linen scent, similar to the way air freshener only masks the odor in the restroom. The hope is to simply cover the negative smells with enough positive smells. Good luck with this one, at least it’s basically free.
The “Carbon Copy” – This is the best DIY style of sploof and the underlying science is used in all modern sploofs today. In this rendition we use activated carbon to capture smoke via adsorption (instead of simply trying to mask the smell) and dryer sheets to mask any remainder and act as a net to keep your carbon from falling out the bottom of your device. Activated carbon is commonly used for water filtration in fish tanks and is widely available. You can use a soda bottle, PVC pipe or even the cannabis container from your last dispensary purchase for the outside housing but the inner components remain the same. These cost effective, refillable devices are a nice step up from the “OG” but don’t really compete with the professional smoke filters on the market.
The “Trash Buddy” – The legalization of medical (and eventually recreational) cannabis at the state level gave rise to some now infamous commercial smoke filters that are designed to be used for a very short while and then thrown away. These unsightly & disposable trash buddies give you around 200 – 300 uses and then they sit in a landfill, for the next 500 years. They are a step up from the DIY options but they are ugly, bulky and their disposable nature is wasteful & obsolete. A good rule of thumb is for every exhale you put into your “trash buddy”, it will sit in the landfill for another 1.5 to 2 years.
The PUFF – The Personal Use Face Filter (a.k.a. The PUFF) takes modern smoke filtration technology and pairs it with efficiency and style to create a whole new breed of Sploof. The PUFF has a luxurious & durable aircraft grade aluminum alloy casing, washable food grade silicone mouthpiece and a replaceable activated carbon infused HEPA filter cartridge to give you the best sploof available today. Available in 5 colors with affordable refills and one tree planted for every retail device sold, the PUFF is the perfect sploof for you or the smoking enthusiast in your life. Shop now and see what you’re missing!
Breaking it Down
The sploof was a device born out of necessity that became popular in the 1970’s with the “war on drugs” in full swing. The hope was to keep nosy neighbors (and law enforcement) unaware of potential illegal activities but the sploofs of old were simply masking tools that relied more on luck than science.
The carbon sploof came next. Also an improvised DIY device, the homemade carbon sploof uses activated carbon and dryer sheets in a container of your choosing (with a decent mouthpiece). This style is much better than it’s predecessor but can’t get close to the efficiency of a professionally made filtration device.
The first wave of commercial sploofs came pretty soon after cannabis was decriminalized in certain states. These trash buddies were better than DIY options with professionally made HEPA/carbon filters but their unattractive & disposable design left most intelligent smoking enthusiasts wanting more.
The PUFF is the final evolution of the sploof and everything we wanted from those other guys. Efficient smoke filtration with elegant design, replaceable cartridges and affordable from start to finish. This is the future of smoke filtration that once you try, you can’t live without.