Welcome to the Internet’s most comprehensive guide to finding the best e-cigarettes in every price range, for every need. Although this guide is very long, we believe that reading it is worth the effort. By the end, you’ll know everything there is to know about finding the best e-cigarettes through every stage of your new life as an e-smoker. Whether you’ve never used an e-cigarette before or you’re looking for a worthy upgrade for your current vaping setup, you’ll find the information you need here.

Our writers haven’t forgotten what it was like to buy an e-cigarette for the first time. If you search online for the best e-cigarettes, you’ll probably find a different opinion on each website or forum that you check — and you’ll see the same claims repeated every time. How many times have you seen these claims made about an e-cigarette?

• Most vapor!
• Thickest vapor!
• Best flavor!
• Tastes real!
• Longest battery life!
• Most satisfaction!

After several years of rapid growth, the e-cigarette industry has begun to consolidate. New e-cigarette companies aren’t popping up quite as frequently as they once did. Less successful companies are beginning to close. Mergers and acquisitions are taking place. The great news is that the overall quality in the e-cigarette industry is much higher than ever before. Although two people rarely agree on what the best e-cigarettes are, it’s a lot harder to find a complete dud today than it once was.

Welcome to the Most Complete List of the Best E-Cigarettes on the Planet.

What you’re about to read is an extremely lengthy article that describes every point that you should consider when buying an e-cigarette — whether you’re an experienced e-cigarette user or you have yet to try your first e-cigarette. We conclude the article by describing the best e-cigarettes on the market in every price range — but there’s a lot of information to get through first. If you’d rather simply see our short list of the very best e-cigarettes on the market, look at the four e-cigarettes immediately below the introduction. Otherwise, use the table of contents on the right to jump directly to a specific section.

Best E-Cigarettes: Table of Contents

Click an item to navigate directly to that chapter.

1. Before We Begin: The Best E-Cigarettes Overall
2. Buying an E-Cigarette: In the Beginning
3. Buying the Best E-Cigarettes: General Tips
   1. Cigalike or Mod?
   2. Rechargeable or Disposable?
   3. Convenience or Performance?
   4. Recurring Costs
   5. Sub-Ohm?
   6. Temperature Control?
   7. Mechanical Mod?
   8. Safety Features
   9. Rebuildable Atomizer?
   10. Fixed or Removable Battery?
   11. Accessories
   12. E-Liquid or Cartridges?
   13. Automatic or Manual Battery?
   14. Nicotine Strength?
   15. VG/PG Ratio?
   16. Company Reputation and Policies
   17. Where Can I Buy E-Cigarettes Near Me?
   18. Should I Buy an E-Cigarette Online?
4. The Best E-Cigarettes
   1. Best E-Cigarettes Over $150
      1. VaporFi VEX 150 TC
      2. Volcano Lavabox DNA 200
      3. V2 Pro Series 7
      4. Volcano Pele Mechanical Mod
   2. Best E-Cigarettes Under $150
      1. VaporFi Rebel 3
      2. Volcano Lavabox M 75
   3. Best E-Cigarettes Under $100
      1. VaporFi Rocket 3
      2. Halo Reactor Mega
      3. V2 Cigs VERTX Plus
   4. Best E-Cigarettes Under $75
      1. V2 Cigs EX Series
      2. South Beach Smoke Ultimate
      3. XEO Void Vaporizer
      4. Vapor4Life Vapor Zeus V-Kit
      5. SMOK Treebox Mini
   5. Best E-Cigarettes Under $50
      1. VaporFi Pro 3
      2. JUUL E-Cigarette
      3. Halo Triton II
      4. Kanger Topbox Nano
   6. Best E-Cigarettes Under $25
      1. South Beach Smoke Deluxe
      2. White Cloud Fling Wide
      3. Innokin iTaste Disrupter
      4. ELeaf iCare Mini
      5. ELeaf iStick Mini

Before We Begin: The Best E-Cigarettes Overall

Buying an E-Cigarette: In the Beginning

Most of our staff switched to e-cigarettes in or around 2010. The e-cigarette industry exploded in the United States around that time because a company had just won a lawsuit against the FDA. The FDA wanted to regulate e-cigarettes as drug delivery devices. The lawsuit established that e-cigarettes weren’t drug delivery devices — they were tobacco alternatives, and they were entirely legal to sell.

The basic technology behind e-cigarettes hasn’t changed a lot since 2010. An e-cigarette still uses a battery-powered heating coil to vaporize liquid. Modern e-cigarettes just accomplish that task a lot more reliably today than they once did. You can expect a battery to deliver smooth voltage that doesn’t sag, and you can expect a tank or cartridge to deliver vapor with every puff until it’s dry. Those are pretty basic features of any e-cigarette, but there was a time when you couldn’t always expect an e-cigarette to have them.

Things are very different today.

Buying the Best E-Cigarettes: General Tips

If you’re buying an e-cigarette today, it’s pretty difficult to make a choice that’s completely bad. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a best e-cig for your particular needs, though. There has never been a better time to buy an e-cigarette than right now. If you don’t find what you want in this buyer’s guide, however, here are a few tips that can help you find the ideal electronic cigarette without a lot of hassle.

Cigalike or Mod?

An e-cigarette is either a cigalike or a mod.

A cigalike looks like a tobacco cigarette. It’s narrow and light enough to hold between two fingers. You can usually let a cigalike hang from your lips if you want. A cigalike probably won’t have batteries or cartridges that last all day. A cigalike also typically produces less vapor than a mod. However, a cigalike can still be very satisfying to use — it’s all about choosing the correct nicotine strength. If you want maximum convenience and a hand-to-mouth motion that feels like smoking, buy a cigalike.

A mod is any e-cigarette that doesn’t look like a real cigarette. You can loosely classify mods into two groups: tube mods and box mods. Generally speaking, box mods have greater battery capacity, greater maximum vapor production and more features. They also tend to be larger and heavier than tube mods — and less pocketable.

Don’t let anyone tell you that a cigalike can’t be just as satisfying as a mod. Mods produce more vapor, but that isn’t everything. Some of the best e-cigarettes on the market are still cigalikes. A modern cigalike produces just as much vapor as a cigarette produces smoke. If you like the flavor of the e-liquid and you choose the correct nicotine strength for your needs, you’ll love using a cigalike.

Many e-smokers do eventually upgrade to mods, though. For one thing, a refillable tank gives you the freedom to experiment with the many hundreds — possibly thousands — of e-liquid flavors that currently exist. Also, having a device that produces enormous vapor clouds is simply a lot of fun. Because of the increased vapor production, a mod also works well if you’d like to taper — and eventually eliminate — your nicotine consumption.

Compared to a cigalike, a mod is a bit of work. A typical mod lets you customize many aspects of the vaping experience. These are just a few of the choices you’ll think about when configuring your personal e-cigarette mod:

• Wide or narrow mouthpiece?
• Sub-ohm or standard resistance tank?
• Tank or rebuildable atomizer?
• Variable voltage, variable wattage or temperature control?
• Fixed or removable battery?

The list goes on and on. If you love to tinker with gadgets, a mod is probably right for you. If your main concern is simply to find an alternative to smoking, start with a cigalike and consider getting a mod later.

Rechargeable or Disposable?

Many companies sell disposable e-cigarettes. A disposable e-cigarette provides the vaping experience that most closely resembles smoking a tobacco cigarette. You simply puff on it whenever you like. When the battery dies or the e-liquid runs out, you dispose of it. A typical disposable e-cigarette provides about the same amount of nicotine as a pack of tobacco cigarettes. Getting a similar amount of usage time out of a disposable e-cigarette, though, depends on you not using it more often than you would smoke.

