E-Lites Review

I have never smoked and smoking has never appealed to me.  When I met Lee and he told me that he was a smoker I must admit it was a bit of a turn-off but he swept me off my feet and as we fell in love I looked passed the fact that he smoked.  If I am honest I would love it if he wasn’t a smoker but he is and it would never be my place to tell him to quit.  Lee did try quitting when little man was due and first born but he was unsuccessful, I think the stress of expecting and then having a little baby made it too difficult for him and it was the wrong time to attempt quitting.  Lee has always without fail smoked away from little man, never smoking anywhere near him and he smokes outside whatever the weather but we both dislike the fact that the smoke lingers on him making him smell of cigarettes and the health concerns connected to smoking.  Especially now that he is a parent Lee’s view on life has changed and he is even more conscious of the health concerns connected with smoking and the fact that statistically they reduce age of life, even though he has struggled with quitting smoking he has drastically cut down on smoking.  Lee has smoked for about 18 years; he buys tobacco and smokes rollies rather than regular cigarettes.  When I was given the opportunity to review some E-Lites electronic cigarettes Lee was willing to give them a go and ‘vape’ to see how they compared to smoking regular cigarettes.

E-lites make electronic cigarettes that are an alternative to tobacco, providing a nicotine hit without the tar, tobacco, carbon monoxide and other chemicals found in traditional cigarettes.  The E-Lites electronic cigarettes are made using state of the art micro-electronic technology with their E-Tips being designed to provide reliable delivery and performance whilst being safe.

E-Lites offered to send a reusable E-Lite cigarette and a starter kit to Lee.  As well as providing kits for Lee to try they also sent some for my sister who is also a smoker to try.  My sister has smoked for about 8 years; she smokes cigarettes and smokes more socially especially when she is with other smokers compared to when she is around non-smokers. 

The E-Lites E40 Reusable E-Cigarette is a compact kit to get you started with using electronic cigarettes.  The E40 comes with 1 E-Tip (electronic cigarette cartridges which is equivalent of approximately 40 regular cigarettes), 1 G9 rechargeable battery with green LED and a compact USB charger.  The E40 comes in 3 different strengths; regular, light and menthol with different colour packs representing the strength.  The E40 is available to purchase for £19.99.

THE E-Lites E200 electronic cigarettes starter kit comes in a touch acrylic box reminiscent to a packet of traditional cigarettes that contains spare E-Tips, a G9 battery with green LED and an extendable USB charging cable that is at the bottom of the pack.  Like the E40, the E200 kits are available in 3 strengths, regular, light and menthol and replacement E-Tips are available in regular, light, menthol and nicotine free.

Unlike other electronic smoking devices, E-Lites electronic cigarettes use new G9 technology which according to E-Lites “produces a substantial amount of smooth, tobacco tasting ‘smoke’, providing a thoroughly enjoyable experience for the smoker”.  The E-Lites’ constant level of power provided by the G9 battery and its intelligent microchip which regulates the delivery rate of nicotine makes for a great smoking experience.  As the G9 batteries are consumable items they need to be replaced every 6-12 months (over 300 charges).

According to E-Lites the electronic cigarettes work by inhaling on the electronic cigarette cartridge (the E-Tip) which causes the liquid nicotine to be drawn into the atomizing chamber where it is heated causing it to turn into the vapour (which is similar to steam) that delivers a measured amount of nicotine to your body.  All you have to do is simply ‘smoke’ the E-Lites electronic cigarette in the same way as a normal cigarette.  To change the E-Tip, you simply unscrew the E-Tip and replace with a new one; you will know the tip needs to be replaced when the vapour reduces significantly.

The E-Lites electronic cigarette comes with a fully charged battery so that when it arrives you can ‘vape’ away straight away.  When you inhale on the electronic cigarette the LED illuminates, when the battery power is low the LED will flash repeatedly warning you that you need to recharge the battery (the rechargeable battery will last for the equivalent of 30 to 40 traditional cigarettes before it needs re-charging).  To recharge the battery you simply remove the USB charger that is snuggly kept in the carton and attach the battery to the USB charger before plugging the USB into a powered up computer to charge the battery.  The tip illuminates to indicate that the battery is charging and once it is fully charged the LED goes out.  Once the battery is charged eject the USB, gently unscrew the battery and screw the E-Tip back on to ‘vape’ once more.

So how did my two testers get on with the electronic cigarettes?

On first impression they both thought the E-Lites looked interesting and having never used electronic cigarettes before they were both keen to see what it was like to ‘smoke’ one.

My sister liked the fact that the E-Lites electronic cigarettes are a similar size to a traditional cigarette as it provides a sense of familiarity and even though Lee is used to smoking rollies which are a different size to regular cigarettes he also liked the way it felt to hold the electronic cigarettes and loved the design feature of subtle ridges along the cigarette.  Lee loves the box, he thinks it’s a quirky design and loves how it is reminiscent of boxes of regular cigarettes with the electronic cigarettes sitting snugly within the box and he thinks it’s fabulous that there is a ‘home’ at the bottom of the box for the USB cable incorporated within the design which is a great design feature and very practical.  They both think it’s good that it’s a green LED so that when you use it in public places there is no confusion.

