Apollo E-Cigs Review
Apollo Electronic Cigarettes is a global manufacturer and distributor of electronic cigarettes, as of 2013 they have offices situated in both the USA and UK. The company was founded in early 2008 and has become increasingly popular in recent times. As with many of todays’ e-cigarette companies, Apollo’s products are made in China although they are aimed primarily for European and American buyers. Apollo offer both rechargeable and disposable e-cigarettes in combination with a total of 17 flavours. One unique feature that Apollo boasts is that their users are also given the option of either pre-filled or blank refillable cartomisers. As larger companies are slowly eliminating the ability for users to refill cartomisers, it’s refreshing to see that a company such as Apollo provides a more cost effective option.
✔ Refillable cartomisers
✔ Range of flavours provided with kit
✔ 1 year warranty
✔ Personal charging case
✔ Long battery life
ᚷ Poor vapour volume
ᚷ Not the best looking (Personal preference)
ᚷ Comparatively long charge time
The Review
Price
The standard starter kit sold by Apollo typically appeals to to the majority of first time electronic cigarette buyers, its current list price is £44.95. Its price is pretty much in line with many other starter kits and so it is easy to draw comparisons with other leading brands, one feature it boasts in favour of these brands is the option to purchase refillable cartomisers.
Appearance
Apollo’s kit arrived in a rather stylish and well packed black box, it had the Apollo logo displayed on the front of it and a sliding interior compartment. Within it was 2 black 180 mAh lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, a USB battery charger, a mains adapter, a personal charging case with a USB charging cable and 1 Apollo 500 disposable e-cigarette. Apollo’s standard starter kits are also available in white and are packaged nicely into a medium-sized box. I preferred the black kit, a choice I later regretted because the e-cigarette didn’t really resemble a traditional cigarette.
One thing that was hard to miss after opening the flap of the packaging was the Apollo logo all over the contents, the personal charging case had a very premium look to it and it had a battery level indicator on the front of it. The personal charging case had space for the 2 lithium ion batteries within and the batteries both featured the Apollo logo near the cartomiser end. The kits charging accessories are located within a smaller box and they all appear rather plain, much akin to most other brands’. Each of the 5 cartomisers had the flavour labelled on the end that is closest to the battery. Overall the product was pretty standard, I believe in white it would look much more appealing but in general I am not a massive fan of one colour e-cigarettes.
Flavours
In total Apollo manufacture 17 different flavours (e-liquids), these include Regular Tobacco, Classic Tobacco, Menthol, Classic tobacco menthol, Cherry, Cherry, Banana Cream, Blueberry, Kona Coffee, Cappuccino, Clove, Green Apple, Mango Peach, Razzle, Rocky Road, RY4, Sahara, and Vanilla. In addition to this huge selection of flavours they are all available in 5 nicotine strength variants, these include zero (0 mg), low (6 mg), medium (12 mg), high (18 mg) and extra high (24 mg).
Apollo’s standard starter kit comes with numerous options of flavours/strengths but the most popular variety option comes with 5 flavours. I personally opted to test out the variety option and was really impressed by what Apollo had to offer, each of the flavours had a good kick to it and they were all very pleasant. I would highly recommend anyone thinking about buying this starter kit to do the same!
Vapour Production
Vapour production was accomplished via the typical method of smoking any ordinary cigarette, this e-cigarette however indicated functionality through a blue LED at the end of it. Despite the very impressive flavours that Apollo’s cartomisers produced, the vapour volume was rather low and this was one of the few negative features I found about the kit.
Battery Life
The 180 mAh lithium-ion batteries that are provided with Apollo’s standard starter kit take approximately 90 minutes to charge and last for quite a while, approximately 4-5 hours of moderate usage. The 1300 mAh rated personal charging case can charge 10 of these e-cigarette batteries simultaneously but it takes roughly 7 hours to charge.
Warranty
Apollo Electronic Cigarettes have a 12-month limited warranty in place that is restricted to whomever made the original purchase. Furthermore the warranty states that the product must be free from defects and/or malfunctions, it is automatically voided if any of the devices’ defects are the result of improper use or modifications.