Disposable e-cigarettes are so convenient that you might wonder why everyone doesn’t use them. The answer is cost; a typical disposable e-cigarette costs at least $5-6. If you switch from smoking to vaping disposable e-cigarettes, you’ll smell better. You may feel better, too. You might pay more, though. That’s because you buy a new battery every time you buy a disposable e-cigarette.

With a rechargeable e-cigarette, you’ll keep your battery and simply buy liquid cartridges — which costs a lot less. Most of the world’s best e-cigarettes are rechargeable. There are a few great disposable e-cigarettes on the market, though.

Convenience or Performance?

There is great appeal in buying an e-cigarette that’s as easy to use as possible. A tobacco cigarette is incredibly easy to use, after all — just take one out and light it. A cigalike is equally simple. As long as the battery is charged and the cartridge isn’t empty, a cigalike just works. It’s the perfect solution when you’re changing the way in which you use nicotine and you’re not sure yet how things are going to work out.

Most of the best e-cigarettes on the market, though — at least in terms of performance — aren’t all that convenient.

A mod is sort of like the vaping equivalent of a sports car. A sports car requires no tinkering to outperform a typical economy car. Some people tinker with their sports cars anyway, though, because they want to stretch the limits of what’s possible. Others buy sports cars and leave them entirely stock — because they’re already great. Either way, though, the maintenance costs are higher.

Recurring Costs

A mod often has a higher up-front cost than a cigalike — but the recurring costs can be higher, too. If you use a mod with a tank system, you’ll need to replace the atomizer periodically. If you use your tank at high wattage settings — that’s the way to get more vapor, after all — you’ll go through atomizers more quickly and you’ll need to buy more e-liquid.

It’s not uncommon for an owner of a sub-ohm mod to go through 240 ml of e-liquid or more — and as many as ten atomizer coils — per month. Even if you buy very affordable e-liquid, you’re still looking at a monthly cost of more than $100. If you buy premium e-liquid, you’ll pay nearly double.

A cigalike, on the other hand, can easily cost under $50 per month if you use one cartridge per day and buy cartridges in bulk. A cigalike may produce less vapor, but you can compensate for that simply by buying higher-nicotine e-liquid.

Sub-Ohm?

An e-cigarette uses resistance wire — usually Kanthal — to generate vapor. As such, you’ll always see an atomizer’s resistance in ohms when you look at its specifications. An e-cigarette that supports “sub-ohm” atomizers has the ability to handle the high current needed to operate an atomizer with a resistance under 1 ohm. In general, a lower atomizer resistance enables higher wattage settings and greater vapor production.

If you buy a mod, you should almost always buy one with sub-ohm support. That’s because most tanks made today use sub-ohm atomizers. So, you need sub-ohm compatibility if you want to experiment with all of the different tanks that are available. That’s no problem, though; almost all of the best e-cigarettes on the market support sub-ohm attachments.

If you buy a cigalike, you don’t need to concern yourself with sub-ohm compatibility. Large e-cigarette tanks only work with mods.

Temperature Control?

A typical mod gives you the ability to vary vapor production by installing an atomizer coil with a different resistance or by changing the voltage or wattage of the mod itself. However, many of the best e-cigarettes currently on the market also allow you to play with another variable: temperature.

In a typical e-cigarette tank, a cotton wick runs through the center of — or is wrapped around — the atomizer coil. The wick continually draws e-liquid from the tank as you vape. People love atomizers with cotton wicks because they tend to produce very pure flavor. Without the cooling effect of e-liquid, though, an atomizer coil would quickly become hot enough to burn cotton. If you take several long puffs in quick succession or accidentally allow the tank to run out of e-liquid, you’ll probably singe the cotton. After that, the vapor that the atomizer produces will never taste quite right.

If an atomizer coil goes dry and starts to burn the cotton, its temperature will be much higher than it would be if the cotton were still wet. A mod that supports temperature control vaping electronically limits the temperature of the coil to prevent it from singing the wick — even if the wick is dry.

Temperature control vaping has two requirements. You need a mod that supports temperature control, and you need an atomizer with a nickel or titanium coil. Some mods also support temperature control vaping with stainless steel coils. Some people subjectively feel that temperature control coils alter the flavor of e-cigarette vapor slightly. However, many of those people have already vaped for years using standard Kanthal coils — so they’ll notice even the slightest change. Many people agree that the benefits of temperature control vaping are definitely worth having.

Mechanical Mod?

A mechanical mod is a mod that has no internal electronics. Usually, it’ll have a a tube shape. Essentially, it’s nothing but a hollow tube for the battery, threading for the tank or atomizer and a button to complete the circuit. When you aren’t using a mechanical mod, a spring or magnet holds the fire button away from the bottom of the battery.

If you’ve ever read about e-cigarettes in the news, you probably know that there have been some e-cigarette explosions that resulted in horrific injuries. The available information suggests that mechanical mods have caused every e-cigarette explosion to date that has occurred during use. We believe that most e-smokers — especially new ones — don’t truly understand the safety risks of mechanical mods. As a result, we generally don’t recommend mechanical mods. However, many people happily use them. Given the risks, why would anyone consider mechanical mods the best e-cigarettes on the market? Allow us to describe some of the pros and cons.

Safety Features

If you buy a cigalike, it’ll generally only work with manufacturer-supplied chargers and cartridges. A mod, though, is a completely open system. You can use any tank or atomizer that’ll fit the threading. You can often choose your own battery, too. However, having the freedom to choose any configuration you like means that you could potentially use your mod in an unsafe manner. A mechanical mod has no built-in safety features, but a regulated mod protects you from all sorts of potentially dangerous scenarios.

Rebuildable Atomizer?

If you decide to buy a mod with a tank system, you can expect each atomizer to cost about $2-3. In theory, an atomizer should last several weeks. In practice, though, that rarely happens because so many people prefer sweet e-liquids. Invariably, some of the sweetener fails to vaporize cleanly. Instead, it sticks to the coil and eventually forms a dark crust. That crust — “coil gunk” — eventually ruins the flavor of the vapor, and it can happen in just a couple of days if you use a lot of e-liquid.

A rebuildable atomizer eliminates the need for pre-built atomizers. It has posts and screws that allow you to build your own coils using resistance wire. Add a cotton wick, and you’ve got an atomizer that works just as well as a factory-built one — maybe even better. Since you can buy the wire and cotton in bulk, each coil only costs a few cents. So, you’ll save money even if you build a new coil every day.

Rebuildable Atomizers Aren’t for Everyone

So, if you can save a bundle of money by using a rebuildable atomizer, why doesn’t everyone do it? The first reason is effort. Eventually, you’ll get to the point where you can build coils pretty quickly. Twisting in a pre-built coil will always be faster, though.

The main argument against rebuildable atomizers is safety. If you’re twisting resistance wire and tightening it down by hand, you may eventually make a mistake — and a faulty atomizer coil could cause a short. A hand-built coil simply doesn’t have the same level of safety as a machine-made coil.

The benefit of owning a regulated mod is that your e-cigarette should have the safety features that we mentioned in the previous section. If there’s a short, the device won’t try to activate the atomizer. A mechanical mod, though, will try to activate the atomizer even if a short exists — and that’s when serious accidents can occur.

If you want to learn Ohm’s law and use a resistance meter every time you build a coil, feel free to try a rebuildable atomizer — but only if you have a regulated mod and you’ve been vaping for a while. Because a mechanical mod won’t protect you if you make a mistake, though, we don’t recommend using rebuildable atomizers with mechanical mods.

