Halo Cigs – Just when I think I’ve reviewed every kind of eCigarette out there, I’m always surprised when something completely different shows up here to be reviewed. In this case, however, I was urged by a fellow Vaper to contact the company and see if they wanted to be reviewed. This fellow Vaper was interested in the product, and thought many of our readers would be as well. So I sent off an email and arranged to have some sample product sent to review. And I was pleasantly surprised.
Everyday since the day the product arrived I’ve been thanking this fellow Vaper for turning me onto the Halo Cigs company. I’ve never been more impressed, both in presentation and in quality, then I have with Halo Cigs. After this review you’re going to want to seek this company out. I hope you do because there isn’t a single negative thing I can find with any of the products they sent over.
(Note* in early July we will be reviewing their top e-liquid flavors)
What We Are Reviewing
Halo Cigs sells both eCig Starter Kits, (and the individual items in their starter kits) as well a line of e-liquids that are 100% American Made. More on that in July, but I’ll talk a bit about them in this review later on…
We’re reviewing their G6 Starter Kit, a kit that contains everything you need to begin a great vaping experience. The G6 is their 2-piece eCigarette. They do make a 3-piece eCigarette and we are hoping to review the 3-piece next month because there are still a lot of positives with 3-piece devices and deserve to be reviewed in Spinfuel. But for this review, it’s the 2-piece G6.
G6 is not just a jet
The Starter Kit contains the following items;
- 2x G6 batteries
- 1x Wall Charger
- 1x USB Charger
- 1x Storage Tin
- 2x Blank Cartomizers
- 5x Filled Cartomizers
- 1x Cartomizer Case
- Instruction manual
Let’s talk Batteries
The batteries come in nine (9) colors for you to choose from. They are offered in both Automatic and Manual. You choose the color, and whether you want Automatic or Manual… or one of each. We reviewed the Purple Manual battery and the Demon-Red Automatic battery. The battery comes in 65mm and 78mm. Battery life is slightly better at the 78mm, but either one is an excellent choice.
A word about Manual batteries, which I prefer to use most of the time; With the manual batteries, there is a button so you can control when the atomizer heats the juice which gives you control over your drag. In addition, the manual battery will not accidentally turn on in your pocket like automatic batteries can do. I’m not a fan of putting any eCig in my pants pocket, but sometimes you have to. For that reason, getting one automatic and one manual makes a lot of sense. After that, you can order batteries for $14.99 in any color you like and in 65mm or 78mm.
I’ve seen various finishes on eCig batteries, from smooth and glossy to paper-like and a matte finish. This time out I was pleasantly surprised to see both batteries had a “rubberized” paint job that felt great, looked great, and doesn’t slip out of your hand. What a terrific idea, and it leaves you wondering why you don’t see more eCigs with this rubberized finish.
But, you know, a paint job does not a battery make.
The G6 battery (The KR808-based) is the only the second battery I’ve seen this year that has the express instructions that they absolutely need to be charged for a full 8 hours before using them. They come fairly well charged, and you will be tempted to use them right away, but Halo Cigs warns you that in order to get the best life out of your battery you need to adhere to the 8-hour charge. On top of that, you need to then use the battery for 20 minutes and charge them again for two (2) more hours. Complicated? Yes. Necessary? Yes. Worth it? Definitely.
As the eCigarette technology moves forward, and it is moving forward at lightening speed, newer battery technology will come fast and furiously. Halo’s G6 is a lithium-ion modern battery, and like I said, it does need to be “primed” in order to provide a level of performance never before seen in any of the eCig batteries of yesterday. Cutting-edge doesn’t even begin to explain the technology in these wonderful batteries. Halo Cigs claims that their batteries provide up to 15% more time between charges, and in my real world experience I believe them, easily.
The design of the batteries is very modern; thin, slick, and balanced. Even the manual battery has a great design with the push button being slightly recessed into an oval cutout. You hardly notice it, but when you do it’s a pleasant reminder of the care they put into the design. Using these batteries give you the feeling that you are using something from the near future, that they are ahead of the pack, and that they will be copied by many more companies moving forward.
The length of the time that a charge will last is, up to a point, dependent on how you vape. While conducting the review I vaped the G6 exclusively, and I don’t remember needing to charge them more than once or twice after the initial 8-hour charging period. I’m not claiming that these batteries will last you 10 times longer than a competitor’s battery, but I will state that they are significantly longer than any brands I’ve reviewed this year. Clearly, the G6 batteries are something special, something new, and something that may turn out to be a real game changer. We’ll see.
