Steve K's Vaping World

Once upon a time, if you wanted variable voltage, your choices were fairly limited to box mods or ultra-high end gear like the ProVari. Now, there are many more choices including  midsize eGo style devices. So many, in fact, that I can present to you a comparison review of the eGo-C Twist vs the Super Variable Voltage eGo, two of the more popular midrange devices.

The variable voltage contenders

Like other reviews, I will compare each device in a number of categories noting which one has an advantage in my opinion.  But first, a brief overview of each contender.

eGo-C Twist

The Twist as it’s commonly known was the first on the market and created a bit of a buzz.  There were other, more rudimentary eGo-style devices that let you pick from a few different voltage settings.  This model is also made by Joyetech, the inventor of the eGo electronic cigarette. The Twist uses a dial to allow you to adjust the voltage to any point in the spectrum from 3.0 to 4.8v.

For more details, check out my full review here or see options and prices at Vapor Alley.

Super Variable Voltage eGo

This model goes by a few different names.  I like to just call it the super eGo myself. The super eGo takes a slightly different approach to things.  This model features a display and two adjustment buttons as opposed to a simple dial.  It may have more in common with Lavatube style devices than the eGo.

You can find out more about this one by reading the original review and check out prices and features at Happy eSmoker .

We’ll take a look at the following categories in just a second: features, size, capacity, adjustment and voltage accuracy.

Features

This is a category in which each model’s features will mean something different for each person.  On a pure feature by feature basis, however, the Super VV model seems to have this one locked down.  While the Twist has a dial to adjust voltage from 3 – 4.8v the Super can go all the way up to 6v, has a display that shows the settings, remaining battery life and puff counts.  The Super also features USB pass-through charging (it can also charge on a standard eGo charger). The Twist can only charge via an eGo charger.

Advantage: Super VV eGo

Size

No way around it, all those extra features adds substantial length to the Super eGo. The 650 mAh version of the eGo Twist is much shorter than the 650mAh Super and slightly longer than a typical eGo e-cigarette. the Super eGo is also thicker than a garden-variety eGo.

Advantage: Twist

Capacity

Note that in the size category above, I only looked at the 650 mAh version of the Twist.  The Twist comes in 3 versions with different capacity from 650 to 1100mAh. The higher capacity versions will be larger.  However, the VV eGo only comes in the 650 mAh version at this time, so this category is a no-brainer.

Advantage: Twist

Adjustment

Having a category just for voltage adjustment may sound a wee bit over specific, but hear me out on this one. Each model has its own adjustment style that is very unique and may have some quirks, especially the Twist.  The Twist is amazingly simple to adjust, just turn the dial to the desired setting.  But, there’s one slight drawback, and that’s the markings on the device.  They are plain hard to read.  I have great eyesight, but still have trouble reading it in poor lighting conditions.

The Super eGo on the other hand has two adjustment buttons to set the voltage as desired and a display to show exactly what setting you are picking. Pressing buttons is, I suppose, slightly more physically involved than twisting a dial, but I think this one goes to the Super.

Advantage: Super VV eGo

Accuracy and Capability

This final category is a little more difficult to judge.  The real output of variable voltage electronic cigarettes can be a tricky thing. It is very difficult to get truly accurate measurements without specialized equipment. Some things tend to be a little more subjective because of that.  However, there are a couple of measures that are trackable and can be used to determine performance.

The first measure I like to use is amperage. Actually, it can more succinctly be classified as how much voltage can Steve throw at a dual coil cartomizer?  This one is decidedly a tie. Neither device is that great in this regard.  Both of them really don’t like to run dual coils above 3.7v.

The second thing I look at is how well do the devices hold their voltage. As the battery drains, many variable voltage ecigs tend to lose power output toward the end of the battery life. In this regard, there is a clear winner.  The Super eGo tends to peter out toward the end of the battery charge while the Twist does a very good job of holding the voltage until very near the end of the batter run time.

Advantage: Twist

Conclusion

If we want to determine which is the better midrange variable voltage e-cigarette, we could just look at a chart like this one:

It looks like the Twist won our little showdown. But, if you’ve ever read my comparisons in the past, you know things aren’t quite as simple as that.

The idea is simple, each category in the comparison is not equal. Some categories may be more important than others. And the only person who knows which ones are important is you.

If you’re in the market for a variable voltage eGo, there may be things that are more important to you than others.  For example, if you want a very simple experience, the Twist is hard to beat.  On the other hand, if you want features like USB charging or a display like those on high-end models, the Super VV eGo will be more appealing.

Neither device is a bad model and fills a void that had long existed in the e-cigarette industry. You can pickup the Twist at Vapor Alley and the Super eGo is at Happy eSmoker.

Details

Product Name: eGo-C Twist
Available From: Vapor Alley
Price: 25.99-29.99

Product Name: Super Pass-thru Variable Voltage eGo
Available From: Happy eSmoker
Price: $29.95