eHealth Starter Kit Review

Battery life: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Taste: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Draw: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Vapor production: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

eHealth e-cigs are found all over the China-based webstores that sell e-cigs.   Since the eHealth is a cig-a-like, I figured I'd find a way to pursue it and try it out.  I purchased a bare bones starter kit along with two additional packs of cartridges (peppermint and strawberry flavors).  The starter kit came with one battery, one USB charger, and a pack of classic tobacco cartridges (10 cartridges per pack).  They made the packaging a somewhat attractive design.  eHealth is NOT from the big tobacco industry.  "Cig-alikes" is a term often used by vapers (electronic cigarette and vape device users from beginners to the most advanced) to describe electronic cigarettes that are shaped or somewhat shaped like traditional tobacco cigarettes.

I first tried vaping when cig-alikes were the only electronic cigarette around (now we have eGos and box mods).  Most vapers have gotten into the vaping world with a cig-alike from one brand or another.  I use a Joytech eVic VT as my regular vaping device, but I decided to embark on a journey of trying different cig-alikes out of curiosity and to try and find the one I could use regularly when hitting the bars (or if it's an emergency).

The top things e-cig users look for in these devices are battery life, taste/flavor, draw (how much resistance the user is met with in sucking on the thing), and vapor/cloud production.  I found the battery life on the eHealth to be okay, as it lasts longer than one would expect, given its size.  I could vape for about 1/2 of the day on this with medium-heavy use.  I give battery life 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The taste/flavor of this is less than mediocre, and it's where the eHealth falls off the wagon.  It begins to taste burnt really easily, (even though there is plenty of juice left in the cartridge.
OVERALL FLAVOR RATING: 1.5 out of 5 stars

The draw, another thing e-cig users look for, is average.  On this one, the draw is even and smooth.  You are met with very little resistance, but it's an easy draw.  eHealth got this feature right.  To the draw, I give a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Vapor production is another topic not to be ignored in this review.  What I mean by vapor production is how much vapor this produces per average drag.  I've found vapor production from this thing to be tolerable but not great.  It's very consistent from puff to puff in production; and vapor production remains pretty even until the last couple of puffs before the battery dies.  I give 3.0 out of five stars to the vapor production of this device.

Unlike most cig-a-likes, this one is a three piece.  On most cig-a-likes, you just screw a new cartridge onto the battery but on this one, you screw an atomizer on to the battery and snap a cartridge on top of that.  The eHealth actually looks more like a cigarette than most cig-a-likes do, so this one really is a true cig-a-like.

Kudos to eHealth for an e-cg with a fair battery life and fantastic draw. I don't think anything needs to be changed with those points. However, I cannot recommend this one because of the constant burnt taste before you're even halfway through it.  My overall rating for this product is 2.5 out of 5 stars.

21st Century Smoke: 1.6% Menthol Express Starter Kit Review

Battery life: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Taste: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Draw: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Vapor production: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

21st Century Smoke used to be found in gas stations all over the place.  Some of you are probably more familiar with their other brand: Vapin Plus.  Since the 21st Century Smoke is a cig-a-like, I figured I'd find a way to pursue it and try it out.  I got a free bare bones starter kit in menthol flavor (only paying 99 cents shipping).  That starter kit came with one battery, one wall charger, and two menthol cartridges (1.6% nicotine content).  Outside of the pros and cons detailed in this review, my only other complaint with this starter kit is that there is no USB charger for this e-cig, making it hard to charge your battery on the go.  They made the packaging a somewhat attractive design.2  21st Century Smoke is NOT from the big tobacco industry.  "Cig-alikes" is a term often used by vapers (electronic cigarette and vape device users from beginners to the most advanced) to describe electronic cigarettes that are shaped or somewhat shaped like traditional tobacco cigarettes.

I first tried vaping when cig-alikes were the only electronic cigarette around (now we have eGos and box mods).  Most vapers have gotten into the vaping world with a cig-alike from one brand or another.  I use a Joytech eVic VT as my regular vaping device, but I decided to embark on a journey of trying different cig-alikes out of curiosity and to try and find the one I could use regularly when hitting the bars (or if it's an emergency).

In this review, menthol 1.6% cartridges were the only ones I had.  As I come across more flavors to try out, I'll update this review with those flavors factored in.  As of March 2016, they offer cartridge refills on their website for 2.0% and 2.4% in cherry, regular (tobacco), menthol, blueberry, strawberry, and grape flavors.  The starter kits (like the MarkTen XL), only come in two different cartridge flavor choices: regular (tobacco) and menthol.

The top things e-cig users look for in these devices are battery life, taste/flavor, draw (how much resistance the user is met with in sucking on the thing), and vapor/cloud production.  I found the battery life on the 21st Century Smoke to be good, as it lasts most of the day.  I could vape for about 2/3 of the day on this with medium-heavy use.  I give battery life 4 out of 5 stars.

