Halo, one of our two top-rated e-liquids, is American-made. While we don’t want to say that was the only factor in our rankings, we think it’s important. Halo e-juice is definitely top of the line, and in large part, that’s probably due to the quality control that’s inherent in manufacturing the eliquid here instead of in China. All ingredients meet USP pharmaceutical standards and are FDA and FEMA approved. The bottles are shipped with a lot number and an expiration date; that’s unusual and we think it’s important.

As for the crucial factors in the e-smoking experience, both the flavor and throat hit of Halo e-liquid are terrific. The taste of their various juices is strong but not overpowering and the tastes are authentic, quite close to those of regular cigarettes. We found the throat hit to be consistently strong, even at lighter nicotine concentrations; it’s something Halo pays attention to, so that you don’t have to increase the nicotine level in order to get the punch you expect – and that attention pays off. Of course, the higher nicotine levels (18 mg or 24 mg) are more satisfying if you’re looking for punch, but even at the ultra light (6 mg) or light (12 mg) levels, the throat hit is strong.

Vapor clouds from the Halo e-liquid are impressive as well; they’re thick and mimic the look of smoke quite well. The vapor passed our “smoke ring” test with ease.

The number of Halo e-liquid flavors available is quite a bit lower than many of their competitors. They say that’s because they spend much more time perfecting the flavors that they sell. There are five different flavors that mimic tobacco cigarettes, ranging from the smooth Tribeca, to the “Red” flavored Freedom Juice, to the unfiltered punch of Torque 56. There are four menthol flavors, from True Pure and Menthol Ice, to the pina-colada tinged Malibu. There are cigar and pipe flavors, as well as apple and ginger-infused tobacco flavors. It’s a relatively small selection, but a powerful one. Each flavor is available in two sizes, 7 ml plastic bottles ($5.99) or large, 30 ml glass ones ($19.99). All of their e-juice is PG (Propylene Glycol) based.

Halo also has a full selection of electronic cigarettes, starter kits, filled and refillable cartridges and the like at their online store, making it a one-stop destination no matter your level of experience with vaping. We particularly liked their Halo starter kit, which comes with two batteries, USB adapter and wall charger, cartomizers, empty cartridges, cases and six bottles of e-liquid to let you sample various flavors.

A quality product with great throat hit, flavor and vapor – and a good selection of flavors for regular and menthol smokers; that’s what combined to make Halo a top-rated e-liquid.

PROS: Great throat hit and vapor, American-made.
CONS: No PG options, fewer flavors than the competition.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SHOP.

Real Electronic Cigarettes is best known for their high-quality Vapor King e-cigarettes and eTanks. Their e-liquid product line has grown considerably in terms of flavors. But we specifically include them in our listings as an editor’s choice because they have one of the strongest eliquids available on the market; and even though they import their product from overseas, it is tested at an American independent lab for quality and impurities before being released to the market. We think that’s a strong argument in favor of the Real/Vapor King products.

The Vapor King e-juice comes in lots of flavors: two tobacco (one of them based on the flavor of a Marlboro Red), two menthol (one of them based on the flavor of a Newport), apple, blueberry, and apple-cranberry-cinnamon; cappucino, caramel mocha, champagne; cherry, cherry cigar and cherry cola; chocolate, chocolate banana and clove; cola, cotton candy and grape; kiwi, mango and melon; peach, pina colada and rootbeer, strawberry, vanilla and watermelon. They even have flavors called pancake and waffle. Throat hit and vapor clouds are good, definitely dependent on the strength of ejuice you select.

Noteworthy to mention is that two of the flavors, tobacco and menthol, come not only in extra high (24mg), but also in super high (36mg) nicotine levels – if you’re looking for that extra powerful punch or thick vapor, that’s an option that is often hard to find. Their “normal” sections are 16mg (high), 11mg (light), 6mg (ultra light) and zero nicotine – all come in 10mg bottles ($9.95). If you’re looking for an even better bargain, some of the more popular Vapor King choices (such as the super high tobacco and menthol) are available in 30ml bottles ($24.95, or 3 for $60.00), which they’ve measured as the equivalent of three cartons of regular cigarettes. There is free shipping.

