Today we are reviewing one of Innokin’s newest disposable vapes, the Lota Enviro. We were kindly sent 9 different flavors of the Lota Enviro disposables from the folks at Innokin to put to the test for this review.
Over the last few months, we have reported some very interesting news items (do take a look at our News Page) regarding the collaboration between Innokin and Aquios Labs around e-liquid that has been developed using 30% water. This means that the content of PG and VG in the e-liquid is reduced, which in turn helps with the de-hydration problems of vaping.
This is a major change from the standard e-liquid mix we’ve all used to date, so it will be very interesting what effects this has on how it vapes in terms of flavor, vapor and throat hit.
We did ask Innokin if we could test and review their new disposable as we were so keen to see if it was going to be a game changer going forward. True to form Innokin agreed and very kindly sent us a batch to try (thank you Nicole).
What we were not aware of was; Innokin have made the conscious decision to develop a disposable, which includes the 30% water based e-liquid from Aquios Labs, that is virtually all recyclable and as such is more environmentally friendly, hence its name Lota Enviro.
While disposables continue to be a major topic of discussion in terms of the wastefulness and environmental issues surrounding a single use device that goes direct to landfill, Innokin are striving to change this madness.
For quite a while now, all Innokin’s products have been packaged in 100% recyclable cardboard and now we have a disposable that can be broken down with the majority of its parts recyclable. Well done Innokin!
That’s a little background info into how Innokin continue to lead the way forward with their innovative designs and environmental awareness. Do carry on reading to see just what we thought and how they performed.
Overview
The Lota Enviro is a 600 puff disposable vape, designed and manufactured by Innokin and is available in 10 different flavors. It’s a closed pod auto-draw activated system measuring 96mm in length and 17mm in diameter. It has an internal 450mAh non re-chargeable battery and holds 2ml of e-liquid, coming in 20mg (2%) nicotine strength.
As we touched on earlier, the Lota Enviro is the first disposable that can be disassembled and recycled as it has been manufactured using lower carbon footprint materials. Also the collaboration with Aquios means that the Lota Enviro integrates their water-based vaping technology which contains 30% water delivering a smooth, flavorful and discreet vaping experience.
The life-cycle of the disposable vape pod is still a single use device but is now more environmentally friendly and specified to last for approximately 600 puffs. Operation is as simple as it comes, just remove from the recyclable packaging, take off the mouthpiece bung and bottom protector and use. When it’s finished you simply dispose of (after disassembling it and recycling all the parts of course) and use another one.
There is a small blue LED at the bottom of the Lota Enviro that illuminates when you draw on the device. When the device is at the end of its life i.e. the e-liquid has all been used or the battery depleted, the little blue LED blinks 10 times to let the user know it’s time to open a new one.
Airflow to the device is achieved via the two small airflow intake holes on the bottom of the Lota Enviro which provide a semi-restrictive Mouth to Lung (MTL) draw.
The integrated 1.1 ohm mesh coil works perfectly with the 30%-30%-30% ratio of PG/VG/Water providing a calculated output power of 11W with good flavor and vapor.
I would like to thank Nicole at Innokin for sending me the Lota Enviro disposable vapes in 9 different flavors to review. As always this review is completely unbiased and is my honest opinion based on my findings. We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the buy buttons but at no extra cost to yourselves.
Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Review
Contents
- Overview
- Features and Specifications
- What’s in the Box?
- Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Design and Appearance
- Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Performance
- Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Flavors
- Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Disassembly/Disposal
- Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Price
- Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Verdict
- Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Summary
Features and Specifications
- Dimensions: 96mm (height) x 17mm (diameter)
- Weight: 24 grams
- Pod Capacity: 2ml
- Nicotine: 20mg/ml (2%) Nic Salts
- Draw-activated (Up to 600 puffs)
- Battery: Internal 450mAh non-rechargeable battery
- Low Battery Warning: Blue LED flashes 10 times
- Cut-Off Time: 10 seconds
- Coil Resistance: 1.1 ohm mesh coil (non-replaceable)
- Output Power: 11W
- Output Voltage: 3.6V
- Construction: Reinforced Cardboard Shell and Food Grade Silicone
- Blue LED indicator at base of device
- Airflow: Dual airflow intake holes on base
- 10 Different flavors available
- 30% Water-Based Vaping
- Recyclable
What’s in the box?
