The new kit from Blu Cigs comes in with a whole slew of changes (for the better) including an updated, very modern box. Blu hasn’t lost any of their marketing wizardry, employing subtle but attractive graphics here. They’ve swapped out the tired magnet-flap box for a top-sliding box with everything neatly stacked. The packaging inside is a little reminiscent of Apple’s packaging and it’s a fair use of the concept as this product is all about innovation.

Towards innovation, there’s much to say about the new personal charging case (PCC). Right away I noticed the no-screw charging port for the battery. The battery can be simply dropped in and when the pack is closed, it charges. This is really great, especially for people like me with hot-dog fingers and the dexterity of a lobster. Gone are the frustrating days of trying to screw the battery into the pack and the feeling of performing surgery on an insect. The pack also lights up on opening, so you can see what you’re doing. The PCC has two triple-light indicators on the side, one for PCC charge and battery charge each. The “social” feature on the pack has caused the most buzz about this new kit: the pack will vibrate and flash whenever another Blu user or retail location is within fifty feet. For some, this might seem a bit much, for others, useful and innovative, depending on your lifestyle. Regardless, bringing e-cig users together is a big step in changing attitudes and educating about electronic cigarettes. Even more impressive is that the pack uses a micro USB connection, which upon the release of software from blu, will allow the user to store and share social media (Facebook/Twitter) information in the pack. And if you don’t want to use it, you can easily turn the function on and off.

Battery/Responsiveness 4.5/5

Blu’s battery seems to have a better life than previous versions and it’s kept the cigarette sized length, making it one of the best transition products around. It’s incredibly light and easy to manipulate in your fingers. Of course like all super-mini or micro batteries, the life here is substantially shorter than many of the longer or bulkier batteries out there. However, Blu has listened to their customers and added the option to purchase a “100” length battery instead, giving the same product have that extended battery life that some customers will value over size. In terms of responsiveness, the blu battery is extremely responsive and sometimes too responsive. Though if you keep the battery in the pack for storage (as the manual advises) it’s not really a problem.

Vapor/Flavor(s) 4/5

This is another category where Blu has done some work to legitimize e-cigs, through their exclusive use of Johnson Creek for their e-liquid used. This is kind of old news, as Johnson Creek has been known for some time now as being the cleanest, most transparent and quality controlled e-juice vendor around. With Blu sticking with them for their product, they’ve certainly made a lot of ground to allay general fears (often irrational ones) about electronic cigarettes. Beyond public opinion though, Blu’s new cartomizers produce an incredible amount of vapor with a very easy draw. This is of course in part to their use of 100% vegetable glycerin (VG), as they always have, but their new cartomizers seem to last longer and crank out more vapor than previous versions. When I’d reviewed the ProSmoke earlier this year, another super-mini unit using 100% VG, I’d said that you won’t find another mini e-cig with that kind of vapor production. I may have to take that statement back, as these cartomizers produce as much, if not more than the three-piece from ProSmoke. The same flavors are still offered here and while they’re not as strong-tasting as many flavors you’ll find out there (an inherent quality of VG) they’re much improved- likely some of the best you’ll find among 100% VG liquids.

Overall (Not An Average) 5/5

I’ve given this kit an overall perfect score for a couple of broad reasons, among all the little things that I like about this kit. I’ve mentioned one throughout this review, in that Blu has put in work here to further the electronic cigarette cause. The continued use of Johnson Creek and their high quality juice, the PCC with technology to bring vapers together and the sheer presence of their brand- these all go a long way to further the knowledge that electronic cigarettes are legitimate, safe and have the potential to save lives. The other broad reason is simply this kit’s value as a transition product for the beginner (from cigarettes to e-cigarettes). While this kit might not work for some of the more experienced vapers out there who aren’t willing to give up the performance of mods or bigger units, for the smoker who’s ready to throw out the cigarettes and replace it with something satisfying, this will hit the mark every time. The easy-to-use, advanced PCC and the small size of the battery, combined with the huge vapor production make this kit remarkably convenient, well-performing and familiar. Even with those veteran e-cig users, the convenience, discreetness and performance of this product make it a great buy for something to leave the house with.