We should also mention the Vapor King Storm 2.0, one of the best three-piece electronic cigarettes we’ve tested, with solid design and satisfying vapor; and the innovative Vapor King eTank which eliminates the need for absorbent material in the atomizer, eliminating the “spoiled liquid” problem and letting you see exactly how much liquid is inside your cartridge. It may be the future of three-piece e-cigarettes.

PROS: American-tested before release, extra-high nicotine options.
CONS: Some flavors don’t come in all nicotine levels, no VG bases.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SHOP.

 

Perhaps the most successful two-piece electronic cigarette anywhere is from V2 Cigs. What most people don’t know, though, is that they also sell refillable cartridges, and because of that they market a hidden gem in e-liquids.

V2 Cigs e-liquid is made according to a proprietary formula with rigorous testing standards, and some of the best flavors we’ve tasted, which earned them an editor’s choice designation for taste. The list of flavors isn’t huge, but it includes some real winners. There are three tobacco flavors: Sahara (like Camel), Congress (like Benson and Hedges) and Red (you can guess what that one is like); three menthol flavors: regular menthol, peppermint, and mint tea; chocolate, coffee, vanilla and cherry. All are available in four nicotine levels: high (18mg), light (12mg), ultra light (6mg) and no nicotine.

The packaging should also be mentioned; all e-liquids come in childproof bottles with nice medicine-dropper style applicators which is a nice touch. The eliquid comes in 25ml bottles for $16.95 each. V2 also sells two styles of drip tips, aluminum and rubber (which are soft on the teeth) for added convenience. When you add the solid construction of all V2 products and their long list of other accessories (such as two types of charging cases and a wide assortment of chargers) to the really nice taste of their e-juice, you have a winning combination.

PROS: Good flavor, rigorous testing standards.
CONS: Smaller flavor lineup, no VG bases.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SHOP.

If we had to come up with one word to describe ELiquidPlanet, it would be “variety.” They don’t quite receive our top-rated designation, but do receive an editor’s choice nod for their flavors and selection. They have a nice choice of flavors, many of which are made in the US under more stringent quality control than overseas-manufactured e-juice. They have a good selection of both propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin flavors (the VG is important for the small number of people who can’t tolerate the PG base). And they make it clear exactly what you’re getting, before you order.

The American-made e-liquid they sell is marketed under the brand name “Essence,” so you can easily find the entire list of US manufactured ejuice. There are three tobacco flavors, two menthols, two cigars and a clove; novelty flavors include two versions of strawberry, banana, double apple, coffee, mocha and chocolate, even oddball but strangely addictive flavors like anisette and Dreamsicle. They come in 15 ml bottles for $12.99 with a dropper top available for another two bucks. The strengths are mostly zero, 6 mg, 11 mg and 16 mg; most of the tobacco flavors also come in 24 mg strength.

ELiquidPlanet’s imported juice comes in an even wider variety of flavors; this is where the PG and VG differentiation takes place. Have a hankering for blue cola, champagne, French pipe, jasmine, peanut butter or whisky flavored e-cigarettes? They’re all available, as are many more, in PG e-liquid. There are fewer flavors available with a VG base, but there are some yummy ones including blueberry, cherry, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, as well as several tobacco and menthol choices.

The throat hit is good from the Essence e-liquid; it’s a bit harsher from the imported juice, as we’ve noted for the other imported selections we’ve reviewed here. Vapor clouds are good for both varieties, but of course it depends largely on the nicotine strength you select.

There are lots of ways to go if you want to sample ELiquidPlanet’s product; they have nine different sampler packs, each with five 5 mg bottles for $19.95. They have a number of mixing lab options as well, so that you can buy your favorite flavors and mix your own custom-designed product. And as with most of the suppliers we’ve visited, they have a wide selection of e-cigarettes, cartomizers, designer “trippy tips” and more.

ELiquidPlanet didn’t earn our top rating. But they came close, with their nice selection of US-manufactured e-juice, and nice variety of flavors – as well as the option to buy from their even wider selection of PG and VG juice from overseas.

PROS: PG and VG bases, great selection of flavors.
CONS: Vapor clouds a little weaker than some; many of the options are manufactured overseas.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SHOP.

