Joyetech eGrip Review

Advancements in personal vaporizer (PV) technology are emerging at a furious pace these days. It seems as if the next great PV is being released every week. Some are truly innovative while some are simply rehashing existing designs. From the innovative side of the ledger comes a compact, all-in-one, and reasonably powerful PV – the Joyetech eGrip.

This Joyetech eGrip was supplied to us by Vapor Beast for review.

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Where can I buy a Joyetech e-Grip?

• Buy for $62.95 here (Coupon: YEAHBABY) – Free Shipping from USA
• Buy for $52.95 here – Ships from USA
• Buy for $58.95 here – Ships from USA

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What is the Joyetech eGrip?

The eGrip is compact PV which features a self-contained atomizer, battery, and e-liquid reservoir making it truly an all-in-one device. It is very compact indeed and will fit in the coin pocket of jeans (well, my jeans anyway). The eGrip brings stealth vaping to a different level.

Packing variable wattage from 8W-20W and adjustable air flow, it is also a very good performer. At the maximum setting of 20W and the air flow control wide open, the diminutive e-Grip produces respectable amounts of vapor… which makes it a little less stealthy. I typically vape at fairly high power levels and was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the e-Grip. You won’t alter the atmosphere with this device but it certainly does an admirable job of making vapor. The variable wattage settings and adjustable air flow are sure to fit almost anyone’s vaping style.

The e-Grip is fitted with an internal 1500mAh battery, charged via USB, and the reservoir holds 3.6ml of e-liquid, potentially making it an all-day device for many users. Additionally, the e-Grip may be used while it is charging. The drip tip is standard 510 fare and may be swapped out with any of your 510 compatible drip tips.

The e-Grip comes packaged with a user manual, warranty card, USB charging cable, region specific wall adapter, two 1.5Ω atomizer heads, spare o-rings, spare e-liquid door gaskets, and a special tool for removing the atomizer head base and for adjusting the airflow.

A rebuildable atomizer base is available to purchase separately for those users who wish to rebuild the e-Grip’s atomizer head. Other accessories include protective silicone covers and a 510 adapter for use with the rebuildable atomizer base for the purpose of checking the resistance of your build.

A variety of finishes are available to suit almost any aesthetic preference. The available finishes are:

• Black
• Silver
• Wood
• Chrome
• Camo

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Joyetech e-Grip features:

• Brand: Joyetech
• Regulated, variable wattage from 8W-20W
• Adjustable air flow control
• Built-in 1500mAh battery
• Integrated 3.6ml e-liquid reservoir
• Integrated atomizer
• Pass-through charging
• Short circuit detection and protection

Physical dimensions:

• 46.4mm*20.4mm*99.5mm with the stock drip tip

Weight:

The e-Grip, while very small, does have a bit of heft to it. Mine weighs 190g with the e-liquid reservoir about half full.

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Aesthetics, Ergonomics, and Build Quality

As always, aesthetics are subjective, but I find the e-Grip to be a very nice looking device. It features clean lines and isn’t festooned with gaudy branding. A small, discreet Joyetech logo is stamped near the bottom on one side, an e-Grip logo on the other. The available finishes should suit almost any preference. The chrome finish on my e-Grip is flawless and has a mirror shine. However, the chrome finish is a fingerprint magnet – if that kind of thing makes you twitch, one of the other available finishes would be advisable. E-liquid levels are monitored via cutouts on both sides of the device and do nothing to detract from the overall aesthetic of the e-Grip.

The e-Grip is very comfortable to use and fits nicely in hand and should be comfortable for all users with the possible exception of folks who have ginormous bear paws for hands. It is eminently pocketable and is a “go anywhere, anytime” device.

The build quality is very good. The e-Grip feels solid and my unit is free of any defects or finish blemishes. The wattage selector dial has a satisfying click when changing power levels and can be rotated either direction. The firing button similarly has a satisfying click  and requires a little effort to press. The e-liquid refilling door uses a small spring loaded latch to ensure it stays closed and the reservoir gasket prevents any leakage. The atomizer base screws in and out of the device cleanly and consistently.

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What is it like using the Joyetech e-Grip?

Perhaps the biggest selling point of the e-Grip is its all-in-one functionality stuffed into a small, attractive package. It is quite likely one of the most user friendly devices currently on the market and should appeal to a wide variety of users.

Installing a factory atomizer head requires unscrewing the base from the bottom of the e-Grip using the supplied tool. A coin works equally well if you lose the tool as I will undoubtedly do at some point. Once the base is removed, simply screw your atomizer head onto the base, prime the head by putting a few drops of e-liquid into it, and re-install the atomizer assembly back into the e-Grip.

