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Just to stay off-topic for a sec ...
A given volume of poly-acrylic gel will hold (and thus release) more water than the same volume of silica beads. Thus, if you need a humidity source (e.g., because one has a POS humidor that doesn't seal worth a d*mn) then poly-acrylics are "better" than beads - "better" meaning ONLY that one has to add water much less often.
However, poly-acrylic used in this manner has no ability to regulate RH. To get that ability, one must use propylene glycol (PG) solution (50:50, and you're stuck with 70%RH). Thus, the available water is reduced in half. Now, that half is still more water than beads, but the difference in time-to-adding-water is not so great now.
On the other side, in summer (or Florida) when/where the ambient RH is greater then desired - and one has to remove moisture - then silica beads (that aren't saturated) work much better than poly-acrylic with PG solution (and Poly-acrylic without PG doesn't work at all).
Active humidification (with poly-acrylic in the reservoir) + beads = desktop (or display) SOTA (IMHO).
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Smart(assed) Canadians! I was thinking of the Puck and it's cousins that replace the rectangular containers.
