Quick summary: Great features, the thickest vapor, some of the best feel and taste around – and now, lower prices. They’ve also added freshness dating. For all of those reasons, V2 Cigs get our best electronic cigarette rating.

There are several brands of e-cigarettes that we can comfortably place at or near the top of our rankings. By a narrow margin, we have chosen V2 Cigs as our top-rated electronic cigarette. The factors that led to our decision are vapor and convenience.

V2 Cigs had the thickest vapor and strongest hit of the e-cigarettes we’ve tested, we found their claim of “the thickest vapor in the business” was spot on. The vapor cloud was thick enough to give a hit that was quite satisfying (particularly with the tobacco flavors), and gave us enormous exhales – we could even blow thick smoke rings with ease. We found that the manual battery (more about that later) intensified the smoking experience yet another notch. V2 e-cigs utilize the two-part design, and to us, that’s always a plus. We always prefer the simplicity of only two components, rather than the complex and somewhat messy methods employed by 3-part designs.

The V2 Ultimate Kit that we tested included three batteries: a short one, a 110mm one, and a 140mm (yes, it really is that long, and the longer time the charge lasted was great) manual battery. Rotating them gave us plenty of time to smoke while one of the batteries recharged. That was convenient enough, but the portable charging case that comes with the kit added to the convenience factor; you just charge the case (which is smaller than a pack of cigarettes) and then you can charge your e-cigs 3 or 4 times while on the go – meaning you can spend the day away from a power source and never have to worry about “running out.” The Power Cig that came with the kit allows you to hook directly into a USB port and smoke at your desk without worrying about charging anything; there’s also a car charger for even more convenience.

As for that manual battery (an optional choice when you order), there’s a tiny button right where your fingers rest on the e-cig, and you depress the button just before taking a hit; it heats the flavor crystals to give you an even fuller, concentrated hit. A bit awkward at first, but definitely worth it when you’re looking for a strong inhale.

On first glance, V2 has some really interesting model designs. There are the traditional white batteries, of course. But then the battery choices range from chrome, to fully sleek blue, to black. If you’re looking to make a fashion statement, the chrome design is almost futuristic. V2 definitely isn’t the only company to have an all-blue design, but it’s certainly interesting. More to our liking is the extra-long, 140mm white battery which can give a truly elegant look to a woman’s smoking. The filter/cartridge colors are dependent on the flavor: for example, cork for tobacco flavors, green for menthol, blue for peppermint, and so on.

V2 Cigs come in four strengths, from 18 mg of nicotine (full flavor), down through light, ultra-light and zero-nicotine; that either lets you choose the strength of your e-cigarette on a regular basis, or lets you taper down gradually if that’s your choice. One other note: V2 doesn’t “shut off” like some other e-cigs do, when your inhale goes longer than five seconds; we’re not sure if the issue is one of safety, but we do know that if you want a power hit, V2 lets you take it.

V2 cartridges come in a lot of flavors. In fact, it’s one of the biggest varieties on the market with ten different flavors: three tobacco blends including Red and Turkish, Menthol, Mint Tea and Peppermint, Coffee and Chocolate, Vanilla, Cola, Grape and Cherry (we liked the coffee, chocolate and vanilla best).  And they’ve just recently boosted their battery power to 4.2 volts, the highest level on the market, to hold charges longer. Each V2 cartridge is equal to about one pack of cigarettes; that’s a little on the low site compared to other brands, but we think the flavor and feel of the V2 vapor is worth the tradeoff. They’ve also added freshness dating to their cartridges, which is a feature we think other companies should copy; and they have made available batch reports for your shipments, letting you get a customized report on your carts – nicotine levels, contents and so on.

They also have lots of marketing people on the case, with a seemingly endless number of specials and deals, in addition to the huge choices of looks, flavors and strengths. They also have a number of specialty products for e-cig aficianados who prefer to buy the e-liquid and refill their cartridges, such as ‘drip tips’ in either aluminum or rubber, making the process a snap; flavor samplers to let you decide which you like best; custom-made cartridges allowing you to choose all the specs – the list goes on. They also have new portable battery charging cases (with charge indicators) that make vaping on the go a lot more convenient.

