A lot of companies claim that their cartridges up to 300 puffs. Though usage and amount of vapor drawn by each person varies quite a bit this number is very unrealistic: 80 puffs is more like it. However this has not prevented marketers from making unrealistic claims.
The method these companies use to test number of puffs is partially to blame: they use a machine that counts puffs until an operator can no longer see vapor. Many problems with this approach. Let me count the ways:
- the puffs are more like mini-puffs – i.e. none of these are satisfying,
- when the puffs are taken regularly the e-liquid does not get clumped/dry up and hence the cartridge lasts longer on the machine. During regular human consumption there is a longer gap between puffs and often very long time gaps when the user puts down the electronic cigarette for hours
- lastly the machine operator keeps the test going even until the vapor is very low which is in a range that would not be satisfying to most consumers.
These are obvious drawbacks to the machine testing process – something that manufacturers are fully cognizant of but either due to lazy marketing or low standards they do seem to perpetuate this myth. Customers are not impressed.
Newer, cartridges such as the FlavorMax cartridges made by SafeCig are supposed to be higher capacity but nowhere in the 300 puffs area. Proper testing of these cartridges has to be done to establish how many puffs a human can draw but the expectation would be around 120 or so. Stay tuned for an in-depth review of SafeCig FlavorMax cartridges.
TheMagicMist are more transparent in this department. They openly claim that their cartridges last 80 puffs or so. In the course of their product development and research they have tested and literally taken apart cartridges of various brands. They have huffed, puffed and sucked the vapor of dozens of cartridges with various types of batteries and they understand the differences between cartridges very well. Factors such as smoothness, vapor content, flavor, richness, taste and after-taste are carefully studied, compared and critiqued by a team of experts who have spent a lot of their time to this endeavor.
Stay tuned for detailed reviews of cartridge quality by brand in the near future.