The G6 Starter Kit comes in a round “tin” with a foam cutout that serves to keep the batteries, cartos, and other items in place. It’s a unique design feature, one I haven’t seen before, and a great idea. While they do sell a proper PCC (Personal Charging Case) it’s a separate purchase and not a part of our review. That said, it would be a good idea to buy one if you want to carry around your batteries with a few extra cartomizers. At $29.99, it’s a good price, but until I actually use one I can’t, and won’t, recommend it. I’ll look into getting one and writing a review.
What’s Really Cool About Halo Cigs
Halo Cigs understands, I believe, that there is an entire segment of the eCig community that wants to vape a “cigarette type” eCig, but want the extra freedom to be able to refill the cartomizers to stretch their vaping dollars, to be as free as those that use other vaping products that are unlike a real cigarette. Being able to use a number of different smoke juices with the easy-to-use cartomizers is actually a selling point, and not something that will void your warranty.
Both their blank cartomizers and the filled cartomizers that are supplied with the starter kit use are identical. They hold about .7ML of juice, and have an easy-off white cap that makes filling them a breeze. These cartomizers are not like the proprietary cartos that come with other branded eCigs as they are made to be refilled, and that is a huge benefit for their customers that want to experiment or who want to save money by refilling.
The starter kit gets you going by supplying 2 blanks and 5 filled cartos. You can choose which e-juice you want in the filled ones, and we chose the Torque 56 juice for ours. More on that in a bit. Because Halo also makes a superior line of smoke juice, you will find the starter kit is truly integrated for those that want to have the freedom to refill and the discrete look of a more natural smoking device. I mean, really, do you vape a Variable Voltage Tube on a bus, or a restaurant, or even in the park? I don’t. I don’t like drawing attention to myself, so when I’m out I’m using something that looks good without getting stares from the people around me.
Nicotine
Like many other brands, you choose the nicotine level for the prefilled cartomizers. It’s the usual fare; zero nicotine to 24MG (or 2.4%), but here’s where the difference lies;
Halo makes a great line of juice, as I indicated above. Everything used in the juice is American made. Even the nicotine is first rate. Very few juice makers insist on American made nicotine, and to do so just provides another level of comfort in my decision to use Halo Cigs.
Flavors
Halo Cigs has picked their top 5 flavors for you to choose from when you place an order for the G6 Starter Kit. These include; Torque 56, Tribeca, Prime 15, Malibu Menthol and Menthol Ice.
Torque 56
If you are new to eCigs, or someone that prefers light, and fruity flavors, Torque 56 may not be for you. I love the stuff, and I am almost half way through the 30ML bottle I received from them, but it is strong. It is a very rich, very strong tobacco flavor that you’ll either love or hate; I really don’t think there is an in-between here.
The thing that impresses most about Torque 56 is that for as strong as it is, there isn’t a hint of harshness to it. A wonderful punch in the throat, one that makes you realize you’re alive and life is good, but as far as feeling any type of harsh taste in your mouth or throat, it just isn’t there. That can only happen by using the very best ingredients out there, including the nicotine. I am stunned when I first tried it. After that first drag I couldn’t wait to hit it again. I had this look of pure pleasure on my face while vaping it and couldn’t wait tell the world about this amazing juice. It was only after another staffer tried the Torque 56 and couldn’t believe how strong it was that I figured it might not be for everyone. It definitely was not for her, and luckily we had the Tribeca juice as well, and she loved it. The Tribeca is a mild, yet still rich and smooth tobacco flavor.
The Rest of the Kit
I have to say something about this amazing little case Halo Cigs uses for storing the 5 prefilled cartomizers that come with the starter kit. It’s no cheap little plastic afterthought. These cases are sturdy, with a flip top lid, and they fit 5 cartos perfectly. Whenever you order refills online you’ll receive another case just like this one, and you’ll want to keep them for carrying around extra cartomizers. I plan on saving up a number of them.
I like the idea of refilling cartomizers with a variety of juices and then storing them in this little case, each one labeled with the name of the juice and then stored in cool dark area for later use. Halo Cigs actually says that letting the smoke juice mellow out for a day or two will bring out even more richness and flavor, so storing them in the case makes a lot of sense. When you buy blank cartomizers from Halo Cigs you’ll get the case too, so building up a collection of them won’t take very long.
