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myblu Review

Vaping360 Team
July 23, 2019

Introduction

The myblu is a super-lightweight and compact beginner vape that comes with pre-filled pods. It is made by blu, an e-cigarette company owned by Fontem, a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco. The device was originally released as the my. Von Erl by the Von Erl company. A series of acquisitions have led to the myblu brand name, but not much has changed from a design perspective since the my. Von Erl hit the stores. What has changed is the flavors the are available for it, as blu has released a wide array of flavor options for the myblu.

There are currently two main lines of pods for the myblu—your options may vary depending on where you buy from, but to keep things simple, we will call them the US and the UK lines. The lines come with a somewhat different flavor catalogue and at different nicotine strengths. Another difference between the US and UK versions is that the myblu is available in four more color options in the UK—blue, red, purple and gold.

Blu has set websites in 11 countries, including the US, UK, Japan, and many countries of the EU. It is also available in many physical locations—you can find stores that carry the myblu on blu’s websites.

Price:
UK: £9.99 (for the device in black & one Tobacco 1.6% pod), £19.99 (for the device in blue, red, gold or purple without pods), £5.99 (for a pack of two pods) (at blu)
US: $22.99 (for the device in black & one Gold Leaf 2.4% pod), $9.99 (for a pack of two pods) (at blu)

Specifications

  • Dimensions: 18 mm x 106 mm
  • Weight: 21 grams
  • Battery: 350 mAh
  • Quick charging
  • Automatic draw

Kit Contents

  • myblu device
  • USB cable
  • User guide

Size, weight, and feel

The myblu is a super-lightweight vape. The battery weighs in at 16.5 grams, which goes up to 21 grams with a full pod inserted. At 106 mm x 18 mm it is also one of the most compact vapes around, and significantly smaller than the likes of the Logic Compact or Vype’s ePens. In fact, it is only slightly bigger than the JUUL, and weighs just 5-6 grams more.

Even with its lightweight construction, the myblu feels like a solid and well-made e-cig. The myblu has a slick and gadgety design, branding is relatively discreet, and it just feels good in the hand. From a build quality perspective, it’s at the same league as the Logic Compact, and far ahead of all the Vype products we have tried.

The only drawback: some pods may don’t click securely into place—although this will not prevent you from going through them. Thankfully this happened only with a couple of the pods we tried (and we tried a lot) and it a relatively minor con as a pod will usually last a day or two before it needs to be replaced.

Getting started

The kit comes with the myblu battery, a USB cable, a user manual and, depending on the version, either a Gold Leaf pod (US) or a Tobacco pod (EU/UK). To get started, make sure your device is fully charged and then take a pod out of its plastic packaging, insert it in the opening of the battery, and inhale on the mouthpiece. When the pod is empty just replace it with a new one. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

The battery comes with two U-shaped cutouts that will allow you to monitor how much juice is left inside the pod. Unfortunately, the lower part of the pod is not visible, so when your juice is running low you will have to remove the pod to check.

How does it hit?

The draw on the myblu pods is very comfortable and mimics that of a cigarette. The pods also produce a surprising amount of warm vapor, especially considering the size of the device.

As mentioned in the introduction, the US and UK editions of the myblu come with different nicotine strengths:

US version

  • 2.5%, 4% for the INTENSE line
  • 0%, 1.2%, 2.4% for the regular line

UK version

  • 1.6% for the INTENSE line
  • 0%, 0.8%, 1.6% for the regular line

The regular nicotine pods will hit hard all across the line. Even the 1.2% pods are hard hitters, which came as a surprise considering that the myblu is not a high-powered device. The only pods from the regular line that felt relatively underpowered were the 0.8% pods from their UK selection, but even those were much better than most of the competition’s 1.2% pods. If it was up to us, the regular line would have been named “INTENSE” instead of the nicotine salt line.

The pods of the INTENSE line use nicotine salts and, as a result, they don’t hit as hard on the throat—nicotine salts tend to smoothen the hit significantly. But if you take many hits in succession from the higher nicotine ones from the US line, you will certainly feel the fatigue building up. Which is actually a good thing, as higher nicotine pods are not supposed to be chain-vaped to begin with. Going lower in the INTENSE line will take away even more of the throat sensation and allow you to vape more, if that’s what you’re after.

We didn’t test any of the 0% nicotine pods but having them as an option is always a good thing. Truth is that not many companies offer 0% nicotine pods. And while transitioning smokers don’t have much use for them, those who have been vaping for a while can use them as the final step before quitting nicotine altogether.

We didn’t run across many issues with the pods. There was occasionally some minor spitting and some condensation accumulating in the connection when the pods were left unused for longer periods, but it didn’t really interfere with our testing. And while some of us remembered that older myblu pods would sometimes leak through the mouthpiece, we didn’t encounter it in the pods we tried for the review. The pods may have been redesigned, or we might have just been lucky with the pods we tested—which were quite a few, as you will read in the following section.

Are the flavors any good?

