In for review are a handful of HQD WAVE disposable e-cigs.
I can’t say I’m familiar with this manufacturer despite them being established way back in 2014 in Shenzhen, China. From humble beginnings they’ve placed quality first by the constant introduction of products with advanced technology and excellent quality.
Right now, HQD are looking to expand their exposure inside the UK market with bold, eye catching casing designs and 100 tasty flavours boasting 600 puffs per disposable.
Yet simplicity remains their vaping ethos. Disposables remove the need for charging, fiddly e-liquid bottles or the need to press any buttons and HQD are very much aware of this.
The HDQ WAVE is targeted specifically at a UK audience and makes its introduction alongside the HQD PRO, launched simultaneously.
As a company they clearly mean to make waves as these new ranges will be supported throughout the Summer of ’22 by a number of high profile music festival sponsorships.
More disposable designs are in the pipeline and HQD assures us that means more flavours.
What Can We Expect From The HQD WAVE Disposable E-cigarette?
I’ve been kindly sent five in the HQD WAVE range out of a total of 21 flavours to choose from. This means there should be something for most taste buds.
The disposable has a unique, grooved and easy to grasp design. It contains 1.25ml of e-liquid with a salt nicotine strength of 20mg. I must admit the juice capacity seems a little odd, since they’re designed to last up to 600 puffs over the lifespan of the 500mAh battery.
That’s why you’re reading this – to find out!
HQD claim the nicotine content is the equivalent to four packs of cigarettes. In which case they are ideal for any ex-smoker looking to give up the deadly habit as painlessly as possible.
The auto draw pull on the WAVE disposable e-cig is said to be clean and refreshing. The salt nicotine content will provide a smooth inhale.
HQD Wave Specifications
- Dimensions: 108 x 26.4 x 14.2mm
- Battery: Integrated 500mAh
- E-liquid capacity: 1.25ml
- Nicotine: Salt nicotine 20mg
- Puffs: Up to 600
- Power range: 7-12W
- Coil: 1.6ohm
- Draw: Auto activated
Bubble Gum
HQD Says:
HQD Says:A candy connoisseur’s dream come true. You won’t be able to put this basic Bubble Gum flavour down.
I Say:
There’s a soothing, icy cold hit when first inhaling Bubble Gum. The longer the inhale, the longer it builds so that’s something you might want to consider. Especially if you want to avoid a throat invasion or brain freeze!
I wouldn’t say this is your classic Bubble Gum taste. Instead there seems to be more fruity content. It’s also on the fragrant side but that’s no bad thing in my opinion. I also pick out a few musky back notes running alongside a healthy dose of sweetness.
When putting these experiences into consideration does the flavour match the description?
Not really. The Bubble Gum seems to appear too late in the vape with only a few trace notes left on the palate as an after taste.
That’s not to say it isn’t a refreshing vape because as always, the cooling agent takes care of that. The sweetness and fruit content are quite well balanced.
Blueberry Lemonade
HQD Says:
HQD Says:A delicious blend of sweet Blueberries and tangy fresh Lemonade that provides a magnificent blast of flavour that entices your taste buds with every puff!
I Say:
Now this is an interesting mix! Primarily because the duo of flavours keep bouncing about. In a good way.
There’s not as much sweetness with Blueberry Lemonade and to be honest, I was expecting more on this very rare occasion! However there’s a clever fusion of the two fruits and the blending has been done quite well.
Neither dominate the vape. Blueberry seems to be the leader during the inhale and then recedes to make way of the Lemonade on the way out.
Admittedly there is still an element of sweetness but it tends to leave a subtle impression on the lips.
Overall Blueberry Lemonade is a subtle fusion of fruity flavour and a smattering of Coolada keeps the vape light and refreshing.
An ideal accompaniment to any outside Summer festival!
Grapey
HQD Says:
HQD Says:A delicious vape that has a deep grape flavour with juicy fruity overtones.
I Say:
Wow! There’s an over abundance of sweetness during the inhale with Grapey which thankfully seems to fade on the way out. The cooling agent works a treat and merely acts to caress the back of the throat – other manufacturers need to take note, I think!
The tongue will still receive a sugary lining but that’s generally after the vape. As for the Grape content? It’s very punchy and lively yet still borders on the usual generic taste most folk will be familiar with.
