Giving up smoking once seemed completely unachievable to me (after all it’s physically and mentally addictive)! However, I’ve recently hit the 6-week milestone without smoking a cigarette(!) after switching from smoking to vaping.
As a content writer at E-Cigarette Direct, I decided that sharing my journey from smoking to vaping here on the blog was important, and could potentially help other smokers.
Here’s how I did it…
Contents
- Deciding to make the switch
- Choosing the right device
- My favourite devices
- Using higher nicotine e-liquid
- Six weeks cigarette free!
- Related posts
I’ve been smoking for around 5 years since my mid-twenties - making me a late starter by traditional standards! My smoking habit varied over the years. I’d go through phases of having one or two a day and that could creep up to around half a dozen. On the weekend, with alcohol involved, this could go up to a whole pack of 20 in one night.
Over time, I started to become more aware of the effects smoking was having on both my health and my wallet! As I’d previously studied health, fitness and the impacts of smoking, I was fully aware that smoking wasn’t good for me.
It was also very unhealthy on my bank balance - spending around £30 a week on cigarettes started to feel like I was literally smoking my money away. I knew vaping would save me money in the long run as, luckily I live in the UK where vaping products are reasonably priced (unlike some other countries).
The Covid-19 pandemic was the last straw, with lung health becoming a primary concern not just for me but for the whole world!
With these concerns in mind, I decided that taking up vaping would be a good investment for limiting this damage to both my health and wallet. So, I decided to buy a vaping device and try it out!
The first vaping device I came across was the Aspire PockeX - recommended by a friend. With little to no knowledge of vaping devices, I tried hers, decided I liked it and so bought the same one myself.
However, when I first started vaping I was still smoking around 4 cigarettes a day and while I enjoyed vaping, it wasn’t doing the trick to help me give up. Now that I was doing both, it was still consuming as much (if not more) nicotine as before.
When I started my role at E-Cigarette Direct, I explained my predicament to my colleagues as they were a lot more knowledgeable and experienced in the world of vaping.
They suggested that to switch from smoking to vaping, I need to find both the right device and the right e-liquid to be successful in my mission.
To start off, they sent me a few vaping devices to try out. When I received and tried the devices I decided to rate them all on the same criteria:
- How it looks
- How big is it? Can I carry it around with me?
- The process of putting it together
- How easy is it to use?
Aspire PockeX
As I mentioned above, the Aspire PockeX was the first vape device I ever tried - so it set the precedent for all future vapes. I later found out it is a great starter device and, from my experience with using it as a new vaper, it was easy to see why.
First thoughts
When I first saw the PockeX, I instantly liked it. Firstly, the £20 price seemed very good (I always had this idea that vape devices were very expensive and cost upwards of £50). The PockeX was a compact, pen-style device that I could easily carry around and came in a range of colour options. The device looked very simple and easy to use which made it even more appealing.
Putting it together
The PockeX came ready assembled and with a coil already fitted. This made it a perfect first vape as I didn’t have to spend lots of time putting it together. Filling it with e-liquid is also super easy - just unscrew the top cap, pour e-liquid into the tank and replace. There’s also a handy ‘max’ indicator on the tank to make sure you don’t overfill it.
Using it for the first time
After a quick charge with the included USB charger, it was time to try the device out. The instructions told me I needed to press the power button 5 times to activate the device and I found I had to pay close attention to how many times I pressed to get used to it. Once the device is on, you simply long-press the power button to activate.
My favourite part of the PockeX was the throat hit I got from it, which really resembled the sensation of a cigarette. I later found out that this is what the PockeX is famous for.
The one downside I discovered was the 5 button presses needed to turn the device off. After a couple of uses, I found I was getting a burnt taste because I had not turned it off properly and the coil had burnt out. Luckily, the replacement coil provided in the pack meant I had a spare to replace this with.
Hexa V2 Pod System
First thoughts
The first thing I noticed when unboxing the Hexa V2 (now replaced by the Hexa Pro) was how aesthetically pleasing it was - which made me want to use it even more! It’s a sleek gold and black device and even the USB charging cable that came with it was pretty! The V2 was also very compact - I could easily carry it around in my handbag or pocket.
Putting it together
As a new vaper, ease of use is one of my priorities in a vape device. When you’re already fighting the urge to smoke, spending an age assembling a device isn’t going to help (especially when the alternative of lighting a cigarette takes 1 second).
Luckily, the Hexa is SO easy to use straight out of the box. The pre-filled cartridge means you don’t have to spend time priming a coil and the magnetic connection meant it could be easily popped into the device and was good to go!
Using it for the first time
Another feature that filled my ease-of-use quota was the auto-draw function. You simply put your mouth to the mouthpiece and inhale to get an instant vape! This solved the issue I experienced with the PockeX where not turning it off had led to running the battery down or burning the coil.
Update: Do note that the Hexa V2 is in the process of being replaced with the Hexa Mini and the Hexa Pro (which has a longer battery last and faster charging).
