Smoke Eaters vs. Air Purifiers: What's the Best Choice for a Cigar Bar?

By the Team at Commercial Air Purifiers | Published: November 5, 2025

You're a cigar bar owner, and you have a smoke problem. You've done the research, and you know you need a professional-grade solution. But your search has left you with a confusing, core question: should you buy a "smoke eater" or an "air purifier"?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but they can refer to two fundamentally different technologies. Choosing the wrong one is a costly mistake that can leave you with a lounge that looks clear but still reeks of stale, third-hand smoke.

As air quality experts, we've seen this exact problem derail new businesses. A "smoke eater" sounds like the perfect, rugged solution, but does it actually solve the whole problem?

In this article, we'll give you a direct, head-to-head comparison of the two technologies so you can make an informed, confident decision.

The Two-Part Problem: Haze vs. Odor

Before we can compare the technologies, we have to be clear on the enemy. Cigar smoke is a complex, two-part pollutant:

1. The Particles (The "Haze"): This is the visible smoke—a cloud of fine and ultra-fine particulate matter (PM2.5) made of tar, soot, and ash. This is what makes the air cloudy and leaves a sticky, yellowish film on your walls and furniture.

2. The Gases (The "Smell"): This is the invisible smoke. It's a toxic cocktail of thousands of chemicals and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).¹ According to the American Cancer Society, tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, including about 70 that are known to cause cancer. These gases—like formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene—are what cause the sharp, acrid odor and the long-term, stale smell.

    

A successful air-cleaning strategy must defeat both of these pollutants. If it only removes the haze but leaves the gases, your lounge will still smell.

Technology #1: The Classic "Smoke Eater" (Electrostatic Precipitator)

The term "smoke eater" traditionally refers to a specific technology called an Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP). These have been used in industrial settings like welding shops and machine shops for decades.²

How It Works

An ESP doesn't use a filter to "trap" smoke. Instead, it uses high-voltage electricity to "zap" it.³

1. Intake: A fan pulls the smoky air into the unit.

2. Ionizing: The air passes over high-voltage "ionizing wires," which give the solid smoke particles an electrical charge (like static electricity).⁴

3. Collection: The now-charged particles pass between a series of metal "collector plates" that have an opposite electrical charge.⁵

4. "Zap!": The charged particles are drawn to the oppositely-charged plates and stick to them with a "zap."⁶

5. Exhaust: The air—now free of particles—is pushed back into the room.

The Pros:

• Excellent at Removing Haze: ESPs are extremely efficient—often over 99%, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—at removing the particulate matter that creates visible smoke.

• Reusable "Filter": The collector plates don't get replaced. When they are full of caked-on tar and soot, you just remove them, wash them, and put them back. This means a very low ongoing filter cost.

The Cons (The Deal-Breakers):

• They Do Almost Nothing for Odor: This is the most critical failure. The smell of smoke comes from gaseous VOCs, which are not particles. These gases are not electrically charged by the ionizer and sail right past the collection plates, completely untouched. The unit removes the haze but leaves the smell.

• They Produce Ozone: The high-voltage ionizing process intentionally creates ozone (O3) as a byproduct. The EPA has stated unequivocally that ozone is a toxic gas and a powerful lung irritant. Inhaling ozone can aggravate asthma, reduce lung function, and inflame the airways.⁷ Adding a known lung irritant to a room already full of smoke is trading one major health hazard for another.

   

• Frequent, Messy Maintenance: That "reusable filter" sounds great in theory, but in a cigar lounge, it's a nightmare in practice. The plates become coated in a thick, sticky, tarry goo. They require frequent (often weekly) removal and must be soaked in harsh degreasing chemicals. It's a dirty, labor-intensive job that staff members hate and often neglect, causing the unit's efficiency to plummet.

Technology #2: The Modern Air Purifier (Media-Based Filtration)

This is the technology that most people now think of as an "air purifier." Instead of "zapping," it uses a series of advanced physical filters, or "media," to trap pollutants.

How It Works

This is a brute-force approach. A powerful fan pulls air in and forces it through a gauntlet of filters.

1. Intake: A high-CFM fan draws in the smoky air.

2. Stage 1: The Particle Filter (HEPA): The air is first pushed through a True HEPA filter. This is a dense, web-like mat that physically traps 99.97% of all particles down to 0.3 microns. This is what captures the tar, soot, and all the visible haze.

3. Stage 2: The Gas Filter (Carbon): The now-particle-free air is forced through a deep, heavy bed of activated carbon. As we explained in our article on carbon filters, this carbon adsorbs the gaseous VOCs, trapping the odor-causing chemicals at a molecular level.

4. Exhaust: Truly clean, odor-free air is pushed back into the room.

The Pros:

• The Complete Solution: This is the only technology that effectively removes both parts of the smoke problem: the HEPA filter gets the haze, and the carbon filter gets the smell.

• No Harmful Byproducts: A media-based purifier adds nothing to the air. It does not produce ozone. It simply removes pollutants, making it a far safer choice for your staff and patrons.

• Clean, Simple Maintenance: There is no messy, chemical-based washing. When the filters are full (typically after 9-18 months in a commercial setting), you simply pull out the old cartridges and slide in the new ones. It's a clean, 10-minute job.

The Cons:

• Ongoing Filter Costs: The filters are the "fuel" that makes the machine work. They are consumable and represent a recurring operational cost. You must budget for filter replacements to keep the system running at peak performance.

Head-to-Head Comparison: Smoke Eater vs. Air Purifier

For a cigar lounge, the choice becomes very clear when you see the technologies side-by-side.

The Verdict: What's Best for a Cigar Bar?

While the classic "smoke eater" is great at removing visible haze in an industrial shop, it is the wrong choice for a hospitality business like a cigar bar.

A lounge that looks clear but smells of stale smoke and ozone is not a premium experience.

The health and safety of your employees and patrons are paramount. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified the thousands of chemicals in secondhand smoke as a major health risk. The only responsible solution is to remove them, not to add another toxic gas like ozone to the mix.

The modern, media-based air purifier is the only solution that addresses the complete problem. It is a true air purification system, removing both the visible particles that create haze and the invisible chemical gases that create odor.

The recurring filter cost isn't a "con"; it's the cost of doing business. It's the price of the fuel that is actively removing thousands of toxic chemicals from your air, protecting your customers, your staff, and your investment.

Many modern businesses now prefer a comprehensive solution. Learn more in our guide to commercial air purifiers for cigar lounges.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Why do they even still sell electrostatic "smoke eaters"?

A: They are very effective and economical for their intended purpose. In an industrial welding shop, the main problem is particulate (metal dust, welding fumes), not odor. A washable, low-cost filter is a perfect solution for that environment. It's simply the wrong tool for the complex chemical problem of tobacco smoke.

Q: Some new "smoke eaters" say they use media filters. Is that true?

A: Yes, the terminology is very confusing. "Smoke eater" has become a popular marketing term for any powerful air cleaner. Many of the best modern units, like the ones in our Smoke Eaters collection, are called "smoke eaters" but use the superior HEPA/carbon media filtration technology, not electrostatic precipitation. The key is to ignore the name and look at the technology inside.

Q: Can't I just use a HEPA filter and an ozone generator separately?

A: We strongly advise against this. The EPA warns that ozone, at any level, is not safe for inhalation.8 Furthermore, they state that at concentrations that are safe to breathe, ozone is ineffective at removing most chemicals from the air. It's a dangerous and ineffective solution compared to the proven, safe technology of activated carbon.