Electronic Cigarette Review

Much of the debate over electronic cigarettes revolves around the claim that they are healthier cigarettes. Manufacturers and suppliers of the devices are not supposed to advertise e cigs as healthy or even as healthier than smoking nor are they allowed to market them as a smoking cessation product or a nicotine replacement therapy. Some still do.

Would-be consumers must look at the ingredients in the nicotine solution in e cig cartridges and other facts to determine if they think the devices are healthier cigarettes.

I thought I would take a break from writing reviews and give an update on my family’s experience to try to add some perspective to the debate. I am not making any claims myself here as most people know what my opinion is on the matter if they read other articles on this site.

My dad has been a pack a day smoker for over 35 years. He started using the NJOY pen-style electronic cigarette and was doing fairly well with it only smoking a real few cigarettes a day and using the NJOY product the rest of the time. At the time he said that he thinks it is healthier and that he started to feel better when smoking it.

I was talking to my dad before the holidays and he told me that after a couple months he started using his electronic cigarette less and using regular cigarettes more. He told me that he almost completely relapsed back to regular smoking but that he does still smoke the electronic cigarette at least daily and in situations where he can’t smoke like when he is in places that have banned smoking.

So my mom is still going strong completely 100% cigarette free using only NJOY, but my dad is back to using mostly regular cigarettes. I did want to point out that overall my dad still smokes less of them because he does still use his electronic cigarette on a regular basis.

The most interesting thing he told me is that he really wants to go back to smoking the NJOY. When I asked him why he said that he thinks they are healthier cigarettes and that since he relapsed he is experiencing all the same health problems he had before such as the smokers cough and shortness of breath.

Is this evidence that e cigs are healthier cigarettes? You will have to decide for yourself whether or not it is healthier, but I did want to cover a couple of the reasons he listed for his relapse in that may help you if you want to switch completely from regular smoking to electronic smoking.

One reason my dad listed for his relapse is trouble breaking old habits. He said that he was used to having a cigarette in his hand or mouth while working around the house or on his truck. He said he would think about reaching for a regular cigarette in his hand, mouth or ashtray before reaching for his electronic cigarette which he kept in his pocket.

Most e cigs are heavier due to the weight of metal and plastic components. You don’t light them or put them in ash trays. We did discuss having him try using a mini style e cig since they are smaller and lighter and he seems open to trying that.

Another reason he listed for his relapse is not getting enough nicotine even from the high strength cartridges. He smoked camel unfiltereds for all those years while most e cig cartridges contain little more nicotine than light cigarettes.

There are ways to increase the nicotine concentration such as “dripping” we discussed that will be topics of other articles. People also debate whether adding additional nicotine is healthier than using the cartridges as is.

When I asked my mom why she thinks she was so successful she said that once she realized that the e cig was satisfying her nicotine craving she made a decision to switch completely and never go back. My dad thinks this approach will work for him once we do something to increase his nicotine intake.

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)

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

Crown 7 Traditional

Crown 7 is one of the most notable electric cigarette brands in the U.S. market due to publicity in major media outlets such as the New York Post, USA Today and The US News & World Report to name just a few.

The Crown 7 pen style electric cigarette was part of the company’s original product offering in this country and remains part of their line even after a recent expansion in the line which now includes a mini and additional cartridge flavors.

Smoking bans are being legislated at an increasing rate in the United States and many smokers are clamoring for solution that is compatible with their habits while Ron MacDonald of Crown 7 says the company is experiencing “growing pains” to keep up with customer service and shipping of orders.

While the Crown 7 traditional may still leave some things to be desired by the average smoker’s habits, the company has an economical product that may be worth your wait even if the company hasn’t resolved their customer service and delivery issues (but they insist they have).