The Lota Enviro disposable vape comes in a cardboard box measuring just slightly bigger than the disposable pod itself while the weight of the disposable pod including all its packaging is approximately 32 grams.
Each box is individually colored in the matching flavor of the device and highlights the flavor, amount of puffs, ingredients, nicotine strength, battery and e-liquid capacity and the standard nicotine warning.
Inside the cardboard packaging is the Lota Enviro disposable vape pod sealed in a paper sachet. Once you tear open the sachet and remove the Lota Enviro there is a clear silicone rubber bung inserted into the mouthpiece for protection and a clear silicone rubber base protector covering the dual airflow holes at the base of the pod.
Also included in the packaging is a detailed warning pamphlet which covers the Low Battery and Cut-Off time indications together with a detailed breakdown of how to disassemble and dispose of the used disposable.
True to form, Innokin continue to package their products in 100% recyclable material. This time they’ve gone one step further and manufactured the Lota Enviro out of recyclable materials too.
Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Design and Appearance
The Lota Enviro disposable is a 600 puff device and measures 96mm in length by 17mm in diameter and weighs in at approximately 24grams. Because it’s a disposable, the battery is non-chargeable and non-replaceable therefore incorporates an internal 450mAh capacity battery.
E-Liquid capacity is 2ml and comes in 10 different flavors with a nicotine strength of 20mg/ml (2%). The e-liquid is pre-filled and not re-fillable. Even though the ratios of E-liquid in the disposable are not printed on the packaging, the PG/VG/Water content is 30% PG, 30% VG and 30% Water.
Again, because this is a disposable, the 1.1 ohm mesh integrated coil is not replaceable. When the disposable pod is finished i.e. either the battery has depleted or the e-liquid has run out, the Lota Enviro is simply disposed of.
The output power of the Lota Enviro I calculated to be 11W which is derived from the output voltage of 3.6V and the 1.1 ohm coil. This combination produces the optimum vape experience achieving very good flavor and vapor, even with the reduced PG/VG content.
We received two slightly different versions of the Lota Enviro; the difference being the mouthpiece. I have it on good authority from Innokin that the final version is the one with the duckbill style mouthpiece. Some of the earlier pre-production ones had a tapered circular drip tip style mouthpiece.
Irrespective of this, the mouthpiece of the Lota Enviro is made out of semi-opaque food grade silicone and provides a reasonably tight Mouth to Lung (MTL) draw. The mouthpiece of the final version (duckbill style) spans the width of the device and measures approx. 13mm long by 7mm deep. The opening at the end of the mouthpiece is oval in shape tapering down to a circular 4mm internal chimney.
On the bottom of the Lota Enviro are two small airflow intake holes together with a blue LED within the white semi-opaque silicone base that illuminates when the mouthpiece is drawn on. When the e-liquid has run out or the battery becomes depleted, the blue LED will flash 10 times indicating end of life.
With the exception of the mouthpiece and base, the disposable body is wrapped in paper and colored to correspond with the individual flavor of the device. Some of the wraps are graded colors depending on the particular flavor. Each flavored disposable has the “flavor name”, “Enviro”, “Lota” and “Aquios 30” printed around its diameter.
Construction of the Lota Enviro is made out of food grade silicone and compressed cardboard. This is the first ever disposable that’s been designed and made with the environment at the forefront of its concept. Innokin really are innovative and leaders in tackling this problem.
The two stand out points for me on the Lota Enviro really are the Aquios 30% water based e-liquid and the MASSIVE step forward in its design. With the exception of the 2ml e-liquid reservoir, everything else is recyclable. Once it’s finished, the Lota Enviro can be disassembled into individual recyclable parts and disposed of properly.
Innokin have detailed in the included pamphlet and on their website, how to dismantle and dispose of the Lota Enviro properly. We have included a section on this and also dismantled it ourselves with photos showing each stage in the How To Dismantle section later on in this review.
Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Performance
Simply take out of the packaging, remove the silicone mouthpiece bung and base protector and vape. It’s a very smooth and very quiet slightly airy MTL draw.
Flavors were very nice and not overpowering with a decent throat hit. The ice content on some of the flavors was a great addition producing a coolness on the intake without being too intense. Vapor was as marketed as being discreet, I would say no less than you would get from a traditional cigarette.