 

Sharp Smoker is a US company that resells e-liquid and e-cigarettes from overseas. That brings with it the best and not-so-great of both worlds. You don’t get the more stringent quality controls that are present at US Manufacturers who sell directly to the consumer, you don’t get the ingredient list or even get to know whether the e-juice is PG or VG. On the other hand, you get cheaper prices, you do get US customer service, and you get some pretty good e liquid for your money.

The throat hit from Sharp Smoker’s eliquid is right in the middle of the scale, satisfying but a bit harsh; the vapor clouds are strong, although not quite up to the level of our top-rated options. There is a good selection of flavors in Sharp Smoker’s eliquid inventory: five different varieties of tobacco flavors, from Camel to Virginia, plus one menthol, one mint and one clove. There are also 28 fruit and dessert flavors, from the usual chocolate, vanilla and cola to more unusual flavors such as mango, fruit punch, blueberry and caramel.

All of the flavors are available in 10 ml bottles for $6.00; nine are available in 30 ml bottles for $15.00, the cheapest price we’ve found from a US company. Sharp Smoker also has a discount program, where the more times you order, the bigger a discount you receive. The e-liquid comes in three available strengths: 24 mg, 11 mg and 8 mg; the USA Mix tobacco flavor is also available with no nicotine. If you order the large bottle of 30 ml, only two strengths are available, 24 mg and 11 mg.

We think there are better suppliers of eliquid available, but if you’re looking for a US supplier and one of the Sharp Smoker flavors hits your fancy, you could do a lot worse.

PROS: Good prices and selection, US customer service.
CONS: Foreign-manufactured.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SHOP.

If you’ve ever wanted to be a mad scientist, E-cig’s website is the place for you. They’re a company based in Singapore and China, and they have what has to be the most comprehensive offering of e-liquid and e-cigarettes you could possibly imagine. The way they describe it: “…about 200 different e-liquid flavors…each flavor can have five different E-Liq Bases (propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, or combinations), seven different nicotine densities (from zero nicotine to a whopping 48mg) and three different flavor strengths.” If you’re an experimenter, that could probably take you through several lifetimes. The e juice can also be bought in quantity; they sell everything from 10 ml bottles to 10 liter jugs.

What are some of the flavors, you ask? To start, there are 34 different Western and Japanese “tobacco” flavors, most named after the brand name cigarette they are designed to resemble; there are another 19 flavors mimicking Chinese cigarettes, and five flavors of clove. Then we come to a very small sample of the range of non-tobacco flavors: banana, plum, peanut, raspberry, peppermint, chocolate, jasmine, licorice, beer, eggnog, Red Bull, rum, bubblegum, honey, cotton candy and Dr. Pepper are a few of the flavors that immediately stand out. But there are well over 100 more. Some are delicious, some are a bit puzzling – all are at least interesting.

We were certainly intrigued by the vast array of choices of e-liquids available at E-cig, despite the fact that they’re manufactured in China – meaning the more stringent ingredient and quality controls present at our two top choices aren’t necessarily guaranteed. It’s primarily a question of comfort level, at least for us. Many of the e-liquid samples from E-cig don’t disappoint; the throat hits and vapor clouds are good, albeit a bit harsh at times; and if you go for one of their higher strengths (some, like 36 and 48 mg of nicotine, aren’t even available in US manufactured product), the hits and the experience will be quite intense.

The prices at E-Cig are much lower than you’ll find just about anywhere else, with a 10 ml bottle costing anywhere from 89 cents to around $2.00 or $3.00, depending on the base, the amount of nicotine, the flavor and strength of the flavoring you choose. For example, a 10 ml bottle of VG non-nicotine Newport light would be 89 cents. At the other extreme, the same size bottle of PG 18 mg Marlboro strong would be $3.27. That’s still a lot cheaper than from US based suppliers. Shipping from China costs more, of course, on the order of $15, but that’s not a lot more than you’d pay for priority mail delivery in the States from some vendors. E-cig also has a full array of electronic cigarettes, cigars and pipes available in their online store, at prices well below those charged by US companies.

We personally would rather that our e-liquid is manufactured in the US where standards are higher, but we didn’t find anything to strongly argue against this product – and the incredible array of flavors certainly is an argument in favor of giving this company a try.

PROS: Absolutely amazing selection at low prices.
CONS: Manufactured in and shipped from China.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SHOP.