Fixed or Removable Battery?

A mod can have a permanent internal battery or a compartment that allows you to use the battery of your choice. Mods with removable batteries typically use the same types of lithium-ion batteries that you would use in a device such as a flashlight. The most common battery sizes are 18650 and 28650. A device with a fixed battery might use exactly the same type of battery, but you can’t remove it for charging. Instead, you’ll connect the mod itself to a USB cable to charge it.

When you consider fixed vs. removable battery mods, there’s really no right or wrong choice. The best e-cigarettes on the market fall into both categories. A mod with a removable battery might be slightly safer because you can buy top quality cells and charge them without needing to worry about compatibility between various USB devices. There’s really no need to worry about charging a fixed battery mod, though, if you use the charging accessories that the manufacturer recommends.

Accessories

All of the best e-cigarettes on the market include accessories for charging or convenience. Many also include e-liquid or cartridges to keep you vaping for a while before you’ll need to buy more. In this section, we’ll describe some of the accessories that your first e-cigarette kit might include. Think about which ones would be most important to you.

E-Liquid or Cartridges?

If you buy a cigalike, you’re going to need a steady supply of cartridges. A mod, on the other hand, uses bottled e-liquid.

E-Cigarette Cartridges: Pros and Cons

A modern e-cigarette cartridge is a self-contained unit that contains e-liquid and the heating coil necessary to vaporize it. Individual cartridges can cost under $2.00 if you buy them in bulk, and each cartridge typically holds around 1 ml of e-liquid. With cartridges, you never need to worry about coil gunk because you’ll discard each cartridge wwhen the e-liquid runs out. Cartridges are user-friendly and incredibly convenient for new e-cigarette users.

On the other hand, cartridges can’t compete with tanks when it comes to vapor production. The coils are too small and there isn’t enough airflow. Also, a typical cartridge-based e-cigarette has around a dozen flavors available at the most. If you find a flavor that you love, that doesn’t matter. What if you want to experiment, though? You can either upgrade to a tank-based e-cigarette later, or you can just use a tank-based e-cigarette off the bat.

Bottled E-Liquid: Pros and Cons

If you buy a mod, you’ll have the freedom to sample the many different flavors available from e-liquid companies around the world. A mod has lower recurring costs — at least on the surface — than a cigalike, too. After all, 30 ml of e-liquid in cartridge form may cost close to $60. A 30 ml bottle of e-liquid should cost $20 or less.

On the other hand, if you use a mod, you might use it with a sub-ohm tank. In that case, you’ll consume e-liquid fairly quickly. You’ll need a steady supply of atomizer coils, too. In the end, a mod can easily have higher recurring costs than a cigalike.

In short, bottled e-liquid costs less per ml and gives you more variety than cartridges. To determine whether using a mod would truly cost less over time, though, you need consider the cost of atomizer coils and calculate how much e-liquid you’ll use. Calculating e-liquid usage can be difficult if you’ve never used an e-cigarette before, though. That’s why we usually suggest starting with a cigalike.

Automatic or Manual Battery?

Years ago, many e-cigarette companies offered cigalikes with automatic or manual batteries. An automatic battery would generate vapor automatically when the user puffed on it — just like a real cigarette. A manual battery would have a button that turned it on. Some people preferred manual batteries because with an automatic battery, there would be a slight delay between the start of the inhale and actually receiving vapor in the mouth. With a manual battery, you could hold the button and then inhale — so you’d get more vapor per puff.

Today, the debate between automatic and manual e-cigarette batteries is largely irrelevant because automatic batteries work much better than they once did. Most cigalikes use automatic batteries today. All of the best e-cigarettes that are cigalikes have automatic batteries with perfect sensitivity. Mods almost always have manual buttons.

Nicotine Strength?

Many e-cigarette companies offer e-liquid and cartridges in a variety of nicotine strengths such as 3, 8 and 16 mg per ml. It’s difficult to recommend a nicotine strength to someone who has never used an e-cigarette before because the different e-cigarettes available today have as much variety as the people who use them. In general, though, it’s usually safe to recommend a nicotine strength of at least 8 mg for those who smoke up to one pack of cigarettes per day. If you smoke more than one pack of cigarettes per day, you should probably use e-liquid with a strength of at least 16 mg. These recommendations apply if you’re using a cigalike with multiple nicotine strengths available.

Some companies make e-cigarettes with pre-filled cartridges that only come in one nicotine strength. That’s not a bad thing. It simply means that the manufacturer optimized the e-cigarette to provide a good experience for as many current smokers as possible. With this type of e-cigarette, you can adjust the amount of nicotine that you consume by using the e-cigarette more or less often.

The larger an e-cigarette is — and the lower its atomizer resistance is — the more vapor it will generally produce. So, while an e-liquid with a strength of 8 mg would produce a moderate nicotine hit with a cigalike, the same e-liquid with a sub-ohm device would overwhelm most users. People who use sub-ohm devices consume so much e-liquid that they usually prefer a nicotine strength of 3 mg or lower.

VG/PG Ratio?

In addition to flavors and optionally nicotine, an e-liquid contains the carriers propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG). The ratio of the two carriers determines the e-liquid’s performance in certain types of e-cigarettes. If you buy a cigalike, VG/PG ratio isn’t something that you need to worry about because your device will use pre-filled cartridges.

If you buy e-liquid by the bottle, though, you may get to choose the VG/PG ratio. These guidelines will help you choose:

Company Reputation and Policies

In the past, new e-cigarette companies popped up so quickly that no one could really keep track of them. If you bought an e-cigarette that didn’t work well — or didn’t work at all — you might not have much recourse because the company could be gone before you tried to exercise your warranty rights. It’s not like that anymore; the e-cigarette companies that still do business today have survived the industry consolidation phase because they genuinely want to please their customers.

That being said, it doesn’t hurt to research the history of an e-cigarette company before buying. A company with years of industry experience is going to abide by its warranty and return policies — so you can buy with confidence. We only recommend established, reliable brands in this e-cigarette buyer’s guide. The companies that sell the best e-cigarettes will always support them.

Satisfaction Guarantee

Don’t assume that all e-cigarette companies have the same warranty and return policies. If possible, you should buy from a company that guarantees your satisfaction. If what you buy doesn’t turn out to be the ideal e-cigarette for you, you should be able to return it for a refund.

Warranty

Different types of e-cigarettes often have different warranties. If you buy a cigalike, it may come with a lifetime warranty on all components that remains valid as long as you’ve purchased refill cartridges recently. It makes sense for a cigalike to include a lifetime warranty. After all, the e-cigarette itself isn’t the primary source of profit – it’s the refill cartridges. A good e-cigarette company will do whatever it can to keep you buying cartridges for years.

If a company sells mods, though, it earns the majority of its money by selling devices — not cartridges. Also, a mod has higher manufacturing costs and smaller profit margins than a cigalike. Don’t expect a lifetime warranty on a mod. A mod typically has a warranty ranging from 30 days to one year, depending largely on the purchase cost.

Where Can I Buy E-Cigarettes Near Me?

You can buy e-cigarettes in just about any store that sells tobacco, giving you a perfect opportunity to seek out the best e-cigarette for your needs without waiting for shipping. In fact, many of the brands that we discuss in this article have their own online locators that can help you locate a seller nearby.

Should I Buy an E-Cigarette Online?

Although you might have a truly fantastic vape shop near you, it’s likely that you’ll have an even better experience if you buy an e-cigarette online. Why should you buy online? In general, buying online gives you access to the widest selection and the best prices. Store owners have rent to pay, after all — and in an industry that’s constantly changing, no one shop can possibly stock anything. You also can’t generally use coupon codes unless you buy online. You’ll find a great many coupon codes in this article to help you score some of the best e-cigarette deals available anywhere.