Filling the e-Grip’s e-liquid reservoir is a painless exercise in efficiency. Simply release the spring loaded latch securing the reservoir door and fill your liquid via the larger of the two holes. The smaller hole is presumably present to provide pressure relief and prevent a vacuum while filling. I fill mine using a needle tip bottle but most plastic tipped e-liquid bottles should work with no problem – filling with a glass dropper may prove to be a bit messy. Joyetech recommends covering the USB port, removing the atomizer base and drip tip, and carefully flushing the reservoir with warm water when cleaning is necessary.

Charging the device is accomplished using the supplied USB charging cable. The micro USB charging port is located on the bottom of the e-Grip. The device will lay on its side with no leaking so the bottom oriented charging port location isn’t an issue. As noted, the e-Grip can be used while charging.

The firing button is surrounded by a blue LED ring and another small blue LED is located under the power selector dial. The LED indicators will behave in the following manners:

Charging – The LED button ring will flash five times when connected to a charging source and will continue to flash slowly while charging. The LED ring will illuminate steadily when the eGrip is fully charged.

Battery Level – when the battery charge level is greater than 60%, the small blue LED below the selector dial will illuminate steadily while firing. Once the battery charge goes below 60%, the indicator LED will flash while firing. The rate of flashing will increase as the battery level decreases and reaches certain percentage thresholds. When the battery charge level reaches 3.3V the LED button ring will flash 40 times followed by the device automatically powering down.

Atomizer Protection – If the e-Grip is fired continuously for more than 10 seconds, the device will stop firing and flash the LED button ring 10 times.

Atomizer Detection – If no atomizer is detected the LED button ring will flash continuously while fired.

Short Circuit Protection – The LED button ring will flash 5 times if a short circuit is detected.

The device is powered on or off by clicking the firing button five times in rapid succession, but not too rapidly. It may take a few times to learn the correct click rate to cycle the power.

The power level is adjusted by rotating the selector dial to the desired wattage between 8W-20W. However, only the 20W setting is marked on the dial. There are several dots of various size on the dial indicating power levels below 20W. Exactly what wattage setting each dot corresponds to is unclear. I find this to be a curious design decision. However, adjusting the wattage to taste shouldn’t be difficult. I run my e-Grip at 20W almost exclusively so it is a moot circumstance for me. As previously noted, the power selector dial can be rotated in either direction.

Airflow can be adjusted by turning in or out the small screw located at the base of the device under the e-Grip logo. As you may notice in some of the pictures, I’ve removed the airflow screw entirely and have subsequently lost it. Not a huge deal since I prefer the air flow as open as possible.

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The e-Grip is a great performer. The supplied atomizer heads work very well all the way up to the 20W maximum power level and seem to have very good longevity. I’ve been vaping one of my favorite juices in the eGrip and the flavor delivery is very good. As a matter of fact, the juice I’m using tastes every bit as good in the eGrip as it does in some of my rebuildable tank atomizers. It has been quite some time since I’ve used a clearomizer style atomizer head but I’d put the Joyetech heads on par with Aspire’s excellent BVC heads.

The air flow control offers a range from very restrictive to slightly restrictive. Lung hitters may feel the eGrip’s air flow is a little too tight. Mouth-to-lung hits are the sweet spot for the eGrip.

The eGrip seems to deliver the power very consistently. If Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is being used it is a very unobtrusive implementation. I don’t detect any of the “rattle snake effect” commonly associated with devices using PWM. And while I haven’t done any instrumented testing of the eGrip, I’m inclined to believe it delivers every bit of its 20W maximum. I typically vape anywhere from 30W-80W depending on the device and atomizer combination and the eGrip doesn’t leave me wanting for more power.

Performance-wise, the eGrip delivers with consistent power, adjustable air flow, and very good atomizer heads.

Conclusion

I’d consider myself an “advanced” vaper and typically use gear commensurate with that self-appointed status. As such, I was initially skeptical about the eGrip’s potential to deliver a satisfying vape. Well, I certainly had no reason to be skeptical. The vape quality delivered by the eGrip is outstanding.

In addition to the great performance, the eGrip is very solidly constructed, looks great, and is incredibly easy to set up and use. The all-in-one nature of the device is a huge positive attribute and brings a level of convenience and portability unmatched by any other PV on the market today.

The eGrip has the unique quality of appealing to all levels of vapers from novices to advanced users. I’m not sure there are many devices which can claim the same. The Joyetech eGrip is the first and only device I recommend to folks looking to purchase their first PV. It really is that good.

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Where can I buy a Joyetech e-Grip?

• Buy for $62.95 here (Coupon: YEAHBABY) – Free Shipping from USA
• Buy for $52.95 here – Ships from USA
• Buy for $58.95 here – Ships from USA

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