Vapor King The Storm 2.0…
….is a more-than-capable vaping device that isn’t much taller than a mini-eCigarette although it is thicker than a mini-eCig. I’ve been thinking of it as a compact eGo-type device, and that description fits nicely.
Reviewing Vapor King’s Storm 2.0 was much more enjoyable than I had expected it to be. After all, this style of eCigarette is very common, but there was just something different about the Storm 2.0 that didn’t strike me until I had actually set it up and started vaping with it. I enjoyed it, a lot.
What it is
If you’ve used any of the various eGo’s on the market the Storm 2.0 would be instantly recognizable, at a distance anyway. It’s black body (which is treated with a nice rubberized finish) features the battery, naturally, and a silver band where the atomizer base meets the battery, and atop the atomizer base sits the cone that houses the black cartridge (eTank). Got it? Simple really, just look at the photo in this review.
The major exterior difference between a normal eGo device and the Storm 2.0 is the size; the Storm is quite a bit smaller than your basic eGo. In fact, the battery part of the Storm 2.0 is shorter (though thicker) than a Blu Cigs Premium100 battery. Despite being so short it still manages to push out 650-mAh, which is what an average eGo puts out. The ‘atomizer-and-cartridge-in-a-cone’ top half is the ubiquitous eGo-style that features a thin tip at the very end, protruding out of the cone. (This entire section of the Storm 2.0 can be swapped out with a Vapor King Storm DCT, which I’ll talk about later.)
Looking past its compact size and deeper into the Storm 2.0 you begin to notice just how different it is from other eCigarettes in this class.
The “new” Storm
Vapor King has upped their game over the original Storm with revamping not only the design, but the ‘innards’ as well. By doing so they put together a system that provides excellent vaporization of any eJuice we threw at it. The end result is a small PV that produces great flavor, more-than-decent vapor, and a better-than-average battery life over similar devices.
What’s really nice is that the Storm 2.0 is a 510-thread device that will allow you to use any 510-compatible atomizer or cartomizer of your choosing. During the review process I was vaping Blu Cigs cartomizers (with a wonderful result), as well as plain old Boge cartomizers. I was also able to attach the Halo Cigs Element atomizer and cartridge. This type of compatibility gives the Storm 2.0 a nice edge over similar devices. (More on this in a bit)
There is a nice ‘balance’ to the Storm 2.0, and that balance is even better when you swap out the atomizer and cartridge for one of their Storm DCT’s. It feels good in your hand, solid yet lighter than you expect it to be.
What’s New?
‘What isn’t new’ is a better question. Vapor King has switched to the newer Tanktronics atomizer and eTank cartridge system that allows for a cleaner vape and easier maintenance. With no filler material in the cartridge, the eTank holds a nice 1.1ML of juice, enough for at least a few hours of vaping.
The atomizer itself is actually very tiny, and the Storm 2.0 comes with 5 atomizers in the box, along with 5 cartridges. The atomizer base is the larger piece that the atomizer fits into, and to set it up for vaping you simply remove one of the atomizers from the package, place it into the atomizer base, screw the base onto the battery, slip the cone over the atomizer base, fill a cartridge with eJuice, push the cartridge into the atomizer (through the cone opening), push the button (and hold it down when inhaling) on the side that activates the battery and you’re vaping. Simple as that.
A word of warning; some atomizers come fully primed by the factory, so priming it with eJuice shouldn’t be necessary. However, if you find vapor production lighter than you expected, you might want to place a drop of two of eJuice directly on the atomizer before putting it all together, or together again. I didn’t experience any issue with the atomizer being dry, nor should you, but its better to know than not to know, ya know?
An atomizer can last for many weeks if you keep it clean. When the time comes to clean it you just remove it from the atomizer base, rinse it in warm water, brush away any debris, let it air dry, preferably overnight, and return it to the base.
This new atomizer/cartridge system creates a seal between the cartridge and the atomizer that allows the system to access the eJuice from cartridge directly. The vapor production from the atomizer/cartridge is excellent, especially with a VG based eJuice.
The hole in the cartridge fits snugly into the atomizer, and the hole is large enough to fill with a simple pipette or, if the eJuice is thin enough, you can fill and refill the cartridge with most eJuice bottles that come with a dropper tip or an eyedropper of the type that comes with each bottle of Johnson Creek smoke juice. (Still, using a syringe with a flexi-tip is the cleanest and quickest way to fill any cartridge.) The black cone hides the atomizer and cartridge connection giving it a sleek, attractive, design.
