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iJOY Limitless RDTA Box Review

The iJOY Limitless RDTA Box is a great idea that doesn’t quite seem ready for prime time. My unit also has one very big problem. Click now to learn more.

Recently, I reviewed the VaporFi VAIO — a box mod with a built-in tank system. My experience was really problematic. I ultimately concluded that a built-in tank may not actually be the best idea with a box mod. Too little flexibility, and too much potential for airflow issues. Not long after, though, I received the iJOY Limitless RDTA Box. At first, I had an excellent experience. Its design eliminates the potential for airflow issues, and you can build coils to your specifications — so there’s plenty of variety. Unfortunately, the mod’s screen failed on me after less than two weeks of use. Since the screen is pretty much an essential component of the iJOY Limitless RDTA Box, I find this device impossible to recommend. You might consider it with a really good warranty. Otherwise, take a look at my box mod guide for alternatives.

The RDTA itself, though? That’s pretty darn good — and you can buy it separately.

Thanks to Heaven Gifts for providing the iJOY Limitless RDTA Box and RDTA for this review. View it on their website. The Limitless RDTA Box costs $79.50 and ships worldwide. Use the coupon code AGRL10 to save 10 percent on your order.

About the iJOY Limitless RDTA Box

iJOY Limitless RDTA Box Review

RDTA vs RTA?

RDTA is a term invented by iJOY to describe the capabilities of its rebuildable tank system, which essentially combines the features of a rebuildable atomizer and rebuildable tank system. The RDTA system has a whopping 11 different interchangeable build platforms and pre-built coils, and you can use it either as a dripping atomizer or as a rebuildable tank.

What is the iJOY Limitless RDTA Box?

The Limitless RDTA Box is a dual-battery, 200-watt box mod that has the Limitless RDTA system built in. It comes with a velocity build platform — which is probably what most users will prefer — and one pre-built 0.15-ohm triple-coil atomizer head. When you build a coil, you’ll build it with the wicks descending into the cavity of the mod. The wicks pick up e-liquid from the cavity and draw it up toward the coils. The tank has a removable cap, so you can refill it without removing the atomizer.

The Limitless RDTA Box has a USB port, but iJOY specifies that it is for firmware upgrades only — not for charging. Thankfully, this device has one of the best battery compartments of any dual-battery mod I’ve ever used. You simply slide the mod’s outer sleeve off, put your finger behind one of the batteries and push to pop it out. The compartment holds the batteries securely, but it isn’t such a tight fit that you risk damaging the wrappers of your batteries when you install them. The mod has an enormous 12.8 ml of e-liquid storage, so it lasts an extremely long time between refills.

The Most Flexible Built-In Tank System

iJOY Limitless RDTA Box Coils

The biggest problem with built-in tank systems is that they usually lack flexibility. If you don’t like the coil heads available for your device, you’ll need to get a different device. With all of its different build platforms, the Limitless RDTA Box has no lack of flexibility. You can build coils exactly to your specifications — and with 200 watts of headroom, your specifications can be just about as rigorous as you want. Since iJOY includes a 0.15 ohm coil with this device, they obviously have great confidence in its ability to handle a load.

iJOY Limitless RDTA Box Review

As you already know, the screen of my Limitless RDTA Box stopped working after I’d used the device for less than two weeks. Heaven Gifts offers a three-month warranty on this device, so I could have gotten it replaced if I’d been a customer. After my device’s screen failed, though, I did a web search and found that I wasn’t the only person with this issue.

At first, I suspected that the tank must have a leak. I disassembled the mod to look at the electronics — and the inside was completely dry. The screen simply failed.

Since the screen appears to be a common weak point on this device, I can’t recommend it. Nevertheless, I’ll proceed with a thorough overview of its strengths and weaknesses.

Build Quality

The build quality of the Limitless RDTA Box is excellent. As I mentioned previously, it has the best battery bay of any dual-battery mod I’ve ever used. All of the parts fit together well. The atomizer build platforms twist on and off easily. The fire button is large and very responsive.

The RDTA Box looks great, in my opinion. The race car aesthetic might not be to everyone’s liking, but I appreciate the fact that the RDTA Box is well differentiated from other box mods. The RDTA Box is the biggest two-battery box mod I’ve ever owned, but I guess that’s just a side effect of having an enormous built-in reservoir for e-liquid.

Performance

iJOY Limitless Box Review

The performance of the Limitless RDTA Box is impressive. The RDTA really does perform much like a rebuildable dripping atomizer — with one exception. With a standard RDA, the wicks are immediately below the coils — so the wicks draw e-liquid to the coils quickly. With the RDTA — or any rebuildable tank system that stores the e-liquid under the coils — the e-liquid has a long distance to travel before it reaches the coils. You can’t take excessively long puffs, and you can’t chain vape — otherwise, the coils will dry out. If you want to chain vape with a rebuildable system, it really needs to be a dripping atomizer.

The Limitless RDTA Box includes a triple-coil atomizer head that performs excellently. I tended to operate it at around 115 watts, and I found that it produced copious amounts of vapor with excellent flavor and very little gurgling. I was able to use it for about a week before it started to develop coil gunk.

You can fit the contents of nearly half of a standard 30 ml bottle of e-liquid in the reservoir of the Limitless RDTA Box. That is a lot of e-liquid. The reservoir is horizontal, though, with the wicks positioned at one end. The wick positioning means that you have to tilt the mod occasionally to keep the wicks wet as the tank begins to run low. Because the tank has four large wick holes leading into an enormous reservoir, the RDTA Box may occasionally leak a little if you place it on its side. To prevent leaking, the RDTA Box should really be stored straight up and down.

Why the Limitless RDTA Box Screen Is So Important

I’ve had a box mod with a broken screen before. If you only ever use a mod in wattage mode, a broken screen doesn’t have to be an enormous problem. You can guess your current wattage setting simply by using the device.

With the Limitless RDTA Box, the screen is an absolute requirement because you can’t remove the build platform and put it on a resistance tester. You have to build coils on the device itself, and you have to use the device’s resistance meter before dry firing the coils. If the screen doesn’t work, you’ll have to dry fire without checking the resistance — and I’m not comfortable with that at all.

iJOY Limitless RDTA Box Review: The Bottom Line

The iJOY Limitless RDTA Box is a great idea that doesn’t quite seem ready for prime time. With its interchangeable build decks, the RDTA Box doesn’t limit you to a single type of coil head as many devices with built-in tanks do. There’s no need to worry that you’ll eventually “outgrow” the device — because you can build coils in any way you like. The fact that it tends to leak a little if you place it on its side is annoying, but that’s not an unusual problem for rebuildable tank systems.

The major problem with the RDTA Box is the fact that the screen seems prone to failure. I don’t know why it happens, but I do know that I’m not the only person who has experienced this problem. If iJOY announces a recall — or fixes the problem in a future version of the device — it might be worth buying. As things currently stand, though, I can’t recommend it.

iJOY Limitless RDTA Box Review: The Pros

Good build quality
Enormous e-liquid capacity
Interchangeable build platforms remove the limitations of using a device with a built-in tank system
200 watts of headroom allow for great flexibility in coil designs

iJOY Limitless RDTA Box Review: The Cons

Screen stopped working after less than two weeks
Same wicking limitations as other rebuildable tank systems
Need to tip the device occasionally to keep the wicks wet — and if tipped, the tank can occasionally leak a little

VaporFi VAIO Review

The VaporFi VAIO has great vapor production and no ramp-up time. It also has two very large problems. Learn more now.

Do you ever get a little tired of seeing a gigantic tank sticking out the top of your box mod? The idea of an e-cigarette with a built-in sub-ohm tank is a bit seductive, isn’t it? A svelte, easily pocketed design, capacity for lots of e-liquid — and no more need for a non-matching monstrosity sticking out of tiny threading at the top of your device. That’s what the VaporFi VAIO promises to be. As it turns out, though, the VAIO is the first real miss that I’ve owned from VaporFi. Though I was initially excited about the opportunity to try a box mod with an internal tank, my experience left me believing that the VAIO is really lacking for a device costing over $100.

View the VAIO and other advanced mods at the VaporFi website. The VaporFi VAIO collection starts at $129.99. My link includes an embedded coupon code good for a 12 percent discount on your order.

