I hate to keep harping on it, but I am still upset with Voopoo. You might want to skip this little side rant here:
(That freaking Caliber that I so loved failed me not once but twice. The center pins on those things are too weak and they sink to the point of being useless. Both Calibers I had become unusable because of sunken center pins and Voopoo admitted that they don't recommend the usual fix of using tweezers to lift the pin. Oh, and they had the nerve to tell me that a different tank - from a competitor - might work. My Smok tanks have better-made connections and are now the only thing I have that work with my Caliber. My question to Voopoo is why don't they just make better pins?)
Rant over.
Anyway, why bother getting a Voopoo to use Smok tanks with? Why not just stick to Smok all the way around? That's what I am doing from now on. I'm still using the Caliber battery with my Smok tanks but the vape I have now - battery, body, and tank - is all Smok. This is the boxed Smok Stick 80W:
2 years old and still rocking
I prefer pen-style vapes over the boxy types. I still love the crap out of my Veneno but it's a box.
I love the Stick 80W the way I once loved the Caliber.
Note that the Caliber is a bit smaller in
height and diameter - and, apparently, quality.
The kit comes with the tank, 2 coils, spare parts (gaskets, etc), user cable and manual. Electric Tobacconist - one of my favorite shops - had it on a color sale for $28.99 (Merry Christmas to me) and the 3-pack replacement coils were $8.24 (and a Happy New Year).
Here are some highlights:
PROS:
Easily adjustable wattage (from 5 to 80W) and adjustable airflow
Almost everything about the new Smok TF tank which has it's own multiple positives. (links to a Wendy Vape's video) Best tank feature, IMO, it locks.
Holds 6ml of juice which is plenty for most vapers.
Comes in nice colors but, as usual, I went with my favorite of Rainbow.
Has a nice large firing button that doesn't stick out awkwardly
CONS:
Battery lasts me (a moderate use vaper) all day and some but not so for my friend who chain-vapes. The Caliber beats the Stick 80W on this feature
As with most taller stick devices, this one is prone to tipping over. I am careful to use a rubberized tank band.
The Stick 80W kit did not come with an extra tank glass. The included glass is that bulb/bowl shape that I only like some of the time
The coils are specifically made for drop-in replacements. This means you can't use other random Smok coils. (Still, I do love the drop-in coil feature!)
The numbers on the wattage dial are hard to read. They should have done a black font on a white background. The dial is pretty but squint-causing.
Probably the biggest negative.
This photo has been enlarged
For me, the positives outweigh the negatives. I had looked at the FreeMax Twister when it went on sale a while back, but I guess I am just a true Smok-a-holic. The Stick looks better, in my opinion, and it certainly seems to price better everywhere I looked. Plus, I feel comfortable with the quality of the Smok brand and have never used anything from FreeMax. From other reviews I glanced through, there was more attention to detail in making the Stick 80 than with the Twister- like the locking lid vs the loose-lidded Twister.
That's my take on the Smok Stick80W. I'm really glad I got it. My family was asking what they could get me for Christmas and I am thinking of telling them about the beautiful Smok Morph - and, yes, it's a box mod but I am in love.
Okay, I have been promising for a minute to do this post. Now that it's been a year since I went cigarette-free, I thought it was a good time to sort of showcase my vape collection. Some of these devices I won (yay, me) or were gifted (because people were glad I quit cigs) or that I gifted myself (with money saved from not smoking). I have to say that I do NOT miss smoking even though I sometimes miss the smoking rituals. I do like vaping. I can vape without nicotine and I can vape without stinking. I dig it.
I know that there have been a lot of news reports of the dangers of vaping and, honestly, I agree with others who think the problems come from outside "normal" vaping. People who are using juices from any and everywhere might be getting bad additives in their eliquid. Also, a lot of folks are vaping weed and who knows what else. It's just like with the stories of people hurt by exploding devices. Usually, those are situations of people improperly using vapes or amateurs improperly using specialty devices meant only for the experienced. You will not soon - if ever - see me using something I had to build and set up myself. No thank you, ma'am. It took me a week to get comfortable just choosing juice to put into an easy-fill, off-the-shelf device.
