Lavatubes and/or Vmax- These are cheaper devices but they are quite nice devices in their own right. At just $50 to $100, these devices have a huge following with users of every forum. Collectors of PVs and regular users alike can appreciate the features in these devices. Both the Lavatubes (aka Young June, L-Rider, Lambo, LT, LTv.1, LTv.2, LTv.3, Vtube, MyGo, & more nicknames!) aaand the Vmaxes are variable voltage devices JUST like the Provari. (they came out after the Provari version 1, but before the Provari version 2. ALL Provaris being sold from the Provape website are now version 2 Provaris, with the updated 3.5 amperage limit) The 1st lavatubes are great, and they are selling for under $40 these days. I ordered the 1st version of the LavaTube a while ago now and I always enjoyed mine. It is one of the cheapest "smart" vari-volt PVs on the market today. The NEW LavaTube2 is coming out by the end of this year and it is suspected to sell for under $100 to $150, most believe it will be closer to $100, some say it will sell for around $80.00 USD!!! The original LavaTubes with the flat, divetted tops, were wonderful variable voltage devices. They had a lower amperage limit which made them a teeny bit unreliable for lower resisted cartos and attys, but the NEW "Lambo" or "Young June" or L-Rider v.2's that are still being sold and produced along side the original, cheaper LavaTubes, actually have a higher Amperage Limit, just like the NEW Provari's! So, both the LavaTubes and the Provaris are wonderful devices. The newer LavaTubes have a BEVELED top, with the new eGo styled drip well, which will catch your juice if you accidentally over drip juice into your atomizing unit. There are many different versions of the Lavatube for sale throughout the world and in the United States, but all of them are relatively cheap compared to say, the Provari or the Zmaxes, which is a great attribute, haha! I love the LavaTube line and I will support them till I die 
The NEW Smoktech Vmaxes are even coooler than the original Lavatubes, they are hardier and they look very nice. Smoktech is a good company on the scene but they have been producing products for e-cigarette enthusiasts for a long while now. They are out of China, not from within the US, but their products speak for themselves. The Vmax is a fantastic, mid-priced variable voltage device and they are gaining a large following just like the Lavatubes and the American made Provari e-cig mods. MANY users report great experiences with they're Vmaxes. I agree, they look fantastic, solid, and they do just about everything you'd want a variable voltage device to do, maybe excluding a few things, like Provari's Thermal Monitoring software technologies and maybe a few other things that the more expensive Provaris can handle. I own a few Smoktech devices and so far, I literally, and honestly, cannot say enough GOOD/GREAT/Awesome stuff about them. I own a Smoktech eGo, 900mAh and it works like a charm for when I'm out with the friends or family or at a Bar. I also own (my favorite fixed volt mod, by the way) a Smoktech Telescope. My Telescope HITS like a freaking CHAMP! Its a smoke-stack I tell ya. Not to get off topic too much, but Smoktech (the makers of the VMax and Zmax) also make great cartomizers and atomizers and other products too. I like my Smoktech 1.5ohm cartos and as long as I keep that filler material soaked in juice, they run for days and weeks. They do run pretty hot at the lower ohm range so its important to keep the smoktech cartos wet, but they work like a charm & i enjoy them a lot. My Smoktech carto-tanks are my favorite tank system at the moment. They utilize dual coil ST punched cartomizers & they work well and for a very long time, because the tank erases human error. Its impossible to forget to keep the cartos wet when they are in there! So don't be hesitant to buy a new PV because the Lavatubes and the Vmax are great devices. Don't let some of the hobbyist members persuade you to drop 6 paychecks on a more expensive PV as your first PV or varivolt PV. These devices are great, I promise you!