The taste/flavor of this is less than mediocre, and it's where the 21st Century Smoke falls off the wagon.  The menthol flavor was extremely light.  It appears they wimped out on the flavor when these cartridges were manufactured.  Even a menthol ultra light smoker would complain that the flavor is lacking with these cartridges.  Another problem is that before you're even half-way through the cartridge, the flavor gets worse.  It begins to taste burnt (even though there is plenty of juice left in the cartridge.  One you get to the burnt taste, it just becomes useless, since no one wants that.

OVERALL FLAVOR RATING: 1.5 out of 5 stars

The draw, another thing e-cig users look for, is average.  On this one, the draw is even and smooth.  You are met with very little resistance, but it's an easy draw.  21st Century Smoke got this feature right.  To the draw, I give a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Vapor production is another topic not to be ignored in this review.  What I mean by vapor production is how much vapor this produces per average drag.  I've found vapor production from this thing to be okay.  It's very consistent (with very few drags lacking) in production; and vapor production remains pretty even until the last couple of puffs before the battery dies.  I give 4 out of five stars to the vapor production of this device.

Kudos to 21st Century Smoke for great quality with a decent battery life, fantastic draw and vapor production. I don't think anything needs to be changed with that. However, I cannot recommend this one because of the flavor (or lack thereof) and the constant burnt taste before you're even halfway through it.  My overall rating for this product is 2.5 out of 5 stars.

MarkTen XL Review: Rechargeable Kit (Menthol)

Battery life: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Taste: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Draw: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Vapor production: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

MarkTen has made a decent improvement over their original device with the newer XL.  MarkTen created a decent buzz out of their device when they first came out with aggressive marketing via coupons for free devices to consumers.  As far as electronic cigarettes from the big tobacco industry, MarkTen XL would be my second choice (Blu takes first place there).  "Cig-alikes" is a term often used by vapers (electronic cigarette and vape device users from beginners to the most advanced) to describe electronic cigarettes that are shaped or somewhat shaped like traditional tobacco cigarettes (as you can see in the picture above).  The MarkTen XL that I am reviewing here is a cig-alike.

I first tried vaping when cig-alikes were the only electronic cigarette around (now we have eGos and box mods).  Most vapers have gotten into the vaping world with a cig-alike from one brand or another.  I use a Joytech eVic VT as my regular vaping device, but I decided to embark on a journey of trying different cig-alikes out of curiosity and to try and find the one I could use regularly when hitting the bars (or if it's an emergency).  Both my partner and I received coupons in the mail when a gas station near us started carrying the MarkTen XL.  The coupon was for getting a device kit and a pack of refill cartridges for $1 total.  I went and redeemed both coupons and got both device kits in menthol, along with one pack of winter mint flavor cartridges and one pack in fusion flavor cartridges.  Both device kits came with a coupon inside for $3 off a pack of MarkTen XL refill cartridges.  Both coupons were redeemed for menthol cartridge packs.

In this review, we did not get the original (tobacco flavor) XL cartridges because we had tried that flavor previously with the original standard MarkTen electronic cigarette, and found the flavor so disgusting, we refused to try it again.  On that note, while I have made a couple of comparisons between the original device and the XL, I will not be reviewing the original MarkTen device itself because they are being phased out and retailers are replacing those with the new XL.  The device kit comes in classic (tobacco) or menthol flavors to start with.  Each kit contains one cartridge, one battery, and one USB charger.  It is a bare bones kit (which is acceptable for a $10 kit).  The only difference between the two kits you'll see on the shelf is the flavor of the cartridge contained in that kit.

The top things e-cig users look for in these devices are battery life, taste/flavor, draw (how much resistance the user is met with in sucking on the thing), and vapor/cloud production.  I found the battery life on the XL to be good (the original device battery needed charging every 30 to 60 minutes, while the XL battery lasts most of the day).  The average price is $10 for a device kit, and I wasn't expecting much.  But MarkTen took me by surprise with the XL.  I could vape for about 2/3 of the day on this with medium-heavy use.  I give battery life 4 out of 5 stars.

The taste/flavor of this is decent.  Out of all the convenient bare bones e-cig kits I have tried, MarkTen does not let you down with flavor (that is if you don't mind being limited to four flavor options, which is more than what MarkTen offered in the past).  The ratings for each flavor is as follows:

Classic: 1 out of 5 stars (does not really taste like a tobacco flavor)
Menthol: 4 out of 5 stars (refreshingly cool and minty, with a hint of tobacco flavor in the mix)
Fusion: 3.5 out of 5 stars (blend of domestic and imported tabacco, but some flavor notes are muted.  If you prefer tobacco flavor and decide to go with MarkTen XL, the fusion flavor is recommended over their classic flavor)
Winter Mint: 3.5 out of 5 stars (while slightly sweet and a little minty, it's a bit muted.  The sweetness and the mint could both be amplified.  This would be recommended if you want some mint present but feel their menthol flavor is too strong for you).
OVERALL FLAVOR RATING/SELECTION: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The draw, another thing e-cig users look for, is average.  On this one, the draw is even but could be smoother.  You are met with some resistance, but it's not a hard draw either.  Drinking a milkshake through a straw has more resistance than the MarkTen does.  Just don't be surprised to find that the draw is not as smooth as a tobacco cigarette would have.  To the draw, I give a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Vapor production is another topic not to be ignored in this review.  What I mean by vapor production is how much vapor this produces per average drag.  I've found vapor production from this thing to be okay.  It's very consistent (with very few drags lacking) in production.  Its vapor production is equivalent to the smoke production you get when taking a drag on a light cigarette.  I give 3.5 out of five stars to the vapor production of this device, only dinging a star and half off of this rating because I feel this device should produce more vapor in order to bring more satisfaction to the overall vaping experience.

