First, let me say thanks to Truesmoker!!! I actually won a contest and the prize was the Dragon! That being said, I will not let it sway my review as that'd invalidate it's potential value.
My vaping background (so you have an understanding of where I'm coming from and what my experience level is) started summer 2009. I started with the 901 and then added a 510 to my smoking arsonal. I've tended to lean towards the 901 over the 510 as to me it's more analog like. Where applicable, I've compared the Dragon to both the 901 and 510 so that there's a reference point for anyone who's used either of those.
Disclaimer: To a certain degree, this review (as well as all reviews) is somewhat subjective. Not everyone will share the same opinion nor have the same experience, history and background. Lots of factors can effect an opinion on ANY product. Contained here is MY opinion and thus may not be YOUR opinion. As always, I recommend doing research and compiling your own list of pros/cons before any purchase. Hopefully my thoughts will be helpful, but YOUR decision should be made based on YOUR needs/wants/desires and a compilation of opinions from people who you trust and who've offered advice/opinions on the item you're considering.
Enough with the common sense mumbo-jumbo.... On with the review!
1. The Contest: The fact that TS was running a contest just reiterates that they care about their customers, business, and reputation. Some companies run contests that (to an larger extent) are self serving. Those contest include "design a logo" and "design a banner" types. Those contests tend to trade a prize for work that they otherwise might have had to pay for. When someone runs a contest for "fun" IMO it says more positive things about them! There's nothing wrong with either type, and they both do a certain amount of marketing, but I mention it so you're aware of what the contest parameters were.
2. Truesmoker Customer Service: I have limited firsthand experience with Truesmoker as the contest I entered was my first dealings with them. Throughout that time period, JD was polite, approachable and an all-around fun guy. As you'll see as you read this review, I've not had any problems with the unit that required TS's involvement so I can only speculate what the "after sale" service is like. And based on everything I've seen, and LOTS of glowing comments by others, I have no doubt that it would be top-notch!
3. Shipping/Packaging: The package was shipped promptly (within hours!!). It arrived a few days later in perfect condition. The items were very well wrapped with a couple layers (overkill?!?!) of purple bubble wrap. There really wasn't much fear of damage as besides the bubble wrap, the actual box the Dragon comes in securely holds everything.
4A. First Visual Impression: Awesome! The packaging is very nicely done and great looking. Compared to a 901 or 510 starter kit, it's a slight step up in packaging quality. The biggest difference I noticed right away was the great graphics everywhere. While a generic might just have 1-color text printed on 1-color boxes this doesn't. It's full-color printing with graphics/text/logo pretty much everywhere! The branding is top notch and quite impressive looking. While handing a friend a typical Chinese e-cig might lead them to think it's some sort of semi-safe unit, this one doesn't. If I had to point out a possible area for improvement it'd be the carrying case that came with it. The hinge quality isn't the same as a $50 case (the hinge is just a little "loose" feeling) but I wouldn't expect it to be and I've had no problems with it whatsoever. The case appears to be vinyl as opposed to leather. It's not as supple feeling as it could be, but it's still nice (especially when you consider I'm just shoving it into my pocket and not using it as a pillow!).
The Dragon e-cig itself: I'd only ever seen pictures of the unit before and I'll admit I was suprised how much better it looks in person. Photos don't really do the paint and color scheme justice. The Dragon is printed in a metalic silver (from photos I'd actually thought it was white, silver is even BETTER!). In my life, there's times where flashy is desirable and times where it's not (i.e. stealth vaping). The unit is eye-catching enough I'd hesitate to try to use it stealthily, but when you don't mind the attention, it will generate it!
Since it's a "super-mini" style e-cig, it is quite small. At 4-1/4" long and as thin as a real analog cig. It's slightly thinner than both the 901 and 510. About 3/8" shorter than a 901 and 1/8" shorter than a 510. It's also noticably lighter weight. Really closer to a true analog than any of the other e-cigs I've experienced.
The blue LED is nice (my personal preference is for my e-cigs to not have red LEDs) and is nicely diffused and not obnoxiously bright. The ashcap (or maybe the LED itself?) is such that the glow is visible by the user indoors and at low light levels outdoors. I've found that the 901 and 510 are both MUCH harder to see the glow by the user.