Then there is the Zmax. Ohhhhh the Zmax, an electronic PV thats after my own heart. Ever since I started vaping I've wanted a variable wattage device that would know what to do no matter what resistance/ohm carto/atty I popped on top of it. With the Zmax, u get that. For around $100 you get a great variable voltage, AND variable WATTAGE, stainless STEEL, (just like the Provari is SSteel) PV. The Zmax is also made by Smoktech, just like the Zmax, but where they differ is the great part. Where the Vmax and Lavatubes are only variable VOLTAGE, the Zmax is that, AND variable wattage and it has a memory. When you set the voltage, you have to set it to where you think your juiced up cartomizer tastes best, right? So, if you have a 1.5 cartomizer or atty, you'll probably set your voltage for around 3.7 volts, maybe up to 4 or 4.3 volts if your feeling risky!! But what if you get tired of that juice, and you want to try your other juices? You only have a 3ohm cartomizer full of the juice that you want to try. So, you pop that on there, and the 3ohms is way too high for 3.7 volts. Its even too high for 4 volts... So you have to go into your PV's menuy system to up the voltage until it tastes good. With the Zmax, after you had set it at whichever wattage you chose for that 1.5 cartomizer, you don't have to set it again. You can put that 3ohm cartomizer right onto your device, and it will automatically adjust the voltage to reflect your preferences. If you used 3.7 volts for that 1.5ohm carto, it knows you like a cooler 3.7v vape at 1.5 ohms, so it will match that experience no matter what ohm/resistance carto/atty you put on it after setting it that 1st time. You can put a whatever you want on there and not have to fiddle with the volts. This is a fantastic feature and its a much sought after feature in the mod world. Before the new variable wattage Zmax came out, the precedent was only the Darwin, a foreign made variable wattage device that now sells in classifieds for over $400USD. The Darwin, like the Provari and the many rare, beautiful fixed volt devices, is a craft-made, specialty, e-cigarette collectors item. The Zmax is being mass produced, but it will certainly have a large following I am guessing. IF Smoktech did well on its quality control standards. We will soon see reviews of the Zmax and time will tell if it is worth the price. For the wattage feature alone, I think it is. The Zmax has many, if not most, of Provari's safety features, excluding some of them I believe. The Zmax also uses RMS technology which constantly monitors the voltage and/or power of your PV to assure you'll have the perfect vape each and every time. I am not a complete EXPERT on the Zmax and I am not an owner of either the Zmax or the Provari and I no longer own a Lavatube. So, I am in no way saying that I know everything about these devices. I can't tell you each and every feature of either devices or the LT/Vmax. You'll have to do your own research and weigh your wants/needs and options in all the available VV devices on the market today. I can promise you that you can't go wrong these days. You get what you pay for, and no matter which PV you choose, your going to be happy. I don't see how anyone with some money could ever go back to smoking. (and that doesnt happen much, lol) If you have the money, get the Provari, because its the best variable voltage PV there is and NOTHING will come close, for a long while at least. You can't beat buying something thats made in the Goood Ol' US of A! But if you have a little less money, the Zmax is where its at when it comes to the latest technologies. COOLEST variable wattage capable device on the planet as of right now and I WILL probably have one someday because they are simply very aesthetically pleasing and they work great from what the current reviews say. DO NOT get the OLD version of the Zmax (the Zmax without the 8th menu) confused with the NEW 8th menu Zmax. The new Zmax is as accurate as the best of em, and its at a great price point as well. I think anyone would enjoy either the Provari or the Zmax for build quality. As for the cheaper variable voltage devices? You CANNOT go terribly wrong with any of them. You could close your eyes and throw a dart, and buy whatever the dart lands on, and that varivolt PV is gonna serve you well, and put a great big smile on your face.
Then there are the many fixed volt Devices that hobbyists and collectors of e-cigs and e-cigarette paraphernalia MUST have! Devices like the GG, the Orion, the Ketana, the Caravela, these are all fantastic devices. With the introduction of the "KICK" chip, you can now change any of these devices into a variable voltage and variable wattage device, without screens of course. The Kick chip allows you to set it to your preferred wattage and forget it, just like the Zmax. The Kick Chip is a little round puck that goes into your fixed volt PV's battery sleeve on 1 side of the battery. The little chip regulates your battery's power and turns your PV into a smart PV capable of everything a Zmax is capable of... Without some of the safety features. So, the Zmax is not alone, and more self-contained devices like it are coming out from the woodwork slowly as well. Its an exciting time to be an e-cigarette hobbyist or enthusiast.
The NEW Smoktech Vmaxes are even coooler than the original Lavatubes, they are hardier and they look very nice. Smoktech is a good company on the scene but they have been producing products for e-cigarette enthusiasts for a long while now. They are out of China, not from within the US, but their products speak for themselves. The Vmax is a fantastic, mid-priced variable voltage device and they are gaining a large following just like the Lavatubes and the American made Provari e-cig mods. MANY users report great experiences with they're Vmaxes. I agree, they look fantastic, solid, and they do just about everything you'd want a variable voltage device to do, maybe excluding a few things, like Provari's Thermal Monitoring software technologies and maybe a few other things that the more expensive Provaris can handle. I own a few Smoktech devices and so far, I literally, and honestly, cannot say enough GOOD/GREAT/Awesome stuff about them. I own a Smoktech eGo, 900mAh and it works like a charm for when I'm out with the friends or family or at a Bar. I also