Guide To Vaping – 3 (more) Cig-a-like Brands For Smokers

continued…

The White Cloud Extreme

Last year we reviewed a couple of starter kits from a company called White Cloud e-Cigarettes. The company is still around, but one thing has changed with White Cloud more than anything else…price. When we first reviewed them their starter kits were a stupid-crazy price of $299.99 and $349.99. A very educated guess would say that those starter kits cost White Cloud no more than $13 a pop. That’s how crazy things were. A few months ago White Cloud finally backed off these insane prices and now sells “better” starter kits at a third of the price. They are still too expensive and not very good (the e-liquid mostly) but at least they are much less expensive. (I do not recommend them)

The Prefilled Cartomizer

There is a lot to be said for the prefilled cartomizer. It makes vaping very easy, for one thing. For another you don’t need to worry about refilling your own blank cartomizers, or spilling e-liquid, or exposing your kids or pets to nicotine poisoning. The prefilled cartomizer was a great invention and helped launch the e-cigarette into the mainstream zeitgeist. (6 out of every 10 smokers have heard of e-cigarettes) continues.

The 3-Piece e-Cigarette

Before prefilled cartomizers there was the 3-piece e-cigarette. The first one I remember seeing, and the first one I remember being interested in using, was from a company called American Blue Tip. This company had built a certain mystique about it. Dark web pages, sultry web videos on the page, and some really good copy (I’m a sucker for good copy).

They were expensive and now they are a part of the e-cigarette history. I have no idea what happened to this company and in fact I asked John to tweet about it the other night to see if anyone knew and no one did. These guys took out full-page ads in Esquire and Playboy too, and then suddenly they’re gone.

The only 3-piece e-cigarette left on the market is ProSmoke, and they really don’t deserve to be. IMHO of course. ProSmoke uses underpowered batteries and cheap cartridges. The atomizer didn’t last near long enough. ProSmoke users pay a lot for the privilege of using outdated technology. Oh, and they taste like crap too. (I know it seems I pick on ProSmoke a lot, and I suppose I do, but when you learn the in’s and out’s of this business and see how these guys spout falsehood and falsehood on their website it just drives me nuts.)

The Brand That Would Be King

The other brand, one that has a huge market share right now, is NJOY. For my thoughts, and the other Spinfuel Staffers, on the NJOY King, read yesterday’s review.

The 3 Brands

Like the last article on the 3 brands I recommend for people that smoke like I smoked, I’m going to talk about the brands in reverse order. The first brand will be the last one I would recommend, while the last one I write about will be my #1 choice for smokers looking for a cig-a-like that they can enjoy for a long time. Having said that, keep in mind that all 3 are acceptable brands and any of them would be a fine choice. Also keep in mind that only an idiot would try to tell you not to use a cig-a-like if that’s what you find works for you. continues…

Things to remember

1. There is no such thing as having to use cartomizers or e-liquids from the company that makes the e-cigarette battery. Don’t be fooled. You are either buying a 510-threaded or 808-threaded battery and there are blank cartomizers that work perfectly on them. If a company tells you that only their cartomizers will work with their battery, you know that they are not a legit e-cigarette company.
2. Most batteries are made by a handful of companies in China. But there are “quality” differences. Not all batteries are the same.
3. Prices vary widely. The most expensive starter kits are usually among the worst.
4. These are ALL cig-a-likes. In the near future I will discuss the next step up, the “eGo” battery and beyond. Some people stay with cig-a-likes and that’s fine, but some move on, and it is just as complicated to find the right e-cigarette at the next stage as it is here.
5. Most importantly, this article is already too long, so I am not going to cover all the specs of each of the starter kits I recommend. I urge you to visit all three websites and read the specs on each one.

continues…