Rehabilitate a blu user here

[sqykly]

I have been using blu rechargables for about 2 years on and off. I recently got into refilling the cartos with third party juice to save some money, and I am beginning to wonder how I could do better than blu in other ways. I have read lots of unfavorable reviews of blu products and a lot of unsolicited interjections of opinions when a dissenter appears, so I am hoping those more learned than me will line up to tell me why I should not settle on what I have. The following are my deal-breakers that invalidate your suggestion from my point of view:

- more expensive than blu
- even worse battery life
- even worse cartomizer life
- thicker or heavier than the blu unit, i.e. I am now holding my blu between my lips comfortably and I have been for an hour, this is vital.
- looks like a dildo or a ..... That's mostly prerequisite for the above point, but I have enough hassle in airport security already, so no dildos or bongs please.
- need to push a button or something to use it, i.e. I am using my blu without taking my fingers away from typing and this is vital.

So please, blu haters, point me to a better place.

 

[CG138]

Have you tried the disposable Njoys? I believe they fit your requirements and are a major advacacy supporter. To each their own though, go with what works for you.

Edit.

They have rechargeable cig-a-likes as well.

 

[Ou2mame]

I would normally recommend something you don't want, but if it's working for you, stick with it. I don't know much about the refillable cigalikes, but I did want one in the beginning, but went the other direction instead. I used a markten for a few days and thought it was horrible.

 

[sqykly]

Thanks for the tip. The thing isn't perfect, I am well aware of that every time I switch batteries or throw out a carto. They aren't really supposed to be refillable carts =/.

What is a mark ten and what's wrong with it? Another cigalike?

 

[sqykly]

Have you tried the disposable Njoys? I believe they fit your requirements and are a major advacacy supporter. To each their own though, go with what works for you.

Edit.

They have rechargeable cig-a-likes as well.

This is one I have seen all over and thought about buying in a pinch. I hesitated because of how much I disliked the blu disposable compared to the kit; it's bigger and heavier and doesn't last as advertised. But buying a kit is more than I want to spend on an experiment. Have you used an njoy rechargeable to estimate how often it needs to be charged? Tried to disassemble or refill the cartos?

 

[hiram13pm]

"So please, blu haters, point me to a better place."

I don't exactly hate blu, they work and all, but they're pretty weak, and the direction you're asking us to point you in doesn't exist. It's like saying you want to go from Chicago to New York without going East or crossing an ocean.

It's unfortunate, but getting better performance out of a cigalike while retaining its' properties of size, weight, and appearance is... well, it's kind of like trying to modify a SmartCar to pull a semi trailer without an extensive overhaul. The technologies involved, like batteries and auto-switches, just haven't evolved enough. There's no way you can improve on the power output and/or life of a blu (or any other cigalike) battery without adding size and weight... it's the fundamental limitation of the batteries available now. Because of that, you can't increase your voltages or lower resistance without risking runaway discharge, as the lower mah batteries can't take the high drain, and so you're stuck with vapor production that's pretty weak in comparison to a mod.

Sorry, man... maybe in 20 years or more, they'll have a new battery technology that can take the punishment of high vapor production while staying small and light. Right now, your limitation list makes improvement impossible.

I've been vaping for over 5 years, and I tried a blu years ago. It sucked. A friend of mine has a blu, and I tried it recently... and honestly, it's not that bad now; they've improved quite a bit from the early days. I can't see them getting much better in the immediate future though.

 

[Ou2mame]

The markten is the Marlboro disposable. I don't know about now but a year ago when I tried it, 24mg was all they had and it was way too much. And the flavor wasn't very good. But that's what got me into vaping because I saw the potential. But I went much bigger. Now I use rebuildables and full size batteries, and its much cheaper. I spent probably 75 bucks on my setup and now all I need is juice, and at 40 bucks a month it's the most affordable setup.

 

[Baditude]

I quit smoking using SmokelessImage Volt cigalikes. They are a good product made by a reputable manufacturer and an approved ECF manufacturer, but they weren't for me long term. I skipped the eGo batteries and went with a mod (advanced personal vaporizer) and was/am MUCH HAPPIER now.

I'm not concerned so much about size and shape. I'm more concerned about the quality/quantity of the vapor, convenience, and satisfaction. Longer battery life, more e-liquid capacity were also deciding factors.

The Smokeless Image Volt e-cigalikes are probably what you're interested in. Disposable or rechargeable. Automatic or manual. Two battery lengths. Chargers. Refillable or pre-filled cartridges (batteries and cartridges are 808-threaded). Bottled e-liquid available in many flavors.

 

[CG138]

This is one I have seen all over and thought about buying in a pinch. I hesitated because of how much I disliked the blu disposable compared to the kit; it's bigger and heavier and doesn't last as advertised. But buying a kit is more than I want to spend on an experiment. Have you used an njoy rechargeable to estimate how often it needs to be charged? Tried to disassemble or refill the cartos?

I don't have any first hand experience with them. I only know one person that used them and stayed with them. I did attempt to refill his carto but I don't think he like the flavor. If the Blu is working then I say stay with it. The main thing is to get off the analogs

 

[AzPlumber]

They are called Blu because that's the color you turn when trying to get a decent vape.