These are the devices I love and what I think of them now that I have more experience vaping.
First, let me say that after I wrote this post, I realized that I forgot to mention the device that I tried and went back to cigarettes. This was probably 5 or 6 years ago when ecigs were getting to be really popular in Alaska. I wanted to quit (again) and a friend went to the corner cigarette store and bought me a Blu device. I was so hopeful. Then I tried it. Ugh. That was the worst ever experience of my life. I didn't understand why people preferred a "vape" over cigarettes. I stayed on cigarettes until I moved here to Iowa. I saw the friend of a friend vaping away on a tiny ecig. I asked if they really liked it and I told them about the Blu. They let me try their device (I think it was an Aspire or something similar). It was decent. It didn't make me cough or feel like I was inhaling sandpaper down my throat. That's when I knew that I could find an alternative to cigarettes. So...
The Juul was my first. I loved this thing. I was able to give up cigarettes with it. The vape was just as strong of a nicotine hit as the full-flavor cigarettes I smoked except the flavor and scent was Mango. How I loved the Mango pods. However...
Juul pods are so expensive that I wasn't saving any money. Also, eventually, Juul stopped selling the Mango pods. I rarely use the device anymore. The replacement and refillable pods I've found just are never as good as the original Juul pod.
Veneno
I had one or two other small cheapo devices like that amazing $9 Boulder that I eventually gave to my SIL. She loves and still uses it. I wanted something that gave me the flavor of the smaller pod Juul device. I was seriously over cigarettes at this point. Enter the Smok Veneno. Wow. This thing scared me a little at first. My nephew had to show me everything from how to fill it to how to change the coils. I still to this day never mess with changing the wattage except from up to down! I do love this though. It's a workhorse and it can handle being dropped (a couple of times) and tossed into purses and backpacks. I can also switch out tanks with the Caliber. I really do love this and will have til it quits on me.
After the Veneno, things get blurry as far as which device came next and when. Because I won or was given a couple of devices, I would pay it forward by giving them to someone else trying to quit cigs and wanting to try vaping. I at one time had at least 2 devices similar to the Boulder. Those went to friends and neighbors and I hope they helped them. As for the rest, here are some that I still have and I link to any reviews I might have written for them.
PockeX
This is the Aspire PockeX. I have learned that I'm not a huge fan of the smaller and less powerful mouth-to-lung devices out there. Even though MTL mimics smoking a cigarette, I have gotten used to direct to lung vaping since I don't use high nicotine (or, sometimes any nicotine) and like the clouds and flavor more than anything. I hope that made sense!
Overall, this PockeX is great for "ladylike" vaping. It a nice device for slipping into the purse or pocket for trips to the store or when you are around people who might not vape. I have literally vaped right in front of people who never noticed because this device is so discreet. However, I never got a lot of flavor with this.
Pico Baby
This little beauty is the Eleaf Istick Pico Baby 25W Kit. It's one of my favorites as far as how it looks. It's just cute and discreet and stylish. And it was under $15 believe it or not. It's a nice vape - much more powerful than you'd expect for such a tiny device. It didn't come with extra coils and I always burn through them quickly.
But when I say this device is tiny, I mean just that.
So, there's the cute, tiny Pico Baby and then there's the big brother...
Squeeze2
The Pico Squeeze is a squonk device. Listen, I had zero business getting this thing! I didn't understand what a "squonk" was. Now I know. Thank goodness I have a young (young adult, so don't freak out) nephew who was once so into vaping that he built his own devices (whatever that means). He came over and set everything up for me and told me to call him whenever I need to do anything more complicated than filling the juice reservoir.
I don't use this one often - because of my nephew's instructions - but when I do, it is awesome. I can't really describe how much more smooth and defined flavors are when using a squonk. Just freaking superb.
Now, believe it or not, between winning devices, getting them as gifts, and finding sales, I don't spend nearly as much money on vapes as I did on cigarettes. With cigarettes, I was sometimes going through over a pack of cigarettes a day. At the time I was in Alaska, a pack cost over 9 dollars and sometimes as much as 10 and change. Crazy habit. Now that I vape, a $7 bottle of ejuice can last me 2 weeks or more. Of course, I don't use fancy juice. I also have found places like the Dollar eJuice Club. Mostly, I use VapeWild juice that I can find at Electronic Tobacconist (and skip the crazy shipping or club fees). So I do like finding devices that are no longer brand new on the market. Once the new device craze wears off, I can snatch up a 40- or 50-dollar device for 15 to 20 dollars. Don't believe me? Go back and look at what I paid for some of the devices compared to what they cost several months before my review.