The Best E-Cigarettes

Without further ado, we present our list of the best e-cigarettes on the market. We’ve grouped these e-cigs by price range. Aside from price ranges, these selections appear in no particular order.

You can’t always tell a lot about an e-cigarette from its price. Chinese manufacturers supply most of the world’s e-cigarette companies with components and e-liquid at extremely low prices. Even companies that source their e-liquid in the United States or Europe often fill their cartridges in Chinese factories. So, the profit margins in the e-cigarette industry are often very high. Nevertheless, some e-cigarette companies still try to stretch the limits by charging as much as they possibly can. We, of course, weeded those companies out when we created this e-cigarette buyer’s guide. Understand, though, that price alone doesn’t necessarily indicate the quality of an e-cigarette.

VaporFi VEX 150 TC

Buying the VaporFi VEX 150 TC

Price: $199.99

VaporFi VEX 150 TC Features

• Dual-battery mod; includes two 2,500 mAh batteries
• Zinc alloy case
• Maximum output power of 150 watts
• Minimum atomizer resistance of 0.1 ohms in wattage mode or 0.05 ohms in temperature control mode
• Supports temperature limiting up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit with nickel and stainless steel coils
• Safety features: short circuit protection, high and low voltage protection, over current protection, low resistance protection

Included With the VaporFi VEX 150 TC:

• VaporFi VEX 150 TC Mod
• USB charging cable
• Two 18650 batteries
• Instruction manual
• Silicone protective enclosure
• VaporFi Viper tank, Vibe tank or Venom rebuildable atomizer
• Extra atomizers, o-rings, replacement glass, etc depending upon tank selected
• Bottle of custom e-liquid

We believe that the VaporFi VEX 150 TC is, quite simply, the best looking box mod on the market. The zinc alloy design helps to create a device that feels extremely solid in the hand — and with two high-drain batteries driving the coil simultaneously, it heats extremely quickly with little ramp-up time. The two batteries also give you a combined capacity of 5,000 mAh.

So, the VEX 150 TC isn’t just the best e-cigarette for firing any crazy sub-ohm atomizer that your mind happens to dream up — it’s also a great all-day workhorse for a standard sub-ohm tank setup. With 5,000 mAh of battery life, it’s going to be a long time before you’ll need to worry about recharging. Not only is the VEX 150 TC a device with power and battery capacity to spare, but it is also a perfectly machined work of art that you’ll feel proud to hold. The VEX 150 TC is truly one of the best e-cigarettes ever built.

Volcano Lavabox DNA 200

Buying the Volcano Lavabox DNA 200

Price: $199.99

Volcano Lavabox DNA 200 Features

• Evolv DNA 200 chipset: USA-made electronics promote safety and allow for a fully customized vaping experience
• Supports downloadable firmware updates
• Three-cell LiPo battery delivers smooth, reliable power; chipset manages each cell independently
• Billet aluminum alloy case
• Removable battery — easy to replace or upgrade
• Removable rubberized grip available in several colors
• Spring-loaded 510 connection with gold-plated pin
• Supports temperature limiting up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit with nickel, titanium and stainless steel coils
• Current limit of 23 amps
• Maximum power output of 200 watts
• Safety features: built-in 25 amp fuse, short circuit protection, weak battery protection, temperature protection, over- and under-current protection, onboard battery charger with individual cell monitoring

Included With the Volcano Lavabox DNA 200

• Volcano Lavabox DNA 200 mod
• Volcano Tube Tank Pro
• Data/power USB cable
• Instruction manual
• Gift box
• Bottle of e-liquid

Imagine having the ability to customize absolutely every aspect of your vaping experience, and you might begin to have an understanding of everything that you can do with the extremely powerful DNA200 chipset.

Evolv manufactures the DNA200 chipset in Ohio. It isn’t cheap. Even in quantity, the DNA200 costs $65 per unit, and you’ll still need to add a case, buttons, atomizer threading and a battery before you’ll have a working e-cigarette. As a result, DNA200 mods can be fairly costly devices.

Volcano has managed to keep the cost of the Lavabox DNA 200 as low as possible by contracting an overseas factory to assemble the device, but they didn’t cut any corners with the design or materials. The Lavabox DNA 200 has the right stuff to be your fully customized vaping workhorse for years to come.

V2 Pro Series 7

Buying the V2 Pro Series 7

Price: $169.99

V2 Pro Series 7 Features

• Vaporizes e-liquid, loose leaf and wax concentrates using an interchangeable cartridge system
• Uses proprietary cartridges and charger to eliminate the potential of incompatibility with other accessories
• Three heat settings
• Internal 1800 mAh battery
• Limited lifetime warranty

Included With the V2 Pro Series 7

• V2 Pro Series 7 vaporizer
• E-liquid cartridge
• Loose leaf cartridge
• USB charger
• Wall charger
• Cleaning accessories

As an e-cigarette, the V2 Pro Series 7 might appear out of place compared to the other devices in this price category. After all, it has only three power levels and somewhat pedestrian vapor production compared to devices such as the VaporFi VOX 60 TC and the Volcano Lavabox DNA 200.

The feature that makes the V2 Pro Series 7 unique, though, is the fact that it isn’t just an e-cigarette. Switch to the loose leaf cartridge, and it becomes a tobacco vaporizer. Switch to the wax cartridge, and the V2 Pro Series 7 becomes a vaporizer for oil and wax concentrates. V2 Pro pretty much created the market for mixed media vaporizers, and if you want one device that can handle absolutely anything, the V2 Pro Series 7 is the best e-cigarette that you could possibly choose.

Volcano Pele Mechanical Mod

Buying the Volcano Pele Mod

Price: $139.99 (device only) or $199.99 (full kit)

Volcano Pele Mod Features

• Mod and RBA both made in Hawaii
• Stainless steel, brass and copper construction
• Recessed rare earth magnet fire button with twisting lock
• Numbered, limited edition product

Included With the Volcano Pele Mod

• Volcano Pele mechanical mod
• Caldera rebuildable atomizer
• eFest 2900 mAh 18650 battery
• Bottle of Volcano Lava Line e-liquid

In our guide to buying the best e-cigarettes in any price range, the Volcano Pele stands alone as the sole mechanical mod on the list. We don’t particularly recommend mechanical mods, and we don’t recommend them at all to inexperienced vapers who may not understand all of the safety considerations yet. If you’re an experienced e-cigarette user who prefers mech mods, though, the Volcano Pele has to be the best mechanical mod on the market.

The Pele is a 18650 mechanical mod that’s made in Hawaii. Its materials include stainless steel, brass and copper. The top and bottom connections adjust to fit any atomizer and create a tight connection for the battery, and the body of the mod has ample vent holes. The Pele’s fire button has a locking function; you can twist it to prevent accidental presses. The Pele is a beautiful device that’s highly functional and made in the USA. If you’re going to buy a mechanical mod, it should be this one.

By the way, the Pele mod kit includes a rebuildable atomizer called the Caldera. Volcano builds the Caldera in Hawaii as well, and it has a design that perfectly matches that of the Pele. The Caldera has a spiral-shaped top section that draws condensed droplets of e-liquid back down to the coil, minimizing leakage and waste.

What can you expect when you buy an e-cigarette costing between $100 and 150? In general, you can expect feature-reduced versions of the best e-cigarettes on the market. You might find an e-cigarette with similar safety features, but with a lower maximum power output, less battery life or a plainer physical design. You won’t get the best that the vaping world has to offer, but you’ll get something really close.

