JUUL Vape Review: Is This Popular Vape Worth Your Money?

JUUL & The Teenage Vaping Epidemic

It didn’t take long for the brand to grow. PAX Labs introduced the JUUL electronic cigarette in June 2015. Within two years, JUUL was an independent spin-off company. The organization had 200 employees by September 2017. The figure grew to 1,500 by the end of 2018.

In December 2018, one of the world’s biggest cigarette companies, Altria, bought 35% of JUUL for approximately $12.8 billion. The money continued to roll in, but JUUL was about to hit rocky shores. A U.S. House of Representatives investigation into the deal with Altria yielded terrible news. It found that JUUL violated FDA regulations by making express and implied claims that the product is safer than cigarettes.

Rightly or wrongly, the brand was blamed for the teenage e-cigarette epidemic. Critics pointed fingers at JUUL’s aggressive marketing campaigns, which made kids think the devices were cool. An October 2018 study found that almost 10% of teenagers aged 15-17 used a JUUL vaporizer.

The strong links with the tobacco industry haven’t helped. The Altria acquisition led to accusations of ‘selling out.’ Remember, the founders claim they want to eliminate smoking! There was a reckoning of sorts. In five months in 2019, Altria’s share price plummeted by 30% to a five-year low.

The brand has also been the subject of several lawsuits, including from the states of Illinois and Minnesota. If these suits go against JUUL, it could bury the brand. In the chaotic aftermath, CEO Kevin Burns stepped down. His replacement is K.C. Crosthwaite. Bowen and Monsees remain as part of the executive board.

What is the JUUL Vaporizer?

One thing you’ll notice when entering the JUUL website is the new dedication to keeping underage users away. You must agree to age verification, and only those aged 21+ can buy a JUUL device.

The JUUL vape is a closed vaping system. This means you can only use e-juice and tanks created by the company. It is a stark contrast to most of the market, which consists of open vaping systems. In these situations, you choose the e-juice, atomizer, and the mod. As a consequence, the pressure is on the company to create enough options to keep its growing customer base satisfied.

It is an exceedingly simple device to use. There are no pesky buttons or switches to contend with. The vaporizer looks a little like a lighter or a long USB and is around 3.5 inches long. It is approximately 0.6 inches thick. The total pod capacity is 0.7ml of liquid, the equivalent of 200 puffs.

A 200w internal battery powers the JUUL device. The official website outlines the ease of use:

You have a JUUL mouthpiece. To use, insert a JUULpod and switch whenever you need to.
Once you insert the pod, tap the vaporizer twice to show battery life.
The brand claims that you can fully charge the device in an hour.

It utilizes an intelligent heating mechanism that creates an aerosol, and the goal is to reduce combustion. It isn’t designed as a refillable product and is recharged with a USB port. The JUULpod cartridge contains a salt-based nicotine e-liquid formula. JUUL vapes claim this substance is created under strict quality control measures. The liquid is for smokers looking to move away from harmful tobacco.

What Does the Mixture Contain?

Nicotine: Which comes directly from the tobacco plant. JUUL vaporizers use pharmaceutical grade nicotine.
Benzoic Acid: This naturally occurring ingredient is also found in the tobacco plant.
Propylene Glycol & Glycerin: JUUL pods contain a 30/60 mix up to 90%. These clear liquids create the vapor clouds you see when you use the device. The food, beauty, and medical industries also use them. Almost all e-liquids contain propylene glycol.
Flavors: At one point, the brand offered ten flavors, including Cucumber, Mango, Mint, and Classic Tobacco. However, the teen vaping backlash caused a rethink. JUUL removed its fruit flavors in October 2019, and Mint bit the dust a month later. Today, you have a choice of Virginia Tobacco, Menthol, and Classic Tobacco only. You can also choose between 3% and 5% nicotine strengths.

For the record, customers using the auto-ship option can buy a maximum of 15 pod packs per month.

JUUL Vape Review: Using the JUUL

You have three choices when buying a JUUL. You can choose the Silver or Slate devices for $14.99 a piece. This is a significantly reduced, limited time only price. Both options typically cost $34.99. The Limited Edition Aqua JUUL Device costs $19.99, reduced from $34.99.

Our JUUL vape review showed us that the e-cig is extremely easy to use. Ideal for someone used to lighting up a traditional tobacco cigarette.

It is a two-part design with the battery and a JUULpod. To use, click the pod into the battery. There is a distinct lack of a learning curve here! It is almost the same size as a regular cigarette. The ergonomic design means you can hold it between your fingers and take a drag. It is still heavier than a tobacco cigarette, so if you dangle it in your mouth, it could fall out.

