Supplied by Eliquids.com
https://e-liquids.com/products/elf-bar-elfa-pod-kit-vape?variant=41567880478913
ELFA = £6.95 (Includes 1 pod) Prefilled Pods = £5.95 (2 pack)
Times are a changing! – Elf Bar have listened and Elf Bar have delivered. Disposable vapes have become a bit of a blight for various reasons, mostly there’s environmental waste but don’t worry I’m not going to preach, no need for that as Elf Bar have produced a much better alternate with the Elf Bar ELFA which has a reusable and rechargeable battery section.
- Closed pod system (non-refillable)
- Pre-filled 2ml pods
- 500mAh built-in battery
- 13 flavours available
- Inhale activated
- Up to 600 puffs per pod
- Type-C charging
E-liquids.com were kind enough to let us test a large selection of the flavours and to put the device through its paces along the way (and boy did I hammer it), essentially you initially buy the ELFA kit which is ready to vape as it includes a prefilled pod for not much more than some disposable vapes, and after that you only need to buy the pods so it gets cheaper too.
Unboxing
There’s very little to discuss as it’s pretty much the same as a disposable kit, there’s the device (battery section), a prefilled pod of 1 x Blue Razz Lemonade, and a basic user manual.
The ELFA comes in a sealed hygienic packet and there is a silicone bung in the mouthpiece, you will need to pop the pod out to remove a sticker on the base (this prevents the device from firing during storage and postage).
The pod is held in place with magnets and simply slides into place, it is firm enough to stay put and is intuitive, you really can’t go wrong. Once the seals have been remove, it’s good to go as the battery has a charge in it but it may need recharging if you’re planning for it to last you the day.
To draw on the ELFA, you simply use it like you would a cigarette as it features draw-activation (no need for a fire button), just pull the vapour into your mouth, remove the device from your lips, inhale and hold it for a couple of seconds, then exhale. How long you draw and hold it is up to you, but the ‘600 puffs’ estimate is for around a 2 second draw, so if you draw for 4 seconds then it will only last you 300 puffs but you get the same 2ml if that made sense, there’s no right or wrong; just vape how it suits you and you will soon get used to how long a pod will last you.
*There’s one important difference from disposables, since the battery is rechargeable and higher capacity, it means you will get the full 2ml of e-liquid, but when it is running out you will start to encounter a slight burnt taste – this means it’s time to change the cartridge otherwise the burnt taste will get worse.
It has a USB-C charging port on the base which is the common size found on most phones and tablets. It will also charge via a portable power-bank if you have one, these are very handy to top-up charge on longer days, but generally the charge will last you the whole 2ml of the pod.
The prefilled flavoured pods come in a 2-pack for better value, and there are thirteen different flavours to choose from. They are 2% (20mg) nicotine strength which is the maximum strength allowed in the UK, but that is plenty high enough to give you your nicotine fix. They are filled with nicotine salts which are smoother on your throat than traditional nicotine, salts give you a near instant nicotine hit similar to a cigarette.
*NOTE 1 x Blue Razz Lemonade pod included
- 2ml E-liquid content
- 20mg nicotine salt
- 50/50 VG PG ratio
- Built-in mesh coil
- Suited to mouth-to-lung vaping
There are thirteen different flavours to choose from, and if you are switching from disposables then you will be familiar with most of them. I got to test nine of them and I can tell you that I enjoyed every one, some more than others but that’s subjective as we all like different things, but as a rule of thumb, the flavour title is very accurate.
- Strawberry Ice Cream - Flavour: Ice Cream, Strawberry
- Cranberry Grape - Flavour: Cranberry, Fruity, Grape
- Watermelon - Flavour: Fruity, Watermelon
- Elfbull - Flavour: Drinks, Energy Drinks, Soda
- Cola - Flavour: Cola, Drinks, Soda
- Banana - Flavour: Banana, Fruity
- Strawberry Kiwi - Flavour: Kiwi, Strawberry
- Kiwi Passion Fruit Guava - Flavour: Guava, Kiwi, Passionfruit
- Blueberry Cotton Candy - Flavour: Blueberry, Cotton Candy
- Blueberry - Flavour: Blueberry, Fruity
- Blue Razz Lemonade - Flavour: Blue Raspberry, Drinks, Fruit Drinks, Lemonade
- Blueberry Sour Raspberry - Flavour: Blueberry, Raspberry, Sour
- Pink Lemonade - Flavour: Drinks, Fruit Drinks, Pink Lemonade
Strawberry Ice Cream - Flavour: Ice Cream, Strawberry
As the name suggests, this is a sweet, creamy strawberry flavour with a hint of ‘ice’ to give it a really smooth inhale and a sweet aftertaste, Strawberry Ice Cream sums it up perfectly but the taste lasts longer than the real thing.
