One of the recurring themes of the misguided crusade against e-cigarettes is that everything
is blown out of proportion. When a study reveals that a large number of
sweet-flavored e-liquids contain diacetyl, for example, it’s widely-reported as a big risk without putting that risk into context with the fact that cigarette smoke contains a lot more diacetyl than e-juice.
For
the most part, vapers are wearily accustomed to this sort of thing, but
just how ridiculous some examples are does bear thinking about from
time to time. While things like diacetyl aren’t much of an everyday
concern unless you work in a popcorn plant or eat an absolute ton of it Avocation Exotic Smokes,
there are many examples of unavoidably normal things being
used to criticize vaping specifically. In everyday life, the potential
problems relating to them are roundly ignored, but when you toss
e-cigarettes into the equation, all of a sudden they’re a cause for
panic and outrage. Here are five examples:
1 – Advertising Vs. E-Cigarette Advertising
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids compares the tobacco ads with the vaping ads, but not the two on the right. I wonder why…
Advertisements are everywhere, and the tactics they use to get our attention are pretty much the same wherever you look.
Listen
to this list: using celebrity spokespeople, using rugged men and
glamorous women, using sex to sell, sponsoring sport and music events,
and using animated characters in ads.
You’d be forgiven
for thinking this is just a list of common features of any
advertisements, but actually, it’s five of seven points raised in this disastrous post from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids about the ways “E-Cigarette Companies Are Copying Big Tobacco’s Playbook.”
Yes, they’re saying celebrityspokespeople are a Big Tobacco strategy, not just standard practice in ads. They think using sex to sell hasn’t been a strategy of ads for a multitude of products for over 100 years. They think using glamorous women is copying from the Big Tobacco playbook (because we all know every other type of product bases their advertising around unattractive, badly-dressed women).
The
other two points on the list – using sweet flavors and saying “switch,
don’t quit” – are more specific to vaping, but really quite irrelevant
to their overall point. Vodka and nicotine replacement therapy come in
sweet flavors too, and switching is specifically what e-cigs are for, so
it’s hardly like companies are copying Big Tobacco by making it a core
proposition.
It isn’t just the Campaign for Tobacco-Free
Kids either, most of the criticism we see of e-cig ads revolves around
things that are common to all advertising, but if you throw in e-cigarettes, we’re supposed to be outraged and horrified.
2 – Accidental Poisonings Vs. E-Juice Poisonings
Graph: The Counterfactual
Accidental
poisonings are tragic but thankfully quite rare. Hundreds of millions
of people take painkillers (including both opioid and over-the-counter
varieties), but only around 300,000 called poison centers about
potential poisonings from them in 2014 according to the American Association for Poison Control Centers
(AAPCC). But, over the past few years, people have decided that
e-liquid poisonings (especially in kids) are something we should be really, really concerned about. The AAPCC even has an alert page specifically about them, in which they declare that “Liquid nicotine exposures continue to concern poison specialists.”
Is it that e-liquids are causing massive numbers of poisonings? Well, their own report states that tobacco, nicotine and
e-cigarette products combined only accounted for less than 1 percent of
calls about under 5s in 2014, which is the year with the most cases of
potential e-juice poisonings so far. Tobacco cigarettes still poison more people – and a lot
more kids – than e-liquid, and other potential poisons like
painkillers, cosmetics, cleaning substances and vitamins result in a lot
more calls to poison centers. For example, a massive 14 % of calls
about under 5s in 2014 were due to cosmetics and personal care products.
Nobody seems to be calling for child-proof packaging on foundation. I’m
yet to hear people complain about an “epidemic” of lipstick poisonings.
But we’re supposed to be super worried about e-juice poisonings, right?
3 – Indoor Air Pollution Vs. Second-Hand Vaping
You know that “clean” air you’re breathing? Yeah, it’s not that clean.
The
reality is that chemicals that are toxic in substantial doses are all
around us, but we’re generally fairly safe because the amounts are so
small. In the air all around us, there are detectable quantities of carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds in general and numerous other harmful chemicals.
Although
the amounts are usually too low to pose a big risk to health, we’re
generally blissfully unaware of the stuff we’re breathing in all the
time because it’s just there, invisible and in quantities too small to even be noticeable. But if somebody puffs out a visible puff of vapor, we definitely
notice it, and people are generally very concerned about their exposure
to chemicals through second-hand vaping, even if the amount is tiny.
A perfect example is formaldehyde: in the air you breathe all the time, levels of formaldehyde vary from 2 to 170 µg per cubic meter. When somebody vapes about 13 puffs of e-juice, they create about 0.005 µg of formaldehyde per cubic meter. In other words, it’s nothing to worry about in comparison to the amounts you breathe all day long – it would take a massive 5,200 puffs to even produce the minimum concentrations of formaldehyde found in homes. Would it be better if we could remove all formaldehyde from the air? Yes, of course it would. best online quality vape this would be impossible because we all exhale it, all the time.
So
if you’re the sort of person who wafts vapor away from your face like
it’s full of noxious chemicals, you should probably re-evaluate your
position or start to be a hell of a lot more careful about the
indoor air quality in your own home. Perhaps you could just exhale
through a tube that leads out of the window, remove all
formaldehyde-releasing wood products from your home, never burn candles
and take a multitude of other extreme precautions.
4 – Lithium Battery Explosions Vs. E-Cigarette Explosions
Aaahh!!! E-cigarettes are exploding everywhere!
Gruesome pictures of unfortunate vapers with horrific burns all over
their faces are plastered over newspapers and websites, images of
burnt-out homes and cars warn us about their dangers, and the occasional
video of an e-cig going firework finds its way online, accompanied by
statements like “they’re not so safe after all.”
But, if you take a step back from the flood of scaremongering news stories about “exploding e-cigarettes,” and actually learn about the issue, you’re forced to make a much more general conclusion. Mic did just this and wrote a very reasonable and balanced article about the problem, with the core message that lithium batteries,
regardless of whether it’s the one in your cell phone, laptop,
hoverboard or mod, carry inherent risks. Vaper and writer Fergus Mason
drove the point home with a simple statement: “there is no such thing as an e-cigarette battery.”
The fact is that exploding e-cigarettes, just like exploding cell phones, will remain
an issue until we come up with a better battery technology. While that
would be good, we should also stress that problems with lithium
batteries are ultimately very rare anyway.
5 – Teen Experimentation Vs. Teen Vaping
We might not like it, but the unavoidable fact is that teens like to experiment with various substances. In the 2015 Monitoring the Future study, almost 39 % of 12th
graders used an illicit drug in the past year (normally marijuana), and
over 58 % drank alcohol. The reason for this is obvious to everybody
who’s lived through teenage years: you want to try things to
see what they’re like, and/or you’re worried about fitting in with your
friends. It’s simple, and it’s very, very normal. The rate of illicit
drug use, for example, stayed approximately the same over the past 20
years of Monitoring the Future surveys, with 39 % of 12th graders trying illicit drugs in 1995. If you look back a little further it’s actually increased.
Yet, when the same survey found that 16.2 % of 12th graders had experimented with vaping,
this was apparently huge cause for concern. The situation only gets
more ridiculous when it’s noted that only 22.2 % of them used nicotine.
Although more 12th graders than those in lower grades probably used nicotine, if we assume it applies equally across the grades, only 3.6 % of 12th
graders would have vaped with nicotine. Compare this to the 11.4 %
smoking cigarettes. And yet they think everyone should be worried about
vaping.
The Lesson: Perspective is Key
The
unifying thread across all of these points is that when information is
presented about vaping, it’s often not the full story. You rarely (if
ever) see an article about e-cig explosions that points out that the
alternative, for most people, is the massive fire hazard of burning
cigarettes, and even discussion of the general risks of lithium
batteries is rare. You don’t see articles on the potential risks of
second-hand vaping putting the emissions into context with a discussion
of ordinary indoor air levels of the same chemicals. And you don’t see
the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids mentioning that sex is used to sell
everything from Levi’s Jeans to Pepsi.
Should we be
concerned about lithium battery explosions, accidental poisonings,
indoor air pollution, teen experimentation and the impacts of widespread
advertising? Yes, but we definitely shouldn’t make out they’re
a bigger concern than they really are, or single out one specific
product to take the blame just because we don’t like it.
