Review of Blu Electronic Cigarettes

*note – this review is from 2009 and they have a new product with a 2 piece design that we’ll review shortly…

I paid for the unit myself, I used their free shipping, and I was not compensated for this review in any way.

Their starter kits are just $59, complete with two atomizers, two batteries, and five nicotine cartridges.

It also comes with a cigarette pack style charger that holds your unit, a spare battery, and several replacement cartridges. This was the big draw for me, and Blu has the coolest charger around.

Their website is gorgeous, by far one of the most professional I’ve used, and their checkout process was smooth, fast and seamless.

I received my Blu e-cig starter Kit very quickly – in about four days – and  I was very satisfied with how quickly it arrived, especially at this time of year.

The size is as small as they get, the same size as a regular cigarette, which is a plus.  By the end of 2010, most of the industry will be servicing this size anyway.

Although it came with two batteries, I charged both of them fully before using them. Batteries do come charged, but you should always recharge fully before using, and the directions do specify that.

After charging the units, I opened a fresh cartridge, popped it on the end of a battery, and tried it out.

The draw was very nice, not giving too much air, but not blocking too much either. Some units suck too much air in, making if feel as though you’re smoking a broken cigarette, but that wasn’t the case with Blu.

The visible smoke (vapor) volume was very good, and far better than other low-end three piece units I’ve tried.

I was using a flavored cartridge – the coffeee one – and I really liked the taste, although I did notice that if I took too many drags in a row, without enough time between them, that it started to get pretty hot, and actually tasted a bit different.

I placed my new unit in the handy charger pack, and left for the day. I used it while driving, and in a restaurant, and I pulled my usual, snaking a hit here and there in places where smoking would have been out of the question.

I was driving home later that night, and my battery dies, so I reached into the “pack” and swapped batteries, screwing the dead one into the proper slot.  I instantly saw that the blu light lit up on the side of the charger, and I subsequently learned that it goes out when the battery is fully charged

Over the next few days, I tried all the flavors, and despite it’s being a three piece unit, I really do like it.

Because of the cartridge type holding such a small amount of liquid, I don’t think it will become my promary unit, simply because I like a longer lasting cartridge.

Still though, I’m very happy with the product, and would recommend it to anyone. I don’t think it will replace my two piece, because the cartridges don’t last long enough for my liking

Advantages:

• Fast shipping
• Free shipping
• Telephone operator available
• Cool “cigarette box” type charger / carrying case
• I’ve yet to see them out of restock cartridges

Disadvantages

• It’s a 3 piece unit, increasing likelihood of atomizer failure
• Like all modern 3 piece units, the cartridges hold very little nicotine

Do I recommend this unit?
Yes I do -but only at the price-point.  It’s a great price and a great value, making a perfect starter kit for someone on a budget, or to buy for yourself or someone else as a spare, not having to worry about the hassle of carrying spare cartridges and batteries.

However, if it’s within your budget,  I think these are both better options…

• The $109 Greensmoke starter kit (slightly longer and fatter than the Blu)
• The $149 Pro ecig from Esmoke, which is (in my opinion) every bit as good as the Greensmoke, but is also in the “micro” size of this Blu unit.

Still, that does NOT detract from my belief that Blu makes a great product at a great price -