The thickest vapor and strongest hit, some terrific flavors, convenient accessories – and lots of great deals. That’s why V2 Cigs get our highest e-cigarette rating.

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PRICE: Starter kits range from $24.95 to $159.95. (Note: price comparisons are difficult because each company includes different products in their kits.) Use the code “smokingsection15″ for a 15% discount on all V2 Cigs starter kits. Use the code “smokingsection” for a 10% discount on all other V2 Cigs merchandise. (Note: the availability of discount codes for our visitors has no effect, pro or con, on our reviews.)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT V2 CIGS

 

Quick summary: The powerful throat hit and big smoke clouds brought Green Smoke right to the top of our rankings; they’re our best e-cig for menthol smokers and right near the top of the list for everyone else looking to buy electronic cigarettes. And they’ve just announced big price cuts on kits and batteries.

Attention, menthol smokers. Green Smoke is an e-cigarette made just for you. Actually, there are a number of great flavors of Green Smoke that will appeal to just about everyone, but their “menthol ice” flavor is what really appealed to us – a strong menthol taste somewhere between Newport and Kool. Their other flavors are also very good: Red Label (thick and satisfying, close to the taste of a Marlboro Red), Tobacco Gold (a rich, sweet mixture of flavors), and Absolute Tobacco (almost like a pipe tobacco). They also have three “novelty” flavors: Smooth Chocolate, Mocha Mist, and Vanilla Dreams.

We tested the Green Smoke pro kit which came with two white batteries, one long and one short, which screw into the “cartomizer” (the cartridge that creates the vapor) in their two-part design. It also had a wall charger, a car adapter and a USB cigarette; that allowed us to smoke one while charging the other, or smoke whenever we wanted at our desk with the USB cigarette connected to our computer. The charges lasted the equivalent of about a pack, and the cartridges lasted a little longer than some of the competition, between a pack and a pack-and-a-half worth of smoking time. The wall charger was of a more convenient design than some of the others we’ve tested, a definitely plus.

Green Smoke produced a strong hit and huge smoke clouds, at or near the top of the list of the e-cigarettes we’ve reviewed. The exhales definitely passed our “smoke ring” test. They also have the strongest nicotine cartridges we’ve seen, ranging all the way up to 24mg. (There are also full flavor, light, ultra-light and zero nicotine levels available.)

We liked the design of Green Smoke models, with a two-piece design; they actually pioneered the simpler approach which eliminated the need for messy mixing and refilling with e-liquid, and in our opinion, it’s the only way to “vape.” There is a shut-off safety feature, limiting your inhales to about five seconds, but that’s probably more than enough for most people.

They’ve also now released eight designer batteries, made to “match” the colors of the various cart flavors. For example, there’s a cool blue swirl to match the blue menthol ice cartomizer, a paisley pattern to match red label, a brown travel motif to match chocolate, and so on. It’s a nice way to make a fashion statement when you’re vaping.

We felt that like the other top-rated brands on the market, GreenSmoke e-cigs look, taste, and feel almost exactly like a real cigarette with a strong, deep sensations on inhalation, a tip that glows bright when inhaling, and the huge clouds on exhaling. The price per cartomizer is lower than much of the competition, as well, making them a very good value. The strength, menthol and big smoke clouds pulled Green Smoke just about even at the top of our ratings, and made them our definite choice for menthol smokers.

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Update 12/27: Green Smoke has just cut the price of their starter kits by about $30 apiece, the price of their batteries by about $10 apiece, and added a carrying kit standard to all kits. We believe that makes a great product even better.

PRICE: Starter kits from $59.97-169.97. (Note: price comparisons are difficult because each company includes different products in their kits.) Use the code “disc10-26721” for a 10% discount on all Green Smoke purchases over $100, or “disc5-26721″ for a 5% discount on purchases under $100. (Note: the availability of discount codes for our visitors has no effect, pro or con, on our reviews.)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GREEN SMOKE

Quick summary: South Beach Smoke is solidly in the competition for best electronic cigarette, and lands in our top three for its nice taste, good throat hit and strong electronics. There’s a good reason so many celebrities use them.