For a smoker first making the switch to vaping, or for a vaper who
wants to keep things as simple as possible, finding the best vape pen on
the market is a big priority. Offering vast improvements in performance
in comparison to cigalike devices and being considerably more compact
and simple than the vape mods many long-term vapers gravitate towards,
vape pens are the perfect middle-ground for the vaper who wants solid
performance without a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles.
Traditionally,
vape pens were basically eGo-style devices, with 650 to 1000 mAh
batteries and fairly small, high-ohm coil clearomizers, but the best
vape pens for 2016 extend beyond these traditional boundaries, with many
devices sporting best quality vaporizer– almost mod-like – batteries and
supporting sub-ohm resistances. This might blur the boundaries between
vape pens and mods, but it’s added some excellent performers to the
class.
So here’s our list of the best vaporizer pens
currently on the market, ranging from the more basic, traditional styles
through to the modern, sub-ohm capable beasts that push the category to
breaking point.
Best Vape Pens for E-Liquid
10 – Halo Triton Tank System
The
Halo Triton Tank System is one of the classic-style vapor pens to make
this list, meaning it’s less bulky than some of the other options but
still offers great performance in comparison to basic cigalikes.
The
Triton Tank System is built around eGo-style batteries, available in
capacities ranging from 400 to 1300 mAh. The Tank System is available as part of a starter kit,
which comes with two batteries (either 400 or 650 mAh), two 2.4 ml
Triton tanks, mouthpiece cone, USB charger and a free 30 ml bottle of
e-liquid for $49.95. This is a solid offering for new vapers, giving you
everything you need to get started with vaping.
However, the version that makes this list of the best vapor pens is the 1300 mAh,
because the notable increase in battery life means you can vape for
much longer between charges. The downside is that you can’t pick it up
as part of a kit, but the battery only costs $19.99, so you can still
pick one up alongside a compatible eGo-threaded clearomizer for fairly
cheap. On the positive side, though, you get an excellently-performing
device that’s very easy to use.
9 – Aspire CF-VV+
The
Aspire CF-VV+ battery is a bigger device than some of the more basic
vape pens, but with substantial battery life and the ability to adjust
the power you send to your atomizer, it easily ranks among the top vapes
on the market today. The device has a carbon fiber exterior and a
single, flat fire button on the front. The voltage can be adjusted from
3.3 to 4.8 V using the dial on the bottom of the device, which allows
you to tailor the power output to suit the atomizer you’re using, and
the battery has a 1000 mAh capacity. This should last most vapers
through a day of use. It also features a spring-loaded 510 connector so
it works effectively with a wide range of atomizers and tanks.
The CF-VV+ comes in a kit with the Aspire Nautilus for under $50
(at time of writing, March 2016), offering a 2 ml capacity tank with
five spare 1.8 ohm vertical coils, a USB charging cable and wall
adapter. Overall, it’s a great deal, and even though it’s a fairly old
device, the excellent performance and variable voltage functionality
keeps it in the running as one of the best options on the market.
8 – Kanger Evod VV
The
Evod VV from Kanger is a very similar device to the CF-VV+, in many
ways, offering variable voltage through a dial at the base of the
battery and a substantial 1000 mAh battery, but being a little cheaper
to pick up (priced at $18.95)
and widely available outside a pre-defined kit. The device has variable
voltage between 3.2 and 4.8 volts in 0.4 V increments, allowing fine
control over your setting while still maintaining a vape pen like
simplicity in operation. The device is available in a wide selection of
colors, and the eGo/510 threading means it can be used with most
atomizers on the market, with a beauty ring being advised for 510
atomizers to cover the eGo best vape online.
This is another option
that’s a little bigger than standard eGo-style vape pens – measuring 5.2
inches tall and having a ½ inch diameter – but the benefit of longer
battery life and adjustable voltage makes it more than worth the extra
size.
7 – Innokin Endura T18
Innokin
might be best-known for their MVP series of box mods, but the Endura
T18 sees them venturing into the field of entry-level devices, and it’s
one of the best vaporizer pens on the market today. The device might be a
bit lower in battery capacity and power output than some of the options
on this list, but the vape pen still has a lot to offer, with a simple
one-button operation, top-filling tank and a sleek, appealing design.
The
Endura T18 features a 1000 mAh battery and a 14 watt output when paired
with a 1.5 ohm coil, putting the battery as less capable than many
bigger devices but still providing more than enough vapor and a long
enough battery life for less intensive vapers. It comes with a USB
charger, and allows vaping while charging, meaning you never have to go
without something to vape. The device is paired with the Prism tank,
which has a 2.5 ml juice capacity and uses organic cotton coils for
superior flavor. The tank is top-filling, with the top twisting open and
revealing ample space to refill. The setup is designed for the
mouth-to-lung hits smokers are accustomed to, so it’s a stand-out option
for anybody new to vaping.
The Endura T18 comes in a kit with the battery, tank, a replacement coil, USB charger and a unique vape stand, all for $27.95.
6 – Apollo Ohm Go
Apollo
has been in the e-cigarette industry for a long time, and they’ve kept
pace with the developments in the industry by expanding from basic
cigalikes to vape pens and even box mods. Their Valiant kit is still a
great option, but their entry into this list of the top vape pens on the
market comes in the form of the Ohm Go kit. The device the kit takes
its name from puts out a substantial amount of power – up to 50 W when
paired with the right type of coil – and is actually self-adjusting, making it a near-unbeatable option for new vapers unsure about appropriate settings and just looking for a simple experience.
The
battery has a substantial 1900 mAh capacity, and comes with a USB
charging cable, as well as working in passthrough mode so you can vape
while you’re charging. All of this makes it a fantastic option for
beginners looking to get their first serious device, and the included
Portal tank only makes this better. It’s a 3 ml capacity sub-ohm tank,
coming with two atomizer heads – one 0.5 ohm and one 1.0 ohm – and
designed with ease-of-use in mind. The kit costs $39.95 at time of writing.
5 – Eleaf iJust 2
Eleaf
may be best known as the creators of the iStick series of box mods, but
the iJust series offer some next-generation eGo-style vape pens,
maintaining the simplicity of a classic style vape pen but also
supporting sub-ohm resistances. The iJust is a bit chunky, but maintains
the vape pen style with just a single “fire” button for operation and a
purpose-built atomizer.
The battery for the iJust has a
huge capacity of 2600 mAh, which will easily last you through a day of
use, and supports resistances down to 0.3 ohms, for a huge output power
of up to 80 W. You don’t need to adjust settings or anything like that:
just fill the massive 5.5 ml tank with e-liquid, screw it on and vape
away. The tank features adjustable airflow, a bottom-filling design and
organic cotton coils, allowing you to tailor your vaping experience to
suit your preferences without getting needlessly complicated.
The device offers mod-like performance in a much simpler package, and comes in a kit with the tank and USB charger for just $29.50.
4 – Kanger Subvod
The
Subvod sees Kanger putting out one of the best vape pens for e-liquid
users today, with a compact-yet-capable battery that supports sub-ohm
vaping and a simple, user-friendly design. The Subvod battery has a 1300
mAh capacity, which is lower than some of the options on the list but
allows them to keep the size down to 3 ½ inches tall by ¾ of an inch in
diameter. It supports resistances down to 0.4 ohms, meaning it’s capable
of powering most of the sub-ohm tanks on the market today, and can be
charged up via the included USB cable.
The Subvod kit
comes with the battery and the Toptank Nano, a 3.2 ml capacity sub-ohm
tank featuring adjustable airflow, a glass tank and a top or
bottom filling design. The tank comes with a 0.5 ohm stainless steel
organic cotton coil, so all you have to get to start vaping is some
e-juice. The combination of simple filling on the tank and the
one-button operation of the battery makes this a stand-out option for
new vapers, and the performance with both of them together is hard to
fault.
The kit costs $38.95, making it a fantastic deal for anyone looking for a modern, more powerful vape pen in a slightly less chunky package.