About the VaporFi VAIO

VaporFi VAIO Review

The VaporFi VAIO comes in two flavors. One has a removable battery and a maximum power of 75 watts, and the other has a permanent battery and a maximum power of 80 watts. If you buy the VAIO 75, you’ll need to bring your own battery.

The VAIO comes with two coils. Both are stainless steel. One is a standard twisted coil, and the other is a notch coil. You can learn more about notch coils in this guide to sub-ohm vaping. I was very excited to try a notch coil for the first time, although my experience didn’t turn out so great. More on that in a bit.

You don’t have to use the VAIO with the built-in tank if you don’t want to. It also includes a stem that closes the tank and replaces the mouthpiece at the top of the mod with threading so you can use your own tank. Though no one would buy a mod with a built-in tank solely to use it with a different tank, it’s nice to know it’s an option.

VaporFi VAIO Review

First, the Problems

VaporFi’s prices aren’t exactly low. VaporFi can still be an excellent choice, though, for e-cigarette users who want to buy just one device rather than picking up every single new mod that comes along. For the price, you get an English user manual, technical support and a 30-day money-back guarantee. In this case, though, I’m not sure that the product quite lives up to the price.

Magnetic Door

I received the VAIO 75 from VaporFi, which uses a removable 18650 battery. The battery goes into a side compartment, and it’s secured with a magnetic door. I had consistent problems, though, with the door — the magnet kept falling out. Without the magnet, of course, the door wouldn’t stay on. After several times replacing the magnet, it eventually flipped in my hand and settled backwards into its slot. With the magnet reversed, it then repelled the door instead of holding it shut. I was never able to fix that problem, which pretty much made the VAIO unusable.

It’s important to note that you’ll never encounter a problem with the magnetic door if you simply charge the VAIO 75 via USB — or if you buy the VAIO 80, which has a built-in battery. Nevertheless, it was a pretty big problem for me.

Notch Coil

My second problem with the VaporFi VAIO 75 was the notch coil. I couldn’t use it at all. Every time I tried, it popped and spat painfully hot e-liquid into my mouth. I tried several things to fix this problem. I tried lowering the wattage to get the coil to heat more slowly. That didn’t work — the coil still popped and spat as soon as I pressed the fire button. I tried raising the wattage to get the coil to heat instantly. That made things worse. I blew the coil out to clear away excess e-liquid. I even took the coil apart and replaced the cotton wick. Nothing resolved the problem.

I might have concluded that I’d simply received a bad coil, but it turns out that atomizer spitting is actually a pretty common issue with notch coils in integrated tanks. Something about the airflow characteristics of that tank style, I imagine — or the fact that a very powerful coil is enclosed in a very tiny capsule. Whatever the reason, I was never able to use the VAIO notch coil.

Now, the Good

VaporFi VAIO Mod Review

Vapor Production

Are you surprised that I would praise the vapor production of a device right after saying that I couldn’t use its primary coil? That’s because the secondary coil — a standard wrapped coil made from stainless steel — actually works incredibly well. Since it’s stainless steel, it heats incredibly quickly — as in, maximum vapor the instant you press the button. The quality of the vapor is very smooth, and the flavor is pleasurably warm. The quantity of vapor is spectacular as well.

The VaporFi VAIO’s 0.5 ohm stainless steel coil heats up so fast, in fact, that it is very easy to torch the cotton if you don’t allow plenty of time for it to re-saturate between puffs — so watch out for that. On the bright side, re-wicking is incredibly easy if you have some cotton on hand.

Fit and Finish

Apart from the issue with the magnet, the fit and finish of the VaporFi VAIO are excellent. The buttons have the perfect firmness — they’re slightly “clicky” and respond immediately. The internal tank is extremely easy to work with — simply twist the mouthpiece out to fill the chamber or change the atomizer coil. With only one avenue for e-liquid to escape — through the top — leaking is almost impossible. I would probably suggest getting the VAIO 80, though, so you don’t have to deal with the magnetic door.

My experience with the 510 thread adapter was just so-so. I’m glad that VaporFi included it, because few would want to buy a box mod that can only use one tank ever. The stem really works best with a top-filling tank. That’s because it’s very easy to unscrew the stem when what you really wanted to do was remove the tank. Nevertheless, I’m glad that VaporFi offered it as an option.

VaporFi VAIO Review: The Bottom Line

When I used it with the 0.5 ohm wrapped stainless steel coil, my experience with the VaporFi VAIO 75 was great — really great. I loved the smooth, flavorful vapor clouds and the fact that the VAIO created vapor with absolutely no ramp-up time. Completely cold coil? No problem. Press the button — instant vapor.

Sadly, though, the things that I didn’t like about the VaporFi VAIO were kind of big. I have never had an experience with a pre-made coil that was as bad as the experience I had with the VaporFi notch coil. The coil spitting was so painful and unpleasant that I wondered whether anyone had ever really tested the design at all.

The magnetic battery door was also bad. I suppose that I could have been more careful when replacing the magnet that kept falling out to prevent it from flipping in my hand — but I was getting impatient after dealing with the magnet so many times. Also, the magnet isn’t supposed to fall out.

Overall, although my experience with one of the coils was excellent, I find the VaporFi VAIO difficult to recommend. The device simply has too many problems for something costing over $100. At that price, I do expect everything to work as it should — and the VaporFi VAIO failed in some important areas.

View the VAIO and other advanced mods at the VaporFi website. The VaporFi VAIO collection starts at $129.99. My link includes an embedded coupon code good for a 12 percent discount on your order.

VaporFi VAIO Review: The Pros

Excellent experience with the 0.5 ohm stainless steel wrapped coil

VaporFi VAIO Review: The Cons

Very poor experience with the notch coil
Poor magnetic battery door design
Too expensive for what you get

NJOY Convenience Vaping System Review

The Convenience Vaping System from NJOY one of the best e-cigarettes of 2016 and a superb choice for beginning and intermediate e-smokers.

[red_box]Thanks for stopping by! NJOY declared bankruptcy in September 2016. As a result, I’m not recommending this brand presently. Are you a beginner? Take a look at the best e-cigarette for beginners. Experienced vaper? Look at all of the best e-cigarettes of 2016.[/red_box]

As I look at the current state of the e-cigarette industry, I think it’s fair to say that the smallest e-cigarette models aren’t as popular as they once were. V2 Cigs, for one example, has done an excellent job of evolving the “cigalike” platform with the release of their EX Series, coming out with a tiny e-cigarette that looks great and generates plenty of vapor. NJOY, on the other hand, has easily the best disposable e-cigarette on the market with the NJOY Daily.

If you go to your local convenience store, though, you’re far more likely to see something along the lines of the Vuse than you are to see anything from a non-tobacco company — and in my experience, Vuse cartridges don’t taste very good and don’t last very long. The NJOY Daily tastes great, but using disposable e-cigarettes can be expensive. So, you can understand why some people might try the e-cigarettes available in their local convenience stores once or twice and then go back to smoking.

The question that NJOY has attempted to answer with the Convenience Vaping System is this: Why do some people try e-cigarettes, only to return to smoking later or become dual users? The Convenience Vaping System addresses the desires of the mainstream e-smoker — a person who doesn’t want to carry a box mod, fill tanks or tinker with coils but still demands superior flavor and satisfaction.

View the Convenience Vaping System at the NJOY website. Packages start at $9.99 for a bundle that includes one battery with USB cable, one pre-filled tank and one refillable tank. All orders from NJOY ship free in the United States.

About the NJOY Convenience Vaping System

NJOY Convenience Vaping System Review

The NJOY Convenience Vaping System puts a unique spin on the replaceable cartridge e-cigarettes of the past. For starters, it uses the eGo battery as its base. The eGo has been one of the most popular e-cigarette platforms for more than five years now, and with good reason; the eGo has great vapor production and long battery life in relation to its size. The eGo battery is also thread-compatible with a wide variety of attachments. The Convenience Vaping System, though, is the first e-cigarette system to my knowledge that bundles an eGo battery with large pre-filled tanks.