The average price is $6 for a two-count pack of cartridge refills, which seems expensive (still cheaper than Vuse!), but it still cheaper than buying disposables all the time.  The device kit is about the average price of a disposable e-cig, but where the savings add up is with the cartridges.  If you don't have a coupon or a good in-store sale, the initial cost of buying a kit plus a pack of cartridges can cost you a little more than a disposable.  But you'll see the savings add up, especially if you regularly buy disposable e-cigs.

With a decent battery life and good flavor for cheap e-cigs, this is one cig-alike device kit to keep among the top of your options, especially if you're on the go for a night on the town.  This also serves a good option for intermediate to advanced vapers who find themselves in an emergency situation and need a temporary solution (out of juice or atomizers and the vape shop is closed, or dead battery and no charger, etc.).  My overall rating for this product is 3.5 out of 5 stars.

BLU Cigs: Cherry Crush Disposable Review

Battery life: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Taste: 4 out of 5 stars
Draw: 5 out of 5 stars
Vapor production: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

BLU Cigs were the thing when they first came out.  As far as electronic cigarettes from the big tobacco industry, Blu took first place.  "Cig-alikes" is a term often used by vapers (electronic cigarette and vape device users from beginners to the most advanced) to describe electronic cigarettes that are shaped or somewhat shaped like traditional tobacco cigarettes (as you can see in the picture above).  The Cherry Crush flavored disposable that I am reviewing here is a cig-alike.

I first tried vaping when cig-alikes were the only electronic cigarette around (now we have eGos and box mods).  Most vapers have gotten into the vaping world with a cig-alike from one brand or another.  I use a Joytech eVic VT as my regular vaping device, but I decided to embark on a journey of trying different cig-alikes out of curiosity and to try and find the one I could use regularly when hitting the bars (or if it's an emergency).  Because Blu was a popular brand, I'd give it a shot.  The first flavor I tried was the cherry crush disposable.

The top things e-cig users look for in these devices are battery life, taste/flavor, draw (how much resistance the user is met with in sucking on the thing), and vapor/cloud production.  I found the battery life on this disposable to be very good.  At the average price of $10 for a Blu disposable, one would expect the battery to have power and last. Blu delivers on this expectation.  I could vape for about a day and half on this with medium-heavy use.  I give battery life 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The taste/flavor of this is decent.  Out of all the cherry flavored e-cigs and e-liquids I have tried, Blu does have the best, in my opinion.  The cherry flavor in this one is a little sweet but it is not too sweet.  And it most certainly is not sour by any means.  I dock a star off the taste rating because you can get some draws from this thing where the flavor can be a bit muted.  While vapor production will be pretty consistent, flavor will be mostly, but not always, consistent.  Overall flavor/taste rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

The draw, another thing e-cig users look for, is also very good.  The old Blu disposables had a lot of resistance when you took a drag on them.  The newer Blu disposables have corrected this problem.  On this one, the draw is smooth and even.  It's easy to take a drag on this one and you don't have to feel like you're trying to suck an ice cube up through a straw.  The throat hit is lacking quite a bit, but this can mostly satisfy those cigarette cravings.  The Blu disposables have one of the best draws I have ever found from a cig-alike product.  To the draw, I give a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.

Vapor production is yet another topic not to be ignored in this review.  What I mean by vapor production is how much vapor this produces per average drag.  I've found vapor production from this thing to be almost excellent (but nowhere near perfect).  It's very consistent (with very few drags lacking) in production.  This Blu disposable has produced more vapor than a lot of the other cig-alike and cheap eGo devices I have tried.  It's not a huge cloud, but it is close to the amount of smoke (if not a little more) that one can get when smoking a full flavored or unfiltered tobacco cigarette.  This is great news for those looking to get off the tobacco cigarettes and tread the waters to the vaping world.  I give 4.5 out of five stars to the vapor production of this device, only knocking a half star off the rating because of the few drags where vapor production can be low.

With a very good battery life and vapor production, decent taste, and the excellent draw, this is one disposable to keep among the top of your options, especially if you're on the go for a night on the town.  It's also an excellent option if you want to get a taste and feel of BLU Cigs products, or to try their cherry crush flavor.  This also serves an excellent option for intermediate to advanced vapers who find themselves in an emergency situation and need a temporary solution (out of juice or atomizers and the vape shop is closed, or dead battery and no charger, etc.).  My overall rating for this product is 4.5 out of 5 stars.