3 – VaporFi Rocket
VaporFi
has a wide range of devices on offer, ranging from cigalikes right
through to high-powered, temperature control box mods, but their
mid-size range includes some of the most popular vaporizer pens on the
market. Although the Edge offers bigger vapor production and a
higher-power vaping experience, as a beginner-friendly vape pen starter
kit, the Rocket is their best offering. The device features a 1600 mAh
battery, and supports variable voltage from 3.2 to 4.8 volts, allowing
you to adjust your vaping experience to suit your preferences and the
specific juice you have loaded up. The voltage setting is controlled by a
ring on the bottom of the battery.
The Rocket comes with a
purpose-built tank, which holds 2.5 ml of juice and comes with one 1.8
ohm atomizer head installed and five more spare. The tank has an airflow
control system much like that on the Kanger Aerotank, allowing for fine
control over your draw and supporting both mouth-to-lung and
straight-to-lung inhalation styles. The Rocket tank has a bottom-filling
design but both refilling and changing coils are very straightforward,
making it a solid option for new vapers.
The Rocket comes in a kit with the vape pen, tank, five spare coils, USB charger, wall adapter and user manual for $89.99.
This is the most expensive vaporizer on the list, but the build quality
is excellent and VaporFi has a stand-out US-based customer support team
– a big deal for newer vapers.
2 – Joyetech eGo One
The
eGo from Joyetech is basically the original vape pen, so it’s no
surprise that Joyetech has one of the best vape pens on the market. Like
many manufacturers, although they still put out standard-style vape
pens, Joyetech has progressed to larger, higher-power designs while
still keeping operation as simple as possible. The eGo One brings the
classic device into the modern era of vaping, supporting resistances
down to 0.5 ohms and featuring a 2200 mAh battery (with a 1100 mAh
version also available), and being paired with a 2.5 ml tank with
different atomizer heads to suit either mouth-to-lung or
straight-to-lung inhalation styles.
The core functionality
of the eGo One is as simple as the older eGo devices, with a single
button for firing and little else to contend with, but the huge battery
capacity and low-resistance atomizers puts the performance well beyond
that offered by previous versions. The tank is also straightforward,
with coil-changing and refilling being simple processes, and the
adjustable airflow working through a basic control ring. The upshot is
that you can’t do much better than the eGo one if you’re a new vaper, or
even an experienced vaper looking for a straightforward device.
The eGo One also comes in two sizes, with the 2200 mAh version being the best choice in terms of battery life, and being priced at $47.99
at the time of writing. It comes with a battery, atomizer, two coils,
two mouthpieces, USB charger and wall adapter. There’s also an 850 mAh Mini option if you want something more compact, priced at $39.95.
1 – V2 Pro Series 3
V2
Cigs has been a huge name in the industry since it first started taking
off, and the Pro Series sees them moving with the trends in the vaping
world and even more. The core selling-point for the Pro Series 3 and
Series 7 is the ability to vaporize e-liquid, loose leaf and wax, making
them more than just normal vaping devices – they’re capable of dealing
with anything you want to vape. They really are game-changers.
Although
the Series 7 has a bigger battery and a larger loose leaf capacity, the
Series 3 is our pick for the best vaporizer pen because it manages to
fit all of the same core features into a trimmed-down, vape pen-sized
package. The devices work with three different styles of cartridge – one
for e-liquid, one for loose leaf and one for wax – and they drop in
place magnetically to minimize fiddling. The Series 3 has a 1.6 ml
e-juice capacity and a 385 cubic mm loose leaf capacity, and is really
designed for e-juice users looking for solid performance. It comes with
an e-liquid cartridge and you can add others if you need them.
The
Series 3 also features automatic voltage control, so the device dials
in the ideal setting for your particular cartridge, and it recognizes
which you’re using automatically. The battery is only 650 mAh (compared
to 1800 mAh for the Series 7), but this helps the device remain
portable, and the performance – regardless of what you’re using – is
outstanding.
You can pick up the Series 3 for $59.99,
and comes with the vape pen, a USB charger and an e-liquid cartridge as
standard, with the option to add extras. If you want the bigger, more
capable Series 7 it’s $169.99,
and it comes with both the e-liquid and loose leaf cartridges, as well
as USB charger, wall adapter and a pick and brush for dealing with the
loose leaf.
Vape Pens Keep Getting Better
So there is a lot
of choice when it comes to finding the best vape pen for your needs. If
you’re looking for something that can vaporize more than just e-liquid,
the V2 Pro Series is really the only game in town, but there are also
several stand-out devices for new vapers just looking for something to
replace cigarettes or for experienced vapers looking for serious,
sub-ohm vapor production and huge clouds. One thing is for sure, we’ve
come a long way since the days of the first eGos, and things are only
going to get better.
Black Note is a tobacco specialist. While other mixers are focusing on the
sweet and fruity flavors and throwing together a few so-so tobacco
options almost as an afterthought, Black Note is spending six to eight
weeks “cold macerating” top-quality tobaccos in PG and VG to extract the
full-fledged, authentic flavor. For naturally extracted tobacco (NET)
e-juice fans or smokers looking for the best tobacco replication you can
find, Black Note is a godsend.
Their range of eight
e-juices has been rapidly gaining popularity for a while now, and
they’ve just hit the market with a brand new flavor: Quartet. It’s a Latakia blend, and a limited edition with a hefty $39 price-tag for a 30 ml bottle. Can the juice really be that good? Our Quartet by Black Note review finds out.
Accuracy
Quartet
is a Syrian Latakia tobacco, boasting a rich, intense, smoky-peppery
flavor, with the tobacco being sun-cured, then cured with the smoke from
Valonia oak, Aleppo pine, Lebanon cedar, Greek juniper and indigenous
aromatic herbs. The tobacco Black Note used for the extraction was aged
for eight years: in other words, this is some seriously high-quality tobacco.
The
smokiness is the dominant element in the flavor, coming through
particularly strongly on the nose and remaining a key component
throughout your draw. The peppery elements accompany the smoky notes
nicely, adding a touch of complexity to the authentically smoke-like
flavor. The taste is definitely intense, and while the numerous
elements of the smoke-curing aren’t easy to pick out individually, the
whole thing is underpinned with a glorious richness best online quality vaporizer, touches of
earthiness and numerous other notes poking through the mélange of
flavors at different points in your draw.
Overall
This
juice is wonderfully accurate, intriguingly complex and unashamedly
robust. Many of Black Note’s juices have a soft, gentle flavor – like
Adagio and Prelude, for example – that give them a broad appeal as well
as capturing the best elements of the taste of tobacco, but Quartet is
something different. For anyone looking for the most authentic
smoking-like flavor possible in an e-juice, I can’t see how you could
find anything better. The smokiness is accentuated with multi-tonal
complexity, producing a startlingly realistic tobacco e-liquid that
doesn’t pull any punches. The robust nature of the flavor might not be
to everyone’s tastes, admittedly vape online, but even for someone like me who
usually prefers the softer tobacco flavors, Quartet really is something
special. It might cost you a little more than most of Black Note’s
juices, but if you’ve been searching for the ultimate tobacco e-liquid,
Quartet is an absolute must-try.
ompared to smoking, vaping is very complicated. With cigarettes, you
just set fire to the tobacco end and inhale what comes out of the
filter, but with e-cigs, you have to contend with different batteries, a
multitude of different atomizers, a cornucopia of e-liquids and much
more. There is a lot of information out there, but getting to the facts
and understanding everything isn’t easy. That’s why we’re starting a
series of posts on the basics of vaping: to give new vapers and smokers
considering switching all of the information you need to make your
decision and get started with vaping.
To start, we’re answering the simplest question you might have: what is an e-cigarette and how does it work?
As
this series continues, we’ll move to other topics, including basic user
guides, troubleshooting and some posts covering the core benefits of
vaping in comparison to smoking.
What is an E-Cigarette?
The
most common description of what an e-cigarette is runs something like
this: a battery-powered device that vaporizes a liquid usually
containing nicotine.
This is a little robotic and stinted,
but the core elements are all there. An e-cigarette consists of a
battery, which provides power to an “atomizer,” which in turn vaporizes
“e-liquid.”
