Steve K's Vaping World

Vison’s eGo Stardusts are one of the more popular clearomizers on the electronic cigarette market as of late.  Bauway has a new clearomizer out that is, shall we say, “inspired” by Vision’s popular cartomizer.  Sometimes, that’s not always a bad thing, look at the CE3s I reviewed a while ago for an example of that.  So, is the Bauway Stardust clone another example of improving on an original, or a dud? Read the rest of this Bauway Clearomizer review and find out!

Bauway CE4 Design

A minor programming note before we begin: This review has been revised prior to publication.  The original model I reviewed had an issue where the outer tube would easily slide off.  The factory has revised the designs to prevent this issue.  This review has been updated to reflect these changes by removing references to the issue.  It is possible that you may run across the first version in the wild from other vendors aside from the vendor from which I purchased the ones used in the review.

The Bauway Stardust clone certainly looks like the original.  It shares both the tapered body, all the way down to graduation markings showing up to 2ml.

This cartomizer has a clear body as opposed to the slightly smoked appearance of the Vision’s.  One striking difference between the two is Bauway’s version is much lighter. Like the stardust, this cartomizer features a 510 connector with a skirt that fits over an eGo’s outer threads.

This weight difference is due to two factors.  First, the metal at the top and bottom is anodized aluminium.  As a result, these clearomizers are also available in several colors.

The second factor is the clear outer tube.  The tube is considerably thinner than the Stardust’s.

Despite the thinness, the tube appears to be resilient.  I threw e-liquid with a heavy citrus content in there for several days with no apparent stress cracking.

The story on the inside is different.  While the center post is fairly thick like in the original, the Bauway version took a more back to basics approach.

Instead of a stubby wick, or multiple wicks, there is a single, long wick.  The wick is fairly thick and runs the entire length of the cartomizer.

Atop the heating coil is a silicone cap with a section that extends up to meet the drip tip.  And therein lies another key difference with the Bauway clearomizer.  It uses regular ol’ drip tips.  Unlike the Vision version which requires a special screw-on tip, you can use your favorite with this one.

Granted the tip has to be able to seat against that silicone tip, so it’s possible not every tip would work, but I’ve tried a few and they all seem to work.

One prop I will give to the Vision Stardust is that it is easier to fill without a syringe because there’s a wide enough gap between the outer wall and the heating element. Things are a little tighter in the Bauway.  It can still be filled without a syringe, but it isn’t nearly as easy.

Bauway CE4 Performance

While aesthetics and drip tip compatibility are fine and good, it doesn’t mean much if the cartomizer doesn’t perform well.  Fortunately, that is not the case with this cartomizer.

These cartomizers kick out a decent amount of vapor on a standard eGo battery, and are worthy of consideration for standard eGos.  However, they shine with a little more voltage applied to them.

I bought these cartomizers along with the variable voltage eGo I reviewed a couple weeks ago. I’ve been multitasking and evaluating both things at the same time. Of course they also spend some time on my ProVari with the aid of an eGo adapter.

Kicking up the voltage to around 4 volts really brings out the performance profile in these cartomizers.  They yield fantastic amounts of vapor and a mildly warm vape.  Flavor production is very good as well.  They also seem to perform right out of the box without requiring a fill up to break in the coils.

After 4.2 – 4.3v or so the wicks start to run into trouble keeping the coils wet, but that is still a great deal higher voltage than most CE2 style clearomizers. Interestingly, I found I could run the cartomizer all the way to empty without dry hits, which is rare for this style of cartomizer.

I also ran some VG-based liquid (from the Johnson Creek Red Oak line) through the cartomizer to see if a thicker e-liquid would hinder the Bauway’s ability to wick.  The thicker liquid didn’t seem to deter the clearomizer one bit.

Too Long; Didn’t Read

The Bauway Stardust inspired clearomizers are another example of a “knock off” product besting the original. The pretender offers great performance, color choices and the ability to use your own drip tip. These work best at around 4 volt. They have a thinner shell that hasn’t caused me any problems, but some people have bad luck with cracking, so who knows. As an added bonus, the Bauway clearomizers are also a little less expensive than the Vision Stardusts.  You can check them out at Happy eSmoker.

Pros:

• Light weight
• Colored aluminum
• Great performance
• Good wicking
• Can use (most) standard 510 drip tips

Cons:

• Thinner plastic tube
• Lighter materials make it feel less solid
• Not quite as easy to fill as a Stardust
• No replaceable parts

Details:

Product: Bauway Clearomizer (CE4)
Available From: Happy eSmoker
Price: $3.95 (20% discount on first purchase with code VAPE)
Threading: eGo (510 threads with eGo skirt)
Resistance: 2.5 ohm

Disclosure: This review features affiliate links, Happy eSmoker sent me a revised version of the cartomizer after the review was written.