Electronic Cigarette Review

The Best Electronic Cigarette Reviews on the Web!

The NJOY cigarette NCIG model is getting some mixed reviews which tend to be more positive than negative. One of the biggest strengths of the product you will read about in this review is a 2-hole atomizer that cranks out a ton of smoke vapor but may die early in its life if you get a bad one. Fortunately the company’s good customer service compensates quickly replacing atomizers under warranty as well as selling spares over the phone.

NJOY Cigarette (NCIG Pen-Style Model)

NJOY Cigarette (NCIG Pen-Style Model)

Now that this electronic cigarette is available online not only through their own web-site, but also through a mass retail chain big box store web site, people are really starting to take this electronic cigarette more seriously as an alternative to smoking in the United States.

NJOY started selling this electronic cigarette primarily to U.S. customers and is now partnered with a company specializing in warehousing and distribution which has allowed them to slash prices on all of their products. The NJOY cigarette is also now available to the European Union, through the NJOY International web site.

NJOY’s pen style (NCIG model) electronic cigarette was part of the company’s original product offering and remains part of their line even after the recent price cut and expansion in their product line which now includes a mini electronic cigarette.

I feel obligated to tell you that this review may be biased because, if you read other posts on the site, you will see that NJOY is the brand that I use at the time of this post. At the moment this is just a personal preference and I am very open to trying and using other brands. So far I am just satisfied with this electronic cigarette and I haven’t found anything that I think is better for me in the U.S.A.

I will be objective as possible in this review though so that you can have the best chance finding the best brand and model for you.

NJOY Cigarette Review:

  • Manufacturer / Supplier: NJOY
  • Country: U.S.A.
  • Model: NCIG
  • Style: Pen-Style
  • Starter Kit Price: $74.99
  • Cartridge Price (5-Pack): $13.33* (if you buy 2 and get 1 free on auto refill program)
  • Number of flavors: 5
  • Nicotine Levels Offered: High, Medium, Low, Zero

Starter Kit Contents:

The NJOY electronic cigarette, battery charger, 2 lithium batteries, 4 nicotine cartridges (tobacco flavored 1 ea.: zero, low, medium, high), instruction manual (not shown), wallet info card (not shown).

Rating Scale:

Average

Poor 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Excellent

  • Ratings and Score:
    • Batteries and Charger: 4.0
    • Atomizer: 2.5
    • Cartridges: 3.5
    • Construction / Quality: 4.0
    • Cost: 3.5
  • Overall: 3.5 (Above Average)

Cartridge Rating = 3.5

NJOY cigarette cartridges come 5 in a pack. Four levels of nicotine concentration are offered: high (18mg Nicotine), medium (12mg), low (6mg) and zero (0mg). Cartridge flavors offered at the time of this review are tobacco, menthol, vanilla, strawberry, and apple. Myself and others have noticed that NJOY’s tobacco flavored cartridge has a very good flavor and is also very smooth with little harshness at all.

The NJOY cigarette cartridges should last almost as long as 20 traditional cigarettes, but this will depend on the smoking habits of the individual using it. The selection of cartridge flavors is about average with 5 different flavors. The “high” cartridge does contain 18mg for those who want a nicotine hit stronger than light cigarettes.

The biggest factors driving the above average score in this review category are the 18mg of nicotine offered at the “high” level and the above average tobacco flavored cartridges. If NJOY expands the number of flavors offered it would deserve an excellent score in this area, but at least NJOY is consistent offering the same flavors for all nicotine levels.

Atomizer Rating = 2.5

The NJOY cigarette NCIG model uses a 2-hole atomizer which does produce a lot of smoke vapor.

As mentioned in the review summary NJOY may be experiencing problems with the supply of this component although they did recently update the atomizer that comes with their starter kit. This problem seems less frequent with NJOY than other brands but if you get a faulty one it could cut out in the first month or so. NJOY has good customer service though and will replace it right away if this happens.

Once you have a good atomizer it should last a lot longer as this atomizer problem is NOT chronic. You can reportedly buy a spare atomizer over the phone although I haven’t needed to do this.

I also want to emphasize that the NJOY cigarette produces a lot of smoke vapor which may make it worth chancing an exchange with customer service.

Batteries & Charger Rating = 4.0

The tip on the NCIG battery has an orange light / LED on the tip. The starter kit does come with 2 batteries so you will have another battery to use while the other is charging. A DC car adapter can be purchased separately so that the charger can be used in a car, but does not come with the starter kit.

Batteries and chargers definitely qualify for an above average score in this review catagory. This will vary depending on the individual but new NJOY battery lasts longer than a day for most smokers which is about 2 times longer than many other brands. Recharging is also very fast taking between 1-2 hours.

