While China dominates the manufacturing end of e-cigs and American brands seem on top of the e-cig popularity charts, the UK electronic cigarette industry is enjoying tremendous success and growth. Attitudes to vaping appear well-rounded and less hostile, especially in a country of crowded cities with poor air quality. Here is a look at the e-cig industry as it takes shape in the United Kingdom.
American Brands
Out of the top ten brands of electronic vaping devices in the United Kingdom, at least 4 of them come from the US. V2 is number one right now, but Green Smoke and V2 Cigs swap places sometimes with BluCig and South Beach Smoke also prominent.
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Companies such as Fin and Volcano have also made a showing. These firms got their start ahead of other UK names like Vype and SkyCigs so they have already got foundations that make it easier to reach out internationally; reputations that carry over to new markets, and slick marketing features that grab the attention of thousands of customers in the United Kingdom.
Common Ally
Big Tobacco has taken as big an interest in UK e-cigs as this industry has with American brands. You will find several brands owned by tobacco companies in the UK or the US (Vype being one of them).
Other Brands in the UK
Besides popular US labels, UK vapers are lighting up their Jacvapour electronic cigarettes, Rok, E-Lites, and SkyCigs. These are just a few out of many. As elsewhere the industry is growing quickly and new brands are coming on strong, but they will have to put on an excellent performance to outshine established names.
Problems with scams are as big a problem here as anywhere else. Customers must beware of short warranty periods, limited contact details, and so-called "free" offers.
E-Lites E-Cigs
This is a huge UK brand: easy to locate wherever you might find electronic cigarettes such as off-licenses, pubs, and apothecary shops. Their TV ads also get the word around, showcasing their good looks.
But this is not the best brand available or the cheapest. Prices are extravagant and starter kits could be fleshed out (or more options created at bundle-discount prices.) Their flavors are aimed at smokers only, not consumers who are curious about fruit and sweet e-cig styles, something consumers respect.
Rok Stars
This brand sells disposables, cigalikes, and a Rok Legend eGo/510 battery, not a superstar, but still excellent quality. Not only do Legend batteries offer 650 mAh and 900 mAh for a day or 1 ½ days of vaping, but they are also beautifully designed.
There is an on/off button so accidental activation will not happen to you, causing a battery to be prematurely depleted. The button sits flat against the battery and is lit all the way around with a colored circle indicating your battery's power level.
Skycigs: Rating the Hype
A brand touted as one of the UK's best, their cigs are supposed to last for 250 puffs. Investigation shows that this is an overstatement. Their flavor list is small but the batteries provide realism and decent power for what they are.
Jacvapour: One of the Best
Jacvapour lists kits from £6.99 on sale to £39.99 beginning with a one-battery, two re-fill, one charger kit up to eGo-style devices. Their V3i beginner's product uses blanks and pre-filled cartomizers. Pre-filled cartos can be refilled after you empty them of a tobacco flavor (one of 3), menthol, or one of 4 gourmet styles of e-juice. They also carry variable voltage kits for advanced consumers.
Prices
People in the UK are paying a lot more than their American counterparts. Better pricing is available when they shop for Chinese brands like Innokin and JoyeTech, but their regular cigalike brands and branded eGo batteries (JacVapour, Rok, etc.) are wickedly expensive. That's in keeping with generally higher prices for most things in England and the rest of the British Isles.
Online Shopping and Vape Stores
As noted above, there is also the online industry which is not much different from that in America. A lot of brands from China sell well here like Kanger, Vision, and Smok. There are lesser known brands which you might want to give a wide berth, just because you know what to expect from Chinese work horses. Some e-liquid made in Asia and the US is shipped to the UK. They also have their own e-liquid brands.
While a list of United States brick-and-mortar vaping stores is extensive, there is a fraction of that number in the UK, but these numbers are growing. You will find Space Jam, Drakes Vapes, Virgin Vapor, Obsession, Taste E-liquid, and more.
Attitudes to E-Cigs
Most stunning about e-cigs in the UK is the attitudes of health officials and the public generally. There is still opposition, notably from the EU and UN, but vaping is more widely accepted here. The news is being posted without delay on vape store websites that electronic cigarettes could save thousands of lives.