Anyway, it did take me a while to learn what kind of vape experience I like. I'm not into a lot of bling-bling or alterable parts and stuff. I just want something that's decent-looking and gives a nice flavor. Okay, I do like my vapor too! Once I settled into my vape groove, I was more careful about falling for all the hype every time something new came out. And I was really happy with what I already had in my collection.
Then, because I remembered the joys of the Juul, I wanted to see if there was anything just as good. I especially wanted a more "able" device than the Juul - more affordable and definitely refillable. And along came the Uwell Caliburn.
I didn't immediately love the way it looks. The Caliburn is so much fatter than the Juul. As soon as I vaped the device I forgot all about the Juul. The one and only thing that Juul has on the Caliburn are those high-nicotine pods. I think that's what attracts newly-quit smokers. You get such a good taste and a super-hit of nicotine with Juul. But then you start to learn about things like salt nic and refillable pods. Yeah, no need to spend all that money on Juul pods.
Finic 20
I am now best friends with the Caliburn. Like the Pico Baby, it's small and discreet. Because it's narrow and flat, it's nice to have when you don't want to carry a purse. This is a good pocket vape.
Another device that I wasn't immediately thrilled with is the Finic 20 from Voopoo. Since I won it in a giveaway, I was willing to get used to it. And I have to admit, it's a cute little device. When I was given a choice of 3 devices, I chose to wait a month for this one mainly because of the colors and design.
I had to use this for a few days and figure out that I could not only vape cigarette-style but also do DTL vaping. Then I was happy. I don't use this all the time but I like it.
I can't believe that I'm just now mentioning one of my fave devices. Well, it's my sort-of-fave. The first one I got went wonky and I had to fight my way through getting it replaced. Tedious. But so worth it because this thing is AHmazing. Behold the Voopoo Caliber.
Oh my my my! How I love this thing. It's beautiful and a vape- monster (if that's a thing). The one reason I use this mostly at home and don't pack it around is that it's freaking solid. It's too fat to tuck in a pant or skirt pocket and too heavy for a shirt pocket. I don't mean to say that it's crazy-heavy, but it's just a bit much for tucking away anywhere, in my opinion.
Uwell Whirl 22
No worries though. Just like the Pico Baby is the kid sister to the Pico Squeeze, I did find the adopted kid sibling to the Caliber. Adopted because it's got a different mother.
That's the Uwell Whirl 22. How cute is it? For a $20 device... I'll say that if I could, I would have paid twice that. It's not as powerful as the Caliber, of course, but it's a nice substitute for taking around on the go. It's smaller and much lighter in weight.
Look at them together. Just kind of amazing that I found something like the Whirl. It's one of the devices that I liked the minute I got it.
I'm just now discovering that, for some reason, I never did a review of the Smok Priv V8. Huh. Well, I will have to do that. For now, here is what it looks like and I can tell you that it's another device I was a little slow to fall in love with.
There are some pros and cons with this one and I promise to do a short review soon.
The Innokin Endura is one that I started out liking and then... things have been going downhill. I listed the pros and cons when I reviewed the device but those negatives have become very annoying. The other day, it tipped over again and then started leaking. When I tried to see what was up, the whole top part fell apart. So... yeah. That thing was too much trouble to fill and then, with the constantly tipping over, it just went into a drawer somewhere. At least I got an extra drip tip that fits a couple of the other small devices...