It’s never going to be a personal favourite because I’m not a fan of Grape inspired vapes but there’s enough flavour here to keep lots of folk happy and content.
Overall the flavour holds up very well in terms of consistency throughout the vape. Those with a less discerning palate will enjoy what Grapey has to offer.
Ice Mango
HQD Says:
HQD Says:Freshly picked Mangoes on ice! All Mango lovers will adore this flavour. It will give you hours of vaping pleasure with its relaxing flavour of exotic Mangoes and a touch of ice.
I Say:
Is it a touch of ice? Yes, I’d say so. It’s not overkill and helps with the overall refreshing appeal of the flavour.
This is a very good representation of a Mango and has just the right level of sweetness to maintain its appeal. Much of that sweetener is forced out during the exhale which makes the inhale a very smooth, clean experience.
Mango Ice borders into beverage territory in my opinion for its thirst quenching abilities. It’s nice to vape the fruit without the usual intense levels of concentrate which can rapidly turn the flavour into a sickly, cringeworthy mess.
As a result, Mango Ice leaves a pleasant experience on the palate post exhale while the sweetness and Coolada contribute to offer a very punchy, lively vape.
It’s another one to cool the brow on a hot summer day.
Watermelon
HQD Says:
HQD Says:A house favourite Watermelon flavour. It’ll quickly become one of your most popular disposables.
I Say:
This is a tasty, juicy Watermelon offering from HQD.
Plenty of sweetness pulls through during the inhale coupled with a quite intense amount of Coolada. Don’t over do things because it’s another profile that’ll give you brain freeze!
At all stages during the exhale the fruity goodness can be experienced and this is a very fresh Watermelon taste. It does work well but the sweetener could also be a bit too much for some.
You’ll find it has a habit of lining the inside of the lips post exhale. With Watermelon I think it’s acceptable and adds to the overall vape appeal.
In fact the more I vaped it the more I could determine just how much the cooling agent was stealing the show. If you like a continuous reminder of this palate invader you’re going to want to vape this during the long, hot summer months.
For anyone else it could prove to be too much of a distraction, however the fruity goodness doesn’t get sunk. Overall, it’s not a badly blended juice.
Flavour and Cloud Production
With the exception of Bubble Gum, HDQ gave me exactly what I was looking for. Generally the ones I received were simple, single flavours and they all tasted natural, ripe and fresh. Thankfully there wasn’t anything synthetic or artificial tasting which is the easy path out with many disposable e-cigs.
Blueberry Lemonade also demonstrated that HQD are more than capable of fusing fruits together and the blending on that one did impress me.
It could well be that HDQ plumped for the Coolada intensity but again that can be rectified by shorter pulls. Overall the sweetness didn’t distract and added more to the appeal of the vapes.
Cloud production is what you’d expect from a disposable. It’s on par with cigarette smoke. Thin, wispy and quickly dissipates so perfect for the new vaper coming off the cigs. It won’t be hard to knock out a few crafty, stealthy vapes at a music festival, for example.
How Long Does The HQD WAVE Disposable Last?
I guess that’s the burning question! I’m a little bit confused to be honest. The info sheets I was kindly provided with were very helpful but when I read of a 1.25ml juice capacity alarm bells started ringing!
Especially when other sites were adamant the disposables contain 2ml, which would sound right. So the longevity factor would be an interesting observation.
It turns out the HQD WAVE will last for up to 6 hours continuous use under normal vaping patterns. Mine works out to around 72 puffs per hour so that does mean the disposable falls a bit short of the 600 puffs claim.
However, there wasn’t much in the way of flavour degradation and the Coolada held up till the very last puff. So did vapour production. I’m also inclined to believe there’s a 2ml e-juice capacity for such flavour consistency across a 6 hour period.
When the LED on the base of the disposable flashes 10 times that’s it. Vape over!
Final Review Verdict
HQD have provided us with some flavoursome mouth to lung (MTL) vapes. I carried out my usual direct to lung (DTL) test and found myself sucking a golf ball through a hose pipe, as they say!
We tell you what the terms MTL and DTL mean in our Guide To Vape Styles.
That proves to me the MTL restriction is bang on par. All made possible by a single airflow pinhole on the underside of the disposable. It also illuminates during the auto draw, which was faultless by the way.
To conclude and on a personal note, I would like to welcome HQD to UK shores.
It’s been a pleasure to test these five new WAVE disposables.
