Established in 2009, Volcano is a well established electronic cigarette brand based out of Honolulu, Hawaii. Not only do they offer an appealing line of cigarette-like products, but Volcano produces several larger, more advanced devices for the most serious vapers. Choose from three different kits (Magma, Inferno or Lavatube), along with a huge selection of 30+ U.S. made e-liquid flavors.
Volcano E-Cig Ratings
Pros
- 3 unique e-cig designs
- Wide selection of flavors
- U.S. made e-liquids
- Very strong upgrade options
Cons
- Premium prices
- No money-back guarantee
- Limited to 1-year warranty
More About Volcano
Headquartered in Honolulu, HI, Volcano E-Cigs has been producing it’s quality line-up of electronic cigarettes since 2009. Since then the company has rapidly grown, expanding its’ operations throughout the US, UK and Southeast Asia. Like most electronic cigarette companies, the majority of Volcano’s production takes place in Asia, but all of their e-liquid is manufactured, bottled and tested in the USA. Purchase online, or at one of dozens of retail locations around the country.
Unlike some manufacturers that offer just one basic design, Volcano has three different models to choose from: Magma, Inferno and Lavatube. Starting with Magma, a small, lightweight cigarette-style model, each kit gets progressively larger and more advanced.
Volcano’s Magma Starter Kit
Volcano’s Magma Starter Kit is ideal for casual vapers or those who are looking for the smallest, most cigarette-like option. The Magma comes in both BLACK and WHITE designs, and glows red at the tip when the user inhales. The Magma Kit includes an automatic battery, but a manual battery can be purchased separately (with red, green, blue or purple LED tip) in both standard and extended life versions.
Like Blue, Apollo and others, Volcano includes a nifty portable charging case (the M-Pack) with it’s Magma Kit. It’s capable of holding up to five cartridges and two batteries at a time. Not only can you carry backups and replacements with the M-Pack, but it will recharge your battery whenever you’re on-the-go, preventing the need for a wall or USB plug. It includes a helpful LED display that lets you know when the battery is charged or the M-Pack is running low on juice.
Overall Magma Performance
With a small lightweight battery, the Magma has a relatively short battery life of 3-4 hours during regular use. Like similar models from other companies, the portable charging case is the key to getting through an entire day – providing you with the ability to carry a backup battery and recharge whenever necessary. Vapor production is satisfactory, but definitely not the strongest we’ve tested. It still provides a nice mild throat hit and should satisfy most light to moderate users.
Other Volcano Starter Kits
Beyond the cigarette-style products, the Inferno Starter Kit takes your vaping to the next level with higher-powered, longer-lasting eGo-style batteries. Although the Magma Kit (described above) can be used with pre-filled cartridges or e-liquids, when you move into more advanced systems like the Inferno you’ll be dealing exclusively with liquids and filling your own cartonmizers. This results in larger, less cigarette-like products, but it will produce much stronger, thicker vapor and one battery should easily last you throughout the day. The most advanced Volcano option, the Lavatube, is a larger, variable voltage mod allows you read the ohms of your atomizer and adjust the voltage (4-6V) accordingly to produce a customized draw – designed for the most serious vaping afficionados.
Strengths and Weaknesses
With several different Starter Kits for every type of user, Volcano definitely has options. The cigarette-style Magma kit is about average when compared to similar kits from other companies, and the Inferno and Lavatube kits are excellent upgrade choices for those with serious vaping needs. They offer a huge range of flavors and e-liquids, although the pre-filled cartridges are only offered up to 18mg of nicotine. To get the highest 24mg levels you’ll need to switch to e-liquids, which are 100% USA made and come in a huge array of flavors; from classic tobacco, to fruits, candies and even sodas.
One of the biggest downsides we could see is the price. At $74.99 for their lowest price Magma Kit, it will require quite a big investment to start vaping with Volcano. And with no disposable e-cigs, you’ll have no way to test their products without committing to a complete kit. They also don’t provide a money-back guarantee, and you’ll only get a 1-year limited warranty, compared to the limited life-time warranties offered by some e-cig companies.