12 Of The Best E Cigs in 2018 (Reviewed and Rated):
By: Nicholas King. Last Updated: November 15th, 2018.
We are going to learn which are the best e-cigarette starter kits. We will teach you about the different types to suit different vapers and, of course, the top models and brands. If you want to get a better idea of which type would suit you then quickly jump to the Which Type Of E-Cig Will Suit You Section.
Put simply though, typically a Cigalike e-cig is used as an introduction to vaping and resembles the cigarette, Vape Pods have similar features but look more stylish, Vape Pens are a step up with slightly better performance but are larger than pods and Cigalikes, whilst box mods are for vapers wanting more depth of flavor and a stronger hit. So, here are the top e-cig starter kits by type:
VaporFi Express Kit. VaporFi have 2 starter kits available, the Mighty Menthol and Classic Tobacco, both use the same cartridges which you can buy of multiple flavors. This style of e-cig is very popular with new vapers due to it’s simplicity.
VaporFi Express Scores:
Breeze 2. One of the best known e-cig brands in the industry today, have produced an excellent vape pod known as the Breeze 2 with the advantage of having refillable pods expanding your choice of flavor and strengths.
Breeze 2 Scores:
SMOK Stick V8. With a huge 3000mAh internal battery coupled with one of the best tanks on the market, the TFV8, make the flavor and vapor quality on the Stick V8 one of the best on the market. More suited to users who have vaped before.
Stick V8 Scores:
SMOK Species Kit. The Species kit comes with a new designed tank and coils producing the best flavor in the business. Super easy user interface with a bunch of options that even your mother could understand! A great kit at a great price!
Species Scores:
Table Of Contents!
There are many types and designs on the market, it can be a bit daunting of where to start. To make things a little simpler we have broken this guide into a number of sections:
Section 1: Top E-Cig Starter Kits
Section 2: Top Vape Pod Starter Kits
Section 3: Top Vape Pen Starter Kits
Section 4: Top Box Mod Starter Kits
Section 6: Which Type Of E-Cig Will Suit You
Section 7: FAQs New Vapers Generally Ask
Or:
SmokeTastic is a team of vaping experts who advise vapers and smokers on the best vaping products on the market.
The Top 3 In Each Category
Just looking at the top, doesn’t give you many choices.
There are of course many others on the market, so feel free to check out all the reviews by type, you should see the link below each of the rankings.
So, here are the top 3 kits from each type:
(Note: We take a lot of time completing our reviews. Work includes testing for at least a week (usually longer), followed up with customer research. We then meet to discuss the change in the rankings. These rankings do change from time to time. Depending on our reader’s feedback, customer support issues and new releases).
The E-Cig Starter Kit
Cigalikes, sometime known as minis are electronic cigarettes that resemble the look of a traditional cigarette and best for complete beginners.
They come in both disposable and rechargeable kits, with everything you need to start vaping, choice of flavors and options are relatively limited with this type. The below list happen to be all rechargeable Cigalikes, due to slightly better performance.
1st: Express Kit
VaporFi is one of the oldest E-Cig brands on the market, but one thing they do well and better than their competitors is the flavor of their e-cigs. Cigalikes all perform to a similar level, VaporFi seem to have the edge with their Express Kits. They have 2 kits available traditional tobacco and menthol, but they offer multiple other flavors too.
Vape Score
Out of 10
The Vape Pod
Vape Pods are electronic cigarettes that have become all the rage in the last few years. Thanks to their simplicity and great performance, taking over the Cigalike type market.
Pod vapes do come in a whole host of designs now but they all have a self contained pod which holds both e-liquid and a coil.
Once it’s empty, you just replace the pod.
Most are non refillable, you just choose the flavor and strength when you choose your kit.
You can of course buy replacement pods. The refillable pod versions however, generally do not come with any e-liquid, so you would have to buy that separately.
1st: Aspire Breeze 2
Aspire have been in the vaping industry for a long time, and produce some of the best models on the market. The Breeze 2 is no exception. It’s simple to use and delivers a really good vape, thanks to the refillable pods. Ideal for the mouth to lung vaper, that replicates traditional smoking, yet with a smooth and flavorful vape.
Vape Score
Out of 10
The Vape Pen
Vape pens are the most common e cig used by beginner and intermediate vapers.
They have a small tank to add your own e-liquid along with a rechargeable battery.
All vape pens are sold as starter kits and consist of the main vape pen, recharge cable, and a spare coil or atomizer.
Again, as they are refillable, it is up to you to provide your own e-liquid.
Vape Pens can be used similarly to smoking with mouth to lung inhales. With this option, you should look at atomizers over 1-ohm.
Below 1-ohm atomizers are meant for direct lung inhales, which produce much higher amounts of vapor.
1st: SMOK Stick V8
SMOK really made their name releasing the TFV Tanks, which produce some of the best flavors in the industry. The SMOK Stick V8 is no exception, an easy to use vape pen which produces a great flavorful vape. Comes with an internal 3000mAh battery that should last most of the day and a replacement coil and spare glass tank. The Stick V8 starter kit is extremely good value.
