Vapers have a lot more options on their hands these days than just deciding between brands and flavors. A good amount of accessories have hit the market that are aimed at making your life easier. Some of these products are gimmicks, however many of them really do come in handy. Today we have five of our favorite e cig accessories. All of them serve a specific function that makes them great buys for all lovers of vapor. Remember, we aren’t reviewing individual brands here, so check back with our review section in the future, and shop around to find  the best of each.

The Charging Case

Who doesn’t sometimes forget to charge up their vaporizer? If you are a fan of the smaller devices out there, then there’s a good chance that your favorite brand has a charging case available now or in development. We’ve seen them from everyone from eGo to Blu, and all seem to work just fine. These aren’t just a novelty accessories, they are really handy to have around. You have to remember to charge the case of course, but that’s not a big deal to most of us. You’ll be happy that you have one around the next time that you discover a dead e cig while you are out and about.

The E Cig Lanyard

I had second thoughts about including this one on the list. That was the case until I pulled one of my favorite vaporizers out of my pocket and realized that it had been broken. A little more knowledge and a soldering iron might have been useful, but like most people I had neither. While they might not be in your wheel house from a fashion standpoint, lanyards are easier to travel with than most cases if you use a larger device. They come made out of everything from yarn to bungee cord to “stylish” metal chains, so it’s easy to find one that suites your preferences.

Variable Voltage Batteries

Here’s another e cig accessory that sounded a bit like a gimmick, until I gave it a shot. I’ve personally tried three different devices with variable voltage batteries and enjoyed them all. It seems like the manufacturers are paying more attention to hardware and innovation these days, and it’s really paying off for vapers. Variable voltage batteries are literally great for everyone, no matter how much throat hit you are looking for. It is rare that this can be said about any accessory.

E Juice Containers

Why buy an e juice container when your liquid already comes in one? We can think of a couple of reasons. First off it means that you always have some backup juice on hand. Many containers attach to key chains, making them hard to forget at home. Plus, containers are almost always sturdier than the bottles that juice comes in, making them a far better option when you are on the go. If that’s not enough then think about all of the times where your tank has a hole that is a bit too small for the bottle that your favorite liquid is in. Most containers have small tips that make them better for filling the majority of tanks out there.

Disposable Tips

They are called everything from tips to e cig condoms, but they serve a very useful purpose; avoiding the spread of germs. Even if you are not a germaphobe they can come in very handy. Keeping a disposable tip around lets you allow others to try your vaporizer without exchanging anything but conversation. I’ve used them when allowing friends who vape to tryout out a new flavor. I have even seen others allow strangers to try out vaping without any germ worries. This might not be the accessory for everyone, but if you give them a try you might be surprised how much you like having a couple around.

These are our suggestions when it comes to the most useful e cig accessories. You will likely find them useful even if you are a no-frills type of vaper. There are other products out there designed for vapers. If you have come across one that you like feel free to let us know about it in the comment section.

One of the best things about vaping is that you can choose how much nicotine you take in. This allows you to personalize your experience, and gives you the opportunity to reduce your nicotine addiction. Knowing that is the easy part, selecting the right level of nicotine for your electronic cigarette is a bit tougher. E juices are available in a wide breadth of nicotine concentrations, and it’s important that you select the right level for your needs.

Most of the time nicotine concentration will be displayed in milligrams (mg). This figure tells you how many milligrams of pure nicotine solution are present in every milliliter of e liquid. Other e cig manufacturers report the nicotine concentration as a percentage. This method is essentially the same as reporting how many milligrams of nicotine juice are used. A 1.8% e juice has 18mg of nicotine per milliliter. Most manufacturers offer e juices that range from 0 mg (no nicotine at all) up to 24 mg. There are some e liquids out there that go above this mark; you can find concentrations on the market as high as 34 mg.

