This is great news. This means they’ll be considered tobacco products instead of “drug delivery devices” which are subject to much stricter standards and regulations. Says USA Today:

The federal agency said in a letter to stakeholders Monday that it intends to propose rule changes to treat e-cigarettes the same traditional cigarettes and other tobacco products.

The news is considered a victory for makers and distributors of the devices, which continue to gain popularity worldwide.

I’m willing to deal with some of the finer points of electronic cigarette maintenance. There’s the atomizer cleaning (weekly and monthly). There’s cart cleaning, drying, cart filler replacing, and refilling. And though I haven’t quite started mixing my own e-juice, I’ve been reading a lot about DIY flavors and extraction methods.

That’s me, though. And a lot of the e-cig community love doing their own maintenance, flavors, and e-cig mods. There’s a million different ways to clean your atomizer, and it seems like some electronic cigarette fans use their free time to find even more.

But when I’ve explained to my friends the work that goes into cleaning parts and replacing them, a lot of them say it’s too much work for them.

And so, I wanted to take a look at the brands and models that come with their own disposable atomizers (cartomizers)–and I think you should too. Because, if you asked me what kind of electronic cigarette you should get, the number one thing I’d say is: get the one you’ll use. If yours breaks too often, if it’s too hard to replace parts, if you don’t have the time to clean the atomizers, if you hate refilling carts, then you won’t use your electronic cigarette. If you’re serious about changing the way you smoke, but you honestly don’t think you can handle the maintenance, then get one that is perhaps more pricey, but easier for you to use. And order a lot of cartomizers. They last about 1-2 weeks each.

VaporNine — Kits are $57.00, without the cartomizer. Cartomizer combos are $12.95 for five. The cartomizers only come in tobacco and menthol, but the site says you can refill the carts afterward.

Vapor4Life — Kits are $69.50, but come with five cartomizers. They sell the same model as VaporNine.

Green Smoke — Pre-filled carts with attached atomizer. Starter kits are $139.00. Cartridges are in packs of five at $14.75.

Gamucci — The Gamucci ELITE is a disposable electronic cigarette. It’s $18.50, and the site says it’s about 40 cigarettes. I haven’t tried it, but I’d guess it lasts half that long. Doesn’t sound like a good idea for daily use. But this could be a great option if you’re just thinking about e-smoking and want to see what it’s like before you commit to a kit (though, who knows if it has enough vapor or gets hot enough to be appealing). I’m considering getting some of these to pass along to friends who try my e-cig and want to keep on trying it (because they’re not getting one of mine!).

Vapor King photo from Vapor4Life.

UPDATE: I noticed that my wording up there might be a little confusing. Let me clarify: cartomizers will give you about a 1-3 weeks of vaping, depending on how much you do it. Soon I’ll post some videos of how to refill your cartomizer–apparently they’re the option for not-so-lazy vapers as well! And since I’m updating, here a more convenient chart of some newer and older sites that sell cartomizer e-cigs:

1. Comprehensive Intro To Vaping by Spike

An awesome, full guide to parts and maintenance, along with troubleshooting and discussion of some of the related symptoms that come with quitting tar and switching to e-cigarettes. My recommendation? Watch the second half, where she talks about models, symptoms, and what to buy, before you make that first purchase. Watch the first half after you get your kit in the mail and you’re waiting for a battery to get its first charge!

2. How to assemble your first e-cig

I had read a ton of info before my first kit arrived. I felt like an expert—until the kit arrived and I was too nervous about breaking a piece to put it together: Should I twist this hard? How much should I fill this first cart? This video’s perfect for getting over the assembly jitters.

3. How to fill the DSE-901 cartridge

A four-minute video with an up-close look at filling your cartridges. Nathan from truevapor.com shows you how to use plastic bottles, eyedroppers, and syringes. Although it’s for the DSE-901, you can use this information for practically any cartridge.

4. New 5 favorites

Electronic Cigarette Forum member Leaford re-reviews his top five electronic cigarettes. This is a good one to watch because he’s had the models long enough to notice battery/cartridge/atomizer issues. Another great one to watch before making your first purchase.

5. The biggest advantage of the electronic cigarette

Okay, maybe not the biggest advantage. Something to keep in mind though! Just don’t get any water on that battery…

Note: “Warranty” means the company will replace defective kits and parts. “Refund” means they will give you your money back for kids and parts. Suppliers will not take back carts and juice, as that would be pretty gross. But, email suppliers, you’ll find that they’re willing to help if you don’t like what you’ve bought.

Looking for cartomizer electronic cigarettes? Here’s a list of suppliers.

2. You want one that looks like a cigarette now, but you might not in the future.
All beginning e-smokers want to get an electronic cigarette that looks and feels exactly like the cigarette they’re used to. If that helps you stick with it, then that’s great. But keep in mind that these smaller electronic cigarettes have a shorter battery life and cartridges that last about half as long. Plus there are many other reasons to go for a electronic cigarette that looks nothing like the real thing.

3. Electronic cigarettes won’t taste like your old cigarettes.
Just as beginners want something that looks close to what they’re used to, they usually want something that tastes like what they’re used to. You might find a liquid nicotine flavor that reminds you of your old brand, but it will never taste exactly the same. This is probably a good thing! What you were tasting was a mix of thousands of harmful chemicals.

4. Something might go wrong with your first kit.
This is a relatively new technology. Your battery may not charge, or your atomizer may stop working a week after you get it. And you might go back to regular cigarettes, thinking this whole electronic cigarette business is too much trouble. Don’t let it happen! Even if you just want to try electronic cigarettes to see if you like them, you should probably have at least one extra atomizer with your first order. You’ve got to give it a few days to figure out if this is for you.

5. Electronic cigarettes come with their own words.
E-cig? Juice? Carts? Atomizers? Throat hit? Get familiar with the terms before you buy.

6. If you buy from different companies, the parts might not fit each other.
All the suppliers, whether in the US or Europe, are getting their electronic cigarettes from China. There are some well known electronic cigarette manufacturers. But there are also tons who make generic knock-offs. Some companies will tell you exactly what you’re getting, some won’t and will use the wrong model number on their product descriptions. When you’re starting out, it’s probably better to buy all your parts from one company just so you can make sure they fit.

7. If you buy overseas, there’s a chance your shipment may not get to you.
The FDA is considering banning the sale of electronic cigarettes. There’s a chance, however small, that your overseas shipment will get seized by customs. The best solution? Order from companies in the US, or, if you order from overseas, make your order small. Most Chinese companies don’t take responsibility for seized packages.

8. This is not a way to start smoking. It’s also not a way to stop.
Electronic cigarettes are an alternative way to smoke. Lots of people use them to stop smoking, and someday I bet research will show it’s one of the best ways to stop smoking. But until some peer-reviewed research is out there, you should only think about electronic cigarettes as a different way to smoke.

If you don’t smoke, this isn’t a way to start.

I would have never learned about this amazing device if I hadn’t been curious enough to click on an advertisement for one (the Blu electronic cigarette, incidentally). And, if I hadn’t done a few days of research, I probably would have made an impulse purchase, or gotten discouraged by the high prices. Luckily I was able to piece together enough information to make an informed purchase. But there’s still a lot to learn. And without some help, it’s too easy to get sucked in by biased information from suppliers with their own agendas.

You’re probably here because you’re just learning about e-cigarettes. Maybe you’ve bought your first e-cigarette, and now you’re looking for news, tips, and information. Or, like me, you’re excited about the e-cigarette and want to help spread the word. Whatever your reason for visiting, I’m glad you’re here. Welcome!

Image by Vanessa Pike-Russell