Vape Score
Out of 10
The Box Mod
Box mods are being used by vapers moving on from vape pens and want a little more vapor and power.
Often used with sub ohm coils to create thick clouds of vaper.
Box mods are often sold as starter kits which includes a tank and a couple of atomizer coils (you can also buy replacement coils).
These tanks are refillable, so you do need your own e-liquid.
You can pay a lot for mods with certain high-quality chipsets, but here, we list the best-regulated mods for the money.
1st: SMOK Species
SMOK produce the largest amount of box mods to the market and one of their latest models, the Species, uses all their experinece to deliver a superb mox mod kit. Comes complete with the TFV8 Baby V2 Tank which produces a real smooth vape but really designed for the direct lung inhale vapers. You do have to buy seperate 18650 batteries and e-liquid as with all box mods, but this kit is hard to beat.
Vape Score
Out of 10
Who Are E-Cigs For?
The e-cigarette has changed a lot over the past few years, so there is a lot to learn. You also need to be aware of the health issues relating to e-cigs to fully understand what vaping represents. The FDA has also been busy studying e-cigarettes to make sure the products available to consumers are of the highest quality.
After reading these resources you will note that there is little known about the long-term effects of vaping, it is therefore critical that you learn as much about them as possible before starting. Another good resource to use is the Surgeon General site where they give you an overview of e-cigarettes and the health impacts.
We’re in agreement that adverts should not target children. Cambridge University reported adverts for candy-flavored e-cigs could encourage children into vaping. That’s the last thing we want. But with these one-sided stories, it’s hard to find advice about vaping and which to try!
So, if you are a smoker or ex-smoker, how do you know which type of e-cig to choose from, and which is the best e-cig starter kit? You don’t want to waste your money on an expensive vape only to realize that it’s for a more experienced vaper. The best advice that we can give, start simple. Either a cheap Cigalike e-cig or a more expensive pod type vape or vape pen. The box mod type vapes and the Squonk mods are for the more experienced vapers who want more of a vape hit. Take a look at our quick explanation of each type:
Which Type Of E-Cig Will Suit You?
The Cigalike
The Pod E-Cig
Vape Pen
Box Mods
* There are two types of vaping, mouth to lung (using an atomizer/coil above 1-ohm). This is where you suck the vaper in your mouth then into your lungs. The second is direct lung inhales (with atomizers below 1-ohm, known as sub-ohm vaping). This is where you take the vape directly to your lungs. All Cigalikes and pods mainly support mouth to lung vaping where vape pens and box mods offer both styles.
Note: There are also Squonk mods which are box mods with a rubber bottle contained within the mod. The bottle feeds a specially designed RDA (rebuildable dripping atomizer) tank. The other type of e-cig available is the mechanical mod. This is an unregulated and basic battery-to-coil setup with no safety features. These types of e-cigs are strictly for more advanced users.
FAQs New Vapers Generally Ask
If you’re completely new to vaping e-cigarettes then you may have a host of questions. You might not even know which questions to ask. We have summarized the most common questions new vapers ask along with the simple answer. Click on the question that’s relevant and the answer should appear!
To learn more check out our guide on the right type of e-cig and their advantages/disadvantages. We also have a guide giving you advice on what to look for when choosing your first e-cig.
For the less powerful Cigalike and pod vapes, start by choosing a 16-32mg nicotine level.
For vape pens and box mods with sub-ohm tanks, the vape cloud is a lot denser, so the levels need to be 3-6mg.
If you are still craving nicotine, up the nicotine levels. Another option is using nicotine salts. Salts are higher in nicotine but give a much smoother vape.
On flavors, this is a personal choice. Buying 10ml of a variety of e-liquids is ideal, try them for a day to get a good feel for what suits. No good trying one or two puffs at a vape shop, it doesn’t give you an idea if it’s an all day vape flavor!
The truth is that no-one knows the long-term effect that vaping has on the body. The chemicals within the vapor of e-cigarettes are safe. Studies showed toxic chemicals in some flavorings. These are now removed from the market. But it is a new form of smoking that only time will tell. Our advice is to use e-cigs to quit smoking, reducing your nicotine levels. Then reduce your vaping habit also.
It is important to control advertising though, to make sure that non-smokers and kids are not targeted.
- FDA’s Vaporizers, E-Cigarettes, and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Regulations – This and many other pages within the FDA allows us to report the facts on the regulatory requirements of e-cigarettes and other vaping devices.
- The CDC’s E-Cigarette Resources – The CDC have a number of resources available to learn more about e-cigs.
- The British Medical Journal or BMJ – The BMJ release a number of studies relating to e-cigarettes and vaping.
- The New England Journal of Medicine – Features some up to date e-cigarette studies and reports that newspapers and other media outlets often use to find the facts on health and wellness.
- Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) – JAMA is another great resource to find more information behind written journals and studies of e-cigarettes. Their articles are well written and relatively easy to understand.
The above are just an example and the most common resources we use, we do try to list the resources we use for each article, and that list may include additional resources not shown above.
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