We tried a wide variety of myblu flavors, both from the US and the UK lines. Instead of reviewing all of them, it makes more sense to present our favorites from each line.

US flavors

Gold Leaf (regular)
A great tobacco flavor and, along with the tobacco flavor of the Logic Compact, the best we’ve ever had in a beginner vape till now. A smooth, flavorful tobacco without the extra sweetness that we oftentimes see infused in tobacco vapes. An excellent all-day vape that goes with everything, really. As a bonus, you get the satisfying throat hit of the myblu regular nicotine line. Two thumbs up.

Tobacco Chill (INTENSE)
A mix of tobacco with a menthol sensation, without the upfront minty flavor that comes with most menthol vapes, Tobacco Chill scored really high in our boards. While menthol isn’t loved by everybody on the team, we agreed that it is a great flavor for smokers of menthol cigarettes.

Green Apple (regular)
A juicy and realistic green apple flavor that was in most of our top three lists and especially appreciated by those of us who enjoy fruity vapes. Our Green Apple pods emptied pretty quickly, and we enjoyed the fact that it was not too strong of a flavor.

Neon Dream (INTENSE)
A mix of citrus fruit flavors with a dash of cream, this one will not be for everybody, but it does work. The cream part is rounding the edges of the citrus and the result is a very refreshing flavor without the fragrance undertones that we see in similar profiles from other companies.

UK flavors

Blueberry (INTENSE)
A well-made blueberry flavor that’s also available for US customers. More of a juicy and realistic blueberry than an artificial candy one, almost all of us agreed that that’s the best UK flavor out of the five we tried.

Mango Apricot (regular)
Our second favorite out of the UK line is another fruity flavor. Mango Apricot is a very balanced mix, with none of its two ingredients overpowering the other. Some of us found it to be a little bit artificial, which may not be a bad thing depending on your taste buds.

The flavors that didn’t make it to the list were the Classic Tobacco (regular), Vanilla (regular), Citra Zing (INTENSE), Mintsation (INTENSE) and Honeymoon (INTENSE) from the US lines, and the Tobacco (INTENSE), Strawberry Mint (INTENSE) and Blue Ice (regular) from the UK lines. Out of these, the Mintsation and Vanilla flavors from the US line received the highest ratings—in fact, the Mintsation may be a good one to try if you enjoy peppermint or spearmint flavors.

The FDA announced Jan. 2 that it will begin enforcing all Deeming Rule requirements immediately for prefilled pod- and cartridge-based vaping products in flavors other than tobacco and menthol. Products sold after Feb. 2 are subject to enforcement if the FDA has not granted them marketing approval through a premarket tobacco application (PMTA). No PMTAs have been approved for vaping products yet. The FDA guidance only applies to products sold in the United States.

Battery life and charging

The myblu comes with a 350 mAh battery, which may not sound like much, but it is actually surprisingly large for a device of its size. Expect to go through close to a full pod before you need to charge the myblu, which, depending on how often you hit it, may take you well over a full day.

The LED will light up while you are inhaling, and the color of the light will indicate the battery levels:

  • Blue: 20-100%
  • Orange: 5-19%
  • Red: 0-4%

The light will also stay red while the battery is charging and turn off when it reaches 100%. A full charge takes between 25 and 30 minutes, which is very fast compared to most of its competition. Finally, the device charges through its micro USB port, unlike the proprietary chargers that many of its direct competitors are using.

Pros / Cons

  • Super-lightweight and compact
  • Very easy to use
  • Starter kit and pods are competitively priced in the UK
  • Well-built and designed
  • Great throat hit in the regular line
  • Satisfying cigarette-like draw
  • Options for regular nicotine and nicotine salts
  • Many flavors to pick from
  • Some great flavors in the US line
  • Good battery life
  • Charges in less than half an hour
  • Hit or miss flavors in the UK line
  • Starter kit and pods are a bit expensive in the US
  • Some pods don’t click in place
  • Need to remove pod to check juice levels when running low

Verdict

From a performance perspective, the myblu is a great product. It hits hard, the battery lasts longer than we expected, and it charges faster than most pod systems out there. It is also pretty cheap—especially in the UK, with the device coming at £9.99 and a two-pod pack at £5.99.

The only drawback we found was that the US flavors we tried were much better than the UK ones. We didn’t try the full selection of UK flavors, but out of the ones we tried there was no flavor that came even close to the Gold Leaf and Green Apple from the US line, which were our favorites of the bunch. But flavor is subjective, and with a device that performs like the myblu it may be worth checking for yourself—you may find a UK flavor that does the trick for you.

As it stands, the US edition comes highly recommended, and the UK edition comes with an asterisk. Please blu, make the Gold Leaf flavor available in the UK. If that ever happens, we will update this review in a heartbeat!

The Vaping360 team is a diverse group of experienced vaping contributors. We strive to bring you the finest content on all things vaping. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more!
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Donna
Donna
4 years ago

Where can I find the( 2.4 / 2.5) Gold leaf pods at???..Louisville,Boulder,Nederland smokers friendly stores don’t seem to sell them anymore?? They have new higher nicotine pods??? Differant packaging..I don’t even know if they will fit standard blu pens?? I dont want to increase nicotine ..Bummed ..quit smoking 2 yrs ago..I don’t want to slip and go back to cigarettes..this product seems popular..So…why can’t I find them anymore??