VaporFi Rebel 3

Buying the VaporFi Rebel 3

Price: $119.99

VaporFi Rebel 3 Features

• Compact tube mod with matching double-sized 5.8 ml tank
• Internal 3,000 mAh battery
• Single-button activation
• Compatible with atomizers down to 0.25 ohms

Included With the VaporFi Rebel 3

• VaporFi Rebel 3 mod
• Rebel 3 tank with two atomizer coils
• USB charging cable
• Wall charging adapter

Would you like an e-cigarette with the simplicity of a mechanical mod and all of the safety features that you’d expect to see in a modern regulated mod? The VaporFi Rebel 3 is exactly that. This is a strikingly beautiful device with an extremely large tank and a high-capacity battery that, depending on the pace with which you vape, could potentially last multiple days between refills or recharges.

In addition to its beefy size and solid build, a feature that makes the VaporFi Rebel 3 unique is its ability to fire extremely low-resistance coils. Usually, a device without adjustable power settings won’t have such a generous resistance limit — it’ll only be able to fire coils down to .5 ohms or so. The .25 ohm minimum resistance of the Rebel 3 opens up a world of possibilities for your own atomizer builds or for exploring some of the very large, high-power tanks coming out today.

Volcano Lavabox M 75

Buying the Volcano Lavabox M 75

Price: $139.99

Volcano Lavabox M 75 Features

• Evolv DNA 75 chipset: USA-made electronics promote safety and allow for a fully customized vaping experience
• Supports downloadable firmware updates
• Magnetic door provides easy access to the battery for recharging — or recharge via USB
• Billet aluminum alloy case
• Greatly reduced size compared to the original Lavabox 200
• Removable rubberized grip available in several colors
• Spring-loaded 510 connection with gold-plated pin
• Supports temperature limiting up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit with nickel, titanium and stainless steel coils
• Current limit of 30 amps
• Maximum power output of 75 watts
• Safety features: short circuit protection, weak battery protection, temperature protection, over- and under-current protection, onboard battery charger with individual cell monitoring

Included With the Volcano Lavabox M 75

• Volcano Lavabox M 75 mod
• Data/power USB cable
• Instruction manual
• Gift box
• Metropolis Tank by Atom Vapes
• Bottle of Volcano e-liquid
• EFest 18650 Battery

The Lavabox M 75 is a great solution if you’d like to experience the power and flexibility of the DNA chipset but either don’t need the full 200 watts or don’t want to spend an arm and a leg. The Lavabox M 75 has all of the same features at the Lavabox 200, but it uses a single removable 18650 battery instead of a semi-permanent LiPo cell. You might even find the removable battery design superior, since you can always have a spare battery charging while you use the device. Since the Lavabox M 75 also includes a battery, a sub-ohm tank and a bottle of e-liquid, it’s a really great package for vaping like a pro at a very affordable price.

Although e-cigarettes under $100 aren’t necessarily the most feature-rich e-cigarettes that money can buy, you can still buy an e-cigarette with very modern features such as variable-wattage operation and temperature control mode in this category. Generally, though, you shouldn’t expect features such as a very high power range, programmable firmware or support for unusual coil materials.

VaporFi Rocket 3

Buying the VaporFi Rocket 3

Price: $89.99

VaporFi Rocket 3 Features

• Among the best vapor production anywhere from an extremely compact e-cigarette
• Single-button control; change settings by pressing the button three times
• Supports variable-wattage operation; toggle between 30, 40 and 50 watts
• Supports temperature control operation with included nickel coil; mod detects the coil automatically
• Toggle between temperature settings by pressing the button three times
• Tank supports top filling to minimize spills and leaks
• Extremely fast coil heating time
• Battery capacity of 2,500 mAh

Included With the VaporFi Rocket 3

• VaporFi Rocket 3 vape pen with internal 2,500 mAh battery
• VaporFi Rocket 3 tank with two coils
• Spare o-rings
• USB charging cable
• Instruction manual

The VaporFi Rocket 3 is an e-cigarette that works extremely well for beginners and experts alike. That’s because it has both a simplified control scheme — which is a great feature for beginners — and variable power levels, which experienced e-cigarette users love. If you don’t want to fiddle with a complicated control scheme or adjust your power level in tenths of watts, the VaporFi Rocket 3 is an excellent choice. Three power levels spaced ten watts apart is more than enough flexibility for the vast majority of e-cigarette users out there. With the simplicity, you get one of the smallest devices on the market that’s still capable of producing big vapor clouds — and it has plenty of built-in safety features, too.

Halo Reactor Mega

Buying the Halo Reactor Mega

Price: $75.00

Halo Reactor Mega Features

• Power range of 80 watts
• Internal 5,000 mAh battery
• Supports nickel, titanium and stainless steel temperature control coils
• Minimum resistance of 0.1 ohms
• Memory recalls your preferred settings for up to ten different tanks
• Supports firmware upgrades with PC or Mac
• Displays a 96×16 pixel logo of your choice during startup
• Safety features: over-charge protection, over-discharge protection, over-current protection in both hardware and firmware

Included With the Halo Reactor Mega

• Halo Reactor Mega mod with 5,000 mAh internal battery
• Halo Reactor V2 tank
• Two nickel temperature control atomizer coils
• Stainless steel mouthpiece
• USB charger
• Wall charger
• Instruction manual
• Free 30 ml bottle of e-liquid

Although you can’t customize every aspect of your vaping experience with the Halo Reactor Mega as you can with a DNA chipset device, it is nevertheless one of the most advanced mods that you can buy for under $100. With a 5,000 mAh LiPo battery pack, the Halo Reactor Mega will surely keep just about anyone vaping for a full day on a single charge — and with 80 watts of power, you’ll never no trouble firing any atomizer on the market.

We especially like the addition of a dedicated button for changing modes. Usually, to switch between wattage and temperature control modes or tell your mod that you’re using a new type of coil, you have to turn the device off and execute a combination of button presses to enter a configuration menu. With the Halo Reactor Mega, you just push the mode change button. It’s a great time saver. The Halo Reactor Mega also has a really stylish appearance and top-notch build quality.

V2 Cigs VERTX Plus

Buying the V2 Cigs VERTX Plus

Price: $89.95

V2 Cigs VERTX Plus Features

• Only slightly larger than a “cigalike,” but far superior in battery life, vapor production and cartridge capacity
• Magnetic drop-in cartridges and magnetic charger
• High-capacity cartridges offer roughly triple the capacity of a standard e-cigarette cartridge; one cartridge should last more than one day
• Sealed cartridges are highly resistant to leaking
• Touch screen looks nice and allows for easy power adjustments
• Power range of 3.5-4.5 volts
• Battery capactity of 420 mAh
• Proprietary connections prevent charging with incorrect equipment
• Limited lifetime warranty

Included With the V2 Cigs VERTX Plus

• V2 VERTX Plus battery
• Three replacement cartridges in your choice of flavor and strength
• USB charging cable
• Instruction manual

The V2 VERTX Plus is an e-cigarette designed with the goal of redesigning the beginner’s e-cigarette experience from the ground up. Since the beginning of the e-cigarette industry, new e-cigarette users have generally purchased e-cigarettes that look like real cigarettes — or “cigalikes.” The cigalike form factor has a few problems, though. Because they’re so small, cigalikes tend to offer relatively poor battery life and cartridge capacity. Also, because the entire e-cigarette industry began with a few popular designs that everyone used as templates, there’s a slight possibility of damaging an e-cigarette by connecting it to a charger intended for another e-cigarette.