Watermelon - Flavour: Fruity, Watermelon
The Watermelon flavour is quite strong on this one, very smooth and sweet with an ice kick to leave a refreshing aftertaste, not quite as refreshing as the real thing but pretty close.
Elfbull - Flavour: Drinks, Energy Drinks, Soda
This was my favourite which was a surprise as I’m not a fan of the drink, it turns out it vapes better than it slurps, difficult to describe if you’re unfamiliar with the energy drink but it clearly tastes the same but the aftertaste is really lush and moreish.
Cola - Flavour: Cola, Drinks, Soda
Another drink – another winner, my second favourite and the best cola vape I’ve tried. It has that quality cola taste over cheapo brands if that makes sense? But again it was the lush aftertaste that sealed the deal.
Banana - Flavour: Banana, Fruity
The banana flavour was very strong and sweet on this one, a bit too sweet for my personal palette but still very enjoyable as a treat vape, and there’s a slight ice kick to leave a nice aftertaste.
Strawberry Kiwi - Flavour: Kiwi, Strawberry
As much as I love Strawberries, it is one of those flavours that can be a touch overpowering, but add Kiwi and you get a rather good flavour. This combination just worked as the kiwi toned done the strawberry and sweetness, a hint of ‘ice’ gave a really smooth inhale and pleasant aftertaste.
Blueberry Cotton Candy - Flavour: Blueberry, Cotton Candy
Candy floss – such an evil food of almost all sugar, but damn is it nice. Elf Bar have been smart by adding blueberry to this flavour to tone the overall sweetness and give it a fruity sidenote, this is one of those flavours that’s nice but as a treat rather than an all-day vape.
Blue Razz Lemonade - Flavour: Blue Raspberry, Drinks, Fruit Drinks, Lemonade
This is the flavour that’s bundled with the ELFA device and it’s easy to see why, it’s one of those cocktails that you cannot pick out a dominant flavour but blended together makes an interesting lemonade, think sweet lemonade but with a berry kick and a cool finish. I’ve probably not described it as well as I can but trust me, Elf Bar nailed this one, best Blue Razz I’ve tried.
Blueberry Sour Raspberry - Flavour: Blueberry, Raspberry, Sour
Well I can’t have everything my own way and this one really wasn’t for me, that’s only because they got the ‘sour’ spot on. Unfortunately I’m not a fan of anything sour but it gives you that faithful inner cheek tang that sours sweets do. If you’re a fan of sours and fruit, then this one should appeal to you.
Pink Lemonade - Flavour: Drinks, Fruit Drinks, Pink Lemonade
There’s something about Elf Bar and soft drinks, they nailed this one too as it was faultless and another one I could happily vape all-day and every-day, mostly lemonade flavour but with a slight fruity kick and ice to cool it off.
So that’s all the flavours tested and I can tell you I really enjoyed checking these out, some in particular that I was sad to finish off the two pods. I got through 19 x 2ml pods in record time and really put the battery through its paces without any issues, the charge lasted well and usually would last around 1.5 of the pods. Charging was around 25 minutes, but I tended to top-up charge so I wouldn’t have any downtime.
My only niggle is the LED light as I am used to pods that give you visual battery levels. The ELFA illuminates while vaping and simply flashes when the battery has run out, since it is only a single colour LED you don’t get a Green/Blue/Red. Hopefully we will start to see some more advanced options in future.
Conclusion
Hat’s off to Elf Bar in producing this closed pod system as a much better alternative to disposables, the pricing is good and the vape quality is just excellent. All the flavours are accurate and mostly suit all-day vapes, and I really cannot see any reason why any users would choose disposables over these so that’s a win right there.
My advice would be to buy a couple of these kits so you always have a battery with power, they are good value and it means you are never without a vape (as long as you have spare pods that is). For added use, you could always carry different flavours to swap over as you like.
Unfortunately at the moment there is no way to recycle the empty pods as they contain mixed materials, there are more sustainable ways to vape such as replaceable coil pods and 10ml bottles of e-liquid but even those produce their own waste bi-products so there’s no perfect solution. I know I am rinsing the point but ditching those disposables and moving onto these is a bit of a no-brainer.
Thank you to E-liquids.com for supplying these – it was a genuine treat.
https://e-liquids.com/products/elf-bar-elfa-pod-kit-vape?variant=41567880478913
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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