E-cigarette brand Volcano was established around 6 years ago in Honolulu, Hawaii and has built itself a good reputation in terms of quality and innovation. They are also popular due to a decent range of homemade e-liquids in varying strengths and flavours and an assortment of accessories. Volcano’s innovative flair can easily be deduced on contact with the company’s website, which comes across as high-end and revolutionary and the same is true on first contact with their devices: Shiny, sleep and very cutting-edge.
Volcano E-Liquid Flavors
Volcano is a home (USA) producer and manufacturer of e-liquid, with an impressive range of more than 50 flavours, including menthol, fruit, candy and desserts. For those looking for something even more adventurous, why not sample their drinks-flavoured range? As is appropriate for a Hawaii-based company, Volcano has tropical e-liquid flavours
to match, including Halawa Guava and Pele’s Papaya. This papaya flavour is one of the best, with its genuine papaya taste, which is mercifully not too sickly sweet. The other flavours are satisfying and recognizable, however users might be disappointed by the vapour production if they’re used to a heavier mist. However, the mist production is typically sufficient to satisfy most.
However, Volcano’s best flavour might well be Menthol Burst, which gives you the same wonderfully fresh, menthol burst that you get from cleaning your teeth with a nice-tasting toothpaste.
Volcano Vapor production
Volcano’s Magma device, which is a cig-a-like device, yields the smallest amount of vapour when compared to the company’s other e-cigs, however, as the Magma is one of Volcano’s smallest e-cig devices, this is reasonable. However, it must be said that Magma’s vapour production and throat hit are rather underwhelming, certainly for the more experienced vaper. However, a newbie vaper might appreciate less of a hit than a more experienced user. For users who sit somewhere in between the novice and experienced user, Volcano’s Inferno device might well fit the bill, with its not-too-weak, not-too-strong vapour production. For this reason, it will suit those who are perhaps looking to switch up from a cig-alike. Inferno certainly released a decent quantity of mist and the bigger 900mAh battery ensures that there is a definite throat hit, although certainly nothing overpowering.
For users after more vapour, the best of Volcano can be found in the Lavatube device, which produces 12watts, as opposed to the 6 watts produced by comparable-sized devices on sale. As a result, the user can expect a significant mist quantity and a muscular throat hit-this is definitely one for the experienced user, or heavy smokers-newbies will likely find it overpowering. It’s worth noting that if you use the Lavatube uninterruptedly at full power, the battery will run down rapidly and vapour production will decrease accordingly.
Ease of Use
No real problems here, and some very nice little touches to enhance the overall user experience. For instance, the Inferno kit comes with pass-through USB batteries which allow you to charge the device while you vape, meaning that you need never run out if you’re connected!
Battery & Charging
Volcano’s Magma Starter Kit is supplied with a 180mAh battery, which typically yields around 1 hour of vaping before you’ll need to recharge it. The battery life itself is nothing to shout about, however the kit comes with an additional battery and a portable charging case, meaning that you needn’t stop when your original battery has run out. The Inferno’s 650mAh battery give around 4 hours of use on average and the 900mAh, 3.7 volt battery has gone up to 6 hours non-stop before requiring a recharge.
The Lavatube’s batteries are a choice between a 1600mAh and a 2000mAh variable voltage, which are extremely powerful and enable both excellent vapour production and vaping time. It’s worth noting that if you have it on the highest voltage setting, the battery will run down more rapidly and this will limit vapour production.
Volcano Accessories
If you’ve bought the Magma, you can also pick up an additional charging bundle, which will supply you with all of the necessary chargers and adapters. These adapaters and chargers can also be purchased separately. You can also get a needle-tip bottle cap, which you can attach to your e-liquid bottle, making it much easier to refill you tanks and cartomizers. One definitely plus point of buying the Magma is that you will have the option of purchasing extra manual batteries, which gives you a flexibility not found on similar type e-cigarettes.
For Inferno customers, you can get USB car chargers and a wider range of other accessories befitting a more intricate device. Other accessories include lanyards in a choice of 4 colours and a choice between soft fabric or stainless steel. Extra batteries can also be bough in either 900mAh or 650mAh, as well as atomizer cones and a tube sock to cover the tube tank.
The Lavatube model gives you a selection of lithium, rechargeable batteries in a choice of either 1600mAh or 2000mAh power. There is also a range of battery and carry cases.
Starter Kits
First, there’s the Volcano Magma Kit, which features a mini e-cig, charging pack with 2 batteries, chargers and 5 cartomizers. Next, is the Magma Tank Kit, which includes 2 batteries and a charging pack, 2 blank tanks, chargers, a tank-o-miser and a bottle of e-juice. The Inferno Kit gives two batteries, a tube tank, a bottle of V-liquid, a mains and USB charger and 5 cartomizers.
The Lava Tube Kit is getting towards their high-end, featuring the chrome LavaTube, 18650 battery, 3.0 ohm atomizer, a 7ml tube tank, a charger and carry case and a drip tip. Finally, comes the Lave Tube 2.0 Kit, which has the same specs as the Lava Tube Kit, with the exception that it provides the chrome LavaTube V2.
Prices
- Volvano Magma Kit: £39.99
- Magma Tank Kit £44.99
- Inferno Kit: £49.99
- Lava Tube Kit: £69.99
- Lava Tube 2.0 Kit: £99.99
Design and Packaging
As stated, Volcano is a very innovative company and this is very much echoed in how their products are packaged and designed. Those who buy the Magma Starter Kit will find a smooth, matt box, which has a flip-top lid, echoing the regular cardboard cigarette pack.
The inferno comes in a chrome base covering, and looks very cool and hi-tech in keeping with company image.
The Lavatube, despite its general lack of portability, has an excellent aesthetic, featuring the futuristic, metallic colours that very much benefit an innovative, top-end device.
Shipping & Warranty
All Volcano e-cigs and starter kits have a 1-year limited warranty, and this includes chargers, batteries and charging packs, but not liquids and accessories. Shipping is free to all orders within Europe via Royal Mail’s basic service. Orders placed before 3PM are dispatched the same day. International orders outside the EU start at £7.99 per order for international tracked.
Overall
Volcano provides plenty of options for different users and have a enormous range of e-juice and flavors. The Inferno and LavaTube kits are excellent choices for those who are looking to upgrade to suit growing vaping requirements. Perhaps a little pricy for their cheapest-priced starter kit, you’ll need to take a bit of a leap of faith, as there are no disposables to let you taste Volcano’s waters first. Good overall, though.