Intro

Ziip pods are little pre-filled cartridges that work with the JUUL. They are priced slightly cheaper for a four pack, averaging around $12. They also hold a tad more juice with a capacity of 1.0 mL, versus the 0.7 mL capacity of the standard JUUL pods. Another benefit of these pods is that they now come in an entire range of nicotine salt strengths: 0%, 0.9%, 1.8%, 3.0%, 5.0%, and 6.0%. That’s kind of a big deal, considering I have never seen anyone else offer that many options and nicotine-free pods for the JUUL. Now you can finally step your nicotine level down gradually with your JUUL device. The original Ziip pods line featured 6 flavors: Mango, Tobacco, Mint, Watermelon, Cappuccino, and Strawberry Milk. Today they have a 26-flavor catalogue, with some rare ones that you have probably never seen before for the JUUL—like Cinnamon Roll and Cheesecake. From what I recall, their Strawberry Cream and Mint were on point, but their Cappuccino was definitely not for me. Their pods were also prone to dry and burnt hits. It seems like they have recently updated their pods, so I’ll hope for the best. The pods were sent courtesy of Vapor4Life for the purpose of this review. Price: $11.99 per pack of 4 pods (at Vapor4Life)

The FDA announced Jan. 2 that it will begin enforcing all Deeming Rule requirements immediately for prefilled pod- and cartridge-based vaping products in flavors other than tobacco and menthol. Products sold after Feb. 2 are subject to enforcement if the FDA has not granted them marketing approval through a premarket tobacco application (PMTA). No PMTAs have been approved for vaping products yet. The FDA guidance only applies to products sold in the United States.

Ziip pods flavors

Mango: The Mango flavor is sweet, complex and very realistic. These pods have more sweetness than some other mango flavors I’ve tried, but they’re not overly sweet. It’s just about right without turning into a candy sweetness. Overall, I am impressed with the Mango flavor. It’s not quite like the JUUL version, but has its own character to it. Strawberry Milk: Sweet, creamy, and very much like a strawberry milk. Strawberry Milk isn’t your typical pod flavor for nic salt, but I think it works fairly well here. It’s easily one of the better flavors from Ziip. It’s not as flavorful as the Mango, but it’s still one of my favorites from this line. It happens to be one of the better strawberry cream flavors that I have tried. It has a convincing strawberry flavor coupled with notes of sweet cream. Mint: The Ziip Mint isn’t bad, but it tastes bland and without the overall clarity of mint that we’re used to. The mint tastes best on the inhale, but on the exhale there isn’t much actual flavor outside of the slight cooling sensation. Unlike Cool Mint, this flavor is more of a straight menthol. It has a strong cooling effect similar to Sub Zero by Halo. Tobacco: It’s like a 555 e-juice. Nutty, with a little sweetness and the classic tobacco flavor. This flavor has the most throat hit out of all the pods, and it’s also one of the most flavorful. In terms of flavor intensity, they’re right behind Mango but with more flavor than the Strawberry Milk. It’s a good tobacco flavor with nothing aggressive or off-putting. I would like to see Ziip offer more tobacco options, but at least the one they have is good. Cheesecake: This is definitely a first. I’ve never heard of a Cheesecake pod for the JUUL, but I’ve had some decent cheesecake e-liquids before. It’s very smooth and subtle, not too sweet or cheesy. It’s a light dessert flavor that cheesecake lovers are going to enjoy vaping. There aren’t too many cheesecake pods out there, so this may be the best one right now. Cinnamon Roll: Another unique flavor for the JUUL that definitely wasn’t part of the original line up. This pod has a strong cinnamon taste, with a hint of pastry and sugar. It isn’t too sweet, it’s actually more on the lowkey side. If you’re into pastry and cinnamon vapes, you’re probably going to enjoy Cinnamon Roll Ziip pods.

Spearmint: This is an alternative to their straight Mint option. I personally enjoyed this one because it has a nice refreshing spearmint taste. It reminds me of Doublemint gum. It has a bit more personality than the Mint flavor, a must try for menthol and mint lovers. If you love spearmint gum, you’re going to enjoy the fresh minty taste of these pods. Iced Pina Colada: Who doesn’t love an ice-cold pina colada? This pod flavor is very good. The menthol is not too dominant at all, and it has a tangy taste of pineapple and smooth coconut. The menthol adds a bit of coolness, and it plays well with the pina colada flavor. If you want something cool and tropical, this is it. Blueberry: Most of the blueberry pod flavors I’ve tried weren’t so great. Ziip pods Blueberry is actually pretty tasty. It has a tart and sweet flavor, that is rather convincing that lies somewhere between the realm of candy and fruit. It kinda reminds me of blue razz. If you like sweet and tangy candy flavors, try Ziip Blueberry pods. Pineapple: There is nothing like a fresh ripe pineapple. Ziip has managed to do a good job capturing the essence of this tropical fruit. It happens to be one of my favorites of their fruit selection. It’s tart and a little sweet, with an enticing pineapple flavor. It’s more of a natural pineapple taste enhanced with notes of sweet candy, and I like it! Grape: This was actually one of the better grape flavored pods I have tried so far. It was a lot more satisfying than the SEApods Grape, for example. It reminds me of the Grape flavor from 4x Pods. No, it doesn’t taste like natural ripe grapes, it’s more like your typical grape candy bubblegum or taffy. If you’re looking for something fruity and sweet, these Grape pods will hit the spot.

How do Ziip pods work?

The Ziip pods fit right into the battery as they should. They click into place like JUUL pods, but the mouthpiece is slightly different than the normal square tip pods. The Ziip pods are rounded at the top, making them a bit more ergonomic. If you’re not looking too hard, the pods themselves look almost identical to JUUL’s except for a different shape to the juice window and the mouthpiece. Although the pods look the same, Ziip pods are not meant to work with temperature control, and that allows for burnt hits. They also tend to run through e-liquid quicker than usual. My original impression of Ziip pods wasn’t so great, honestly. They only had six flavors and their performance paled in comparison to the original pods. They used to leak more and produce burnt hits, but it seems like they have slightly improved the design. They still don’t utilize the JUUL’s temp control functionality, but their performance is acceptable. Sometimes it cuts out in the middle of a hit, and sometimes you get a slight dry or burnt puff. Other than that, most of the flavors were better than I had expected.

Verdict

At the end of the day, Ziip pods are a good alternative for the JUUL. When it comes to fruit and menthol flavors, they are on the money. They even offer a few interesting dessert flavors and a decent tobacco option. I happen to have enjoyed Spearmint, Grape, Pineapple and Cinnamon Roll the most, but there are dozens of options so you are bound to find your next all day vape in their line. I wasn’t crazy about some of their flavors like Cappuccino and some of the iced pods, but for the most part, they were all pretty solid. Compared to the other aftermarket pods, they are definitely right up there. Ziip Labs has updated their pod design, so they seem to perform better than before (but not as good as the proprietary pods.) If you want new JUUL flavors in a wide range of nic strengths including 0 mg, they are worth a try. Have you tried Ziip pods yet? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below…

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