Now that you are up to date on how the nicotine concentration is measured it’s time to decide which one is best for you. Most of the manufacturers have suggestions on their websites. While they all gauge the percentages a little differently the general rule is:

• Up to 10mg/10% is equivalent to an ultra-light tobacco cigarette
• 11mg-18mg/11%-18% is equivalent to a light cigarette
• Over 18mg/18% is equivalent to a full flavored analog smoke

In our opinion anything over 2.4mg/24% is overkill. While e juices with this much concentration certainly exist, they should only be used in extreme cases. If you smoke multiple packs of full flavored tobacco cigarettes per day you may need this much, but probably not. In fact, we recommend selecting a nicotine level that is on the low end of the spectrum regardless of how many tobacco cigarettes you are accustomed to smoking. A tobacco smoker who smokes a pack a day or less of light cigarettes will almost always be satisfied with the 11mg/1.1% concentration. Take the time to experiment for yourself and we are confident that you will agree.

Many take advantage of the multiple concentrations to wean themselves off of nicotine. First and foremost it is important to remember that while e cigs can be a quitting tool, they are not truly medical devices. Once you accept this you can plan to use them during your journey to quit tobacco. Slowly reduce your nicotine concentration over time. Many people report that they stick with a particular concentration for at least a week before reducing their intake. Starting off with a 0mg e juice is probably not a good idea. While you still get the look and feel of a smoke your body will still crave nicotine. Depriving yourself altogether does not work for most people. How many times have you or a friend tried to quit “cold turkey” and ended up right back on the wagon?

One final thing to keep in mind is mixing your won e juice. Several manufacturers will sell you flavored liquid along with nicotine solution that allows you to create a personalized e juice. We only recommend that experienced vapers try this. There are so many great e liquids out there that have been mixed by professionals, that we advise most vapers to avoid mixing their own juice. This is entirely our opinion. Many vapers do mix their own juices, some even create their own flavors altogether. Doing such requires extra steps and experience. It is easy to add too much nicotine to a juice, which could lead to increasing your dependence. That probably counters the reason that you are looking into electronic cigarettes in the first place.

Finding the right nicotine level for you is not that tough. Again, start out on the low end and see how your cravings go. No need to take in too much nicotine. In fact many vapers find themselves reducing their nicotine level at some point, even if quitting is not their goal.

Everyone wants a picture perfect smile. It’s about more than aesthetics; dental health is an important thing to stay on top of for many reasons. As smokers we all heard about how bad tobacco is for your teeth every time we visited the dentist. In the spirit of keeping things honest we decided to take a look and find out if using electronic cigarettes is better for your teeth. After a heavy amount of research we have some interesting facts to share with you.

• Whiter and brighter- You hear it from the hygienist and dentist, tobacco does a number on the color of your teeth. The tar in tobacco smoke settles on teeth, making it necessary to go in for a professional whitening in order to restore your teeth’s natural brightness. Switching to electronic cigarettes takes the tar out of the equation and allows your teeth to regain a whiter appearance. Professional whitening and cleaning, in combination with a healthy tooth care regimen on your part can in fact improve the appearance of your teeth after quitting tobacco. While we would never tell you that electronic cigarettes themselves improve dental health, the consensus seems to be that they once again best tobacco products.
• Your gums- This is an area where we would like to see more formal research done. Some vapers report bleeding gums a couple of weeks after making the switch (The vast majority of these vapers report that the bleeding stops after a short period). Others report that their dentists gave rave reviews about the improved state of their gums after ditching tobacco. One known fact is that tobacco smoke reduces blood flow to the mouth, which deteriorates gum health over time. Switching to vapor does improve blood flow, which may lead to bleeding for the first group, and is surely associated with the positive gum health of the second. Remember that nicotine itself decreases blood flow, so e cigs still can have a negative effect. Switching to e juices with lower nicotine concentrations is one way to combat this, and is easy to do with pretty much every brand out there.
• Dry mouth- Some vapers, and most heavy smokers report experiencing dry mouth. Nicotine from both regular and e cigs is one cause. Tobacco cigarettes themselves have other agents that can perpetrate dry mouth. Dry mouth can bring about everything from bad breath to gum disease, as saliva works to decrease the amount of bacteria that can grow in your mouth. The hard truth is that vapor can increase dry mouth. (Hey nothing is perfect right?) To combat dry mouth you can: sip water throughout the day, use a mouth wash that does not contain alcohol (always talk to your dentist about the best oral care products to use), brush at least twice a day, pay attention to how much smoke or vapor you take in and work to actively cut down your usage.