The V2 VERTX is an attempt to remove the possibility of improper usage by creating new, proprietary connections that only work with VERTX chargers and cartridges. Also, by increasing the size of the VERTX slightly compared to the size of a standard cigalike, V2 greatly increased the battery and e-liquid capacity. Since the VERTX tank works much more efficiently than a standard e-cigarette cartridge, the VERTX can safely operate at a higher power level for greater vapor production without “dry hits.”

With FDA regulation looming, the V2 Cigs VERTX Plus is one of the best e-cigarettes that you could possibly buy as a beginner. Unless pending lawsuits end up forcing the FDA to change the language of its e-cigarette regulations, virtually every e-cigarette on the market will need FDA approval to remain in the market by the end of 2018. Open vaping systems that allow for customization — most of the products that we discuss in our e-cigarette buyer’s guide, in other words — will have the most difficult time gaining approval. Being a proprietary system, though, the VERTX should gain approval without much trouble. So, it’s one of the very few e-cigarettes available today that should definitely still be around in two years, no matter what happens. Since it’s also such a powerful device, you should still be completely happy with it in two years, as well.

When you shop for e-cigarettes under $75, you’ll start to see a lot more products designed for complete beginners. Since e-cigarettes for beginners often have relatively basic feature sets — smaller batteries, less possible adjustments to make, and so on — they don’t need to cost as much as more expensive mods. You can still find mods in this price category too, though. Mods under $75 often look a bit less stylish than more expensive mods. Designs might not be quite so seamless, materials may be less exotic and buttons might rattle a little. From a functionality standpoint, you can still expect a great experience from an inexpensive mod — you just might not get exactly the same feature set.

V2 Cigs EX Series

Buying the V2 Cigs EX Series

Price: $59.95

V2 Cigs EX Series Features

• Most advanced cigalike ever released
• High-capacity windowed tanks last much longer than standard e-cigarette cartridges
• Much better vapor production and battery life than other cigalikes
• LEDs show remaining battery life at a glance
• Each stylish battery has a matching cap that snaps over the tank

Included With the V2 Cigs EX Series

• Two batteries
• Ten refill cartridges
• USB charger
• Wall charger
• Instruction manual

V2 Cigs is one of the most popular and best known e-cigarette companies in the history of the industry — and the V2 EX Series is their flagship cigalike. Some Internet-based e-cigarette companies no longer focus on cigalikes, since many people buy them in brick-and-mortar stores, and the tobacco companies have the best distribution networks. If you’re planning to switch to e-cigarettes and you’re willing to wait just a few days for shipping, though, you’ll have a better experience with the V2 Cigs EX series than you would with anything in a convenience store. The V2 Cigs EX series tastes better, the batteries last longer and are more responsive, and the cartridges hold significantly more e-liquid — so they’ll cost less in the long run. The V2 Cigs EX series is a superb first e-cigarette.

South Beach Smoke Deluxe Ultimate Starter Kit

Buying the South Beach Smoke Deluxe Ultimate Starter Kit

Price: $53.75

South Beach Smoke Deluxe Ultimate Starter Kit Features

• Cartridges include USA-made e-liquids; laboratory and formulas FDA-registered
• Lifetime warranty and substantial discounts for Home Delivery Program subscribers
• Pre-filled cartridges available in 16 flavors; assortments also available

Included With the South Beach Smoke Deluxe Ultimate Starter Kit

• One standard battery
• One high-capacity battery
• One manual button high-capacity battery
• Portable battery charging case
• USB charger
• Wall charger
• Car charger
• Carrying case
• Lanyard
• Twenty refill cartridges

More than perhaps any other company currently selling a cigalike, South Beach Smoke goes to great lengths to ensure that customers get plenty for their money. There’s very little in the e-cigarette industry, in fact, that gives you as much for your money as the South Beach Smoke Deluxe Ultimate kit. With three batteries, you’ll never be without a charged battery when you need one — the portable battery charging case helps to ensure that — and with 20 cartridges, you’ll be able to vape for at least two weeks before you need to think about buying more. If you’re completely new to e-cigarettes, it would be hard to find a better introduction than this kit.

The South Beach Smoke e-cigarette is an especially attractive purchase when you consider the Home Delivery Program that we mentioned above. While you’re a member of the program, you’ll enjoy a lifetime warranty on your South Beach Smoke hardware. You’ll also save 20 percent on the cost of cartridges and 10 percent on bottled e-liquid. All that you need to do is schedule an automatic delivery in the amount and frequency of your choosing. There’s no contract, and you can cancel whenever you like.

XEO VOID Vaporizer

Buying the XEO VOID Vaporizer

Price: $59.95

XEO VOID Vaporizer Features

• Superb machining and styling
• Built-in 2 ml tank — simply remove the mouthpiece to refill
• One of the most child-resistant e-cigarettes on the market
• Vortex insert inside mouthpiece prevents condensed e-liquid from leaking
• Regulated power output of 30 watts — change vapor production by changing the coil head
• Internal 1,500 mAh battery
• LED in fire button displays remaining battery life at a glance
• Conforms to EU Tobacco Product Directive

Included With the XEO VOID Vaporizer

• XEO VOID vaporizer with internal battery and tank
• Two atomizer coil heads
• USB charging cable
• Instruction manual

Over the years we’ve become somewhat accustomed to inexpensive e-cigarettes that don’t quite offer the greatest machining — parts that don’t quite fit together perfectly tightly, buttons that don’t quite have the perfect tactile feel and so on. The XEO VOID has none of those shortcomings. The machining is absolutely perfect — and so is the tactile feel. In the hand, it feels comparable to a much more expensive e-cigarette.

If you’re parent and have concerns about children getting into your vaping gear, the XEO VOID might be the absolute best e-cigarette that you could buy. As with most e-cigarettes, you can lock the fire button simply by pressing it five times quickly — but the XEO VOID does more than just that. First, the tank is child-resistant — you need to push and twist the mouthpiece to open the tank. Second, the mouthpiece has a vortex-shaped insert that encourages condensation to collect and drip back down to the atomizer — so even if you invert the device, e-liquid shouldn’t get out.

The XEO VOID is a spectacular e-cigarette from a functionality standpoint, as well. It comes with atomizer heads in two resistance levels — 0.6 ohms and 1.0 ohms. The two atomizers hit both of the “sweet spots” for vaping — if you want to inhale from your mouth to your lungs as you would with a real cigarette, use the 1.0 ohm atomizer. If you want to inhale directly to your lungs, prefer high-VG e-liquids or simply want more vapor, use the 0.6 ohm atomizer. Since the XEO VOID has a consistent regulated power output, there’s no other adjustment to make.

The XEO VOID is also incredibly simple to use because there’s only one way to open it. When you remove the mouthpiece to fill the tank, the atomizer comes out as well because it’s attached to the mouthpiece. If you want to replace the atomizer, just open the tank as you would for filling, and twist the atomizer off.

Vapor4Life Vapor Zeus V-Kit

Buying the Vapor4Life Vapor Zeus V-Kit

Price: $69.99

Vapor4Life Vapor Zeus V-Kit Features

• Cigar-shaped battery operates at 5 volts for big vapor clouds
• Very large refillable 3.5 ml cartridges last all day — or longer
• Cartridges have silicone tips to encourage chomping
• Each cartridge includes additional flavor vials with no nicotine for reducing nicotine intake

Included With the Vapor4Life Vapor Zeus V-Kit

• One five-volt battery
• One pre-filled cartridge
• Zero-nicotine flavor vial
• Carrying case
• Wall charger

The Vapor4Life Vapor Zeus V-Kit is an entirely unique product that defies comparison with other e-cigarettes. The battery is only about as large as a small cigar, but it operates at five volts — so it produces much more vapor than your average 3.7-4.2 volt e-cigarette battery with the same size and shape. The cartridges are enormous. They hold about as much e-liquid as 3-5 standard e-cigarette cartridges, so one cartridge can easily last more than one day. Unlike most e-cigarette companies, though, Vapor4Life doesn’t seal their cartridges. In fact, they encourage you to refill them — an easy task, since the top twists right off.

