If you are looking for a greater range of options for your vaping experience and more versatility then electronic cigarette starter kits have more variation than the simple disposable electronic cigarette type.
Be aware of some of the terminology though. There is reusable as in the cartridge is refillable with the nicotine e-liquid and the battery is rechargable. There is disposable, as in the whole ecigarette is disposable. Then there is also a hybrid mix in that only the cartridge is disposable but the battery is rechargeable and you screw in a new cartridge. There are kits for both types of non-fully-disposable types:
- Disposable cartridges with rechargeable batteries
- Reusable / refillable cartridges with rechargeable batteries
The fully-disposable electronic cigarettes just come in simple packs or singles – and really are for someone just testing. They aren’t really suitable if you intend to use your ecigarette seriously, want to save money, and want a fully satisfying experience (in my opinion anayway)
Confused? It’s really not so difficult. And once you have looked at a few images you will get the hang of it.
Firstly: Disposable cartridges with rechargeable batteries – these often look like cigarettes (and are also known a “cigalikes”)
This stylish kind of unit is made up of a nicotine liquid cartridge sometimes called a cartomiser and which looks like a cigarette filter and a rechargeable battery, which looks like the main body of a cigarette. You just charge up the battery part in the way you would an iPhone, with a USB cable into a wall socket and then once it’s fully charged you screw on a liquid nicotine cartridge and you’re all set. Some of the cartridges are refillable – and others are throw away. This option is a pretty good way to get started if you are not sure if ecigarettes are for you and you want to find out.
You can purchase these in a range of sizes range from ones that look like the size of a small flashlight to others that look a bit like a big cigar, and they come in almost every color and style. This can be quite confusing for you when you are starting out, so take time to get a sense of what you want. Probably one of the first things you will need to think about is whether you want one that actually resembles a cigarette because you will probably be using it in public.
Next: Refillable cartridges and rechargeable batteries – these can look like cigars or big writing pens
After you have got started you will probably find if you are a medium to heavy smoker that you prefer the refillable ones over the disposable ones. Firstly, the tend to have more “vape” which gives the sense that you are really inhaling just like a cigarette. Then there is the cost. At first I used the disposable cartridges and found I was using about five a day, which meant I was spending about the same as when I was smoking. But when I switched to the refillable type I found that a 30ML bottle of e-liquid set me back about $15 and lasted two to three weeks. Hence it was much cheaper. So the refillables are stronger in nicotine, have more puff and are quite a bit cheaper.
So What Do You Need To Get Started?
The typical electronic cigarette starter kit contains a rechargeable battery, the charger which you skrew the battery into, and a set of nicotine liquid cartridges (you buy them in packs of five usually). You can get started very quickly by simply charge the battery (they sometimes come already charged – mine from GreenSmoke did) and screw on a liquid nicotine cartridge and you’ll be ready to start using your e-cigarette. It is really important to buy a good e-cigarette starter kit from one of the main reputatble brands that will satisfy your cravings.
For most people, although not everyone, if they are trying to quit cigarettes it is important to find the best e-cigarette to help them move on from smoking tobacco cigarettes. So don’t go for the cheap overseas options full of faulty useless parts, or possibly low quality e-liquid (made in China??), or you will turn find that your dream of switching will be in vain as you just give up on them. E cigarettes can be really effective in your long term goals – I haven’t had a cigarette for almost two years now.
If you have tried a cheap brand and found it didn’t work for you, consider trying again with a decent brand. I would advise that you keep trying different electronic cigarettes until you find your own personal favourite – you perfect device. I have so far tried a few of them, and they are different. Also you might find like me that you start out with one brand and type of device and actually like it, but then try others out of curiosity and find you switch. It’s a personal journey.
You will be able to find an electronic cigarette that really suits your needs. If you have already tried a disposable electronic cigarette, and you are visiting this site to see what else is on offer then I suggest you browse around and think about the qualities you feel are the most important to you. Are you considering changing because you want a fuller flavour and more satisfying inhalation? Are you considering convenience in a longer lasting battery. Then browse my reviews with this in mind: bigger stronger batteries give more battery life, I now get through the day with one charge and keep a spare charging just in case with my VaporZone Pro Kit whereas I used to get through about four or five batteries a day – or more, when I used the disposable filter like cartridges when I used Green Smoke. Plus I get a much more satisfying draw.