The tank is really the element that gives the Convenience Vaping System its uniqueness. The tank’s design has a great deal of visual appeal. The tapered center air tube is the only visible portion, while all of the electrical components are hidden under a collar at the base. The tank holds 3 ml of e-liquid. Five flavors are available, each with a nicotine strength of 15 mg.

NJOY charges $19.99 for the standard 1,000 mAh Convenience Vaping battery or $44.99 for a pack of three batteries. Tanks cost $5.99 each, but the price tapers down as you buy more. You’ll save 17 percent on each tank if you buy four at a time, for example. Buy 100 tanks at a time, and you’ll pay just $3.59 per tank. You’ll also have enough tanks to last close to a year.

Convenience Vaping System Review NJOY

Of course, having a low cost of entry is a great way to stimulate interest in a new e-cigarette product. To encourage people to give the Convenience Vaping System a try, NJOY offers a $9.99 trial bundle that includes a smaller 650 mAh battery along with one pre-filled tank and one refillable tank.

NJOY Convenience Vaping System Review

With about 45 total mg of nicotine in each Convenience Vaping System tank, the theory is that that one tank should be the equivalent of about three packs of cigarettes. The reality, though, is that you probably won’t get three days of vaping time out of each tank if you’re using the NJOY Convenience Vaping System exclusively. That being said, I go through a lot of e-liquid with my standard vaping setup and didn’t drain any of the five tanks that NJOY sent me in a single day. At a nicotine strength of 15 mg, 3 ml of e-liquid is quite a lot.

NJOY Convenience Vaping System Reviews

NJOY’s Classic Tobacco, Blue + Black Berry and Peach Tea flavors are all really good, in my opinion. I happily drained them all, and with these three flavors you’ve got a pretty varied assortment from which to choose. The Menthol and Vanilla Bean flavors didn’t really do it for me, but I’m very picky about menthols and have never really liked vanilla e-liquids.

With the Convenience Vaping System as well as the NJOY Daily disposable e-cigarette, NJOY has experimented with lactic acid as a new form of throat hit enhancer. I have to say that it really works. Whether you’re using the Convenience Vaping System for mouth-to-lung or direct-to-lung inhaling, it’ll pack plenty of punch.

Pairing the 3 ml tank with a 1,000 mAh battery was an excellent decision on NJOY’s part, as well. Using a higher-capacity battery means that if you begin with a full tank and fully charged battery, you’ll empty the tank before the battery dies. A built-in USB port gives the battery pass-through functionality as well, so you can vape while charging. The battery also lacks the raised fire button of some eGo batteries, which should make accidental presses difficult — although you can manually lock the battery as well.

NJOY Convenience Vaping System Review: The Bottom Line

NJOY has a real winner with the Convenience Vaping System. The pre-filled tanks make it as problem-free and easy to use as a cigalike. Though it’s certainly larger than a cigalike, a full tank and fully charged battery will definitely last all day — which really isn’t true of most cigalikes.

What’s even more impressive is that NJOY’s e-liquids actually do taste good and are completely satisfying, unlike anything else you’re likely to find in a convenience store. In preparation for this review, I switched the Convenience Vaping system full-time instead of the box mod and sub-ohm tank that I usually use. I didn’t miss my regular vaping setup at all. Not only is the Convenience Vaping System a great introduction to e-cigarettes, but I could easily see it being the only vaping system that many e-smokers will ever need.

NJOY Convenience Vaping System: The Pros

The convenience of a cigalike in a platform that actually vapes all day with one battery and one tank
Superb flavors with lactic acid for extra throat hit
Better price per tank than a cigalike, especially if you buy in bulk

NJOY Convenience Vaping System: The Cons

Nothing; the Convenience Vaping System is a superb product with no real drawbacks

NJOY Recharge Review

The NJOY Recharge is a satisfying and remarkably small e-cigarette with an equally tiny price point.

The e-cigarette industry has done quite a bit of maturing in the past year, as it has every year since its inception. Although the “Big Tobacco” e-cigarette brands such as Vuze and MarkTen continue to market “cig-a-like” e-cigarettes in an increasing number of stores, I actually reviewed less cig-a-likes in 2015 than in any other year since launching Vapegrl.com. That’s because independent e-cigarette companies have largely focused their attention on releasing high-end mods, mechanical mods and sub-ohm tanks. The NJOY Recharge e-cigarette bucks that trend.

Until now, the only cig-a-like that I’ve been able to recommend strongly is the one produced by V2 Cigs. My article about the best e-cigarette for beginners explains my reasons in detail. What it comes down to, though, is that V2 Cigs has advanced the cig-a-like platform so far that every other cig-a-like on the market now looks hopelessly out of date in comparison. I doubted that any other company had the budget — let alone the desire — to keep pace with V2 Cigs. However, the NJOY Recharge e-cigarette proves that the cig-a-like platform still has plenty of fight left.

Browse the NJOY Recharge collection at the NJOY website. NJOY offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on all items as well as a one-year warranty on non-consumable items such as batteries and chargers. All orders ship for free within the United States; use the coupon code VAPE4LESS to save 30 percent on NJOY Recharge starter kits, accessories and Flavor Chambers.

NJOY Recharge E-Cigarette: Overview

NJOY Recharge Review

The NJOY Recharge is a small and very light e-cigarette — among the lightest I’ve ever seen with a rechargeable battery. It’s light enough to hold in the mouth, although unlike the extremely light NJOY King, you may need to bite down on it a bit for support.

The tiny size isn’t the only design cue taken from the King disposable for the NJOY Recharge; the Recharge also ships in the same style of flip-top Zippo-styled case that made the King famous. The wide and thin NJOY Recharge case is smooth and slides easily into a pocket. It is also large enough to hold a USB charger, two fully assembled NJOY Recharge e-cigarettes and three refill cartridges — NJOY likes to call them “Flavor Chambers.” The case won’t charge your dead batteries for you, but the benefit is that you get plenty of storage capacity with an extremely small size.

The functionality of the NJOY Recharge carrying case isn’t its only benefit. If you’ve ever played absentmindedly with the lid of a flip-top lighter before, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The NJOY Recharge case opens and closes with an extremely satisfying “click” — an auditory cue that satisfaction is soon to come. It’s a great addition to the overall experience of using this e-cigarette.

Most cig-a-likes use twist-on cartridges with standard thread sizes. The thread types can be identified with universal terms such as “KR-808” and “510,” which lets you know which third-party cartridges are compatible with the batteries that you already own in case you decide that you’d like to experiment with different flavors.

NJOY Recharge: No Battery Threading

The NJOY Recharge uses a proprietary press-on cartridge with no threading. This means that there are no third-party cartridges compatible with the NJOY Recharge. You’ll need to stick with NJOY’s refill cartridges unless you decide to purchase a different e-cigarette.

Although I would normally have difficulty recommending a proprietary e-cigarette, NJOY has a trick up its sleeve that makes the NJOY Recharge much easier to recommend: NJOY blends its e-liquids in the United States, and the flavors are great.

NJOY Recharge: Kits and Prices

NJOY Recharge E-Cigarette Review There’s also the extremely reasonable price point of the NJOY Recharge Flavor Chambers. If you buy a pack of 50 to get the bulk rate and apply my NJOY coupon code VAPE4LESS for an additional 30 percent discount, the final price is just $76.99, or $1.54 for each cartridge. The price is still attractive if you’re unable to buy in bulk, though — NJOY doesn’t charge shipping fess for orders delivered within the United States, with no minimum total needed to qualify.

As for the NJOY Recharge kits themselves, they start at $13.99 with the coupon code and ship for free. The lowest priced kit includes the carrying case along with two batteries, two refill cartridges and a USB charger. With the coupon, the fuller-featured kits cost $20.99, $45.49, $76.99 and $87.49, with each containing an increasing number of accessories and refill cartridges.

The $87.49 NJOY Recharge Super Kit includes two hard carrying cases, four batteries, 34 refill cartridges, three USB chargers, two wall chargers, two car chargers and two soft carrying cases. Purchased individually, these items would cost $188.85.

NJOY Recharge Review

NJOY Recharge eCig Review

One of the interesting things about the NJOY Recharge is that the nicotine content of the cartridges varies by flavor. Many e-cigarette companies will offer a single Tobacco flavor, for example, in a range of nicotine strengths such as 0, 6, 16 and 24 mg. With NJOY, every flavor is available in just one nicotine strength.