Battery: Usually a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
Atomizer:
A coil of wire that gets hot when supplied with electricity from the
battery. The coil is either wrapped in absorbent “wick” material or has
some inserted through the center. Usually, atomizers are surrounded by a
tank or other reservoir which contains e-liquid.
E-Liquid (or “E-Juice”): A mixture of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin (also called “glycerol”), nicotine and food flavorings.
These
key components are always there, regardless of the specific type of
e-cigarette, and represent the core of what an e-cigarette is.
How E-Cigarettes Work
With
knowledge of what an e-cigarette is, how they work is very easy to
understand. The battery supplies electricity to the coil of wire, and
due to its resistance to the flow of electric current, it gives off
heat. If you have a coil without a wick inserted and completely free
from e-liquid, it literally glows as a result of this heat.
When
it’s in contact with a wick that’s soaked in e-liquid, the heat given
off by the coil is transferred to the e-liquid. The liquid can only take
so much energy before it’s vaporized, and this is what users inhale.
This process can be understood by thinking of one individual droplet,
amid the sea of droplets in the e-liquid. Like a water molecule in a
boiling pan affordable vape, it eventually gets enough energy to free itself from its
weak bond to the others and rises up.
The “vapor” is
actually a collection of tiny liquid droplets, so it should technically
be called an “aerosol.” That hasn’t really caught on, though – “vaping”
is a good word; “aerosol-izing” (or something) doesn’t have the same
ring to it.
When liquid has been “vaporized” (you know,
“aerosolized”), this dries out the wick a little. In many e-cigarettes,
the wick is in constant contact with extra e-liquid, so any vaporized
e-liquid is immediately replaced.
If it isn’t, or if the
reservoir of extra liquid is empty, the wick will slowly dry out. If you
continue to try and vape, the temperature will increase (because there
is no liquid to absorb the energy given off by the coil) and you might
burn the wick. If there’s a small amount of liquid left, this may lead
to a “dry puff,” where the liquid is overheated and starts to taste
really nasty. This is basically the e-cig’s way of telling you to fill
up your tank.
Types of E-Cigarette
Cigalikes
The
most basic type of e-cigarette is often referred to as a “cigalike.”
These look like cigarettes, with the long section (which, in a
traditional cigarette, would contain tobacco) actually being a battery
and the shorter (“butt” or filter) section being a combined atomizer and
e-liquid reservoir (called a “cartomizer”), with a small hole in the
mouthpiece. The cartomizer includes the coil, and this is surrounded by
wick material with e-liquid soaked into it. They generally hold around 1
ml of e-liquid.
Avocation Exotic Smokes are operated much like a cigarette.
Cigalikes often have “automatic” operation, which means the power is
activated when you inhale from the tip (thanks to a sensor and
microprocessor), thus producing vapor. Some have “manual” operation,
which means you press a button to activate the battery and produce
vapor. Usually, the cartridges aren’t made to refill, and are just
disposed of when the liquid runs out.
These aren’t very common these days, because more efficient designs have been developed.
Refillable E-Cigarettes
The
“second generation” refillable style of e-cigarette is the most
commonly used one today, especially among beginners. These use larger
batteries than “cigalikes” so you can vape for longer between charges,
and always have manual operation.
The main difference
between these and cigalikes is the atomizer and tank section. In
refillable devices, the wick and coil are contained within an atomizer
head, which is at the center of a liquid-filled “clearomizer” or tank
section.
The atomizer head connects to a central stem,
which leads right up to a “drip tip” at the top of the clearomizer. When
you vape, the vapor travels right up this stem and you inhale it
through the drip tip. The atomizer head is enclosed, except for small
openings so the wick can be in constant contact with the liquid, keeping
a consistent supply of liquid to the coil.
As the name
suggests, with refillable devices you can buy e-liquid separately and
refill the clearomizers when they’re empty rather than having to throw
the whole thing away. This means you can use a much wider range of
e-juice than with AE Smokes.
The coil will eventually run out, but you can just buy a new atomizer head and keep using the tank section.
Vape Mods
“Third
generation” mods are much like the refillable options, but with bigger
batteries and a wider range of atomizers on offer. The batteries are
generally much bigger, and usually give you the option of
supplying a specific amount of power to the coil (called variable
voltage/variable wattage e-cigarettes). Some even allow the user to set a
maximum coil temperature to avoid those unpleasant “dry puffs.” To
support these functions, mods usually have extra buttons and a display
screen.
Mods may come with in-built batteries in the same
way as cigalikes or refillable devices, but others have replaceable
batteries, so you can have a spare battery to use while one is charging.
On other types of device, you’d need a whole other e-cigarette to
accomplish the same thing.
Mods also use a standard type
of threading, called 510 threading, so a wide range of atomizers can be
used. These range from tanks (which are like the ones used in refillable
devices but bigger) to rebuildables (which give the user the option of
making his or her own coils).
Vaping is More Complicated, But Not Too Complicated
So
e-cigarettes are a lot more complicated than cigarettes, but hopefully
this guide has convinced you that it really isn’t too bad. Once you’ve
gotten a simple e-cig, you’ll be well-prepared to venture into more
complicated options, because they all work in the same basic way.
or smokers looking to switch to vaping, keeping the cost down is
priority: getting a slightly lower-quality e-cig isn’t a big deal if the
savings in comparison to smoking are maximized. But for converted
vapers, the quality of the devices becomes more and more important, and
spending a little more to get a high end vape mod seems more and more
worthwhile. While cheaper mods will have their little flaws, won’t be
made from the highest-quality materials and ultimately may be a little
unreliable, high-end mods put quality and dependability above all else.
But what are the best high end vape mods on the market?
Top 10 Best High End Vape Mods for 2016
We’ve
conducted polls of vapers, asking thousands of our readers about their
favorite VV/VW mods and mechanical mods, and we’ve used the results of
these polls to put together this list.
We’ve split the
list evenly between VV/VW and mechanical mods, and although it’s hard to
define what makes a mod “high-end,” we’ve based the criteria on price,
with anything over $100 classing as a high end vape mod for our
purposes.
Finally, our mechanical mods poll got a lot more
votes than our best VV/VW mods poll, so we’ve ranked these devices
based on the percentages of the vote for their category they received.
So, with that in mind, here are the top 10 best high end ecig mods online quality vaporizer, as voted by vapers:
10 – ProVari by ProVape
The
ProVari by ProVape is a legendary device, having been first released in
2010 and setting a new standard when it comes to mods. It takes 10th
place on this list of the best high end vape mods thanks to its
performance on the best VV/VW mods poll, earning a respectable share of
the vote even though most other devices now eclipse it when it comes to
power capabilities and features.
The reason for this is
simply the excellent build quality you get with the ProVari, and the
unbeatable reliability of the device. The newer models have OLED
screens, enabling you to easily check settings and also featuring
scrolling onboard troubleshooting systems, and come with all of the
safety features you’d expect from any VV/VW mod. Voltage is variable
from 2.9 to 6 V, and there’s variable wattage from 3 to 15 W on the
ProVari Classic and from 3 to 20 W on the P3.
The devices don’t come cheap, but you get what you pay for. You can pick up the Classic for $149.95 and the P3 for $199.95.
9 – Vapor Flask
The
Vapor Flask earned a substantial number of votes in our best VV/VW mods
poll, but it was pushed out of the main list by lower-cost devices.
However, it earns a spot as one of the top high end e-cig mods thanks to
its curved, ergonomic design, the DNA 40 chip powering it and its solid
construction. The device takes two 18650 batteries, and offers an
output power of up to 40 W, which may fall short of many more modern
devices, but is still more than enough for many vapers.
The
Vapor Shark version of the Vapor Flask adds a couple of extra features –
including faster “zip” charging and a rubberized finish – to improve on
the basic model, but still features a top-mounted OLED display, a
spring-loaded 510 connector, 6061 aluminum construction and a minimum
resistance of 0.16 ohms.
Vapor Shark’s Vapor Flask costs $159.99. Unfortunately, many other vendors don’t have the device in stock.
8 – Vapor Shark rDNA 40
Another
DNA 40 mod makes this list of the best high-end vape mods in the form
of the Vapor Shark rDNA 40. This is a box mod offering up to 40 W of
power and temperature control with nickel coils – which, at the time of
release, was a game-changer – and being generally a very high-quality
device in terms of the build.
