In The Media
E-cigars and e-pipes: Hands-on with the evolution of the e-cigarette
By E-cigars to the rescue
After my Montreal mayhem with the e-pipe, the folks at ZeroCig sent me their ZC Aristo E-Cigar starter kit ($79), which comes with two atomized cartridges, a USB charter, and the cigar itself. I had to give the Aristo a charge and insert a cartridge, but after that, it’s smooth sailing. Like the ePuffer e-pipe, this rechargeable e-cigar has a distinct, almost comedic, red glow to its end and a noticeable plastic sheen to it when it’s not lit. Unlike the e-pipe, however, the rest of my experience with the Aristo has been extremely positive.
Though I have gotten occasional double takes and stares from New Yorkers as I casually vape around the town, it’s easier to walk around unnoticed with an e-cigar and the Aristo is small enough to fit in your pocket alongside your phone or wallet.
I am not a cigar connoisseur. But out of everything I’ve tested, the ZC Aristo offers the most pleasurable, authentic experience I’ve had with any e-smoking product. It’s still not exactly like puffing on a cigar, but the flavor of the Aristo does resemble an actual cigar and it provides a thick cloud of vapor as well — about as thick as the e-pipe I tested. I haven’t been able to figure out exactly what the outside of the cigar is wrapped in, but it feels more like a real cigar than any other product I’ve tried, and it also leaves a cigar-like aftertaste in your mouth, which I didn’t think was possible, but enjoyed quite a bit. The downside to the Aristo is that it hasn’t held up well after months of pocketing. Mine has frayed a bit, resembling suede more than a cigar in a few discrete locations, and the label is beginning to peel. The mouthpiece can also get a little gross over time if you tend to slobber. Lesson: Take care of your rechargeable.
ZeroCig claims that the Aristo e-cigar will get about 1000 puffs per cartridge, which is the equivalent of about 10 full cigars. This is accurate, if not understated. I don’t think I’ve had to charge the Aristo more than a few times in the last month, and both of the cartridges lasted quite a while. With some help from Mr. Couts, I managed to refill a cartridge too, though I recommend buying replacement flavored cartridges if you can afford the $60 price tag for a pack of 6 (equivalent to about 100 cigars).
Overall, this e-cigar was the only one that I could reliably give to a curious friend or acquaintance and have them get a good hit and understand what vaping is like and why people might do it. The hit or miss flavors and reliability of other products seemed to leave a few of my friends wondering why anyone would bother vaping when they could smoke a real cigarette, cigar, or pipe.
Recharge or dispose?
Being someone who would opt for a rechargeable product over a one-time-use e-smoking product, I was puzzled why I keep seeing more and more disposables on the market. Kevin Woo from ZeroCig was kind enough to field my question, letting me know that I’m one of two types of customers he sees.
“Disposables are just as big of a market as rechargables for E-Cigs and E-Cigars but they are two different types of customers,” said Woo. “Almost all of our online sales come from consumers purchasing our rechargable E-Cigs and E-Cigars and almost all of our retail sales come from consumers purchasing our disposable E-Cigs and E-Cigars.”
“Our online customers do their homework and understand they will save more money going with a rechargeable,” he continued. ” They also tend to be more affluent so they can affored the higher price point. Main point is that the online customers are going to favor the rechargables. Our retail customers buy more on impulse. They see our display and want to try it out. The disposable price point is great for the entry level consumer. Main point here is that the retail customers are going to favor the disposables.”
“Both are disposables and rechargeable are growing as a rapid rate. Rechargables because of the general increased popularity, word of mouth, etc.. Disposables because more and more retail stores (e.g. drug stores, gas stations, etc.) are starting to carry them.”
Woo also explained that while e-cigarettes remain the most popular item, e-cigars are growing in popularity, as are e-pipes.
The future of smoking?
It’s fascinating to see how quickly the e-cigarette market is expanding since the first e-cigs hit shelves back in 2003.
Though I hesitate to encourage anyone to start a regiment of nicotine, for recreational use, I’m a big fan of ZeroCig’s Aristo rechargeable e-cigar. They offer the same experience as an e-cigarette, but offer a much better value. And if you really want to make a statement, nothing will do it faster than a big electronic pipe. It may end up being a collectible
Source more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/e-cigar-e-pipe-e-cigarette-hands-on/2/#ixzz2sf52MiEc
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The ARISTO Electronic Cigar earns the #1 ranking for E-Cigars!
In Vapor Digest recently released "e cigarette influence Index" the Aristo E Cigar took home top place across the board, validating what we here and those of you at whom own an Aristo E Cigar already knew!
Source: http://www.vapordigest.com