Is it worth getting?
Vapebox is one of the best subscription services on the market. With improvements to the service over the past year, what they have to offer keeps getting better and better, and your juice and hardware choices are now carefully tailored to your preferences rather than being a bit of a “juice of the month” type deal.
If you’re looking for some great new e-juices to try and want some occasional mods, tanks, atomizers or other bits of hardware alongside it, Vapebox is the way to go. Even for juice-lovers, their new curation system puts them right up there with the best in the field.
Full review
E-juice subscription services are an excellent way to explore new flavors and find new all-day vapes. Basic e-juice subscription services offer a selection of e-liquids sent to your door each month, tailored to suit your preferences. If you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of e-juice companies on the market, these services make navigating it a breeze. The problem is if you want more than just e-juice, finding something suitable can be really difficult. Some services offer hardware as a paid add-on, but is there a subscription out there for vapers looking for a mod or an RDA in amidst their monthly selection of juices? Our updated Vapebox review takes a look at a service designed with those vapers in mind.
How Vapebox Works
Like most vaping subscription services, Vapebox ships out a selection of goodies based on your preferences. There are three subscription plans available, based on how much juice you want and whether you want hardware and accessories in your box.
The options are:
- Sampler plan: 60 ml or more of e-juice each month in three or more bottles, for $20 per month. Shipping to the U.S. is $4.
- Juice Lovers’ plan: 90 ml or more of e-juice in four or more bottles, for $32 per month. Shipping to the U.S. is $5.
- Enthusiast plan: Like the Juice Lovers’ option with 1 to 2 pieces of hardware or accessories included, for $60 per month. Shipping is $6.
After deciding which box you want – we’ve tested the Enthusiast plan – you simply create an account, then you’re ready to get going. Your first box is billed right away, and then you’re billed on the same date each month from then onwards. The service works on a month-to-month basis, and you can skip a month or cancel your subscription whenever you like.
The first step is telling Vapebox what juices, mods and atomizers you prefer so they can tailor the contents of your box to suit your preferences. For juices, you need to select at least three options from candy, fruits, cereal, coffee, baked goods, custards, creams, tea and menthol, and you can also select some specific flavors (e.g. cucumber, pear or bourbon) that you don’t like and want to avoid. You can also select your nicotine level (between 0, 3, 6 and 12 mg/ml) and whether you prefer high-VG juices.
After indicating whether you're new to vaping, you choose what type of atomizer you prefer (rebuildable drippers, rebuildable tanks or standard tanks) and the type of mod you use (mechanical, regulated or hybrid), with options to choose as many as you like. The last option is whether you’re open to trying new things – if you choose this, you’ll get occasional surprises of things that are off your palate.
You then select your box, enter your shipping and payment details, then you’re ready to go ahead and sign up. You get a chance to review everything before you accept, so you can check you haven’t made a mistake or anything like that.
Vapebox works with tons of different brands, including Aspire, Beantown Vapor, Brother’s Reserve, Charlie’s Chalk Dust, Congrevape, Cosmic Fog, Eleaf, Fa-Q, Flawless, GeekVape, Innokin, Joyetech, Kanger, Mad Hatter Juice, Nick’s Blissful Brews, P.O.E.T., Pioneer4You, Sigelei, Smok, Teleos, The Milkman and many others. Needless to say, there are plenty of options for both devices and juices that could be included with your box.
From mid-2017, you can now add “Favorites” to your account on Vapebox. From the Dashboard area where you log on your account, you’re presented with some flavors that have been curated for you based on your preferences. If any of these appeals to you, you can hit the “Favorite” button next to the e-juice, and it will save it to your favorites section. You can also do the same thing with new arrivals and staff picks.
When you’ve selected a juice as a favorite, they’ll ship it out to you in your next box if they can. It isn’t necessarily going to be in your box, but it’ll be included if possible. This is a great additional feature from Vapebox. Over time, you’ll build up a collection of your favorite flavors and you’ll be much more likely to end up with an all-day vape in your box.
