Quick summary: Great features, the thickest vapor, some of the best feel and taste around – and lots of great deals. They’ve also added freshness dating. For all of those reasons, V2 Cigs get our highest e-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 in a 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 option al 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 and Peppermint, Coffee and Chocolate, Vanilla, Cola 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 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.

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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Update 4/16: V2 Cigs has made a major announcement today – with improvements to their products and website.

First, they have a new and more powerful set of portable charging cases, smaller than a pack of cigarettes, letting you charge your batteries on the go as many as eight times while you’re away from a power source. They also have new, more powerful home and car chargers and adapters letting you charge much more quickly. The new chargers are included in their V2 starter kits.

Next, they’ve reformatted their website, letting you build an entire starter kit from scratch as you choose your own colors, flavors and sizes,

And perhaps most importantly for some people, they’ve changed the packaging of their cartridges. They’re packed in foil for freshness, and there’s even a freshness date included on every package. Finally, they have made available batch reports for your shipments, letting you get a customized report on your carts – nicotine levels, contents and so on.

Finally, they have special deals scattered throughout their website to encourage you to explore. It’s a big step forward for the electronic cigarette we had already ranked as #1.

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PRICE: Starter kits range from $59.95 to $139.95. (Note: price comparisons are difficult because each company includes different products in their kits.) Use the code “smokingsection” for a 15% discount on all 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