Joyetech eGrip review

eGrip – the long-awaited
stick from Joyetech

Recently, industry giants have begun to stir. Most recently, Eleaf introduced the iStick battery mod to the public – a very attractive box model, which, thanks to its compact size and unusual case design, caused, if not furor, then at least a noticeable stir. Representatives of Joytech decided to go even further and set about developing a full-fledged hybrid in a “boxed” format. A test sample, released a limited edition a few months ago, attracted us with a fundamentally new design, but it upset us with a relatively low power (only 10 watts) and a soiled chrome case. However, manufacturers initially viewed it as a concept on the basis of which the final product will be developed.

The market for electronic cigarettes, despite its comparative youth, is often surprisingly slow and conservative. Often, even the smokers themselves are more perspicacious and far-sighted than leading manufacturers. An excellent example of this is the ongoing debate about the ideal balance between usability, size
and the optimal shape of an
electronic cigarette.
For several years, alternative
solutions have been discussed at thematic forums, and some enthusiasts even try to translate these fantasies into reality, albeit without much success.

Let’s go directly to the eGrip review

Opening the box, we found there everything necessary for the full operation of the device. In addition to the Joyetech eGrip itself , the standard kit includes a native mouthpiece, a replaceable evaporator (another is already installed in the case), a USB cable, a network adapter, as well as a manual and a warranty card.

Externally, Joytech’s eGrip is a pretty heavy monolithic ingot

Only the controls stand out here. Even the standard mouthpiece is almost the standard of minimalism and rises above the body just a couple of centimeters. It is believed that it is a bit short for full steam, but since it conforms to the 510 standard, nothing will prevent you from using any suitable mouthpiece as you wish. In the standard assembly, the model is 99.5 mm high, 46.4 mm wide and 20.4 mm deep. The Joye eGrip looks pretty solid, fits in almost any pocket and lies very comfortable in a squeezed palm, fully justifying its name (grip from English translates as “grip” or “grip”). With weight, everything is not so clear – a “box” that is completely ready to use and tucked to the eyeballs weighs almost 200 grams and noticeably burdens the hand.

It is unlikely that this will become critical for someone, but it is probably worth considering this factor. Approximately in the middle of the block, under the mouthpiece, there is a reservoir for the liquid, which is poured, in fact, directly into the body, or rather, into a special compartment inside the eGrip. The maximum volume is honest 3.5 ml, so you won’t have to fill the tank after each tight puff. The cap from the tank is located on the side face and almost merges with the body by touch. The latch on it seems a little unreliable – there is a fear that with active use it may loose and will not close tight enough. However, our sample has never flowed for the entire time of use, although, as an experiment for review, I spent a couple of days completely sidelined on my side. Additional leakage protection is provided by a silicone stopper,

Refueling itself does not cause any problems, all the more so for the convenience there is even a hole for air outlet. Actually there is only one air duct, but it is located much more successfully than on the first version of the device, namely, on the bottom of the case. This solution looks very reasonable and practical – regardless of the width of the palm and the length of the fingers, the duct always remains open. It provides easy traction and is conveniently adjustable with a complete tool.

There are no complaints about the appearance; everything was done as neatly and nicely as possible, in the best traditions of Joyetech. The manufacturer offers a choice of five colors – classic black, matte silver, chrome, camouflage and imitating wood. Some options may seem a little clumsy, but this is a matter of taste. In our hands was a silver-plated model, quite strict and stylish at the same time. The quality of the coating pleased: the subject passed all the tests, and after an active two-week use, he looked completely new. Surprisingly, even a few chrome elements were not affected, although this is most likely only a matter of time. By the way, the first copy was completely chrome. It is good that manufacturers were not too lazy to expand the line with different colors and coatings.

On the side farthest from the mouthpiece is a wheel, which is responsible for adjusting the power

It scrolls quite elastic, the transition to each new value is accompanied by a clearly audible click. The wheel frames the eGrip activation button. Immediately below it is the charging LED. During use, the lamp lights up continuously if the device’s charge is more than 60% of the maximum, and starts to flash with increasing frequency as the battery discharges. Some of the drawbacks are the lack of a display. It is clear that this circumstance does not affect the pleasure of soaring, but a small information board would obviously not hurt here.The maximum power of the device compared to the prototype has grown exactly twice and now varies from 8 to 20 watts.

Very decent rate! But the battery capacity here is far from a record – 1500 mAh.
In most cases, this should be enough, especially since this reasonable limitation is due solely to the size of the device.

It is worth considering that the battery itself is built-in, therefore, it is hardly possible to replace it yourself. This is partly offset by the ability to use the electronic cigarette for its intended purpose, without removing it from charging (the port is hidden at the bottom of the case, so eGrip can only charge while lying down). By the way, the charging current is approximately 1A, that is, a full cycle will take from one and a half to two hours. If you plan to frequently charge the battery via a USB cable from your computer, feel free to multiply the estimated time in two.

Another surprise was the use of unique evaporators designed specifically for eGrip

In appearance, this is something in between the widespread variations of C2 and C3. The complete eGrip evaporator sits on the thread, and to get to it, just unscrew the atomizer base with any suitable coin in thickness.

Now the most interesting part: how will the new product from Joytech prove itself in business? Purely according to the senses, it issues 20 watts. At maximum “revolutions” there is no burning at all, but the steam comes out overheated, which is why, first of all, it’s not the sweater’s throat that suffers, but the taste and aroma of the liquid. In this mode, eGrip is easily able to warm the hands of a steam worker in the cold winter, but for everyday use the settings will have to be changed. Experiments have shown that the atomizer feels best at a power of 15-17 watts. Here the quality of taste and steam is quite comparable with the double-spiral Delta, that is, the result can be considered close to optimal. Subjectively, the same Delta, our new product is still slightly inferior, but since they are in different form factors, we will not seriously compare them.

In general, Joytech eGrip is truly the first “boxed” model that can satisfy the needs of experienced steam workers and please ordinary vaping enthusiasts. Will it become a revolution in the market, or will it soon give way to more successful models? It’s too early to judge this. In any case, the precedent has been created, which means that in the near future we will see a new round of the “arms race”. Numerous manufacturers will probably try to catch up and overtake the eternal competitors, and Joytech themselves are not used to stop there. In any case, we will only benefit from this.