We first became aware of South Beach Smoke through the media, with a number of celebrities using them to vape. But when we got a chance to test their e-cigarette, we put aside the “hype” and were definitely impressed by the product, which has become one of our personal favorites.

The taste of South Beach was the first thing we noticed; it was one of the most pleasant tasting e-cigs we’ve tested, with the menthol, vanilla and peach particularly standing out. There was also a nice balance between smoothness and throat hit; the hit is noticeable but not overly strong. The vapor cloud wasn’t the biggest we’ve experienced, but it was close to the other top electronic cigarette brands we’ve reviewed. Cartridges come in ten flavors: three tobacco, menthol, peppermint, chocolate, vanilla, cherry, pina colada and peach. There are five nicotine strengths: strong (24mg), full (16mg), light (12mg), ultra light (6 mg) and no nicotine. All eliquid is made in the USA, unusual among the brands we’ve tested.

We tested the ultimate starter kit, which came with just about everything you would need for a great vaping experience: one standard battery and one longer extra-capacity battery, a USB charger, wall charger (not just an adapter, a full charger which was nice), a car adapter, a carrying case, a charging case to re-charge batteries while away from power sources, and 15 cartridges. It’s the most complete kit we’ve seen. There are several lower-level, less expensive kits available as well. Both battery and cartridge life were right around average, with charging time a little better than most. The e-cigarette is solid and well-built, right up there with our other best electronic cigarettes.

South Beach Smoke also has an optional auto-delivery program, so that you don’t have to worry about reordering every time you run low on cartridges; it’s not for everyone but we think it’s a nice choice for regular vapers who don’t want to accidentally run out. There’s a lifetime warranty as well.

South Beach narrowly missed out on our top ranking because we personally prefer a stronger throat hit, but it’s an excellent e-cigarette well worth trying.

PRICE: Starter kits range from $79.99 to $214.99 with sales held often. (Note: price comparisons are difficult because each company includes different products in their kits.) Click on any of our site links for a 10% discount on all starter kits, express Express and disposables. (Note: the availability of discount codes for our visitors has no effect, pro or con, on our reviews.)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ABOUT SOUTH BEACH SMOKE

Quick summary: More flavors than any e-cigarette we’ve reviewed; more colors, styles and fashion designs than any other on the market, as well as e-cigars and e-pipes, make them our editors’ choice for style and choices – and a solid product as well.

The Premium Electronic Cigarette (PEC) is one of the bigger names on the e-cigarette market. Established in 2008, this company has been a leader in the development of two-part and single piece electronic cigarettes. PEC offers one of the highest varieties of physical models on the market, with designer patterns and unique designs – and perhaps most noteworthy, they even offer electronic cigars and electronic pipes.

PEC’s flavor offerings are astounding – nearly 20 different flavors, ranging from tobacco and menthol, to coffee and chocolate, to clove and irish cream, to watermelon and peach. Our favorite is the blueberry. They also offer strengths from zero nicotine, all the way up to 24 mg of nicotine for heavy smokers who need a real punch. On the whole, the vapor is smooth and mild, with just a moderate throat hit. Their length is equal to a 100mm cigarette, longer than some of the other e-cigarettes we’ve reviewed, and a nice length to our mind.

Most of these e-cigs are our preferred two-part models, and they come in all sorts of designs and colors – 15, to be exact – for those looking to make a fashion statement. (For most kits, you can choose two different colors of batteries when you order.) For example, you can order contrasting brown camouflage and green camouflage colored batteries, and you can choose the color of the filter as well. These are sharp looking, and the products are not only offered in solid colors, but patterns and designs taking up most of the battery, and a solid color taking up the filter. For example, the Indigo style has contrasting light and dark design for the battery, and a solid indigo color on the filter. PEC also offers custom design batteries with holiday styles; Christmas decorations such as candy canes and snowflakes, pink and purple hearts for Valentine’s Day, and so on.

