At MIST, a UK vape shop, we’ve witnessed the rise of all of today’s flagship vape companies, and VAPORESSO have always impressed us with their masterful balance of stylish builds with innovative user functions.
Today we’d like to showcase several of VAPORESSO’s current best-selling vape kits to demonstrate their varied applications and see whether one company is able to provide a solution to all vaping requirements.
VAPORESSO have been kind enough to supply us with several kits for the purposes of this review, and our intrepid team have been keen to get their hands on the hardware!
XROS 3 Pod Kit - 9/10
The original XROS units were a surprise hit in the MIST offices. So, we were eager to see the later iterations in the line, and they certainly didn’t disappoint.
The XROS 3 seeks to do what all pod vapes attempt as of late; to dethrone traditional tank & battery kits and provide smokers with an efficient device that won’t frustrate you with myriad features and functions.
Unpacking it, our team was pleased to see the inclusion of a recessed firing button, a feature many manufacturers eschew these days but one that we feel provides vapers with a greater degree of control over their kit.
The low-profile button requires quite a firm press, presumably to prevent the kit from activating in your pocket.
While one criticism of the original XROS was a battery that didn’t quite make it through the day, the XROS 3’s 1000mAh is far more likely to last the distance.
We found the ignition speed of both button-firing and auto-draw to be highly responsive, and the addition of a surprisingly wide airflow control slider permitted some solid RDL use as well at MTL, a feature further supported by the inclusion of both 0.6ohm and 1.0ohm pods.
XROS 3 Mini Pod Kit - 8/10
You can ordinarily expect a mini-kit to provide an adequate yet diminished performance compared to the full-sized version. That’s certainly what we expected when unboxing the XROS 3 Mini, yet we were surprised to discover a kit capable of delivering almost the exact same experience as the regular XROS 3.
The XROS 3 Mini somehow managed to cram just as much battery into its much more petite frame. When we tested the two units side by side over the course of a day, the charge began to diminish at similar times.
It’s not all the same; the XROS 3 Mini eschews a firing button entirely, relying instead on auto-draw exclusively for activation. Considering the size and light weight of the pen, it’s easy to imagine a disposable vape fan getting very comfortable with this as their first refillable pen.
The airflow slider is also absent, though vapers desiring a more intensive flavour jet can easily cover up one of the airports for an on-the-spot flavour kick from the same XROS Series Mesh Pods utilised by the full-size XROS 3.
One of the often-overlooked benefits of an XROS kit is its clean experience. While e-liquid leaks are often simply a part of vaping you must accept, VAPORESSO put special care into designing the SSS (Seal, Saturate, Store) leak-prevention layers in the XROS Pods.
Despite anticipating a lessened experience from the XROS 3 Mini, our team’s research and testing found it capable of providing almost the same experience as the regular version, simply without the button and airflow features that many disposable-focussed modern vapers wouldn’t miss in the first place.
XROS 3 Nano Pod Kit - 9/10
The XROS 3 Nano provides a robust 1000mAh battery in an even more petite frame than the Mini. It’s perfectly pocket-sized and not in the classic ‘bar’ shape that XROS kits have always adopted.
We see another return of the XROS Series Pods, which in our eyes is a great decision; other vape manufacturers have caused frustration in the past with their myriad pod and coil pairings not being immediately apparent, so we appreciate VAPORESSO keeping things simple.
The pods now feature COREX internal designs, made up of intricately laid meshes that produce a rich and unadulterated flavour from freebase and nic salted e-liquids.
The Nano, like many other square pod vapes, comes with a free lanyard cable included, but unlike other kits, the XROS 3 Nano’s lanyard has a beautiful steel construction. Several team members have been wearing them around the office, which is a rare occurrence!
Furthering the aesthetic quality is the matte-embossed effect on the unit’s casing
VAPORESSO LUXE X Pod Kit - 8/10
Sub-ohm vape kits are traditionally large and bulky. While cloud-chasing is fun and flavoursome, many are put off by the attention and maintenance sub-ohm vapes ordinarily require.
But leave it to VAPORESSO to provide a sub-ohm vape like the LUXE X kit that’s user-friendly and boasts greater portability than any other sub-ohm kits available today.
Gone are the days when your sub-ohm vape had to ruin the lining of your jacket or necessitate you carrying spare 18650 batteries; the LUXE X is shorter and only slightly wider than the full-size XROS 3 kit featured above, yet contains a whopping 1500mAh of battery capacity and can fire at a 40W max output, not as high as chunkier sub-ohms but still within the cloud-chasing territory.
One of the sub-ohm specialists on our team initially gripped the LUXE X hesitantly, confident that it wouldn’t be able to match his dual-battery cloud-engine kit, yet we all saw his eyes light up from that first puff on the LUXE Mesh Pod with a 0.4ohm coil pre-installed.
While initially a little puzzled by not having to set the wattage himself, he quickly fell into natural use and seemed liberated by the onboard AXON chip setting the optimal power output for the pod.
With the release of the LUXE X, VAPORESSO have done what was once in the realm of fantasy— a user-friendly disposable pod sub-ohm vape with unrivaled portability. The disposable pods are undoubtedly convenient, though we suspect some sub-ohmers would prefer a changeable coil system.
VAPORESSO LUXE XR Pod Kit - 8/10
The LUXE XR is the exact same user-friendly 1500mAh vape kit as the LUXE X but provides you with reusable pods that take changeable GTX mesh coils. These coils are built to the exact specifications and resistances of those in the disposable LUXE Pods. They also have the same SSS leak-proofing as the XROS Pods.
