Blu E-Cigarette Review: Exploring The Likes and Dislikes (Updated)

There's little doubt you've at least heard of Blu and their e-cigs. They've done quite the marketing push over the years, and, if nothing else, they are recognizable.

Now, if you've done some digging, you've no doubt seen some of the Blu cigarettes reviews and complaints online about Blu's disposable cigarettes. To be honest, they aren't the most reassuring thing out there.

I decided to do some digging and see what's going on with Blu electronic cigarettes. Are they really as terrible as Consumer Affairs ratings would make them out to be, or are there some redeeming qualities simply marred by a few bad experiences? I'm going to explore exactly that in today's Blu e-cigs review.

Blu Cigs aren't the worst thing out there. They aren't the best either. It's important to note that Blu actually has three e-cig varieties.

There's the Plus+, the PRO, and the Disposables.

The disposables are the most hyped option, but I actually enjoyed the Blu Plus+ better. Today, though, we're going to focus on those wildly popular options. Overall, I give them a 3.5/5.

Simplicity Is A Good Thing

If you're looking for something that won't involve a huge investment of your time to learn how to use, you're in the right place. The Blu cigs are very easy and keep it simple across the board. For the Blu disposables, they are charged right out the box. You don't have to worry about any recharging, as you just smoke them, then dispose of them when finished.

The Plus+ cigs are rechargeable, but no great hassle to use. Just stick them into the recharge pack, plug it up via USB and you're good to go. There are no firing buttons you have to operate. Just take a pull off the Blu e-cig and you get a fairly smooth draw.

You can get disposables of different flavors, or load in some flavor packs into your Plus+ model cig. The atomizer and silicone tip are all built in, so no fooling around with those.

When it comes to ease of use, Blu ranks very well, I'm giving them high marks in this area.

Big Name Recognition & Service

Blu isn't some ragtag operation anymore. This is a manufacturer backed up by some big money. Now, while some might decide they're more focused on money and less on providing a good experience for the customer, having lots of resources does afford them some advantages.

Most notably? They're nearly ubiquitous. You'll find some Blu e-cigarettes somewhere, no matter where you are in most cases. It also ensures that everything is pretty standardized, and you can get a familiar experience regardless of other factors.

Lots Of Flavors

This is another area in which I think Blu shines. They might not give you the most variety when it comes to the flavor choices, but they are good flavors:

I confess, I like all of the flavors. After doing some digging, I found that Blu had teamed with Johnson Creek Smoke Juice to make their e-liquids, so you can rest assured that your Blu smoke is made in the US and 100% VG (vegetable glycerin). The high VG content also gives you great vapor production, even with small devices like the Blu Disposable and Plus+ e-cigs.

There is a small caveat, though. Without any PG (propylene glycol) in the mix, these Blu cigs don't have the punchy throat hit of a regular smoke, something that many a Blu electronic cigarette review will note. If you're not a fan of the throat hit, then no problem. These will get the job done for you. If it's more your style, though, you may be somewhat disappointed by the experience.

The flavors taste rich and strong when the device is powered up. When that battery level dips (and boy, it dips) you will experience something of a let down when it comes to taste. Remember to keep your device plenty charged if you want to experience the true flavor that the Blu brand has to offer.

Poor Battery Life

This is deeply disappointing, and something you'll see in every Blu e-cig review. Without an ample charge on the battery, the flavors don't reach their true potential. The battery life on the Blu devices is abysmal. Within two hours of use, this thing is drained. If you barely do any smoking, that might work for you. If you are one who vapes or smokes consistently, though, you're out of luck.

Blu says you can get 150 puffs per charge, but I found my experience to be substantially less. I didn't experience the dead batteries that some others have reported, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out that a few slip through the cracks and are DOA.

An all-day device this is definitely not. Having to recharge constantly gets to be a hassle, and holds Blu's cigs back from being what they could truly be with a more sizable power source.

Crazy Leaks

Another one of the universally stated downsides across Blu e-cig reviews. The leaks people report with using Blu cigs are commonplace. When my Blu cigs were working as expected, there were no issues (obviously) but these periods of reliability were often interrupted by the liquid slowly escaping from its chamber.

Blu has a pretty good policy about getting replacements to customers, but it'd be much better if there were no leaks to deal with in the first place. It takes a lot out of the overall experience when you periodically have to clean up liquid from the Blu Cig and your hands or spit it out because it got in your mouth while vaping.

Inconsistent Nicotine Levels

On paper, you have a choice between four different nicotine levels:

Notice how Blu gives you a range, though? Most liquids are provided at pretty precise values and the fact that even the highest level can get as low as 13mg might leave some wanting more. When you add to this the fact that many other manufacturers provide e-liquid with nicotine levels that can get as high as 36mg, it becomes even more jarring.

If you aren't in it for strong nicotine, Blu might be OK with you. Many smokers, though, like to get the nicotine without the negatives of smoking, so not being able to achieve the nicotine levels they want could be discouraging.

Questionable Blu Customer Service

I didn't have too tough a time getting in touch with Blu. There are some absolute horror stories out there, though. From people saying that multiple requests of theirs for replacement of faulty Blu devices were ignored, to folks saying that when they did get through to someone, they were dismissed outright.

I can't speak to any experiences like that directly, but it doesn't bode well when consumer Blu e-cig reviews around the internet contain multiple claims of similar behavior.

Expensive

Out the gate, Blu devices are priced a bit higher than some of the competition. If they had some particularly notable longevity, this wouldn't be too much of a big deal. Unfortunately, the fact that they wear down so quick means you'll be doing lots of replacing, and that replacing gets to be fairly expensive.

Sure, you'll be able to find the Blu replacement you need easily, since they're everywhere, but you'll likely feel at least a wee bit of contempt as you have to buy yet another overpriced pack. If they could come down on the price just a bit, or improve the battery and durability of the device, it would go a long way to resolving this issue.

Of course, none of the cons I found are mentioned in the official video by Blu. It's still worth to watch before buying though: 

Simple and striking design

Blu e-cigarettes are designed to look like a sleek, futuristic cigarette, which they accomplish well. In fact, one of the most attractive features on the Blu brand are just how amazing they look. The all black finish, the blue light up tip, it's all very well done.

Flavor Cartridges

These make loading the device easy. Disposables are pre-filled with certain flavors. You can load the Blu Plus+ with any of the available cartridges to suit your tastes.

Packaging Case

Just as impressive in design as the cigarettes themselves are the carrying cases of Blu devices. It looks like a traditional cigarette container, just black and slicker. It doubles as the charging unit for the Plus+ cigs, just plug it up via USB and charge away.

The Blu cigarettes aren't the most terrible product in the world. What I will say, though, is that they have a great idea that has been marred by flaws with the products and poor perception from those who feel the company may have gotten too big for its breeches.

There's hope that they'll turn things around in 2018, perhaps starting with addressing some complaints about the shortcomings of their product offerings. I'm looking forward to seeing what Blu does next. If you want to check them out, you can always head on over to their product page and give their selection a look.