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Monday, May 27, 2013

e-Cigarettes (Part 1)

So for those of you who don't know, I've been experimenting with e-cigs as a replacement for tobacco cigarettes...

Intro

eCigs contain a vapor formula of water, flavoring, and nicotine (amounts vary by type and brand). When you pull on the cig, as if it was a lit cig, it activates the battery to superheat the liquid and vaporize it. Thats the simple edition of it anyway.

It is said that the vapor system is safer for you, as it is only giving you the nicotine, and not the carcinogens. I've found there are 3 main issues when trying to switch from tobacco to vapor (e-Cigs).

1) Habit. At first it is a bit awkward that your cigarette stays the same length. Also if you try to smoke it as long as a tobacco cig, you may get a headache. I find that for me, it is better to do small puffs every 20-30 minutes rather than huge puffs every 1-2 hours.

2) Flavor. This is a big one. Finding a flavor that doesn't suck seems to be difficult for me. Or at least one that has decent flavor and...

3) Technology. Some companies have horrible technology, others have great technology. By "Technology" I mean the life of the battery, the cartomizer, how it burns the vapor, etc. The internal workings of the Electronic Cigarette.

Review

There are many brands and flavors. So far I've tried two. The disposable NJOY Kings at Hess (and other convenience stores), and I picked up the Logic eCig kit at the 66 Food Mart.

This serves as a quick review of both.

1) Ease of use: Both are extremely easy to use. The NJOY king is easier because it is a single piece disposable system. You open the case, take it out, drag on it, and put it back. No nonsense. The Logic is a standard two-piece rechargable system, which means once in a while you will be taking it apart (it just unscrews) to either change cartridges (aka the cartomizers), or to charge the battery, The long part is the battery, and the 'filter' (of a standard cig) is the cartomizer, which contains the 'e-juice' (yeah it starts sounding kinky, bear with me here).

2) Durability: I haven't really had the chance (or money) to attempt to break one to test its durability, but the NJOY comes in its own plastic case, so if you are on the go and carrying it in your pocket, it is probably the better alternative.

3) Flavor: The NJOY King tastes 99% like a real cigarette, the Logic has this strange candy cane flavor which really puts me off.

4) Technology: Both the NJOY and the Logic have this down. Professional reviewer TheSmokenJoey had some problems with his NJOYs, with them lasting only a few hours. But for the most part they last me from 24-30 hours (it is supposed to be equivalent to 2 packs, so should last 2 days). This tells me that the manufacturing technique varies, and while you may get a decent NJOY king today, tomorrows may be defective. This is why I prefer the two piece systems a bit better, but they can have some issues too (bad cartomizers). So far, I have had no problems with the technology aspect of the Logic eCig, just the flavor. The battery life seems nice, though today will be the first "full day" test (as I got it yesterday, and fully charged it overnight), but it exceeded my expectations last night.

5) Pricing: I don't think the price of either are too bad. But then again, I live in NY, where tobacco rapes your wallet more than it does your lungs. TheSmokenJoey was commenting how $7.99 per NJOY Cig was too much. However in NY, $7.99 for the equivalent of two packs is a steal. The Logic kit will cost you $19.99 up front for one battery, two sample carts, and the charger. After that the refills are $19.99 for 5, which is supposedly equivalent of an entire carton. Again, in NYS, this is a steal.

Overview

I'm likely going to be getting an Halo G6, which is the highest rated e-Cig by TheSmokenJoey. I found him on YouTube yesterday while looking for eCig reviews and he is very critical and honest. If he likes the Halo G6, I probably will too. Not only that, they have refillable cartomizers, allowing you to choose your 'e-Juice' flavor from either them, or a 3rd party, and use it with your kit. The Logic is NOT refillable, and requires you to purchase pre-filled cartridges.

I will do a followup, and maybe even a video review when I get the Halo G6.

Suggested Link

For a more in depth review of various brands (except the Logic, which I don't think he reviewed), check out TheSmokenJoey's site at www.smokenjoey.com

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