You can probably tell that I tend to like Smok devices - even though I don't know if I'm pronouncing Smok correctly. I say "Smock" but some other people say "Smoke". Whatever. Maybe because a Smok was my first serious device after the Juul, I feel comfortable with them. I will say one thing though: When Smok gets it right, they nail it, but when they get it wrong... The Smok Infinix was a device I raved about for a long time. Then, recently, I could hear light hissing after I finished taking a hit. I changed to a new, clean pod and the same thing happened. I'm going to have my brother or nephew take a look at it the next time they are over. Ugh
By the way, in a battle between the Infinix and the Caliburn, the Infinix gets its butt kicked. For flavor, vapor, and reliable hits, the Caliburn is the champ. Also, next to the Caliburn, the Infinix looks and feels a little cheap. I have to admit right now that Uwell and Eleaf are becoming my favorites. Sorry, Smok.
Looking at this list, I'm thinking that I have a lot of devices! In reality, it has been a year since I quit cigarettes and with contests, giveaways, and sales, I haven't done too badly. If you didn't believe me when I told you how long juice lasts me, just look at how much I accumulated over a 4 month period. I won't be buying juice again for a very long minute...
I took this photo 6 months ago for a post and I still have about 5 full or nearly full 30ml bottles and I think I still have all of those 10ml bottles.
So, if you didn't doze off somewhere before this, I might as well tell you about a fun app I've signed up with called Vaffle. It's social media for vape enthusiasts. I am not that into it yet because it's not very user-friendly. However, it is an awesome place to look at very cool and unusual devices. I love that part.
By the way, here is a post I did about some of the shops I frequent. And remember, I am a broke cheapskate so...
I hope you had fun looking at the different vapes and, hopefully, reading some of the linked reviews. And remember, as a vaper, be cool, not annoying.
DISCLAIMER: Nicotine is an addictive substance. Using E-cigarettes (vaping) is to be used by adults only. All forms of nicotine use is habit-forming and may be hazardous to one's health. This post is regarding my personal experiences and is not meant to encourage anyone to begin smoking.
♫ It's been 7 hours and 13 days...♫ Actually, it's been 4 months, and 28 days.
August 15, 2018 was my quit smoking date. That was when I kicked tobacco and started vaping. I won't get into any arguments with people who think vaping is as bad as smoking. I can just tell you that my body knows the difference and my body is feeling better than it did on cigarettes. Now, let's get to this vape pen I love so much.
I first got this in November 2018 when I found the Smok Veneno too large for using anywhere but at home. Don't get me wrong, I do love my Veneno, but it was even bulky for packing into my backpack for a trip to see the fam. But what I loved about it was the cloud output, the battery life and the way the flavor came through from the eliquid. I wanted all that stuff in a smaller, more portable device. Enter the Caliber.
Since this was a pen that I was going to have to buy for myself, I had to consider the pricing. It was $40 when I got around to buying it and I used the money from my "Stop Smoking" jar. That is the jar where I try to put money that I would be spending on tobacco if I still smoked. I try to use it for things like healthy food and other necessities, but I also use it for my vape supplies. Believe me, vaping is way cheaper than smoking. According to the quit smoke tracker I use, at about $5 per pack of cigarettes, I have saved around $750. I have no idea where that windfall is since I had only about $172 in the SS jar...
***By the way, I will soon be doing a post on my personal experience with the cost of vaping vs the cost of smoking***
Anyway, I got the Caliber and some juice called Watermelon Madness that I kind of regret because it's like vaping those jaw-clenching sour candies. I do not regret the Caliber though. I actually use it more than I use the Veneno and only switch over when I have to recharge the battery.
Here are the ups and downs of the Caliber from my experience.
PROS:
Easy to hold and grip.
It's lightweight enough that I don't feel I'm going to drop it but hefty enough to feel sturdy.
Pretty. I got the Rainbow colored one. This is not a big deal since I don't vape around anyone but family. I do want to be courteous.
Battery lasts a long time with moderate to heavy use. It will last more than a couple of day with just occasional use (vaping for a few minutes every few hours).
Has an airflow adjustment.
Came with extra pieces (including a non-bubble glass tube - see below)
Flavor of juices comes through nicely.
Has not spit or leaked at all.
CONS:
No wattage adjustment (which I never really use, so far, on Veneno)
No low-battery warning that I can see. It does have an LED light for on/off indication.
I didn't love the bubble tube it came with (see above)
Actually, I don't really hate anything about the Caliber. Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite vape device it, this is at the top. (I used to love the Juul but that thing is just too expensive to use!)