Crown 7 Review:

• Manufacturer: Crown 7
• Country: United States of America
• Model: Traditional
• Style: Pen-Style
• Starter Kit Price: $74.95
• Cartridge Price (5-Pack): $10.00
• Number of flavors: 12
• Nicotine Levels Offered: High, Medium, Low, Zero

Starter Kit Contents:

The Crown 7 cigarette, battery charger, 2 lithium batteries, two nicotine cartridges, instruction manual

Rating Scale:

Average

Poor 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 Excellent

• Ratings and Score:
  • Batteries and Charger: 3.5
  • Atomizer: 2.5
  • Cartridges: 3.5
  • Construction / Quality: 3.0
  • Cost: 4
  • Overall: 3.3 (Average)

Cartridge Rating = 3.5

The cartridges come in packs of 5. Four strengths are offered: high (16mg Nicotine), medium, low and zero (0mg). Flavors offered are tobacco, menthol, vanilla bean, espresso, untamed cherry, strawberry, juicy grape, bursting melon, double orange, creamy cream, green tea gin sing.

The Crown 7 cigarette cartridge is supposed to be equivalent to 20 traditional cigarettes according to the website but do not seem to last that long. The factor hurting the cartridge rating is the relatively low strength of the “high” cartridge at only 16mg.

The biggest factor driving the above average rating in this category is the huge number of flavors offered for the Crown 7 cigarette (traditional model); 12 total flavors.

Atomizer Rating = 2.5

Like many generic pen-style electronic cigarettes the Crown 7 cigarette model uses a 2 hole atomizer which actually delivered a fairly easy drag compared to other 2 hole designs.

The atomizers may be hit or miss in terms of producing the smoke expected though. I say “expected” because a trusted friend and avid e smoker got plenty of smoke and no problems with the device producing sufficient vapor.

Even after dripping the cartridge I still only saw wisps when inhaling with 2 different batteries. This can’t be a cartridge problem because my friend simply used a fresh new one and never dripped.

Batteries & Charger Rating = 3.5

The tip on this model use a reddish orange light / LED on the tip. The starter kit comes with 2 batteries so you have 1 as a spare when the other is discharged. While battery life was good I couldn’t rate batteries and chargers much higher than average for two reasons.
First, recharging the seemed to take a little longer than other comparable brands. I suspect know whether this may have been an issue with the charger or just the way the charger was designed because this happens with both batteries.

Second, some more searching on the internet revealed that others do have some battery issues with the devices but judging by the frequency incidents seem normal and are to be expected.
Construction / Quality Rating = 3

The Crown 7 cigarette fits together very well and feels very solid in the hand. Unfortunately, like some other pen-styles out there, I did notice the problem where the atomizer is not aligned in the chamber squarely so both batteries were slightly crooked when screwed fully into the unit.

The crooked battery problem isn’t as bad as I have seen it in other units and not bad enough to keep me from giving the unit a pass in this area

The paint / finish on the atomizer chamber and batteries did match well but just didn’t seem as shiny as I expected from the picture. Shine is more of a preference though so the rating didn’t suffer from that.

Cost Rating = 4

The cost of the Crown 7 cigarette starter is very good. You could get similar models for cheaper outside the U.S. but after shipping the cost would probably be more.

Cartridges are priced right on target as far as pen style e cigs are concerned and are very competitive with regular cigarettes although cartridge life is definitely below 2 packs per cartridge.

The only factor keeping the cost rating down this model is the overall value. Cartridges are priced on target but you only get 2 in the starter kit. Also, considering hit or miss atomizers and the construction you are getting about what you pay for with this unit.

Style and Extra Features

Crown 7 cigarette pulls off the art deco style pretty well with their traditional model and the gold trim is nice and works well with the all black finish. I would have preferred a shinier finish but that is a preference of mine and I don’t think that would be aligned with the art deco theme.

I thought the red led would stand out to the point that people would notice right away that it is not a real cigarette giving the smoker more confidence in bars and restaurants but this only helped a little judging by peoples reactions.

At this time all of Crown 7′s cigarette models including this pen style is only offered in black so hopefully if you are interested in buying this unit black is your style.

Overall Rating = 3.3 (Average)

Gamucci Cigarette (Classic Model)

The Gamucci electric cigarette classic model is one of the more notable brands in the U.K. due to successful marketing and advertising campaigns.  Many people have purchased Gamucci and are happy while others have had problems.

It does seem that Gamucci may want consider ways to improve their product before it goes from being famous to being infamous if it hasn’t already.

Many people living in the U.K. are still attracted to the product and willing to pay a premium despite its shortcomings because it is so readily available and used by so many there.

