A Most Unusual E-Cigarette the Esco E2 Space Needle

If you’re looking for something a little different in an e-cigarette, the E2 Space Needle is an unusual e-cigarette that should turn some heads.  The device is built around the reliability of the eGo line but its looks make it stand alone.  Boasting a large and bulbous tank, the E2 Space Needle would make a unique addition to anyone’s collection. Did I mention it’s inexpensive too?

You can check pricing and availability of the whole E series lineup at Vapor Alley.

What’s in the Box?

Vapor Alley offers the E2 Space Needle in a starter kit form, as well as in individual parts.  Opt for the starter kit version and this is what you will find:

• 1 Soft-sided zippered rigid carrying case
• 1 E2 900mAh battery
• 1 Complete E2 “space needle” tank
• 1 Drip tip
• 1 Replacement atomizer assembly
• 1 eGo USB charger

Design

The E2 Space Needle is a very unusual e-cigarette.  While there’s nothing unique about the function, the design is about as different as it gets.

This e-cigarette is available as separate components both eGo compatible. However, when coupled together the E2 Space Needle forms an interesting sight. It almost looks like some sort of prop out of a sci-fi movie.

The device is mostly chrome.  Most likely it is chrome plated aluminum as it is very light despite its bulk.

The two bulbous pieces come to form a slender spot in the center where the button sits.  This results in a very ergonomic feel.

Holding the Space Needle is about as comfortable as it gets with the button naturally falling under a finger.

Let’s take a look at the pieces that make up this cyberpunk e-cigarette individually.

Esco E2 Battery

The battery features a tapered design with a fat barrel between a tapered top and bottom.  Along the main part of the body are two recessed lines. At the top you will find a standard eGo connector making this device compatible with just about everything on the market.

Adding to the sort of space ship appearance of the e-cigarette is the lights.  There are blue and red LEDs inside the body which illuminate the recessed lines. This causes the lines to light up in blues, reds and purples when the button is activated.

 

The button itself is a standard eGo clear plastic button which lights up blue when pressed.  Pressing the button five times in rapid succession will turn the battery on or off.  Unlike some other eGo models, the light does not blink to show the unit’s power has been toggled.

Sadly, unlike many contemporary eGo batteries, the E2’s battery does not feature USB pass-through charging.  This battery charges the old-fashioned way with the included eGo charger.

Because the battery’s considerable girth over its more traditional cousins, the device boasts 900mAh of capacity in a battery that is no taller than a basic 650mAh eGo.

The power source itself is also regulated to a constant voltage like traditional device. The output is set to a steady 3.5v.

E2 Space Needle Tank

The tank that completes the device sports a great deal of chrome to match the battery.  A tank sits between two tapered chrome top and bottom pieces that match the shape of the battery.

The overall effect is sort of like an egg in one of them fancy-pants egg cups. There are caps both top and bottom at the ends of the E2 tank. The top cap unscrews to allow filling and can accommodate most standard drip tips.

The bottom cap holds the atomizer assembly (and the battery connector, of course).  The atomizer assembly screws into the bottom cap allowing for easy replacement should one of the assemblies fail.

The assembly itself is simply a fairly thick tube with an atomizer at the top.  They’ve done something interesting with the wicks here, however.   The Esco unit features 2 wicks.

The first wick a standard (albeit thick) CE2 style single wick that extends the length of the tank.  There is a second thick, but very short wick that sits atop the first similar to the original Stardust cartomizers.

You can see the longer wicks through the window in the tank, while the small top wick remains hidden.  The clear part of the tank represents maybe 1/4th the length of that part.

However, beneath the chrome lurks an otherworldly capacity.  While the vendor claims 5ml+ of capacity, I gave up on filling the tank after about 7ml of e-liquid went in.  I suspect that’s about the max as the chrome top makes it hard to see exactly how full the tank is.

Performance

With so much eGo under the hood of the strange curves, I expected a fairly tame performance profile out of the Space Needle e-cigarette.

What I got when I first filled it and gave it a try was quite surprising.  While it won’t kick you in the head like a dual coil running at high voltage, the Space Needle performs way better than most eGos have a right to.

Perhaps most of the credit goes to the E2’s Space Needle tank, but this device is pretty impressive. Vapor production is very strong and the vapor is fairly warm, especially for this type of device.

While throat it is around average, I found that this device does a really good job reproducing flavor.

Unlike many top coil designs, I rarely found the coils did not get enough e-liquid delivered to them while on the accompanying battery. I did note that the wicks had a little harder time keeping up beyond 4v when attached to my Lavatube.

Of course the giant tank had no problem keeping me in e-liquid an entire day.  The 900mAh battery should keep most users in power as well, though I couldn’t quite make it that far.

Condensation is often a problem in the latest generation of top coil tanks.  I found that to happen a little here as well.  Although it was not nearly the problem as it is in most.

In short, the E2 Space Needle performs nearly as good as it looks.

Too Long; Didn’t Read

People looking for something outside the ordinary may have found it in the E2 Space Needle e-cigarette.  The design is unique and features an interesting lighting effect surely to turn heads.  Performance is impressive for a device that is an eGo at heart, and the huge liquid capacity of the tank will keep the vaping goodness coming for a very long time.

You can buy this device from Vapor Alley.

Pros:

• Very unique design
• Good performance
• Replaceable tank components
• Huge capacity
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Very unique design
• No pass-through charging
• Set 3.5v output

Details:

Product Name: Esco E2 “Space Needle” starter kit
Available From: Vapor Alley
Price:  $34.99
Compatibility: Fully eGo compatible
Tank Capacity: 7ml+
Resistance: 2.0 ohm
Battery Capacity: 900mAh
Battery voltage: 3.5v (regulated)

Disclosure: This item was provided to me for review by Vapor Alley for whom I feature affiliate links.