Electronic cigarettes have an effect on the state of your dental health. From all of our research the dental community seems to agree that vapor is better for your teeth and gums than smoke. We’re not saying that it will improve your oral health, but compared to tobacco smoke it is a huge step forward. If you have made the switch we recommend that you discuss any changes that you have noticed with your dentist. Everyone should go in for regular cleanings and dental checkup whether you are a fan of vapor or not. We always welcome comments, but would especially love to hear about your experience with electronic cigarettes and dental health. The more information that we share the faster we can all have the facts that we need.

We spend a lot of time sharing stories and advice for smokers who have never tried vapor, but what about smokers who made the switch to electronic cigarettes and then switched back? This is a fairly common occurrence, even among those who make the switch and like vapor. It can happen for a lot of reasons. Most often people run out of refills or lose their electronic cigarette, pick up a pack of analogs to tide over and find themselves back on the wagon. It can happen quicker than you think, after all tobacco was a big part of most smokers’ lives for quite some time. So how do those of us who have moved back get back on the wagon?

First you have to decide whether vapor really is for you. In most cases the answer is “yes, of course” but if you find yourself avoiding e cigs you must ask. As you’re still with us you probably did in fact answer “yes”. If so it’s time to climb back aboard the vapor train. As basic as it sounds try reminding yourself about the benefits of electronic cigarettes. Think about how much money you saved verse analogs. Recalling the way you felt after first making the switch is the biggest part. Remember that morning that you woke up and didn’t cough? How about that first run that you went on where you didn’t have to stop because you were out of breath? Everyone who converted can relate to this. Face it; feeling better is one of the best side effects of e cigs. Sure, the jury is still out on the exact safety of vapor, but we all know from experience that they are better than tobacco cigarettes. The improvements were obvious when we all switched, and reminding ourselves of the plusses was a huge help when we relapsed.

Once you’re back to vapor take some time to reacquaint yourself with your options. Sometimes people fall off because they only try one brand, like it but didn’t love it, and go back to analogs. The truth is there are a ton of different options out there. Try out a couple of brands. We often pick up a disposable to try before committing further to any particular brand. Most disposables aren’t any more expensive than analogs, and they let you dip your toe into a brand’s pool rather than just diving in.

We recommend that you keep two factors in mind when choosing your mod or e cig; hardware and the vapor itself. Having good hardware is a must. Different types of e cigs and mods have different vapor outputs. With a little sampling you can find the device that deliver the amount of vapor that you want. If your last device broke on you (most of the cheap ones will) take some time to find a company that provides quality hardware. Ask friends, check out message boards, social media and of course, take advantage of electronic cigarette reviews. A little research will lead you to a brand that won’t sell you faulty hardware. Try out a few different flavors of e juice while you are searching. If you look enough you can find one that will be very close in taste to the flavor of the analog smoke that you gave up. You might also be surprised how much you may like some of the more exotic flavors. You may also want to experiment with different levels of nicotine if you felt that your carvings were not satisfied the first time.

Getting back into using vapor is easier than when you made the switch the first time. Just find a good vaping device, a flavor that you enjoy and re-commit. In the end you will be happy that you did. Feel free to leave feedback and share your experiences with us in the comment section below.

In the past few days there has been a lot of talk about an increase in the amount of kids who have tried electronic cigarettes. Data collected by the National Youth Tobacco Survey, and published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports that the number of youths who have tried electronic cigarettes nearly doubled between 2011 and 2012. These numbers are alarming regardless of whether you support vapor or not. They will also be used by those who are anti-vapor in their attempt to create bans and overbearing regulations on the products. In order to both respond to critics and better educate the youth, it is important to begin a discussion about talking to children about electronic cigarettes.