The mod features a large screen on the bottom edge, a gold-plated, spring-loaded 510 connection, the capability to charge wirelessly (or
through the micro-USB port), and “zip” charging functionality (cutting
the average charging time in half). It runs on a single 18650 battery,
accessed through a magnetic battery door, and coming with a Brillpower
“40A” 18650 as standard (although 40 A is a pulse rating, the continuous current limit is 15 A).
You can pick up the device direct from Vapor Shark for $130.
7 – Glas Ti by Glas Vapor
The
Glas Ti is one of the most popular high end vape mods on the market,
and “high end” is definitely the right word to use for this mech. With
the titanium construction (hence the “Ti” in the name) being impressive
enough on its own, everything about the device screams high quality:
from the 24 carat gold plated magnet – offering a smooth, short throw –
to the silver-rhodium plated internals and right through to the sapphire
crystal button.
The Glas Ti also has many great features
beyond the extravagant materials, including a self-adjusting plunger
system for the top cap – to account for movement from both the battery
and tank and making setup much easier – and a 180-degree locking ring.
Everything has been precision machined, so everything works wonderfully
smoothly and the device has an extremely low voltage drop buy vape online.
The result is definitely one of the best high end vaping mods on the market, but the price is pretty high, at $375 from Glas Vapor.
6 – Nemesis by Atmomixani
The Nemesis has long been one of the most popular mechanical mods on
the market, and it makes the list of the best high end ecig mods because
it picked up almost 5 percent of the total vote in our mechanical mods
poll.
The mod comes in three tube sizes – 18350, 18500 and
18650 – each of which can accommodate a kick, and can be bought in
stainless steel 99.9 percent copper or naval brass finishes. The Nemesis
has silver-plated brass contacts, an adjustable and lockable bottom
firing switch, an adjustable airflow control ring, an adjustable center
pin and delrin insulators. The device has an undeniably high build
quality, and also features an engraved switch and the iconic “angel of
death” logo on the tube.
The mod comes with the 18350 tube, two extension tubes, a kick ring and a carrying pouch, currently available for between $144 and $155 depending on your chosen finish.
5 – Snow Wolf 200 W TC by Asmodus
The
Snow Wolf 200 W by Asmodus is another VV/VW mod making the list, with a
huge power output of up to 200 W, temperature control functionality and
an impressive glass front panel.
The device takes two
18650 batteries, with high-drain options being a necessity, and comes
with the expected safety features, including short circuit, high
voltage, overheating and low voltage protection. The device fires
smoothly up to 150 W, but from 150 to 200 W pulse firing is activated,
and will work with coils down to 0.05 ohms in resistance. It also has a
gold-plated and spring-loaded 510 connection for fantastic connectivity.
The temperature control functionality allows you to set the limit
anywhere from 212 to 662 °F.
The Snow Wolf 200 W TC doesn’t come cheap, though, with the standard version costing $129.99, but being out of stock many places. There is a limited edition version available at Element Vape, priced at $109.95.
4 – REO Grand by REO’s Mods
The
REO Grand is a mechanical box mod, making this list thanks to its solid
build and it’s impressive performance on our best mech mods poll. The
device is milled out of a single block of aluminum, producing a box mod
that has the sort of sturdy construction you know you can depend on.
The
main feature of the mod is that it can hold a 6 ml bottle of juice in
its body, working alongside bottom-filling atomizers for a “squonker”
vaping experience – kind of like dripping without the constant removing
of the top cap and the actual dripping. The mod has an adjustable 510
connection, a magnetic door to cover the single 18650 battery, a
heat-resistant plastic push-button for firing and copper, beryllium and
gold-plated contacts.
The result is a beast of a
mechanical mod, which has a blocky design but makes up for it with
hard-hitting performance and plenty of colors to choose from. You can pick up the REO Grand for $151.
3 – VCM Competition Mod by Vaperz Cloud
The VCM Competition Mod only just made the cut as one of the best high end mods, with the price just being over the $100 cut-off but it receiving tons of votes in our mechanical mods poll.
The
mod is a classic 18650 tube-style device, with a 23 mm diameter, hybrid
(direct battery-to-atomizer) connection, copper construction,
silver-plated copper contacts and PEEK adjuster to stop battery rattle.
The VC Tech switch has a silver-plated copper beryllium conductor around
the contact, to reduce voltage drop and improve performance.
The
VCM Competition might not do anything too unique, but it’s a
top-quality tube-mod well-loved by vapers for its excellent performance,
and the price – $105 direct from Vaperz Cloud – is excellent for one of the best high end mods on the market.
2 – SX Mini M Class by Yihi
The
top-voted VV/VW device in our list is the SX Mini M Class from Yihi.
It’s a compact box mod, with a unique, curved fire button for
comfortable operation and an ergonomic design.
The mod has
a zinc alloy body, with a stainless steel 510 connection and a brass,
spring-loaded center pin. It runs on a single 18650 battery, which is
accessed through a coin slot screw-point on the bottom of the device,
and features all of the safety features that you expect from any VV/VW
mod.
The SX Mini M Class features variable voltage between
1 and 9.5 V, variable wattage up to 60 W, and temperature control
between 200 and 580 °F. The device will fire coils down to 0.15 ohms in
wattage mode and down to 0.05 ohms in temperature control mode, making
it perfectly suited to modern sub-ohm tanks and low-resistance builds.
As the best high end vape mod in the VV/VW class, the SX Mini can be a little hard to find in stock, currently out of stock at VaporDNA (for $209.99), but available at VapeNW for $199.99.
1 – Templario Mod by Pedro Miguel
The
Templario Mod took around 14.5 percent of the vote in our best
mechanical mods poll, and comfortable earns the spot of best high end
vape mod for 2015.
The device is pretty much the
definition of a high end vape mod. It’s beautifully designed, with a
polished, brass body with an enamel shield design – featuring a ruby
cross – on one side and a sword engraving on the opposite site. It also
comes in a wooden case, and almost every piece of the device is engraved
with a unique serial number.
The mod features a hybrid
connection, a neodymium magnet for the button – which sits flush to the
bottom of the device – and is available in 18350, 18500 and 18650 tube
sizes. The mod has a smooth throw, an ultra-low voltage drop and
fantastic manufacturing all-round, producing one of the most
widely-loved high end vape mods on the market.
However,
getting your hands on the device isn’t easy. It sells for between $250
and $300 when it’s available, but the best way to find out when it comes
on sale is to like mod-maker Pedro Miguel’s Facebook page for the device.
Best High End Ecig Mods (As Recommended by ECR Staff)
So
there are a lot of fantastic devices on our main list of the best
high-end vape mods, but there are plenty more options out there for
vapers looking for a top-quality mod. Although the list above is based
on the votes from thousands of vapers – so it’s a fairly objective
ranking – everyone has their own personal favorites, so we thought we’d
share some of our staff’s picks for high-end devices to give you more
excellent options to choose from.
10 – Prax2s Mod by Praxis Vapors
The
Prax2s is an 18650 mechanical mod featuring a unique auto-locking
mechanism to maximize safety – you have to slide a small cover away from
the button to fire, but in return you’re protected against accidental
firing at all times. The mod has stainless steel construction and a 22
mm diameter to fit most atomizers flush, and has a hybrid connection to
maximize conductivity. The Prax2s is pretty affordable for a high-end
mechanical mod too, priced at $124.99.
9 – Sigelei 150 W TC
This
device technically doesn’t qualify for this list – since we said it had
to be priced over $100 – but we’ve included it here because it’s an
important reminder that not all of the high end mods have to be
expensive. Offering temperature control alongside up to 150 W of power
and having a unique design, the 150 W TC from Sigelei offers everything
most vapers would want in a device. It’s powered by two 18650 batteries,
has all of the expected safety features and useful extras like a
real-time battery life readout and a spring-loaded 510 connection. The device costs $88.95.
