The vape industry has a credibility gap. The FDA’s pre-market review process has been slow to catch up with the flood of devices on shelves, and independent contaminant testing remains voluntary for most manufacturers. Most brands skip it.
Cyclone Pods, a Santa Monica-based company selling nicotine-free vapes since 2018, decided early on that voluntary wasn’t optional.
“We picked the hardest lane in the category,” said Conrad, the company’s founder. “Nicotine-free means we can’t rely on addiction to keep customers coming back. The product has to actually be good, and people have to trust what’s in it.”
That trust problem isn’t theoretical. In 2019, a wave of vaping-related lung injuries tied to black-market THC cartridges containing vitamin E acetate killed 68 people and hospitalized thousands. The crisis tarred every vape company, legitimate or not. Consumer confidence cratered. It still hasn’t fully recovered.
Cyclone Pods responded by commissioning third-party lab testing through Legend Technical Services, an ISO 17025 accredited facility in St. Paul, Minnesota. The results from work order #2503988: nicotine was not detected in 15 of 16 samples at a detection limit of 0.063 micrograms per gram. Diacetyl, a butter-flavoring chemical linked to a condition called “popcorn lung,” came back at zero percent. Vitamin E acetate was not detected.
Cyclone publishes full test results on its lab testing transparency page. Not a summary. Not a badge. The actual numbers.
“Anyone can slap ‘lab tested’ on a box,” Conrad said. “We put the work order number, the methodology, the detection limits. If a customer wants to call the lab and verify, they can.”
That transparency play appears to be working. The company’s flagship product, the Gust Pro, is among the safest vape options on the market, offering 20,000 puffs for $20 with USB-C recharging and 14 flavor options. The Lightning, a pod-based system at $14 per pod, targets users who want variety without committing to a single device. Both lines use USP-grade vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, and food-grade flavorings — no nicotine, no tobacco derivatives, according to the company.
Cyclone ships from a warehouse in Duarte, California, and sells through its website and retail stores nationwide. The company has built its customer base largely through word of mouth and organic search, a slower path than the paid-influencer playbook that dominates the vape space.
The Pouch Pivot
In 2025, Cyclone expanded beyond vaping with Focus Pouches, a caffeine and nootropic pouch priced at $9.99 for a 20-pack. Each pouch contains 50 milligrams of caffeine from guarana, plus ashwagandha, lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, and bacopa monnieri. They’re positioned to compete among the best caffeine pouches in a category that barely existed two years ago.
The pouches went through a separate testing process at Certified Laboratories in Burbank, California, an ANAB-accredited facility operating under ISO 17025 standards. Results showed all pesticide residues at non-detect, all residual solvents at non-detect, and heavy metals well below established safety thresholds. Caffeine content tested at 113 percent of label claim.
The move into pouches reflects a broader bet: that Cyclone’s customer isn’t looking to quit nicotine but is actively choosing stimulants that don’t create dependency. Caffeine fits that profile. So do adaptogens with published research behind them.
“Nicotine-free vaping was the entry point,” Conrad said. “But the real market is people who want to feel something without getting hooked on something.”
What Comes Next
The nicotine-free vapes category barely existed when Cyclone launched eight years ago. Now it’s a recognized segment with search volume, shelf space, and competitors. Cyclone’s early start and testing infrastructure give it a structural advantage, but the window won’t stay open forever. Larger players with deeper pockets are watching.
For now, the company is focused on two things: expanding retail distribution and maintaining the testing standards that got it here. In an industry where trust is the scarcest resource, that combination may be enough.
Cyclone Pods is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Customers and retailers can reach the company at (805) 298-1487 or through cyclonepods.com.
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