Battery Size
If you go for one of the smaller size batteries out there, get at least two batteries (or more as back up) so you can charge one while you are using the other. Manufactures will give you estimate the number of puffs per cartridge but I found these estimates to be extremely optimistic, or they may equate a cartridge with X amount of cigarettes, but of course that will vary depending on the intensity of your drag. Most manufacturers claim that a cartridge can equal one pack of cigarettes. However, I was using five cartridges a day when I used them whereas I only smoked one pack of cigarettes per day. Now I have switched to the bigger battery and refillable e-liquids I find that I use one bottle of 30ML in about two to three weeks – and remember I was a packet of cigarettes a day.
You will at first probably tend to take longer and deeper puffs with an e-cigarette in the beginning as you may find the vapor is not as intense as with a tobacco cigarette smoke and many smokers are looking for that “burning hit” you get with a real cigarette in your lungs that you may not feel with an e-cigarette. So it is easy to overdo the inhalation a bit with a nicotine cartridge so it isn’t reasonable to expect a cartridge to last as long as a pack of cigarettes. Also, think of it this way, you are addicted to the nicotine not the hit at the back of your throat (eventhough there are of course psychological triggers related to addiction). You don’t need the hit in your lungs to be fully satisfy your cravings.
Nicotine Levels
Once you have found a rechargeable e-cigarette brand and flavor you like, then you can test out some different levels of nicotine. Disposable cartridges and eliquids alike come in various levels of nicotine from Zero to Extra Strength and a few gradients in between. What you choose should depend on whether you want to replicate what you used with tobacco cigarettes or whether you want to reduce your nicotine intake to gradually ween yourself off nicotine. I personally found that the Light didn’t really do it for me and the Extra Strength was a bit too much. So I now go for Full Strength and the basic Tobacco flavours like Absolute Tobacco. You can find below that there are several types of kits and I have listed the best rechargeable e-cigarettes of 2014. There are a lot of styles and price ranges but you will be able to find one that suits you – and then test a few flavours to see what you like. I prefer the regular Tobacco Flavours and some of the Menthol tastes too – but haven’t really got into the more exotic flavours yet!
Possibly The Most Popular To Start
A lot of smokers smokers find rechargeable electronic cigarettes with the disposable cartridges that look like real cigarettes the best style for everyday use. They look like real cigarettes when you use them in pubic. They are easy in that you have a few charged up (smallish) batteries in you pocket or bag, together with some fresh disposable cartridges. Once a cartridge runs out you just break open the pack and screw on a new one. Or if the battery runs out you just swtch the cartridge over to a new battery. It is very convenient.
But keep in mind, many longer term users switch to bigger batteries and refillable cartrdiges for a reason. They are notfully satisfied with a rechargeable e-cigarette and disposable cartridge. Instead they try (and switch like me) to a more advanced unit like an VaporZone Pro with a powerful rechargeable battery, and a screw on cartridge head that you fill with nicotine liquid. You get a stronger vapour inhalation that lasts through the whole cartridge refill life.
But if you want to start out with the more convenient starter kit of the rechargeable battery and packs of throw away cartridges then buy plenty of replacement cartridges so that you have them on hand as otherwise you will need to reorder online when you run out.
So as you are just getting started, treat yourself a decent quality starter kit. A good quality electronic cigarette starter kit will set you up for a positive experience and is a great way to start your new life as a non-smoker. And don’t forget to get a kit with several different flavour cartridges and nicotine levels so you can find out what you like. As I said
What Should You Expect To Pay
You can get a good quality starter from between about $40 up to about $100 for a complete rechargeable electronic cigarette starter kit which has everything that you need to get you going straight away. In all honesty, like a lot of things the more you spend, the more likely you are to be satisfied with your selection – and let’s be honest: if this works out for you it could literally change your life, your health, the way others feel about being around you, and your pocket.
You could spend a bit less for a smaller kit which will give you a taste of what you can expect and will let you sample some of the flavors and vapor of the device.
But again I would add: if you can, do yourself a favour and don’t go for the cheapest e-cigarettes hoping that they are going give you the same flavor and vapor hit as the higher-end devices. Like most things: you get what you pay for.
Have a look at the reviews of the starter kits below. And for good measure my recommendation, as you can’t go far wrong with it is the VaporZone Pro. Two batteries, a charger some spare atomizers for inside the cartridge at about $49 plus $14.99 for 30ML of nicotine eliquid.