BLVK Bar Review: Large and in Charge

Product intro and specs

Introducing the BLVK Bar, a new disposable vape from popular e-juice manufacturer BLVK. If I were to tell you that it features 15 flavors at 5% nicotine salt and an 800 mAh battery capacity, the BLVK Bar may not seem all that different from your average disposable. But it is. Here's why... 

The BLVK Bar is a disposable with a juice capacity and puff rating almost too immense to believe. The BLVK Bar holds a whopping 22 mL and a puff rating of up to 20K. It seems like just a few months ago when 5k puffs were about the max it seemed like we'd ever see. Actually, that probably was just a few months ago. 

Other notable features are its tech and customization capabilities. The BLVK Bar features the trademarked 0.8-ohm NIO-X dual coil system that works in conjunction with three power modes for an effective variable voltage system. There is a rotary dial airflow control, a smart LED screen for juice and battery monitoring, a button-activated power selector, and a USB-C charge port with the ability to charge up to 50% in less than 20 minutes. Toss in the renowned BLVK eliquids, and this should be an easy disposable to recommend. But is it? Let's dive in and see about that.

Size, look, and feel

The BLVK Bar is big. Plain and simple. If you're a vaper of more than just disposables, you'd realize that while in your hand, the BLVK Bar is like holding a box mod with a mouthpiece. 

The nearest mod to me is the old single-battery Vandy Vape Jackaroo, and the BLVK Bar is virtually the same size and dimensions. The major difference is that it's much, much lighter than a box mod. The BLVK Bar stands at 33 mm x 50 mm x 90 mm and weighs about 93 grams. So, while it is big by disposable standards, in the broader vape world, it's a familiar hand feel. 

The BLVK Bar is more of a simple-looking disposable vape, which is fine with me. It's made of soft plastic, with most of the body coated in a black rubberized finish. The uppermost part of the body is colored to suggest the flavor, formed with an off-center duckbill mouthpiece. 

While I do enjoy the simplicity of the design, when it comes to the LED screen, it's bright. On one hand, that's a great thing in that it shows all you need to know in a big font that's easy to read at a glance, but I do wish I could turn off the lights. Of course, it's not like this could ever be considered a stealth vape, but still. The LED screen lighting is bright. 

Note that, compared to some of the disposables I have on deck to review, the BLVK Bar has modest lighting; though I still would like to control the lights. At least with the BLVK Bar, the lighting isn't an absurd lightshow. There's just a single light that encompasses the LED screen when you take a hit. After the hit, that light turns off, but the other info stays on the screen for a few seconds.

Getting started

Getting started is easy, though there are a couple of things to know that put the BLVK Bar in a category that I would call a semi-advanced disposable. 

On the bottom of the devices, you'll find a button. It's a clicky button that changes the modes and turns the device on and off. Due to its location, it's a little challenging to click it quickly. Luckily, you don't have to click it that quickly, unlike the typical vape buttons, which require rapid clicks. I recommend flipping it over so the button is facing up. That will make the clicks easier. 

To turn on the device, click the button five times. BLVK calls this a "child protection" feature. At first, I thought that was a farse, but now I view it as a perfectly legitimate feature. 

To toggle between the three power modes, you click the button three times. 

Low: 15 V for up to 20K puffs. A fulfilling but milder hit.  

Normal: 15 V for up to 15K puffs. A warmer, more robust hit.  

Max: 20 V for up to 10K puffs. The warmest, most flavorful, and largest cloud producer of the modes. 

The smart LED screen for juice and battery monitoring is easy to read. The juice level is indicated by a large, metered orange-colored droplet, and the battery level is shown with a tri-colored, metered battery icon. Both also have numerical values that range between 00-100, which removes all the guesswork. It's a good redundancy. 

Finally, at the bottom of the device, you'll find the rotary airflow control. It's got a nice resistance to it and allows you to take the airflow from an MTL draw all the way up to a direct-lung hit. I don't think the device is quite meant for an MTL draw, though I've found it's capable of it with the airflow restricted and in low-power mode.

How does it hit?

In the patented NIO-X 0.8-ohm dual-coil system, the vape differs between the modes, and it's not your typical "dual-coil." In the low-power mode, a single coil fires. In the normal and max power modes, the coils fire in succession, which is said in the marketing materials to be designed that way to increase the lifespan of the coils. 

When I listen closely while taking a long draw in normal or max power, I can hear and feel what seems to be two coils alternating in activation around 1-second intervals. In the low-power mode, all I hear is one coil activating. I hadn't noticed this until I sat here trying to notice something. Then again, I previously only used them in low-power mode.

There's apparently an "anti-flavor burn technology" at play, too. I know that some disposables have similar-sounding techs that will literally prevent further vaping if the tank is dry, like temperature control. I don't know if these devices have that, though.

BLVK Bar 20K best flavors

BLVK is a juice manufacturer, which, in theory, should give them an edge over the competition. Unfortunately, I can only speak to three for the BLVK Bar flavors, as that was all I was sent. In the past, I've been impressed with BLVK dessert flavors like strawberry swirlz and, especially, coco melo in the Ello Plus. Those flavors are banging! Much to my dismay, those aren't available in the BLVK Bar. 

I like all of the three flavors in the BLVK Bar I've tried, but I feel they're missing that wow factor despite being tasty flavors. I may feel like this because the disposable vape market is going through a renaissance in flavor development. For comparison's sake, the Magic Maze Pro flavors knocked my socks off, not just for disposable vape flavors but for flavor in a vape—I know BLVK is capable of the same. These flavors from BLVK meet the standard for what's good in a disposable but fall short of remarkable. 

Apple grape ice: A juicy, sweet, and natural grape taste balanced out by the slight tartness of green apple. Although it's "iced," it's what I find to be a normal amount of cooling for a disposable vape. I'd call it moderately cool. 

Blue raspberry ice: A fruity take on blue raspberry with a more natural berry flavor mixed with an aroma reminiscent of candy. It rides the line between fruit and candy. High cooling. 

Kiwi dragon fruit ice: Slightly tart, slightly sweet. I taste more kiwi than dragon fruit, but dragon fruit is one of those hard-to-identify flavors. It's good but a tad non-descript. If you like lighter flavors, this would be the one to try. Light cooling.

How long do they last?

The BLVK Bar lasts a long time. I've been vaping on mine for over a week, and they are still going. Granted, I have a lot of devices, so I'm not just vaping on one. Still, other disposables I've had in the same time frame have been tested and drained. Remember, the BLVK Bar has 22 mL on board, so that's going to take some time to go through. 

Of course, if you're vaping in normal or max power mode, you'll drain the juice and battery faster. Because the normal and max power modes push more voltage, your battery is working harder. It's difficult to say how much faster it will take, as it depends on how much you vape, but I have drained a full battery in max power mode in about half a day. 

To charge the battery, just hook up a USB-C cable to it and charge it how you would any electronic device. The BLVK Bar has a fast charge capability to get you from 0-50% in about 20 minutes. That's super-fast, although it's not a full charge. The full charge takes about 80 minutes, which is about standard for this size battery.  

When you charge, the LED screen lights up, and you can see how much charge you have left. In my first batch of BLVK Bars, I had issues where two of my devices stopped working after the first charge. In the second batch, it seems the issue has been resolved.

Pros / Cons

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