Is the Vype Reload Rechargeable E Cig Kit an Improvement on The Disposable?

Vype (owned by British American Tobacco) certainly have the funding behind them to make an istant impact on the UK e cig market and that is precisely what they are doing. TV Ads and a multitude of other marketing have hit the UK so it’s likely the first e cigarette many smokers are going to consider when deciding which device to go for.

So that is why we have decided to buy one of the Vype Reload electronic cigarette kits to review and see if they live up to the hype! At the time of writing we paid £14.99.

In the box / Presentation

The Vype Reload had a neat and tidy presentation box, inside you will find:

• 2 x Rechargeable batteries
• Carry case
  
• 2 x Cartomiser Refills
  
• USB Charger
  

Battery/Responsiveness

The batteries are designed with new vapers in mind to make the transition to e cigarettes an easy one. They are the same size as a cigarette, lightweight, and really do look like a cig. Even the filter tip is soft. It’s easy to see why new vapers will be drawn to this, if this was available a few years ago when I tried my first e cig I would have wanted to buy the Vype Reload for sure.

But before you jump over to their website and click the order button please read on! There are some big down sides to an electronic cigarette that is this small.

That brings us to the performance

One big downfall, in fact huge downfall of the Vype disposable was the fact that once the battery ran out the whole e cig needed replacing. An expensive process for sure. The Reload on the other hand has two batteries that are reusable/rechargeable which is great. The one thing that isn’t so great is again the life of the battery.

This isn’t a big shock, they are tiny afterall, the thing is that you can only charge them by USB so need to be by a laptop/PC or another device to power them up. If you are out and about these will run out fast, in my case after about 45 mins to an hour depending on how much I was vaping. Even with two fully charged batteries won’t see you through a full day.

I have to say that the above will only really be a big issue for moderate to heavy smokers, in fact heavy smokers forget about the Vype Reload right now, it will drive you crazy with the constant charging! If you are however a light/occasional smoker these will be great for you.

The problem comes if you are away from a computer/laptop for lengthy periods of time as you need to use the USB port to charge your e cig. There are of course two batteries that you can keep in the carry case but even then both of them will run out fairly quickly depending on how much you vape.

I was going to say you will need 4 or 5 batteries to be on the safe side but I have checked the website to see how much spare batteries cost and they don’t actually sell them. You will need to buy another full starter kit costing £14.99. you do get two cartomiser refills with this though so maybe not a huge problem.

Overall - The Vype e cig looks just like a cigarette, which may be a positive for new vapers but the battery life itself isn’t good at all. Moderate to heavy smokers will likely go mad with all the re-charging needed with these batteries.

Vapour / Flavour

There are two Classic Tobacco (11.3mg nicotine) flavour cartomisers included in the Vype Reload e cig kit, there are no other options at the time of writing but there are different options when buying refills. These options are Menthol on a 11.4mg nicotine and Bold, the strongest option in 16.8mg.

The cartomisers are again in keeping with the cigarette look and as mentioned before have the soft tip. This tip isn’t as soft as the real thing but still feel comfortable to draw on.

The other thing of note is the size, they are the smallest carts I have come across and like the batteries this is going to have a big effect on the amount of time they last.

I am really liking the flavour though.

Vype cartomiser refills use an e-liquid called Ecopure, this is made to high standards in the UK so a real positive here. The Classic tobacco gives a good familiar taste and produces decent vapour for the size.

All great hey?! Well no not really. You may have remembered I said they were small? This is going to have an effect on the life of the refills and unfortunately it is a negative effect. Vype state they should last around 250 puffs, I didn’t get near this personally, I was nearer 90-100 before the flavour started to change and vapour started decreasing indicating dying cartomiser.

The life of course all depends on how much the refills cost, at £1/£2 each the value would be OK but they are £7.99 for two. This is expensive. There are offers if you buy 10 refills, this will cost £29.99 but this is still way too expensive. £7.99 for a five pack would be slightly easier to get my head around but for two…nope.

Overall - I personally enjoyed the Classic Tobacco flavour but the real let down came in both the life of the cartomisers and then the price for the refills. Not good value.

Returns/Warranty

There is a 14 day return on Vype electronic cigarettes. Please read full T&C’s.

Customer Service

A free phone numer, email, Facebook and Twitter are all options to get in youch with the guys at Vype.

Discount Codes

At the moment there are no Vype discount codes. As soon as we see any will post them here.

Bottom Lane

The big selling point for the Vype Reload is of course it’s size and resemblance to a cigarette. They have done a great job of replicating the look and falvour, there is no doubting that but this comes at a price. That price is the battery and cartomiser capacity. There is no surprise that both are severely lacking. Add to this the price of the refills and it just doesn’t work out cost effective enough.

I can certainly see occasional or very light smokers finding use with the Vype but if you are a moderate to heavy smoker then this isn’t going to fit in with your needs. That is unless you have the money to spend on refills and batteries.

If you are a moderate or heavy smoker and still want a cig-a-like then take a look at the likes of Green Smoke (review) and Jacvapour (review). Both are bigger but still give the look and are much better value for money in the long run. If you are not too bothered about the small e cigs then I would recommend you just buy the Kanger EVOD, this will last most the day without need for charging, you can see more about this here.

Final Vype Reload Review Verdict

Not Recommended unless you are an occasional/light smoker.