The Box: What You Get
So when you’ve been through the sign-up process and received your first box, what do you get? For our Vapebox review, we’ve tested out the Enthusiast box, but the basics of how the box is presented and what you receive is the same regardless of your subscription.
The boxes have been redesigned since we first reviewed the service, and now are all-white, with “Vapebox” printed on the top and the logo on the front face. The front section flips open and the box opens up like a chest, revealing your box of goodies inside.
The first thing you’ll notice is a white, folded piece of card containing your personal “Menu” for the month. Zamplebox offers something similar to this – it’s a list of the juices in your box, with a description of the flavor, the VG percentage, nicotine level and the retail price, and a description and retail price for any hardware or accessories included. There’s also a note from the Vapebox team about your box. This all may not sound very impressive, but it’s a really nice touch that helps your box feel personalized and pulls the whole offering together.
Below the menu, all of your juices and hardware are nestled in a bed of shredded brown paper. Depending on what’s included, things might be a bit cramped, but everything sits in there nicely and you can dig through and check out your juices and gear.
Overall, the presentation and packaging from Vapebox is excellent. It doesn’t do anything extravagant, but it gets the job done with an understated style.
The Juices and Gear (August 2016): How Was the Curation?
Now you’ve learned about the basics of what Vapebox offers, it’s time to get onto the important stuff. What’s in the box? Since the service is all about offering devices and juices to suit your preferences, it makes sense to tell you mine. I’m a “very experienced” vaper who builds (I selected both RDAs and RTAs) and generally likes sweeter flavors. Fruits, baked goods, creams, custards and stuff like that. I said I prefer higher-VG, and listed menthols and teas as flavors I wanted to avoid. And I’m open to trying new things, but that didn’t come up in this month’s box.
So here’s a run-down of what the box contained, how good it was and how well it matches my preferences:
Batch 01 by Tinted Brew Liquid Co.
This is a coconut almond cookie and bourbon e-juice, and right off the bat I was excited to try it because it sounds like just my sort of flavor. The juice is excellent, too, with a pleasant amount of sweetness and plenty of character from the almond and bourbon. It’s an all-day vape for me, and one I’ll definitely be picking up another bottle of.
Flex by Mighty Vapors
This is a mixture of green and red apples, offering a fairly straight-up fruity flavor. It may sound simple, but it works really well – the apple is robust and the flavor is almost candy-sweet. The result is a juice that goes down very easily, and it’s another great match for my tastes from Vapebox.
Milk and Honey by Cosmic Fog
This is another excellent fit for my preferences, with marshmallows, sweet milk and honey. It’s a delicious juice, with a fairly gentle flavor thanks to the focus on marshmallows and milk, but the honey provides a punchy sweetness that carries the flavor into all day vape territory.
Hoops by Alpha Vape
This is a blend of cantaloupe, honeydew, pear and cream, offering another sweetened, fruity flavor that suits my palate well. You clearly detect the melon, pear and cantaloupe. An almost candy-like sweetness envelops them, helping the whole thing go down really smoothly. A beautiful e-juice, and a great inclusion from Vapebox.
Nobunaga Mini by Tendou Vapor
This is a three-post mini RDA, included because I said I use RDAs. The RDA is a great addition to the box, and while it’s somewhat limited by its size – with no split center post for easier multi-coil building – it’s definitely a solid RDA. It performs excellently with a wide variety of builds and manages to do it all in a compact package. There are some downsides, but all in all it’s a welcome addition to the Vapebox.
GeekVape Tool Kit
This is an accessory I got with my box. It's a little fabric pouch containing five precision screwdrivers – two Phillips head, two flat head and one hex key – a sturdy pair of wire clippers, some pliers, some fold-out scissors and a set of tweezers. As an extra, this is really useful. Before, I had everything (aside from the hex key screwdriver) bought separately, but the tools in the kit are high-quality and the holder is very handy for when you’re taking your rebuildable out of the house.