That isn’t the only trick NJOY has up its sleeve, though. If you select the strongest flavor — Bold Tobacco — you’re getting a massive nicotine strength of 45 mg. That’s one of the highest nicotine strengths available from any company in the e-cigarette industry. Moving down the list, the Menthol flavor has a nicotine strength of 30 mg, Gold Tobacco is 24 mg, and the Vanilla and Pomegranate flavors both contain 18 mg.

Improving the Cig-a-Like

Many people find the small cig-a-like form factor very appealing in an e-cigarette — especially if they still smoke and want to switch to something that looks and feels familiar. The problem with cig-a-likes, though, is that they don’t generate a great deal of vapor per puff when compared to larger vaporizers. In fact, back in 2010, a firm studied the effect that the e-cigarettes of that time had on the concentration of nicotine in the blood. The study concluded that almost none of the nicotine contained within the e-cigarettes actually reached the bloodstream.

Why did e-cigarettes suffer from poor nicotine delivery compared to tobacco e-cigarettes? Part of the reason was the fact that the e-cigarettes of that time used disposable plastic cartridges to store e-liquid. Today, almost no company still uses this type of cartridge. However, the other reason was the lower vapor production that the smallest e-cigarettes still suffer from today. That’s why the NJOY Recharge is available in such high nicotine strengths; with up to 45 mg of nicotine per ml of liquid, you’re certain to be able to achieve satisfaction with this small e-cigarette regardless of how heavily you currently smoke.

The poorer vapor production of smaller e-cigarettes aside, the NJOY Recharge actually boasts vapor production well above average for an e-cigarette that’s so close in size to a real cigarette. It’s a bit larger than the disposable NJOY King, but it is also quite a lot smaller than the V2 Cigs EX e-cigarette. In preparation for this review, I had absolutely no problem using the NJOY Recharge full-time even though I am accustomed to using larger sub-ohm vaping setups.

NJOY’s e-liquids are excellent across the board. I recently gave a glowing review to the new NJOY Artist Collection, and the lower-cost cartridges used for the NJOY Recharge are no slouches, either. The vanilla flavor is rich and decadent, the pomegranate is fruity and tangy, and I love both of the tobacco flavors as well. They’re slightly different from one another, with the Gold exhibiting a bit more sweetness while the Bold delivers a peppery punch.

NJOY Recharge Review: The Bottom Line

The NJOY Recharge is a great e-cigarette for beginners at a remarkably low price. Using my NJOY coupon code VAPE4LESS, the least expensive NJOY Recharge starter kit costs just $13.99 — and you won’t even pay shipping. What’s even more remarkable is the fact that this product is from NJOY, perhaps the oldest major e-cigarette company in the United States — not some no-name brand that you found in a convenience store. Even the most expensive NJOY Recharge kit costs just $84.49 with the coupon — and that includes a whopping four batteries and 34 refill cartridges.

More important than the price, though, is the actual experience of using the NJOY Recharge. This is an e-cigarette that delivers a far greater level of satisfaction than its tiny size would suggest — enough that you may never even feel the desire to upgrade to something larger. If you are new to e-cigarettes and looking for your first starter kit, I recommend the NJOY Recharge without hesitation.

NJOY Recharge Review: The Pros

High nicotine strength means total satisfaction, even for heavy smokers
Money-back guarantee; one-year warranty for non-consumable items
Superb fit and finish for an e-cigarette geared toward beginners — especially impressive in light of the low price
Satisfying “click” makes the carrying case a fun part of replacing the smoking ritual
All five flavors are delicious

NJOY Recharge Review: The Cons

Proprietary battery connection isn’t compatible with other companies’ refill cartridges

NJOY Daily Review

Better battery management, improved e-liquid and a superior freshness seal are just a few of the features that make the NJOY Daily the best disposable e-cigarette on the market.

Are you new to e-cigarettes? Perhaps you already have some friends who vape. Watching their ritual of refilling tanks, wrapping coils and charging batteries, though, hasn’t exactly left you feeling enthusiastic about getting started. Maybe you want something that works more like a tobacco cigarette; something that just works whenever you need it. Something that needs no tinkering but still leaves you fully satisfied, every time. The NJOY Daily hopes to be exactly that.

In short, the NJOY Daily is now the best disposable e-cigarette on the market. Aside from the NJOY King, it’s the only disposable e-cigarette I can recommend without reservation. To find out why, continue reading my NJOY Daily review below.

Shop for the NJOY Daily now. The NJOY Daily starts at $5.99 per unit, with quantity discounts available. NJOY charges no shipping fees regardless of the order size. Coupon codes may not be used in conjunction with this item.

NJOY Daily: Overview

NJOY Daily Review

Throughout the history of the vaping industry, the disposable e-cigarette is a product that manufacturers have consistently struggled to get right. At first, disposable e-cigarettes were far too expensive to be feasible as a full-time option. A disposable e-cigarette was certainly a fine way to find out what e-cigarettes are and how they work, but it wasn’t unusual to find prices over $10 per unit. The lower cost of e-cigarettes is supposed to be one of the greatest appeals of switching to e-smoking, so I found disposable e-cigarettes very difficult to recommend.

Things started to change with the release of the NJOY King, the product that I have consistently recommended as the best disposable e-cigarette on the market. The NJOY King had a feature that was completely new in the e-cigarette industry: it was as small — and nearly as light — as a real cigarette. You could actually hold it in the mouth if you wanted, which is virtually impossible with rechargeable e-cigarettes due to the heavier metal components.

Although the NJOY King debuted with price of $7.99 per unit — still a bit higher than the price of cigarettes in many areas — the price has come down slowly to the point where the ultimate goal has finally been achieved: the NJOY King actually costs less than cigarettes. Maximum savings are achieved if you buy in packs of 100; the base price of this package is $479.99. Apply my NJOY coupon code “VAPE4LESS” for a 30 percent discount on all hardware, and that brings the price down to $335.99, or just $3.35 per unit. That’s really a fantastic price. Take advantage of NJOY’s recycling program, and you get an additional ten Kings for free. (NJOY’s recycling program also applies to the Daily, by the way.)

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, NJOY is not allowing coupon codes to be used when purchasing the NJOY Daily — which might bring you to this question:

NJOY Daily vs. King: Which is the Best Disposable E-Cigarette?

NJOY Daily Reviews

By now, you’ve certainly noticed that, without the ability to lower your price with a coupon code, the NJOY Daily actually costs a bit more per unit than the NJOY King. However, it still costs less than tobacco cigarettes in most areas, especially if you buy several NJOY Dailys at a time — and don’t forget, NJOY doesn’t charge shipping, regardless of the order size.

However, the NJOY King is now approaching three years of age. Although the technology that powers the NJOY King is still sound, it’s missing some innovations that have allowed small e-cigarettes to produce an even higher level of satisfaction in recent years.

NJOY Daily: Battery Technology

The most important innovation in the NJOY Daily is a microprocessor designed to improve the performance of the Daily’s tiny battery. Rather than drawing steadily from the battery as you inhale, the Daily engages the battery for a lengthy stretch just at the beginning of the inhale, so the device begins to generate vapor immediately. After that, the NJOY Daily draws from the battery in brief pulses.

According to a graph on the NJOY website, this translates to a bit over 50 battery pulses over the course of a two-second puff. It’s so fast that, from a usage standpoint, you can’t notice a difference. However, this greatly prolongs the life of the battery. NJOY supplied three Dailys for this review, and I was able to fully drain the e-liquid from each one before the batteries showed any sign of dying.

The NJOY Daily lasts for about 300 puffs, which is roughly the same number of puffs you’d get out of a full pack of cigarettes.

NJOY Daily: Other Innovations

NJOY Daily Review Freshness Seal The next thing you’ll notice about the NJOY Daily if you see one in person is the revamped packaging. Although the flip-top case of the NJOY King was a fun design element that many enjoyed, it was an added expense in production and therefore increased the customer’s cost as well.

For the NJOY Daily — as well as the tanks for the NJOY Convenience Vaping System, which I’ll be reviewing soon — NJOY has decided to forgo the hard plastic case in favor of a less expensive card stock box. The added benefit of this is that the NJOY Daily itself is sealed in a foil multilaminate bag. Although I’m uncertain of the exact composition of the bag, you can see from this 2005 study that a similar type of bag can preserve an item almost indefinitely.