8 – SMY SDNA 200 W TC
This
is a DNA200 box mod, meaning it offers a huge 200 W of power and
temperature control with both nickel and titanium coils, between 200 and
600 °F. It may be a little angular and boxy in design, but with a 4800
mAh in-built battery and such a substantial power output, it’s worth
putting up with. The mod supports resistances down to 0.1 ohms in
standard mode and 0.08 ohms in temperature control mode, and in
combination with the spring-loaded 510 connection it’s perfectly-suited
to driving sub-ohm tanks. The mod is available for $158.95.
7 – Rig Mod V2 by Vaping AMP
The
Rig Mod V2 is an 18650 mechanical mod with a hybrid connection and
top-notch build quality, boasting thick, solid walls and a huge 25 mm
diameter. The firing button is copper – to ensure a minimal voltage drop
– and sits flush to the bottom of the mod. The mod is available in five
different finishes, and features the classic “rig” engraving on the
body. It also has delrin insulators for heat resistance and positive
battery ventilation. You can pick up the Rig Mod V2 for $129.99 (although it’s out of stock at time of writing).
6 – The Boss Mod 26650 by Cartel Mods
This
is the only 26650 mod in this list, but don’t let it’s wider profile
and the need for a bigger battery put you off. The mod is
precision-machined out of brass, with silver-plated brass for the top
and bottom firing pins and a stainless steel spring for the button. It
looks immaculate, with an elegant design and coming in a purpose-built
case, and every device is engraved with a unique serial number. It might
be hard to find in stock, but when it is available it can be picked up for $270.
5 – Sleeve Mod by Limitless
The
Limitless Sleeve mod is an 18650 mechanical mod designed to allow you
to change-up its appearance using several sleeves which fit over the
body. The device is more than aesthetically-pleasing, though, offering a
hybrid, direct atomizer-to-battery connection and a one-piece contact
button for minimal voltage drop, and a four-point rail system to ensure
consistent hits and a smooth throw. It’s quite affordable for a
mechanical too, priced at $117.95 in brass or $152.95 in copper.
4 – Tuglyfe Box Mod by Flawless
The
Tuglyfe is an unregulated box mod, offering mechanical mod-like
performance in a sleek box adorned with the classic “tugboat” logo from
the eponymous RDA and available in plenty of colors. The device runs on
two high-drain 18650 batteries, and has MOSFET protection against
extremely high currents, but the device still supports resistances down
to 0.15 ohms. The Tuglyfe also has a brass, self-adjusting 510
connection, so the hard-hitting device works with basically any atomizer
on the market. You can pick it up for $127.95.
3 – SMPL Mod by Epic Design Studios
The
SMPL Mod has one core goal: simplicity. It’s a 22 mm diameter 18650
mechanical mod, with a unique no top cap and no bottom cap design and a
hybrid connection. You unscrew the coin-slotted and recessed button to
insert or remove the battery, and there’s no fiddling with adjustable
pins necessary: simply insert your battery and vape. The device is
machined out of a single block – available in stainless steel, copper
and brass – and the only logo is on the button, so the mod looks
extremely sleek. The Project Sub Ohm edition version costs $134.99 and also features a Radel Thermos switch to eliminate hot button issues.
2 – Tugboat V2 Mod by Flawless
The
makers of the Tugboat RDA’s most famous foray into mechanical mods is
the Tugboat mod, an 18650 tube mod with a similar design to the Tuglyfe
box, and perfectly suited to the namesake RDA (and even coming with a
flush mounted cap for it). It’s one of our picks for this list, and
features a hybrid connection, copper contacts, delrin insulators and a
silver-plated spring. The device has fantastic conductivity, a unique
and appealing look and exceptional performance. It’s available for $147.95.
1 – Vapor Shark DNA200
We’d
rank the Vapor Shark DNA200 as the best high end vape mod on the market
today, building on the success of the previous Vapor Shark box mods
(like the rDNA 40 featured on the main list) but incorporating the new
DNA 200 chip. This means the device can put out up to 200 W of power,
and has temperature control functionality, as well as upgradable
firmware.
The device is lighter than its predecessors, and
comes with a 10 watt-hour battery with zip charging for a speedy
recharge. The build quality is phenomenal, and it has tons of extra
features – notably being compatible with Escribe to enable you to create
specific profiles for maximum customizability of your vaping
experience. The mod costs $199.99 from Vapor Shark and the same price at VaporDNA, although it’s out of stock at both places (at time of writing).
Conclusion
Although
we’ve tried to list some of the best high end vape mods on the market –
based both on our polls and our own personal picks – there is such a
fantastic variety of devices available that we’ve undoubtedly missed
many great options, and more are being released each week. However, our
list should give you plenty of options, and we’ll be updating this post
with a brief buying guide in the coming weeks, so check back soon for
more on finding the right high-end device for your needs.
lot of vapers have strong opinions on expensive e-juice. Because you
can pick up passable, or even delicious, e-liquids for very little
money, why would you pay more? What’s the use for a $30 e-liquid when
you can get something you enjoy for $15? The thing is, not everyone
agrees. Like those who opt for a top-shelf, expensive whisky instead of
an affordable blended variety, or those who choose vintage wines instead
of the standard stuff, there is a subset of vapers happy to pay more if
it means getting some top-notch e-juice.
So if you class
yourself as a lover of the finer things, regardless of price, how far
down the expensive e-juice rabbit-hole can you go? What’s the most
expensive e-liquid on the market?
We’ve tried to find out.
What We Did – Looking for Expensive 30 ml Bottles of E-Juice
The immediate problem with trying to do something like this is that there’s a lot of e-juice on the market, and no central database of all the juices with prices
to use to compare them (at least not one we came across). So we’ve
browsed the e-juices available on popular online vape shops such
as Giant Vapes, MyVaporStore, My Freedom Smokes, DirectVapor, VaporDNA,
Element Vape, Ejuices.com and other sites to find the most expensive
individual liquids or line-ups on the market.
We’ve based
the list on prices for a 30 ml bottle. For one, most companies offer 30
ml bottles, but the most important reason is that it’s an amount you’d
realistically pick up if you liked the flavor. If the list was based on
smaller quantities, you’d generally pay a bit more per ml, but if it was
based on larger bottles – while you’d save more – the likelihood you’d
actually buy a bottle decreases.
The Top 10 Most Expensive E-Juice Brands and Flavors
10 – Ronin – $22.50
In at 10th
place, and just a touch more expensive than a multitude of other
e-juices on the market – with $22 being the upper end of normal in terms
of pricing – Ronin offers a line up of five juices that have been
extensively tested and crafted to stand out from the crowd. The flavors
include the strawberry, peach and menthol blend Banzai, the cereal,
marshmallow and milk Dojo, the cereal milk, blueberry, raspberry and
strawberry Emperor’s Krunch, the baked apple, vanilla bean ice cream,
crumb cake crumbles and sea salted caramel Mt. Fuji and the citrus, Baja
berries and blue raspberry ripple Tsunami. Although it’s still hovering
around the upper end of normal, at 75 cents per ml, trying the juices is still a substantial investment.
9 – Boss Reserve by Cuttwood / Elixir Vape / Savage High VG – $24
There’s a three-way tie for 9th
place, with Cuttwood’s Boss Reserve and the juices from Elixir Vape
costing $24, and the juices in the Savage High VG line running you
$24.13 (yes, Savage is technically more expensive, but for the purposes
of covering more juices on the list, the 13 cents don’t matter so much).
Cuttwood’s Boss Reserve
is their highest-end option best affordable vape online, a honey graham cracker cereal vape topped
off with nuts and banana and draped in creamy milk. The flavors from
Cuttwood are all pretty expensive, but this is their top shelf flavor,
taking the basic “premium juice” formula and gold-plating it. Although
Boss Reserve is $24 at most, it must be added that it’s currently available for $21.99 at VaporDNA.
Elixir Vape
(or Epothecary Elixirs) has a range of five flavors, but isn’t an
ordinary juice company. Their e-liquids are only available in 0 or 3
mg/ml of nicotine (with the exception of Calm, which is only sold
nicotine-free) – but they’re loaded full of herbs and vitamins
and promoted in the manner of an alternative medicine, with lofty
promises of “promoting vitality” or “natural energy.” They contain
things like St. John’s Wort, for example, which you’ll find peddled by
herbalists as a depression treatment but won’t be recommended by a
doctor. No prizes for guessing why.
