The Elite 808 from CigEasy:
A GREAT cigarillo-like PV!
A GREAT cigarillo-like PV!
♫ I’m as corny as Kansas in August,
Dancing along to a great disco beat.
If you’ll excuse an expression I use,
I’m in love with CigEasy’s Elite! ♫
Most of my reviews are long-winded and filled with facts. This is not one of them. Not because the subject doesn’t deserve an in-depth review. It does! Rather because ECF member, SSV2, has already provided such a review … and because my wife is quite ill and I just don’t have the stamina to devote to the task.
What I’m doing here, beyond pointing you to SSV2’s review, is providing confirmation – based on my own intensive experience with the Elite – of all that he says in his review. [He is a Supplier Associate after all and you might otherwise take his claims with a grain of salt.] Also I’ll add my personal observations and feelings about the Elite electronic cigarette.
Out of the blue, about a week ago, Frank of CigEasy sent me an Elite 808 electronic cigarette… without any obligation to review it. [He did the same several months ago with the Go-Go, which I declined to review. Unlike so many, I didn’t enjoy it.] This baby, however, demands a review … and a glowing one.
In summary, the Elite is now my favorite PV! I think its size and shape are neat, but what I love about it are the superlative vapor, strong TH, and wonderful flavor.
I have called the traditional e-cigs (super-mini, mini, and penstyle) “skinny batts” and the eGo-types “fat batts.” The Elite is a slender batt. [It reminds me of a cigarillo: not a cigar or a cigarette, but somewhere in between.]
It is a bit wider than the skinnies (such as the Kr8 model shown below), but significantly narrower than the fat batts. Although the battery is somewhat longer than the 650 mAh eGo electronic cigarette, the total length with its cartomizer is about the same as the eGo with an XL cartomizer.
The battery has the latest state-of-the art convenience features: 3-button-press shutoff and a ring of lights at the bottom to indicate remaining charge … as well as JSB’s trademark bling: a “simulated diamond” switch button, which lights an attractive blue when pressed. It is comfortable to press and engages easily and reliably; I’ve never had a misfire.
The battery’s 380 mAh may not impress you, but comparing it to the 650+ fat batts is unfair. Because of its slenderness, a more appropriate comparison is to the standard size 116mm Kr8 electronic cigarette, the highest mAh for which is 320 mAh. And its voltage (which SSV2 measured as 4.24V fully charged, not under load) is perfectly matched with the Elite cartomizer’s resistance (a trade secret).
I’ve confirmed that the Elite battery can effectively be used with Kr8 electronic cigarette cartomizers.
I doubt I ever will hereafter, however, as I am so pleased with the Elite 2ml-capacity, whistle-tipped cartomizer’s performance (and with its aesthetic matching with the battery). [I’ll save my VOLT cartos for use on my 65mm VOLT batts to use when I want a super-mini experience.]
And, because of that perfect matching, to me it is irrelevant that the Elite is not 510-compatible. Get a $30 Riva for your Smok Tech 1.7 ohm Single Coils and Smok Tech Dual Coils (my second and third favorites, respectively).
The $50 kit includes two manual batteries, five cartomizers (blank), charger, and instruction manual (written in English by Frank).
Additional five-packs of cartos can be purchased for $15. Spare batteries are not currently offered.
So…
- If you want very high mAh electronic cigarette, get a big battery mod or one of those 1100-1300 mAh fat batts.
- If you want a super-mini electronic cigarette, get the VOLT with 65mm batteries.
- If you want 510 compatibility, get a Riva or eGo.
But if you want a truly wonderful vaping experience in a slender package – that will last you for several hours between charges and juice fillings – get the Elite 808 electronic cigarette from CigEasy!
Just ordered the CigEasy Elite 808- newbie here too. Started with Blu disposable- YUK!
Then tried V2- didn’t like any flavors and PG throat hit at all-felt so dry
Then went to Green Smokes-liked better but still not there but still dry and bad flavor
So now I will be filling cartos myself.
Question: Will straight VG work okay in Elite carts? Got any tips- I really didn’t like the PG cartos- so I have ordered sample packs from virgin Vapors.
Just wanted to let you know that I love the Volt! Thanks for the recommendation 🙂
Very glad you a pleased! You are very welcome. Smokeless Image is a great supplier with a great product.
Of course this page was supposed to be a review of CigEasy’s Elite 808: another great supplier with a great product. 😀
Thanks to a new-b who has been off analog cigarettes for only 3 months. That is after over 50 years of smoking “light” cigarettes.
I loved the review of the Elite 808 but wonder one important thing for me: does the whistle tip on the cartomizer come off completely? That would allow for easier refilling of a cylinder rather than through a little hole in the whistle tip.
Good question, Linda. I should have clarified that in the review. The whistle tip is easily removable for filling the carto from the top as you would any other. The only filling technique you can’t use is the carto cap aka condom method, since the cartomizers don’t come with such caps (and are too wide to fit in other cartos’ caps).
