Although e-cigarette starter kits may include an enormous variety of different accessories, the only one that is truly required is an e-cigarette charger. Without one, you’d only be able to use your e-cigarette battery once. This means that although the e-cigarette charger may be one of the most overlooked items in any e-cigarette kit, it’s actually one of the most important. In this article, I’ll be describing the different chargers an e-cigarette kit might contain. I’ll also explain how to use them.

USB E-Cigarette Charger

The USB e-cigarette charger is usually the base charger that attaches to all of your other e-cigarette accessories. It’s a simple dongle with a USB connector on one end and battery threading on the other. You use it by screwing a battery into the threading and connecting it to a USB port. At this point, the light on the end of the e-cigarette battery usually flashes and an indicator light on the USB charger turns red. When the indicator light turns green or shuts off, the battery is charged. In some cases, the light on the end of the battery may also shut off when the charge cycle is finished.

Wall E-Cigarette Charger

In most cases, you use a wall e-cigarette charger by screwing a battery into a USB charger, connecting the USB charger to the wall charger and plugging the whole assembly into a wall outlet. Why would you bother doing this when a USB charger is available? First, a USB charger with a battery connected may extend several inches from a USB port. This isn’t a huge problem if the charger is connected to a desktop computer or USB hub, but it may be a bit awkward if you have a laptop. In addition, some older computers supply very little power through their USB ports, so charging your e-cigarette battery via a wall outlet may be faster.

Car E-Cigarette Charger

A car e-cigarette charger works similarly to a wall charger. You use it by connecting a battery to a USB charger, connecting the USB charger to the car charger and connecting the assembly to a car’s cigarette lighter port. This is an essential accessory if you spend more time in your car than you do in front of your computer.

Portable E-Cigarette Charger

A portable e-cigarette charger — also known as a PCC — is a small e-cigarette case with an internal battery, a terminal for an e-cigarette battery and usually storage for a few refill cartridges. So, using this charger, you have an easy way to carry your e-cigarette and refill cartridges along with a bit of insurance in case your battery dies on the go. It usually takes at least an hour to bring a dead e-cigarette battery up to a full charge, although larger batteries may take longer. Some portable e-cigarette chargers have their own unique features, which I write about in the link above.

E-Cigarette Charger Compatibility

If you misplace the only e-cigarette charger in your starter kit, it’ll be a pretty serious issue as you’ll be unable to use your e-cigarette at all until a replacement arrives. If the vendor from whom you purchased your e-cigarette kit asks too much for replacement chargers or is no longer in business, you can in many cases use another vendor’s charger if the threading is compatible. Always ask the company if your e-cigarette will work with their charger before purchasing. This compatibility list is based on battery threading only, and I can’t accept responsibility if a given charger doesn’t work with a battery or if any damage is caused.

L88 Theading: Volcano, Blu

510 Threading: Volcano Magma, Blu Premium 100

KR-808 D1 Threading: V2 Cigs, Halo G6

eGo Threading: Volcano Inferno, Virgin Vapor Easy Electronic Cigarette, most other eGo models

RN4081 Threading: NJOY