Seasoned vapers who wouldn’t bat an eye at the prospect of assembling a vape from a mod kit often forget the daunting nature of the hobby to the beginner. While the complexity and options are part of the fun for the hobbyist, to the beginner they can seem bewildering. This guide is designed for the smoker who wants to quit, not the seasoned vaping enthusiast.
The most common starting point for most new vapers are electronic cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes require a much smaller initial investment than a good quality mod or pen vaporizer, and they are substantial less complex.
One’s first electronic cigarette to be tried is often a disposable model made by a myriad of no-name manufacturers. These are best avoided as they by their very nature tend to be a poor value.
The next step up are electronic cigarette kits from manufacturers such as V2, Reynolds, Blu and Altria. These offer the user a chance to give vaping a try without making a major investment. Unlike disposable models, these kits offer more staying power as they come with a rechargeable battery and charger and use replaceable nicotine cartridges.
Of these options, V2 stands out as the best value. V2 offers the widest range of flavors, and their nicotine cartridges tend to be lower price and slightly longer lasting than their competitors. V2 cartridges come in packs of 5 and are priced at around $10 a pack.
The initial offering from Altria (who owns Marlboro) was unimpressive, with poor battery life and nicotine cartridges which lasted about half as long as their competitors offerings. Altria was quick to correct this mistake with its redesigned MarkTen model, which features improved battery and cartridge lifespan. MarkTen replacement cartridges come in packs of two and a priced at around $6 a pack.
The Vuse, the e-cigarette line from Reynolds, which makes Camel cigarettes, features technology that ensures the last hit will be of the same quality as the first. It is comparable in battery life to the V2 and improved MarkTen design. Vuse nicotine cartridges come in packs of two and are priced around $8.
Blu e-cigarettes are one of the most widely available brands of e-cigarettes on the market, found in nearly every convenience store and gas station in the country. Battery life is comparable to its competitors. Replacement cartridges are priced at $14.99 for a pack of three.