Check out our Blu Cigs Original Starter Kit Review

Nothing has changed with the packaging and presentation of the kit itself. However, if it’s not broken then don’t fix it. One change they have made though is that now all of their accessories are branded as they should be. Wall adapter for charging, carry case, and USB recharge case all get a nice little face lift that helps their overall score for presentation improve by a whole point.

Battery/Responsiveness 5/5

On the whole, V2 Cigs battery life has dramatically improved. If you read my previous review of the V2 battery, you’ll remember that it wasn’t pretty. My experience left me dragging multiple times and still left wanting for more. A couple of times early on, it actually made me crave a regular cigarette out of frustration. Not a proud moment. You’ll be happy to know that V2 has listened to the words of their customers, and now offers one of the most responsive batteries on the market. I don’t know precisely what they did to make this improvement because on the outside looking it, it seems to be the same hardware. This is not a book to be judged by its cover though, because it has an incredibly smooth draw and produces massive amounts of vapor even on small hits.

Vapor/Flavor(s) 5/5

V2 may very well have changed their source for flavorings as well, because the taste itself is leaps and bounds over what I’ve tried previously. Then again, it may just be because of their improved battery producing more vapor so there’s more to taste. Any way you slice it, there are clouds of vapor produced now that taste great all the way through a cartomizer refill. The same plethora of flavors is available, so pick your poison and I know you’ll be satisfied.

Overall (Not An Average) 5/5

The same abundance of accessories that we reviewed still exist, and are still of excellent value. The only thing I’m not sure of is if they made the same upgrades to the battery or functional part of their notebook (pass through) cig that were made to the standard batteries. If so, then there’s no going wrong with this new and improved kit by V2. I’m honestly a little flabbergasted by the vast amount of improvement made in just the past couple of months since I last reviewed their kit. Their new battery is a quick hitter, draws as smooth as any on the market, and it produces LOADS of vapor that has as good a flavor as any I’ve experienced in my time with ecigs. There’s a lot of value here, and anyone from the casual smoker to the pack a day or more crowd should feel right at home with this new version.

The vaporette starter system comes with 2 vapourette batteries, 5 Flavor Cartridges, 1 USB Recharger. This is enough to get a nice grasp on what vaping is and what it can do for you. The cartomizers we received were the Coffee Flavored with caffeine added. While I personally didn’t notice a caffeine jolt, the flavor was outstanding with a fresh cup of black coffee.
Bedford Slims does wonderful job with their branding. Each item in the kit had a trendy little mustache placed in all the right places. While some may dislike the old-timey facial add-on, we personally thought it was cool. If you want a little more “flash” with your e-cig, check out their artist series. Right now they have two artist inspired batteries that can add a little “flavor” to your life.

By looking at any of Volcano’s products, it’s not hard to tell they have the art of presentation figured out. They keep it simple here, with a short square box brandishing a straightforward, appealing logo. The assembled unit (battery, atty, heat shield) is one of the most polished (literally and figuratively) eGo unit designs you’re going to come across. If you look at other eGo kits out right now, it’s not hard to tell that other vendors are following Volcano’s lead here.

Battery/Responsiveness 5/5

The Inferno’s purchase value is remarkable and it’s because of the batteries. The kit comes with two eGo batteries, but few other kits pack this much power into their kit at this low of a price. With the kit you receive two different batteries, one being an impressive 1000mAH battery (roughly 1.5 times the battery life of a standard eGo battery) that will last for days.  While it’s quite a monstrosity, minimizing size and weight really isn’t the point of this type of product. And it will honestly keep up with some mod-market products that are the size of a medieval weapon.  The other battery is a standard 650mAH eGo battery with the kicker in an added USB passthrough.  So if you’re really up against it for battery life, you can just plug right in and go with no need to wait on a charge. With these two batteries it’s essentially impossible to run out of power and for the price- it’s a steal. Being manual batteries, the responsiveness is always there. The button itself has a good feel and LED and it never stuck as some eGo batteries can from time to time. The kit also comes with a battery button cover to keep it from activating when you don’t want it to.