On the whole, the latest Vapebox offered a varied and well-curated selection of vaping gear. From the excellent e-liquids through to the great RDA and the really useful building kit, everything included was a great match for my preferences.
March 2017 Vapebox Review
For a more up-to-date look at what Vapebox has to offer, we’ve tried out the February Enthusiast box. Vapebox is always working to improve what they have to offer, and they’ve improved the curation system since this review was first published. So was the latest Vapebox better than last year’s?
My preferences haven’t changed since the last box, and given the quality of what Vapebox offered last year, it’s safe to say I was expecting very good things. In terms of presentation, the 2017 Vapebox is exactly the same as last year – it’s really nicely-presented and still has the personalized menu card with all of the information about what’s inside. So what’s in the box this time around?
Sea Salt Savory Caramel and Ice Cream by Charlie’s Chalk Dust
Charlie’s Chalk Dust has some really awesome e-juice in its line up, and this blend is no exception. The salted caramel is the main draw of the juice, and it’s really well-captured, particularly vaped right away without a steep. The ice cream complements this beautifully, and makes the juice really hard to dislike. As a choice for my tastes, it knocks it out of the park. I was immediately excited to try this and it’s one I’ll definitely pick up another bottle.
Beast Blood (Fall Edition) by Shijin Vapor
This is a cereal mixture, with Froot Loops, Berry Crunch, Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms. It’s a good match for me, though I didn’t specifically choose cereal as a flavor I like, so I assume this is because I said I’m open to new things. The juice itself is delicious: I couldn’t pick out every type of cereal, but Froot Loops definitely come through, and the overall impact is great regardless. Not a favorite, but still awesome.
Steezcake by Rise Vape Co.
This is a strawberry cheesecake juice, and another one where the match for my preferences is so good that I couldn’t wait to try it. The result is excellent: realistic and well-captured strawberry backed by a creamy deliciousness and with just the right amount of sweetness to keep you wanting more. I got a huge 60 ml bottle of this, and I’m happy I did. This is excellent, and a close second for my favorite from the box.
Mango, Pitaya and Pineapple by Pacha Mama
This self-explanatory flavor comes from Pacha Mama, an offshoot of Charlie’s Chalk Dust, and again is a pretty close match for my tastes. The combination of fruits works excellently, with the components all blending together nicely but being detectable individually at different points through your draw. Not my favorite from the bunch, but still an awesome fruity e-juice.
Tokugawa RDA by Tendou Vapor
This is another excellent RDA from the people at Tendou Vapor, and it has a unique deck design. The posts form a circular wall around an airflow hole in the center of the deck, with four sizable post holes at the top, bottom, left and right. Building on the Tokugawa is a really pleasant process, and while it takes some trial and error to find the optimal position, it’s a solid RDA. The performance is excellent, and both the vapor production and flavor are off the charts. I’ll have a full review up soon, but it’s safe to say this is an awesome inclusion from Vapebox.
Kanthal and Japanese Organic Cotton by Wet Wick Supply Co.
This is a simple offering of 5 feet of 26 AWG Kanthal and three sheets of Japanese organic cotton. Although wick and wire isn’t too exciting, the cotton wicks excellently and the Kanthal works just as you’d want. This is included in the box because I said I use RDAs, and while I have spools of Kanthal and wicking material, it’s hard to see any rebuilder being disappointed with this.
July 2017 Vapebox Review
The latest 2017 Vapebox we tried maintains the fantastic appearance and presentation of the others, and with the addition of the favorites, you’re more likely than ever to get something you love. As always, I got the Enthusiast box and my palate preferences were the same as described above. So what came in the box?
Moo Moo’s Milk by Mighty Vapors
This is a strawberry cereal in milk e-juice, and right off the bat tastes amazing. Well-captured strawberry and the pleasant backdrop of milk makes it an all-day vape for me. It’s right in line with my preferences, but even taking that for granted it’s a very impressive e-juice. An excellent choice, overall.
