First Impressions

The Cloud 9 electronic cigarette calls itself the “e-smoker’s paradise.” The starter kit package is an elegant, deep blue box embossed in gold with the Cloud 9 name and motto. It’s actually reminiscent of the classy kind of packaging companies used way back in the 1940s. I can just see an elegant man on the deck of an ocean liner wearing a tux and tails while holding this box in one hand and sipping brandy with the other. I almost expected the kit to come with one of those long, old fashioned cigarette holders, too, but, of course, it didn’t. What it did come with was two batteries, five cartomizers, a wall charger and a user’s manual.

One unique thing about Cloud 9 e-cigarettes is that the starter kit is very simple. It only comes with the bare bones accessories. Some other brands weigh you down with a lot of paraphernalia that you might not want or need. Cloud 9 gives you the basics then lets you order more accessories, like a carrying case or car charger, separately. That way, you can use the product for awhile without committing a lot of money before deciding what extras you really want.

For elegant packaging and a beginner’s kit that doesn’t overwhelm the user with extra junk, Cloud 9 gets the best score available: five out of five. Great first impressions, Cloud 9!

Battery/Output

Now, the truth about why first impressions aren’t always accurate. The Cloud 9 battery did not hold its charge for very long. The size of the battery was problematic as well. If I tried to use other cartomizers with it, they simply didn’t fit.

Vapor output wasn’t up to scratch, either. It took a really strong pull to get a decent amount of vapor, even when the battery I used was the pass-through kind.

Sorry, Cloud 9, all in all a pretty sorry performance in the battery life and vapor output categories. I am only giving you a two out of five.

Flavor

I’d hoped that Cloud 9 would pick up a little steam – no pun intended – in the flavor category, but I was disappointed here, too. The manufacturer offers six flavors: Tobacco, Menthol, Chocolate, Strawberry, Cherry and Vanilla. Some of them would start out tasting fine but then would develop an odd metallic flavor. The Chocolate didn’t taste very much like chocolate, either, and I wouldn’t have guessed vanilla was the flavor I was smoking when I tried the Vanilla. On the plus side, the Tobacco flavor wasn’t too bad and all the cartomizers come in varying nicotine levels, from zero milligrams all the way up to 24. It’s nice when a smoker has the option of customizing nicotine intake. Cloud 9 also offers cartomizers made in America.

For having that nasty metallic taste but still a decent Tobacco flavor and varying nicotine levels, Cloud 9 has earned a three.

Overall

Overall, I felt Cloud 9 had both pros and cons. The packaging was really appealing and the price for the starter kit was very reasonable, but that just couldn’t compensate for the low vapor output and disappointing flavors. Final score for Cloud 9: three out of five. I guess it’s not quite paradise after all.