Vapor4Life’s older models, the Original and Classic Vapor Kings, are excellent e-cigs, but the new Titan has some issues. It’s still good, but the vapor production with the Regular length ones is pretty limited, so it’s better to stick with the veterans.
Is it worth picking up?
The Vapor4Life Vapor Titan was initially very promising, but unfortunately fell down in some key areas. As a result of the disappointing vapor production and the apparently “shoddy” (and the website quote is purposeful) manufacturing let it down.
The nicotine level options are great, the flavor profile is diverse and the design is eye-catching, but it doesn't make up for the other issues. This is even stranger when you consider the fact that the older models are actually much better, packing bigger vapor hits and none of the manufacturing problems found in the newer model.
Overall, Vapor4Life failed to improve on the two older models with the Titan, so anybody interested in the brand should stick to the Classic or Original Vapor Kings. That way you get all the benefits of the brand without puffing until you turn blue in your quest for vapor!
Full review
Vapor4Life established their name with the Original and Classic Vapor Kings, and the Vapor Titan promises to build on the rich heritage, offering a new and improved battery alongside the quality expected from the brand. At least, that’s the theory. One thing that instantly stands out about Vapor4Life is the fact that the flavor profile is insurmountably extensive, with 90 flavor options to entice e-cig users everywhere. But can the product really deliver, or is it all vapor and mirrors?
The founder of Vapor4Life, Smilin’ Steve, is indeed a cheerful-looking chap. He recounts his life-long difficulties with smoking and trying to quit through traditional means. After hearing about e-cigarettes in 2008, he was converted to the reduced harm of the vaping lifestyle. He rallied against “shoddy” products on the market and decided to start his own brand, which is described on the website as a “family-run” company. There are bold claims of the “most color options, the longest battery life and the thickest vapor” on their webpage, so it appears to be a promising e-cig.
The Vapor Titan “Base Kit” comes with two batteries (in either automatic or manual), five cartomizers and a wall charger. You also get a carry case so you can take your e-cigs around with you safely. For the Original Vapor King and Classic Vapor King, the “Ultimate Starter Kits” offer two name-sake batteries, a USB-powered battery, five cartomizers, a carrying case, USB charger and a wall charger.
Packaging and Design
The Vapor Titan starter kit doesn't break the mold in terms of design. Branded with the coat of arms-like Vapor Titan logo and backed in clean white, green and blue tones, it instantly gives off a healthy, stylish air. The box opens with the standard magnetic closing clasps, and inside you’ll see the soft exterior of the carry case. Underneath the wall charger is packed into a block of foam, extremely unusual in that the e-cig screws directly into the wall charger, as opposed to a USB adapter. The charger looks pretty bland and is extremely blocky, a dense black or white cuboid with no flair whatsoever. The starter kits for the older brands share the same design, but also come with a USB charger, which is sturdily-constructed and black in color.
The e-cig itself is pretty nicely designed. The exterior of the batteries is coated with a soft rubber, which makes it remarkably gentle to the touch. They also come in a wide-range of styles, so you’ll have plenty of choice for how your e-cig looks. The tip is a plastic faux-diamond, which a lot of vapers seem to like but looks a little pointlessly flashy for my tastes. It’s a two-piece design, and the cartomizers and battery attachments ordinarily slot together snugly. Sometimes you’ll thread the cartridge on at an angle and end up momentarily stuck, but it’s easily corrected by unscrewing it and trying again. In use there is some wheezing, and sizzles and pops are pretty common.
In contrast, the older models both have a more traditional, polished feel and ditch the crystalline tips. Instead, they have a black, plastic tip which lights amber up on inhalation or activation (for manuals). You still get the wheezing and the occasional hissing and popping you find on the Titan, but in a much more familiar style. Aesthetically, the Titan has many advantages (particularly the soft-touch feel), but the Classic and Original Vapor Kings get the job done in a more minimalist fashion. You can also have Stealth tips (which don’t light up) and XL batteries with Vapor4Life, which are both great options.
