RELX Vape Review — Honest Assessment of Every Model in the US Lineup

RELX is the largest independent e-cigarette company in the world — publicly traded, hundreds of patents, dominant market share in China. None of that guarantees a good product in the US disposable market. After hands-on testing of all four RELX models available at our store — the Nova SilkMesh 30K, Crystal 15000, Creator 35K, and Pocket 30K — here's an honest assessment of where RELX delivers, where it falls short, and who should actually buy one.

The short version: RELX makes genuinely excellent hardware with flavors that are unlike anything else on the US market. But 3% nicotine and a tea-heavy flavor lineup means it's not for everyone. The numbers tell the rest of the story.

RELX Vape Scores — All Models

Category	Nova 30K	Crystal 15K	Creator 35K	Pocket 30K
Build Quality	8.5/10	7.5/10	8.0/10	7.0/10
Flavor Quality	8.5/10	8.0/10	8.5/10	7.5/10
Flavor Variety	8.0/10	6.0/10	7.0/10	5.0/10
Throat Hit / Nic Satisfaction	6.5/10	8.0/10	6.5/10	6.5/10
Battery Life	8.0/10	6.0/10	8.5/10	7.0/10
Value for Money	7.5/10	7.0/10	8.5/10	7.0/10
Features	9.0/10	6.5/10	8.0/10	5.5/10
Overall	8.0/10	7.0/10	7.8/10	6.8/10

The Nova 30K is the clear standout — best hardware, most flavors, most features. The Creator 35K scores nearly as high on overall quality and wins on long-term value. The Crystal and Pocket serve specific niches but aren't the devices I'd recommend as a first RELX purchase.

RELX Nova SilkMesh 30K Review — 8.0/10

What I Liked

The SilkMesh coil tech is real — not marketing fluff. Flavor clarity on the Nova is noticeably higher than the average mesh coil disposable. Longjing Ice Tea on this device tastes like actual tea with distinct vegetal notes and a clean icy finish, not a vague "green flavor." The difference is most obvious on subtle profiles like Coconut Water and White Pear Ice Tea where lesser coils would just flatten everything into generic sweetness.

The adjustable airflow works well. Full open gives a looser, cooler draw that suits fruit flavors. Tighten it down for tea and mint flavors — the restricted airflow concentrates the flavor and adds throat presence that partially compensates for the lower 3% nicotine. The full-screen display showing both battery and e-liquid level is a practical feature, not a gimmick — it eliminates the dead-device guessing game that plagues most disposables.

Build quality is excellent. The 72g weight sits well in hand, the matte finish doesn't attract fingerprints, and the draw activation is responsive with zero auto-fire incidents during three weeks of testing.

What I Didn't

At 3% nicotine, the throat hit is noticeably softer than what most US vapers are used to. If you're coming from Geek Bar at 5%, the Nova will feel underwhelming on nicotine delivery until you adjust. This isn't a flaw in the device — it's a market fit question. RELX's core audience (largely former RELX pod system users) expects 3%. But for someone picking up a RELX for the first time after using 5% disposables, the adjustment is real.

The 600mAh battery spec seems low for a 30K-puff device — some retailers list 1200mAh, suggesting batch variation. During testing, I needed to charge once per day with moderate use, which is fine but not exceptional for a 30K device.

RELX Crystal 15000 Review — 7.0/10

What I Liked

The Crystal is the only RELX disposable at 5% nicotine, which immediately makes it the most familiar option for vapers used to US-standard nicotine levels. The ceramic coil delivers clean, crisp flavor — different from the SilkMesh (warmer, more textured), but ceramic has its own strength: purity. Flavors taste "clean" in a way that's hard to describe but easy to recognize. Sea Salt Lemon Ice and Longjing Ice Tea were particularly impressive on this coil.

The transparent crystal tank is genuinely useful — no guessing when you're running low. Simple, functional, no battery drain from a display.

What I Didn't

At 15,000 puffs and 380mAh, the Crystal feels like a generation behind the Nova in hardware specs. No adjustable airflow, no display (beyond the transparent tank), fixed draw. And only ~10 flavor options compared to the Nova's ~20. The Crystal is essentially RELX's entry-level disposable — competent but not exciting.

Pricing also creates an odd value proposition: the Crystal costs nearly as much as the Nova but delivers half the puffs. Unless you specifically need 5% nicotine, the Nova is the better buy in every other dimension.

RELX Creator 35K Review — 7.8/10

What I Liked

The Creator is RELX's smartest product from a value standpoint. Buy the battery once ($25–30), then swap pods ($12–18 each) — each pod delivers up to 35,000 puffs. After two pod swaps, you've broken even compared to buying standalone disposables, and every pod after that is pure savings. The math works out to roughly $0.34–0.51 per 1,000 puffs — the lowest per-puff cost across any RELX model.

The SilkMesh coil in the Creator pods matches the Nova's flavor quality. Taro Ice Cream and Longjing Ice Tea tasted identical across both devices. The 800mAh battery is substantial — it lasted 1.5–2 days between charges during testing, consistently outlasting the Nova. The adjustable airflow works the same as the Nova's.

The emoji screen is... there. It shows battery status and unlocks new emojis as you use the device. Not a selling point for me, but I can see the appeal for the demographic RELX is targeting.

What I Didn't

The initial kit cost is the highest in the RELX lineup. If you're trying RELX for the first time and aren't sure you'll stick with it, paying $25–30 for a battery you might not use again is a risk. The Nova ($17–22) is a cheaper way to test the brand.

Pod selection is also slightly narrower than the Nova (~16 vs ~20 flavors). The big sellers are covered, but some Nova exclusives (Chrysanthemum Ice Tea, Pu-Erh, Hawthorn Popsicle) aren't available as Creator pods.