They both like the fact that they are hassle free and easy to assemble with just 2 components that are put together.  They also both like that the LED flashes repeatedly when the battery is low so that you are warned that it needs recharging, without this feature I think they would end up forgetting to charge the battery and as such would not be able to use the E-Lites.

My sister and Lee both said that they got a nicotine hit whilst vaping and the flavour of the smoke was good and reminiscent of smoking tobacco, providing a good taste and a satisfaction for their nicotine cravings.  My sister says  she get the familiar buzz that nicotine provides and the pleasure from smoking with the familiarity of holding a cigarette.  Both my sister and Lee agree that the E-Lites satisfy the habit element of smoking and the craving for nicotine.  They said that vaping definitely curbed their nicotine cravings.  Lee was surprised how reminiscent of smoking regular cigarettes the taste was from vaping and that you can get a throat hit and you still get smoke when you exhale; the ‘smoke; is actually odour-free water vapour.  As the tips are equivalent to approximately 40 cigarettes rather than 1 they both found it weird and difficult to know when they had smoked the equivalent to 1 cigarette and Lee found that he was ‘graze smoking’ as when nicotine craving hit compared to having 1 cigarette and then waiting awhile before needing another.  I have noticed at times Lee doesn’t always finish a rollies, only satisfying his cravings with a few drags and I think it’s good that unlike when smoking rollies and wasting tobacco with the E-Lites there is no wastage.  As Lee smokes rollies he did miss the habit of making rollies but found the more he used the electronic cigarettes the less he missed this habit.

As my sister is a social smoker and misses smoking in pubs and clubs (even though she understands the health reasons connected with the ban on smoking in certain public places such as pubs and workplaces) she thinks the E-Lites are a great solution and perfect of allowing you to legally smoke indoors.  She likes the fact that the E-Lites are great for allowing smokers to ‘smoke’ without having to leave the premises to go outside or to a designated smoking area.  My sister has had a few ‘odd’ looks whilst vaping indoors but she has had no-one confront her about smoking indoors.  Even though she hasn’t been confronted she does think it would be a good idea to have a card that she could keep with her E-Lites to show to people that they are legal if confronted.

The health benefits are great, we all agree that is brilliant that they do not contain tar, tobacco or harmful chemicals and as there is no burning there are no by-products and carbon monoxide produced.  According to E-Lites they are healthier than regular cigarettes and only contain a solution of pure pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, purified water and small amount of flavouring to replicate the taste of tobacco.  Even though nicotine isn’t harm free the E-Lites have other harm free benefits compared to regular cigarettes.

One huge benefit that both Lee and I love is the fact that the vapour does not smell like a cigarette and as such Lee no longer smells of cigarettes.  As Lee has struggled with quitting but dislikes the smell and health concerns connected to smoking the E-Lites are a great alternative for him.

As well as the health benefits it’s also great that the electronic cigarettes cause no air pollution and no litter in the form of ash and cigarette butts.  I like the fact that E-Lites operates a reward scheme where customers can return used cartridges and batteries in return for products.  If customers return 20 used tips they get a free twin pack of E-Tips and 10 used batteries means you will get a new battery or a twin pack of E-Tips.  I like the fact that the reward scheme not only means you get free products but that it also takes away the worry of how and where to dispose of them. 

According to E-Lites not only do their electronic cigarettes provide health benefits but can also benefit people financially.  They say that “by using E-Lites you will be saving 70% financially, and even more health wise.  A single E-Tip is equivalent to approximately 40 traditional cigarettes, and cartridges cost about £4 each – so there is a huge saving to be had.  That makes 20 ‘cigarettes’ about £2!”  For smokers who make rollies with tobacco rather than cigarettes I’m not sure how the cost would compare.  I think it also has to be considered if there are stores locally to you where you can purchase the E-Lites, there are none very near to us and even though you can purchase them online you would have to be organised and order before you run out to exclusively ‘smoke’ E-Lites.

They are perfect for parents and social smokers alike and both my sister and Lee would recommend E-Lites and are continuing to vape.  We all love the fact that by vaping you can continue to smoke in a healthier, less harmful and unrestricted way.  They think the E-Lites are great for smokers who aren’t ready or wanting to quit smoking but want to be healthier; they provide smoking satisfaction without the harmful or anti-social effects of traditional cigarettes. 

E-Lites sell great starter kits which are perfect for people who want to try electronic cigarettes to see if it’s for them or not.  As well as starter kits you can also buy refills on their website.  If you don’t like the green LED you can purchase a red LED battery on their online shop for £9.99.  You can also purchase other accessories such as wall socket chargers and car chargers on the website.

* E-Lites kindly sent us these electronic cigarettes to review for free, despite this I have written an honest review with my own words and opinions apart from where stated *