I haven’t heard any complaints of batteries that are dead on arrival or other problems plaguing other brands of electronic cigarettes.

The only reason the NCIG battery does not get an excellent rating is the orange tip. Unfortunately it looks too realistic slowly glowing on and off as you take a drag just like a real cigarette! This shouldn’t be a problem for most people but some bars and restaurants may still frown on this level of realism because it may cause other customers to light up real cigarettes since most people are still don’t know that the electronic cigarette does NOT violate smoking bans.

The ideal thing for the company to do would be to give its customers an option of purchasing a battery with a non-standard color tip such as blue or green.

Construction / Quality Rating = 4.0

The cartridge, vapor chamber and battery all come together well and are comfortable to hold.

The NJOY cigarette is offered in three different colors black, white, and burgundy. The finish on the white and burgundy is the same and is a very glossy almost lacquered finish that is very high quality and extremely durable. The black graphite model has a matte finish that is high quality but may be a little less durable. After several days of careless handling I did manage to chip a fleck of paint off of the black graphite battery finish.

The finish on the battery and atomizer chamber was an exact match on all three colors.

Cost Rating = 3.5

For U.S. customers the pricing on the NJOY cigarette starter is pretty good. Similar brands are cheaper outside the U.S. but after shipping the cost would be the same or more for U.S. customers and not worth dealing with customer service outside the U.S. The NCIG is a good bang for your buck considering the quality of the product and the customer service. Also, the starter kit comes with 4 cartridges at different strengths making it easy to figure out what strength refill to buy without purchasing a lot of extra cartridges.

Refill cartridges are slightly overpriced compared to other brands even if you are on the automatic refill program. On the automatic refill program cartridges are buy 2 and get the 3rd free.

Despite cartridge prices being a few dollars higher than the average the automatic refill program is a value add in terms of time saved and the quality of the product and customer service makes up for any short-comings here.

Style and Extra Features

The NJOY cigarette NCIG model is offered in gloss white with black trim, gloss burgundy with gold trim and matte black with black trim. All three colors and finishes look good and gives a customer 3 great styles to choose from. You may even be able to mix replacement batteries with different vapor chamber colors producing something you like more.

As mentioned previously in the review the batteries are tipped with orange lights that very accurately simulate the glowing ember on the end of a real cigarette. While it would be nice to have the option of having a different color on the lighted tip to eliminate confusion, NJOY does provide double sided business card sized information card to help a person explain what NJOY is and why it is not affected by smoking bans.

I do not know of any other brands other than the NJOY cigarette that provides an information card that can be used in this manner but it should help tremendously as electronic cigarettes are currently so new that most people haven’t even heard of them yet and will require some explanation until they read this review!

Overall Review Rating = 3.5 (Above Average)


(Visit the NJOYCigarettes.com Website)

FTC Disclosure

31 Comments

  1. Robert says:

    Love the site and I’d love to see even more reviews…

    What else is going to get reviewed?

    May I suggest this for review:

    http://www.smoke51.com

  2. ECR Blogger says:

    I am in the process of reviewing several mini’s right now. Reviews should be up next week.

    I was considering reviewing Smoke51. I like the concept. I will contact the vendor to see if they will send me a sample.

  3. Tony says:

    I am a smoker and was sitting in front of a slot machine in a casino that what caught in the smoking ban, low and behold I hit a JackPot and wanted a smoke real bad but couldnt light up. An attendent came up and offerd to let me try this new wave of the smokeless future, the Njoy Ncig. What a life saver, This thing is great! Whenever I go gamble or end up in non-smoking places I take it with, especially Airports. I dont even know the difference between normal cigs and Njoy, Now I want to get the Npro with maybe some different flavors, that would be cool.

  4. Julia Scott says:

    Bought my partner an ncig from NJoy. Wonderful until today. This is the third day of use and it became hard to draw on. Suddenly it unloaded liquid into her mouth burning her lips and tongue and making her nauseous and dizzy. We were alarmed and considering taking her to the emergency room. She made it through okay with a general feeling of unwellness. There is not much on these websites explaining what to do in this instance and no one to call. Seems potentially dangerous and our second concern is that she loves her ncig and was wondering if there is a quick fix for this problem. Thanks

    • ECR Blogger says:

      Glad to hear your partner is OK!! I agree with you. I am planning on having a disclaimer / safety notice on the updated site sometime after I finish it. The little blurb about this in the users manuals (if you get one) is not sufficient either.

      E-smoking can take some getting-used-to. Sometimes when an e cig draw becomes hard it is because the battery charge is low or the battery is bad. In still more rare cases you may have a bad atomizer.