Mike
Mike
3 years ago
Reply to  Donna

The flavors are good the battery is terrible I don’t recommend blu at all .try returning it they want everything to return this terrible product

Debra Van Ness
Debra Van Ness
3 years ago
Reply to  Mike

That has not been my experience with the batteries.

Spyros Papamichail
Staff
Spyros Papamichail
4 years ago
Reply to  Donna

Hi Donna,
These shops are probably promoting the INTENSE nic salt line. If that’s the case, they will be compatible with the myblu device–although the Gold Leaf flavor is only available in the regular line.
You can get the Gold Leaf 2.4% pods through blu’s website. We have a link at the “price” section, right under the intro.
Hope that helps!

Shane
Shane
4 years ago

I wish I would have done some research on this product before I wasted my money. I bought the starter kit and two pods of the citrus zinger. It’s horrible and taste burnt! It also gives me a massive headache. I’m ready to toss it all in the garbage and move onto something else..

Jim McDonald
Staff
Jim McDonald
4 years ago
Reply to  Shane

You could also just return it to the place you purchased it. You obviously have a defective product if it has a burned taste.

Barbara Keller
Barbara Keller
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim McDonald

I’ve been using citrus zing for approximately 2 years and they usually turn to a burnt taste or start off from the 1st puff tasting burnt. Honeymoon is better but now I can’t find this flavor anywhere, even on the internet. About to spend my money on a different product

Jeremy Mann
Staff
Jeremy Mann
3 years ago
Reply to  Barbara Keller

Hi Barbara,

Do you live in the US? If so, all flavored prefilled/replaceable pods besides menthol and tobacco have been federally banned.

Kristen
Kristen
4 years ago

Is it good to use when trying to quit smoking?

Spyros Papamichail
Staff
Spyros Papamichail
4 years ago
Reply to  Kristen

Hi Kristen,
The myblu is one of the better prefilled pod vapes we have tried, but the US flavors are much better than the ones that are available in the EU/UK.
If you are in the US, go for it. If you are in the EU then you can check the Bo One, or see if you can get your hands on a Hexa V2. We have been using the Hexa V2 for a while (review is coming soon) and we’ve been very happy with its performance and the quality of the available flavors.

James Pollock
James Pollock
3 years ago

I think myblu is going out of business.CVS is dropping them and some mom and pop stores also in my area Texas. I think the quality has gone down as most of the pods don’t work when purchased hence CVS selling them half price and like a dumbass as I like the blu,I went to CVS and bought a new pen 19.95 and it didn’t work.I took it back and they actually gave me another and guess what ?????. It doesn’t work either and yes I tried charging it.I would suggest not going the myblu expensive experience and try something… Read more »

sherri
sherri
3 years ago
Reply to  James Pollock

I have owned 3 one was replacement from company they all lasted less than month and will NOT RECHARGE every pod I’ve bought leaks and the juice gets in my mouth taste horrible and make me sick at my stomach. the WORST I HAVE BOUGHT. I really love ALTO it’s more expensive.

Tana G Kubis
Tana G Kubis
3 years ago
Reply to  James Pollock

I called the 800 number today, because l have about 8 pods with the same ID number and not one of them work.The person l talked to was an idiot. What a waste of money and time. Apparently they are only concerned with sales not quality.

Jim McDonald
Staff
Jim McDonald
3 years ago
Reply to  James Pollock

CVS stopped selling all tobacco products (including vaping products) years ago; they don’t sell Blu or any brand of vaping product. I’m not sure where you’re shopping, but it isn’t CVS, which is also a major funder of tobacco control anti-vaping programs.

Blu isn’t going out of business anytime soon. The My Blu remains among the most popular devices among the tobacco industry vaping products. It’s unfortunate that you had the weird experience of two of them failing (I’ve used lots of them and never had a dud), but I don’t think it’s anything more than an extreme fluke.

Kaitlin
Kaitlin
3 years ago

I have the myBlu- I’ve tried the gold leaf (tastes like caramel but leaks super bad), green apple (tastes like green apple for the first 3 hits then tastes like gold leaf), neon dream (tasted like lemon pinesol but the flavor was fluid throughout the whole pod) and melon time (tasted like melon for the first 2 hits, now tastes like black licorice). I wish that the flavors held true to their name and that the pods lasted longer than they do.

Diane Heddinger
Diane Heddinger
3 years ago

I just want to know, with all the death’s regarding vapers, is this safe?

Jim McDonald
Staff
Jim McDonald
3 years ago

No one ever claims vaping is “safe.” It is beyond a doubt safer than smoking cigarettes. That said, the lung injury outbreak is almost certainly the result of adulterated black market THC oil. It has nothing to do with nicotine vaping. (See our News section for several articles on the subject.)