So I went out today and bought my first E-Cigs from a smoke shop and I have to say, I am impressed! I think I like them better than regular cigs. Both are disposable and I bought 3 of them. The first one is an automatic Lotus in Esspreso flavor with a white or clear light. This is I believe an 18mg. The package says 1.8% nicotine by volume which the website says is 18mg. This one is alright. The Esspreso is interesting. However I don't feel as if I get a whole lot of nicotine from it. Doesn't really give me the full feeling as a reg. cig does after smoking it. However, After taking about 10 puffs from it (maybe a little less) and letting it settle in me for a little bit I could feel the effects. The effects were not immediate like a reg. cig does, which can make you puff more than you really should. Now the issue with the Lotus may just be due to the fact that it was my first time and I may not be completely smoking it correctly. Other than that I think it is a good E-cig for the price! The other two I bought were Square Smoke and manuals with a white or clear light. Both were just reg. tobacco and not flavored. One is a Gold 12mg and the other is an Original Red 18mg. I bought the 18mg for my gf since she smokes marlbro reds 100 and smokes a lot more than I do and I am Smoking the 12mg. The Gold is really nice. I like the manual better than the auto because I feel as if I get more vapor and nicotine per puff. I have only had about 5 puffs from it and already I feel the effects. The effects are almost immediate and after 5 puffs I was done smoking for a bit. Both the Lotus and the Square smoke had a nice smooth intake and did not bother my throat like reg. cigs do. Also with reg. cigs I tend to clear my throat and spit a lot but with E-cigs I have not done that once which is really nice!
At first when I was doing my research and checking out the different E-cigs I wondered how you would know when to stop smoking or vaping since E-cigs don't burn down to the filter like reg. cigs do which is the signal that your cig is done and you stop smoking. BUT with the Lotus it was kinda hard to tell because you don't really feel the effects right away. Its kinda like a hookah in that you don't really feel effect of the shisha because it is soo smooth. Normally I just smoke it till the charcoal is gone. But with e-cigs there is no charcoal or burning. Now, the Square smokes you can feel the effects a whole lot more and after 5 puffs I put the E-cig down and haven't puffed in awhile.
The Lotus was around $7, maybe $7.99 and what I like was that the starter kit was $20. Granted all you get with the Lotus starter kit according to the website is the battery, 3 Cartomizers in Traditional, Menthol, and Cobalt, and usb charger. Now I did not buy the starter kit. Just one disposable so I could try it and see if I liked it. If you are on a budget or don't want to spend a lot this might be the way to go. The Square Smokes were $7.99 and the starter kit (which I don't think was sold at my smoke shop) is sold online for $29.99 plus S&H. However you can get 25% off by going to their facebook page. The starter kits come with a battery, 2 refill cartridges and a usb charger. Now, the Square Smokes also have another E-Cig called the Starbuzz, which offers more flavors like sex on the beach. Those however are $9.99 and are disposable. I don't think the Starbuzz is rechargable or has a starter kit. Now both of these E-cig brands are not for everyone and some of you may prefer to get more in your starter kits than what these offer but for the price you really can't complain too much. They really are a great introduction to E-cigs. I would definitely recommend either brand to people just starting out. Now I do not know about battery life or the whole quality of the E-cig cept for the flavor and the effects of smoking it as I have described because I just started using them. Both the Lotus and Square Smoke battery and casing were a bit heavier than a regular cig and reminded me more of a cigar cigarette than a regular cigarette. It does take some getting used to the weight of an E-cig.
So in summary my first experience with E-cigs was a success and I will definitely be using them more. I started thinking about using them because of my daughter. My gf and I don't like smoking in the car (even tho we do it with the windows rolled down) when our daughter is in the car with us because of all the smoke from a reg. cig. These are the perfect solution. Plus we live around Chicago so our winter months last anywhere from 5-7 months and often times I want a cig but don't want to go outside in the freezing cold just to smoke. The E-cigs allow us to smoke inside without worrying about our daughter being around it. The E-cigs are not only a nice alternative and less harsh, they are kinda cool to smoke. I do like the zero nicotine ones for those who don't regularly smoke or don't smoke period but want a cig when drinking or to help them relax after a stressful day or just to have something to smoke when your friends or family members go outside to smoke so you don't feel awkward or for whatever excuse you want to make up.