Nectarberry by Royal Bishop
This is a parfait e-liquid with peaches, strawberry and nectarine. The result here is really enjoyable too, with the fruits all coming through nicely and the creaminess from the parfait softening things out. Another great choice for my tastes and a delicious juice in its own right.
Quinn by Savage E-Liquid
Quinn is a raspberry cookie e-liquid; yet another flavor perfectly matched to my tastes. The overall impact of this is good – the raspberry is easy to pick up and it does have a cookie-like taste too. The juice isn’t as good as some of the others in the box – the raspberry could be a little more pronounced – but it’s enjoyable none-the-less.
Jungle Fever by Ruthless
This is a mixture of pineapple, mango and citrus fruit. No complaints here when it comes to suiting my palate, and the pineapple and mango are both well-captured and delicious. The citrus notes come through on the nose and add a pleasing sharpness to the sweetness and lightness of the rest of the juice. Another great choice, overall.
iPower 80 Watt by Eleaf
This is a nifty little mod from Eleaf, featuring a huge 5,000 mAh in-built battery, up to 80 W of power, a full-featured TC mode (supporting SS, nickel and titanium coils) and a dedicated mode button that makes the mod easy to navigate. This is a really great device, on the whole. It has a curved body that makes it really comfortable to hold, it’s pretty light (especially for such a high-capacity battery) and it’s easy enough to use even for a beginner. For something to pick up in a monthly subscription service, it’s absolutely excellent.
Overall Thoughts on Vapebox
Vapebox’s service seems to just keep getting better and better. With the first box offering some excellent juices, a solid mini-RDA and an incredibly useful rebuilding kit, and the 2017 Vapeboxes I tried picking up right where it left off, there really isn’t much to complain about at all.
The most important thing for an e-juice subscription service isn’t necessarily the quality of the stuff you get; it’s how good a choice those things are for your preferences. Back when I first tried Vapebox in 2015, they fell a little short of the mark on that front – they’d have featured mixers and companies for the month, and the curated element was just which of their products you received. But in recent boxes, you really get the sense that everything in the box was purposefully chosen to suit your preferences.
They do a pretty stand-up job of it too. In recent boxes I’ve enjoyed everything they included. In the first box, Batch 01 absolutely blew me away, in the March 2017 box, I couldn’t get enough of both Steezcake and Sea Salt Caramel and Ice Cream, and in the July box Moo Moo’s Milk in particular was awesome. This is really all you need from a subscription service: not everything in there will be a perfect match for you, but if you find one or two gems in each box it’s well worth the cost. The fact that everything included is a good match for my tastes just makes this even better.
The hardware and accessories are really great, too. While the original boxes I tried were a bit hit-and-miss on this, the recent boxes have been excellent. The GeekVape tool kit from the first box has become my go-to set of rebuilding gear, for both its high quality and the nicely portable case it comes in. The RDAs in the first two boxes were both excellent too, but Vapebox has really taken it to the next level with the July box. Getting a TC-equipped mod in a subscription box – especially such a good one – is worth the monthly cost on its own. This type of thing is what really sets Vapebox apart.
Vapebox has also made it easier than ever to make sure you get the sort of goodies you want in each box. Not only do they follow your suggestions closely to make sure you like everything, you can now put juices in your “Favorites” and Vapebox will include it if it’s in stock. On top of this, like before, you can also give feedback on each box. If you provide feedback, the service will continuously improve the longer you’re subscribed, and the favorites system means you can have more direct control over what’s in your box too.
Overall, the Vapebox service has gone from strength to strength. Where once the e-juice portion of the service didn’t quite meet the mark, now every single box is packed full of things you’ll love. The hardware and accessories included in the boxes are consistently excellent too. With huge cost-savings in every box, and an increasingly big chance you’ll enjoy everything it contains, Vapebox has quickly become one of the best games in town for vaping subscription services.