A pharmacist, a compliance specialist and a consumer journalist walk into a vape shop.

Company history

1. 17

   2017

   Founded by Daniel Whitfield (B.Pharm) after 8 years working in community pharmacy on the front line of smoking-cessation consultations.

2. 18

   2018

   Moved into our first Melbourne CBD warehouse. First IGET distribution partnership signed.

3. 20

   2020

   Launched our published buying-guide library. Hired Marcus Tan from CHOICE as senior editor.

4. 22

   2022

   Priya Naidu joined as Head of Product & Compliance. Implemented batch-level supplier traceability.

5. 24

   2024

   TGA pharmacy-only reforms commenced. We restructured nicotine fulfilment via partner pharmacies and published our updated regulatory explainer the same week.

6. 25

   2025

   Crossed 50,000 lifetime orders shipped. Current independent-review program covers 60+ devices per year.

Mission statement

To give adult Australian smokers an honest, evidence-aware path to switching — through transparent product information, independent reviews, real-person customer support and full compliance with the regulatory environment we operate in.

The team

Daniel Whitfield

Founder & Managing Director

Former pharmacist with 14 years in harm-reduction retail. Daniel founded Ember & Coil in 2017 after watching family members struggle to transition away from combustible tobacco. He sits on the board of the Australian Harm Reduction Retailers Association (placeholder org).

• B.Pharm (University of Sydney)
• Harm Reduction Australia member
• AHPRA-registered pharmacist (2010–2022)

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Priya Naidu

Head of Product & Compliance

Priya leads product curation, supplier vetting and TGA compliance. She previously worked as a regulatory affairs specialist at a major consumer health brand and ensures every device we stock meets Australian electrical safety and labelling standards.

• B.Sc (Chemistry) UNSW
• RACI Affiliate
• 10+ years regulatory experience

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Marcus Tan

Senior Editor — Buying Guides

Marcus authors and fact-checks our long-form buying guides and product reviews. Background in independent consumer journalism (CHOICE magazine, freelance).

• Grad Cert Journalism (RMIT)
• Member, MEAA
• Former senior writer, CHOICE

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How we test the products we stock

Every device on this site has been physically tested by our editorial team before it's listed. This is the methodology we follow — published in full so you can hold our reviews to account.

1. 01

   Retail purchase only

   Every test unit is bought at full retail price from the same suppliers our customers use. We refuse supplier-gifted units.

2. 02

   14-day minimum cycle

   Each device runs a 14-day minimum daily-use cycle across at least two reviewers before we publish anything.

3. 03

   Standardised conditions

   Same e-liquid baseline (50/50 PG/VG, 18mg salt where applicable), same room temperature, logged puff counts.

4. 04

   Public 25-point rubric

   Build quality (5), flavour consistency (6), battery & charging (5), value (5), safety & labelling (4). Published per device.

5. 05

   Conflict disclosure

   Every review carries a disclosure block — units purchased, reviewer name, hours of use, and any prior commercial relationship.

6. 06

   Annual re-review

   Bestsellers are re-tested every 12 months because manufacturers change coils, chips and formulations between batches.

We cite primary sources in every guide: the TGA Vaping Hub, Australian Department of Health, RACGP smoking-cessation guidelines and NHMRC e-cigarette statement.

Press, industry citations & independent reviews

Off-site reputation matters. Below is a non-exhaustive list of publications, industry bodies and independent review platforms that have referenced our work or stocked our team's commentary.

Press mentions above are placeholders for demonstration. The page structure shows where independent third-party reputation signals (CHOICE, Smart Company, Inside Retail, Trustpilot, ProductReview.com.au) would be cited in a live deployment.