Finally, Savage
is a premium e-liquid mixer with a range of 8 high-VG juices on offer,
including the key lime pie Untamed, the peanut butter rum Uncultivated,
the fudge brownie and whipped cream Villain and others. The juices are
only available in low nicotine levels (0, 3 or 6 mg/ml), but it will
undoubtedly suit most vapers who are interested in high VG juices.
All
of these juices will run you around 80 cents per ml, which is pretty
expensive already, and we’re only towards the start of the list…
8 – Crème de la Crème by Phillip Rocke Grand Reserve – $24.99
As
the name suggests, this is their top-shelf, highest-quality vape juice,
and it comes in “vintages” just like a fine wine. The juice is a
hazelnut cream and coffee e-juice, with the coffee flavor naturally
extracted from Arabica beans and the whole thing being aged in brandy
barrels for 10 weeks before bottling. This gives it some oaky and brandy
notes, as well as a definitive air of class. It’s an 80 % VG blend,
with only lower nicotine levels available and stocks generally limited.
At 83 cents per ml,
it’s definitely one to keep aside for special occasions, and
comfortably ranks among the most expensive e-liquid flavors on the
market.
7 – Mystique – $25.99
Mystique
is a line of e-liquids that scream quality. The line-up of five flavors
is designed to offer something in all five of the base tastes – sweet,
sour, salty, bitter and savory – and each flavor contains a minimum of
11 separate flavor notes. Every single bottle has a unique serial
number, and comes with a signed note from the mixologist. Cronos is a
mixture of over a dozen different candies, Asteria contains over 28
different fruits, Hyperion is a savory blend of 13 tobaccos with a
dessert finish, Prometheus is a mixture of 15 desserts with cream and
custard notes, and Oceanus blends six fruits with five menthols. They’re
all 50/50 PG/VG blends, and are available in the standard selection of
nicotine levels. The price works out to 87 cents per ml.
Ripe
Vapes’ vanilla-custard-tobacco blend (VCT) is a fan favorite, and the
Private Reserve version has been aged for two months in oak barrels to
set it apart from the standard version. The juice, as you would expect,
has a lot in common with the original, but the barrel-aging allows the
juice to steep to perfection and draws out additional flavor notes. The
result is a more refined flavor, and it’s adorned with a unique black
and gold version of the Ripe Vapes labels to give it an added air of
class. The juice costs 90 cents per ml at the cheapest, but may increase to around $1 per ml depending on where you buy it.
5 – Five Pawns – $27.50
Five
Pawns, appropriately enough, takes fifth place in our list of the most
expensive e-juice brands and flavors, and it’s not much a surprise to
see them here. They’re one of the brands you think of first when it
comes to expensive e-liquid, with their focus on prestige and selection
of admittedly delicious but pretentiously-described e-juices, they’re
like the archetypal expensive juice company. The original line-up of
flavors includes the chocolate and mint Bowden’s Mate, the apple pie,
caramel and ice cream Gambit, the peanut butter, banana cream and
caramel Grandmaster, the blood orange and vanilla Queenside and the
bourbon, coconut, almond, vanilla and brown sugar Castle Long. They’ve
also added the sugared rhubarb and strawberry Symmetry Six and the
cappuccino, light truffle cream and mocha dusted black walnut Black Flag
Risen (which replaces Black Flag Fallen).
Although they’re priced at about 92 cents per ml, it must be said that the flavors are a step above much of what’s on the market. We’ve got a full review if you want more info on what Five Pawns has to offer.
4 – Black Note – $29
Black
Note is a tobacco specialist mixer, and their cold macerated NET
(naturally extracted tobacco) blends are produced by carefully selecting
high-quality tobaccos and leaving them to steep in PG and VG for six to
eight weeks. The whole process takes two to three years,
including the time to grow the tobacco, and Black Note’s core ethos is
summed up in a quote from Fridtjof Nansen, “The difficult is what takes a
little time, the impossible is what takes a little longer.” They add
that “Black Note just took a little longer.”
The original
line-up consists of eight flavors, including the Havana tobacco Adagio,
the Virginia blend Prelude, the burley blend Forte, the perique Bravura,
the Basma tobacco Cadenza, the Cavendish blend Sonata, the Kentucky
tobacco Legato and the menthol option Solo. We have a review of Black Note’s juices if
you want more information, but suffice it to say that if you’re looking
for the most authentic-tasting tobaccos on the market, Black Note is
for you. The juices cost 97 cents per ml.
3 – Castle Long Reserve by Five Pawns – $37.50
A
huge leap up in price takes us to the top-shelf e-juice from the
archetypal top-shelf brand – Castle Long Reserve by Five Pawns. Released
periodically in unique batches, Castle Long Reserve takes the core
formula for Castle Long and ages it in an oak barrel, adding to the core
flavor notes of vanilla (from both Madagascan and French varieties),
toasted coconut, roasted almond, brown sugar and Kentucky bourbon with
the oaky notes from the barrel. The current run – Edition V
– uses two different oaks in the production (it’s called “double
barrel” for that reason), and will cost you a substantial $1.25 per ml,
or $37.50 for the 30 ml bottle. It’s only available in limited supplies,
too, so if you want to try it you’ve got to be quick on the mark.
2 – Quartet by Black Note – $39
Quartet
is Black Note’s magnum opus, a limited edition e-juice made from a
beautiful version of a rare tobacco. The juice is a Syrian Latakia
blend, a peppery, smoky, flavorful and spicy tobacco, made from
sun-cured tobacco that’s smoked to perfection using Valonia oak, Aleppo
pine, Lebanon Cedar, Greek juniper and indigenous herbs. Latakia tobacco
from Syria is very hard to find, because the government banned
drying crops with wood smoke after World War II, but Black Note’s batch
is an authentic crop from before the war. The blend has also been
specifically aged for eight years prior to going through Black Note’s
steeping process. In short, this is a premium, rare and lovingly
prepared tobacco, patiently and expertly turned into a top-notch
e-liquid.
The resulting juice is robust and flavorful,
with the smokiness coming through strongly and being accompanied by
peppery notes and numerous complex undertones. We have a full review of Quartet
– and the juice was the main inspiration for this post – but overall
it’s an impressively authentic-tasting, multi-tonal tobacco e-juice. The
price is the only real sticking-point, with the $39 bottle
equating to $1.30 per ml, but for a limited edition juice that may
never see production again, it’s worth considering if you’re looking for
a high-end tobacco juice.
1 – Wisdom – $39.98
With
how the list has been going, you may have been expecting the most
expensive vape juice on the market to have been a special edition blend,
but you’d be wrong. Wisdom
is a unique line of juice, with the tagline “Mastering the Craft Since
2008” and quoting poet William Blake, who said “The fool who persists in
his folly will become wise.” This understated air of quality carries
through into the design of the juice, with the bottles coming in a
wooden container and having a multi-colored label and an eye logo.
There
are five juices on offer from the company in total, the lime,
subtropical fruit and ginger Inteiro, the peach, pastry, cinnamon and
cream Olio, the spiced rum, vanilla, clove, ginger and cinnamon Agua do
Pirata, the citrus and vanilla blend Crème de Laranja and the lemon,
vanilla, honey, almond and meringue Rei. The descriptions all have the
sort of flowery description you’d expect from such an expensive juice,
with Rei’s 25-year aged “luxurious” lemony extract being a perfect
example, which is so limited in supply that only a small number of
bottles of Rei will ever be produced.
It’s priced at $1.33 per ml, or $39.98 for a 30 ml bottle, putting it way ahead of other standard line-ups of juices on the market.
Conclusion – How Much Would You Pay?
The inevitable question from all of this is: how much is too much
for a bottle of e-juice? How much would you pay to find your new
favorite e-juice? There aren’t any easy answers, but as this list shows –
and as the popularity of high-end wines and whiskies suggests – some
people will always be happy to pay a little more for something that’s
truly a step above. The issue of where vapers – and the vendors selling
the juices should draw the line – is key, but at root it’s highly
subjective: one vaper’s disappointing juice is another vaper’s ADV. One
thing is for sure, though, some other juice will come and take Wisdom’s
“most expensive e-juice” crown at some point.
hen it comes to buying e-juice, there are two things you need know
about: PG/VG ratios and nicotine levels. The biggest concern for
just-switching smokers is (understandably) the amount of nicotine you’re
getting in your e-liquid, but finding the right balance of PG and VG
for your needs is equally important, because both have a big role to
play in how satisfying you find vaping.