Halo Cigs states that the blank cartomizers can be reused, or rather refilled, several times. In my testing I took one of the blank cartos and refilled it about 5 times (so far) and it still works perfectly. So in addition to being a good looking and easy to fill carto, they last as well. 5 blank cartomizers cost $8.99, prefilled costs just a dollar more! ($9.99)
The USB Charger is pretty straightforward and the only thing I can add is to mention that Halo Cigs took the expense of imprinting their words G6 on the charger. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen a lot of companies toss in a nameless USB chargers that can easily get mixed up or lost, so knowing that it’s easily identifiable makes it just that much better.
The Wall Charger is simple enough as well, and it does a good job. Unlike some others, there is no USB cable, and when you use the wall charger you slip the USB charger into the USB slot on the charger and you’re good to go. The eCigarette sits just a couple of inches away from the wall, so it doesn’t hang down as it would had it had been charging from a cord.
Real World Use And My Impressions
I love this product. I really do. I don’t want to sound like a shill, but it’s just a wonderful eCigarette and the starter kit is a great deal. I would have loved it even more if it were a standard 510 threaded battery and cartomizers, but I can live with a KR808. The quality is out of this world, and it’s been a real pleasure to use.
The fact that you get 5 filled cartos and 2 blank ones in the starter kit drives home the commitment you see from Halo Cigs. They are not trying to lock you into some proprietary cartomizers that you must buy when you need refills. Don’t like Halo Cig’s juice (which I would find hard to believe) then use Gingers e-Juice, or Johnson Creek (both American made top-quality juice), it’s okay with Halo Cigs. Sure they would like you to use their juice, but they don’t lock you in. That is extremely important to me as a customer.
Lost in the Woods
There are so many brands on the market and only a handful of them that are any good. A smaller number of those few are anywhere near great, and a smaller number yet are incredible. Halo Cigs is among the “incredible” because every piece of their starter kit is first class and priced at a price point that is hard to ignore. $54.99 buys you the starter kit in any color they offer. That’s shockingly low when you consider the quality of the kit, the number of pieces, and the versatility of being able to refill the cartomizers easily.
As the reviewer of eCigarettes and the editor of this publication I have access to just about anything I need or could possibly want to vape. My choices are many and I have adopted a special brand for each level of vaping I do, from the eCigarette for those discrete times, to the larger units like the Provari for times when I’m home or at the office. I’ll even use an eGo/Tgo set up at home, but for public vaping I have to use something that won’t draw attention, other than from people interested in vaping. Then they are quick to ask what it is and how they can get one.
Review Periods
I use the product I am reviewing exclusively while I am in the review period. It’s only fair to the company I’m reviewing. But the true “tell” is what I vape when I’m NOT reviewing. That’s when you can discover what you really love. I can like and enjoy many brands (and I do), but it’s the ones I come back to that tell MY story.
I’ve found myself reaching for my Halo Cigs more than anything else lately. And, once I build up the number of cartomizers, a few extra batteries, the PCC case, and maybe one or two other items, I have no doubt the G6 will be my go-to cigarette-style eCigarette. It’s just so damned good!
If you are looking for a vaping product of insanely high quality, one that obviously respects the user, and one that you can easily refill with any juice you want, then man,I’m telling you, you need to discover Halo Cigs. This is a company that will survive even the harshest shakeout when it comes, and it is surely coming.
My bottom line for Halo Cigs is this; I’m willing to bet that the people behind Halo Cigs products are true vapers themselves. I’m betting that they a had “meeting of the minds” where they talked about how they would put together a quality product that they would be proud to use and proud to offer to the public. From the very best ingredients in their juices to the rubberized finish on their amazing batteries, these guys are here to stay. I’d bet on them every time. When’s the last time you heard me say that?
Spinfuel eCigs Magazine has applied to be an affiliate, and we were just approved this morning. We are proud to offer our readers this amazing product and we will be setting up the affiliate links over the weekend. In the meantime any link you see today will take you directly to Halo Cigs website.
Update* We’ve heard back from Halo Cigs this morning about getting a Discount Code for our readers so that they may try any product on the Halo Cigs website. Good news; when you shop their website use the Coupon Code “SPINFUEL” and get 5% off the entire order. Not bad… not bad at all.
John Manzione
Editor
