Dropping the Boom
ALD’s Boom Max is a disposable e-cigarette that offers performance, reliability, convenience and value.
By Mike Huml
The Boom Max from ALD is an oversized, lightweight, disposable e-cigarette that offers performance, reliability, convenience and value. It’s the perfect vaping companion for longer outings without the added heft of similar devices.
The Boom Max has a lot going for it despite its simplicity. For starters, it’s diameter is slightly larger than that of a U.S. quarter coin, but it remains lightweight due to a smaller battery. It holds 8 mL of e-liquid but is only equipped with a 400 mAh battery. However, it is rechargeable via a USB-C cable, and this is actually a better scenario than having a larger battery with a smaller e-liquid reserve.
Consider this: Most disposable vapor devices end up sitting on a shelf for a good amount of time and most battery-operated devices don’t ship with a fully charged battery. That means whether by design or by happenstance, the battery in a disposable will deplete faster than the e-liquid, and many disposables are not rechargeable. As a battery sits uncharged and unused, its remaining capacity depletes. So, many unlucky customers end up buying a disposable with a nearly dead battery that cannot be charged. With a USB-C charging port and a modest battery, the Boom Max can be recharged in about 15 minutes, ensuring that the liquid can be fully used up with no wasted juice or money.
A smaller battery is also lighter, and despite the size of the Boom Max, it remains extremely lightweight and manageable with a large e-liquid reservoir. That makes the Boom Max the perfect portable vape, and in this day and age, many people have access to a charger for their mobile devices. With such chargers almost always available at a moment’s notice, the pros of a smaller battery far outweigh the cons and demonstrate good judgment on the part of ALD’s designers.
The performance of the Boom Max is fantastic all around. With a draw-activated switch and a tapered mouthpiece, the Boom Max feels comfortable and easy to use. It never feels like you’re pulling and pulling for anemic vapor production. The built-in 1 ohm heating element fires at 11 watts, and that’s just about perfect for mouth-to-lung vaping. The vapor is warm but not overbearing or harsh, and the flavor is clean and refreshing. There’s no spitback, gurgling or leaking at all, and the entire experience is satisfying and effortless.
Each flavor from ALD, while simple, is infused with a touch of menthol, which really adds to the crisp and refreshing sensation in each drag. While some vapers may not be a fan of menthol, keep in mind that menthol is not mint. Mint has several varieties of specific flavors, but menthol in itself is flavorless. It only provides a cooling sensation, much like capsaicin adds the heat to spicy foods but has no distinct flavor on its own.
As such, menthol pairs perfectly with fruit and beverage flavors as these are generally consumed cold. As you’re vaping Blueberry Ice, for example, you’re not tasting minty blueberries. Instead, you’re tasting crisp, fresh blueberries. Out of all the flavors sampled from ALD, none of them missed the mark. Naturally, each person has their own flavor preferences, but each flavor is accurate to the description.
Many fans of disposable vapes, particularly the large disposables advertising 3,000 puffs or more, have complained of these devices only lasting a day or two before the “massive” battery dies while they were expecting to get a week of use. Sometimes a simple solution is the best solution, as demonstrated by the Boom Max. Why offer a battery that can provide 3,000 puffs that never comes fully charged when you can cut the weight almost in half with a smaller battery and make it rechargeable? This is the main advantage of the Boom Max over the competition.
The Boom Max looks simple and unassuming, performs great and holds a lot of liquid—but so do many other devices. Many of those devices fall short in the convenience department, however, since customers pay a premium, expecting to use their device for a week but only getting a day or two. As the playing field levels out in terms of vape quality, convenience will become the deciding factor for many vapers, and the Boom Max is the epitome of convenience.
The lightweight nature and foolproof operation of the Boom Max make it an easy sell for anyone just wanting to pick up a disposable, crack open the box and start vaping. It’s weightless in a pocket or pocketbook, comes with 8 mL of great-tasting liquid and can be recharged as many times as necessary. Overall, the Boom Max is exactly what most disposable vapers are looking for as a daily driver.