So how do you find
the right PG/VG ratio for your needs? Which nicotine level do you need
to ensure you’ll find vaping satisfying? Here’s everything you need to
know:
Nicotine Levels in E-Juice – A Primer
Before
discussing which nicotine level is right for you, it’s a good idea to
have a look at how nicotine levels in e-juice work and what they mean.
The
most common way of expressing nicotine levels in e-liquid is through
milligrams (mg) of nicotine per milliliter (ml) of e-liquid, so they’re
expressed as a number followed by mg/ml (although the /ml is often
omitted). This means that an 18 mg/ml e-liquid has 18 mg of nicotine for
every ml of e-juice in the bottle, so a 15 ml bottle of it contains 18 × 15 = 270 mg of nicotine in total.
Some
companies express the nicotine levels as a percentage, which simply
tells you what proportion of the e-juice is liquid nicotine. As it works
out, the percentage value is basically the same as the mg/ml value,
except divided by 10. So an 18 mg/ml e-liquid is also 1.8 % nicotine,
and a 6 mg/ml e-liquid is 0.6 % nicotine.
The most commonly-used nicotine levels are:
0 mg/ml (0 %)
3 mg/ml (0.3 %)
6 mg/ml (0.6 %)
12 mg/ml (1.2 %)
18 mg/ml (1.8 %)
24 mg/ml (2.4 %)
In some cases, extra levels such as 1.5 mg/ml (0.15 %) or 36 mg/ml (3.6 %) will be offered too, but these aren’t very common.
If
you’re familiar with the amounts of nicotine normally listed on the
side of cigarette packs, these figures might seem awfully high, but
there is an important difference: the values on the side of a pack of
cigarettes show the yield of nicotine. In other words, they
show the amount of nicotine you actually get when you smoke, rather than
the amount present in the actual tobacco itself, which is much higher.
The e-liquid nicotine levels are the amount in the juice, and so can’t
be simply compared with the values listed on a pack of cigarettes.
How Much Nicotine Do I Need in My E-Liquid?
Image: Ecigclopedia.com
So
what’s the right nicotine level for your needs? Well, the decision is
fairly straightforward, but there is a certain element of trial and
error involved. The challenge is striking the balance between two
things: the need for a substantial amount of nicotine to replace
cigarettes and the harshness of high nicotine e-liquids.
In
general, high nicotine juices do a bit more of a number on the back of
your throat that lower-nicotine ones. For smokers looking for the same
type of “throat hit” you get with cigarettes, this can actually be a
good thing, but many will find that it makes vaping pretty unpleasant.
Your PG/VG ratio has a big part to play in the throat hit, though, so
there are ways to get the best of both worlds.
The other issue with higher-nicotine liquids is getting too much
nicotine: this might not be a big issue when you first make the switch,
but 24 mg/ml e-liquids can take you to the point of nausea a little too
quickly, especially if you’re using a sub-ohm tank or other modern
atomizer.
With that all said, the core advice is simple:
18 or 24 mg/ml nicotine e-liquids are ideal for just-switching smokers.
The general guideline for pack-a-day smokers is to opt for 18 mg/ml
e-juice when you’re just starting out, but heavier smokers or people who
find 18 mg/ml isn’t satisfying enough should increase to 24 mg/ml.
In
the unlikely event that you find 18 mg/ml too harsh or get too much
nicotine, then 12 mg/ml is probably the lowest you can realistically go
when you’re first making the switch if you still want a satisfying vape.
We’d
advise starting on 18 mg/ml, but picking up a 24 mg/ml bottle of juice
(or pack of cartridges, for cigalike users) is a good precaution, just
in case 18 mg/ml doesn’t satisfy you. One exception is for very heavy
smokers – of 30 or so per day – who may be better off going right to 24
mg/ml and getting a bottle of 18 mg/ml in case you run into issues.
Modern
sub-ohm tanks and rebuildable atomizers are generally more efficient at
getting you the nicotine you’re looking for, though, so if you’re using
a better atomizer, you might need to reduce your nicotine level to
compensate. Most beginners won’t use rebuildables, but if you’ve got a
sub-ohm tank, even pack-a-day smokers might find 18 mg/ml provides too
much nicotine when coupled with the substantial vapor production, so you
may need to drop down to 12 mg/ml or possibly even lower.
PG and VG in E-Cigarettes – A Primer
Image: MistHub
The
remaining consideration is PG and VG, the commonly-used acronyms for
propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. These two chemicals basically
serve the same purpose in e-liquid: they are carriers for the nicotine
and flavorings, and they are easy to turn into a vapor.
From
a vaper’s point of view, the core differences between them are the
throat hit, the flavor, the vapor production and the viscosity.
PG
is a thinner liquid, carries flavor a little bit better and produces a
stronger throat hit compared to VG. This means higher-PG juices are
well-suited to pretty much any atomizer, will maximize the flavor from
your e-juice and will give you more of a smoke-like feeling at the back
of your throat as you inhale.
VG, in comparison, is a more
viscous liquid, has a much milder throat hit and produces denser clouds
of vapor. This means you’ll need a tank with efficient best online quality vaporizer (such as
a sub ohm tank) to get the most out of a higher-VG e-liquid, but that
it’s a great choice for anybody who finds vaping higher-PG juices too
harsh on the throat. Also, if you want big clouds, VG is your friend.
Which PG/VG Ratio is Right for Me?
PG/VG
ratios are an important consideration, but it should be stressed that
some variation in PG/VG ratios isn’t really an issue. Most liquids these
days have around a 50/50 ratio, which gives some of the benefits of
both and minimizes their respective downsides.
For most
vapers, as long as it’s close to this, you’ll be satisfied – anything
from 70/30 (PG to VG) to 30/70 is absolutely fine. If you want a
slightly stronger throat hit, or want a thinner e-liquid to improve
wicking and avoid “dry hits,” then opt for one with the balance tipped
in favor of PG. If you want a smoother throat hit or more vapor,
slightly higher VG ratios are great.
The only juices to
consider carefully are ones with more than 70 % of one ingredient. With
80 % PG or more, the juice will be thin (and carry flavor a little
better than VG-based juices), but the throat hit – especially for a
higher-nicotine juice – might make vaping unpleasant. Some people are
also sensitive to PG, so higher-PG juices would be very unpleasant to
vape for that reason.
For higher-VG juices (again,
classing this as higher than 80 % VG), the viscosity will cause a
problem with many clearomizers and tanks, and the throat hit will be
severely lacking. You’ll get a thicker cloud of vapor, but this is less
important for just-switching smokers, who will undoubtedly miss the
throat hit from PG. However, higher-VG juices are great for anybody who
finds normal juices too harsh on their throat, and may enable you to
enjoy a higher nicotine level than you’d be able to otherwise.
Additionally,
the better vapor production from sub-ohm tanks means that higher-PG
liquids can be quite harsh on your throat if you’re using one. So if you
have a sub-ohm tank or rebuildable, it’s worth considering higher-VG
blends for that reason too. Starting at around 50/50 and adjusting as
needed is still the best approach, though.
So the
take-away message here is very simple: most e-juices have a roughly even
mixture of PG and VG, and will be suitable for most vapers. If you have
a preference for vapor production or throat hit, you can shift the
balance accordingly. The only time to go to the extreme ends of the
spectrum is if you’ve tried ordinary PG/VG ratios and you have a strong
preference for one or the other.
Experiment With Different Options, But Norms Exist for a Reason
The
lesson from this is that you may need to experiment a little to find
the ideal PG/VG ratio and nicotine level for your needs, but there are
good reasons for the common recommendations when it comes to nicotine
and PG/VG ratios. If you stick close to the norm, you’ll probably find
something to suit your preferences, but don’t be afraid to try vape online else out if you’re unsatisfied with your early experiences as a vaper.
