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V2 E-Cigarette Review

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V2 Cigs E-Cigarette

Click the link above to view this product at the manufacturer’s website. Use the coupon code edripping15 when checking out for a 15 percent discount on your order.

The e-cigarette industry is changing rapidly. An e-cigarette kit that seems to have the perfect price point or combination of accessories can appear out of date in just a couple of years among the constant flow of new styles, flavors, e-liquid delivery methods and so on. V2 Cigs, the world’s largest e-cigarette company by website traffic, saw this happening to its product line earlier this year and decided to do some tweaking. The tweaks are subtle but extremely effective; while I didn’t particularly like V2′s original Ultimate Kit, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend V2′s updated offering. The higher-quality accessories make the kit feel like a more cohesive whole and the improved packaging for cartomizers prevents the stale taste that plagued V2′s refills in the past. So, how does V2 stack up against the other mainstream offerings in the growing field of e-cigarettes? Let’s find out in this V2 Cigs review.

V2 Old vs New Kits

The old (top) and new V2 Cigs packaging

V2 Cigs: General Impressions

If you have any previous experience with e-cigarettes, the first thing you’ll notice upon opening the V2 Cigs Ultimate Kit is that the box is enormous compared to other e-cigarette packaging. V2′s prior box was only large enough to hold the batteries and chargers; the other accessories were packaged separately in plastic bags and the refill cartridges were held together with rubber bands. V2′s new packaging holds all of the kit’s batteries, accessories and refill cartridges in a single box, making the kit feel much more complete.

The V2 Ultimate Kit retails for $152.95 after applying the 15% discount and includes the following:

  • Three batteries in your choice of size and style
  • 25 refill cartridges in up to five flavors
  • Portable charging case (reviewed here)
  • USB-powered e-cigarette
  • Hard carrying case
  • USB, wall and car chargers
  • Lanyard

If you prefer, you can also purchase a lower-priced kit from V2; the Traveler Kit, Couples Kit, Standard Kit, Economy Kit and Express Kit cost $118.95, $106.20, $55.20, $42.45 and $21.20 respectively after applying the discount. Although this is a V2 Ultimate Kit review, remember that V2 has something for just about every budget; the lower-priced kits just won’t include as many components or refill cartridges.

V2 Cigs Unboxing

Unboxing the V2 Cigs Ultimate Kit

The New V2 for 2012

A nice box makes a great first impression, but the only thing that really matters about an e-cigarette is the experience of using it. To that end, V2 has completely revamped its packaging for refill cartomizers and no longer sells the flimsy, cheap PCC and carrying case included with the 2011 V2 Ultimate Kit. You can click the link above to read my review of the new V2 charging case, but in a word, it’s excellent. Unlike the old charging case, the new one fits V2′s largest battery. It’s sturdy, slim and functional. It also slides easily into a pocket. To date, I haven’t reviewed another portable charging case that’s nearly as nice.

For most people, V2′s new e-liquid packaging is the most notable improvement for 2012. Previously, V2 packaged its cartomizers in small card stock boxes and plugged them at both ends with silicone caps. I tested all of V2′s refill flavors while they were using that packaging type and found each one to be stale with heavy chemical aftertastes. The new packaging is far better; the boxes are larger and sturdier and the cartomizers are sealed with foil. This undoubtedly increases the production cost, but it’s a huge benefit for consumers because cartomizers will no longer arrive stale. An additional improvement is the batch number printed on each box of cartomizers; at any time, you can go to V2′s lab tests page, input the batch number on your box of cartomizers and retrieve a PDF report showing that the e-liquid in your cartomizer was tested and found free of toxins, lead, nitrosamines and other contaminants.

V2 Cigs Refill Cartridges

New (left) vs old V2 refill cartridge packaging

V2 Cigs Performance

The V2 is a KR-808 e-cigarette using the two-part design that has become the world’s most popular. You use it simply by screwing on a cartridge, holding the button if you’re using a manual battery, and puffing. I believe this is the ideal style of e-cigarette for a new e-smoker as there’s no learning curve and nothing to troubleshoot when things go wrong. If you puff on the V2 e-cigarette and get no vapor, you need to change the cartridge or charge the battery. That’s pretty user-friendly.

At the same time, the fact that you aren’t buying a larger e-cigarette like the Lavatube shouldn’t mean that you have to compromise on vapor production. To that end, the V2 e-cigarette uses a battery that delivers 4.2 volts at a full charge — a half volt higher than the 3.7-volt batteries used in other common small e-cigarettes such as the 510 and L88 models.

V2 Cigs Charging Cases

Old (top) vs. new V2 Cigs charging cases

When I tested the 2011 V2 Ultimate Kit, I was disappointed by the vapor production, actually finding it poorer than many other small e-cigarettes — particularly Green Smoke, which was the king of vapor production in this category. Since V2′s cartomizers now have airtight seals and don’t arrive stale, that problem has been eliminated; the 2012 V2 Ultimate Kit has vapor production as impressive as anything else I’ve reviewed in this e-cigarette category.

Another aspect worth noting about the V2 e-cigarette is the fact that V2 has some of the best prices in the industry on pre-filled cartomizers if you’re willing to buy in bulk. While a single pack of five cartomizers costs $9.95, the price decreases significantly as you buy more. At $109.95 for 80 cartomizers, the bulk price works out to $6.87 per five-pack. It’s even lower if you use the coupon edripping, which is good for a 10 percent discount on V2 products other than starter kits (the coupon edripping15 applies only to full V2 kits).

V2 Cigs: The Bottom Line

I love the V2 Cigs Ultimate Kit as an introductory package for a new e-smoker. With it, you get several batteries, all of the charging accessories you could need, the best charging and carrying cases I’ve tried to date and enough refill cartridges to last at least a month. The only knock against V2′s Ultimate Kit is the price. It’s a rather expensive e-cigarette kit, and if $152.95 isn’t in your budget, you might want to look at one of V2′s less expensive offerings.


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