Vapor/Flavor(s) 5/5

It’s hard to do justice to the vapor/flavor category here in the confines of this review, so be sure to check out Volcano on our Vapor Reviews as they’re posted. Volcano offers an insane 29 different flavors of liquid or “V-Liquid”. Almost all of them taste exactly like the flavor their name suggests- “Mauna Dew”, “Kona Coffee” “Vanilla Bean”. Some certainly weren’t for me and others shot right to the top of my favorite flavors. Of course with so many different liquids, you are bound to find those you like and don’t like. They all have satisfactory throat hit and big vapor though, as their liquid is a mix of propylene glycol (flavor & throat hit) and vegetable glycerin (big, viscous vapor). Towards the Inferno specifically, they give you plenty of options as far as enjoying their liquid. The kit comes with either a drip-tip, (liquid is dripped directly onto the low-resistance atomizer, giving stronger throat hit and flavor) or refillable tanks (liquid reservoir is pierced by atomizer, allows for extended vaping without dripping). And if you can’t decide or simply don’t want to, you can order both types for a little more. In the past, I’ve rarely been a fan of tanks, but these ones are at least very user-friendly and no-mess (no needle-tip nozzle required). I’d still personally recommend the drip-tip as I’m willing to sacrifice the inconvenience of dripping for the increase in flavor and throat hit. Volcano also has all sorts of cartomizers and clearomizers you can buy separately to go with this kit, so the options for vaping experiences with one kit are numerous here. The Inferno also comes with a 15ml bottle of liquid, which is more liquid than you’ll get at no extra cost from most vendors.

Overall (Not An Average) 5/5

While it may seem like I’m trying to impress upon our readers that the Inferno is literally the best e-cig ever made, that’s not my purpose. The number of options here are both great and potentially intimidating. So while it’s definitely an awesome buy for the hardcore vaper, at the same time somebody who has never used an e-cig can pick it up and with a read of the manual, be ready to go. Overall, what you’re getting here is maximum performance at the sacrifice of size and a little simplicity. Volcano certainly understands what some customers want and is giving more of it to them than anybody else. In terms of performance, this value is very, very tough to beat. So if you don’t mind a larger and more complex e-cig, read a little beforehand (hopefully I’ve helped in that capacity) and you’ll be in vaping heaven.

The Stog Classic Kit comes in a small, white top-slide box with with a logo that’s more American than a 99MPH fastball of apple pie to the face. The contents inside are neatly organized in their own faux felt compartments, adding the benefit of not having to dig through a bunch of cheap plastic or cardboard dividers to get at what you need- it’s all right there. The packaging and graphics here are small and simplistic, but refreshing and appealing against the backdrop of so many kits with over-sized boxes filled with smaller boxes and ridiculously intense graphics all over the place. The user manual inside is equally refreshing, employing some entertainingly informal and useful instructions.

Battery/Responsiveness 5/5

The Stog 510 battery doesn’t try to overpower you with details either, employing the simple “Stog” at the base and a nice white finish. Its size is a good compromise between the ultra-small that will die right when you start to enjoy it and the long lasting but too often heavy and awkward cigarette-look batteries. It’s very light and comfortable to hold just like a cigarette, making it a great place for the smoker to start their transition. Towards its life, I used it fairly heavily and I got at least three hours of charge and sometimes more, which is more than impressive for this size of electronic cigarettes. The responsiveness is solid and I never had a moment where it wouldn’t activate or would deactivate mid-draw. The draw itself is a little tighter than some e-cigs but it works in the favor of the product here, allowing the cartomizers to reach an optimal temperature for some serious vaping power.

