In this article...
When it comes to vaping, finding the right vape kit is key and everyone is different. Some people prefer direct to lung devices, some exclusively vape mouth to lung, some people enjoy both. Some start vaping on a simple, low-powered device and progress on to something more powerful. For other vapers, they are happy to stay on the same kit for years at a time, just talk to any arc 5 loyalist!
Whether you like a big powerful box mod or a tiny little stealth vape, everyone needs to find a kit that suits them. Many smokers have tried switching to vaping and failed, they may have just started on the wrong kit for them. Whether the kit you first choose is just too advanced and fiddly, or the battery life isn't suitable, or you just can't seem to get on with it.
For many people, finding their 'perfect vape' was the key to successfully quitting smoking once and for all, and they've never looked back. Like myself, a lot of Totally Wicked team members have been on their own journey finding freedom from cigarettes through vaping. Many of us even began our Totally Wicked journey as customers! I spoke to a few of our team to reflect on their own journey to finding their right kit:
My Own Vape Kit Journey.
My journey through vaping has had highs and lows and has evolved greatly since I started my fight against smoking. I originally decided to quit smoking for health reason, long story short: smoking gave me asthma. So, after seeing everyone with these fancy new electronic cigarettes, I decided to give vaping a go. I started with a basic device that had a clearomizer type tank. Do you remember those things? Clear tanks with long strings of cotton that draped down the inside into the liquid.
After a while of vaping those, a friend of mine told me about a great company he worked for (Totally Wicked). I went into my local Totally Wicked Store and was immediately obsessed with the Odyssey. If you didn't experience the Odyssey first-hand, it was a pen type mech mod that Totally Wicked had engineered. The member of staff talked me down, I walked away with a Curve 2 (an earlier version of the arc 5). This shows that by talking to the right people finding the right vape kit is easy. I was hooked. No longer would I stink up the house, no longer was my health at risk.
Eventually I moved onto a DL (direct to lung) device, in this case the Hellfire Slider. Since that lovely little Hellfire I've bought pretty much every kit that has graced our shelves! At the moment I'm using the Eleaf iStick Power 2 and a Slider 2 tank with the new ML-A atomisers. I vape exclusively Pink Lemonade from the Red Label range, which in my opinion is our best liquid.
But enough about me, what about our other staff members? Well I decided to get in touch with some of our stores and listen to other people's vaping stories.
Matthew Boffey - Retail Area Manager (North West)
"My vaping started around 8 years ago when I decided to make the switch, I was in poor health being a 40+ a day smoker. I had a young daughter at the time, I knew I needed to make the switch for us both.
My brother-in-law was working for Totally Wicked in Wigan so I contacted him and he got me set up. It began with a very basic cartomizer style device, it was however at the time, the peak of new technology. I used this for maybe a year or so. It drastically reduced my cigarette intake; however, I couldn't break away from the two or three I was still smoking.
This all changed in 2015 when I entered a Father's Day competition at Totally Wicked in Wigan before I worked for the company. The photo had to be of yourself and your child and the photo with the most likes won. My photo got 263 likes and the closest competitor got 9 I think. I won a Totally Wicked One device and two bottles of Red Label.
This device was amazing. Much more powerful, adjustable and robust. From this point I never touched another cigarette again. I went from this device to a variable temperature mod, making huge clouds of vapour to my current device of an iStick Power 2 with a GTL Pod tank. Now I want to vape relaxed. Big clouds of vapour no longer interest me and am happy to use my MTL tank to stay away from the cigarettes.
I like to tell my customers daily that making the switch will truly transform your life. I know, I have been there!"
Ian Bell - Store Manager in Barnstaple
"My vaping journey began because I hated the taste of cigarettes, I started on a cheap Cartomizer device from Groupon, and bought my first 'Proper kit' from TW which was the Tornado T I believe.
