To ask for advice with e-cigarettes/vaping?

[LikeDylanInTheMovies]

A relative a 40 years plus smoker is coming to visit and has agreed to give e-cigarettes a go for the first time (we live several floors up and I think the prospect of trips up and down the stairs for an ordinary cig might have made them see the light).

However, I know nothing about e-cigarettes so would like a bit of advice...

1. What is the best starter/trial kit to get? (Wiling to spend £20-ish)
2. Which brands of replacement liquid are widely available in newsagents or supermarkets? I'm not sure if the liquids are interchangeable between brands or what not?
3. Which e-cigs give the look and 'feel' of real smoking?

I really want this to be a success and their time with us might give them a chance to break the ordinary cigarette habit. They have tried quitting via cold turkey many times, always failed and won't consider patches, gum or medical help. Ideally they need to stop altogether (on medical advice) but the e-cigs might be a step in the right direction.

I think for that money the starter kits are all much of a muchness. The clearomizer (tank bit) will only last a few days before it starts tasting yuck, so they need to be replaced.

I know you said that you wanted it to be as much like real smoking as possible, but I would STRONGLY recommend not getting the tobacco flavour liquid. It tastes like shit, I don't know anyone who likes it. The fruity flavours are much nicer, though my personal favourite is chocolate.

It doesn't matter which brand of liquid you get, but if they are a full on smoker I'd go for high strength, either 1.8 or 2.4.

This is the kit I started with, it's good quality:

www.liberty-flights.co.uk/product.htm?id=254

It comes with a liquid But for gods sake, don't buy the tobacco flavour, really don't. The menthol isn't too bad (and I never used to smoke menthol fags).

Thats flufy do you then buy the liquids from the newsagents like you would cigarettes? Could you then fill that one up with e-lites liquid (or another brand?) if you chose?

I really know nothing of how this all works!

I would try and get a decent one if you can.

The £20 ones are a totally different ball game and don't, to me, 'feel' as much like smoking, and I couldn't quit with them.

I saw the nautilus tank with ileaf battery recommended here and bought it on a whim. Best decision ever. Pays for itself super quick when offset against the cost of cigs

I vape and I hate to burst your bubble but those cheap kits are not worth it. They don't work. They "work" but for a smoker the experience isn't going to cut the mustard.

My ecig cost more like 80 pounds. I had a cheap one...thought it was terrible...got a step up which was about 40 pounds....no good. Now I have one which is excellent.

I really would advise her starting before coming tbh. They may not suit. I couldn't get on with vaping preferring the mist spray instead. It takes a vaper longer to hit critical mass than smoking and the spray is even quicker than smoking.

She needs to find her own alternative or you could be wasting money and still watch her tramp those stairs anyway.

Yeah my husbands was around the 50 quid mark. It seems you need a decent system to get on with it.

Hmm.. I feel trapped between a rock and a hard place. Get a cheap one and they don't use it because it is cheap or get an expensive one (£80 is a hell of a lot of money to me) on something they'll use once and then go 'oh no, not for me!' and never use again.

Aggh.

But why is it up to you? They have a choice themselves here.

Because I said I'd buy it, they've agreed to give it a go, but don't think they'd buy one themselves.

My 'tank' is by forever 20 and costs about £30. Go into a vape shop for the liquid. If they're a smoker they'll need 12-18mg of tobacco in the liquid. I do think tho that they should come with you and try it out and talk to the ppl in the vape cafe/shop as they'll need to buy coils, these need changing once a week, they'll have to know how to do this, plus putting the liquid in is tricky at first

Mine was about £40 all in. Totally does the job. I have read many threads on here of posters saying the same.

Sorry not tobacco - nicotine

To start for a low price, I would get one of these with one of these , a pack of these and at least 2-3 different flavour juices. I echo what is said above, NOT tobacco flavour. I prefer fruity flavours and those like chocolate, mint etc. make me gag, so a choice is important to start. Also, apparently switching between flavours is helpful in sticking with it.

I have aso upgraded a number of times, but the Evod is fine to start with,

Re jiuces bought in shops, I avoid those with darker colours as they tend to be quite sticky and mean you have to replace your coil more quickly.

I don't understand why you you are going to buy it. To quit smoking by any method requires the smoker to actually want to do it themselves.

Anyway a £20 kit wouldn't be worth your money for a long term smoker. They're shit. You're looking at £50+ easily for something decent.

I agree the tobacco flavour is fucking hideous.

Hmm. I kind of get where you're coming from. But honestly, the best push you could give is making them take the stairs rather than getting a cheap kit. You could buy the best liquids in the world and they'll taste crap in a cheap kit. Especially a cigalike.

Ah I see, bet you're regretting that now

Well good luck, personally in your shoes I would go with cheap and let them do the stairs. Vaping you either like it or you don't and if you do you experiment with the more expensive kit as you go on Get some high strength liquids though.

Or go expensive and if it doesn't work sell it on eBay.

Got a brother who was an inveterate smoker.

His wife got him the VIP e cigarette lookalikes. They look like cigs lol.

She got the highest strength possible and a year and a half later, bro still hasn't smoked REAL fags anymore.

Just look up the website. I'm sure there are other similar sites too. But the problem is, the vapers are all talking tanks, and vapes and coils and stuff, it would melt your head.

Simple is best. To start out with anyway. Get high strength lookalikes either menthol or British Gold Tobacco. Worked for Michael, sorry my brother anyway.

Apparently watermelon is nice to vape.

Well re flavours I ONLY vape tobacco flavours. I'm a smoker...ex...but still....can't bear the idea of fruit flavoured e liquids! It's a journey OP...and one that the smoker has to undertake themselves with quite a lot of experiments involved.

Buying one for someone and choosing the liquids will only result in her saying "Oh I don't like it" probably...and wasting your money.

It's so hit and miss. I had to get two other kits before I found a third that I liked and the same with liquids.

Definitely agree with making them take the stairs. They might not WANT to but they have to and funnily enough it was moving into a flat that did this for me....I had to go down steps and into the street whenever I wanted to smoke.

Killed the desire a bit!

I think that if they have only 'agreed to give it a go' and dont really want to make the change , you may well be on a hiding to nothing..
Smokers have to want to change , if they are going to u suceed and vaping is simply NOT the same as smoking ( a good substitute IMHO , but I know many smokers who wouldnt agree with me)

My set up was £75 (I took advice from the Vaping vipers thread)

I have an iStick and Nautilus 30W tank ..

I took it on holiday to aplace we go back to every year in a fairly 'remote' spot in Greece and where EVERYONE smokes EVERYWHERE .. despite what EU rules say.. (and where i have always ended going back to smoking ...) But didnt this time and have never looked back since. ...Best money I ever spent .

Agree forget the 'tabacco' ones. foul ..( I go for mint flavours and the 'non chemical' vape)

hmm watermelon.. ( ill go look for that .. )

My ecig kit was also £80. I started on the cheap small ones and worked my way to something that's better than smoking.

It's worth persevering with. I've stuck to blueberry flavour now and it's lush. I wouldn't touch a cigarette these days (it's been over 2 years now!) and the smell makes me heave. I smoked 20 a day before.

Personally I hate tobacco flavours. Love the fruit/mint/menthol ones though. As Violet says it's very hit and miss - it took me a good few months to find the right set up!

The endura T18 is a really good beginners kit. Can get it for under £20 online