SKE Bar Review: A Reusable Crystal Bar!

Product intro and specs

The SKE Bar is a slim and minimalist prefilled pod vape that could easily be mistaken for a disposable vape. It offers the convenience and build quality of a disposable vape, but with the flexibility of a pod system.

If you are wondering why it’s so compact and looks so much like a TPD disposable, it’s because this product was designed to cater to UK disposable users, as the UK banned disposables on June 1st. This is essentially the non-disposable version of the SKE Crystal Bar, which is one of the most popular disposable vapes in Europe.

Constructed from transparent PCTG plastic, the SKE Bar features a removable stainless-steel core that houses the prefilled pod. Each 2 mL pod comes prefilled with 2% (20 mg) nicotine salt e-liquid, with 35 flavor options, and uses a 1.2-ohm mesh coil.

The SKE Bar is a draw-activated MTL (mouth-to-lung) vape—ideal for ex-smokers who prefer a tighter draw and a lightweight device that more closely mimics the feel of a cigarette. Powered by a 500 mAh rechargeable battery and featuring a USB-C charging port, the SKE Bar is rated for up to 600 puffs per charge. Let’s get to it and learn more about the SKE Bar and how it vapes.

Price: £5.99 (at Vapestore UK)
Flavors: Apple peach, banana ice, berry ice, blue fusion, blue razz lemonade, blueberry cherry cranberry, blueberry peach ice, blueberry raspberries, blueberry sour raspberry, bull ice, cherry ice, cola ice, fizzy cherry, fresh menthol mojito, fruit medley, gami rare, green grape, kiwi passion fruit guava, lemon & lime, lemon peach passion fruit, mango ice, menthol, peach ice, pineapple peach mango, pink lemonade, sour apple ice, sour pineapple ice, strawberry blast, strawberry burst, strawberry kiwi, strawberry raspberry, tobacco, VMT ice, watermelon ice, watermelon strawberry

Size, look, and feel

The SKE Bar is small, light, and simple. I like its understated vibe. It still retains the feeling of a modern vape with its transparent outer shell and hand feel, but without many of the extraneous design choices we often see in U.S. disposables. The SKE Bar is just a compact device that does what it’s supposed to do without appearing more advanced than it is.

It measures 104 mm x 17 mm x 17 mm and weighs around 35 grams, making it easy to forget it’s in your pocket until you need it. I often find myself doing a quick pocket-pat to make sure it’s really in there.

The squared outer shell is made from transparent PCTG plastic and features a thick, flattened duck-bill style mouthpiece that makes it easy to vape the SKE Bar hands-free. What you see on the inside of the SKE Bar is a removable stainless steel core that houses the battery and acts as the base of the device.

My only gripe with the design is the placement of the flavor names on the outer shell. Because the internal core has some darker color gradations, reading the black-printed flavor names is challenging for my eyes (I’m pretty certain I’m not alone in this).

Getting started

Getting started with the SKE Bar is super simple. Simply remove the device from the package, remove the seals and plugs, and take a deep inhale when you’re ready. Since the SKE Bar is draw-activated, you don’t have to push any buttons to take a hit.

The one thing to remember is that the internal core in the electroplated stainless steel core is the battery, and the outside plastic houses the pod. To remove the pod, simply pull on the metal base (you may need to use your fingernails). That will remove the internal core (battery) from the outer shell, which houses a pod up inside.

The internal core comes out a little easier than it goes back in. On the bottom of the outer shell, there are some square tabs that secure it to the base of the core. Unfortunately, sliding the core back into the outer shell can be a little fiddly due to those tabs. It’s not an IQ puzzle, but it’s something to be aware of.

I don’t know yet how SKE will sell the replacement pods, but make sure to keep the cores. If you’re accustomed to using disposable vapes, you may easily dispose of the entire device without realizing it.

How does it hit?

The SKE Bar has a nice and smooth draw that hits quickly. It provides a flavorful and moderately loose MTL. It’s not so tight that your cheeks will collapse but not so loose that you’ll make yourself cough. It feels like the perfect draw for the warmth generated from the coil. Luckily for me, I’ve had no issues with the hit. No misfires, autofires, leaking, or random mishaps.

SKE Bar best flavors

The SKE Bar offers a wide variety of flavors to choose from! There are a total of 35 options, ranging from fruits to drinks and even tobacco flavors. I liked the fruit flavors the most, but even the drink flavors were good. I particularly enjoyed the cola flavor which is not something I generally like. These are my five favorites:

Strawberry burst: It’s got that chewy strawberry candy taste (just now connected the “burst” part to how it tastes). It’s sweet, and it has a mouthwatering aroma.

Blue razz lemonade: Bright and tart, with the lemonade hitting first, and then the blue razz.

Cola ice: The classic cola taste but with higher clarity of flavor than most cola flavor vapes.

Fizzy cherry: Sweet and tart cherry on the inhale with a light fizz effect on the exhale. Very good.

Fruit medley: Hard to pin down individual fruits, but it feels more like a mix of red fruits than something tropical. Think fruit punch.

How long does it last?

For a 2 mL device, the SKE Bar lasts an appropriate amount of time. Unfortunately, that’s not very long. I’d say they can last a light vaper for about 2 days and a consistent vaper for about a day. And since there isn’t a juice indicator, you’re going to have to be on your toes about when that 2 mL might be near its end. The flavor will start to drop off before getting bad. But don’t push it! Once it’s not tasting right, it’s done.

That said, because the SKE Bar houses a 500 mAh rechargeable battery, you don’t have to worry about liquid being left inside that can’t be vaped (like with disposables without rechargeable batteries). If your battery dies, you can recharge it and vape the last remaining liquid. But, from my experience, you’re not going to get much more life out of the pods once the battery dies (assuming the new pod started out with a fully charged battery). 

When it’s time to charge the SKE Bar, the device will stop producing vapor, and a little white light will flash on the bottom of the device. Simply plug it into a power source and charge it using a USB-C cable, just as you would any other small electronic device. I clocked the charge around 60 minutes long. It takes about an average time to charge a 500 mAh battery, although I personally find it a bit long. Luckily, the SKE Bar has pass-thru charging, allowing you to vape on it while it charges.

When the SKE Bar is charging, a little white light will appear at the bottom of the device. Once that light goes out, it’s fully charged.

Pros / Cons

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Verdict

The SKE Bar is a solid choice for UK vapers looking to replace their favorite (now banned) disposables. It offers convenience, ease of use, and a smaller amount of tech waste. Of course, you’re still going to be disposing of those outer shells, but at least they don’t have to have a battery attached to them.

The SKE Bar produces good flavor and a solid MTL draw, and it comes in a comfortable and familiar form factor. I used all mine up. There wasn’t a single flavor that I wouldn’t vape again.

Recommended.

SKE Bar

4.5

Buy now

The SKE Bar is a compact prefilled pod vape designed to cater to UK fans of the SKE Crystal Bar disposable. It is rated for 600 puffs and features a 500 mAh battery, a 1.2 ohm mesh coil, and a draw-activated MTL. The replaceable pods come with a 2 mL capacity with 2% nicotine salts from a menu of 35 flavors.

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