RELX Pocket 30K Review — 6.8/10

What I Liked

It's small. Genuinely pocket-sized in a way that the Nova and Creator aren't. If portability is your primary concern — travel, nights out, a secondary device — the Pocket delivers 30,000 puffs in a compact form factor. The 3% nicotine and USB-C charging are consistent with the rest of the lineup.

What I Didn't

Only ~6 flavors. No adjustable airflow. No display. At this point you're paying almost the same price as a Nova for significantly fewer features and flavor options. The Pocket exists for people who already know they want Longjing Ice Tea or Watermelon Ice in the smallest possible package. For everyone else, the Nova is $2–3 more and a vastly better product.

I'd rate the Pocket higher if it were priced lower than the Nova — the compact form factor has value. But at near-parity pricing, the feature gap is hard to justify.

RELX Vape — Overall Pros & Cons

How RELX Compares to Geek Bar, RAZ & Foger

RELX doesn't compete head-to-head with the big US disposable brands — it occupies a different lane. Here's how that plays out in practice:

Dimension	RELX (Nova 30K)	Geek Bar Pulse X	RAZ VUE 50K	Foger Switch Pro
Flavor Approach	Tea, Asian dessert, niche	Broad fruit, candy, soda	Wide fruit, berry, ice	Balanced fruit, mint, candy
Nicotine	3%	5%	5%	5%
Puff Count	30,000	25,000	50,000	30,000
Coil Tech	SilkMesh (proprietary)	Dual mesh	Mesh	Mesh
Pod System Option	✅ Creator 35K	—	✅ VUE 50K	✅ Switch Pro
US Market Presence	Growing (online-focused)	Dominant	Strong	Strong
Best For	Tea lovers, 3% seekers, Asian diaspora	Mainstream vapers wanting variety	High-puff, bold flavors	Pod system value

Choose RELX over Geek Bar if: You want tea/dessert flavors that don't exist elsewhere, prefer 3% nicotine, or value SilkMesh coil clarity over sheer flavor variety.

Choose Geek Bar over RELX if: You want 5% nicotine, need the widest flavor selection, or prefer conventional fruit and candy profiles.

Choose RAZ over RELX if: You want maximum puff count (50K), bold flavors, or 5% nicotine with the broadest device range.

Choose Foger over RELX if: You want a pod system with more flavors (28 vs 16 for Creator), OLED display, and 5% nicotine. Foger's Switch Pro is the most direct competitor to the Creator 35K and wins on flavor count and nicotine strength, though RELX wins on brand pedigree and coil technology.

Who Should Buy RELX?

RELX Is a Great Fit If You...

• ✅ Want tea or Asian dessert flavors that no other US brand sells
• ✅ Prefer 3% nicotine — either by choice or to reduce intake from 5%
• ✅ Used RELX pod systems overseas and want the disposable equivalent in the US
• ✅ Value coil/flavor technology over sheer flavor count
• ✅ Want a pod swap system (Creator 35K) for long-term savings

RELX Is Not the Best Fit If You...

• ❌ Need 5% nicotine across the full flavor range (only Crystal offers it, with ~10 flavors)
• ❌ Want 30+ conventional fruit and candy flavor options
• ❌ Prefer to buy at local vape shops (RELX US distribution is limited)
• ❌ Want the highest puff count available (RAZ VUE 50K at 50,000 puffs beats everything RELX offers)

Final Verdict — 7.8/10

RELX earns a 7.8/10 as a brand — pulled up by excellent hardware and genuinely unique flavors, pulled down by limited US flavor variety and 3% nicotine that narrows the audience. The numbers don't lie: if you value what RELX does well, no other brand in the US market comes close. If you don't care about tea flavors and want 5% nicotine, you have better options in Geek Bar, RAZ, or Foger.

My device recommendation within the RELX lineup:

If You Want...	Get This	Why
Best overall experience	Nova 30K	Most flavors, best features, flagship quality
Best long-term value	Creator 35K	Lowest per-puff cost after initial kit
5% nicotine	Crystal 15000	Only RELX at 50mg
Smallest size	Pocket 30K	Most compact form factor
First RELX to try	Nova 30K in Longjing Ice Tea	Best device + best flavor = best first impression

RELX Review FAQ

Is RELX worth buying in the US?

Yes — if you want the specific things RELX does well (tea/dessert flavors, 3% nicotine, premium coil tech). If you want mainstream 5% disposable performance, other brands deliver that more effectively. RELX is a niche product in the US market, and that's not a criticism — it's a description.

Is RELX better than Geek Bar?

"Better" depends entirely on what you value. RELX has superior coil technology (SilkMesh) and flavors you can't get elsewhere. Geek Bar has wider flavor variety, 5% nicotine, and much stronger US retail distribution. They target different audiences. See the full brand comparison for details.

Why is RELX only 3% nicotine?

RELX's primary market is China, where 3% (and lower) is standard. The US disposable lineup maintains that standard across Nova, Creator, and Pocket. The Crystal 15000 at 5% is RELX's concession to the US market's higher nicotine preference.

Does RELX taste good?

RELX's flavor quality (how accurately and clearly it delivers flavor) is among the best in disposable vapes. The SilkMesh and ceramic coils extract more nuance from e-liquid than standard mesh coils. Whether you'll like the specific flavors depends on your palate — if you enjoy tea, taro, and coconut water, RELX will taste excellent. If you want Blue Razz and Strawberry Banana, RELX doesn't make those. See the complete flavor guide.

How long does a RELX vape last?

Based on testing: Nova 30K lasted about 10–14 days with moderate use. Creator 35K pods lasted slightly longer (12–16 days). Crystal 15000 ran out in about 7–10 days. Pocket 30K was similar to the Nova at 10–14 days. Heavy users will see shorter lifespans.

Other Brand Reviews