Elf Bar (stylized ELFBAR, also sold in some markets as EBDesign or EBCreate) is a Chinese brand of

electronic cigarettes An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), or vape, is a device that simulates smoking. It consists of an Construction of electronic cigarettes#Atomizer and tank, atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or ...

produced by Shenzhen iMiracle Technology, a part of Heaven Gifts. These vapor products are characterized by their fruity

flavors Flavour or flavor is either the sensory perception of taste or smell, or a flavoring in food that produces such perception. Flavour or flavor may also refer to: Science * Flavors (programming language), an early object-oriented extension to L ...

and colorful appearance. Elf Bar is, as of 2023, the most popular brand for

disposable A disposable (also called disposable product) is a product designed for a single use after which it is recycled or is disposed as solid waste. The term is also sometimes used for products that may last several months (e.g. disposable air filt ...

e-cigarettes in the world. Reusable variants are also marketed.

Products

The best known Elf Bar e-cig is the disposable Elf Bar 600 which comes with a pre-filled tank of 20mg of

nicotine salt Nicotine salts are salts formed from nicotine and an acid. They are found naturally in tobacco leaves. Various acids can be used, leading to different conjugate bases paired with the ammonium form of nicotine. Research Research on nicotine salts ...

in various flavours. Elf Bar BC 500 is a box-style alternative disposable. Its manufacturer also produces a number of reusable and rechargable Elf Bar devices, including the pod-based Mate 500, ELFA, the 1200, and more advanced variants such as the Elf Bar ELFX.

Appearance and flavors

Unlike the

Juul Juul Labs, Inc. (, stylized as JUUL Labs) is an American electronic cigarette company headquartered in San Francisco. Its flagship product is the Juul electronic cigarette, which Construction of electronic cigarettes, atomizes nicotine salts d ...

, which gained popularity throughout the late 2010s, Elf Bars have a colorful appearance. Many of them have fruity flavors like piña colada, strawberry mango, and lemon mint, and in 2023, the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' called Elf Bar the "vape du jour." The aesthetic has been mimicked by similar products, such as Flum Pebble, Juicy Bar, Air Bar Nex, and its sister brand Lost Mary. According to the

Centers for Disease Control The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, ...

's 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, it is the most popular

electronic cigarette An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), or vape, is a device that simulates smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such ...

brand among middle school and high school students who vape. The FDA's tobacco center chief, Brian King, said "if it looks glamorous and it looks appealing, that’s going to be the first driver that will bring a horse to water... the flavors then get them to drink. And the nicotine keeps them coming back for more." According to psychiatrist

Susan Linn Susan Linn is an American writer, psychologist, and ventriloquist. She is the cofounder of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and author of the book ''Consuming Kids''. She is a research associate at Boston Children's Hospital and a lecturer ...

, the appearance of Elf Bars is attractive to children and teenagers, who are interested in rounded shapes and colorful items. She compares the marketing to the cigarette mascot

Joe Camel Joe Camel (also called Old Joe) was an advertising mascot used by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) for their cigarette brand Camel (cigarette), Camel. The character was created in 1974 for a French advertising campaign, and was redesign ...

, who was made to appeal to young people. There are concerns that the popularity of e-cigarette devices has negated the progress of numerous attempts in the late 20th century to discourage young adults and children from using nicotine products, and has actually increased teenage nicotine consumption in general.

Sales

Elf Bar has been sold in the United States since November 2021 despite having no authorization from the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respo ...

. Despite its legal status, it is the most popular disposable vape in the United States and the third-best selling e-cigarette overall, behind

Vuse Vuse (pronunciation: ) is an American brand of electronic cigarettes introduced in 2013. They are produced and marketed by the Reynolds American tobacco company and globally by its parent company, British American Tobacco (BAT). Products were prev ...

and Juul, as of 2023, according to researchers from the

CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, ...

and the nonprofit

Truth Initiative Truth Initiative (formerly the American Legacy Foundation or Legacy) is a nonprofit tobacco control organization "dedicated to achieving a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco". It was established in March 1999 as a result of t ...

. Due to a trademark dispute, the Elf Bar name has been dropped and the vapes are now sold as EB Create in the U.S. market. The brand has become the best-selling for disposables globally, and its manufacturer Shenzhen iMiracle has been expected to generate up to $4 billion in the year 2023. Elf Bar is also a leading e-cigarette brand in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, making up more than half of disposable vape sales in the country, with its sister brand Lost Mary. These brands sold over £900 million worth of vapes in 12 months, equivalent to around 160 million units, according to NielsenIQ. The Elf Bar 600 had a 55% market share for disposables in 2023 and in second place was its sister product Lost Mary BM500 with 23%,https://ash.org.uk/uploads/Use-of-e-cigarettes-among-adults-in-Great-Britain-2023.pdf therefore giving a huge overall share for Shenzhen iMiracle. In the market for cartridge based reusables, Elf Bar Mate had a share of 13%, behind

and

. The term "Elf Bar" sometimes refers to counterfeits, which are nearly indistinguishable.

Legal status in the U.S.

In early 2020, the

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

imposed legislation to restrict the flavors of reusable vapes to menthol and tobacco – an effort that targeted companies such as

. However, the flavor restriction did not apply to disposable vapes. Elf Bar hit shelves in the US by November 2021, sold in flavors like

cotton candy Cotton candy, also known as candy floss (candyfloss) and fairy floss, is a spun sugar confection that resembles cotton. It is made by heating and liquefying sugar, and spinning it centrifugally through minute holes, causing it to rapidly cool ...

. Elf Bar devices have not received authorization from the

and are not legally permitted to be sold in the United States. In May 2023, US Customs seized shipments of disposable electronic cigarettes including Elf Bar that had arrived at US ports. The FDA has taken steps to stop stores from distributing the product. On 22 June 2023, the FDA sent warning letters to 189 retailers selling fruit and candy-flavored disposable vapes, such as Elf Bar.

Corporate operations

At the 2022 GT World Challenge Asia, Elf Bar sponsored a team from

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

References

{{Electronic cigarettes Chinese brands Electronic cigarette brands Electronic cigarettes