I’ve seen e-cigarette cartridges and other components sealed in foil or plastic before, and I can tell you that at least from visual inspection, no other e-cigarette freshness seal seems even remotely close in quality to NJOY’s new seal. It does an excellent job of preventing the NJOY Daily from ever acquiring an “old” taste in storage — a good thing, especially if you buy in bulk.

The NJOY Daily also features a new design that is much more muted than that of the NJOY King. The device itself is dark blue in color, with a few small dots on the side to indicate the flavor. The light at the tip is white and no longer emulates the ember of a real cigarette. The NJOY Daily is sleek, subtle and inconspicuous — and it looks altogether much more modern than the NJOY King.

In the “Why didn’t anyone think of this before?” department, an additional aspect of the NJOY Daily that I find interesting is NJOY’s claim that the coloring used for the mouth tip is food grade. Although you would think that e-cigarettes would have begun featuring food grade colors long ago, this is the first time I’ve ever seen such a claim.

NJOY Daily Review: More Like a Real Cigarette?

This brings us to the final — and perhaps most important — marketing claim regarding the NJOY Daily. According to NJOY, the Daily delivers a satisfaction level that is “more like a real cigarette.” The website, however, doesn’t go into detail about how the Daily achieves this claim. Specifically, NJOY says that the daily achieves 90 percent of the satisfaction you’d get from a real cigarette within seven minutes of use.

NJOY Daily Nicotine Content

You might assume that NJOY can make this claim simply because the NJOY Daily contains more nicotine than the NJOY King. In fact, they are the same; the nicotine content varies by flavor, but the NJOY Daily and NJOY King both have the same maximum nicotine concentration of 45 mg/ml or 4.5 percent by volume.

I suspect that NJOY’s claims regarding the satisfaction level achieved by the NJOY Daily stem from three important features.

First, there’s the battery pulsing feature that I described above. I have used several NJOY Dailys as well as several NJOY Kings. I can attest to the fact that the NJOY Daily generates more vapor per puff and that the quantity of vapor does not decrease until the e-liquid is fully consumed.

NJOY Daily PG/VG Blend

Second, the NJOY Daily uses the 50/50 blend of VG and PG that most e-cigarette users prefer these days. This results in vapor clouds with a larger appearance and fuller mouth feel than an e-liquid consisting primarily of propylene glycol. However, a higher percentage of vegetable glycerin often results in slightly reduced throat hit. This brings us to the third feature:

Lactic Acid as a Throat Hit Enhancer

Lastly, the NJOY Daily features an interesting new e-liquid innovation that I haven’t seen elsewhere — one that, by the way, is also present in the new NJOY Convenience Vaping line. NJOY has made the decision to use lactic acid in its new e-liquid formulations as a throat hit enhancer. Lactic acid is generated by muscles during exertion and occurs naturally in many fermented foods, although lactic acid for commercial applications is generally synthesized in labs.

A quick glance at the MSDS for lactic acid on the CDC website suggests that lactic acid is basically safe to inhale, with the acute inhalation symptoms consisting of a burning sensation, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath. Of course, like every other component of e-liquid, I’m unable to find data indicating the possible effects of long-term exposure by inhalation. I can say, though, that it definitely works as a throat hit enhancer.

NJOY Daily Review

NJOY Daily E-Cigarette Review

After fully using all three of the NJOY Daily review samples provided to me, I can say that the Daily definitely feels satisfying in a unique way that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s probably a combination of the factors I mentioned above, and the extra throat hit generated by the lactic acid is very noticeable. While I use the larger VOX II vaporizer at home, I have carried an NJOY Daily outside the house each day while preparing for this review and have never felt unsatisfied.

The NJOY Daily comes in three flavors: Rich Tobacco, Menthol and Blue + Black Berry. All three flavors are delicious and rich without being overpowering. I preferred the Tobacco and Berry flavors over the Menthol, but all three are terrific and superior, in my opinion, to the flavors of the NJOY King.

NJOY’s new multilaminate seal does an excellent job of preserving the freshness of the NJOY Daily. This means that, even if you use one over the course of several days, it’ll taste the same in the end as it did when you first opened the package. This is greatly helped by NJOY’s improved battery management, which keeps the vapor volume consistent until all of the e-liquid is depleted.

At $5.99 for each unit, the asking price for the NJOY Daily is much more reasonable than the initial $7.99 price of the NJOY King three years ago. However, the savings really stack up when you buy in bulk. The NJOY Daily costs roughly $4.79 each in packs of five, $4.49 in packs of 20 and $3.99 in packs of 100. This means that, if you buy at least five at a time, the NJOY Daily costs less per unit than the average price of a pack of cigarettes in all 50 states.

NJOY Daily Review: The Bottom Line

The NJOY Daily features a reasonable price and some very impressive technical innovations. It is a pleasure to use and fully satisfying — even for someone accustomed to much larger personal vaporizers. The modernized styling doesn’t attempt to emulate the look of a tobacco cigarette and doesn’t draw undue attention. In short, if you are looking for an introduction to e-cigarettes or simply prefer disposable e-cigarettes over rechargeable models, the NJOY Daily is the only product I’d recommend.

NJOY Daily Review: The Pros

Best disposable e-cigarette of 2016
Better battery management, VG/PG blend and lactic acid make for improved vapor production, longer life and unique sense of satisfaction
Attractive modern design
Best freshness seal on the market
Costs less than smoking, unlike most disposable e-cigarettes

NJOY Daily Review: The Cons

Nothing; among disposable e-cigarettes, the NJOY Daily is the new “King”

Joyetech eVic VTC Mini Review

Temperature control functionality is all the rage in the e-cigarette industry right now, and new mods featuring temperature control are being released seemingly every day. The Joyetech eVic VTC Mini is one such device, and it’s being carried by some of the world’s most popular e-cigarette vendors. I was in need of a new mod and wanted to try temperature control for myself, so I purchased the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini from Volcano about a month ago. Although the VTC Mini offers excellent performance and the temperature control functionality works even better than I expected, I unfortunately can’t recommend this device. I’ll explain why in my VTC Mini review.

[red_box]My experience suggests that the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini causes damage to batteries. As a result I cannot recommend this device. If you’d like some alternatives that feature temperature control functionality, take a look at the Volcano Lavabox ($169.99 and up) and the VaporFi VOX 100 ($175.99 with the automatic coupon embedded in my link).[/red_box]

View the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini at the Volcano website ($84.99 with free shipping and 90 day warranty) or the DirectVapor website ($59.95 with free shipping, 15 day return window and 60 day warranty).

About the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini

Joyetech eVic VTC Mini Review

The Joyetech eVic VTC Mini operates in four modes: “mechanical mod” mode, variable wattage mode, temperature control mode for a nickel wire and temperature control mode for a titanium wire. It includes a USB cable for charging and firmware upgrades, along with an eGo One tank including both nickel and titanium atomizer heads. I purchased it because I had somehow stripped the threading on my primary device and thought it would be fun to try something with temperature control functionality.

The outside of the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini has a coating that makes the device feel “softer,” for lack of a better word, in the hand. It isn’t rubberized, but it definitely feels more pleasing than raw metal and doesn’t attract pocket lint. This coating will chip if you drop the device on a hard surface, though, so be warned. The large OLED screen is probably the best I’ve seen on any personal vaporizer to date; the numbers are huge, and the large, rounded font is very easy to read.

The Joyetech eVic VTC Mini has 510 threading and will work with virtually any cartomizer, clearomizer, rebuildable atomizer or tank system you can throw at it. If your tank system or rebuildable atomizer has nickel or titanium wires, you’ll get the temperature control functionality, too. If you don’t have something with a wire material that supports temperature control, never fear — the VTC Mini includes an eGo One tank with both nickel and titanium atomizer heads. I found that the eGo One tank worked excellently, producing enormous volumes of vapor. On the negative side, though, it did tend to spray hot e-liquid on my tongue a bit more frequently than my usual tank, the VaporFi Volt Tank (Review). This was only a minor annoyance and overall my experience with the eGo One tank was excellent.