If you fall into this category or find a great deal on a used model, the Gammuci electric cigarette classic pen style may still be for you.  I suggest you read the specifics below however, and make sure that your smoking habits can tolerate a few hiccups.

Electronic Cigarette Review:

• Manufacturer: Gamucci
• Country: The U.K.
• Model: Classic
• Style: Pen-Style
• Starter Kit Price: ~$120.00
• Cartridge Price (5-Pack): ~$15.00
• Number of flavors: 5
• Nicotine Levels Offered: Regular, Light, Ultra Light, Zero

Starter Kit Contents:

The Gamucci cigarette, 2 rechargable batteries, battery charger, power cord, felt carrying pouch and 5 regular strength cartridges.

Rating Scale:

Average

Poor  1   -   2   -   3   -   4   -   5   Excellent

• Ratings and Score:
  • Batteries and Charger: 2
  • Atomizer: 3
  • Cartridges: 2
  • Construction / Quality: 2
  • Cost: 2
  • Overall: 2.2 (Below Average)

Cartridge Rating = 2

The cartridges come in packs of 5.  Four strengths are offered:  Regular (16mg Nicotine), light (11mg), ultra light (6mg) and zero (0mg).  Only 2 flavors offered at all strengths and they are tobacco and menthol.  Apple, cherry, coffee, peach and turkish delight are offered in regular and zero strengths only.

The Gamucci cigarette cartridge is supposed to be equivalent to 20 traditional cigarettes according to the website but they do not seem to last that long.   Other reasons the Gamucci cartridges rate low are because they are harsher than other brands and all the exotic flavors are not offered at all strengths (only regular and zero).

Some people like the Gamucci cartridges though, so if you don’t check the forums to see if other cartridges fit this Gamucci cigarette.

Atomizer Rating = 3

Like many generic pen-style electronic cigarettes the Gamucci cigarette classic model uses a 2 hole atomizer which can be a little harder to drag on than an actual cigarette and other electronic cigarette models.

Nothing else really stands out on the Gamucci atomizer other than it is an auto switch on style and seems about as responsive as other brands and the amount of water vapor / smoke seemed a little light which could also be related to the cartridges.

Batteries & Charger Rating = 2

Batteries on this model use an orange light / LED on the tip.  Batteries and chargers were rated low because even though the starter kit comes with an extra battery many people report problems with one of the batteries or the charger.  The problems include the charger not charging the battery and battery life being short before needing a recharge.

To me it seems like it might be the connection between the battery and the charger like one not making contact or making poor contact so the charger either appears to not work or the battery doesn’t charge or charges poorly causing them to appear bad or carry only a brief charge.

If you have a problem with a Gamucci cigarette battery or charger try experimenting with it.  It may just be a little quirky like alot of other gadgets.

Construction / Quality Rating = 2

While the Gamucci cigarette battery, atomizer chamber and cartridge all fit together very nicely and feel very solid and comfortable in the hand I had to rate it down in this area as well.

If you look very closely at the atomizer chamber the paint doesn’t seem to be consistent.  Also, the finish on the atomizer chamber doesn’t match the battery finish.  I do not know if this problem is a fluke or is present in the majority of the products.

Cost Rating = 2

If it weren’t for the fact that you can find spare parts from third parties for this device and will probably use different cartridges than Gamucci cartridges I would have rated cost lower.

Gamucci cigarette starter kits are way overpriced for what you get.  Cartridges are slightly over-priced.

Since there isn’t a variety of strengths offered with the starter kit it may take a couple additional cartridge orders before you find the right strength if you don’t want to smoke the regular strength.

Price is better for those living in the U.K. when start to factor in what it costs in shipping etc to order something internationally.

Style and Extra Features

As long as you aren’t scrutinizing the finish close up, the Gamucci cigarette classic model looks very classy.  The combination of the black mouth piece, classic white body and silver trim is very sharp.  Its a good thing that the the color and the style of this model is classy and sharp because it is the only one offered.

Another nice perk that I haven’t seen before is that the starter kit comes with a felt pouch.  I find this very useful because I don’t like the body of my electronic cigarette to rub again stuff in my coat pocket like keys, mp3 player etc.

The pouch would probably also work well in a purse.