Just like many other things in life, electronic cigarettes represent an indulgence that is intended for adults. Kids naturally want to try things as they grow older. Now, electronic cigarettes are officially one of those things. As they are now more prominent, and more available, it is important to include electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices in the conversation about what is appropriate for children. It’s not hard to do, you just need to plan and then have the talk.

Be Straight Forward

There’s no point in beating around the bush. It is best to directly address electronic cigarettes with your kids. Let them know that they are a product that is made for adults. Let them know that the fact that they are better for you than smoking by most accounts does make them okay for children. Reinforce that nicotine is an addictive substance, and that even non-nicotine vapor is not appropriate for children. Setting the standard and letting kids know that vapor is off limits is the first step in educating minors and nipping their use of electronic cigarettes in the bud.

Set the Example

You yourself may be a vaper. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you do need to set a proper example for the children in your life. Teach them that you vape responsibly. This can be done by vaping outside instead of right next to children in the house. You can take it a step further by avoiding the use of electronic cigarettes in public buildings. This will show them that there are in fact rules and standards to be upheld as a vaper. The more casual that you make vaping appear to be, the more likely children are to gain the opinion that it is acceptable for them to do. It’s similar the use of alcohol or traditional tobacco in this regard.

Be Involved With Impending Laws

It’s no secret that vaping is in a very free period right now. Laws have not been set that officially classify or fully regulate the sale and use of vapor products.  This will change in coming months, mark our words. Being involved with the process is in line with setting the example of responsible e cig use. We advocate limiting the sale of vapor to minors, and suggest that you do as well. This will further set the example, and work to down grade the opposition’s use of statistics like the one in the study above to overly regulate the products. It will also show your kids that you are firm in your opinion that electronic cigarettes are not for them. It makes sense to limit the sale of vapor products to adults, advocating this does not make you anti-vapor, it makes you pro-children.

Talking to kids about electronic cigarettes is an important thing to do. It helps you better educate the children in your life. It also gives credibility to the vaping community by showing that we are responsible in our enjoyment of electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices. As always we are adamant about our opinion that vapor is for adults. It would be a shame if those who are opposed to vapor were able to use children to manipulate the vapor community. Feel free to share your experiences and advise in the comments section, it might just help another vaper out.

Most often when you hear about electronic cigarette safety people are discussing health issues. While we constantly maintain that we feel that vapor is far better from a health standpoint than smoke, today’s post is about how to safely use electronic cigarettes. We spend a lot of time talking to vapers both on and offline. Recently we have seen an increasing amount of talk about people using electronic cigarettes incorrectly. Misusing the hardware can lead to your device breaking, and to even bigger problems such as fires.

Don’t get us wrong, we are not saying that electronic cigarettes or mods are a fire hazard. We have experience with dozens of different brands and devices, and have never a safety issue. In our opinion there are a few simple things to consider to ensure that you don’t either.

Buy quality devices- Sounds pretty basic right? It’s not. Some vapers, especially newbies who are looking to try out vapor products, opt for the cheapest available products. This is a bad way to purchase nearly anything. In the case of e cigs and mods it means that you are purchasing hardware made as cheaply as possible. The end result is a series of products that will break or have defects. Check out reviews and ask others who vape before buying any brand. Chances are if you go with the cheapest available you won’t be happy. In all reality you have a greater chance of wasting your money on a defective device than you do of starting a fire, but buying a quality e cig is the starting point to safety.

Remember that devices are proprietary- It is in the best interest of manufacturers to make e cigs that only work with refillable cartomizers, batteries, etc. that they make. While we don’t always love this from a user standpoint, we get that e cig manufacturers are in business to make money. In most instances the threading that allows pieces to screw together will not allow you to attach cartomizers that are made by a different manufacturer. Charging devices also come in varying shapes and sizes. When it comes to batteries things can get a bit dangerous if you do things incorrectly. Most vaping devices use lithium ion batteries. This type of battery is used in all types of household devices, and is safe unless misused. Force fitting a battery is clearly misuse, we have heard stories of batteries overheating and creating sparks. Never use the wrong type of battery on your e cig. It can be unsafe, and in the end it is entirely user error. Always use hardware as it is intended to be used. Pretty much every starter kit comes with instructions that you can refer to.