If you’ve never used a temperature control device, you’re going to be impressed when you first try one. The Joyetech eVic VTC Mini has two adjustments that you can make while in temperature control mode: you can set the maximum allowable temperature as well as the wattage used to achieve that temperature. The higher the wattage, the more vapor you’ll get — but when the maximum temperature is reached, the device reduces its power.

Because nickel and titanium have much lower resistance than the standard Kanthal wire used for most e-cigarette atomizers, some e-smokers subjectively find that they can achieve superior vapor production when using temperature control wires.

The more attractive feature of temperature control, though, is that it virtually eliminates the possibility of “dry hits.” If you’ve ever mistakenly let a sub-ohm tank or atomizer go dry, you know that dry hits can happen suddenly and are incredibly unpleasant — and occasionally painful. It even appears that they may produce dangerous compounds.

The eGo One tank produces plenty of vapor and holds quite a lot of e-liquid — about 4 ml. However, the majority of the glass tank is encased in metal for durability. This is a really good thing if you are prone to occasionally dropping your device, but it makes your remaining e-liquid a bit difficult to see. As a result, I’ve used my tank when dry about three or four times since I’ve owner the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini. The temperature control functionality worked exactly as advertised. Without any e-liquid to cool it, the coil overheated and the eVic VTC Mini instantly lowered its power. As a result, I never experienced a dry hit with this device.

Replacement coils cost $15.99 per five-pack from Volcano and $12.95 from DirectVapor.

Joyetech eVic VTC Mini Review

eVic VTC Mini Review The vast majority of the e-cigarette mods on the market use a twisting cap to secure the battery in place. This system generally works well, but I’ve found that some poorly lubricated devices may be prone to cross-threading. When this happens, a battery cap may become stuck or the threads might even break. Ultimately, cross-threading might even ruin your device.

The Joyetech eVic VTC Mini avoids this problem by using a magnetic battery cover. You use it by simply pushing the battery into the side of the device — the top terminal is spring-loaded to make this easier — and snapping the cover in place. In my experience, this system worked pretty well at first. The magnetic cover stayed firmly in place and didn’t rattle. I appreciated the fact that I no longer needed to bother with threading that was poorly machined and insufficiently lubricated.

After a month or so of using the eVic VTC Mini, though, I discovered that the magnetic battery cover has its own problems. The battery terminals obviously need to be tight in order to function properly, so the top terminal is spring-loaded to give you a bit of extra room. You’re supposed to push the battery into the top terminal and then slide the bottom into the compartment.

Unfortunately, though, I found that the top terminal didn’t travel quite far enough to provide sufficient clearance for the bottom of the battery. After several weeks of using the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini, I found that the constant scraping of the battery against the bottom terminal was causing the battery’s wrapper to peel away, exposing bare metal. One time, the VTC Mini even refused to fire — probably because of a short. Although regulated mods certainly add an extra measure of safety, using a battery with a potential short is an extremely bad idea.

Joyetech eVic VTC Mini Review: Conclusion

Joyetech VTC Mini Review

Aside from the one glaring fault, the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini is a pleasure to use. The device feels great in the hand, the display is large and easy to read, the buttons have the ideal firmness and the temperature control functionality works exactly as advertised.

None of these features seem to matter very much, though, since my experience suggests that the eVic VTC Mini may damage batteries to the point where they are unsafe to use. I used the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini in conjunction with two different 35-amp 18650 batteries, each costing about $30. Within about a month, the wrappers of both batteries were damaged and had begun to peel.

Until now, I’ve never had an e-cigarette mod that caused damage to my batteries. This suggests to me that Joyetech’s magnetic battery system is not quite ready for prime time. Although you could circumvent this problem by installing a battery just once and charging it only with a USB cable, a peeling battery wrapper is a serious potential safety issue that should never happen in the first place. As a result, I can’t recommend buying the Joyetech eVic VTC Mini unless improvements are made.

Joyetech eVic VTC Mini Review: The Pros

Attractive design; unique coating makes the device feel great in the hand
Included tank functions very well and temperature control functionality works as advertised
Connect the device to your computer to install firmware upgrades
Best display I’ve seen on an e-cigarette device to date

Joyetech eVic VTC Mini Review: The Cons

Tight battery compartment damages battery wrappers, potentially leading to shorts
Coating will chip if the device is dropped on a hard surface
eGo One tank sprays juice a little more often than some other tanks

Vuse E-Cigarette Review

Since it was first test marketed by Reynolds American in 2012, the Vuse e-cigarette has been one of the hottest topics in the vaping industry. While some tobacco companies opted to enter the world of e-cigarettes by buying existing companies such as Blu and Green Smoke, the Vuse is entirely proprietary and has no components compatible with any other e-cigarette. In spite of its proprietary nature, Vuse has been the most popular e-cigarette in the United States according to Nielsen — which doesn’t track online or “vape shop” sales — since September, 2014.

To be blunt, I didn’t expect to care for the Vuse e-cigarette. I tend not to recommend e-cigarettes owned by tobacco companies. Reynolds, in particular, wants the United States government to ban open vaping systems. I also thought that Reynolds’ claim of using its state-of-the-art R&D facilities to develop a truly game-changing product were likely overblown. When my local convenience store offered the Vuse for half off its normal price, though, I finally gave in and bought one.

Visit the Vuse e-cigarette website. The website can help you locate the Vuse e-cigarette at a local store; it isn’t sold online. Alternatively, take a look at my article describing what I believe is the best e-cigarette for beginners.

Vuse E Cigarette Review

About the Vuse E-Cigarette

Although prices in individual stores may vary, you can typically find the Vuse e-cigarette starter kit — which includes a battery, cartridge and USB charger — for about $10. Refill cartridges are sold in packs of two for around $6. You can immediately see the razor-and-blades pricing strategy at work here; $10 is an excellent price for any e-cigarette “express kit”, but $3 per refill cartridge is well above the industry average.

The design of the Vuse e-cigarette cartridge also limits the potential value you’ll get out of your money. This page on Imgur contains detailed pictures of the internal workings of the Vuse. As you’ll see, the cartridge contains a small integrated circuit that serves as a puff counter along with a saturated pad, a long wick and a single heating coil. According to the literature included with the Vuse, the puff counter “takes the guesswork out of how many puffs remain in each cartridge and when a cartridge is depleted.” As you’ll also note from the pictures, a Vuse cartridge can stop working when the pad is still wet. The Vuse battery and cartridges also use a snap-on design which, while convenient, won’t work with any other battery or cartridge.

Vuse E-Cigarette Review

The box for the Vuse claims that the e-cigarette is “designed and assembled in the USA by tobacco experts.” Although that’s as specific as it gets, my guess is that some components such as the battery cell and integrated circuits are made overseas. The e-liquid is the one aspect of the Vuse that I’m not sure about. It tastes like a run-of-the-mill Chinese tobacco e-liquid, though, and Reynolds makes no claims to the contrary.

There is one aspect of the Vuse that isn’t like most e-cigarettes, though: the nicotine strength. While most off-the-shelf e-cigarettes have a top nicotine strength of about 18 mg, the Vuse comes in just one strength — a whopping 48 mg. The extra throat hit afforded by the powerful e-liquid tends to offset the somewhat thin, wispy vapor produced by the Vuse. It may also make using the Vuse feel more like smoking a real cigarette to some, although it’s difficult to say because the vapor production is quite low, even for a cig-a-like. It may also make the Vuse more addictive than other e-cigarette brands, which I’m sure Reynolds has no problem with.

The Vuse comes in just two flavors: Original and Menthol. I haven’t tried the Menthol flavor, but as I mentioned above, the Original flavor tastes pretty much like any other run-of-the-mill Chinese tobacco flavor. It actually tastes fairly good, but it’s hardly a game changer compared to any of the other e-cigarette starter kits you can pick up in convenience stores and online.

