E-cig components ... batts, and atty's, and carts, Oh My !

Whatever the shape or size, virtually* all e-cigs have 3 components (or 4, if you count the mouthpiece that contains the cartridge).

1. The cartridge (or cart) contains the e-liquid (the flavored, nicontined, vaporable PG and/or VG). The cart is stuffed with material like polyfill or fluval (or even teabags or coffee filter), which absorbs the e-liquid (prefilled or inserted by the user) and makes it available to…

2. The atomizer (or atty) vaporizes the e-liquid, turning it into inhalable/exhalable vapor (which looks and feels like smoke, but tastes so much better).

3. The battery (or batt) powers the atomizer. It is this part especially that varies the shape and size so much. Most batteries are the same shape, but vary in length. [The bigger the battery, the less frequently it needs to be recharged. And, all other things being equal (which they are not in this rapidly changing cottage industry), the bigger the battery (and certainly the higher its voltage), the more powerful the experience.]  Most batteries have an automatic switch (e.g., turned on by sucking on the mouthpiece or by sound or movement); an increasing number (especially on larger models) are manual (turned on by pressing a button on the side or end of the battery).

4. And the mouthpiece (containing the cartridge) goes in your...(wait for it!) mouth. :-)

Oh, there usually also is an LED indicator light at the end, simulating the lit end of an analog and indicating whether the battery is on or off. Often there is a choice of LED colors, e.g., blue, red, orange, green, purple. The most typical colors of the e-cig itself are black , white , and silver/chrome/platinum/stainless steel (in fact, all are stainless steel, although some are shinier than others, e.g., “titanium” is not made of titanium). There are even red, blue, green … and pink e-cigs. And some have pretty designs on them.

Categories

Most e-cigs fall into one of five categories (based primarily on length).

1. The Penstyle: the longest type (~150 mm), the same size as a…pen. Models include: DSE801, RN4072, BE112, M201, and Janty Kissbox.

2. The Mini: mid-length, at 108-118 mm, a bit longer than a 100s analog. 

3. The Super-Mini: the smallest e-cigs, either:

• 98 mm (about the size of a 100s analog): Models include the Joye306 (aka Janty Mini Fogger) and the M402 … or

• 89 mm (about the size of a regular filtered analog): Models include the Joye306a, the M403, and the silver & black “blu” …or even

• 84 mm (the smallest e-cig): the DSE084 (aka 8084).

4. There also are models not falling neatly into the above by-length niches, e.g., those that mimic the two other tobacco smoking devices: the cigar  … and the pipe.

5. And then there are the Hybrids (or Mods): Chinese made atomizers and cartridges combined with western (e.g., U.S., U.K., Greece, Holland) battery packs. Hybrids often are referred to as “Mods,” since many started out as homebrew modifications, addressing the biggest weakness of the electronic cigarettes – the battery.

Evaluations

E-cigarette hardware is evaluated – in numerous text and video reviews on websites such as ECF (http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com) and on YouTube – using six primary criteria (in addition to price and supplier reliability/customer service):

1. Vapor production – voluminous vapor (even more than analog smoke) … or wimpy wisps.

2. Flavor – harsh, burnt taste ... full flavor ... or bland.

3. Throat hit – that rush you get when inhaling (centered on a tickle or pinched feeling in the back of the throat). Similar to the first drag of an analog after an hour’s deprivation.

4. Draw – like sucking air through a straw (not necessarily such a long one) … or a thick milkshake.

5. Battery life – meaning (in one sense) how long the battery will last before dying completely ... or, of main concern, how long (or how many puffs) before recharging is required.

6. The switch (which turns the battery on and off) – either automatic (triggered by sucking on the mouthpiece, movement, or sound) or manual (a button you press on the side or end of the battery). Each is evaluated differently:

• Automatic – some are oversensitive (turning on at outside movement or sound, e.g., when clubbing), many have automatic cutoffs (after 2–8 seconds), some are simply unreliable.
• Manual – the size, placement, durability, and reliability of the button.

Other factors often critiqued are reliability and consistency, juice capacity of the cartridge, type and effectiveness of wick on the atomizer, appearance, how it feels in the hand, and even the package it comes in. 

Stay tuned for more ...