Hardware Review: Xtra Pod Kit from Vaporesso
Welcome back for another hardware review! This time around, I’ve got something here that I’ve had my eye on ever since it was released. The form factor and general look got me hooked and I so hoped that it would live up to the hype. Well let’s find out! Introducing the Vaporesso Xtra POD kit.
The Vaporesso Xtra was sent through to me from Vapoureyes, for the purposes of this review.
Specifications and Features
- Dimensions: 73.9 x 38.2 x 16.7mm
- Capacity: 2ml
- Battery: 900mah internal
- Charging Rate: 5V / 1A
- Pods:
- Meshed Unipod 0.8 ohm (for DTL), max 16W
- Unipod 1.2 ohm (for MTL), max 11W
- Single LED battery indicator
- Extremely comfortable, grippy design
- Will last most vapers a full day!
- Updated cotton wicking for better flavour than ever before
- Silicone side filling slots to keep your juice sealed away safely
- Standard protections included
Product Includes:
- 1 x Vaporesso XTRA Battery w/ Meshed Unipod 0.8ohm pre-installed
- 1 x Extra UNIPOD 1.2ohm
- 1 x USB Cable
- User Manual, Warranty Card, Reminder Card
Photos
The Review
As soon as I opened the packaging for this little device, I was floored. This just looks fantastic! It has a lovely design with elements of steel and carbon fibre, this looks just like an expensive cigarette lighter from the 90’s.
In the box, you’ll get the main device with a pre-installed POD, an extra POD for MTL vaping (this is excellent too), a USB cable, Manual, and Warranty Card, all neatly packed into a nicely spaced plastic insert inside the packaging.
The Main Body
The main body is quite small, the frame is made from chrome plated steel, with a rubberised carbon fibre section covering one half. This is a really cool design addition, and really does make this look classy.
I’ve noticed that the chrome is a bit of a finger print magnet, but that’s fine in my opinion, it’s minimal, and the chrome look is far more impressive than worrying about any finger prints that might be lingering on there.
The design of the main body is quite well thought out too. It’s only a small little thing, but Vaporesso have put the effort into putting every detail into a useful spot.
Going from top to bottom, you’ve got the recess for the POD which has the connector pins inside as well as 2 fairly strong magnets making sure your POD connection is as strong as it can be.
This is a bit of a smart device too. The device also chooses how much power to put through depending on the resistance of the POD used. The 0.8ohm POD will run at 16Watts, while the 1.2ohm POD will run at 11Watts.
Off to the other side is a hole for a lanyard, if you have one laying around. (You don’t get one in the box)
Moving down to the sides of the device, you’ll notice a small LED and micro USB port on the side toward the bottom. A perfect place for them, so that you can charge the device standing up, and see the status of the charging at the same time.
Underneath, on the bottom, there are 3 venting holes, as well as a power button, so you can turn the device on/off with 5 clicks. The LED lights up and goes through it’s range of colours (Red,Blue,Green) during shutdown.
The POD
The PODs that run in the Xtra are newly created UNI Pods, you’ll get both resistances in your kit, the 0.8ohm Mesh pod for a loose MTL vape, and a 1.2ohm single wire coil POD for a tighter MTL vape.
The PODs are of a duck bill design, which actually feel really comfortable. The smoked plastic is tinted, but still easy to see eliquid through, so you won’t have trouble trying to fill. There is a silicone plug on the side, that you lift to fill the POD with ejuice, which is colour coded depending on which resistance POD you are using. (this is a nice touch)
On the bottom you’ll find 2 nice big contacts, that give off a simple click when the POD is inserted into the main body and makes contact with the magnets.
These PODs have magnificent longevity, I’m actually still using the same POD nearly 4 weeks later, with absolutely no drop in performance or flavour. Out of both, my favourite is the 0.8ohm loose MTL POD due to the extra flavour it puts out, and the extra 5 Watts makes a big difference!
I’ve found the 1.2ohm POD to be good, but not quite what I expected out of what I’d assumed was meant to be a tight MTL draw. It has a similar airflow to the 0.8ohm POD, just without that extra saturated flavour. I did expect it to be much tighter.
The performance of these PODs has been pretty good. I haven’t had any negative things go wrong with them. No dry hits, no flooding. About all I’ve noticed is as this POD starts to age, I notice a little seeping under the POD.
Just like the Osmall, this is not really an issue since it’s minimal, and the device is designed so that the juice wont go into the main body. (theres only a tiny tiny airhole there)
Battery
The battery is quite good, it’s only a 900mAh internal battery, but it holds strong, and powers the little device for most of the day before having to be charged. I do have to admit, it is a larger battery than most POD devices of this size, so I’m being really picky here. As with anything, I would have liked this battery to have had a little bit larger capacity, but I also understand the size contraints.
You can check on the battery’s charge by clicking the power button on the bottom once, and the LED will light up telling you the level of your battery. Green for full, Blue for ok, Red for ‘youd better plug me in mate’!
Airflow
The airflow is what really impressed me. I totally did not expect the quality of the vape that I get from this device. Even with standard nicotine juice, I’ve been getting quite a strong hit from it, throw in some Salt Nic, and it’s impossible to not be impressed.
Id describe it as a loose Mouth to lung draw, similar to the Caliburn and Koko, not loose enough to push you to do a Direct to Lung inhale, but also not tight enough that you’ll need to push your nicotine levels up.
Filling
Filling is really easy. Pop the Pod out, turn it on the side, and lift one end of the silicone stopper up, revealing the fill hole. Most bottle nozzles will fit easily here, and you can fill without making a mess. You might need to move the pod around a little to get the air bubbles to flow to the top to get extra juice in, but that’s not really an issue.
Bung the silicone stopper back on, pop your POD into the device and off you go.
Usage
This is a purely auto-draw device, so there really are no buttons to worry about, just charge it and go. If you like playing with buttons and enjoy LED lights, turning the device off and on via 5 clicks of the button on the bottom, rotates the LED on the side through it’s Red,Blue and Green colours!
Any Leaks?
As I mentioned earlier, no real leaking, perhaps a little seepage through the bottom of the coil, as it ages. But it’s literally only one or two drips every so often after it has been sitting a while, or through temperature changes.
Pros:
- Small ergonomic design
- Classy looks
- Has an on/off button
- Auto draw works well
- Simple to operate
- Great flavour
- Great vape
Cons:
- Light seepage from coil
- Only single power mode
- Auto-draw is a little hit or miss as your battery gets depleted.
- MTL 1.2ohm POD does not have tight enough airflow.
Conclusion
This is a fantastic little device. I’ve actually been leaving my main setup at home the last week, and only been running this while at work, and it’s not only kept me going but, the battery has done a brilliant job keeping up.
The Pods have a really long life, and the flavour is phenomenal through the 0.8ohm coils.
Dare I say it….. Yep, it’s a Caliburn killer!
Where to Buy:
You can purchase the Vaporesso Xtra right now from the Vapoureyes online store, or any other store really, most should have them, for around about the $39.95 AU mark, which is not to bad price wise, the PODs will cost you approximately $10 for 2.
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