Edit: just wanted to note that the Lotus and Square Smoke do not offer a heavy vapor when you exhale. At least it is that way for me. However, the Square has a heavier vapor than the Lotus. I guess it might depend on how much or how hard you inhale. After smoking hookah's for years I know that some people like a heavy smoke or in this case vapor without having to inhale so hard. If that is what you like, you might wanna go with a more expensive mini E-cig or try one of the upgrade models that don't look like a cigarette. Those will probably give you more of a heavy vapor.
At first when I was doing my research and checking out the different E-cigs I wondered how you would know when to stop smoking or vaping since E-cigs don't burn down to the filter like reg. cigs do which is the signal that your cig is done and you stop smoking. BUT with the Lotus it was kinda hard to tell because you don't really feel the effects right away. Its kinda like a hookah in that you don't really feel effect of the shisha because it is soo smooth. Normally I just smoke it till the charcoal is gone. But with e-cigs there is no charcoal or burning. Now, the Square smokes you can feel the effects a whole lot more and after 5 puffs I put the E-cig down and haven't puffed in awhile.
The Lotus was around $7, maybe $7.99 and what I like was that the starter kit was $20. Granted all you get with the Lotus starter kit according to the website is the battery, 3 Cartomizers in Traditional, Menthol, and Cobalt, and usb charger. Now I did not buy the starter kit. Just one disposable so I could try it and see if I liked it. If you are on a budget or don't want to spend a lot this might be the way to go. The Square Smokes were $7.99 and the starter kit (which I don't think was sold at my smoke shop) is sold online for $29.99 plus S&H. However you can get 25% off by going to their facebook page. The starter kits come with a battery, 2 refill cartridges and a usb charger. Now, the Square Smokes also have another E-Cig called the Starbuzz, which offers more flavors like sex on the beach. Those however are $9.99 and are disposable. I don't think the Starbuzz is rechargable or has a starter kit. Now both of these E-cig brands are not for everyone and some of you may prefer to get more in your starter kits than what these offer but for the price you really can't complain too much. They really are a great introduction to E-cigs. I would definitely recommend either brand to people just starting out. Now I do not know about battery life or the whole quality of the E-cig cept for the flavor and the effects of smoking it as I have described because I just started using them. Both the Lotus and Square Smoke battery and casing were a bit heavier than a regular cig and reminded me more of a cigar cigarette than a regular cigarette. It does take some getting used to the weight of an E-cig.
So in summary my first experience with E-cigs was a success and I will definitely be using them more. I started thinking about using them because of my daughter. My gf and I don't like smoking in the car (even tho we do it with the windows rolled down) when our daughter is in the car with us because of all the smoke from a reg. cig. These are the perfect solution. Plus we live around Chicago so our winter months last anywhere from 5-7 months and often times I want a cig but don't want to go outside in the freezing cold just to smoke. The E-cigs allow us to smoke inside without worrying about our daughter being around it. The E-cigs are not only a nice alternative and less harsh, they are kinda cool to smoke. I do like the zero nicotine ones for those who don't regularly smoke or don't smoke period but want a cig when drinking or to help them relax after a stressful day or just to have something to smoke when your friends or family members go outside to smoke so you don't feel awkward or for whatever excuse you want to make up.
Edit: just wanted to note that the Lotus and Square Smoke do not offer a heavy vapor when you exhale. At least it is that way for me. However, the Square has a heavier vapor than the Lotus. I guess it might depend on how much or how hard you inhale. After smoking hookah's for years I know that some people like a heavy smoke or in this case vapor without having to inhale so hard. If that is what you like, you might wanna go with a more expensive mini E-cig or try one of the upgrade models that don't look like a cigarette. Those will probably give you more of a heavy vapor.
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