      NJOY customer service may be able to help better than I can. If there is nothing wrong with your NJOY then generally a hard draw means it is time to swap / recharge batteries and possibly the cartridge if it is low.

      • tim says:

        hello julia,

        i suspect that what happened was nicotine “poisoning”. as a cigar smoker, I occaisonally smoke a cigar that is just WAY too strong for me. i feel dizy, nauseous, stomach out-of-sorts.

        the “cure” is about a tablespoon of sugar. put it directly underneath your tongue and let it dissolve slowly. you should feel relief in about 5 minutes. if not, you will surely be ok by the second tablespoon.

        lacking that, a sugary mint or drink will help…..but, the sugar just seems to do the trick for me.

        hope this helps.

        tim

    • karl says:

      your partner probably “dragged” on the ncig (or was it an npro?) too hard or to fast. it does make a difference how you suck on it. the liquid is actually just water with a little glycol which is approved by the fda to be recognized as safe. glycol is used in food colorings and flavorings as an additive to keep medicines and cosmetics moist. your partner must’ve been sucking too hard, fast or too long. slow down and njoy!

      • Joy says:

        Both my husband and I use the NCIG and for the most part LOVE it. We were both pack a day menthol smokers for years and really needed a change. It has been a month and a half and I have no desire to ever smoke a traditional cigarette again, the smell terrible.
        I have however come across some problems that make me crazy trying to figure out. The puddle of liquid happens to me too. It is not because I was “dragging” to hard. It happens when I first put it up to my mouth and has happened to my husband too. But only with the menthol and only some of the cartridges. The ones that do that also leak out and get the juice on my fingers. The juice in the mouth is gross and it is like a 1 out of 5 ratio for me. The other 4 cartridges are great. That 1 though I find myself have to take out the filter and smoke just from the atomizer just to get it to work again. I also feel like I wasted money :( I am not trying the “juice” but many times the 4/5 drops doesn’t seems to cut it.

        Overall I love the concept of the product and have NO desire to try other brands. It is new and will take time to get the kinks worked out. Until then I just make sure I have my mint Tums handy for the puddles…

  5. Julia Scott says:

    Thanks for the reply. An update-we had a bad atomizer. Since we love the NCIG so much we bought a spare atomizer, spare battery (we had a bad one of those also), and njoy replaced the bad atomizer. These items arrived last week. So far the battery was fully charged and works intermittently and both atomizers worked for a day or so and now they draw okay but just draw air. We left messages for njoy Friday and today (Monday) and cannot get a return call. Is there something we can try to make the atomizer work or is there another company out there with a more reliable product. Thanks for your help. E-smoking has literally changed our lives and we would love to keep doing it. Having real bad luck with the ncig atomizers and batteries though. Thanks.

    • ECR Blogger says:

      It sounds like you may be having a round of bad luck. I have only heard of a few other people having this many problems. It is possible that NJOY had a batch of weak atomizers and maybe the battery failure was a coincidence.

      Either that or this product may not be for you because NCIG doesn’t have a cut off switch so it is possible to overheat and damage the atomizers. Have you noticed that the tip blinks 10 times frequently to indicate high usage? Did the atomizer feel unusually hot when it was working?

      If you said yes to either of those questions and you really love the NJOY then I would give it another shot. Atomizers are a semi-consumable item and will need to be replaced normally every 1-2 months, but no where near what you are experiencing. Finally, you may want to try a product that has an automatic cutoff after about 5 seconds or has the atomizers built into the replacement cartridges. There are pros and cons you can read about in reviews here.

      • Smokin Jules says:

        Thank you, everyone, for your advice. Once we were able to get in touch with our preferred customer rep at Njoy, they sent us two extra batteries and three atomizers, things are working great now. They did give us some tips on extending the life of the atomizers. One tip is to store your device with the cartridge end down when not in use. We absolutely love the NCig and NJoy does a wonderful job of compensating for poor quality China made products with wonderful customer service after the sell. After much research we have decided that NJoy is the device we will continue to use. As a sidenote we have been experimenting with Johnson Creek juice and have had much success with mixing their flavors, such as vanilla ice cream with wild cherry, and the chocolate almond decadence with the wild cherry. The flavor of both was very nice, but the throat hit comes from adding the vanilla ice cream. We even dipped a cart in white Zin wine and it was wonderful! Happy vapeing !

    • karl says:

      my advice would be, to maybe not drag on the unit too fast or too long. it does make a difference. just slow down and njoy!

