Refillable pens are versatile, more environmentally friendly, and can be found right here at New Orleans' oldest smoke shop.
Puff, puff, toss? The convenience factor of disposable vape pens can't be ignored, and for someone who's just starting out vaping, it makes sense to start with an inexpensive, non-rechargeable piece. (They also come in handy when you're traveling.)
But if you know you love cloud life, does it really make sense to keep up the cycle of buying and trashing pens? Maybe it's time to invest in a refillable vape pen and stop using disposables. Here are a few reasons why you might want to make the switch!
Wasteful and Bad for the Environment
It's not quite as bad as flicking your cigarette butts in a graceful arc down to the gutters (where they promptly wash straight into Lake Pontchartrain), but disposable vape pens are pretty terrible for the environment. Because disposable vape pens contain hazardous waste, they can't be recycled, and the plastic pods will basically never biodegrade. Refillable vape pens can't be recycled, either, but you'll use fewer of them and generate less plastic waste (both from the pens themselves and the packaging).
Weak Draws
A strong, satisfying pull is one of the pleasures of vaping. But the inexpensive housing and small batteries of disposable vape pens often deliver less-than-enjoyable mouth-to-lung airflow or smoothness. Plus, you're limited in e-juice flavors to what the prepackaged pen contains. The experience of vaping from a disposable pen is a pale shadow of the experience a refillable pen offers.
More Expensive in the Long Run
Disposable vape pens aren't built to last forever ... they're meant to survive only until their contents run out. And that doesn't always take a long time. For example, a typical Blu disposable vape pen starter kit costs about $8 and comes with one pre-filled cartridge. Each cartridge provides about 300 puffs, roughly equivalent to a pack and a half of cigarettes. You can imagine how quickly costs can add up.
By contrast, a refillable device costs about $45 and a 10-milliliter bottle of e-juice is about $10. With proper maintenance, the refillable vape pen could last for years, and the e-juice will yield about 1,000 puffs.
Inability to Change the Cartridge
Refillable vape pens offer you a world of e-juice flavors, but with disposable pens, you can't switch out the cartridge. That means you're limited in e-juice flavors to what the pre-packaged pen contains. This is a bummer because, for a lot of vapers, the creative flavor combinations are a large part of the appeal.
So what's the alternative?
Invest in a refillable vape pen! Two of our favorites are the SMOK Novo and Nord 2. The SMOK Novo has long-lasting pods, a powerful 800mAh battery and beautiful resin finishes that look like the hard exterior of an Egyptian scarab. Vapers love the Nord 2 for its adjustable power output of up to 40 watts, OLED display, and 1,500 mah battery.
Looking to make the switch to something more long-term, sustainable and, ultimately, more satisfying than a disposable vape pen? We're here for you at New Orleans' oldest smoke shop, seven days a week from 10 a.m. to midnight. And since we've been open since 1969, we like to think we know a little about long-term relationships. See you soon!
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