I next moved onto DL kits ranging from Aspire pen style DL kits to temp control mods and RTA's. In terms of liquid, I made my own liquid for many years. I actually dropped my nicotine to 0% and quit all together. I later progressed back up to 0.3% after around a year, as I was tempted to smoke again."
Sam Lane - Retail Supervisor in Ayr
"The reason I started vaping for health reasons, I was told I would end up having COPD within 5 years. One problem was that I kept on suffering from chest infections due to smoking SO much.
I began with a basic e-cig with a cartomizer about a year ago but then I started working for Totally Wicked and got set up with an Arc GTi, which I use to this day. I personally found Nic Salts made the transition from smoking to vaping easier for me, but I'd found it so hard to get
Nic Salt liquids with a wide range of flavours. Once I discovered Totally Wicked have a great range to try from (such as the Symphonic and Switz Smooth ranges) I've never looked back!"
Dave Barker - Store Manager at Wigan
"I was getting off the bus in front of the old Wigan shop going for a pint in town, a Totally Wicked team member was stood in front of their shop asking passers-by if they smoked, to which I answered "yes". He gave me a sample of a couple different types of e-cigs. With vaping being brand new at the time I was a little sceptical, so I made my excuses and went away to enjoy my nice cold beer (and a fag).
A little worse for wear the next day I caught the bus again, not trusting myself on the old bicycle. As I got off the bus I found myself wandering towards the shop thinking "what am I walking into?". In those days the Wigan store certainly had character – a Mr Wicked statue stood in the window in a suit next to Mrs Wicked who was in suspenders and a wacky professor with some bubbling bottles of liquid!
However, I walked out with a Titan CC kit – which was a step up from what we now know as disposable vapes. It was so small that I ended up with a cycle of 3 batteries to get me through the day but it worked! I no longer wanted to smoke. I progressed to the Tornado T then the Curve 2 with a BDC tank, and onto things like the Ikonn 220 as a cloud chaser and The Rival as my mouth to lung device.
10 years ago, almost to the week, I was well on my way to smoking 30 a day; a week later I had smoked my last cigarette. After a bit of pestering the manager, I got my job here and have worked my way up to manager. Sadly Mr and Mrs Wicked have since retired from our shop window. But, we still open our door to hundreds of smokers every year! And just like me, we’re ready to help them change their lives."
Donna Johnson - Head of Procurement
"I started with the company in 2009, after only 6 months or so I was diagnosed with serious health conditions. I decided there and then to give up smoking and try an e-cig, previously being a 30-a-day smoker.
My first e-cig had the look of a real cigarette. It made me cough consistently initially, but I persevered. The only flavours available were tobacco and menthol, I hated tobacco so I used the menthol in this device. The problem with this device was that it kept burning all the time as I was forgetting to fill up. I stayed on this for quite a while until eventually we had a device that would hold more fluid. This became a game changer for me as no more burning - I could see the fluid in my device.
By this time my health was improving significantly, still a non-reversable illness but I could see a difference.
Around 2014 I started to use the 'Curve' which then became the 'arc range' and used nothing else. When it came to finding the right vape kit, I was convinced by our Technical Director, Liam Humberstone, to try the Skope S. I have used nothing since. Simple, compact and easy to maintain, it does everything I need.
I always use Double Menthol from our own Red Label range. I'm not one for trying new flavours and feel comfortable using the Red Label range that we manufacture here, and knowing exactly what goes into this fluid.
As Head of Procurement you can imagine the samples that pass through my office. I could have the pick of anything I wanted! Some people would be in their element with that, but for me, I just like basic and no fuss. I simply use vaping to stop myself from smoking, I'm happy with my simple device and the same fluid."
The Right Vape Kit for You
And there we have it! As you can see, finding the right vape kit for your vaping journey can be so subjective. A good place to start is with a simple, low-maintenance device . Once you have the hang of vaping, you may wish to upgrade to something more powerful. Still not sure? Why not talk to one of our trained advisors, or visit your local Totally Wicked Store. Our staff will be happy to help you to find the perfect vape for you.
