(Update 2/18/14 See also my post on electronic cigarettes.)

Cigarettes today are not what they used to be.

Well, let me rephrase that. Cigarettes have always been gross and deadly. But these days, a cigarette smoker is pretty much considered as low as a crackhead in some circles. Though it’s nice the smoking awareness campaigns have brought the graphic evils of tobacco to dinner hour TV screens, I have to admit, they’re as pointless as the anti marijuana PSAs of the ’60s to the ’90s.

Besides, NOTHING can convince an innocent kid not to take up smoking more effectively than a kiss from a chain smoking aunt.

In the old days, you used to have a dizzying variety of cigarette choices available at your local grocery/convenience store (more than 50!). Today, there’s about 10 or even fewer brands in most places. Today, most brands are available exclusively over the internet. Retail stores get their stock from a state regulated middleman. Which is why in many states (namely Washington State), there is so little variety.

But for remaining smokers, fire up a menthol and enjoy this stroll down the tobacco aisle of yesteryear….

Tareyton My dad used to smoke these. No longer available in many areas, but they are available on the internet through RJ Reynolds.

Kent My mom used to smoke these.

Virginia Slims Another disappearing brand of women’s cigarette.

More An icky tasting super long and thin “120” cigarette. I snagged a pack of these from the rack at Fred Meyer when I was a kid. They looked weird, so I though they’d taste cool (with that funky brown paper.) They were flat out GROSS.

Satin “With a LUXURIOUS satin tip”, never mind the tobacco inside was garbage. Satin was an ’80s upstart brand. I knew of these by the free pack coupons they used to stuff in every Sunday newspaper.

Yves St. Laurant A fashion designer’s death by design. Another ’80s brand.

Merit Another former brand of choice. Of all the low tars, I actually LIKED Merits. They were tolerable. But Merit was one of those “old peoples” brands that seemed to disappear rapidly.

Doral A ’70s brand.

Multifilter Known for having two different filters, but the same result.

Vantage A filter cigarette with a giant hole in the middle of the filter.

Sterling An 80’s brand

Benson & Hedges Another disappearing brand and the first marketed for the “upscale” crowd.

Eve A long thin women’s cigarette

Viceroy Never smoked this brand, but it was big in the ’60s.

Lucky Strike Motto “It’s toasted” Just like your lungs after smoking a pack.

Chesterfield A non filtered smoke, popular from the ’20s the ’60s when even by then, it was an “old people’s cigarette” Before Kool and their jazz festivals in the ’70s and ’80s, it was popular with radio DJs (and immortalized as such in Donald Fagan’s song “The Nightfly”.) I never thought they were that spectacular

Raleigh This was the brand your old neighbour probably smoked.

Dave’s A ’90s brand still being made, Known for it’s folksy magazine ads that made you think it was made by some average person, just like you, who wanted a better smoke than what those big corporations offered. Fact It was made by Phillip Morris the whole time.

Scotch Buy Now here was an unusual brand made by RJ Reynolds for a corporate supermarket chain (Safeway and subsidiaries.) Safeway discontinued Scotch Buy and distanced itself as far as possible from the brand in the ’90s when cigarette manufacturers were being sued. Smart move. They tasted like crap anyway.

Bel/Air One of the better menthols. Now vanished.

Carlton The lowest tar and nicotine of any cigarette (without the nicotine, there’s no point in smoking cigarettes.) Memorable for it’s plain magazine ads that read. “If you smoke, please try Carlton” The gist was that it was a “safer” cigarette. But they tasted HORRIBLE and the filters were so tight, you can barely draw off of one.

True Another weird filtered low tar cigarette.

Misty Another ’80s women’s cigarette. Still being made, but instead of women, it’s gay men that buy them now.

Lark I remembered seeing these on the shelves, but I can’t remember anyone who ever smoked this brand.

Cheers! (Cough! ! !)

(Thanks to for some of the images here….)

Best electronic cigarette brands

Marlboro special blend (black) regular cigarettes – reviews for marlboro cigarettes online

Here are my choices for the best e cigarette brands. There are a variety of factors needed to make it to this page only the best will be featured here. These are the most premium e cigarettes on the market right now.

Over the years I have tried many brands, styles, and flavors of the electronic cigarette and some are flat out awesome while some just downright sucked! Only the best make it on here&#8230

The top rated brands are

  1. VaporZone
  2. Cigavette
  3. Green Smoke
  4. Halo
  5. South Beach Smoke
  6. V2 Cigs
  7. EverSmoke
  8. Bull Smoke

Why these e cig brands made the “best list”

VaporZone

  • Can you say Tank Style e cigarette starter kit for under $60? Yes you can! The tank style electronic cigarette vaping device is very trendy because of the dual head (dual coil) and unlimited e juice options for blowing those thick HUGE clouds of vapor. Enjoy such tasty flavors from various tobacco, menthol, fruit, desert, plus other flavors like top shelf bourbon and cola. There are 6 starter kits to choose from the pen style up to the VaporZone Rebel! &#8230 oh, did I mention their Custom Blends? (mix your own flavored e liquids!) /

>> Read our in depth VaporZone review

Cigavette

  • The CEO, S. Marcello Foran is committed to making the Cigavette brand #1. I like it when the CEO interacts with their customers and listens to suggestions. The Cigavette is a very realistic ecig and their flavors are smooth and vog up nicely. They also offer “E Hooka” flavors that are delicious, try them and you’ll love em! They also offer the Cuvana e cigar that has a 2 yr shelf life and 1,800 puffs for those who like puffing on the ole stogie.