The draw activation worked every time and we found that the tightness of the draw limited each draw to no more than a 2-3 second single puff which we found to be just right.
Each disposable lasted us around the full day mark of average vaping. We did an approximate check on the amount of “puffs” to verify the stated 600 puffs specified by Innokin and found that it was pretty near this figure.
The unknown for us before we started using the Lota Enviro disposables was how the Aquois 30% water-based e-liquid was going to perform. Because of the reduced PG and VG, I was worried that the flavor and vapor, including the throat hit was not going to be good.
Far from this, I found each flavor profile to be pretty exact to the flavor description. If I compared the Lota Enviro to other disposables, then I would have to say the flavor strengths are slightly reduced in comparison but I honestly found this to be much better. More often than not, the flavor strength in disposables is mostly overpowering. Comparing this to my own e-liquid mixes or shortfills that I use then I would say the Lota Enviro matches those perfectly.
You won’t be blowing massive clouds, it’s a decent amount of vapor, certainly enough to feel satisfied. Throat hit using the 20mg/ml nicotine was more than enough. Although not specified as either Nic Salts of Freebase, I’m assuming it’s Nic Salts because of the 20mg.
Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Flavors
Innokin were kind enough to send us 9 out of the 10 available flavors to try and they didn’t disappoint.
The 10 flavors available in the Lota Enviro range are: Mango Passion Ice, Blueberry Bubblegum, Iced Cosmic, Sour Apple, Tropical Fruit Ice, Peach Ice, Sunrise Ice, Blueberry Ice and Watermelon Ice. The only one flavor we didn’t receive to try was Iced Cosmic.
We’ve given a brief description of each flavor and what we thought.
Mango Passion Ice
Being a real lover of Mango I was keen to try this one. On the intake I could straight away taste the flavor tones of Mango mixed in with Passion Fruit. It wasn’t a sweet Mango but really nice. The coolness on the intake was really subtle and just added to the overall flavor profile.
I’ve tried many Mango Ice flavors and some actually freeze the back of your throat. Not this one, there is just enough Ice to get that slight cooling sensation on the draw intake and aftertaste. I really liked it!
Blueberry Bubble Gum
This flavor was spot on with the description. A really nice Blueberry taste and surprisingly a lingering Bubble gum aftertaste. I didn’t detect any coolness in the inhale but then again the flavor title didn’t mention Ice.
I could feel a little sweetness on my lips afterwards which really was quite nice. I really enjoyed vaping this flavor and would be more than happy puffing away on this all day long.
Sour Apple
I struggle with this one a little. I liked it but if I’m honest, I couldn’t detect a sweet or sour tasty Apple. I’m not sure what the taste was. Because I looked at the flavor name I could perhaps say it’s like a crispy Apple but didn’t have that Apple flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it but just couldn’t pinpoint the taste.
Tropical Fruit Ice
A really nice Tropical Fruit flavor. I spent quite a while trying to pick out individual flavor tones from this but I gave up. It reminded me of the old fashioned Fruit Salad. Definately a nice combination of a Tropical Fruit mix, which together with the subtle coolness and slight sweet taste, was a very pleasing vape.
Peach Ice
A lovely ripe Peach flavor with again that slight coolness on the draw intake and lingering after effect. I had a light sweetness on the lips afterwards which just accentuated the nice taste. Not only did it taste nice, it also smelt good too.
Grape Ice
This one smelt lovely and tasted lovely too. A very nice grape flavor although at times reminded me of Pharma Violets. Another Ice flavored one but again the coolness is very subtle and just gives you that added benefit of a fresh feeling.
Sunrise Ice
Oh I really liked this but for the life of me struggled to pin point the overall flavor. Every now and again I was detecting a Banana on the draw intake. A little sweetness on the lips and a very slight coolness. This was a very pleasant vape and very enjoyable, I just wish i could figure out the ingredients!
Blueberry Ice
Another very nice flavor. Because I saw the flavor of this one, I straight away said yes that’s definately Blueberry. When I closed my eyes and savoured the taste I would have struggled to say that this was not a variant of Grape.
Either way, it was a very pleasent flavor with just a touch of coolness and a slight sweetness to it.
Watermelon Ice
Another great flavor. An authentic Watermelon taste, not too strong but enough flavor to really enjoy. In fact I found myself drawing on this one a lot more as the flavor, mixed in with the slight coolness, left me wanting more each time.
