Moving Beyond Disposable E-Cigarettes

For most vapers, their first experience with an electronic cigarette comes in the form of a disposable e-cig from a local gas station or convenience store. While these products provide a quick and convenient way to experience vaping, they’re by no means a satisfying or effective way to make the switch. Many users, including myself, were discouraged at first after starting out with a disposable e-cigarette. Poor performance, weak vapor production and badly executed flavors were just some of the reasons I continued to smoke after trying e-cigarettes for the first time. It wasn’t until I was exposed to a quality product – and tasty ‘smoke juice’ – that I quit smoking and fully committed to vaping.

Although I noticed the new displays popping up around town, I didn’t have much interest in electronic cigarettes at first. I didn’t know much about them – and they seemed like a fad. How could an electronic “gizmo” ever fulfill my cravings or my trusty tobacco smokes? It wasn’t until about 2 years ago that I tried my first e-cig and started to experiment with disposables. Not only were they convenient and easy to purchase, but they felt pretty darn close to a regular cigarette! I was definitely impressed at first, but the taste was slightly off and they weren’t exactly satisfying my cravings. The battery would die unexpectedly, and I eventually switched back to analogs.

Taking the Next Step – A Rechargeable Setup

Even though I didn’t stick with it at first, the disposables did spark my interest and I started to wonder if e-cigs were the answer to my problems. Not only was my pack-a-day habit expensive, but I was constantly coughing, short on energy and generally unhealthy. I decided it was time to take the next step and do a little research. I quickly realized that the cheap disposable e-cigs were a bad choice and there were better options available. These were the main issues with the disposables:

Problems with disposable e-cigarettes:

1. Poor performance – For heavy smokers, disposables just don’t produce enough vapor. Some were better than others, but it was costly (and annoying) to find one that worked well.
2. Inconsistent Battery Life – Battery life was relatively short and inconsistent with a disposable e-cig. One could last over a day, and the next only a few hours. Since I was dependent on my nicotine fix, the inconsistency eventually lead me back to analogs.
3. Way Too Expensive – Disposable e-cigs cost about the same as regular cigarettes, providing one less incentive to make a permanent switch. I later found out it was significantly cheaper to buy rechargeable batteries and use replacement cartridges or e-liquids.
4. Limited Options – Most disposables are only available in tobacco and menthol flavors, with a limited variety of nicotine levels. If I didn’t like the taste, there weren’t many alternatives.

Moving to a rechargeable setup was the obvious next step. Not only were there more flavor options, but I could carry backup batteries in case of an emergency and it cost significantly less to buy refill cartridges. I started out with Green Smoke, and it was a huge improvement over the disposables.

Liquids, Tanks and Larger Batteries

For several months my Green Smoke setup worked great. It was the perfect transition product and it helped me quit smoking for good! I’m glad I bit the bullet and coughed up $60 for a starter kit since it performed SIGNIFICANTLY better than the cheap disposable e-cigarettes, it tasted great and gave me several new flavors to experiment with. In the end, it cost significantly less than my regular cigarettes – and the disposable e-cigs as well.

But like most smokers who make the switch, I eventually became curious about what else was available. I had no major complaints with Green Smoke, but after several months of regular use it was time to think about an upgrade. I was especially curious about the dozens of flavored e-liquids available at other companies, and although I enjoyed the smaller, cigarette sized Green Smoke, I wanted to try something bigger to see how it compared. This inspired the move to an Apollo Superior eGo Kit with clearomizers tanks.

Bigger is Definitely Better!

It may be tough to swallow at first, especially if you’re used to traditional cigarettes, but a larger eGo-style setup is definitely a better option than the smaller, mini e-cigs that resemble a regular cigarette. If you can get over the fact that they’re slightly larger and heavier, you’ll be extremely satisfied with the improved taste, increased flexibility and much stronger performance. After you move to an eGo, there’s no turning back! Of course, like many vapers I still keep a smaller, cigarette-like setup on hand for emergencies, but 90% of the time I’m vaping on a bigger device.

For me, the most important factor is having tasty e-liquids and a device that performs well. There are several different types of e-cigarette to choose from, but for me the mid-size eGo products fit the bill. If you’re a heavy smoker that’s serious about making the switch, do yourself a favor and bypass the disposables and small cigarette-like products. They may work OK for a while, but if you’re a heavy user with strong cravings, you’ll eventually make the upgrade anyways. Don’t waste your time or money! In the long run, it will cost you much less to go right for the GOOD STUFF 😉

* COMPANIES WITH MID-SIZE, EGO-STYLE PRODUCTS: Apollo, Halo and Volcano