own (my favorite fixed volt mod, by the way) a Smoktech Telescope. My Telescope HITS like a freaking CHAMP! Its a smoke-stack I tell ya. Not to get off topic too much, but Smoktech (the makers of the VMax and Zmax) also make great cartomizers and atomizers and other products too. I like my Smoktech 1.5ohm cartos and as long as I keep that filler material soaked in juice, they run for days and weeks. They do run pretty hot at the lower ohm range so its important to keep the smoktech cartos wet, but they work like a charm & i enjoy them a lot. My Smoktech carto-tanks are my favorite tank system at the moment. They utilize dual coil ST punched cartomizers & they work well and for a very long time, because the tank erases human error. Its impossible to forget to keep the cartos wet when they are in there! So don't be hesitant to buy a new PV because the Lavatubes and the Vmax are great devices. Don't let some of the hobbyist members persuade you to drop 6 paychecks on a more expensive PV as your first PV or varivolt PV. These devices are great, I promise you!Then there is the Zmax. Ohhhhh the Zmax, an electronic PV thats after my own heart. Ever since I started vaping I've wanted a variable wattage device that would know what to do no matter what resistance/ohm carto/atty I popped on top of it. With the Zmax, u get that. For around $100 you get a great variable voltage, AND variable WATTAGE, stainless STEEL, (just like the Provari is SSteel) PV. The Zmax is also made by Smoktech, just like the Zmax, but where they differ is the great part. Where the Vmax and Lavatubes are only variable VOLTAGE, the Zmax is that, AND variable wattage and it has a memory. When you set the voltage, you have to set it to where you think your juiced up cartomizer tastes best, right? So, if you have a 1.5 cartomizer or atty, you'll probably set your voltage for around 3.7 volts, maybe up to 4 or 4.3 volts if your feeling risky!! But what if you get tired of that juice, and you want to try your other juices? You only have a 3ohm cartomizer full of the juice that you want to try. So, you pop that on there, and the 3ohms is way too high for 3.7 volts. Its even too high for 4 volts... So you have to go into your PV's menuy system to up the voltage until it tastes good. With the Zmax, after you had set it at whichever wattage you chose for that 1.5 cartomizer, you don't have to set it again. You can put that 3ohm cartomizer right onto your device, and it will automatically adjust the voltage to reflect your preferences. If you used 3.7 volts for that 1.5ohm carto, it knows you like a cooler 3.7v vape at 1.5 ohms, so it will match that experience no matter what ohm/resistance carto/atty you put on it after setting it that 1st time. You can put a whatever you want on there and not have to fiddle with the volts. This is a fantastic feature and its a much sought after feature in the mod world. Before the new variable wattage Zmax came out, the precedent was only the Darwin, a foreign made variable wattage device that now sells in classifieds for over $400USD. The Darwin, like the Provari and the many rare, beautiful fixed volt devices, is a craft-made, specialty, e-cigarette collectors item. The Zmax is being mass produced, but it will certainly have a large following I am guessing. IF Smoktech did well on its quality control standards. We will soon see reviews of the Zmax and time will tell if it is worth the price. For the wattage feature alone, I think it is. The Zmax has many, if not most, of Provari's safety features, excluding some of them I believe. The Zmax also uses RMS technology which constantly monitors the voltage and/or power of your PV to assure you'll have the perfect vape each and every time. I am not a complete EXPERT on the Zmax and I am not an owner of either the Zmax or the Provari and I no longer own a Lavatube. So, I am in no way saying that I know everything about these devices. I can't tell you each and every feature of either devices or the LT/Vmax. You'll have to do your own research and weigh your wants/needs and options in all the available VV devices on the market today. I can promise you that you can't go wrong these days. You get what you pay for, and no matter which PV you choose, your going to be happy. I don't see how anyone with some money could ever go back to smoking. (and that doesnt happen much, lol) If you have the money, get the Provari, because its the best variable voltage PV there is and NOTHING will come close, for a long while at least. You can't beat buying something thats made in the Goood Ol' US of A! But if you have a little less money, the Zmax is where its at when it comes to the latest technologies. COOLEST variable wattage capable device on the planet as of right now and I WILL probably have one someday because they are simply very aesthetically pleasing and they work great from what the current reviews say. DO NOT get the OLD version of the Zmax (the Zmax without the 8th menu) confused with the NEW 8th menu Zmax. The new Zmax is as accurate as the best of em, and its at a great price point as well. I think anyone would enjoy either the Provari or the Zmax for build quality. As for the cheaper variable voltage devices? You CANNOT go terribly wrong with any of them. You could close your eyes and throw a dart, and buy whatever the dart lands on, and that varivolt PV is gonna serve you well, and put a great big smile on your face.
Then there are the many fixed volt Devices that hobbyists and collectors of e-cigs and e-cigarette paraphernalia MUST have! Devices like the GG, the Orion, the Ketana, the Caravela, these are all fantastic devices. With the introduction of the "KICK" chip, you can now change any of these devices into a variable voltage and variable wattage device, without screens of course. The Kick chip allows you to set it to your preferred wattage and forget it, just like the Zmax. The Kick Chip is a little round puck that goes into your fixed volt PV's battery sleeve on 1 side of the battery. The little chip regulates your battery's power and turns your PV into a smart PV capable of everything a Zmax is capable of... Without some of the safety features. So, the Zmax is not alone, and more self-contained devices like it are coming out from the woodwork slowly as well. Its an exciting time to be an e-cigarette hobbyist or enthusiast.
