The Backstory
Blu was actually the first ecig I ever used – let me explain. I’ve been a smoker since I was a teenager. What started as a weekend “cool” thing I did with my friends became a pack-a-day habit that’s become way too expensive. In the past few years, I’ve become more and more aware of this, and in an attempt to try and avoid negatively affect those around me with my habit, and my pocket book, I’ve made a lot of changes in my life that have been really inconvenient. The real kicker came when my state outlawed smoking in all public buildings. By this time in my life, I was hopelessly addicted to smoking- and the nail in the coffin came when I had nowhere comfortable to do it any longer. So, this is when I began looking for alternatives (even tried quitting a few times), and I stumbled upon Blu electronic cigarettes.
The whole concept of electronic cigarettes confused me at first. I had never seen any alternative to actual smoking. Chewing maybe, nicotine gum, patches too- these were fine and good, and believe me, I had tried them all many times. But this… an actual cigarette that you smoke like a cigarette, but isn’t a real cigarette? How in the world does it work, and what are the actual benefits compared to actual smoking?
How Does Blu Work?
Blu electronic cigarettes work by atomizing a liquid mixture (said to be made here in the US by the way) that is flavored like tobacco and has a moderate amount of nicotine. When you smoke Blu, you inhale this atomized liquid as a vapor (not smoke) that is odorless and completely dissipates within seconds. No vapor comes out of the other end either. And, to create less confusion if you try to smoke Blu inside a public place like a bar, as you inhale, the end of the cigarette glows blue, not red or orange like other electronic cigarette brands. The atomizer is powered by a small battery that you can interchange between cigarettes as you assemble them to use them. These batteries can be charged in the packs that the cigarettes sit in- either through the wall with a DC charger plug in, or with a USB connection. There’s a neat little indicator light on the pack itself telling you when the batteries are fully charged, and the parts of the cigarette are labeled clearly so that you know what you’re using and how to put everything together. All you do is screw the battery together with the cartridge, and smoke. The whole system is intuitive and really easy to use.
Flavors and Cartridges
The cartridges are where the magic happens. The cartridges come in a lot of different flavors, which I’ve found can make the whole smoking experience better. The flavors include Cherry Crush, Magnificent Menthol (my favorite), Java Jolt, Classic Tobacco, Vivid Vanilla, Pina Colada, and Peach Schnapps. Each cartridge holds about enough liquid for around 250 puffs, which they say is about a pack of cigarettes. For me, this is pretty true, unless I’m on a real bender and I need more, but typically that’s not the case. But, if you buy the better cartridges, like Blue Premium 100, you get more puffs per cartridge. You can buy either black cartridges or natural cartridges that look more like the real thing with Blu Original or Premium- but you’re limited to just black cartridges with Blu Premium 100. Five cartridges can be stored in each pack too- kinda nice for when you’re out and about and need backups. I like the look of the all black cigarettes myself- in fact, the entire assembly looks a feels great in my hand as I smoke. They’re slightly heavier than real cigarettes, but after a few times using them it’s not noticeable- a lot like switching brands of real cigs- not a big deal.
Charging and Design
The design of the charging system is slick on these cigarettes too. Like I mentioned, you can charge your cigarettes with a USB connector, or directly into the wall with a charging station. I charge my packs on my computer, because it’s right in view and I have tons of USB ports already. Since I use Blu original, one pack charge lasts me about two packs of cartridges. I can also charge individual batteries using the Blu battery charger itself. There are three indicator lights on the Blu pack that tell you when your pack is charging, and when it’s done charging. On the battery of the cigarette itself, when the battery gets low, the tip blinks. When you plug the tip into the tip charger, the charger will at first glow red as it charges, then glow blue when it’s done. Pretty simple for me!
Smoke Anywhere!
Because there’s no smoke or smell, the idea is, you can smoke these Blu electronic cigarettes anywhere. Over the few months that I’ve been using Blu, I’ve learned that there are places that are friendlier towards me using them, and places that still don’t appreciate seeing me use them. It’s a matter of asking- or you can do what I’ve done, and just pull them out and start using them. Typically, if you get asked to stop, then it’s a good idea to stop. Either way, every time I pull these things out in public, I get a LOT of people interested in them. They’re always most surprised by the fact that they don’t smell like anything, and they don’t make smoke.
Pricing, Kits and Refills
Starter kits of the Blu Original start at $79.95- which isn’t a bad price as far as electronic cigarette packs go. Flavored cartridge replacements start at $9.60 each if you buy four packs of five cartridges. If you buy one pack of five, the pack will cost you $12.00. If you’re not ready to jump in and get the whole starter cartridge, Blu also offers disposables- which are cheaper, and you don’t have to mess with charging them or buying refill cartridges. A four pack of disposables costs $39.95, and they come in two flavors- the Classic Tobacco and Magnificent Menthol.