I got the Caliber from the Electric Tobacconist, which is where I go for anything I can't find on VapeWild. Both those places have terrific customer service and fast shipping, but VapeWild is more price-friendly, in my opinion. VapeWild also throws in lots of extras and goodies into each order and they have sampler packs if you're trying to find your flavor groove. Also, I have to mention that if you're looking to buy something, check with VapeWild first because... prices.
Peace
--Free
NOTE: I don't get reimbursements of any kind - monetary or in product - from any of the companies, items, or websites I featured in this post.
WARNING: This post has to do with vaping. If you are under age, please know that I do NOT encourage smoking or vaping for minors and this post is not intended for you. I don't encourage nicotine use of any kind for anyone. This post has to do with my personal experience as I attempt to stop using nicotine.
I am SOOO mad right now...
I just got this to try and if I had known about it before, I don't think I would have wanted a JUUL.
Since I have already reviewed the JUUL, I will just go ahead here and tell you by first impressions how the Infinix wins out.
At $21.95, it's cheaper.
The starter kit is better. It's got a nicer boxing and presentation in case you are gifting it to someone. The instructions are good for newbies.
It is made to be refillable. That's always a big Plus.
Two pods come in the kit - along with a liquid injection bottle with a needle-nose.
The draw is so very smooth and even.
There are no crackling sounds like with a JUUL
It's sleek and nice-looking. I had a choice of 3 colors: Blue, Gunmetal, Red.
The sort of beveled shape is nice and more secure in the hand.
The slightly larger size makes it easier to keep track of.
I haven't gotten any leaking or spit back like I sometimes do with the JUUL.
And, once again, it's cheaper.
sleek with brushed aluminum
By the way, I have other pods that I refill and that injector is going to come in handy...
It's a serious needle-nosed tip
I've seen other reviews that give the Infinix credit but still give the edge to the JUUL and I don't know why that is. Maybe after using it for a while, the performance will slip???
This is the $21.95 starter kit
(from the fantastic Electronic Tobacconist)
Like I said, if I had known about this, I don't think I would ever have gotten a JUUL. For first time vapers, I think this is by far the best choice for price, ease of use and, definitely affordability.
I am using Aqua Salts "Pure" in it and I get a much better experience with the pod than I do with a (refilled) JUUL pod. Being able to refill is key and JUUL pods don't take as well when refilled because they aren't made for that.
I am looking at Christmas gifts for the smokers in my life who could benefit from making the switch to vaping. Before now, I thought the very affordable Boulder Rock was a good choice for that, but this Infinix is much nicer for gifts.
This is a very impressive pod kit and I would certainly recommend it to anyone.
WARNING: This post has to do with vaping. If you are under age, please know that I do NOT encourage smoking or vaping for minors and this post is not intended for you. I don't encourage nicotine use of any kind for anyone. This post has to do with my personal experience as I attempt to stop using nicotine.
This is going to be a sort of double review. First, I will talk about the SMOK Veneno vape device I got (and why) from Breazy. After that, I will discuss Breazy. Let's go.
I chose a SMOK Veneno Starter Kit.
$39.99 for the Starter Kit
One thing I can say is that the device is boxed nicely and the presentation is impressive for $40. My nephew was surprised at the cost because he has seen the same kinds of set ups for as much as $70.
The kit came with everything except batteries and juice:
This is the actual device.
The display is awesome,
shows puffs, power, and voltage setting
I wanted a more muted color but everything was sold out but this Purple/Red combo and it's now sold out. The other colors that are shown and might be available at some time are Red/Gold, Black/Red, Silver/Black, Black/Yellow, Blue/Red, and Rainbow. My choice would have been the Silver/Black, but I wish there were solid colors available. The one I got isn't horrendous, but it seems a little juvenile in my opinion. It's not really a big deal because I onlyh use this at home. I use the JUUL when I'm out and about.
I like the display on this one for several reasons.
What I like most about the display is that it allows me to set a limit on my use.
I am, after all, using this device to cut down on and quit nicotine.
The device itself fits in my small-ish hands.
