Vape Hardware Cost Calculator
See whether cheaper vape hardware still wins after returns, silent failures, and lost repeat purchases. Enter your production numbers and edit every assumption to match your own data.
Based on the analysis in our article: The Real Math on Cheap Vape Hardware
Three numbers per option. The result updates as you type.
All inputs above are editable. Replace our defaults with numbers you can defend from your own data. The math is intentionally simple so you can audit it.
Silent failure multiplier: Research from Lee Resource found that for every 1 customer who complains, 26 remain silent. 1st Financial Training Services reports that 96% of unhappy customers never complain, and 91% of those leave permanently. The default 3x multiplier is a conservative estimate. The actual ratio may be significantly higher, particularly in cannabis where brands have no direct feedback channel to end consumers.
Total cost formula: Hardware spend + oil wasted on failed units (if enabled) + (reported returns + silent failures) x revenue at risk per lost customer. The model treats every bad experience as a full customer lost. It excludes return processing costs ($15-35 per unit in cannabis due to compliance documentation), shelf position risk, and negative word-of-mouth impact. Adjust the inputs to match your own retention assumptions.
Pressure-test your run with our hardware team.
We engineer every atomizer to your specific oil formulation. Send us your run plan and we will walk through return-rate data we can share for comparable formulations.