Vuse E-Cigarette Review: The Bottom Line

Occasionally, I’ll be surprised when I write an e-cigarette review. When I wrote my VaporFi Rebel II review, for example, I found that e-cigarette tank systems have really come a long way in the past couple of years. I now use a tank every day. When I reviewed the Volcano Lavatube 2, on the other hand, I learned that sometimes all of the advancements in the world can’t make a new e-cigarette better than the model it replaces. In the case of my Vuse e-cigarette review, though, the product was pretty much exactly what I expected — overly proprietary, overpriced and barely adequate for a smoker who wants to give e-cigarettes a try. The Vuse would have been a huge step forward from the e-cigarettes available on the market in 2010. It might have even been a game changer when Reynolds began to test market it in 2012. In 2015, though, it is impossible for me to think of the Vuse as anything other than an interesting curiosity.

Vuse E-Cigarette Review: The Pros

Color-changing light alerts you when it is time to change the cartridge or charge the battery
Extremely high nicotine strength may be a benefit for heavy smokers
Starter kit is affordable; typically priced around $10

Vuse E-Cigarette Review: The Cons

In my opinion, the contributions of Reynolds American’s R&D department in the development of the Vuse are overblown; aside from the proprietary design, it’s pretty much the same as any other e-cigarette
At $3 each, the refill cartridges are far too expensive
Lackluster vapor production, even for a cig-a-like
Puff counter artificially limits the life of each cartridge

Charlie’s Club Review

[red_box]2016 update: The Charlie’s Club website has been taken offline, and the company appears to be out of business. Why not take a look at my article about the best e-cigarette for beginners instead?[/red_box]

For smokers, buying packs of cigarettes becomes a ritual woven into the fabric of one’s daily life. You remember to stop at the convenience store, smoke shop or other vendor every few days without even thinking about it because the habit becomes so ingrained. With e-cigarettes, though, it’s a bit different. When I’m getting low on e-liquid, I have to remember to go online and buy some. More than once over the years, I’ve run out of my favorite brand and had to resort to using an e-liquid I didn’t like as much while I waited for my preferred brand to arrive. Of course, I could have gone to the convenience store and picked up a Vuse or Logic e-cigarette, but then I’d just be overpaying for a low-quality product.

These experiences lead me to believe that many e-smokers might be interested in a program that allows them to have their e-liquids or refill cartridges shipped automatically. You’d never need to remember to order — they’d just show up at your door. To date, many e-cigarette companies have tried and failed to crack the subscription code. Companies know that some consumers would like automatic shipments of e-cigarette refills, and they also know that the steady income from subscription fees would be good for them, as well. Nothing has really become a hit, though. To make matters worse, many people think of the free e-cigarette scam when they think of subscription-based services — something that has given the industry as a whole a bad reputation.

Charlie’s Club is a new e-cigarette company that has set out to change the playing field for subscription-based e-cigarette services. With free batteries and chargers throughout the life of the subscription, no commitment and the ability to cancel online directly from your account page, Charlie’s Club has made it easier than ever to get into an e-cigarette subscription and get out if you decide it isn’t for you. In my Charlie’s Club review, I’ll be sharing my thoughts about this new company.

Charlies Club Review E-Cigarette Continue reading “Charlie’s Club Review”

SMOK BEC Pro Review

I have long thought that connectivity with mobile devices might be one of the features that people look for in advanced personal vaporizers in the near future. When I made the switch to e-cigarettes, I noticed — and I’m sure I’m not the only one — that after some years I was probably puffing on my e-cigarette more times per day than I had ever puffed on tobacco cigarettes. Although I was fairly certain that I was consuming less nicotine overall, I wasn’t absolutely positive and wanted to cut down on my number of puffs each day. I tried tallying my puffs manually but always forgot to keep track. I contacted SMOK about the BEC Pro APV, figuring that if I had an interest in a Bluetooth e-cigarette, some of my readers might, too. Having used the BEC Pro exclusively for several weeks, I can say that it is a spectacular e-cigarette and well worth the price. However, the Bluetooth functionality still has some kinks to iron out.

[green_box]As of 2015, the functionality of the BEC Pro has become a bit outdated. Due to this and the fact that I was never able to get the Bluetooth features to function reliably, I am not recommending this device at this time. As an alternative, take a look at the VaporFi VOX II or the V2 Pro Series 7.[/green_box]

View the SMOK BEC Pro. It costs $89.99 and ships via First Class Mail for free.

SMOK BEC Pro Review Smoktech Continue reading “SMOK BEC Pro Review”

Clearette Review

Truly innovative products are often rare in a mature industry. When a formula proves successful, the marketplace becomes flooded with a glut of “me too” products attempting to capitalize on the success of the original innovator. Since the majority of the world’s electronic cigarettes are produced by a handful of manufacturers in China, the e-cigarette industry reached this stage rather rapidly — and recently, I’ve reviewed a lot of rather dull e-cigarettes that I’ve struggled to differentiate from the many e-cigarettes I’ve reviewed before. I need something new. I need something groundbreaking. The Clearette e-cigarette isn’t it. I’ll explain why in this review. As an alternative, I suggest taking a look at my article about the best e-cigarettes of 2016 or the best e-cigarette for beginners.

Clearette Review

About Clearette E-Cigarettes

The basic Clearette e-cigarette kit is about as spartan as they come, costing $14.99 and including nothing more than a battery, a USB charger and two cartridges. Clearette also sells a line of flavored disposable e-cigarettes, which they call “e-hookahs” in adherence to a trend that’s been popular over the past several months. The flavor selection is equally sparse — although Clearette’s disposable e-cigarettes come in a variety of flavors, cartridges for the standard Clearette e-cigarette are available in Tobacco and Menthol only with nicotine strengths of 18 and 24 mg. Clearette’s liquids are most likely Chinese in origin.

Clearette’s price of $14.99 for a basic e-cigarette kit is about as low as you’ll find anywhere, and the price of $14.95 for five refill cartridges is slightly higher than average. However, this tends to even out because Clearette doesn’t charge shipping fees for any of its products. If you see yourself buying just a pack or two of cartridges at a time rather than taking advantage of the bulk offers available from companies such as V2 Cigs, the amount of money that you save by not paying shipping can quickly add up. On the downside, Clearette seems to lack a clear warranty and return policy except in the case of damaged, missing and unopened items. They do have a phone number and email address for customer service inquiries, however.

Clearette Review

One of the problems associates with smaller e-cigarettes is that new e-smokers often pick the “light” nicotine strength because they’re former smokers of light cigarettes. The nicotine absorption derived from e-cigarettes is different from that of tobacco cigarettes, though, which can lead to disappointment. Clearette avoids this possible issue by offering its cartridges in just two strengths: high and higher. The 24 mg cartridges I tried packed a real punch and more than made up for their diminutive size. While the flavor wasn’t exactly memorable, the experience was entirely satisfying.

In the long run, I can see people quickly moving on from Clearette to other brands when they begin to feel the desire to experiment. Companies such as V2 Cigs, who I mentioned above, along with Halo and Volcano don’t just offer a variety of fruity and spicy flavors to keep customers interested — they also sell multiple variations of their basic tobacco and menthol flavors. For example, you could buy a new flavor from Volcano every week, and you wouldn’t have to repeat flavors for nearly a year.

Clearette sells a high-quality e-cigarette at one of the most affordable prices you’ll find anywhere. As a way to try e-cigarettes for the first time, it’s far better to buy a Clearette kit than a disposable e-cigarette — you’ll be able to keep the battery and simply buy refill cartridges rather than buying disposable e-cigarettes time and again. For that reason, I can give Clearette a recommendation if you’ve never used e-cigarettes before. The only real problem with Clearette is that it doesn’t give you room to grow. If you want to try some new flavors once you become more experienced — or perhaps upgrade to a larger e-cigarette with superior battery life — you’ll have to look elsewhere.

Clearette Review: The Pros

Significantly lower kit price than most competing brands
No shipping fees for any purchase

Clearette Review: The Cons

Tobacco and Menthol flavors only
Vague warranty policy

NuvoCig Review

[red_box]Thanks for stopping by! This is an older product, and I am not presently recommending it. Are you a beginner? Take a look at the best e-cigarette for beginners. Experienced vaper? Look at all of the best e-cigarettes of 2016.[/red_box]

If you’ve been familiar with e-cigarettes for more than a few years, there’s a good chance that the NuvoCig brand was among the first to ever catch your attention. With mall kiosks and a website in operation since 2010, NuvoCig is one of the oldest e-cigarette brands in the United States. From the beginning, NuvoCig established itself as an inexpensive alternative to the better known brands such as Blu, but it wasn’t until a recent product redesign that the brand really began to catch my eye. With its new steel-tinged batteries and cartridges, NuvoCig has more eye appeal than ever with starter kit prices that remain extremely competitive. However, Blu isn’t the biggest player in the e-cigarette industry anymore. Today, e-cigarette companies have to play in a field dominated by VaporFi. In this NuvoCig review, I’ll explain how the plucky underdog stacks up.

