I am a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I am a smoker. I started smoking many years ago when I suffered from major depression and was cutting my arms. One day, a friend gave me a pack of cigarettes and told me to smoke instead of cut my arms when I felt the urge, and, surprisingly, it actually worked. Now, I know how bad smoking is for me and that it was not the best alternative to replace another very bad habit, but I guess you can say I started smoking because it is bad for me. But now that I am older and am no longer depressed, I regret starting this bad habit many years ago and wish I could have found a better way to cope with my issues back then, especially since smoking is a very hard habit to break. I don’t intend to be a lifetime smoker, so I jumped at the chance to review the NICOmate Electronic Cigarette.

INFORMATION:

We all know that traditional cigarettes are harmful because of the many chemicals found in the cigarettes. Of the nearly 4000 chemicals, 50 are known to be cancer-causing. These chemicals, including benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, tar, carbon monoxide, and arsenic, are not found electronic cigarettes. Instead, the vapor inhaled in an ecigarette comes from a mixture of liquid nicotine and propylene glycol. Experts and current research suggest electronic cigarettes are 99% less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. They can also be “smoked” anywhere without worrying about the smell and harmful effects of second hand smoke to those around you.

NICOmate offers electronic cigarette starter kits, disposable electronic cigarettes, and accessories. Their Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit costs $79.95 and comes with:

• 1 standard high capacity lithium ion rechargeable ecigarette battery (200 mAh)
• 1 extended life high capacity battery (280 mAh)
• 1 USB E-Cigarette Charger
• 1 E-Cigarette Wall Charger
• 10 disposable nicotine cartomizers in tobacco flavor (each cartomizer is equivalent to 1 pack of cigarettes)
• Instruction manual + E-cig Lifetime Warranty Card
• 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

Right now, their 5 pack of cartomizers (electronic cigarette refills) are on sale for $11.95 (reg. $17.95) and come in 6 flavors: tobacco, menthol, mint, apple, vanilla, and strawberry.

NICOmate’s disposable electronic cigarettes are sold in packs of 4. They are currently on sale for $24.95 (reg. 52.95). Each disposable ecigarette is equivalent to about 1.5 packs of cigarettes and comes in tobacco or menthol flavor. No charging or assembly is required and they can be thrown away once the vapor has run out.

NICOmate also offers a 14-day trial offer where you can receive their Deluxe Starter Kit plus a FREE gift, a $149.95 value, for only $14.95 (the cost of shipping and handling). It includes:

• 1 standard high capacity lithium ion rechargeable ecigarette battery (200 mAh)
• 1 extended life high capacity battery (280 mAh)
• 1 USB E-Cigarette Charger
• 1 E-Cigarette Wall Charger
• 15 disposable nicotine cartomizers (tobacco flavor)
• Instruction manual + Lifetime Warranty Card
• FREE gift – NICOmate car charger ($14.95 value)

*You will be charged $89.95 after the trial expires.

For more information about NICOmate or the electronic cigarette, make sure to go through NICOmate’s FAQs.

MY REVIEW:

I received 2 tobacco-flavored disposable ecigarettes from NICOmate, and I really like that they are ready to use right away without having to figure out how to assemble or charge them. I also like how it mimics that act of smoking, which I think will make it easier to help quit smoking than some of the other methods out there, but it does feel different from smoking a traditional cigarette. The picture to the right shows a traditional cigarette on the left, the disposable ecigarette in the middle, and the container for the ecigarette on the right. As you can see, the disposable ecigarette is wider than a traditional cigarette, which may have contributed to the different feeling I had when inhaling. It seemed somewhat drier and heavier than inhaling a traditional cigarette, but the vapor that was exhaled was much lighter. The taste of the ecigarette was actually very similar to a traditional cigarette and was able to satisfy my craving for nicotine, but I think maybe it took a little more puffs than it takes with a traditional cigarette. I could not be sure though since it is a little more difficult to keep track of how much you are “smoking” with the ecigarette since 1 is equal to about 20-30 traditional cigarettes. Overall, I think the ecigarette could be a very effective method to quit smoking as long as you are committed to quitting. Plus, as a smoker who hates the smell of smoke (weird, I know), I absolutely love that there is no smell at all with the ecigarette.

Besides being healthier than a traditional cigarette, another advantage to the ecigarette is the cost. Looking at the prices, it does seem to be quite an investment initially, but if you compare how much it costs for a pack of cigarettes to the cost of the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes when you purchase disposable ecigarettes or a starter kit, it actually is much cheaper, especially if you live in an area with high taxes on tobacco. Where I live, a pack of cigarettes costs a little more than $7 per pack. If you consider a 4-pack of disposable cigarettes, which is equivalent to about 6 pack of cigarettes, at $24.95, that equals about $4.16 per pack. If you purchase the starter kit for more long-term use, the cost per pack in the starter kit about equals the cost for a pack of traditional cigarettes. After that, you will only need to purchase the cartomizers, which at $11.95 for a pack of 5, averages to $2.39 each. Remember, each cartomizer is equivalent to one pack of traditional cigarettes. I think that’s some pretty great savings!

MY MOTIVATION:

I have had many people in my life who have tried to convinced me to quit smoking, and honestly, the more someone pushed, the more I did not want to quit. The truth is that the only way a person will succeed quitting any sort of habit or addiction is if they come to that decision on their own, and it usually comes when they find some extra motivation to quit. So, what is my motivation? My daughter. I did not smoke while I was pregnant with her and breastfeeding, but I started again when things got stressful as we were preparing to buy our first home, and it just settled in as a habit again. But Lia is now 2 and half years old and is starting to become very aware of her surroundings. I am extremely careful not to smoke around her or even let her see me smoking because I don’t want her to become curious about it and start asking questions, especially since she seems to want to do everything I do. I’m sure that very soon, she will pick up on it if I don’t quit, so I think now is as good of a time as ever to do it. I also found the interesting graphic above which reminds me of how much healthier I will feel after completely quitting.

GIVEAWAY!:

I’m happy to give one (1) My Joy My World reader 2 Disposable Electronic Cigarettes provided by NICOmate! Entries will be accepted through Friday, March 15th at 12:01 am EST. Enter below (it is mandatory to leave a blog post comment…all other entries are optional but will give you more chances to win):

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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