Overall Rating = 2.3 (Below Average)

Visit eCigarette’s Choice Which Sells Gamucci

FTC Disclosure

If you are looking for the best electronic cigarette or cigar or pipe for that matter you have come to the wrong place!  What do I mean by that?  Well, there isn’t one size that fits all or a best-all-around.   It doesn’t exist.

If there was a superior model there wouldn’t be such a huge selection out there and there would only be 1 or 2 to choose from.

Thank god for so many choices because variety is the spice of life!

The first goal of this post is to discuss some of the things you may want to consider when deciding which best manufacturer and model to buy.  The bottom line is you have to make a decision which is the best electronic cigarette for YOU.

The second goal of this post is to discuss what features I will be reviewing for each manufacturer and device and what I have decided as a scoring system for the reviews on this site.  Maybe this rating system can help you decide if there is a “best” in each category.

So, lets get started..

Once you have decided to take the plunge and invest your dough there are 5 areas to consider:

• The model that suits you
• Components
  • Cartridges
  • Atomizers
  • Batteries & Chargers
• Construction / Quality
• Cost
• Style and Extra Features

Best Model for YOU

First, do you even want an electronic cigarette?  Maybe a electric cigar or a pipe suits you better.  Or, if you do want a cigarette style, do you want a ”pen-style” or a mini?  The best electronic cigarette or cigar may be even one of the disposable styles that are now available.

Ratings will be based on comparisons to comparable models.  For example: pen-styles will be compared to pen-styles, cigars will be compared to cigars and so on.  It is important that comparisons are apples-to-apples!

The rating system for features that get a score will be as follows:

1. Poor
2. Below Average
3. Average
4. Above Average
5. Excellent

Components

This area includes the three main components of electronic cigarettes starting with the battery and charger.  You may want to consider how many times they can be charged, how long they hold a charge and if the starter kit comes with an extra battery.

Also, most batteries have an orange lighted tip on the end that glows while taking a drag on the device to more accurately simulate smoking.  Some manufacturers / models offer now offer other tip colors such as blue.  You may wan to consider this as some bars do not want to confuse other people into lighting up a real cigarette.

Batteries and chargers will be rated 1-5 for things like number of charges, lenth of charge and recharge time.  I will probably have another field that indicates if non-standard tip colors are offered.

Atomizer

This component heats the air from the drag to a high temperature that vaporizes the liquid nicotine solution upon contact.

Since these components get very hot at times the atomizers from some manufacturers and models have been known to fail.  Watch out!  In some cases you will be covered by a warrenty if this happens in the first year.  Most manufacturers do not sale spares separately though so you may have to buy a new starter kit when it is not covered.

Atomizers will be rated 1-5 for things like being covered by warranty, replaceable, and failure prone.

Cartridges

Electric cigarette cartridges get used up and replaced as needed.  They come in various flavors and nicotine concentrations ranging from 0mg to about 18mg per cartridge.

In addition to listing the number of flavors offered I will also rate cartridges overall 1-5 for a particular model based on total number of flavors offered, number of nicotine levels, and rate higher for offerings of zero nicotine and higher nicotine levels above 18mg.

Construction

Do the individual components fit well together producing a final product that is sturdy and comfortably solid in the hand?  Better individual components will probably result in a higher score in this area.  The 1-5 rating system will be used to score construction and determine which is the best.

Cost

Prices fluctuate but I will try to list and keep the price of starter kits and cartridges up to date.

I will also rate cost on the 1-5 scale based on value or bang-for-your buck.  Lets face it, you get what you pay for, or at least you should.  So the best electronic cigarette in this catagory will have high ratings in every other category but at a lower cost than expected.

The best device in this category will need to avoid problems like chronic atomizer failure, batteries that need replaced too frequently and high cartridge prices.

Style and other Features

The best electronic cigarette in terms of style and other features will be a matter of opinion and preference among e cig smokers.  There will be some editorial in each review discussing things like this but other than that and reading comments posted to each review, this is an area where you will have to decide what is best for you once again.

Wrapping Up

While there may not be a best electronic cigarette all around there will be some models that excel in one or more categories I have listed here.  Once you have figured out which features are most important to you based on your smoking habits then pic a few models with high scores in those areas.  Then buy what’s best for YOU!