The vape industry is booming, with e-cigarette sales soaring by 46.6 percent from January 2020 to December 2022, as per a CDC study[1]. But have you ever wondered how these popular products are manufactured and tested? Prepare to be surprised.
Recently, the YouTube channel Machina took a trip to one of the largest disposable vape factories in Baoan, Shenzhen, China. What they discovered inside was nothing short of eye-opening. From the inner workings to the testing process, they got an in-depth look at how these vape products are mass-produced.
But it was during the testing phase that things got weird.
In the video, you’ll witness the various stages of testing that the disposable vapes go through. First, a pressure test is conducted to ensure the vapor is released properly from the mouthpiece. Next, a suction tube is used to simulate the act of taking a hit. It’s all pretty standard so far.
However, the third testing method is where it gets interesting.
Surprisingly, human testers are used to ensure the vapes are functioning correctly. The video shows a worker holding multiple vapes in one hand as he takes a hit from each one, using his own mouth. The purpose of this method is still a mystery, as even the documentary maker was unsure if it’s to test the mechanism or the quality of the flavor.
Curious about the tester’s daily workload, they asked him how many vapes he tests in a day. To everyone’s shock, he revealed that he tests around 8,000 to 10,000 vapes per day, even smoking outside of work. That’s an astonishing amount!
This peculiar testing process caught the attention of vape users, who began sharing the clip on Reddit and offering their opinions. One person humorously asked, “Do you also smoke after work? Yeah, otherwise I get too much blood in my nicotine system.” Another commenter pointed out that the tester “literally smokes 24/7.”
To put this into perspective, smoking 10,000 vape puffs per day is an enormous amount. Considering that each vape contains 10ml of nicotine vape juice and offers roughly 3000 puffs, this dedicated tester is essentially smoking over three full vapes every single workday.
While it may seem like an unusual and demanding job, spare a thought for this guy who goes above and beyond to ensure the quality and performance of these popular vaporizers.