>> Read our in depth Cigavette review

V2 Cigs

  • The V2 E Cig brand is the highest rated electronic cigarette, the Mercedes of ecigs. What makes the V2 e cigarette so special is the pharmaceutical grade nicotine and GREAT tasting flavors that come sealed in a blister pack so they stay fresh! They vape up nice and last a long time with a consistent hit each and every time. Customer service is excellent and their website makes it super easy to re order cartridges. Their limited edition flavors are just awesome! (grape, cola, etc)

>> Read our in depth V2 Cigs review

Green Smoke

  • The Green Smoke electronic cigarette taste great and produces the most vapor of any mini type e cig. Their Absolute Tobacco flavor and throat hit are right on the money. Their cartridges are “triple sealed” to maintain maximum freshness. The company is always offering discounts and coupons on several of their items at any given time. They have stood the test of time and have been the top brand of ecigs for years. They offer free shipping anywhere.

>> Read our in depth Green Smoke review

Halo Cigs

  • Fantastic styles and superior quality make the Halo an eye catcher at bars & clubs! The G6 mini cartridges are easy to refill with the potent flavored e juices Halo sells on their site. Many styles to choose from including the increasingly popular Triton Tank system vaping device in an array of slick colors. They keep you updated with specialty points, rewards, and gift certificates which you then can redeem for more cool vaping supplies.

>> Read our in depth Halo Cigs G6 review
>>Read our in depth Halo Cigs Triton Tank review

South Beach Smoke

  • The original electronic cigarette from the south beach of Miami! The South Beach Smoke brand has upgraded their technology to produce a higher quality product including their exclusive SuperMAX battery that lasts and lasts and lasts. The orange glowing crystal tip just looks damn cool! Start vaping these at the club and people will want one&#8230 be prepared to engage folks. Their Home Delivery System makes it easy to reorder and they are always giving discounts and they really do listen to their customers.

>> Read our in depth South Beach Smoke review

EverSmoke

  • The Ever Smoke brand has been around for a few years and continues to keep themselves up to date with the latest in electronic cigarette technology by introducing the VaporFlo into all their flavor cartridges for the best vaping experience. An innovative 2 piece design with a built in atomizer for ease of use along with high quality construction makes the EverSmoke brand on of the better e cigarette brands out there today. /

>> Read our in depth EverSmoke review

Bull Smoke

  • A true breed of e cig. Real southern charmers will love this brand cause they offer the traditional cig experience at a very cheap price and the batteries charge up fast and last a very long time! Produces consistent clouds of vapor with it’s micro circuit board embedded inside the unit. Bull Smoke also offers a rewards points program to keep you coming back. Plus the snarling bull on their website blows vapor out his nose for the cool factor.

>> Read our in depth Bull Smoke review

The most wanted e cig features

Best tobacco flavor

  • GreenSmoke it bites hard and the smooth tobacco taste lingers, love it!

Best menthol flavor

  • Cigavette very strong menthol that’ll open your sinuses, jack!

Strongest throat hit

  • V2Red as if Wladimir Klitschko punched the back of your throat!

Most vapor production

  • GreenSmoke always the heaviest and thickest clouds of vapor!

Longest lasting battery

  • SouthBeachSmoke the SuperMAX battery lasts, bottom line!

Longest lasting nicotine cartridge

  • BullSmoke seem to inhale on it forever and it keeps going!

Most versatile

  • HaloCigs refillable cartridges and many tasty flavor/color choices!

Taste like my former brand (Camel blue/lights)

  • V2Cigs that smooth and long lasting tobacco taste I thought I’d miss forever!

Easiest to switch from cigarettes

  • Cigavette spot on flavors and hard pack style keep that taste, look, and feel!

Coolest looking

  • HaloCigs slick design, HQ packaging, and feel for all their vaping products!

Most elegant design

  • Eversmoke for the young at heart with the hip & trendy crystal glowing tip!

Most options

  • VaporZone custom blending (e juice) and choice of mini/pen style up to the full on Rebel vaping devices!

Where can I buy an e cigarette?

Let me be clear, you want to buy electronic cigarettes online because it will save you money in more than one way. These companies want your business and are always offering incentives for your return business with constant coupons and discounts, etc. Don’t waste that opportunity!

Official websites of the best brands

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(links above open in a new window so you can check them all out)

The vapor cigarette has come a long way since its inception a few years ago as the quality of the batteries and cartridges have improved immensely! If you tried them before and they disappointed you, give them another shot as they are much better in every way these days and
continue to improve.

Visit our page on e cigarette reviews to get a first hand feel from start to finish on what to expect from each of the best brands. Don’t be afraid to try the cheapest e cigarette starter kit either, as they will introduce you to #vaping at a lower cost same goes for any disposable electronic cigarette you can buy online or at a store near you.

But when you want to take it to the next level, opt for the best e cigarettes money can buy which is still way cheaper than smoking regular tobacco cigarettes!

Cheaper you say? Let’s do some simple arithmetic&#8230

  • standard pack of regular cigarettes $9
  • e cigarette nicotine cartridge $2

Those are prices based on average costs involved. A pack of smokes cost about $9 bucks and a flavored nicotine cartridge cost about $2 which is equal to 1 and half packs approximately (depending on brand and how much you inhale, etc). SO if you smoke 1 pack a day of cigarettes you pay $3,285 a year. Now, e cigarettes will cost you about $730 a year add in another hundred bucks or so for extra batteries and fancy cases plus some other fun stuff and you still SAVE $2,455 a year by switching to the electronic cigarette! &#8230 the numbers don’t lie.

Not to mention how much happier you, your family, your pets, and your smelly furniture will be because the smell of ash & smoke won’t consume your life anymore. I’m still trying to get the smoke smell out of the A/C vents in my car&#8230