Product Introduction
The Vuse Vibe Complete Kit is an easy way to start vaping. It’s a slender vape pen and pre-filled cartridge combo. The Vibe vape pen has a battery capacity of 350 mAh and an automatic draw, which means there are no buttons. The pen powers the prefilled flavor cartridges that hold 2 mL of juice and come in 3.0% nicotine. There are 7 different flavors to choose from, and each flavor pack comes with four cartridges (two are included in the Complete Kit).
It’s been over a year since the Vuse Vibe had been recalled. Vuse initiated the recall voluntarily early last year, after receiving 10 complaints from customers about malfunctioning batteries, which Vuse said may have caused overheating of the device. Although no injuries had been reported, Vuse pulled the product to investigate it until the exact problem had been identified and rectified. All systems go.
Prices:
Vuse Vibe Power Unit: $14.99
Vuse Vibe Cartridges: $9.99
- Nic strength: 3.0%
- Pods per pack: 2
- Battery capacity: 350 mAh
- Vapor production: Medium
- Weight: 26 g
- Vuse Vibe flavor cartridges (2)
- Vuse Vibe charger
Size, weight, and feel
The kit is patterned after the classic style e-cigarette called an “eGo.” The eGo evolved into what's now called a vape pen. It’s just a battery device that powers the vape cartridge that contains the e-liquid. This slim and cylindrical design is where the name “pen” comes into play.
With a cartridge attached, the Vibe weighs about 34 grams. It’s not as light as something like the JUUL, but it’s got more battery life and more e-liquid capacity. The Vibe is overall a lightweight device, but you’re not going to be able to hold it in your mouth...though you will be able to vape on it longer before needing to charge it or replace a cartridge.
The cartridge for the Vibe is made of a sturdy and translucent, dark grey plastic—you can see how much juice is left by holding it up to a light. What’s also nice about the cartridge is the mouthpiece. It bellows out a bit at the tip—like the neck of a vase—which gives your lips something to pull against when taking a draw. This is a very comfortable design that used to be referred to as a “Ming” style mouthpiece.
Getting started
Getting started with the Vuse Vibe is just as easy as any other beginner vape product. With the Complete Kit, you have everything you need to begin using the device within seconds. The cartridge simply screws onto the battery and is activated when you inhale on it. There is no on/off button; it’s automatic.
On the bottom of the battery there's an LED that glows when charging and when taking a drag on the cartridge.
Although the Vibe battery should be charged when it arrives, you can top off the battery with the included charger by screwing the top of the battery onto it, and then plugging the charger in a USB outlet.
Note: When you open your Vibe Complete Kit, you won’t see the pen right away. There’s a cardboard tray that holds a cartridge and a Vibe charge cord. The pen is on the underside of that tray.
How does it hit?
The Vuse Vibe has a tight draw that mimics the hit of a cigarette, but without the harshness. It vapes smoothly and comfortably. While some vapes might be hot or too cool, the vapor temperature of the Vibe is neutral. Even the nicotine hit is mild. But it can be felt. It’s not nearly as strong as the Vuse Alto, but the Alto has a higher nicotine percentage. The Vibe has only 3.0% nicotine.
Also of note, the Vibe hits consistently. There’s a seven-second cutoff for the length of a drag, and the hits feel almost the same from the start to the finish. When taking a full seven-second hit, the vapor gets only modestly warmer. That even temperature of the vapor allows the Vibe to hold up to chain-vaping rather well.
Are the flavors any good?
The Vuse Vibe flavors are all really light. These would be good a choice for anyone that doesn’t like loud or aggressive flavors like some other vape kits have. The Vibe descriptions are mostly accurate when describing the taste, just remember that the flavors are really subtle.
Original: classic tobacco flavor
Mint: cool fresh mint flavor with a tobacco undertone
Melon: cool refreshing melon flavor
Nectar: a soft blend of silky summer fruit flavors
Tropical: an exotic blend of tropical fruit flavors
Fusion: a blend of supple fruit and cream flavors
Menthol: a refreshing menthol taste
A few favorites of ours are the fruit flavors like Fusion, Nectar, Melon, and Tropical. They’re bright and clean flavors with only a minimal amount of sweetness. The tobaccos and menthols and mint are good too, but they lack the character of the fruits.
When vaping the Vibe, there’s barely a noticeable aroma.The user can experience some of the flavors’ aroma first-hand when exhaling the vapor, but no one else will.
Battery life and charging
Unlike some other vapes, you cannot use the Vibe while it charges. Because the charger hooks up to the 510-connection, the cartridge must be removed.
There’s a white light on the charger itself that stays illuminated throughout the charge; the charge indicator is a red LED on the bottom of the Vibe battery that fades in and out as it charges. The further along it gets in its charge, the red LED stays lit longer before fading. When it’s done charging, the LED on the bottom of the Vibe battery will be white. It takes approximately 90 minutes to charge from a fully drained state.
Pros / Cons
Verdict
We enjoy using the Vuse Vibe. The battery life lasts more than half a pod (and the pods seem to last long too), plus it’s simple and mess-free, and it performs consistently well. In a nutshell, the Vuse Vibe is reliable. The flavors are of good quality, although they’re on the light side. Similarly, the Vibe has a cool and less aggressive hit compared to something like something like the Vuse Alto.
If there’s any quibble we had with the Vuse Vibe is that the flavors are not really pronounced. In contrast, the flavors of the Vuse Alto are in fact more assertive. But, interestingly, we like the flavors more in the Vuse Vibe. That’s why, after factoring in all of its pluses and even its one minus, we consider the Vuse Vibe to be a good buy. Recommended.
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