In November 2018, the e-cigarette brand FLOW, founded by Zhu Xiaomu, the former product director of Hammer Technology, quickly became an Internet celebrity in the e-cigarette industry and gained great attention due to its own topical labels such as Hammer Technology and Luo Yonghao. As of May 2019, FLOW has completed an angel round and Pre-A round of financing of approximately US$10 million led by Matrix Partners China. In July of the same year, it won the "2019 China Golden Fingertip Award" and the "Most Valuable Investment Enterprise" award, but at the beginning of 2020, it was revealed that the funds suffered a heavy blow.
In terms of appearance, the FLOW e-cigarette is similar to the RELX, except that the FLOW is more slender and rounded. The FLOW e-cigarette is made of aluminum alloy, and the surface is processed by oxidation sandblasting to form a decorative film, which has a matte texture. Although the same process is used on the surface of RELX's fuselage, the FLOW fuselage logo adopts a special treatment process with a polishing effect, which is more difficult.
Oil leakage from cigarette cartridges has always been a pain point in the e-cigarette industry, and it is difficult to completely eliminate it under the existing technology. Due to the negative pressure oil guide structure of the cigarette cartridge, when the e-liquid is placed for a long time or when the external air pressure changes (such as taking an airplane), there will be static leakage or negative pressure leakage, which is determined by the working principle of e-cigarettes, and there is no good solution at this stage.
The pure leakage refers to the leakage of cigarette cartridges while smoking, which is related to the manufacturer's product defect rate, and the strong manufacturer can reduce the defective rate of cigarette cartridges to less than 4%. At present, e-cigarette manufacturers are optimizing airway design, heating component design and assembly technology in order to reduce the occurrence of oil leakage.
First of all, the top and bottom of the pod are equipped with oil absorbent cotton, the top absorbent cotton can prevent the user from sucking e-liquid or condensate, and the bottom cotton can prevent the e-liquid from leaking from the bottom. Secondly, the lower part of the e-liquid adopts a reinforced thread seal, and its special mushroom-shaped honeycomb atomizer can also solve the problem of oil leakage caused by uneven atomization.
The FLOW e-cigarette has a built-in air pressure sensing switch, which can work when breathing, which is very convenient, which is also the mainstream working method of pre-filled e-cigarettes. The battery capacity of the FLOW body is 320mAh, and its Type-C charging port can fully charge the e-cigarette in 1 hour, and the power can support a day of use. At present, the price of the FLOW set is 269 yuan, and the set includes a cigarette stick, a Type-C charging cable and 3 cartridges.
Compared to other brands, the biggest highlight of FLOW is its waterproof and "one cigarette" reminder function. The FLOW e-cigarette is IP56 waterproof, meaning it is splash and water resistant. The "one cigarette" reminder function means that the FLOW e-cigarette will vibrate every 15 puffs of the machine, which can help users better control the amount of smoke.
In the fall of 2019, FLOW launched the FLOW refillable e-cigarette set S, which is defined as "comfortable", which is iteratively upgraded from the comfort of the user experience, and compared with the first generation, it has been improved in technology, battery life and oil leakage prevention. The battery capacity of the FLOW refillable e-cigarette set S has been upgraded to 350mA, the battery life has been increased by 20%, the iconic LOGO on the body of the cigarette stick has been changed to a laser etching process, which is more wear-resistant, and the internal anti-oil leakage structure has also been improved. The sticks are available in 4 colours for a more business-like style. Its set is also a cigarette stick plus three pods of capacity, the price is 299 yuan, and the pods are common to the first generation of pods.
At present, FLOW has launched a total of 12 flavors of cartridges, including mint and mung bean paste, with a price of 39 yuan per piece. The platter fruit flavor is more recommended, the first taste is the slightly sour taste of green apples, and in the second half of the bite, it becomes the taste of peaches, and after continuous tasting, there is a slightly cool feeling, which is very much in line with the name of the platter fruit.
Perhaps in order to break the commercialization and masculinity of the flagship product, FLOW launched a disposable cigarette - a small easter egg, a full range of candy colors, beautiful and fashionable colors, the cigarette holder and cigarette holder are integrally formed, and the double injection molding improves the aesthetics. When pumping, the logo of the shaft will faintly glow with the indicator light. The battery capacity and oil storage capacity are 280mAh and 1.4mL respectively, which can suck about 300 puffs, and the official price is 39 yuan. Its colorful colors are more popular with female friends, and there are currently 10 flavors to choose from, such as chilled cola, large watermelon, and white peach oolong.
In August 2019, FLOW cooperated with Ali Retail to lay out offline stores, which can be purchased offline or follow the "Flow Fulu" official account for details. In February 2020, due to the tight capital chain, some suppliers sold at a loss, and a small easter egg of 6 yuan (original price of 39 yuan) has appeared on the market, and a set of e-cigarettes for 50 yuan (original price of 299 yuan) has also appeared on the market.