The coils are easily inserted via push-to-fit and boast the same flavour-boosting COREX designs that we imagine we’ll be seeing a lot of from VAPORESSO in the future.
Also returning is one of our favourite aspects of the LUXE X and XR kits; the build design. A gorgeous translucent plastic casing that lets you gaze over the complex chipset arrangement within, making you feel even closer to your pocket-sized cloud kit.
You might be puzzled by the lack of adjustable airflow on the LUXE X and XR, but it does in fact provide airway adjustment through the disposable pods themselves; you simply remove them from the mod and rotate them 180° to switch between DTL and RDL air streams.
The choice to select and change your own coils is undoubtedly an attractive one, though we suspect that some sub-ohmers out there might not be too comfortable with a lack of wattage controls.
VAPORESSO LUXE XR Max Pod Kit - 10/10
The final sub-ohm pod vape we’ll look at today is the LUXE XR Max, which features far more traditional features than the standard LUXE and LUXE XR. These kits are only set apart by their pod and coil options, whereas the LUXE XR Max is an entirely different beast.
While you’ll notice that the Max is physically very similar to the other LUXE kits, at closer inspection, you’ll notice a sturdier metal is used in the construction of the Max, which covers more of the kit - great if you’re accident-prone, like some on our team!
It’s got a greater heft to it, and that’s not solely down to more metals being used in the build design; the LUXE XR Max increases the battery capacity from 1500mAh to 2800mAh, a vast increase that lets the Max boast one of the largest internal battery capacities in vaping today.
Our team set to work putting the Max through its paces, and we were pleased to find it gave us two days of solid session use even when set to a high wattage output level.
And you did indeed read that correctly; the LUXE XR Max introduces adjustable wattage to a max output of 80W, though if you prefer a more hands-free experience you can also activate the Smart mode that the LUXE X and XR units use.
As the Max is a more powerful machine with greater power capabilities, VAPORESSO wisely chose to include an airflow slider to move between MTL, RDL and DTL cloud outputs.
No new pods to speak of with the Max, but it’s compatible with both the disposable X pods and the reusable XR pods, coming with two of the latter in DTL and RDL variants.
While you may prefer the convenience offered by the LUXE X and LUXE XR kits, the LUXE XR Max is a noticeable upgrade you may prefer simply for its 40% battery increase, even if you let the AXON chipset the wattage for you.
VAPORESSO GEN 200 Kit - 9/10
While the portable sub-ohm LUXE kits above represent a natural step forward in vape design and usability, we know that some of you cloud chasers prefer an altogether mightier kit.
Well, VAPORESSO once again has you covered with the GEN 200 Kit, a dual-battery sub-ohm vape kit featuring the large mod and glass tank that helped bring vaping to everyone’s attention in the early days.
Despite the old-school design, we found the GEN 200 a thoroughly modern device.
Inserting the two 18650 batteries is easier on this mod than any other we’ve tried, with the bay panel flipping off easily yet never wobbling or falling off without pressure. There’s no release ribbon to pull them out, but grooves have been cut into the battery bay to simplify removal.
The mod has a semi-rubberised finish, not enough to feel greasy to the touch but just delicate enough to provide a smooth and comfortable hand feel, which you’ll appreciate during those long cloud sessions.
And on the subject of clouds, if you were impressed by the 80W output of the LUXE XR Max then you’ll be blown away by the astonishing 220W max output of the GEN200, which outstrips the power limits of most sub-ohm vape mods.
Admittedly neither of the GTi coils included with the kit can handle that much power, but it makes the mod very compatible with an RDA or RDTA setup, which should excite you if you’re a cloud fanatic.
This isn’t to badmouth the iTank however, which features a simple sliding top-fill, stepless airflow adjustment, and can be totally disassembled for deep cleaning between e-liquids.
If you’re pod-averse but love a big cloud, the GEN 200 is the kit for you. But if the large size gives you pause, we’ve got one more VAPORESSO kit to show you.
VAPORESSO GEN 80 S Mod - 8/10
The GEN 80 S Mod meets you in the middle. It’sa classic sub-ohm mod requiring an external 18650 battery but with a far more hand and pocket-friendly build size.
Smaller than the GEN 200, the GEN 80 S takes a single battery that is once again held within a comfortable rubberised panel that’s easy to remove but never falls off.
Obviously, with less power comes a slightly diminished output range, but the max power level of 80W is still capable of excellent cloud production, being the same wattage output limit for the LUXE XR Max featured above.
We found the GEN 80 S to be far more comfortable to grip and carry in the pocket, having a remarkably lightweight build due to the thin yet durable materials used in its construction.
The GEN 80 S has all of the GEN 200’s user modes, including a Bypass function that suggests VAPORESSO were keen to ensure that RDA and RDTA users would be able to have fun with the mod.
510 thread is compatible with any regular tank. So, if you’re an MTL vaper who likes the idea of a changeable battery. you can happily screw in the VAPORESSO Itank M and just keep the wattage level within the 8W - 15W range or so.
Conclusion
It’s inspiring to see VAPORESSO resist narrow categorisation and put effort into serving all vapers equally. Their XROS range offers lightweight and convenient cigarette-replacement satisfaction, whereas the Luxe line provides the opportunity to take a pocketful of clouds wherever you go without the need for device adjustments.
And for serious cloud-chasers, their GEN mods and kits give you a high-power yet a remarkably lightweight and intuitive device that can be as streamlined or complex as you desire.
We’re excited to see what VAPORESSO have in store for the future!
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