“Mini” electronic cigarettes are the most popular way to get into vaping. There are a number of reasons for their popularity. Minis look like regular cigarettes, so they feel familiar and they make it easy to blend in with other smokers. They’re also easy to use, consisting of a battery and a cartomizer (cartridge/atomizer) . The battery provides the power (duh) while the cartomizer contains the flavor, nicotine, and the atomizer that turns the liquid solution into vapor. It doesn’t get any easier than they, hey?
Two of the most popular mini e-cigs are Safe Cig and V2 Cigs. I’ve been using V2 e-cigs since March 2012 and Safe Cigs since May 2012. For people new to vaping, they’re very good products that offer simplicity and are backed by fantastic customer service. Each product has its own advantages. Here’s a comparison of Safe Cig and V2 Cigs “standard” e-cigarettes.
Battery Life: Both companies offer batteries in different sizes with different capacities. For simplicities sake, I’m going to talk about each company’s standard batteries. Safe Cig batteries are rated at 3.7 volts, while V2’s are rated at 4.2 volts. The former lasts longer, while the latter has more power. For people that are used to smoking a pack or more per day, multiple batteries are needed for both products. If you’re sticking with standard cartomizers then Safe Cig is the better choice. Longer battery life is always good and the extra power of the V2 battery is more beneficial if you’re using clearomizer (larger, tank-like products) heads.
In terms of aesthetics, the V2 has a smooth finish that can be slippery. Safe Cig batteries are textured and feel paper-like — a very nice touch.
Edge: Safe Cig
Throat Hit and Vapor: In addition to battery power, there are several factors that contribute to throat hit and vapor production. Higher nicotine levels and higher propylene glycol percentages give you a heavier throat hit, while higher vegetable glycerin percentages give you more vapor.
For comparisons sake, I used the Marlboro and menthol equivalents from Safe Cig and V2 at the light and medium levels. The V2 cartomizers offered more vapor, but a relatively weak throat hit. Safe Cig cartos had a little less vapor, but a more satisfying throat hit. The vapor difference wasn’t that big of a deal, but the difference in throat hit was much more evident.
Edge: Safe Cig
Flavors: Safe Cig offers a wide variety of tobacco-type flavors. You’re bound to find something that tastes similar to your favorite cigarette. Unfortunately, most of the company’s flavors are only available at the 18mg nicotine level. V2 doesn’t have as many tobacco flavors, but offers novelty tastes like cherry, chocolate, coffee, and vanilla. More importantly all V2 flavors come in a variety of nicotine levels, as well as nicotine-free. This is huge if you’re trying to lower your nicotine intake.
Edge: V2
Flexibility: Safe Cig batteries use an RN4081 connection. You can find third-party cartomizers for these batteries, but that’s about it. V2 batteries use the more popular KR808D-1 connection. There are way more aftermarket products available for this type of connection, allowing you to dabble with more advanced types of vaping.
Additionally, V2 sells the tank-like LiquiMax product for people that want to easily use e-liquids from other vendors; many third-party vendors offer juices that are cheaper and available in a wider variety of flavors. V2 also sells a 5.0 volt USB product for people that want a powerful vaping experience while using their computers. This is a nice complementary device that can help you save battery life on your other e-cigs.
Edge: V2
Service and Support: Both companies offer generous limited-lifetime warranties for their starter kits. This is one reason people feel secure going with them when jumping into the vaping world. RPadholic N8R has had outstanding customer service experiences with his V2 products. As far as warranties go, it’s a tie. Here’s more information on Safe Cig’s and V2’s warranties if you’re interested.
As for ordering cartos and other products, V2 is good. My orders with the company were usually mailed out within two business days. One pet peeve is that I’m often given a tracking number a few hours after ordering, but the package isn’t actually mailed for two days. My Safe Cig orders have been much faster, with my orders always being mailed out within one business day. Mail time also depends on where you live; Safe Cig is based in California, while V2 is based in Florida.
Edge: Safe Cig
Conclusion: For novice vapers and those that don’t want to get into things like large personal vaping devices, refilling their own liquids, and experimenting with different vaping heads, Safe Cig and V2 are both very good companies. While they’re on the pricey side for what you get, the customer service is outstanding and the products are super-easy to use.
If you think there’s the slightest chance you want to experiment with advanced vaping equipment, I recommend V2. The product offers more flexibility and is a better gateway to advanced devices. If you just want to stick with a simple mini-battery-and-cartomizer system then I suggest Safe Cig. Its batteries feel better in your hand and last longer, its cartos offer a more satisfying throat hit, and its shipping service is faster.
If you have any question about Safe Cig and V2 e-cigarettes, please leave a comment!
