Karma Review
(THREE STARS)
Review
Having heard about Karma through the e-smokers' grapevine, we headed over to their website to see what this relatively new electronic cigarette brand had to offer. There is essentially only one starter kit available (presently priced at $79.95) in your choice of gold e-cigarette with black charging storage case or white e-cigarette with white charging storage case. We went with the white and selected the Tobacco High cartridge/atomizers.
Less than one week after placing our order, the Karma Starter Kit was delivered. Opening the square black box revealed the white charging storage case constructed of heavy duty plastic and featuring a button-activated meter indicating how much battery life remains so that you know when to recharge your kit. Inside the charging storage case were the two 2⅝-inch cigarette-style batteries as well as openings to hold five cartridge/atomizers. Charging storage cases are a convenient way to carry your daily smoking supplies in a single pocket-sized case. There's no need to carry a USB charger or AC wall adaptor, as the case will store two batteries, and will charge one of them when it is not in use. Charging storage cases are usually sold as a $25.00 accessory, so we take notice when they are included in a reasonably priced starter kit. Kudos Karma.
Karma Cartridge/Atomizers are available in Tobacco, Menthol, Coffee, Vanilla, and Sunburst (Orange) flavors, as well as Nicotine levels of High, Medium, Low, and None. They are currently priced at $14.95 for five and quantity discounts are not available.
We screwed the battery that arrived in the charging slot back into the charging carrying case. The battery meter light glowed green, indicating that it was charged. We then unpacked our rubber-capped Tobacco High cartridge/atomizers and screwed one into the charged battery and took a drag. Drawing required more effort than should be necessary and the amount of vapor produced upon exhaling was substandard at best. There was no throat hit whatsoever. The flavor was familiar, but not good. On the positive side, not much flavor was even present. Hugely disappointed with Karma, we tried again — and then again. Same lousy tepid flavor. Same substandard vapor.
Being gluttons for punishment, we the used the charging carrying case to test the other battery. But the meter light went red, indicating that it required charging. We next connected the case's USB cable to our PC and then connected that to the charging carrying case, leaving the dead battery inside to charge overnight. We grabbed the working battery and screwed it into the USB charger and connected that to the wall adaptor which we plugged into an AC outlet to charge overnight.
The Karma Charging Storage Case.
The following day we removed the batteries from their chargers and screwed a fresh Tobacco High cartridge/atomizer onto each. The fit was snug and it is worth noting that the both parts appeared to be well constructed and built to last. Then we took a drag. Our hopes for Karma were crushed once again, as drawing was difficult, the vapor volume remained a disappointment, and the flavor was still as bad as it had been the day before. It was readily apparent that Karma would not make our list of "Top 5 Electronic Cigarettes," or even the top ten. We were left to wonder how anyone could market — or worse — endorse such a product.
In summary, we found Karma to be well constructed and reasonably priced, but one of the poorest performing e-cigarettes we have ever had the displeasure of testing. It is not a product that we can recommend.
We estimated that including our Karma Starter Kit purchase, the cost to maintain a one-pack-per-day cigarette habit using Karma was $1171.30 annually or $97.61 per month or $22.53 per week or $3.21 per day. When compared to the cost of tobacco cigarettes and the same one-pack-per-day habit at $6.00 per pack or $2190.00 per year or $182.50 per month or $42.12 per week or $6.00 per day, the annual savings for an Karma user is $1018.70.
Karma has earned THREE STARS and is NOT RECOMMENDED.
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