So, the Vapor4Life Vapor Zeus V-Kit is an e-cigarette that’s just as easy to use as a cigalike, but everything about it is bigger — bigger battery, bigger vapor, bigger cartridges. It’s a dream come true for a smoker with higher nicotine requirements. That isn’t the only twist, though. If you’d like to use an e-cigarette to reduce or even eliminate your nicotine intake, the Vapor Zeus V-Kit makes it easy. Every V-cartridge includes an additional vial of e-liquid containing no nicotine. If you like, you can top a cartridge off with the non-nicotine e-liquid periodically while you use it. By the time you reach the end of the cartridge, you won’t be using any nicotine at all.

SMOK Treebox Mini

Buying the SMOK Treebox Mini

Price: $52.95

SMOK Treebox Mini Features

• Brazilian zebrawood case
• Maximum power of 75 watts
• Minimum resistance of 0.06 ohms
• Checks atomizer resistance every 150 microseconds for accurate temperature control
• Supports temperature control mode with nickel, titanium and stainless steel coils
• Compensates for coil resistance changes resulting from a loose contact pin in the tank or atomizer
• Buttons designed to withstand more than 100,000 presses
• Safety features: temperature protection, over-current protection, short circuit protection, over discharge protection, low voltage protection

Included With the SMOK Treebox Mini

• SMOK Treebox Mini mod
• Instruction manual
• Authenticity sticker

Wood e-cigarettes have long been the domain of smaller companies and at-home mod makers, but that’s all changed now. Chinese e-cigarette manufacturers like SMOK have upped their game, and today some of the prettiest and best machined mods are actually Chinese in origin. The SMOK Treebox Mini is a perfect example. It’s made from Brazilian zebrawood coated in several layers of amber paint. The buttons are machine-tested for extreme durability. For the Treebox, SMOK created a new firmware for temperature sensing and power management that enables the device to sense temperature more accurately and deliver the desired wattage more consistently than other mods. The Treebox might have a budget price, but it doesn’t look or perform like a budget mod.

Under $50, you start to see a lot more e-cigarettes that don’t give you quite as much stuff for the money — with a few exceptions, as you’ll see below. You usually won’t get a large supply of accessories such as atomizer coils or e-liquid. Instead, you’ll get enough just to get you started with vaping. If you get a box mod under $50, it may not include a battery or e-liquid. Buying in this price range, you should prepare yourself for the fact that you’ll either need to purchase certain required accessories if you don’t have them already, or you’ll need to buy replacement coils or extra e-liquid before long. Nevertheless, the products that we’ve selected as the best e-cigarettes under $50 don’t have a “cheap” feeling about them at all. They’re extremely feature-rich — there just might be a few less included accessories.

VaporFi Pro 3

Buying the VaporFi Pro 3

Price: $49.99

VaporFi Pro 3 Features

• Ideal design for mouth-to-lung inhaling
• Ample wick holes for compatibility with even very thick e-liquids
• Top-filling tank minimizes leaking
• Coil heats very quickly and delivers smooth, cool vapor
• Mix and match tanks and batteries in eight different colors

Included With the VaporFi Pro 3

• VaporFi Pro 3 1,000 mAh battery
• VaporFi Pro 3 tank
• Two atomizer coils
• USB charging cable
• Spare o-rings
• Instruction manual

The VaporFi Pro 3 represents an attempt to create an e-cigarette combining a very simple and beginner-friendly design with the performance and flexibility of a higher-end mod. It operates at a relatively low temperature compared to some other mods, but the coil heads consist almost entirely of wick holes. So, not only do you get nice, big clouds of cool, flavorful vapor, but you also get a device that handles all e-liquids equally well — even very thick e-liquids.

We love the top-filling design of the VaporFi Pro 3 tank. To access the e-liquid reservoir, simply twist the top section off of the tank. This exposes the reservoir, allowing you to top the tank up without getting e-liquid on your hands. Changing the atomizer coil is equally easy — just twist off the bottom section of the tank, pull the atomizer coil out and push a new one in.

JUUL E-Cigarette

Buying the JUUL E-Cigarette

Price: $49.99

JUUL E-Cigarette Features

• Uses nicotine salts instead of the freebase nicotine in most e-liquids
• Completely closed system should ensure eventual FDA approval
• Drop-in cartridges and magnetic USB charger
• One year warranty
• Touch-sensitive status LED; tap twice to see battery charge level

Included With the JUUL E-Cigarette

• JUUL e-cigarette with internal battery
• Four refill cartridges — one of each flavor
• USB charger
• Instruction manual

The JUUL e-cigarette represents a completely new type e-cigarette for beginners. The JUUL doesn’t just look different from other e-cigarettes — it uses a completely new type of e-liquid that’s based on nicotine salts rather than the freebase nicotine that other e-liquids use. The nicotine absorbs into the blood much more quickly — and on top of that, the percentage of nicotine in the JUUL’s cartridges is much higher than you’d find in other e-cigarette cartridges. In other words, the effect on the body when using the JUUL is very close to what you’d experience with a tobacco cigarette. If you already use e-cigarettes, the JUUL probably isn’t for you because you’re used to e-liquid containing much less nicotine. If you smoke, though, the JUUL might do a better job than any other product of making the switch to vaping an easy one.

Halo Triton II

Buying the Halo Triton II

Price: $45.00

Halo Triton II Features

• Extremely small sub-ohm vape pen
• Batteries regulated to 3.7 volts; uses 0.75 ohm atomizers for total power of 18.25 watts
• Available in eight colors

Included With the Halo Triton II

• Two Halo Triton II batteries
• Two Halo Triton II glass tanks
• Three atomizer coils
• Two standard mouthpieces
• One wide mouthpiece
• USB charger
• Wall charger
• Instruction manual
• Free 30 ml bottle of e-liquid

The Halo Triton II is an e-cigarette that’s equally effective as a vape pen for a beginner and as an upgrade for a current e-cigarette user looking to upgrade from his or first starter kit. Although the Triton II is a sub-ohm device, the battery is regulated at just 3.7 volts. So, if you’re looking for something that generates ample vapor but aren’t looking to enter a vapor cloud competition any time in the near future, the Triton II is a good choice. By switching from the standard mouthpiece to the wide bore mouthpiece, you can decide whether you’d prefer to use the Triton II for mouth-to-lung or direct-to-lung inhaling.

Kanger Topbox Nano

Buying the Kanger Topbox Nano

Price: $49.95

Kanger Topbox Nano Features

• Maximum power of 60 watts
• Minimum resistance of 0.1 ohms
• Supports 18650 batteries
• Supports nickel, titanium and stainless steel temperature control coils
• Safety features: short circuit protection, under-voltage protection, over-current protection, reverse battery protection, ten-second safety cutoff

Included With the Kanger Topbox Nano

• Kanger Topbox Nano box mod
• Kanger TopTank Nano sub-ohm tank
• USB charging cable
• One 1.5 ohm atomizer coil
• One 0.5 ohm Clapton coil
• One nickel temperature control coil
• Instruction manual

Kanger originally made a name for itself by designing tanks that eventually became some of the most popular in the vaping industry. Tanks like the Protank and Subtank have been so incredibly popular that you can find the replacement coils in virtually every vape shop. Since then, Kanger has invested its capital into creating a successful line of utilitarian — but very inexpensive — mods. The Toptank Nano is our favorite of the bunch. It may be a bit spartan in appearance, but it’s a 60 watt mod with temperature control for under $50. You do need to supply your own battery, but it comes with a good tank that typically costs around $23 on its own.