The PEC disposable e-cigarette is one of the better values we’ve found. The 600 Puff U TVG Disposable is equivalent to about 3 packs of traditional cigarettes, for only $10.99. Of course, you can only use this thing once, but it’s ready to be used instantly, as soon as you get it. The product is all black, with a red (tobacco) or green (menthol) illumination on the light, illuminating each time you puff. A nice choice for someone who wants to try an e-cig before buying an entire kit.

As we’ve mentioned, one other thing that sets PEC apart is their stock of electronic cigars and pipes, priced around the same level as the e-cigarette kits. E-cigars are, of course, much bigger than electronic cigarettes, as to more closely resemble a traditional cigar, with an appropriate brown style with a single gold stripe. The electronic pipe resembles a traditional tobacco pipe; brown stock and black mouthpiece, but with a gold stripe and a distinctive gold bowl. they each come in premium tobacco flavor.

PRICE: Starter kits range from $44.95 to $119.95. (Note: price comparisons are difficult because each company includes different products in their kits.) Use the code “SS10off” for a 10% discount on all Premium Electronic Starter Kits. (Note: the availability of discount codes for our visitors has no effect, pro or con, on our reviews.)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PREMIUM ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE

 

Quick summary: Ladies: it’s taken a while, but you can now buy electronic cigarettes created just for you. Vapor Couture is a slim, stylish e-cigarette with great taste – and it’s made by the same people who make V2 Cigs, so even though it’s a new product we’re more than satisfied with the quality. It’s our editor’s choice for feminine e-cigarettes.

Ever since Virginia Slims came out more than 40 years ago, many women have selected cigarettes that are slim and feminine. Up until now, there hasn’t been an equivalent e-cig on the market. Vapor Couture has filled that void with a terrific new product. Everything about it says “feminine.” The batteries and cartridges are the same thickness as a Virginia Slim, noticeably thinner than a traditional electronic cigarette, and they come in a great variety of matching fashion designs and colors with a mild taste. Even the battery tip is elegant, with a faceted crystal design that glows in different colors.

Perhaps the place to start with Vapor Couture is with the look. As mentioned they’re a slim e-cig, and there are four distinctive battery and cartridge colors and patterns available. The white motif has an repeating, classy and understated VC logo, the others are deep purple, attractive metallic rose gold and brushed platinum. Most people will probably want to match the color of the battery to the color of the cartridge, but you also have the option of mixing colors if you prefer. The flavors are also distinctive: two tobacco flavors (hearty Bombshell and rich Rodeo Drive), Fresh Mint (a mix of mint and menthol) and Passion Fruit. Two more flavors, Strawberry Champagne and Arctic Mint, will be released soon. They’re available in zero nicotine, ultra-light, light and full flavor strengths, and you can choose five-packs, 20-packs or 40-packs. All cartridges are blister-packed with freshness dating.

The deluxe starter kit we tested had two batteries, a USB/AC adapter and ten cartridges. One battery was white with a delicate VS logo pattern, the other was a metallic rose gold; each had a matching set of cartridges. The kit also came with a cool clutch purse, complete with mirror. We found the vapor to be mild and satisfying, without a harsh throat hit but with a pretty strong vapor cloud on the exhale. Somewhat delicate, and definitely feminine in appeal. The batteries and cartridges each lasted longer than the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes. Other available accessories include pretty lanyards or charm bracelets to hold your electronic cigarette, as well as a car charger.

Many e-cigarettes on the market are interchangeable; you can often use cartridges from one brand with the battery from another. That’s not the case with Vapor Couture, which some may see as a drawback. But if you have made the decision to go with the very different look and feel of this brand, you probably aren’t interested in trying to cut corners in that way.

It’s not often we see a new e-cigarette that is distinctive and a welcome addition to the market. Vapor Couture is definitely one of those products, and we believe there’s a market that will welcome a truly feminine electronic cigarette.