Although a cigarette-like appearance may seem like a benefit, it really isn't needed for a great e-cig. The JUUL by Pax is the best example of why this is. Despite looking like a USB pen drive rather than a cigarette, the JUUL manages to be one of the most satisfying beginner-level e-cigs on the market. So if a non-traditional look might suit you, it's definitely worth considering your options. The JUUL is easy-to-use, comes in a range of awesome flavors and wipes the floor with most of the competition when it comes to satisfaction, vapor production and flavor. Check out our latest JUUL review to find out more.
Nicotine Levels
The emphasis on choice definitely paid off in this department. Most manufacturers offer four nicotine levels, but this looks measly in comparison to the seven on offer from Vapor4Life. You can choose between no nicotine, 4mg, 8mg, 11mg, 18mg, 24mg and a truly massive 36mg. This is great for both the heaviest smokers and those looking to reduce their intake of nicotine gradually. Vapor4Life is truly outstanding if you’re a particularly heavy smoker.
Flavors and Vapor
Here we start to come up against roadblocks. The Vapor Titan, which initially appeared to be so promising, falls down spectacularly in the vapor production department. Even after the standard few puffs to prime the atomizer (on automatic batteries) you don’t get anywhere near enough vapor. Users have complained about sucking “until you turn blue” to get enough vapor, and this experience is in line with my testing. It’s a little better on the manual batteries, but you’re still unlikely to be impressed. This wouldn't be a particular issue, but the claim of the “thickest vapor” isn't really true if you consider the Titan.
The Classic and Original Vapor Kings are better in this department, though. Where the Vapor Titan falls woefully behind the leaders in vapor production like Green Smoke and V2 Cigs, the older models pack a substantial amount of vapor. If vapor production is as important to you as it is to the majority of vapers, you should definitely go for the manual Classic or Original Vapor King starter kits. Then you’ll get a thick cloud of vapor and a definitive throat-hit to back up the nicotine content – with both offering a similar performance. Things also get better if you have the chunky Dial-A-Volt battery too, because it’s humongous and notably powerful.
As mentioned earlier, the flavor profile of Vapor4Life is extensive. The choices are limited with the starter kit, but in reality there are more than enough options. They’re generally well-executed, with the cinnamon (Cinna Blaze) being a particular favorite. There are plenty of tobacco options, which although well-executed seem to be a little same-y. For menthol-lovers, the Peppermint and Menthol options aren't overpowering but have enough of a kick. The Peppermint is a little lighter and sweeter, but both options are very nice to vape. There are plenty of coffee options too, like Cappuccino and Mocha, which are generally well-executed. On occasion the options let you down, like the Grape option, which has a synthetic edge to it that’s a little off-putting at first. Overall, though, the flavors are great, and the extensive choice makes things even better.
*Update
Since the first incarnation of this Vapor4life review, we've received additional Vapor Titan batteries for a re-assessment. Three of the four new options were XL size, with the remaining one being a Regular-length automatic. One important point – before we discuss the vapor production with these batteries – is that these are not an option when you buy a Starter Kit (even the Ultimate version), you have to purchase them separately (currently priced $24.95 – as of July 2013).
The bigger batteries do perform much better – in line with what you’d expect from a prestigious manufacturer. However, the vapor production on the Regular-sized automatics is still distinctly lacking. Accurately quantifying vapor production is exceptionally difficult, so to that end I devised a simple test. To reduce the variables, I inhaled for five seconds (without priming), and immediately blew the vapor through the tiny hole in a (separate) rubber mouthpiece as hard as I could, until the stream of vapor disappeared. The aim was to funnel the vapor through the tiny hole (to limit the amount it was possible to exhale per second) and always try to blow as hard as possible to create some consistency in my vaping style (an “average” puff or exhalation is ultimately an unreliable notion).