Vapor/Flavor(s) 5/5

Continuing that thought- it became apparently pretty quickly that with a nice, consistent draw, the cartomizers here can really get going and create big clouds. The best that I can tell from the flavorful taste and consistency of the vapor, the cartomizers used here are 100% PG or propylene glycol. You wouldn’t know it though because the sheer amount of vapor here is almost never seen from 100% PG cartomizers, let alone one this size. As toward the flavor, it seems like Stog has really struck gold in this category by bringing the distinct flavors and nice throat hit produced by using PG while still having massive vapor production. The Stog comes in three straightforward flavors: a bold, mellow and menthol. Without sounding too hyperbolic, I used to be a pack-a-day full flavored smoker and I can say the bold is flat out the best tobacco variety I’ve tried, among e-liquids, cartomizers or otherwise. It’s not just a boring sweet “this is supposed to be tobacco taste” it actually has that spice and very subtle sweetness that you know from full-flavored tobacco. The mellow had the same effect, with the more sweet undertones of a light or turkish cigarette and the menthol is pulled off really well too. It might be a little different than your normal e-cig experience, but the combination of vapor production and flavor in a cigarette sized e-cig won me over almost instantaneously.

Overall 5/5 (Not An Average)

I used to be a full-bore supporter of the “find new flavors for vaping” argument- the idea that trying to imitate your flavors from your smoking experience will likely lead to disappointment. My lack thereof in using the Stog flavors has torn a giant hole in that argument for me, as I’ve found their bold flavor to be my choice over the myriad of tobacco and non-tobacco flavors I’ve had a chance to try here at Ecig Advanced. All of our reviewers here had a chance to try this product and the sentiment was the same across the board. Our resident menthol aficionado, Cody, told us the menthol was the best he’s ever tried. Overall, the reliable and comfortably sized battery, the big time vapor production and insanely convincing flavors make this the best transition product I’ve ever tried. Our applause goes out to Stog for finding such a great balance between all the things we want in an e-cig and keeping it simple.

At first sight, The Green Smoke’s presentation and box screams “nature” to me. Putting off the persona of being natural is a very accurate depiction for this product. The Green Smoke is a very good, natural tasting product. It comes packaged in a green magnetic drop top box, which has the Green Smoke name and leaf, making for a great use of branding. The Green Smoke comes with two batteries, a wall and USB charger, as well as chorded charger which allows you to smoke while your battery is charging. This particular charger made the product unique from any other ecig that I have tried so far. The instruction manual is also very in depth for first time users, and the package comes with a Green Smoke Membership Card, to prove that you are a fan and user of the product. I was more than impressed with the presentation and packaging of the Green Smoke, which has led me to give the product a perfect 5 out of 5 rating in this category.

Battery/Responsiveness 4.5/5

The Green Smoke had an exceptional battery life. Not only was the battery fairly light weight, but it lasted for a very long time. I rarely had to charge the battery more than once a day. Both batteries seemed to stay charged on average for almost an entire day. The chorded charger also came in useful when charging, enabling me to smoke while I was actually charging the battery. Due to this, I practically never went without smoking this ecig, as I could smoke it even as it charged. The responsiveness was also impressive. A normal drag produced a large amount of vapor, which was very realistic and lingered in the air like real cigarette smoke. I couldn’t really complain about the battery and responsiveness of the Green Smoke, so I have given the product a 4.5 out of 5 in this area.

Vapor/Flavor(s) 5/5

As previously mentioned, the Green Smoke was a very “natural” product. I felt like I was actually smoking tobacco instead of vapor with this particular ecig. The vapor produced was very realistic, and the taste was even more “real”. I haven’t been a fan of tobacco flavors in the past, but the Green Cig has the best tasting tobacco flavors that I have ever tried. The Red Label and Strong Tobacco Flavors were very realistic tasting. The Red Label Tobacco could be compared to Marlboro Reds. The Chocolate and Mocha Flavors were my two flavors, as they tasted dead-on how they should: just like a Hersheys Bar, and a Mocha Coffee. I haven’t really liked vanilla in the past, either, but the Green Smoke offers a very exceptional vanilla flavor. As a menthol smoker, it should come as no surprise, that I really enjoyed the menthol flavored cartomizers. The menthol had a very strong, refreshing, mint taste. In my opinion, the Green Smoke offers the best, most realistic flavors out there, so I have given it a 5/5 in the category of vapor and flavor.

Overall (Not An Average) 5/5

After the level of satisfaction I had with this product, it’s hard to think of anything that Green Smoke can improve upon. It is presented as a nature-themed product through its packaging and definitely stands up to it. The battery lasts very long, and has just the right sensitivity for a normal smoke. The vapor is realistic, and the flavors are very distinct and satisfactory.