View the selection of starter kits at the NuvoCig website. Kits start at $24.99 and include a one year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee. Orders over $60 ship free.

NuvoCig Review

About the NuvoCig E-Cigarette

The NuvoCig is a 510 e-cigarette with a rated battery capacity of 180 mAh, good for up to about 100 puffs per charge. Although the basic starter kit is available only in Tobacco and Menthol flavors, the full lineup of refills has an expanded selection of flavors including peach, apple and cinnamon. If you’ve seen a lot of KR-808 e-cigarettes such as the model sold by V2 Cigs while browsing online, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the smaller size of the 510 model — it’s around the same length as a “100s” cigarette. However, there are two trade-offs: V2’s KR-808 battery is rated for higher-voltage operation, which causes it to produce a bit more vapor. V2 also uses a higher-capacity battery, slightly larger than the one sold by NuvoCig.

NuvoCig’s price for refill cartomizers is quite a bit higher than the norm; $19.99 is good for a pack of five cartomizers in any of NuvoCig’s 19 different flavors. Buying five packs at once will give you a 25 percent discount, but even the $15.99 discount price is higher than the base price many companies offer. On the bright side, you can still enjoy NuvoCig’s stylish design by buying a NuvoCig starter kit and getting your refills elsewhere. For example, the NuvoCig e-cigarette is compatible with cartomizers sold by Volcano and Blu. Volcano’s cartomizers cost $9.99 per five-pack.

NuvoCig Review

The two points most strongly in favor of NuvoCig are that the company’s batteries work extremely well and look great. Although stainless steel might not be to everyone’s liking, I much prefer it over the flat black or white batteries many e-cigarette companies still offer. For those who prefer something a bit more on the flashy side, NuvoCig also offers an innovative battery with a color-changing light that cycles through seven different colors as you puff. The refill cartridges, though more expensive than average and most likely not American in origin, do taste fresh and function well. The cartridges are sealed with foil to prevent liquid from escaping — if you have any experience with e-cigarette companies that ship its cartridges in paper boxes, you’ll know the foil makes an enormous difference in freshness.

In fact, I have nothing negative to say about the NuvoCig e-cigarette at all; the product looks sharp, works well and tastes great. What’s not to like? The $19.99 price for refill cartomizers represents NuvoCig’s only downside, but it’s a rather big one. Compared to some other companies offering 510 e-cigarettes, you’ll spend as much as double on your refill cartridges with NuvoCig. So, although NuvoCig is an easy e-cigarette to like, it’s a hard one to recommend unless you’re willing to buy in bulk or shop around for better refill prices.

View the selection of starter kits at the NuvoCig website. Kits start at $24.99 and include a one year warranty and 30 day money back guarantee. Orders over $60 ship free.

NuvoCig Review: The Pros

Competitive prices for starter kits
Cartridges foil sealed for freshness
Stainless batteries and cartridges make for a great looking e-cigarette

NuvoCig Review: The Cons

Refill prices much higher than average

Stems Cigs Review

When I first switched to e-cigarettes, I was feeling the effects of the recession in a big way. I could barely afford my first e-cigarette kit, and when I upgraded to something larger I decided to do so one piece at a time — a battery here, a charger there and so on until I had the equivalent of a new starter kit. It’s in that spirit that I write this Stems Cigs review. As an e-cigarette journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to write about some pretty impressive e-cigarette kits with a wide variety of pack-ins including portable battery chargers, leather clutches and more. The accessories included with an e-cigarette kit don’t matter much, though, if you can’t afford to buy it. Stems Cigs presents a no-frills alternative, with a wide selection of a la carte e-cigarette components and kits starting at just $20.

[green_box]2014 Update: I have removed all of the links to Stems Cigs from this article as the company has allowed their domain to lapse and appear to no longer be in business. Why not take a look at my article about the best e-cigarette for beginners instead?[/green_box]

About Stems Cigs

Stems Cigs Review Stems Cigs is a relatively new e-cigarette company, having been founded in 2013. From the spartan website design to the abbreviated selection of e-cigarettes and accessories, everything speaks to the company’s no-frills approach to e-cigarette marketing — every aspect of the company is geared toward selling e-cigarettes at the lowest prices possible. If you’ve seen a few no-frills e-cigarettes in your time, though, you know one way in which they’re nearly all similar: they tend to lack extensive support for customers after the purchase has been made. That’s where Stems Cigs does things a bit differently, with their 30-day money back guarantee. Stems Cigs seems intent on making sure its customers want to come back for more, which is a philosophy I can wholeheartedly agree with.

In the interest of serving the widest possible customer base, nearly everything sold on the Stems Cigs website is based on the eGo e-cigarette — a platform favored as much by newbies as it is by experienced e-smokers. For people on a budget, the highlight of the show is the eGo-T Single Kit, which costs just $20 and includes a battery, cartomizer tank and USB charger. At 650 mAh, the battery provides enough power for at least half a day of heavy use or a full day of light use. Although it isn’t the only bargain you’ll find on the Stems Cigs website, the eGo-T Single Kit is what I’ll be focusing on in this Stems Cigs review.

Stems Cigs Review

To get started with Stems Cigs, you’ll need a bottle of e-liquid. I maintain a short list of the best e-liquid companies on this website, or you can try one of 27 different Stems Cigs flavors at $6.99 per bottle. After opening the package, twist the eGo battery into the terminal on the included USB charger and connect the charger to one of your computer’s USB ports. When the light on the charger turns green, the battery is ready to go.

Next, take the cartomizer tank and twist off the hard plastic tip. Looking inside the tank, you’ll notice a thin tube extending from the bottom of the unit to the top where the mouthpiece would connect. Your goal is to get the e-liquid anywhere but in this tube; tip a bottle into the reservoir and add e-liquid until the level reaches the top fill line. Twist the mouthpiece back on and twist the tank cartomizer into the Stems Cigs eGo-T battery. You can use the e-cigarette by holding down the button and puffing as if you were smoking an actual cigarette.

I didn’t have an opportunity to try any e-liquids from Stems Cigs, but I was impressed by the quality and performance of the eGo-T e-cigarette. Although I’ve seen this exact model offered elsewhere at much higher prices, the performance with those e-cigarettes was exactly the same as what I experienced with Stems Cigs’ lower-priced offering. The Stems Cigs battery provides enough power to produce rich, thick clouds of vapor throughout nearly an entire day of e-smoking, and the included tank cartomizer doesn’t impart an undesirable plastic taste.

More importantly, I was able to test the Stems Cigs e-cigarette for nearly a month before the tank cartomizer began to show signs of declining vapor production. Stems Cigs sells replacement tank cartomizers in packs of five for $19.95, and they also offer a larger Vivi Nova clearomizer which offers approximately double the e-liquid storage. The Vivi Nova is one of the most popular clearomizers currently on the market, and its popularity speaks for itself. If you’ve never used it, though, you should know that the Vivi Nova is slightly wider than the Stems Cigs e-cigarette.

Stems Cigs Review: The Bottom Line

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the experience with Stems Cigs is stictly no-frills. You won’t find custom-branded accessories, you won’t find all of the latest trendy e-cigarette components and you won’t find a selection of e-liquids made in-house. If you’re looking to minimize the cost of getting into e-cigarettes or upgrading from your first e-cigarette to something with superior vapor production, though, Stems Cigs is a good company to choose. You’ll get a good product, and you’ll get it for less than you’d spend elsewhere.

Stems Cigs Review: The Pros

Some of the lowest prices anywhere for e-cigarette kits and components
Return your kit for a refund within 30 days if not satisfied

Stems Cigs Review: The Cons

Spartan website design and limited selection — if you’re looking for something other than the eGo platform, you won’t find it here