I used to be a smoker. I used to smoke almost a pack a day of cigarettes and I enjoyed it as an activity. I still like the smell of someone else smoking, but I quit almost two years ago. I quit for a number of reasons, including the health concerns, the rising cost of a pack of cigarettes, laws permitting smoking just about anywhere here in Arizona, the smell others near me had to deal with, and the effects of second hand smoke on others. It wasn’t until after I quit that I realized the horrible lingering smell of a smoker that only a non-smoker notices. I bought a new car a couple weeks ago. It’s the first car I’ve had that I didn’t pollute with cigarette smoke and I “smoked” a SuperSmoker Blue electronic cigarette in it on the way to work this morning.

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Benefits and drawbacks of an electronic cigarette
First, I’d like to point out again that I don’t think an electronic cigarette is a good alternative to not smoking at all. If you don’t smoke, you’re not missing anything and you’re saving a lot of money. I do think an e-cigarette is a good alternative to traditional smoking for many reasons, but I’ll start with some of the drawbacks of an e-cigarette over a traditional one. There’s really just a couple. The first, of course is that, in my opinion, no electronic cigarette has truly been able to replicate the taste and feel of a traditional cigarette. The second slight problem with an e-cigarette is that when yor supply runs out, you can’t just replenish it at any convenience store (that I know of). That said, it’s important to note that this (and other) electronic cigarettes have advanced a lot over the years. The first smokeless cigarette I tried years ago felt awkward and tasted like burnt cookies. It was horrible. The SuperSmoker tastes like a cigarette and could easily be a suitable replacement to fill the need for the taste and nicotine. It also feels a lot like a cigarette. There’s still room for improvement here, but the form factor is pretty decent and it’s easy to hold, even if it is (understandably) a little heavier than what a smoker is used to. The other benefits that aren’t immediately apparent just by using the SuperSmoker have their impact on your health, convenience, and wallet. While I’m not going to say these are healthy, I will point out that they are reportedly much better for you and for people around you. The device uses an atomizer that takes the liquid nicotine from the cartridge and turns it into a fine vapor that you inhale. Because there’s no burning of paper and tobacco, they’ve cut out the inhaling of a lot of the junk that makes smoking bad for you. That means the people near you don’t inhale second hand smoke, either. Again, better to not smoke at all, but this is the lesser evil in terms of health risks. The cost benefit is better as well. A kit may cost a little up front (€109 on the site), but a box of cartridges (€15 on the site) gives you (and I’m estimating here) about three to four times as many drags as you’d get out of a pack of cigarettes and maybe more if you count all the times you have to put one out early. The savings comes long term. The final benefit I find with these is the convenience of being able to get your fix anywhere you want. Here in Arizona, smoking is prohibited in just about any public building, but inhaling the vapor from an e-cigarette is not smoking and is excluded from the law. If I were still a smoker, in need of my nicotine and oral fixation on a regular basis, this convenience would be a huge selling point. Imagine being able to use this on the plane, in a mall, or just at your desk. When I worked in Detroit, I often hated that I had to freeze outdoors to have a cigarette during work hours. This could have been very handy.

How does it work?
The technology is something I don’t want to delve too deep into, but I’ll fill you in on the basics. The device recognizes the flow of air created when you inhale and that triggers a chip to heat up the atomizer. The atomizer uses liquid nicotine from the cartridge and turns it into a vapor, which you inhale. It’s all pretty lightning quick, so you inhale and you’ve got some nicotine vapor in your mouth, which can be inhaled like cigarette smoke.

The cartridges come in Normal, Light, Zero, and Menthol and are disposable. The kit comes with a box of 24 Zeros, the SuperSmoker, the charger, a nice little case and an adapter to plug into U.S. outlets. Each box of cartridges comes with a new atomizer because you need to change it every 24 cartridges. Unfortunately, you need to charge it for about three hours before using it the first time.

Comparisons
Above, I already compared this to the traditional cigarettes you can find at any convenience store and despite the couple of small drawbacks, I think this wins hands down. The pros far outweigh the small cons. As a package, it’s pretty much in line with other products I’ve seen and tried with some small differences. The first difference I noted was that the cartridges seems a little flimsy. This wasn’t an issue for me since they are disposable, though. Also, I think this can be partially attributed to the fact that they are made to feel more like the filtered end of a cigarette. It actually feels a little soft and cottony. If the feel of a cigarette is important to you, the SuperSmoker has an advantage with its cartridges. The next thing that I noticed was the carrying case. I hadn’t seen this offered with other devices and it was a nice touch. Inside the case there’s spots to put the e-cigarette and a couple cartridges. I also noted a difference in the cost. The starter kit was more expensive than others I had come across, but if I were shopping around, the added starting cost might be worth it for the softer filters and other long-term advantages. One of the things I did not like about this and other electronic cigarettes is the light-up tip. If I was 16 again, that might be something I thought was cool, but as an adult, I’d prefer not to have it at all. Aside from the benefit of less battery consumption, I would also be able to remain a bit more discreet while using the SuperSmoker. I don’t mean discreet like “sneaky”. I mean discreet as in I’d rather not have to explain to every flight attendant and passenger that it’s not really lit or emitting smoke. Over all, I think it’s a good product for the money and it’s as close as you’ll get to a real cigarette without all the smoke.

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