Presentation 5/5

The Stog Classic Stasher Bundle takes a similar approach to presentation as their original Classic Bundle. It comes in a clean white, top-slide box that features their logo in the center that is as American as anything I’ve ever seen. Try imagining George Washington crossing the Delaware River on a jetski- and then you’re close (or maybe too far).

In any case, the new kit from Stog gets my vote for presentation because the packaging is clean, simple and fuss-free. You open it up and you find everything neatly where it belongs, without use of a bunch of cardboard pieces and so on. The Classic Stasher Bundle comes with the Stasher PCC, two batteries, ten cartomizers, wall charging adapter and USB Cable to charge the Stasher. This kit also comes with a unique user manual featuring some hilarious and informal, friendly language much like you’ll find on their website.

The Stasher

I usually don’t set aside a whole section of a review for a PCC but I found it utterly necessary in this review. The PCC or portable charging case employed here makes this product an improvement over the previous and already-great Stog kit.  At just slightly wider and slightly shorter than an iPhone, it’s a charging case that has the features of the bulky, “boxy” cigarette-pack PCCs with a size that will actually feel comfortable in your pocket and elsewhere. The Stasher has one slot for charging, one slot for a fully assembled e-cigarette and four slots for extra cartomizers. I know I might sound a little too excited about a “portable charging case” but this is truly the first slim design PCC we’ve seen that actually allows you to keep all the stuff you need for a day or more of vaping in one package. Even with the smaller size, the Stasher still allows for 3-4 charges of a Stog battery. Needless to say, it looks pretty sharp too.

Battery/Responsiveness 5/5

The Stog 510 Battery offered here is the same that came with the Classic Bundle, but still one of my absolute favorite mini batteries I’ve reviewed. In my mind, it’s the perfect compromise between the actual cigarette-size batteries that often suffer from poor battery life and the much larger than cigarette-size batteries that can be bulky and uncomfortable, especially for the beginner coming straight from smoking. Like the packaging, it employs a clean white design with the simple Stog logo and a red-lit LED tip. It resembles an actual cigarette pretty well, which makes for a very discreet vaping experience in public. And while the size is small enough to be comfortable and familiar to a former smoker, the battery life is still substantial, running for about 3 hours per battery with consistent use.

Vapor/Flavor(s) 5/5

Stog’s cartomizers come in three flavors- a Bold, Mellow and Menthol. It’s worth mentioning here again that these are flat-out some of the best tobacco varieties we’ve ever tried at Ecig Advanced. The Bold is my personal favorite, with a rich, Virginia tobacco taste that’s incredibly convincing. The Mellow pulls it off nicely as well and the Menthol is one of the favorites here of our reviewers that were former menthol smokers. In my previous Stog review, I mentioned that these flavors changed my mind about the once-thought folly of replacing your cigarette flavor of choice with an e-cigarette flavor and it’s worth mentioning here.

That’s due in part to Stog’s use of 100% propylene glycol or PG, the base in e-liquid that gives distinctive flavor and “throat hit”. All too often with 100% PG e-liquid, the vapor production is lacking because it just doesn’t appear as thick as VG (vegetable glycerin) vapor. The brilliant thing here is that the Stog’s design actually compensates for this. The Stog battery and cartomizer design together lends itself to a smooth and even inhale that causes the cartomizer to “come alive” and produce huge clouds of vapor.

Overall 5/5 (Not An Average)

Stog deserves credit here for taking a product that was an awesome transition product and improving upon it with the addition of the Stasher. It’s difficult to find anything negative to say about the Classic Stasher Bundle and moreover difficult to find any problem a smoker might have in using it to switch to electronic cigarettes. Any issue of battery life with a smaller battery is made null by the use of a good PCC like this one, and it’s done in such a way that won’t interfere with the comfort and portability a smoker is used to. Overall, this kit is a big step forward in making the transition from smoking to vaping as smooth as possible. And for the experienced vaper, it makes for an incredibly portable, discreet and convenient way to vape.