One of the nicer advantages to the new eTank cartridges is that they do not have any filler material. That means the cartridge can last forever, or at least a few months. Even with a pure, inexpensive corrosive Chinese juice that’s 100% PG you should still be able to get weeks up weeks of use from a single cartridge. That’s impossible with cartridges that have filler material in them to absorb the eJuice.
No more ‘yucky taste’
Without having that filler material in the cartridge there is no concern about vaping through any absorbent material and experiencing that burning, ‘yucky’, taste when you vape a cartridge or cartomizer that has run dry. Instead, when there is no more liquid in the tank it simply stops producing vapor. In addition, the dark cartridge isn’t exactly opaque so you are able to see just how much liquid you have left and can refill it long before you run dry. It’s a cleaner tasting vape as well, allowing you to enjoy the true flavor of the eJuice. Oh, and when you remove the eTank to refill it you’ll notice that the eJuice does not leak out of the sizable hole. Magic!
Real World
The User Manual is simple enough. There are no warnings about how to charge the battery out of the box, so you can start vaping right away if there is enough juice when it arrives, or you can charge it up before vaping, which I highly recommend. It is a lithium-ion battery, and you should be able to get at least 300 recharges from it before it degrades to a point where replacing it is needed. Vapor King rates the battery for about 650 puffs, which sounds about right. In my own experience the battery lasted quite a bit longer than I thought it would, and it recharged fairly quickly (about 2 hours).
The Storm 2.0 is a big step over the original Storm, and the newer technology works well. It is a sleek, light PV that will provide you with an excellent vaping experience for a long time to come.
The Storm DCT
UPDATE: We learned after publication of this review that Vapor King is releasing a new, improved DCT for the Storm 2.0. It is for this reason there are no replaceable cartomizers for sale on their website. We’ll bring you a special review on these new DCT’s as soon as we can.
While the Storm Dual Coil Cartomizer (low resistance cartomizer) is a really good-looking DCT, it barely holds the same amount of eJuice as one of the eTanks. I loved using it because of the looks and the fact that you don’t use the atomizer or atomizer base. With the DCT attached it’s a really cool looking PV. To use it just unscrew the atomizer base from the battery and screw on the DCT. Filling the DCT is much like any other; push the cartomizer down a bit to expose the tank, move it the side, enough to slip a flexi-tip needle into the tank, and fill about 2/3 to 4/5 full. Push up the cartomizer until you hear a slight snap (barely audible), then drop about 20-30 drops of juice into the cartomizer to saturate it. Be careful not to allow juice to drop into the hole in the center of the cartomizer. If that happens, blow out the excess before attaching it to the battery.
Now for the negatives
Price: Vapor King Storm 2.0 is expensive. The attractive Storm DCT is a whopping $18.95. We can all buy 6ML tanks from various companies for far less than that. It holds just 1.1ML of Juice and, the worst thing about it is replacing the cartomizer. If you wanted to stay in-house and buy replacement cartomizers for the tank you’re out of luck. They don’t sell pre-punched cartomizers for it, which I found strange. Yes, they are sleek and they work very well, no complaints on the vapor production at all. The Storm 2.0 Starter Kit is a bit high priced at $89.95.
But, when it comes time to shop for more atomizers and cartridges the prices are very high. For instance, a 5-pack of eTanks will run you $9.95. (Other cartridges can be had for as low as $4.99, though they are not official eTanks).
Atomizers run $36.95 for a pack of 5, twice the cost of other compatible atomizers. Replacing the battery, if and when needed, will run you $24.95, and the atomizer base will cost you $13.95.
The Storm 2.0 Starter Kit Includes:
2 Storm 650mAh Lithium Rechargeable Batteries
2 Storm eTank™ Atomizer Bodies
5 Storm eTank™ Atomizer Heads
5 Empty eTank™ Cartridges
1 Bottle of Premium VK eLiquid if your choice
1 Storm Home Outlet Charger
1 Storm (450 mAh) USB Charger
5 Rubber Cartridge Tips
1 Storm Carry Pouch
1 Users Manual
1 Gift Box (the box is quite nice)
All in all, the Starter Kit is an okay price for what you get, and the PV itself is really nice, but the replacement costs of consumables is just too much. Thankfully you can buy replacement atomizers and cartridges any place that sells 510-threaded replacements, which is basically anywhere.
Recommendation: Would I recommend this eCigarette to anyone wanting to buy a new PV? Yes I would, on condition. I love the device, it’s sleek, attractive, and it works well. I like the eTanks and the battery packs a punch for being as small as it is. But, when it comes to buying replacement parts (except the battery itself) I say look elsewhere. On a scale of 1-10, where 10 means you simply have to have it, I’d give it a solid 7. If the prices on the replacement parts were more competitive I would certainly up that number to 8 or even 8.5.
Julia Barnes