Innokin Adept Zlide
First thoughts
When unboxing the Adept Zlide, the first thing I noticed was its size - much larger than the PockeX I’d been using for the last few months! The weight and size of the device made me think I probably wouldn’t be keeping it in my pocket but it would be fine for carrying in a handbag.
I got the feeling this vape was very robust and could probably withstand a lot of wear and tear - ideal for someone as notoriously clumsy as myself! My initial thoughts on this were: I could imagine this being my ‘desk vape’ for when I’m working through the day.
Putting it together
The Zlide took considerably more work to put together than the Hexa or PockeX. The refillable cartridge meant I had to remove and prime the coil before filling with e-liquid and letting it soak in.
I did find myself having to closely follow the instruction manual to work out what was where. Once assembled, I had to put the device on charge for a short time before I could use it.
Using it for the first time
Around 15 minutes after unboxing I was ready to use the device. The first time I used the Zlide, I used it at the lowest setting (of 4). The device was pretty easy to use - you simply press the button 4 times then long-press for inhale.
The colour-coded battery indicator showed me the charge status, which is very handy compared to other devices which can run out of charge at the most inconvenient times!
Filling the tank was also pretty simple - remove the mouthpiece and slide the lid over to reveal the filling hole at the top.
Innokin EQ FLTR Kit
I received the EQ FLTR Kit just after New Year when I had resolved to give up cigarettes completely. Until then, I’d been using vaping to reduce my smoking but for the New Year, I wanted to make the full switch to vaping only.
First thoughts
I unboxed the EQ FLTR and it was a pen-style vape - very small and compact and light to pick up - but not flimsy. It’s compact enough to keep in my coat pocket and use when out and about. The design is very simple, there’s no fire button - just a small, pinhole-sized indicator light on the body.
The device comes with a standard plastic drip tip but also includes a pack of 5 cigarette-style filter tips which are meant to replicate the physical feel of a cigarette in the mouth.
Putting it together
The device took just a few minutes to put together and the process was pretty simple. Removing the tank and filling was straightforward through the side filling hole. Getting the tank back in was more difficult and took a bit of twisting and pushing to get in place. The coil was pre-fitted which eliminated that fiddly bit that usually takes the most time when putting a device together.
I opted for the cigarette style filter tips to try and get as close to a cigarette as possible. Again, putting this together was fuss-free - simply thread the small needle style tip through the filter and place into the tank.
Using it for the first time
When I first used the device (after letting the e-liquid soak for a few minutes) it was already charged and ready to use. The automatic draw function meant no need to be pressing buttons and working out how many presses I’d need.
The soft filter made vaping this device very different from the other devices I had used. This device definitely felt more like a cigarette than those with a plastic mouthpiece.
The only problem I encountered with the FLTR device came after a few days. When refilling the device with e-liquid, I accidentally pulled the silicon cover from the filling hole and, despite numerous attempts, I just couldn’t get it back on. James also had this problem when he reviewed the FLTR a few weeks ago.
After trying the selection of devices for a while I found I gravitated towards both the Innokin Zlide and the old faithful - the Aspire Pockex. I liked the throat hit the Pockex gave me and I liked the sturdiness, flavour and vapour clouds the Zlide provided. I started using these two devices regularly over the next few weeks.
Once I’d tried and tested a few new devices and found the ones that suited me best, the next step in switching from smoking to vaping was finding the right e-liquid for the job!
When I purchased my first device and the e-liquid to go along with it, I opted for a menthol e-liquid as I have always smoked menthol cigarettes.
When the store assistant asked me what strength I would like, I decided that, as I only smoked around 5 or 6 cigarettes a day, I wouldn’t need a high nicotine strength and so opted for a 12mg strength. At the time even this sounded quite high!
However, when I was vaping with this strength, I did find myself buying cigarettes regularly. While I was smoking a couple of cigarettes less per day, I was still smoking.
When I began working at E-Cigarette Direct, my colleagues suggested that even though I wasn’t a particularly heavy smoker, I would still need a decent amount of nicotine to help me totally switch from smoking to vaping.
They sent me some 18mg strength e-liquids and nicotine salts (which give a stronger dose of nicotine that gets into the system more quickly). I found the nicotine salts very intense but found they did satisfy my cravings very quickly.
After trying both types, I settled on using regular e-liquids rather than salts as they still reduced my cravings but weren’t as intense.
After just a few days of using higher-strength liquid, I found my cravings were a lot more satisfied. I managed to go a full day without a cigarette for the first time in as long as I can remember.
This one day of being cigarette free soon rolled into two days, and then three and so on. After a week, I started to not miss cigarette smoking at all - both mentally and physically. I no longer missed the physical habit of smoking and, thanks to using the Adept Zlide and Aspire Pockex, I was getting a decent enough throat hit to not miss that sensation from cigarettes.
Eventually, the one week rolled into two and I can now say I have been completely cigarette free for 6 weeks! I feel a lot healthier, have more money in my bank and genuinely don’t think I’ll ever go back to smoking cigarettes!