There is an LED light on the JUUL vape. It lights up when you insert a pod into the battery and take a pull. It also enables you to check its battery life. Tap the area beneath the light twice, and it flashes in one of these three colors:

Green: Fully charged
Yellow: Half full
Red: Almost out of battery

JUUL Vape Review: Battery & Performance

The sturdy design is a far cry from many cheap e-cigs on the market that feel plastic and hollow. To charge, place the JUUL vape into the charging dock, and it begins charging instantly. During our review, it took about 50 minutes for our JUUL vaporizer to charge. In our experience, most users need a maximum of five puffs to derive satisfaction. Therefore, the 200-puff capacity of a JUULpod should last for a reasonable length of time. It depends on the extent of your habit, however.

The automatic temperature control means the JUUL vape doesn’t provide burnt hits like other devices in the same price range. The tight mouth-to-lung draw is ideal for smokers looking to transition from tobacco to vaping. As a result, you should derive a nice nicotine hit from a couple of pulls.

Each JUUL vape pod contains 0.7ml of liquid. If you choose the 5% option, you receive 59 mg/ml per pod, which equates to 41.3mg of nicotine.

Most of its rivals provide cartridges with up to 24 mg/ml of nicotine. Therefore, a JUUL pod gives you significantly more bang for your buck. For reference, this is the equivalent of two packs of standard tobacco cigarettes.

The high nicotine strength of JUUL vaporizers is one of their major selling points. However, the lack of options is a downside. It would be nice to have several weaker strengths to help people wean themselves off nicotine. However, it isn’t in a vaping company’s best interests to help you kick the habit for good! This is especially the case now that flavored cartridges are off the menu.

JUUL vaporizers were originally available in the U.S. only. However, the brand expanded and is now available in places such as the United Kingdom and Israel.

JUUL Vape Pros

Good battery life, and if you want a few quick hits, you can charge for 60 seconds from a dead battery.
Powerful and satisfying hits.
Incredibly easy to use.
It’s relatively small size means you can vape discreetly.

JUUL Vape Cons

You have to dispose of each pod when it finishes and can only use JUUL pods.
There are only two nicotine strength options.
The pods’ juice windows are small. Therefore, you have to pull them out if you want to check the level of the e-juice left.
When you pull the pods out regularly, they tend to become loose.

Would We Buy a JUUL Vape?

In December 2018, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a public health advisory. It was an effort to reduce the number of teens and young adults that were trying e-cigarettes.

As part of his released statement, Adams said: “We need to protect our kids from all tobacco products, including all shapes and sizes of e-cigarettes.” The Surgeon General even referenced JUUL vapes, specifically a handful of times. He cited the discreetness and ultra-convenient operation of the e-cigs as a general appeal to young people.

It is easy to see how JUUL became so popular. The devices are incredibly easy to use and satisfy a smoker’s needs. There were also delicious flavors. However, teenagers quickly became drawn to e-cigs for this reason. This is a massive problem because e-cigarettes are not necessarily safe. Indeed, there is a rise in vaping-related illnesses and fatalities across the United States.

If you want to vape for health reasons, a dry herb vaporizer such as a DaVinci IQ is a better option. Such devices operate at temperatures drastically lower than cigarettes. They allow you to inhale a cool vapor with zero combustion of the flower.

While the industry isn’t entirely on its knees, it is in serious jeopardy. There is a real danger that the U.S. Government will ban vaping in all its forms. Such a law would spell the end of JUUL and countless other organizations.

The Complete JUUL Vaporizer Review: Final Thoughts

If you are a smoker keen to rid your life of tobacco cigarettes, it is well worth trying a JUUL vaporizer. The fact it allows you to retain the hand-to-mouth motion of smoking is a big selling point. So is the mouth-to-lung draw.

You will have no qualms over the nicotine hit you receive because it is among the strongest in the market. As a result, we especially recommend it to heavy smokers who use two packs a day or more. The JUUL vape is extremely easy to use, offers reasonable flavor, and is also very discreet. There is a one-year warranty. In our experience during the JUUL review, the customer service team was pretty knowledgeable.

However, the brand has received an enormous amount of poor customer reviews away from the official website. It may not deserve all the negative press, but JUUL’s marketing tactics did not help its cause. Recent events have forced it to scurry with its tail between its legs.

Aside from age verification, it removed all of its non-tobacco flavors. Is it a case of ‘too little, too late’ for the brand? Time will tell. The JUUL device itself is durable, and it is straightforward to use. At its sale price, it offers excellent value. Even the JUUL pods ensure you will save money when compared to your tobacco smoking habit.

Yet we find it hard to recommend JUUL, the brand, wholeheartedly. While we had no issues with leaks, dozens of customers say their device leaked almost immediately. The vapor is also inconsistent with each pull. Ultimately, if you smoke a lot of tobacco cigarettes, a JUUL device is probably a decent option. Otherwise, it’s a market leader only in terms of brand awareness.

Verdict: 6.5/10