REVIEW BY BENEDICT ‘ NED ’ JONES
DEVICE SPECS : Battery capacity : 1500mAh internal cell Tank capacity : 2ml Charging : Micro USB Coil type : 0.6Ohm SS316L
• Sleek form factor
• Impressive 1500mAh cell
• Good vape quality from small coils
• Not the best coil longevity
Perhaps one of the most high-profile vaping companies , blu have focused solely on the starter market since its inception . The new blu ACE kit is a very simple albeit modern AIO system that is much more versatile than previous offerings from this industry giant .
The ACE may come as something of a surprise to keen vapers , since blu have historically been known for disposable and closed systems tailored to those on the very beginnings of their vaping journey . This new AIO subverts expectations in several ways and it ’ s difficult to complain when such an influential company decides to seriously act on consumer feedback .
The first surprising thing about the ACE is its form factor and resulting battery capacity . Previous blu kits have all been very diminutive and unlikely to last for a full day ’ s use at the best of times without a charge . That ’ s not the case this time around . Although still small in the grand scheme of things , the ACE is a full-sized AIO with an internal 1500mAh cell . When using high strength nicotine e-liquids with the ACE as my primary device , I found it easily lasted me a full day without the need for a charge . In terms of practical changes , this is a serious improvement and makes the ACE a convenient option for new vapers who need an accessible and simple device .
The included spiral drip tip does a good job of preventing spit-back and is also interchangeable with your choice of 510 mouthpiece . It ’ s good to see that blu are paying attention to the finer details here and the compatibility with standard tips shows a genuine effort to make this a truly open system .
The airflow control ring found at the top of the device allows the user to dial in the experience to a reasonable degree , from a classic tight mouth-to-lung all the way to a very restricted direct-to-lung draw . This will please a lot of new vapers who struggle to find a starter kit with their preferred restriction , though I found it performed best at a tighter setting .
The leak resistant top-fill method is nothing revolutionary , but it works well here and the mere fact that there is no restriction on your choice of e-liquid will be welcomed by many . The 0.6Ohm SS316L coils cement the ACE as a very competent starter kit . Don ’ t be fooled by the sub-ohm resistance , though – these coils work best with higher nicotine strengths and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavour and vapour production on offer . SS316L is known for its clean flavour and this remains true here . I found the coils to last for approximately one week of moderate use , which is well within acceptable bounds .
In summary , the blu ACE is a solid starter kit that works without any gimmicks . It ’ s also fantastic for salt-based nicotine users and offers substantially more battery life than pod systems .
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