Under $25, a lot of the e-cigarettes that you can find are disposable. We don’t really recommend them for the most part, because using one disposable e-cigarette each day costs more than smoking. If you’re just looking for a good introduction that illustrates what vaping is like before you invest in a full starter kit, we’ve listed one good disposable e-cigarette below. Still, you’ll want to get a full kit before long. Many of the other e-cigarettes under $25 are cheap mechanical mods, and we don’t particularly recommend using mechanical mods either because of their many safety issues. Nevertheless, you can still get a great e-cigarette for under $25 if you don’t mind a limited feature set or a small selection of accessories.

South Beach Smoke Deluxe Kit

Buying the South Beach Smoke Deluxe Kit

Price: $19.99

South Beach Smoke Deluxe Kit Features

• Cartridges include USA-made e-liquids; laboratory and formulas FDA-registered
• Lifetime warranty and substantial discounts for Home Delivery Program subscribers
• Pre-filled cartridges available in 16 flavors; assortments also available

Included With the South Beach Smoke Deluxe Kit

• One standard battery
• One high-capacity battery
• USB charger
• Wall charger
• Ten refill cartridges

Earlier in the article, we heaped plenty of praise on the South Beach Smoke brand because the Deluxe Ultimate kit is simply the most well-appointed e-cigarette for beginners in its price range that you could ever hope to find. The South Beach Smoke Deluxe kit is nearly as good, but it comes at a far lower price. Including our coupon, the final total for the kit is just $16.99. That’s the price of about two disposable e-cigarettes at your local convenience store. You’re getting the equivalent of about ten disposable e-cigarettes with the South Beach Smoke deluxe kit — and you’re getting a real e-cigarette kit with rechargeable batteries! Don’t forget to sign up for the Home Delivery Program before you leave, so you won’t need to remember to buy refill cartridges. You can expect your initial supply of ten to last a week or slightly more.

White Cloud Fling Wide

Buying the White Cloud Fling Wide

Price: $12.95

White Cloud Fling Wide Features

• Disposable e-cigarette — ready to go out of the package
• USA-made e-liquid; some of the most delicious flavors in the entire disposable e-cigarette product segment
• High-capacity chamber holds 3 ml of e-liquid

Included With the White Cloud Fling Wide

• White Cloud Fling Wide disposable e-cigarette

We don’t normally recommend disposable e-cigarettes. After all, using one disposable e-cigarette per day is just as expensive as smoking, if not more so. Some people actually do prefer disposable e-cigarettes for the convenience, though — and buying a disposable e-cigarette is a good way to find out whether you’ll enjoy vaping. If you’re going to buy a disposable e-cigarette, we suggest the White Cloud Fling Wide. Since the Fling Wide has a very open mouthpiece, it generates ample vapor. So, it’s a good preview of what you’ll get when you buy a full e-cigarette kit. It’s also a good preview of the White Cloud experience in particular, since White Cloud uses the same flavors in all of its products. White Cloud’s flavors are quite delicious, by the way; no other disposable e-cigarette comes close.

Innokin iTaste Disrupter

Buying the Innokin iTaste Disrupter

Price: $24.95

Innokin iTaste Disrupter Features

• Maximum power of 50 watts
• Minimum coil resistance of 0.2 ohms
• Safety cutoff of 15 seconds
• Uses a sliding battery system that keeps batteries in protective enclosures at all times

Included With the Innokin iTaste Disrupter

• Innokin iTaste Disrupter mod
• Instruction manual

We cheated a little putting the Innokin Disrupter in this category, since it doesn’t include a battery. Batteries cost about $10, and the Innokin Disrupter doesn’t work with anything other than Innokin InnoCells. Nevertheless, what Innokin has actually accomplished here is quite impressive — it’s the main body of a 50 watt mod with all of the electronic components for under $25. Also, with the Disrupter, you have a device that combines many of the benefits of fixed battery and removable battery mods. With a removable battery mod, you can have one battery charging while you use another battery. If one battery stops holding a charge, you don’t need to throw the mod away. However, you have to pay attention to certain aspects of battery safety — like putting batteries in cases when transporting them.

What if your batteries never left their cases, though? That’s exactly what you get with the InnoCell. Each InnoCell contains a 2,000 mAh LiPo pack that simply slides into the Innokin Disrupter. The InnoCell also has its own charging circuitry, so you don’t need to remove the battery for charging. Simply connect it to a USB port to charge it. If the InnoCell is connected to the Disrupter, you can even use the Disrupter while it charges. Handling a battery is significantly less stressful when you don’t need to worry about things like causing a short or damaging the battery’s wrapper. The Innokin Disrupter may only be a 50 watt mod without temperature control features, but it costs less than $25. The InnoCell also seems like an extremely safe way to store and transport a battery. That’s certain to be an extremely attractive feature for many e-cigarette users.

Eleaf iCare Mini

Buying the Eleaf iCare Mini

Price: $13.20

Eleaf iCare Mini Features

• Extremely small
• Automatic puff sensor; no controls
• Battery capacity of 350 mAh
• Internal tank system with replaceable atomizer and 1.3 ml capacity

Included With the Eleaf iCare Mini

• Eleaf iCare Mini mod
• Two atomizer coils
• USB charging cable
• Instruction manual

What is the Eleaf iCare Mini? Is it a double-sized cigalike? Is it the tiniest box mod on the market? Whatever it is, the iCare Mini is certainly one of the most unique e-cigarettes ever created. Very tiny and easy to pocket, the iCare Mini nevertheless packs a 350 mAh battery and 1.3 ml tank system with a replaceable atomizer. Simply pull the mouthpiece off and twist the atomizer out to fill the tank. The coil has a resistance of 1.1 ohms and operates at 15 watts.

The iCare Mini has no controls at all. It is fully automatic and generates vapor when you puff. In our experience, the battery has some sensitivity issues, and the easiest way to get a good puff is to inhale directly into the lungs. Unfortunately, though, the airflow is a bit restrictive for deep inhaling. The atomizer also tends to gurgle a bit. The iCare Mini also might not be the ideal e-cigarette for parents with small children — since it has no controls, you can’t lock it. Despite its shortcomings, the iCare Mini does a heck of a lot for an e-cigarette that costs less than $15. That’s why we’ve included it in our list of the best e-cigarettes.

Eleaf iStick Mini

Buying the Eleaf iStick Mini

Price: $18.79

Eleaf iStick Mini Features

• Maximum power of 10 watts
• Minimum atomizer resistance of 1.0 ohms
• Internal 1050 mAh battery

Included With the Eleaf iStick Mini

• Eleaf iStick Mini box mod
• eGo thread adapter
• Instruction manual

Two Eleaf products in a row? That’s right. If the iCare Mini doesn’t interest you, you might like the iStick Mini instead. A true box mod in every sense of the word, the iStick Mini might just be the smallest one on the planet. The iStick Mini actually has a lower operating wattage than the iCare Mini, topping out at ten watts. However, the fact that it has a manual fire button may mean that you’ll get more vapor per puff in practice than you would with the iCare. Also, the iStick Mini has a higher battery capacity than the iCare — and since it has a fire button, you can lock it.