PRICE: Starter kits range from $99.95 to $149.95. (Note: price comparisons are difficult because each company includes different products in their kits.) Use the code “smokingsection15” for a 15% discount on all Vapor Couture starter kits. Use the code “smokingsection” for a 10% discount on all other Vapor Couture merchandise. (Note: the availability of discount codes for our visitors has no effect, pro or con, on our reviews.)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VAPOR COUTURE

Quick summary: Our tasters were impressed with Bull Smoke, believing the American Ranger cartridges in particular were smooth and tasty. The starter kits are reasonably priced without many frills, making it a good choice if you’re looking to get into vaping.

There’s definitely a market for a no-nonsense ecigarette with attractive pricing, and we think Bull Smoke hits that sweet spot. The draw is smooth rather than providing a massive throat hit, which isn’t our personal preference; but several of our reviewers who prefer the easy hit put this ecig right near the top of their rankings.

We sampled the Ranch Hand starter kit, which comes with two white batteries (a manual short battery and one automatic long one), ten tobacco-flavored cartridges (five American Rangers and five Turkish Tobacco) in varying strengths, and a USB charger with AC adapter. It wasn’t an overwhelming kit overflowing with goodies, but it fit the bill just right. They also offer a City Slicker kit, which comes with black batteries and a sampler of ten different flavored carts.

Each starter kit is priced at just $29.95, a great price point in our view. The taste was good, vapor clouds were medium strength, the carts lasted a little longer than average (a bit longer than a pack of cigarettes) and the battery charge was right around industry average.

Bull Smoke doesn’t have a huge list of options, focusing primarily on battery length and color and cartridge strength – again, no nonsense and useful. There are ten cart flavors: three tobacco, menthol, peppermint, coffee, vanilla, cherry, chocolate and grape;.strengths are 24mg (extra strong), 18mg (full flavor), 12mg (light), 6mg (ultra light) and no nicotine.

The 4.2V Batteries are available in three lengths: stubby, original and Kentucky (110mm) and four colors: white, black, silver, and orange (same color as a filter). They also have a disposable ecig called the Buckshot which lasts about as long as two packs of cigarettes. An optional car charger is available and a personal charger kit is on the way. There’s also a nice rewards program that gives you points with each purchase.

Bull Smoke is a very good no-bull option when you’re shopping for electronic cigarettes.

PRICE: Starter kits $29.95. (Note: price comparisons are difficult because each company includes different products in their kits.)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BULL SMOKE

Quick summary: White Cloud provides a high quality product, with lots of options, and has dropped its prices to “market” levels. It’s a great choice for those looking for smoothness, rather than a strong throat hit. They’re also introducing lots of new and unique products worth checking out.

White Cloud Electronic Cigarettes used to offer the most expensive products of all those in our e-cigarette reviews. But they’ve now drastically reduced prices to more reasonable levels, making them worth another look. You can tell from using White Cloud that it indeed is a very high-quality product, with a solid feel and smooth draw. They also claim a low product failure rate and the longest-lasting batteries and cartridges.  We obviously can’t judge their overall product failure rate, but in our tests their batteries and cartridges did in fact last longer than most of the competition.

White Cloud’s flagship product is the Cirrus, and while they’re manufactured in China, they are hand-assembled, putting them several steps up the ladder from the generic, Chinese-manufactured e-cigs you’ll see from some lesser manufacturers. As you could probably tell, technologically we like this product a lot.

The White Cloud Cirrus uses our preferred two-part design for their products. They also are proud of their so-called “Smooth Draw” cartridges, assembled according to a several specific assembly processes. First, the header coil is placed directly in the center of the cartridge to ensure an even migration of liquid from the nicotine wrap to heating coil.  This stops the chance of overheating and burning people’s lips. Second, there is an unobstructed path created by the vapor stack and silicone bell trap. This creates a smoother draw, and eliminates the need for what’s called “prime puffing” – or puffing to trigger the electronics – like you see with some other e-cigs. All of this is to say, the draw is indeed smooth and you don’t “feel the heat” like with many other products.

The one other objection some will have – is a lack of strong throat hit on the inhale (although extra strength and double extra strength, a rarity on the market, are available to increase the kick). We found that we missed the hit, but one of our other testers found it to be a strong advantage to the White Cloud. It’s truly a matter of personal preference.

