Ninety-five percent of vapers say convenience is important when using a vaping device, according to the 2017 Vaper Preference Survey, an online poll of more than 650 respondents conducted on behalf of Mistic E-Cigs and The Vaping Advocate.

When asked what is the most important attribute they look for in a vaping device, 29 percent of vapers say price is the top attribute, followed by performance/battery (27 percent), ease of use (19 percent), vapor production (10 percent), and size (3 percent).

Preferences change, however, when comparing user types. Mod users, for example, rank performance/battery (42 percent) as their top device attribute, while only 16 percent favor price. For cig-alike users, price is the top attribute (31 percent), although 27 percent favor performance/battery and 20 percent cite ease of use.

“Vapers demand a fulfilling experience that is hassle-free and that’s why we’ve seen a proliferation of pod-type systems to hit the market,” said John Wiesehan Jr., CEO of Mistic. “What’s really interesting is that our survey revealed 67 percent of mod and mechanical mod users saying convenience is very important when using a vaping device.”

It’s All About the Flavor in E-Juices

Taste is the number one quality looked for in an e-liquid, say 43 percent of all vapers surveyed. While 27 percent of respondents “don’t know,” or cite other reasons for their top e-liquid characteristics, 11 percent favor ingredient quality, followed by nicotine content (8 percent), and price (7 percent). Origin of manufacture and PG/VG levels ranked lowest.

Tastes also differ with age. Vapers 65 and older favor tobacco (47 percent) and menthol (37 percent) over fruit (3 percent) and dessert/custard profiles (1 percent), while those younger ages 25-34 prefer fruit (35 percent) and dessert/custard (18 percent) over menthol (12 percent) and tobacco (6 percent). The survey also revealed that nearly half of all mod users (48 percent) prefer desert/custard and fruit flavors, compared to closed cig-alike users who choose tobacco (53 percent) and menthol (41 percent) as their top choices.

Online Shopping is Tops Among Older Adults

More than half of all vapers (55 percent) prefer to shop online for their vaping needs. Interestingly, older vapers prefer online shopping more than their younger counterparts. Sixty-five percent of vapers ages 65 and older choose online shopping as their most preferred way to shop, compared to 37 percent of vapers ages 25-34.

But it’s not all about online shopping. Forty-one percent of adults ages 25-34 like to shop in vape shops alone. Overall, the survey found that 31 percent of vapers say they like to shop both online and at brick-and-mortar stores, while the same percentage of mod users prefer shopping in vape shops.

Family and Friends Biggest Influence on Vaping

The number one reason survey respondents say they first learned about vaping is having been referred by family/friends (39 percent), followed by advertising (23 percent), word of mouth (16 percent), and Internet searches (9 percent). Surprisingly, only 5 percent of vapers say they were first introduced to vaping through social media.

“Our survey captured the impact personal connections have on our industry,” said Gabriel Benson, founder, The Vaping Advocate. “While marketing and social media are important at building brands, it’s important not to forget the value of trust that exists among family and friends educating smokers about vaping.”

Nearly All Vapers are Former Smokers

Overall, the survey found that 96 percent of respondents are former smokers; eight out of ten (78 percent) have been vaping more than two years; and 12 percent have been vaping for more than one year. Additionally, 80 percent of all former smokers surveyed say they switched to vaping to stop smoking, while 11 percent say to cut down cigarette usage.

For longer-term vapers (those that have been vaping for more than two years), 97 percent say they are former smokers, while 89 percent of them say vaping helped them stop smoking cigarettes. Also, 83 percent of longer-term vapers switched to vaping to stop smoking, compared to only 11 percent who say they wanted to cut down/supplement their cigarette usage.

Dual Users Spend More Time Vaping

Of the 7 percent of respondents reporting dual use of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes, 58 percent spend more time vaping, compared to 14 percent who spend more time smoking. The survey also revealed that 14 percent of vapers spend little time smoking, while the same percentage spend equal amounts of time vaping and smoking. Coincidentally, 60 percent of dual users say they started vaping to cut down/supplement their cigarette use, while 40 percent say they wanted to stop smoking completely.

Industry Insiders Are More Optimistic

Eighty-three percent of those who work or own a business in the vapor industry are optimistic about the category’s future, compared with 60 percent of non-industry vapers. The trend continues when it comes to uncertainty. Thirty-four percent of vapers are unsure of vaping’s future, although that number drops to 10 percent among business owners and those that work in the industry.

About the Survey

The 2017 Vaper Snapshot Survey is a joint project of Mistic E-Cigs and The Vaping Advocate to learn more about vaping preferences and industry trends. More than 650 men and women ages 18 and over participated in the non-scientific survey during March 28 to April 10, 2017. Data was collected using a SurveyMonkey online poll and segmented according to demographics and user preferences.

About Mistic E-Cigs

Misitc E-Cigs is the largest independent manufacturer of vapor products including mods, personal vaporizers, cig-alikes, pod systems and e-liquids. More information on the company can be found by visiting http://www.misticecigs.com.

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About The Vaping Advocate

A leading resource publication for the vaping industry, The Vaping Advocate is dedicated to education and correcting industry misinformation. Visit http://www.thevapingadvocate.com for more information.