Don’t experiment with hardware- Some vapers out there make their own mods. While we generally don’t have an issue with this (if you really, really know what you are doing), we suggest that most people avoid tinkering with the hardware. We touched on this point above when we pointed out that you have to use matching pieces in order to safely charge and vape electronic cigarettes. When people decide to try to alter, enhance, or in any way change pre-made devices it can be unsafe. The manufacturers build their devices to exact specifications. Altering these specs can be dangerous and lead to malfunctioning devices. Sometimes these malfunctions can cause fires and burns depending upon the changes that are made. You wouldn’t try to rig your hair dryer or your blender would you? Probably not; so don’t try to alter your vaping devices either.

Electronic cigarettes really are safe devices. User error is the number one cause of most malfunctions and incidents when it comes to quality products. Staying safe while vaping is as easy as finding a quality device and using it correctly. Simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions and enjoy your vapor. In all of our tests and experience we have never had an unsafe experience. There’s no reason that anyone else should either.

Word of mouth is a huge part of the growth of any product. When it comes to electronic cigarettes, word of mouth has quite possibly been the number one way that people have discovered vapor. Many of us who have converted to electronic cigarettes, or other vapor devices, have made it a mission to spread the word about the benefits of the products. Often we start with family and friends, but eventually move on to sharing our thoughts with anyone who may strike up a conversation with us in public when they see us enjoying a vape. At this point we have talked to hundreds of smokers, vapors and others who are interested in learning more about electronic cigarettes. Here are some things that we have learned along the way.

Be Friendly

It sounds kind of obvious, but some vapers are actually quite pushy. Switching to electronic cigarettes is a choice that people must make for themselves. It doesn’t help to be overly assertive or condescending when you are explaining the benefits of vapor to a newbie.

Be Honest

Let people know what you really think about vapor. Clearly you are a fan, but don’t hesitate to let them know if you have had a bad experience with a brand, or if there was any difficulty in making the switch from tobacco on your own part. Ditching tobacco isn’t easy. Be honest about how long it took you to completely kick your analog habit, and about how many different vapor products you tried until you found the right ones for you. Of course, you should be honest about the benefits as well. We always tell people how much better we felt after making the switch, and that we save a good amount of money now. Both of those pieces of information are true, and really resonate with those who want to learn more about electronic cigarettes.

Talk About Health

The health benefits of e cigs are one of our biggest talking points with newbies. There have been studies that show that electronic cigarettes help people quit tobacco, even those who didn’t plan to quit. There is also a lot of talk about how the ingredients of vapor clearly contain thousands fewer chemicals and zero carcinogens. These are both facts. You do have to remember to be honest here though. There are still ongoing studies about electronic cigarettes. While we firmly believe them to be a healthier alternative to smoking, there is not a 100% consensus in the medical community at this point. Let people know that you genuinely feel they are safer, but that there are still studies going on which will provide more information in the future.

Let Them Try Yours

If it’s a stranger you might not want to hand over your vapor device for a sample. However, in many cases you will be talking to friends and family. Let them take a drag off of your e cig. You probably even have an extra battery and cartridge that you can let them hold on to for a day or two. Most often when people actually get to try vapor they are more receptive to taking it seriously than if they only hear about it.

Help Them To Be Better Informed

Let them know that there are a lot of resources out there with information on electronic cigarettes. Tell them to check out some electronic cigarette reviews. We have honest reviews on multiple brands right here on this site. Also let them know that they can search the web or their favorite social media sites to see what others are saying about the products. Switching to e cigs is a choice, and it’s always best to make an informed decision.

Introducing a newbie to electronic cigarettes can literally change their lives. If you have made the switch and fallen in love with the products it is important to be an advocate. The more people learn about vapor the more acceptable it will become. And let’s face it, every vaper wants the whole world to know more about the products and less about the myths.