  6. Rip Washington says:

    I purchased the NJOY Ncig, my decision greatly influenced by this very review. After using it for about a month, I’m fairly satisfied with it’s performance though I’ve recently come to realize that whatever disappointment I had with the Ncig is not necessarily attributable to the Ncig alone.

    The biggest draw of the electronic cigarette is it’s ability to emulate the physical and psychological satisfaction derived from smoking cigarettes WITHOUT inhaling the carcinogens and additives found in tobacco products. The satisfaction one receives is dependent on the method of delivering the nicotine solution to the heating element which creates the vapor (which is inhaled). From what I’ve read and through my direct experience of using the e-cig, the current delivery system (pre-filled cartridges) does not consistently provide the desired result. The user frequently finds differing quality standards among cartridges ie. too much or too little liquid, which often results in sucking nicotine juice into one’s mouth or overheating the atomizer (heating element) which potentially destroys it.

    Techniques such as “topping off” used cartridges or creating one’s own cartridge becomes a lesson of trial and error; it gets tedious very quickly. But, as I said earlier, one might tend to blame the e-cig itself. It wasn’t until recently that I followed a forum suggestion to replace the cartridge filler material with a tea bag (YES…the bag that the tiny tea leaves are in) that I began to experience a truly consistent vaping (as in “vapor”…e-cigarette users inhale vapor as opposed to smoke…hence the term, “vaping”) experience.

    Having said this, I would highly suggest the purchase of this product…or ANY electronic cigarette PROVIDED the potential buyer due a bit of research prior to purchase. It never hurts to know exactly what one is getting into.

    It also helps to introduce oneself to vaping as efficiently and as economically as possible.

    (By the way…though e-cigarettes are not (or should not) marketed as smoking cessation devices, I haven’t smoked a cigarette since I received my Ncig in the mail…28 days ago.)

  7. Rae Ule says:

    Want to be sure I get on the correct website for NJOY
    with some many copiers out there. Can you provide?
    Thanks

    • Sparky says:

      The correct web site for NJOY is currently on my “Where to Buy” page. Your best bet to find stock right now might be to consider an independent distributor. I have considered listing one of the many excellent independent distributors as my primary source especially considering the current stock shortage.

      I have already listed one alternative independent distributor for the time being who is managing to find stock.

  8. Kat says:

    Hey! Would love to see a review of Blu brand ecigs (blucigs.com). I recently purchased a pack, and look forward to receiving it and giving it a try!

    • Sparky says:

      I actually have one on order. Unfortunately, I am experiencing the same shipping delays as everyone else. I ordered mine 6/19 and confirmation email says they are on back order. Eleven days an counting as of today.

  9. EiMaHa says:

    What is the difference between the NPRO & NCIG? I cant seem to find this information anywhere. My husband and I are excited about trying out this eCig! Thanks in advance

    • Kat Jackson says:

      I own both an NPRO and an NCIG, here are the differences I find. The NPRO looks like a cigarette, the NCIG looks more like an ink pen, the battery life on my NCIG is better than on my NPRO, and most of all my NCIG produces a vapor that is wonderful I get a good throat hit yet it is not harsh in my chest, the NPRO I get an ok throat it but it doesn’t feel so good in my chest. In conclusion I LOVE my NCIG and I use my NPRO only occasionally. I will say in the beginning I had some atomizer problems, but NJOY is wonderful about replacing them. Make sure you have more than one set so that if an atomizer or battery goes bad you have a back up while they are getting replacements to you. One more point the key to my success in switching to an electronic cigarette is reuseing the cartridges and refilling them with the vanilla flavor smoke juice from Johnson Creek Smoke Juice (www.johnsoncreeksmokejuice.com). I didn’t think I would like flavored smoke juice, but I love it and the vanilla ice cream (now reformulated and called French Vanilla) gives the best throat hit even if you mix it with the tobacco flavor or other flavors. I personally did not like the tobacco or the tennessee cured flavors, I thought they would be my favorites but actually did not like them at all. So just a little unrequested opinion on smoke juice. But I will say that after getting all set up it is only costing me about $60 a year in smoke juice to continue to enjoy smoking! Also my relationship with my partner is so much nicer ! Happy vaping, Kat

  10. Eric says:

    Hi, thanks for putting this site together. Do you suppose you could make up a chart that shows something like the average cost per “pack” for the various brands? I know that one of the advantage of the e-cigs is supposed to be cost, but it seems a bit complicated trying to convert the equivalents to dollars. Thanks again.

  11. Syed Hashmi says:

    is it possible to fill third party’s eliquid in njoy cartridges.Please reply.

    • Sparky says:

      Yes. Can’t remember if NJOY says it voids their “warranty” or not, but my suggestion to folks is do whatever you want and just buy spare atomizers for when the one you are using breaks.

