The big boy of the eGo electronic cigarette world has gotten a facelift. Vapor Alley has started carrying the eGo Epower 2800, the successor to the 18650 Epower. While both models use the same size battery, everything is different about the newest version, including the batteries. We’ll take a look at how the big dog of the eGo pack stacks up in our Epower 2800 review.
What’s in the Box
Vapor Alley offers the 2800 kits with a couple of different hardware options. You can choose between the classic atomizers and cartridges setup, dual coil cartomizers or a dual coil carto tank from SmokTech. The sample I received was of the atomizer variety and inside the fancy-pants presentation box I found:

- 1 Epower 2800 body
- 2 2800mAh 18650 IMR batteries
- 1 Battery charger (single slot, universal)
- 2 atomizers
- 5-pack blank cartridges
- Printed instruction manual

I found there were some inconsistencies with the button. They’re actually about the same issues I’ve seen with my regular eGos as well. The unit I received had an issue where the button would occasionally stick in the on position until pressed again or the cutoff kicked in. It felt as if it were physically sticking.
Vapor Alley sent a second unit to see if the button issue was a problem with the design of the device. My second button didn’t stick, but the action on the button also felt stiff and as if there were little travel in the button. This eased up to some degree after a little use, but it does appear there is some tolerance issues in the button, much like many of the standard eGos I’ve used.

The battery provides the Epower with plenty of staying power. I conducted an informal test just to see how long I could run on a single, fully charged battery. I vape quite heavily, so I can normally wear a battery down fairly easily. Running a dual coil cartomizer on the device, I finally gave up after about 13 hours of use. The big battery definitely provides some longevity to this device.
The included atomizers are 2.0Ω and feature a pretty huge bridge inside. The bridge probably works very well with cartridges, but honestly, I refuse to use cartridges. I opted to break out the drip tips and direct drip into the atomizer.
The atomizer performed fairly well, producing respectable vapor and warmth. I found that feeding the atomizer was pretty tricky. I was punished with some very unpleasant dry hits at the slightest provocation. The atties were also remarkably easy to overfill as well.

I suspected that the bridge was to blame, so I carefully removed the bridge. The atomizer became much more civilized after its little operation. I was able to fairly consistently keep it fed, and when I did let it run a little dry, it wasn’t nearly as abusive as before.
Using the dual coil cartomizers on the device, I found they performed OK but nothing ground shaking. I’m personally a fan of running dual coils at higher voltages to get the best performance out of them. The Epower pushed the dual coils at a level pretty consistant with any other 3.7v device.
For the tank, I cheated a little and used a Big Daddy tank along with a punched 1.7Ω SmokTech cartomizer. For me, this provided the best performance. Some of that is personal preference as that tank setup is my daily driver. The cartomizers work well in the range of 3.2-3.9v so they were well suited to the Epower.
At the end of the day, which kit you go with would probably depend on your preferences. I’d opt for something other than the atomizer choice if you’re not a regular dripper. Of course, I suspect many of you already have a preference for hardware, so the choice may not matter a whole lot.
Too Long; Didn’t Read
The Epower 2800 is welcome update to the original Epower 18650. The more attractive design, along with better compatibility with existing gear makes it a more civilized choice. The big battery should provide most people with an all-day experience in between charges. The overall eGo styling of the Epower along with it’s relatively friendly price tag makes this an attractive choice for those looking to step up from a standard ego device. You can pick one up at Vapor Alley (use code SteveK for a 5% discount).
Pros:
- More stylish
- Fully eGo compatible
- Good battery life
- Good performance
- Improved button mechanisim
Cons:
- Button assembly not replaceable
- No 5 click on/off
- 10 second cut-off time
- Flimsy spring
- Slight quality control issues with button
Disclosure: I received this item from Vapor Alley at no charge for the purpose of this review. I feature affiliate links and banners from this vendor.
3 Comments
Errol
(11/29/99 - 2:00 pm)>"A tank makes it appear top heavy"
That's one thing I particularly liked about the LavaTube's design over most other PVs, a tank looks like an integral part of the unit.
Errol
Steve K
(11/29/99 - 2:00 pm)Yeah, it looks good on the ProVari too, probably any tube style mod that's wider in diameter and has a flat top will do. Volcano is apparently coming out with their own tank too. Not sure if it's the same Smoktech tank that others have (I'll finally have that review the week after t-giving).
Errol
(11/29/99 - 2:00 pm)It's how well the squared off top blends into the tank that I was specifically thinking of. The picture at the bottom of the page of this link is a good example.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-cigarett…
Errol
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