Steve K's Vaping World

Ever wish there were a stainless steel Lavatube? Apollo Electronic Cigarettes will soon be launching now has a very interesting electronic cigarette product. The company has announced a fully stainless steel version of the hugely popular Lavatube.  The V-Tube as Apollo refers to their version of the popular e-cigarette mod will be an updated version that will feature a steel body and endcaps.

Update: The wait is over! Apollo has finally started shipping the all stainless steal lavatube (or as they call it the V-tube).  The first wave have already gone out the door and the rest of the limited run probably won’t last too long if I had to guess.  You can find out more at Apollo’s site.  

I haven’t gotten mine in yet, but once I do and spend some time with it, watch this space for a proper review Steve K style.  And now I return you to your regularly scheduled article.

Apollo is, at least initially doing a small run of only 1000 units, so I imagine they might sell out quickly.  It looks like you can pre-order buy one now.  The stainless steel version of the V-Tube carries a $15 premium over the standard version, but even with that, you can come away with a full kit for under $80.

These improvements should make the Lavatube a much more solid device.  The plastic end caps and light-weight feel of the aluminum tube were common points of dissatisfaction among some users.

Personally, I don’t think the weight of the original Lavatube is necessarily a bad thing, but I have to admit I like the solid feel of the ProVari.  I’m looking forward to getting the same authoritative feel from a Lavatube.

It also appears that the kind of ham-fisted knurling detail of the original end caps has been ditched in favor of a smooth appearance.  The battery connector is also recessed to give the new model a more upmarket look.

Another noteworthy feature is that the V-Tube will feature a native eGo connection.  Fear not, it’s still 510 compatible. Fans of eGo specific cartomizers like the Stardust will likely see this as a good thing.

The updated connector feature is particularly interesting because the eGo connector was one of the features of the rumored improved Lavatube which also is also said to include a 3.5a circuit like the ProVari V2.  I couldn’t find out more about the electronics to confirm this, but I do plan on getting my hands on one as soon as possible to test out.

If this version does indeed have beefed up internals, that will make for one seriously compelling device. Edit: It seems that this version also has a 2.5 amp circuit.  I’ll have to wait until I get one to figure out if there were any changes under the hood.

For those of you put off by the original Lavatube’s size, it’s worth noting that the Apollo version will be available in both the regular and mini sizes.

The regular size uses an IMR 18650, while the mini uses the 18350 sized batteries.

According to the site, it looks like the company is expecting their shipment of the stainless steel variety somewhere around the middle of April.  It also looks like they will have a chrome version (which will be chrome plated copper) and a copper version, but it didn’t indicate when those will be available, or if they  also the eGo connector.

It should be interesting to see what this device holds. Once I can get a hold of one, I’ll be sure to give it the full review treatment.

For now, you can check out Apollo’s site for the details they have on the device.  You can also pre-order buy one ($79.95 with free shipping).

Disclosure: I feature affiliate links for Apollo Electronic Cigarettes