]]> http://www.ecigadvanced.com/stog-e-cig-reviews/feed/ 5 http://www.ecigadvanced.com/highbrow-vapor-reviews/ http://www.ecigadvanced.com/highbrow-vapor-reviews/#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:28:30 +0000 admin http://www.ecigadvanced.com/?p=2219

Photos

highbrow vapor coupon

Free Car Adapter & 2 Year Warranty with Kit Purchase discount

ECIG ADVANCED RATING

AVERAGE USER RATING

Reviewed by 1 people.

Quick Specs

Arrival	1-3 Days
Flavor	10
Nicotine Levels	5

They’ve upgraded a number of things about their product, though the presentation isn’t really one of them. Volcano still uses the tried and true magnetic flap box. While it’s not completely outdated, it does feel a little behind the times. Although a sleeker and more minimalistic design graces the outside of this kit than most. The kit, including battery and charge pack does come in white now as well, allowing for a more discreet appearance in the battery especially. They still use the same charge case as previous iterations, but then again if it’s not broke then why fix it?

Battery/Responsiveness 4/5

Volcano has moved to a two piece kit and gotten rid of the old atomizers, one way this helps their battery is that it seems to fire off quicker. The battery life is pretty solid for a mini ecig, so that could be part of the reason that they include the case charger. And it’s still one of the lightest and smallest mini batteries around, making the switch to e-cigs that much easier. Overall, their battery is better than their last version and worthy of an improved score.

Vapor/Flavor(s) 4.5/5

The vapor/flavor category is where Volcano has made the most improvement. Their flavors were always good before, but now that they use cartomizers there’s no worry about holdover from trying different flavors. Volcano has a lot of flavor options too, all with a Hawaiian flare like “Waikiki Watermelon” and “Cherry Lava. They also have the option to use blanks with the kit, so that you can take advantage of their huge array of e-liquids. It’s pretty impressive that such a small ecig would produce as much vapor as this kit does, and the options they offer definitely set them apart from most other competitors.

Overall (Not An Average) 4/5

The Volcano kit is still a great value, just as it always has been. However, the product is the same price and now even better than before. They offer a solid battery for its size, and their vapor and flavor as good or better than any other similar kit on the market.  With all their accessories and options, Volcano is certainly making a name for themselves.

See also:

The new Lavatube Variable Voltage Mod from Volcano. Be sure to take a look at our Volcano Lavatube E-Cig Review.

The Wet Flame Hydro ECig Kit speaks directly to its name. The graphics on the outer portion of the box look like rushing water. The various grades of blue and waterfall effect make the box an eye-catcher. Though what’s on the inside is what counts, it’s nice to see that Wetflame put forth the extra effort to give the outside this nice touch.

Battery/Responsiveness 5/5

The WetFlame Hydro Kit employs a “long” KR808D-1 battery that holds to what has made this model a standard in the e-cig industry: long battery life and regulated voltage. Where some other mini batteries will slowly lose voltage on an incline from the start, this model runs at 4.2v from the time it is charged until it is fully emptied, giving the user maximum vapor production and flavor. The battery life is very good for this type of e-cig, giving roughly 3-4 hours of battery life with fairly consistent use.  Overall, it’s comfortable enough to be very welcoming to smokers and has the performance to satisfy experienced vapers too.

Vapor/Flavor(s) 4/5

The vapor production here is better than many other KR808D-1 e-cigs available. WetFlame’s e-liquid produces a ton of vapor once the cartomizers get “rocking” and they last enough puffs to make the price of refills a good value. Some of the flavors could use some improvement: the tobacco and coffee weren’t the most convincing I’ve ever tried. That being said, the vanilla and tutti fruitti both made for a seriously delicious and pleasant vape. I was a little shocked at how well the vanilla was pulled off, balancing the flavor between the sweet and the creamy consistency and distinct vanilla taste you’d expect from a good bottle of extract. The tobacco also makes for a good vape, though it doesn’t have that “bite” I expect as a former smoker of dark, rich tobaccos. If you’re a smoker of light cigarettes or turkish flavors like Camel, this one could be right up your alley. For more information on WetFlame’s flavors, be sure to check out our WetFlame E-liquid reviews.

Overall (Not An Average) 4.5/5