Juice goes in that little side slit
The reason I wanted this is that I am doing so well with the JUUL device that I haven't smoked a traditional cigarette in over two and a half weeks and I have not missed traditional tobacco at all. Not one little bit. As a matter of fact, I wish I had started vaping sooner. I am feeling better and I noticed how much easier I am breathing.
Since I have the JUUL, you might wonder why I bothered getting another vape device. The main reason is that with the JUUL, there are no zero-nicotine pods and my goal was always to become free of tobacco and nicotine. The tobacco is gone and that wasn't hard at all, but I want to wean myself off the nicotine. Also, I like the idea of more vapor. Not only does the JUUL not come with nic-free pods, but it also doesn't put out a lot of vapor. The Veneno does. Oddly, the vapor is more satisfying to me than the nicotine.
Anyway, I got some nic-free "juice" to go with the vaping device.
I got the "Mad Peach" and it's nice but a little too flavorful for me. I should have gotten something a little plainer. This is a 100ml bottle for $15 and I've been using it every day for about 10 days and there is barely any gone from the bottle. I can see having this bottle for months at this rate. That right there is definitely cheaper than traditional cigarettes. At about 5 dollars a pack, three packs of smokes would not last long, especially when I share them. I've shared the vape with my SIL. By the way, this juice is very smooth and there is no throat burn at all like with regular cigarettes.
Once I get finished with the JUUL pods, the nic-free juice is going to be my main game. I'm kind of looking forward to it. By the way, I am still getting used to the language of vaping. There needs to be some kind of dictionary. The first new terms I learned had to do with the liquid (or "juice") and the different methods of vaping (mouth to lung vs mouth to throat). There's even a term for how different levels of nicotine feel ("throat hit" sounds vaguely sexual) and I'm glad I going to be weaning.
Now that I have used a different juice and a different device, I can tell that this one is much smoother than the JUUL. I still love the JUUL, but this one is so dang smooth and I love that it produces so much vapor. Maybe that is silly, but the vapor is my fave part.
Now, this is the part of the review where I will talk about Breazy.com...
I didn't exactly know where to go to get a vaping device so I scoured some YouTube videos and vaping forums before I chose Breazy. I can't say it's been the best experience.
The prices at the site are some of the best I saw. The problem I had was with order fulfillment and slow delivery. For 4 days after ordering, my items didn't make a move to shipping. Not only that but when I was placing my order, I used the chat option to ask a rep if by ordering a starter kit I was getting everything I needed to start vaping. They said that the only other thing I needed was some juice. So I got some juice and thought all was well. Then, when watching a video about the particular device I'd chosen, I heard mention of something about batteries. I went back to Breazy and asked about this and was told that I would need to order batteries separately. I should have realized this because there was mention of this somewhere on the product page. Still, I had mentioned to the previous rep that I was new to vaping when I asked about having everything I needed. I was a little peeved so I ordered the required batteries from Amazon. They came in 2 days as my Breazy order was still sitting unfulfilled. Grrr....
Now, understand that I am all motivated to stop cigarettes completely and get started vaping only. My JUUL is running on nicotine with no non-nic options. And I was possibly going to be going out of town soon and had no idea if the vape device would be delivered beforehand.
Finally, I mentioned this on a forum where I asked about potential other sites that were faster. Luckily a Breazy rep is on that forum and jumped in to see what he/she could do to expedite things. As soon as they got involved, my order shipped. That's great but what if I hadn't come across them on the forum?
Maybe my problems with order fulfillment was a glitch because so many other people claim to be very happy with the speed of receiving their orders. Thankfully, now that I have a device, I don't plan on shopping as much for juice online but if I do, I will give Breazy another try.
Finally, let me say that spending a one-time total of about $60 for a device, batteries, and juice is not far off what I would pay in Alaska for a carton of cigarettes. As for juice, I plan to buy cheap and local when I can and I've been told that I won't have to spend over $10 every few weeks at the rate that I vape. For now, I don't have to spend any more money because I have everything I need for at least the next couple of months. I'm off traditional cigarettes and I'm not going to have to worry about braving the extreme heat or cold of outdoors smoking. I count all this as one big "win".
Once again, I do NOT recommend vaping any more than I would recommend smoking. I do think this is a great way for smokers to wean off of nicotine.
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