Aspire Vilter Review: I Quit Smoking (So You Can, Too)

A deep-dive into the Aspire Vilter pod kit and how it works as a smoking cessation aid.

In honour of Stoptober, I decided to quit smoking cigarettes to see how the Aspire Vilter Pod Kit worked as a smoking cessation aid—and, in the process, provide some detailed feedback on the product (so you don’t have to make these discoveries yourself).

A little about me as a smoker: I’ve smoked Marlboro Reds on and off for over a decade (yes, a young woman with a penchant for the lumberjack aesthetic), though I’ve never been able to put the cancer sticks down for good. In my time, I’ve been a pack-a-day smoker, a pack-a-month smoker, and everything in between. As of late, I’ve been smoking about five cigarettes a day maximum—but the hardest one for me to do without, by far, is my morning cigarette. 

Every day, I get up, feed the cats before feeding myself, then trudge downstairs in my Fallout PJs to have my daily taste of tar while the passing bin men glare at my attire. 

My morning cigarette is sacred.

As for my vaping journey, I’ve had a different experience to most people. Instead of stepping from cigarettes to the more smoker-friendly puff bars and pod kits, I moved directly from smoking to sub-ohm vaping a few years ago. I was uneducated; I didn’t realize that I’d need something with more nicotine, less vapour, and fewer buttons.

My problem with sub-ohm vaping was that I was never satisfied; I just puffed and puffed and puffed, watching my counter top over 350 puffs a day while I lamented about feeling hopelessly unsatisfied. I even put my vape away for a while, thinking that it just wasn’t for me.

Then, bam: I was introduced to the magic of nic salts and disposables, and I haven’t smoked the same since. As recently as a few months ago, I cut down from about 15 a day to where I am now—but, like most smokers, I’d like to quit for good.

I’m pleased to report that over the last five days, I’ve only had half of a cigarette—and yes, of course, it was that pesky morning habit that got me. Interestingly, however, I couldn’t finish it. That cigarette was a mistake. I was satisfied enough by my vape that more than half a cigarette made me nauseous.

I’d consider that progress.

Without further ado, let’s dive into how the Aspire Vilter worked for me—and how it could work for you, too.

The Device

The Mouthpiece(s)

The mouthpieces are by far my favourite of the Aspire Vilter’s features. The kit comes with a plastic tip pre-installed, and there are two paper filter tips included in the box. This was what I was excited about: a mouthpiece that really felt like a cigarette.

I was not disappointed!

The paper tip is lovely—it feels identical to a cigarette. For some reason, that silly little mouthpiece made it feel like I was really scratching the tobacco itch, moreso than with any vape I’ve ever tried (and I’ve tried so, so many).

Fast-forward 24 hours after my first puff: the paper tip is soaked through and needs replacing. To be fair, I tend to vape a lot, and it’s of course made of paper, so my hopes shouldn’t have been so high. Regardless, the paper tip is something that really sets this kit apart from its peers.

It’s important to mention that the paper tip can be crushed pretty easily in a tight pocket or cramped handbag. We’ve all presumably known that devastating feeling of wasted potential when you accidentally snap a fresh cigarette in half. When transporting the vape or storing it in a tight space, I suggest switching to the plastic tip to save yourself some of that familiar heartache.

Now, you could easily replace the paper tip every day, given how inexpensive the drip tips are—but if you’re like me and that sounds like a lot of maintenance, the plastic tip is great for all-day use.

My recommendation is that when you’re feeling a particularly harsh tobacco craving, switch to the paper tip and try going outside to your usual smoke spot (if you aren’t already) to really simulate the experience.

Amp up the experience with a tobacco-flavoured E-Liquid: even those who usually vape extra-sweet flavours can find one with a hint of sweet tobacco to their liking.

The Pod

The pod is incredibly user-friendly, with an orange rubber tab on the bottom (pictured below) for ease of refilling. Once I got the hang of it, filling the pod was a breeze—no leaking, no fuss. I took roughly ten minutes to prime the coil, and it’s been smooth sailing ever since.

Quitting with the Aspire Vilter Pod Kit

Since quitting cigarettes, I’ve gone through the period of excessive coughing that some smokers get after quitting. Fun fact: according to the Mayo Clinic, the reason this happens to some people is because tobacco smoke actually slows the movement of these tiny hairs you have in your respiratory system which help move mucous out of your lungs. When you quit smoking, the hairs become active again, causing some ex-smokers to cough more than usual. Interesting, right?

I learned this the hard way in my previous attempts to quit, thinking I was some sort of mutant who achieved the opposite of Smoker’s Cough.

So, naturally, I thought that vaping while quitting (read: coughing) would be a nightmare. Funny enough, the Aspire Vilter and the E-Liquids I chose to go with it don’t seem to bother my cough much at all—that is, unless I’m having a puff marathon on the vape (at which point, I’ve brought it on myself).

We know that while much of tobacco addiction is chemical, a lot of our issues with quitting come down to learned habits which are heavily ingrained into our routines.

It’s for this reason that I suggest integrating the vape into your usual smoking schedule and vaping at your usual smoking spot. The more you can trick your brain into thinking it’s getting what it wants, the less psychological effects you’ll feel as a result.

Make no mistake: quitting sucks. Vaping from a paper filter tip in a smoking area won’t necessarily scratch the itch at first—but eventually, with enough persistence, it will (I promise).

For me, vaping has already dramatically changed my relationship with cigarettes, and it’s only been five days. I find myself nauseous at the smell now, and no part of me wants to spend a fortune at the petrol station for my precious Marlboro Reds—something I once considered part of my identity alongside my extensive collection of flannel shirts and my preference for Jack Daniel’s.

The Takeaway

The most interesting thing I’ve found about the Aspire Vilter pod kit is that I don’t need to regulate my usage the way that I did when I used a sub-ohm vape—my body does the moderating for me.

The higher nicotine content in the nic salts compared to my previous freebase experience made all the difference: instead of taking hundreds of unfulfilling puffs a day, I simply puff on the Aspire Vilter when I need it. Instead of cradling my vape in my arms at all times like a newborn baby and panicking at the thought of a dead battery, I find myself able to actually put this one down. For me, that’s the biggest benefit of all.

Now, let’s see how the Aspire Vilter rates:

All in all, the Aspire Vilter Pod Kit is an exceptional piece of vaping tech designed with current smokers in mind—and it shows. For anyone who smokes, this vape gives you the best chance of quitting for less than the price of a pack of Marlboro Reds. For me, it was a no-brainer: this is what I’ve been waiting for.

What are you waiting for?

Update: 1 Month Later

It’s been a month now since I replaced my Marlboro Reds with the Aspire Vilter, and just wanted to add a little update to say that I have successfully quit smoking cigarettes with this device. Fully.

That’s right—that half of a cigarette I mentioned in my introduction was my very last, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve even started weaning my nicotine intake, having switched from 20mg Nic Salts to 6mg 50/50 E-Liquid.

Even with a range of devices at my disposal, I’ve stuck with the Aspire Vilter as my everyday kit for its simplicity and ease-of-use. Of all of the vape kits, nicotine strengths, and tactics I’ve used to try to quit (including nicotine patches, smoking cessation medication, and other forms of NRT), none have worked for me the way this kit has. That’s major. 

This isn’t just a vape review: this kit could very well have saved my life.

I write this in hopes that someone reading this sees that vaping actually works—I genuinely quit. For good.

I never thought I’d get to say that.