The results? Well, the testing confirms that the vapor production from the Vapor Titan is fairly lacking. On a full charge, both the previous batteries I received and the new one produced vapor for around 5 seconds, but when they’d run down this dropped to four (three with one of the potentially-defective previously-tested batteries). In comparison, the long automatic created 6 seconds worth of vapor (20 percent more), and the long manuals produced between 6 and 7 seconds’ worth (around 30 percent more than the Regulars on a full charge). As control groups, I also tested V2 Cigs’ standard battery and a regular Green Smoke battery in the same way, which scored 6 to 7 seconds and 6 seconds respectively.
In other words – the vapor production on the larger batteries is line with some of the best in the industry, but the Regular ones (which are included with the kit) still fall short. Perhaps it isn't the worst vapor production you’ll find, but when the battery-saving mechanism kicks in as it drains, the performance really can be pretty poor. So, now the main issue has been addressed more objectively – back to the review!
As mentioned earlier, the flavor profile of Vapor4Life is extensive. The choices are limited with the starter kit, but in reality there are more than enough options. They’re generally well-executed, with the cinnamon (Cinna Blaze) being a particular favorite. There are plenty of tobacco options, which although well-executed seem to be a little same-y.
For menthol-lovers, the Peppermint and Menthol options aren't overpowering but have enough of a kick. The Peppermint is a little lighter and sweeter, but both options are very nice to vape. There are plenty of coffee options too, like Cappuccino and Mocha, which are generally well-executed. On occasion the options let you down, like the Grape option, which has a synthetic edge to it that’s a little off-putting at first. Overall, though, the flavors are great, and the extensive choice makes things even better.
Battery
The batteries are one of the primary improvements over the previous incarnation of the Vapor4Life e-cig, and it has to be admitted that they last for a while. A full charge is more than enough for a day’s worth of use, and the peak voltage is sustained for quite a while. You’ll notice the dip in vapor production when the batteries start to wear down though, which is a good battery-life extender but not great for vaping.
There were some issues with the battery performance, though, with more malfunctioning than I’m accustomed to (with the automatic Titan batteries not responding on several occasions). For charging, the blocky wall adapter is pretty awkward in design, poking out from your outlet awkwardly at around 6-8 inches in total length.
Again, the older starter kits come out on top for the batteries. Although the Titan batteries might last longer, the dip in vapor production is hardly noticeable with the Classic and Original Vapor Kings until it’s very nearly time to recharge. Plus, the USB charger which comes with the more extensive kits removes the issues with charging you’ll get on the Titan. The charger has a little wire, which means you can rest your e-cig alongside your laptop rather than having it poke precariously out of the USB port.
Manufacturing and Warranty
The Vapor4Life electronic cigarettes bear the confidence-boosting “CE” mark and the RoHS logo, which confirms the manufacturing standards. However, with the aforementioned issues with the Vapor Titan battery seem to betray some sloppiness in the manufacturing process. With other users having reported issues with the batteries, they definitely don’t have the best construction you can find. In contrast, the older Vapor Kings still reign supreme, with no similar issues cropping up in my testing. All of the e-cigs hardly suffered from mouthpiece leakage at all, which is a huge bonus for users.
It’s worth mentioning that out of the five “Wowboy” cartridges I received, only two actually worked. The others seemed to confuse the battery into being active for too long but doing nothing to stimulate the atomizer. No other cartridges had this problem, but it’s still far from ideal.
The warranty is pretty robust but only lasts for 90 days. With the problems mentioned in the previous paragraph, it isn't ideal that they don’t offer to replace cartridges under the warranty. There’s also a 30 day money back guarantee in case you aren't happy.
If you're looking for high quality beginner starter kits and personal vaporizers, this list of the top 10 vapor pens is worth checking out. And if you're looking for something more powerful, the best vape mods for clouds offers suggestions for hard-hitting ecig mods.