4B. Visual Impression: After significant usage I've come to some conclusions about the appearance of the Dragon. The metallic paint (and Dragon emblem) make it much flashier than a standard 901/510. It's small size and lightweight also add to the sense of "elegance". I wouldn't go as far as to call it "feminine", that wicked dragon is decidedly unisexual, but it certainly should appeal to anyone who doesn't want to stick a huge pipe in their mouth, both male and female. It's small size would also make the transition from analogs to e-cigs easier as it's "more real" than a 901/510.
5. Prefilled Carts: The Dragon comes with prefilled carts that just slide onto the atomizer. While I normally don't use prefilled carts I was pleasantly suprised by these. I do like tobacco flavors and these have a very good flavor. They seemed a little more on the "nutty" side then my usual tobacco flavors but not obnoxiously so. It was a enjoyable change of pace and still true to a tobacco taste. Reusing/refilling the carts (with my own liquid) was as easy to do as expected.
6. Flavor: As mentioned above the flavor with the prefilled carts is quite nice and true. Not the watered down flavor I'd experienced with prefilled 901/510 carts. When refilled with my liquid it's also true to taste. With the Dragon the flavor comes through stronger than both the 901 and 510.
7. Vapor Production: The Dragon does a nice job in the vapor department. It puts out more than a 901 and about par with a 510. The vapor tempurature was also on par with the 510 and better than a 901. In this area, I found there is really only 2 differences between the Dragon and the 510. The Dragon has an noticably easier draw (closer to a 901 whistle tip than anything else). The 510 doesn't draw like an analog to me, the suction required is almost too much. The Dragon and 901 are both very close to analogs in this aspect. As I'm not an expert on the inner workings of atomizers and their differences, I'm not sure why I experienced such a large disparity in draw between the 510 and the Dragon (considering that the air holes look almost the same).
One possibly odd thing I've experienced is the sound when drawing. The Dragon (like my 510's) have a noticable "wind whooshing" nose. The 901 also does this but to a lesser extent. While none of them are loud, I point it out as they are noisier than analogs. The unexplained part of the "whoosh" is that the Dragon and 510 have quite similar noise levels however the Dragon is easier to draw. My initial thought was that the easier the draw the clearer the air flow path, and thus the quieter it'd be. However, that's not been my experience. The Dragon and 901 both have easy draws but the Dragon is noisier. For anyone new to e-cigs, please keep in mind that "noisy" doesn't actually mean it's LOUD, just that there is an audible sound. Someone sitting/standing next to you in a moderately quiet room could hear it, but the sound doesn't carry more than a couple feet away. Depending upon your smoking technique, analogs also can make a fair amount of noise (heck, just breathing can make noise!).
8. Throat Hit: This means different things to different people. To me it's a feel/sensation that really dependant upon the liquid used (higher nic level and more VG = more TH) and the temp. of the vapor (if the vapor isn't warm/hot the more closely it approximates an analog cig. Like the vapor production, I put the Dragon equal to a 510 and better than a 901 due to the warmer vapor.
9. Battery Life: Like that found with other super-mini's, the battery life tends to be a weak point. Depending upon a persons vaping habits, battery requirements can vary quite a bit. I work out of my home and in a typical week I'm rarely away from home for more than 4-5 hours at a time. This means battery life is less important to me as I tend to charge one battery while using another and always swap batteries before leaving home. For some people, this use-while-charging may not be an option and thus they might require more batteries depending upon their vaping needs and how long they're away from a charger. Due to my vaping habits I also am not an expert on battery life. Since I rarely let a battery run to empty it's hard for me to compare battery life. I will say that the way I vape/charge it's equal to a 901 or 510. the Dragons battery is thinner, slightly shorter, and lighterweight than either the 510 or 901, which right or wrong leads me to believe it would have equal, or slightly shorter, run time. That's based solely on exterior appearance though and is NOT a reliable indicator. I HIGHLY suggest, if battery life is a key feature for you, getting comments/opinions from other people that do run their batteries down to help you make your decision.
10. Reliablity: In the time I've had the Dragon, there's been NO issues whatsoever. Everything works like the first time, every time. It's hard to say definatively but the build quality of the Dragon appears better than a 901/510 (certainly the finish and attention to detail is top notch). Since I've had good success with other super-minis I wouldn't expect anything less with the Dragon.
Conclusion: The Dragon is a very nice e-cig. It's small size, light weight, and easy draw make it very analog like. The vapor, flavor and heat all are on par with other super-minis. The look is moderately flashy and elegant (and those two descriptions don't always work together but in this case it does - think flashy red Mercedes versus a white one!) which could be a pro or con depending upon the person. Overall, it's a perfect e-cig for a lot of people who want an easy transition from analogs!