    • Kat Jackson says:

      I don’t know about the warranty issue either, but I use Johnson Creek Smoke Juice and love it. After I finally got a good atomizer it has lasted my since Feb, and I have pretty much solely used the Johnson Creek. in my N-Joy carts. Kat

      • Anne says:

        I use Johnson Creek as well in my pen style NJOY and after trying a few other companies who sell juice Johnson creek is still my favorite.

  12. Alan S. Petrillo says:

    A potential solution to the LED tip on the battery is black nail polish. Just paint over it.

    AP

  13. ken says:

    We received our Ncig starter kit today…love it but I thought that the cartridges that come with the starter kit were supposed to contain different levels of nicotine from zero to high. How the heck are you supposed to tell the difference between them as they are all unmarked?

    • Sparky says:

      That’s news to me. The cartridges I got in my NCIG starter kit were different levels and labeled so NJOY must have changed something.

      Anyone else have this problem?

  14. Ellen says:

    I am having serious health issue (asthma and other lung related issues) due to smoking regular tobacco cigarettes for over 30 years. I need to quit smoking and/or make some changes but I have struggled trying to quit and I really enjoy smoking. After much research I think the e-cigs are worth a try. The only concern I have is I have noticed that people never blog about how much better they feel after being on e-cigs for an extended period. Usually when people quit smoking reg tobacco cigarettes they are so excited about how much better they feel. I wonder why people do not write about that with e-cigs….??
    Also I see the e-cigs sold in the convenient stores around my area. They are the brand name NJOY and come with the company’s warranty. Is it okay to buy them locally or would I be better off to order them through the main company’s web-site? I would like to start on them in the next day or so and if I buy them local I would not have to wait on them to be mailed to me.

    • Sparky says:

      Ellen, I would suggest that you consult a doctor and probably also get a second and third opinion as well since even professional opinions vary.

      The health results people have gotten are a mixed bag. I did write an article on this last year http://www.electroniccigarettereview.com/real-evidence-of-healthier-cigarettes.

      Long term most if not all people, myself included, notice much improvement to their health that is the same as experienced during failed quitting attempts lasting a month or more. Some people experience short term side effects with e-cigs lasting 1-2 weeks such as mild sore throat, dehydration etc. because the ingredients of the nicotine solution have that affect at least until your body or habits adjust.

      Whether or not you buy and try e-cigs is up to you not me, but there isn’t much difference over whether you buy them in the store other than the shipping delay you noted.

      If you decide to give e-cigs a try check back in an let us all know how you do!!

      • Ellen says:

        Thanks Sparky! I appreciate your reference to the article and enjoyed reading it and it did help me to learn more about the e-cigs. Thanks so much!
        I cannot understand why the e-cigs cannot be advised as healthier than reg cig, especially or at least the nicotine free ones….Now that really makes no sense to me! If I were to use the e-cigs I would probably use the nic-free ones because, for me, it is the habit of smoking that I have trouble breaking free from. The nicotine withdrawal is very minimal for me.
        It does surprise me though that more people don’t write blogs and reviews that they feel better on e-cigs. If you look at reviews and blogs on sites where people have quit smoking reg tobacco cigs,
        9 out of 10 of them write about how great they feel, their energy level has increased, etc, etc. I cannot find one review/blog anywhere on the e-cigs that comes close to saying that. I’m sorry but to me, that is odd and concerns me.
        I will let you know what I decide. For now, I’m going cold-turkey. It’s been 3 days and I’m doin pretty good. I only miss the habit and my smoke breaks that seem to relax me and I am eating a lot more.. Maybe I will consider the e-cigs soon.
        Thanks for the info about buying them locally. If I get desperate I want to be able to run up to the local corner store and get the e-cigs fast! : )

        • Sparky says:

          Another thing is that all of the e-cig supporters know that e-cig companies are not supposed to make health claims and therefore didn’t want to harp on it for fear it would bring greater scrutiny before the products are prolific in the market. At least, that is the reason I don’t blog more about it.

          This may have changed now since that actually was a factor in the federal court ruling against the FDA in which the judge said something to the affect of just because they make a health claim doesn’t mandate FDA approval or regulation.

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About Me

The Electronic Cigarette Review is NOT about me.

Its here for millions of people in America and the rest of the world who smoke and may be considering electronic cigarettes as an alternative for their health, smoking bans, outrageous taxes and other costs.

When I went to the web searching for GOOD information on electronic cigarettes it was difficult to find.

This site will have something useful here for everyone thinking about trying electronic cigarettes or those who are looking to take their new found joy of smoking the e cig to the next level!

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