Flavor Summary
Of all the 9 different flavors we tried, I enjoyed them all and would happily vape them again. They all seemed very smooth, not overly flavored but definitely enough flavor to enjoy. Some of the flavors had a sweetness to them but really enjoyable. Most of them had a hint of coolness on the draw intake which lingered in the throat leaving a fresh feeling afterwards.
While I do like that “Icy” kick, a lot of the disposables we’ve tried from other companies are at times very overpowering which distracts from the main flavor profile. Not one of the Lota Enviro flavors suffered from this, the coolness was very subtle.
Overall, there wasn’t a single flavor that I didn’t like. The flavor strength for me was ideal and where I was sceptical in the beginning about how the Aquios 30% water based e-liquid would perform, I’ve been reassured; the results speak for themselves.
If you expect the flavor strength of the Lota Enviro disposables to be on par with other well known brand disposables, you may be a little disappointed as they are not as strong. Considering these use a 30% water-based e-liquid with reduced VG and PG, then its not surprising.
What I would like to say in their defence, the flavors are more than strong enough and really do provide a very satisfying vape.
Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Disassembly/Disposal
Innokin include a description of how to dismantle and dispose of the Lota Enviro on the included pamphlet Obviously to check this we dismantled one to see how easy it was to do and to see exactly what it looked like inside.
When the Lota Enviro is completely finished i.e. the battery is drained, remove both the silicone mouthpiece and the silicone base. Both these simply pull away from the main body.
From the mouthpiece end (top), push the battery and e-liquid reservoir out through the bottom of the compressed cardboard body. Grasp the white silicone base and pull the battery and reservoir clear of the compressed cardboard sleeve. Pull the battery from the e-liquid reservoir making sure both wires detach.
Partially remove the adhesive sticker from the base of the battery and cut the red wire close to the battery body. Detach the black wire and replace the adhesive sticker back onto the base of the battery.
Each of the individual components can then be disposed of appropriately as follows:
- Lithium Ion Battery :- Battery Recycling Center
- E-Liquid Reservoir :- Dispose of
- Paper Card Body :- Widely recycled
- Silicone Mouthpiece and Base :- Check for Silicone Recycling
Now admittedly, this does reply on the user being conscientious and disposing of each part responsibly. Whether in practice this will happen is another matter but least Innokin are making it possible.
It would be nice if retailers offered a returns facility where you could return your used Lota Enviro disposables to the place you purchased them from and get a small discount when purchasing more of them. This would at least give the user some incentive to be responsible. Actually this would be good for any disposable device!
Come on Suppliers and Retailers, bite the bullet and make this happen! I’m showing my age now but years ago we had a similar thing with glass fizzy bottles. To stop them being littered, the retailer gave a small refund when the bottle was returned.
Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Price
Retailing at a very similar price to other disposables, given the fact these are recyclable, they are a great alternative to the run of the mill disposables we are all familiar with.
I would definitely buy more of these on this fact alone.
Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Verdict
Pros
- Comfortable to hold
- Simple and easy to use
- Lightweight and fits easily into a pocket
- Good flavor and performance
- A smooth and quiet draw
- Good battery life
- Approx 600 puffs as stated
- 30% Water based e-liquid
- Reduced PG/VG content
- Recyclable
- Environmentally friendlier
Cons
- It’s still a disposable
Lota Enviro Disposable Vape Summary
Flavor and performance wise we couldn’t fault them, all the flavors we tested were very nice. The draw activation worked every time and the draw was very smooth and quite. It was really nice that the “ice” was not overpowering and gave just a hint of coolness.
The Aquios water-based e-liquid worked really well. The 30/30/30 mix of PG/VG/Water produced very good results. Unlike other disposables, the Lota Enviro disposables are slightly less stronger in terms of flavor but certainly enough to really enjoy. I would definitely use these again.
I do tend to have a little moan about disposables, especially around the environmental issues and disposal of them but I have to say the Lota Enviro is most definitely a step in the right direction. I don’t know any other manufacturer, other than Innokin that is attempting to make a difference.
Hope you enjoyed this review on the Lota Enviro disposable vape and found it helpful and useful. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave us a comment below.
If you do purchase any of these, please do drop us a line with your thoughts and views on them.