Blip 5000+ Refillable Disposable Pod 3-Pack
Disposable vaping is evolving, so we are looking at the new Blip, a semi rechargeable and refillable starter kit that is a step in the right direction
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by Vape Inc. for review:
https://vapeinc.com/products/blip?variant=40086923870342 – Single £7.99
https://vapeinc.com/products/blip?variant=40085622423686 - 3 Pack £19.99
Could this be the start of a new trend in disposables? Refillable and rechargeable devices, the Blip is the second one already this year, but the Blip is a little different as they come in packs of three to make them more economic.
They are far from ideal as they still end up as e-waste landfill once the coil runs out, BUT they are far better than those prefilled 2ml disposables which couldn’t be more wasteful. Roughly the Blip is the equivalent of 10 x 2ml disposables so that is at least 10 x less wasteful.
- Built-in 550mAh battery
- Up to 5000+ puffs per blip
- Large juice window
- Top fill design
- Supports USB-C fast charging (cable not included)
- MTL style vaping
- 1.2 Ohm mesh coil
- 11W fixed power output
- 2ml capacity
- Available in single packs or the more economical 3-Pack
Unboxing
You can buy them as individuals in a foil pack but I was sent the better value 3 pack. It comes in a simple carton box with the specs and instructions printed on the sides.
Inside you will find 3 x Blip 5000+ devices and an instruction sheet, there’s no charging cable but it is uses the common USB-C which I’m sure you have a ruck of.
Each Blip 5000+ comes in its own tear open sealed packet which is easy to rip open.
You will need to remove the top silicone bung and peel off the base sticker before use, the devices come with a partial charge so all you need to do is add e-liquid, wait a few minutes, then start vaping.
Though it does come with a partial charged battery, I found them hit and miss as to how much charge they had so I would advise you fully charge them (or at least charge up the spare two while you use the first). A fully charged battery will roughly last you a full tank (2ml).
The Blip 5000+ is a very simple designed pod, the round body is only 18mm diameter and 95.3mm tall, it feels so compact and very easy to hide in your grip for sly vaping. There are no hard edges as it has been rounded off at every angle which makes it feel so comfortable.
I guess the word ‘Minimal’ sums it up perfectly, even the choice of colours are minimal, you can have Satin Black, Satin Black, or Satin Black. I was sent the Satin Black version but I would have preferred the Satin Black.
The instruction sheet tells you everything you need to know and is written well without being bloated, it only takes a minute to read but most folks won’t need to bother reading it as it makes common sense.
So we’ve covered the rechargeable side of the Blip 5000+, the next part is filling it up with e-liquid. This is simple to do and it never felt fiddly to refill.
The mouthpiece just pulls off, it’s on quite firm but not too tight, I would say they have it perfect as it snaps back on easily too. There are two filling holes (DON’T USE THE CENTRE HOLE), simply pour your e-liquid into either hole while holding it upright, you can pretty much fill it up to the top without it getting messy. The opposite hole acts as an air vent to prevent airlocks.
I believe that the Blip 5000+ will eventually come with the option of included e-liquid, but you can use whatever you like as long as you use a 50VG/50PG ratio. Pretty much all nic salts are this formula, and if you are trying to replicate that ‘disposable’ experience, I suggest you use the superb ELFLIQ range.
But there will soon be a new Diamond Mist range to partner the Blip 5000+ which have been specially formulated to provide that disposable flavour. I was sent some 0mg samples but I just can’t hack 0mg e-liquids as I vape for the nic hit and not for the sake of vaping, so I didn’t try them out other than a fingertip lick test and they all tasted quite lush so I’m confident they will be good when they are released. I also believe they will come out in freebase nicotine form for those that prefer the nicotine throat hit.
So….time to test these little Blips out. The best way I can sum these up is if I didn’t know about them and someone handed me one to vape, I would immediately think it was a regular disposable. It performs exactly like one, the flavour, warmth and draw are all great. I also loved how little and comfortable it was, the mouthpiece is just right and the auto-draw is immediate.
If it was just a regular 2ml disposable, it would be as good as the majority, but after that first 2ml you get to reuse it! Both in battery recharging and e-liquid refilling, believe me, that disposable guilt trip just felt much less irresponsible. Having three on the go with three different flavours was a treat too. The only problem I had was that they were all the same colour, so I couldn’t tell which was which without trying them.
Blippedyblipblip
Copying the first definitions in Bing for the word ‘Blip’, I came up with the following:
An unexpected, minor, and typically temporary deviation from a general trend
I would like to think this is true and this ‘blip’ of disposables trend will revert back to the original sustainable vape hardware, but I think the Blip 5000+ is a small step in the right direction. I don’t think it would be too difficult for them to make a replaceable pod version and ditch that nasty ‘disposable’ word, the main tech is already inside, so it just takes a magnetic connection for a replaceable pod, but these are just my thoughts.
Putting my disposable bias to one side, the Blip 5000+ is a superb little vape device and a perfect gateway between 2ml disposables to fully reusable/replaceable coil/pod kits.
As an optional extra, you can purchase a lanyard kit which comes with three spare mouthpieces. I’m not quite sure why you would need spare mouthpieces but hey. The lanyard is handy though and adds additional convenience to the Blip 5000+.
I’m a fan of lanyards with the right device, as long as it’s small, lightweight, and an all-day vape, I find them perfect. I’m never without a vape wherever I am, but for those lanyard-haters, at least you didn’t have to pay for one in the standard kit.
5000+
The claimed puff count is near impossible to verify, we all vape differently in draw strength and duration, so I tend to go by the amount of e-liquid a pod lasts for before the taste is too nasty to continue. A reasonable expectation would be between 15ml to 20ml and sure enough, the Blip 5000+ performed well at this range. Beyond that, I found the vape to be unsatisfying and you could see your e-liquid darkening which is a sign of burning wick.
To put it another way; a 2ml disposable has the average claim of 500 puffs, most of the time this is bullshit as the battery often dies before the 2ml of e-liquid, but let’s say 500 puffs per 2ml, so 5,000 puffs would be 20ml (or 20 disposables). Some e-liquids are worse than others for sweetness, but the average e-liquid should last the claimed 5,000 puffs (20ml). If you choose less sweetened freebase e-liquids, then it will last even longer.
Conclusion
While the Blip 5000+ isn’t completely guilt free from e-waste, it is a much better option to those 2ml disposables. You still get the same satisfying vape from disposables with the right e-liquid choice and it is still a very simple kit to use, it takes no effort to refill or recharge. On average there’s around 10x less waste created once the coil finally packs in (dry hit/burnt taste) which is a baby-step in the right direction. That aside, you will also save a small fortune, less waste, less dosh, and less guilt has to be a good thing.
I’m skipping the usual Pros and Cons bit as the pros are obvious to disposables and the cons are obvious to environmentalists. Ethically I won’t be buying any, but the Blip 5000+ is a good/bad thing and beats those 2ml disposables hands down – Ignore my obvious bias and the Blip 5000+ offers a damn fine vape (with the right e-liquid).
Score: Blip/Blip
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!
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