I’m on ECF but haven’t yet done the requisite newbie posts to add to other threads on the forum. I just wanted to ask: since these are manual batteries, do they not have the hole on top required by the auto batteries to switch on? I have some 808s from cigeasy, and when i tried the clear tanks, they had awful leaking problems that killed one of my batts and severely hampered two others. Now I have one 808 left that works well and one 808 passthrough. I *love* the passthrough, but find that I just don’t get the same delivery from the batts. I’m thinking maybe the elite would make me happier, with the higher voltage? The one manual 808 batt I have *does* have that center hole (which I don’t really understand, since I thought the hole was only required on auto batts, so that the draw would switch them on) and it was one of the ones affected by leaking. If the elite doesn’t have the hole that makes it more susceptible to problems from leaking, I’m sold! If you have time to answer this for me, feel free to email me directly if you prefer 🙂
Inspecting the Elite battery closely, I do see a teeny tiny hole in the center post of the connection. However, I doubt that it allows e-liquid to seep into the battery. I have been assured by Frank that the Elite battery is sealed … and I have had no problems, even though I often over-drip to the point of some juice coming out of the battery end of the cartomizer. [NOTE: I wouldn’t call this a cartomizer leaking problem. This only happens when I overfill the carto and there is no leakage after I wipe off the excess I’ve put in.]
Hi!
I began vaping about a month ago with a Smoke51 Trio and am ready to move on.
I had been looking at a KR808 automatic with a blue LED, when I came across your review. What can I say–the Elite 808 is so pretty 🙂
I have a few questions:
– Is there a light on the end of the battery (that simulates the analog’s ‘burning end’)? I’m not clear as to where the indicator lights you mention are located.
– When you press the button three times, does that turn it on for your entire vaping session? or do you need to do that prior to every hit?
– Is the throat hit ‘hot’? I think I prefer a cooler hit, as opposed to a warmer one.
I want to take the opportunity to thank you for all of the information you have have posted about vaping in general.
I’ve been smoking for 30-odd years. I am not a heavy smoker, but I do enjoy it–I never wanted to really kick the habit. A family member gave me the Smoke51, with both cartomizers and atomizers. I was skeptical at first, but I took to it right off the bat. I feel the The original cartomizers were nice, but the refill cartomizers tasted burnt to me–so I started looking into the subject, and came across your guides on the ECF forum.
Thanks, Cara
You are very welcome, Cara! Thank you for your kind words!
There is no light at the end of the battery. Instead, the switch button lights when pressed … and also one or more of the three little lights on the side near the end light up (indicating how much charge is left). I don’t have a really good picture showing those three lights. The best one is the photo of just the battery standing vertically. Toward the bottom of the battery, you see three dots, the center one looks white, the other two black … but that’s just the affect of the photographic lighting.
If you would prefer an automatic battery and/or one that lights at the end, I recommend the VOLT. It is virtually identical to the more expensive Bloog Maxx Fusion that I raved about in my review earlier this year.
When you press the button three times rapidly, it either turns the battery to a ready or unready state (depending on whether it was ready or not when you did this). Once it is in the ready state, only one button press is needed to engage the battery. You hold it down for the length of your inhale. [If you’ve never used a manual battery before, be assured that this button press is very easy to adapt to.] The purpose of this three-button-press safety feature is to prevent the battery from accidentally activating when it is in a pocket or purse.
I would describe the throat hit as warm, but not hot. It is a strong hit, more than most e-cigs. Occasionally, I’m in the mood for a milder hit, so I use the wonderful Elite cartomizers (with an inexpensive 510-to-808/901 adapter, e.g., from Good Prophets) on my 3.2V eGo batteries. Also, you could get a milder hit by lowering the nicotine level of your e-liquid.
Thank you so much for your detailed answer!
I think I am going to go with the Volt–it seems to fit the bill, and the price is right 🙂
I’ve asked them whether their cartomizers are dual coil–I really want to optimize my vaping taste, and from my reading I understand that this is the way to go. I’m the sort of person that prefers plain soda over Coke, etc–so I will probably stick with plain tobacco flavors; I’m thinking 555 in a low strength.
I am amazed by the fact that I smoked a couple of analogs over the week, since I was a bit shy of pulling out this newfangled contraption…and do you know something? They taste terrible 😉
I think you’ll like the VOLT, CaraJeanne. It has become very popular.
I’m pretty sure that the VOLT cartos are not dual coil … but don’t let that dissuade you. I’ve become disenchanted with the dual coils. For me (and many others), they work best on moderately high voltage, e.g., ~4.5V … which puts you into the land of VV mods (i.e., big and expensive).
Well–just placed my order for the Volt. I just hope it doesn’t get hung up in customs (I’m located in Israel) because on of my batteries seems to be giving up the ghost!
Thanks for all your help 🙂