We all know that with vapor being considerably safer than smoke the second hand dangers all but taken away if they exist at all. We also know that a ton of electronic cigarette companies sell their products on the claim that, with electronic cigarettes you can “smoke anywhere”. In reality this is not true. Yes, you can certainly enjoy vapor in many places where tobacco cigarettes are not allowed. It truly is one of the benefits of the products. In reality you cannot enjoy an electronic cigarette “everywhere”. Here are some of the places that you can or should not use electronic cigarettes or other vapor devices.

Airports

Ina recent post we discussed using electronic cigarettes on airplanes. While we think that we made a great case for equitable e smoking sections, the fact is that you are not allowed to vape on most flights. These rules are set by the airlines as opposed to the Federal Department of Transportation. Many airports still allow electronic cigarettes inside, however as of late some have banned them as a result of state laws. It is best to ask before you break out your electronic cigarette. We perused several of the major airports’ websites and found nothing that banned their use at: La Guardia International in New York, O’ Hare International in Chicago (The Chicago Clean Indoor Air Ordinance clearly defines smoking using the words lighted and burning; that’s not vapor), McCarron International in Las Vegas and several other major hubs. While we have no issue with vaping in an airport if allowed, we do recommend taking advantage of a traditional smoking area if it is available. Many airports have designated areas for smoking, for now we personally vape in those areas out of respect for others.

Schools

When it comes to schools for younger children you will be dealing with state and local laws. In our opinion it is best to avoid vaping directly around children out of respect for their parents’ wishes. Some may consider it to be setting a bad example, so elementary middle and high schools are out for us. As for colleges many campuses have strict tobacco bans. While some differentiate between smoking tobacco and other forms, one should always check. This reference gives you a recently updated list of academic institutions coast to coast, and their smoking policies. If tobacco is banned outright, we would recommend proceeding cautiously if you choose to vape. If only smoking tobacco is banned we would have to say that you are likely in the clear. Again, it is always best to ask, there are far too many universities out there for us to catalog them all. In our opinion vaping should not be included in tobacco bans, but some colleges have recently made the news for disagreeing with us.

Shopping Centers

Enjoying some vapor while picking up your groceries or beefing up your wardrobe is certainly an appealing thought. While local laws will once again come into play, most of us do not live in places that clearly ban vapor devices as part of their indoor smoking laws. While it might not be illegal, we still vote to abstain from vaping in places such as shopping malls, big box retailers and grocery stores. Vapor has come a long way, but the general public is still not ready for full on acceptance. If we want to make sure that impending vapor laws don’t over-limit where we can vape, then we should hold off in places like this for now.

Government Buildings

We hear a lot of reports of vapor being banned in government owned and run buildings. This doesn’t just include offices, but places like the DMV and Tax Collectors Offices as well. It’s not that surprising as government facilities almost always have a stricter set of rules than most places. We made sure to include it in our list to help you avoid an awkward situation next time you need to renew your driver’s license. For now, we consider the inside of all government buildings to be no-vapor zones. We’re not saying that we like it, but it does seem to be the rule.

Movie Theaters

This is another place where vapor would be a nice addition. We searched online for policies about smoking electronic cigarettes in movie theaters and didn’t find anything. To get a better answer we put out calls to both AMC and Muvico, two of the largest movie theater companies in the United States. Members of management from both companies reported that there is not currently a policy about electronic cigarettes in their theaters, however they have had instances in the past where they have asked movie goers to refrain from vaping indoors out of respect for other guests.

In the end respect or others seemed to be the common theme among places where electronic cigarettes should not be used. In some instances laws will explicitly state that e cigs are not allowed. In reality electronic cigarettes have gotten so popular, so quickly, that law makers have not had time to decide how to categorize vapor devices. We stand on the side of the research that states that vapor is safer than smoke. More research is currently underway in order to help law makers to determine the effects of vapor. While we fully agree with enjoying vapor in ways that does not impede on the rights of others, it is becoming increasingly important that vapors be aware of hwo laws are coming together so that the list above does not get longer. In our opinion bars, social clubs and similar places should never have vapor bans.