As for new products, there are several. First, there’s the “squid” charger that will charge three batteries at the same time, a first on the market and a real plus if you’re on the go a lot. Then there’s the new ground-breaking and limited edition “Phantom” kit which features a “stealth-vaping” electronic cigarette and cartridges. They drastically cut the amount of vapor released and make it easier to hide what you’re doing, if you’re in an environment where vaping would be frowned upon. There are also new shotgun tips which let you vape three flavors at once, and lighter disposables that have a soft tip.

The White Cloud cartridges come in eleven different flavors (with occasional limited edition flavors added to the list):  Tobacco, Diablo and Apache (a more full-bodied tobacco), Menthol, Vanilla, Espresso, Chocolate, Clove, Strawberry, Snap (mint), Bora Bora (ginger and lime), Lime and Coconut, and Kick (cinnamon). There are six nicotine levels: double extra strength, extra strength, full flavor, lights, ultra-lights (tobacco and menthol) and no nicotine. And with an eye toward glamour and fun, the company has designer Vapor Jackets available for their e-cigs, providing hundreds of different designs and patterns you can put on your e-cigarettes.  They fit any size of Cirrus model e-cigs and are also “heat shrunk” so the adhesive will not ruin your battery.  They come in packs of seven, with free shipping, for $9.95.

White Cloud may be the best designed e-cigarettes we’ve reviewed. Their efforts to create a smooth draw are obviously quite successful as well. Whether you prefer that smooth draw to a strong throat hit is only something you can decide.

PRICE:  Starter kits range from $49.95 to $109.95.  (Note: price comparisons are difficult because each company includes different products in their kits.) Use the code “WCKIT15” for a 15% discount on all starter kits. (Note: the availability of discount codes for our visitors has no effect, pro or con, on our reviews.)

 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHITE CLOUD

Quick summary: Chase Cigs provides a nice electronic cigarette vaping experience at a good price. They also have several unique cartridge and accessory options worth checking out.

It sometimes is hard to make a useful comparison between electronic cigarette brands, because taste and feeling are so subjective. That being said, we found that the nice taste of Chase Cigs, combined with a good overall vaping experience, puts this e-cig squarely in the upper half of those we’ve reviewed. The two-piece e-cigarette has a medium level throat hit, with a good amount of vapor for the hit. There are also several interesting choices available that we haven’t seen elsewhere, such as flavorless cartridges, and chargers for various countries that would be of interest to travelers.

We tested the premium Chase starter kit, which comes with three batteries, 25 cartridges, a USB charger, AC and car adapters, and a carrying case. The lower-level kits come without the car charger and case and with fewer batteries and carts. All give you the choice of white, black or stainless batteries, as well as the choice of cartridge flavor – there are two tobacco flavors (grit and arabian, similar to Marlboro and Camel) plus menthol, vanilla and the flavorless option we’ve mentioned – in full (18mg), medium (12mg), light (6mg) or no nicotine.

We found Chase Cigs batteries and cartridges to last a little above average (a little more than a pack of cigarettes), but their charger did recharge batteries faster than many competing products. There was no “aftertaste” to their carts and for a medium throat hit, the vapor was satisfyingly thick. We do wish there was a bigger selection of flavors, however. The electronics and feel of the e-cig were both solid. Two other unique accessory options are universal adapters, allowing you to use Chase cartridges with other batteries, and rubber “sharing” tips that you can use iin order to share your e-cigarette with others who want to try it.

Starter kit prices are priced competitively; they also offer a 45-day money back guarantee as well as free shipping on orders over $50. Chase isn’t the best e-cigarette we’ve tried, but the agreeable taste and good vapor, plus their interesting accessory choices, definitely make it an option to consider when looking to buy e-cigs.

PRICE: Starter kits range from $59.95-$149.95. (Note: price comparisons are difficult because each company includes different products in their kits.) Use the code “smokingsection” for a 10% discount on all Chase Cigs merchandise. (Note: the availability of discount codes for our visitors has no effect, pro or con, on our reviews.)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CHASE CIGS