My vaping background (so you have an understanding of where I'm coming from and what my experience level is) started summer 2009. I started with the 901 and then added a 510 to my smoking arsonal. I've tended to lean towards the 901 over the 510 as to me it's more analog like. Where applicable, I've compared the Dragon to both the 901 and 510 so that there's a reference point for anyone who's used either of those.
Disclaimer: To a certain degree, this review (as well as all reviews) is somewhat subjective. Not everyone will share the same opinion nor have the same experience, history and background. Lots of factors can effect an opinion on ANY product. Contained here is MY opinion and thus may not be YOUR opinion. As always, I recommend doing research and compiling your own list of pros/cons before any purchase. Hopefully my thoughts will be helpful, but YOUR decision should be made based on YOUR needs/wants/desires and a compilation of opinions from people who you trust and who've offered advice/opinions on the item you're considering.
Enough with the common sense mumbo-jumbo.... On with the review!
1. The Contest: The fact that TS was running a contest just reiterates that they care about their customers, business, and reputation. Some companies run contests that (to an larger extent) are self serving. Those contest include "design a logo" and "design a banner" types. Those contests tend to trade a prize for work that they otherwise might have had to pay for. When someone runs a contest for "fun" IMO it says more positive things about them! There's nothing wrong with either type, and they both do a certain amount of marketing, but I mention it so you're aware of what the contest parameters were.
2. Truesmoker Customer Service: I have limited firsthand experience with Truesmoker as the contest I entered was my first dealings with them. Throughout that time period, JD was polite, approachable and an all-around fun guy. As you'll see as you read this review, I've not had any problems with the unit that required TS's involvement so I can only speculate what the "after sale" service is like. And based on everything I've seen, and LOTS of glowing comments by others, I have no doubt that it would be top-notch!
3. Shipping/Packaging: The package was shipped promptly (within hours!!). It arrived a few days later in perfect condition. The items were very well wrapped with a couple layers (overkill?!?!) of purple bubble wrap. There really wasn't much fear of damage as besides the bubble wrap, the actual box the Dragon comes in securely holds everything.
4A. First Visual Impression: Awesome! The packaging is very nicely done and great looking. Compared to a 901 or 510 starter kit, it's a slight step up in packaging quality. The biggest difference I noticed right away was the great graphics everywhere. While a generic might just have 1-color text printed on 1-color boxes this doesn't. It's full-color printing with graphics/text/logo pretty much everywhere! The branding is top notch and quite impressive looking. While handing a friend a typical Chinese e-cig might lead them to think it's some sort of semi-safe unit, this one doesn't. If I had to point out a possible area for improvement it'd be the carrying case that came with it. The hinge quality isn't the same as a $50 case (the hinge is just a little "loose" feeling) but I wouldn't expect it to be and I've had no problems with it whatsoever. The case appears to be vinyl as opposed to leather. It's not as supple feeling as it could be, but it's still nice (especially when you consider I'm just shoving it into my pocket and not using it as a pillow!).
The Dragon e-cig itself: I'd only ever seen pictures of the unit before and I'll admit I was suprised how much better it looks in person. Photos don't really do the paint and color scheme justice. The Dragon is printed in a metalic silver (from photos I'd actually thought it was white, silver is even BETTER!). In my life, there's times where flashy is desirable and times where it's not (i.e. stealth vaping). The unit is eye-catching enough I'd hesitate to try to use it stealthily, but when you don't mind the attention, it will generate it!
Since it's a "super-mini" style e-cig, it is quite small. At 4-1/4" long and as thin as a real analog cig. It's slightly thinner than both the 901 and 510. About 3/8" shorter than a 901 and 1/8" shorter than a 510. It's also noticably lighter weight. Really closer to a true analog than any of the other e-cigs I've experienced.
The blue LED is nice (my personal preference is for my e-cigs to not have red LEDs) and is nicely diffused and not obnoxiously bright. The ashcap (or maybe the LED itself?) is such that the glow is visible by the user indoors and at low light levels outdoors. I've found that the 901 and 510 are both MUCH harder to see the glow by the user.
4B. Visual Impression: After significant usage I've come to some conclusions about the appearance of the Dragon. The metallic paint (and Dragon emblem) make it much flashier than a standard 901/510. It's small size and lightweight also add to the sense of "elegance". I wouldn't go as far as to call it "feminine", that wicked dragon is decidedly unisexual, but it certainly should appeal to anyone who doesn't want to stick a huge pipe in their mouth, both male and female. It's small size would also make the transition from analogs to e-cigs easier as it's "more real" than a 901/510.