 

[sqykly]

I don't have any first hand experience with them. I only know one person that used them and stayed with them. I did attempt to refill his carto but I don't think he like the flavor. If the Blu is working then I say stay with it. The main thing is to get off the analogs

Big agree. Honestly I never wanted to quit analogs, even when I bought the blu it was just for a long train ride without stops or a smoking car, but somehow it grew on me as a matter of economy, and I just don't miss tobacco anymore. I couldn't even use an analog hands-free indefinitely like this, it's great.

 

[sqykly]

They are called Blu because that's the color you turn when trying to get a decent vape.

Ha! I don't see it, but that's funny.

 

[sqykly]

I quit smoking using SmokelessImage Volt cigalikes. They are a good product made by a reputable manufacturer and an approved ECF manufacturer, but they weren't for me long term. I skipped the eGo batteries and went with a mod (advanced personal vaporizer) and was/am MUCH HAPPIER now.

I'm not concerned so much about size and shape. I'm more concerned about the quality/quantity of the vapor, convenience, and satisfaction. Longer battery life, more e-liquid capacity were also deciding factors.

The Smokeless Image Volt e-cigalikes are probably what you're interested in. Disposable or rechargeable. Automatic or manual. Two battery lengths. Chargers. Refillable or pre-filled cartridges (batteries and cartridges are 808-threaded). Bottled e-liquid available in many flavors.

Thanks, I will look into that. Does it use cartridges instead of cartomizers? I can see that eliminating some or all of my cartomizer mortality rate issues, but how often does it leak? I plan to keep the thing in my pocket, you know.

 

[sqykly]

The markten is the Marlboro disposable. I don't know about now but a year ago when I tried it, 24mg was all they had and it was way too much. And the flavor wasn't very good. But that's what got me into vaping because I saw the potential. But I went much bigger. Now I use rebuildables and full size batteries, and its much cheaper. I spent probably 75 bucks on my setup and now all I need is juice, and at 40 bucks a month it's the most affordable setup.

Marlboro making a great ecig sounds like bp making an awesome electric car... don't buy our product anymore, please!

 

[Baditude]

Thanks, I will look into that. Does it use cartridges instead of cartomizers? I can see that eliminating some or all of my cartomizer mortality rate issues, but how often does it leak? I plan to keep the thing in my pocket, you know.

They are actually cartomizers, not cartridges. They won't leak if you don't overfill them and fill them correctly. I would stick a wooden toothpic into the air hole for easier filling, and flick the carto down to the floor like an old school thermometer to force the liquid down farther and faster.

Demo Videos - Smokeless Image

 

[sqykly]

"So please, blu haters, point me to a better place."

I don't exactly hate blu, they work and all, but they're pretty weak, and the direction you're asking us to point you in doesn't exist. It's like saying you want to go from Chicago to New York without going East or crossing an ocean.

It's unfortunate, but getting better performance out of a cigalike while retaining its' properties of size, weight, and appearance is... well, it's kind of like trying to modify a SmartCar to pull a semi trailer without an extensive overhaul. The technologies involved, like batteries and auto-switches, just haven't evolved enough. There's no way you can improve on the power output and/or life of a blu (or any other cigalike) battery without adding size and weight... it's the fundamental limitation of the batteries available now. Because of that, you can't increase your voltages or lower resistance without risking runaway discharge, as the lower mah batteries can't take the high drain, and so you're stuck with vapor production that's pretty weak in comparison to a mod.

Sorry, man... maybe in 20 years or more, they'll have a new battery technology that can take the punishment of high vapor production while staying small and light. Right now, your limitation list makes improvement impossible.

I've been vaping for over 5 years, and I tried a blu years ago. It sucked. A friend of mine has a blu, and I tried it recently... and honestly, it's not that bad now; they've improved quite a bit from the early days. I can't see them getting much better in the immediate future though.

Great explanation. So blu is about the best battery I will find at this size? No point looking for a better one unless I go bigger?

 

[r77r7r]

Many of would like a great cig-like, but it just ain't happenin'. They all Lack something. You're trying to get a gallon out of a pint.
Careful if you try Volt, SmokelessImage, they've been having plenty of issues lately. Supply and quality.
Let us know if you find something great- have fun.

 

[sqykly]

They are actually cartomizers, not cartridges. They won't leak if you don't overfill them and fill them correctly. I would stick a wooden toothpic into the air hole for easier filling, and flick the carto down to the floor like an old school thermometer to force the liquid down farther and faster.

Demo Videos - Smokeless Image

Yeah this looks a lot like how I refill mine, haven't tried the overnight soak out of fear that it will end up flooding down onto the battery contact. There must be something I am doing wrong if those cartos can last forever. But that's a different thread.

 

[Baditude]

Great explanation. So blu is about the best battery I will find at this size? No point looking for a better one unless I go bigger?

Generally speaking, most cigalikes will perform about the same. You can only get so much battery life out of such a small LiPo battery. I have never used a Blu, but in this size, a battery is a battery. Going up to the larger size IMR batteries, then yeah, different brands make a world of difference.

Most cartomizers use a vertical coil. Volt cartos I believe are Kanger horizontal coils. That might make a difference. Cartos by design limitations will only last 1 - 4 weeks, no matter who makes them.

I hadn't heard of supply & demand issues of SmoklessImage. That may be true, I no longer follow the brand.

 

[AzPlumber]

Just a suggestion but why not use the cig-a-likes when needed and also get yourself an upgraded unit for other times. If you use a 510 cig-a-like the cartomizers can be used on most any unit. For example a twist battery is not that much bigger but would give you some adjustment in your vape.