My wife just got a Vamo and I have a Sigelei Zmax and a friend has a provari. All 3 do what they are supposed to do. The provari has better build quality without a doubt but as long as you dont play full contact sports with your PV in your pocket or use it as a hammer they should all hold up just fine. I will be getting a provari in the future if for no other reason than to say "i have a provari" but my Zmax is a champ and while the Vamo is only a day and a half old, it seems to be a great device as well. I also bought a what I later found to be a knockoff eGo 1100 mAh as my first PV. I had an eGo twist for a few weeks before getting my Zmax. I too was contemplating the provari VS the Zmax for the same reasons as you. I chose the Zmax because as my first mod i could have everything I needed to get it going (mod, batteries, charger) for less than the provari by itself. The Vamo was even more affordable ( under $100 after a couple 18350s and a charger) so to me, the choice was a no brainer. It gets you in the door with your inevitable collection of mods that you will soon have, without having to drop big bucks for something that works just as good as another, more affordable device. GOOD LUCK!