5. Prefilled Carts: The Dragon comes with prefilled carts that just slide onto the atomizer. While I normally don't use prefilled carts I was pleasantly suprised by these. I do like tobacco flavors and these have a very good flavor. They seemed a little more on the "nutty" side then my usual tobacco flavors but not obnoxiously so. It was a enjoyable change of pace and still true to a tobacco taste. Reusing/refilling the carts (with my own liquid) was as easy to do as expected.
6. Flavor: As mentioned above the flavor with the prefilled carts is quite nice and true. Not the watered down flavor I'd experienced with prefilled 901/510 carts. When refilled with my liquid it's also true to taste. With the Dragon the flavor comes through stronger than both the 901 and 510.
7. Vapor Production: The Dragon does a nice job in the vapor department. It puts out more than a 901 and about par with a 510. The vapor tempurature was also on par with the 510 and better than a 901. In this area, I found there is really only 2 differences between the Dragon and the 510. The Dragon has an noticably easier draw (closer to a 901 whistle tip than anything else). The 510 doesn't draw like an analog to me, the suction required is almost too much. The Dragon and 901 are both very close to analogs in this aspect. As I'm not an expert on the inner workings of atomizers and their differences, I'm not sure why I experienced such a large disparity in draw between the 510 and the Dragon (considering that the air holes look almost the same).
One possibly odd thing I've experienced is the sound when drawing. The Dragon (like my 510's) have a noticable "wind whooshing" nose. The 901 also does this but to a lesser extent. While none of them are loud, I point it out as they are noisier than analogs. The unexplained part of the "whoosh" is that the Dragon and 510 have quite similar noise levels however the Dragon is easier to draw. My initial thought was that the easier the draw the clearer the air flow path, and thus the quieter it'd be. However, that's not been my experience. The Dragon and 901 both have easy draws but the Dragon is noisier. For anyone new to e-cigs, please keep in mind that "noisy" doesn't actually mean it's LOUD, just that there is an audible sound. Someone sitting/standing next to you in a moderately quiet room could hear it, but the sound doesn't carry more than a couple feet away. Depending upon your smoking technique, analogs also can make a fair amount of noise (heck, just breathing can make noise!).
8. Throat Hit: This means different things to different people. To me it's a feel/sensation that really dependant upon the liquid used (higher nic level and more VG = more TH) and the temp. of the vapor (if the vapor isn't warm/hot the more closely it approximates an analog cig. Like the vapor production, I put the Dragon equal to a 510 and better than a 901 due to the warmer vapor.
9. Battery Life: Like that found with other super-mini's, the battery life tends to be a weak point. Depending upon a persons vaping habits, battery requirements can vary quite a bit. I work out of my home and in a typical week I'm rarely away from home for more than 4-5 hours at a time. This means battery life is less important to me as I tend to charge one battery while using another and always swap batteries before leaving home. For some people, this use-while-charging may not be an option and thus they might require more batteries depending upon their vaping needs and how long they're away from a charger. Due to my vaping habits I also am not an expert on battery life. Since I rarely let a battery run to empty it's hard for me to compare battery life. I will say that the way I vape/charge it's equal to a 901 or 510. the Dragons battery is thinner, slightly shorter, and lighterweight than either the 510 or 901, which right or wrong leads me to believe it would have equal, or slightly shorter, run time. That's based solely on exterior appearance though and is NOT a reliable indicator. I HIGHLY suggest, if battery life is a key feature for you, getting comments/opinions from other people that do run their batteries down to help you make your decision.
10. Reliablity: In the time I've had the Dragon, there's been NO issues whatsoever. Everything works like the first time, every time. It's hard to say definatively but the build quality of the Dragon appears better than a 901/510 (certainly the finish and attention to detail is top notch). Since I've had good success with other super-minis I wouldn't expect anything less with the Dragon.
Conclusion: The Dragon is a very nice e-cig. It's small size, light weight, and easy draw make it very analog like. The vapor, flavor and heat all are on par with other super-minis. The look is moderately flashy and elegant (and those two descriptions don't always work together but in this case it does - think flashy red Mercedes versus a white one!) which could be a pro or con depending upon the person. Overall, it's a perfect e-cig for a lot of people who want an easy transition from analogs!
