Smok Acro Pod Review
Smoktech are a pretty big company, and they’re constantly pushing new products out to meet demand for the newest, shiniest vape gear.
But among that huge amount of production, not all are successes. Some fall by the side, for newer, more innovative products, and some, well, some just need some more RRD.
Sometimes though, something comes together, in both form and function. It resonates with punters, impresses reviewers, and works perfectly for it’s intended purpose. Likely much better than was even intended!
I think this is one of those products. It ticks all of the boxes, and form and function have come together to create a well thought out product that does what it is supposed to do, and it does it really well!
Let’s take a look at Smok’s Acro Kit!!
Big thanks goes to Smoktech for sending this through to me for review!
Specifications and Features
- Size: 30.2 x 11.2 x 103mm
- Weight: 48g
- Output Wattage: 5W-25W
- Battery Capacity: 1000mAh
- Standby Current: < 50uA
- Input Voltage: 3.3V-4.2V
- Output Voltage: 1.5V – 4.0V
- Resistance Range: 0.6 – 2.5 Ohms
- Charging Voltage: 5V+0.2V
- Charging Current: 0.85A (Max)
Product Includes
- 1 x ACRO Device
- 2 x ACRO Meshed 0.8ohm PODS
- 1 x TYPE-C CABLE
- 1 x USER MANUAL
Photos
General Info
The new Smok Acro is quite an impressive little bit of hardware. While it’s only a dainty size, Smok have packed more features into this than many other Pod devices! From the variable wattage, screen, to adjustable airflow, and USB Type-C charging, you’re getting excellent bang for your buck, and a feature-set that is usually reserved for much larger setups.
It’s unassuming looks might have you browse straight past it when shopping online, you might have even seen it in your favourite store and dismissed it as ‘just another pod vape’, but it is far from that.
This might just be one of the best ‘stick’ Pods released in the last 12 months!
The Body
The body of the Acro is really lightweight, and I’m guessing made from some type of Alluminium alloy. The finish is quite nice, a really simple straight forward satin coating, that seems pretty resilient. I also note the minimal branding too, which leaves this with a really clean look to it.
I would have liked just a little bit more weight to this, a little bit of heft gives the illusion of higher quality, and while the Smok Acro is really great quality-wise, a little extra weight would give it a high end feel. A full brushed alluminium finish among the options would have been excellent also. But I digress.
Sizing in at 30.2 x 11.2 x 103mm, it’s not the smallest Pod device in the world, but it does have a very nice form factor. Instead of being super small, it’s super slim, and will slip into your pocket easily for some out and about vaping.
Up top you’ll find the pod recess, which houses 2 magnets, as well as Pod connectors. In the middle you’ll find a raised rubber piece surrounding the air inlet, which acts as a bit of an e-liquid seal. If you take a look at the Pod there is a similar sized recess where these parts snug together to minimise any leaking under the Pod. (It also works really well, very clever Smok!)
On the front of the device, is a single round button, this is what you’ll use to turn it on/off, access settings and also fire the device if you have it set to button fire. It has a nice feel to it and doesn’t protrude a lot, minimising the amount of accidental presses you might do while its in your pocket.
On the back face, is the airflow control. Yes, the Acro, as small as it is, also has an airflow adjustment in the form of a slider, that reveals 3 airflow slots.
On the edge, the Acro sports a nice little screen similar to what you get on the Smok NFIX and NFIX Mate, it’s only black and white, but shows you all of the information you’ll need to know, including how many minutes until full charge, if it’s plugged in. Along with the screen, it’s great to see two additional buttons for adjusting your wattage up and down.
And finally on the bottom, is the USB Type-C port.
The PODs
The pods are your typical tinted PCTG plastic, due to their shape, they have a wider duckbill mouthpiece, which is actually quite comfortable to use, and makes sense due to this being primarily a MTL device.
As I mentioned earlier, the body of the Acro is really slim, and that means that the Pods need to be too! With that comes some limitations.
The Pods that come in the kit are all in one pods. You won’t be able to switch coils out, which is a bit of a bummer, but understandable too. There just wouldn’t be any room for it.
The Pods are also, so thin, that you might have some issues while filling due to thicker e-liquid getting caught between on either side of the central coil, and you’ll sometimes have issues filling it up to 100%. Spending a little time on filling slowly helps, and holding it at a certain angle allows the air bubbles to rise to the surface allowing you to fill properly. I know, you shouldn’t have to, and it’s a con. But there are workarounds.
You’ll get 2 pods in the kit, both of them the same, which run at 0.8ohms resistance, and are good for wattage between 12-15Watts. I’ve been using them on around the 14 Watt mark and they’ve held up remarkably well. They are very long lasting coils.
The flavour from the coils is ok, not phenomenal. You do get all of the accents of the flavour that you use, it’s just a little muted. But not so much as any other Pod system. It would be a good idea to use Pod specific flavours and bump your nicotine level up a little when using this due to the lower wattage that it runs at.
Airflow
The airflow adjustment that Smok have provided with the Acro is awesome, it’s a slider with 3 slots available, allowing the user to jump between a really right MTL with 0 slots showing, through to a really restricted DTL draw with all slots open. It’s a little fiddly, but it’s nicely done, and works a treat. Top marks for including this!
Battery
The Acro has an internal battery of course due to size, and it’s generously sized. 1000mah is what you’ll get, and that will last you all day long with no issues. I’ve managed to get a day and a half out of mine.
If you’re in bind with a flat battery, you can also vape while the Acro charges, and you might need to since it takes a little while to charge at it’s maximum 0.85A charging current.
Filling
As with all Pods, filling is easy, unplug the silicone plug from the side and fill from the fill hole. The fill hole is a little small, but if you fill it slowly you’ll manage with no issues and no mess.
I’ve noticed that because the middle coil section doesn’t leave a lot of room for e-liquid to move around, you can get trapped air pockets in there from time to time. Just move the pod around, and you should be able to get it to fill 100%. It’s a lot less of a pain than some other small sized pods.
Any Leaks?
No leaks, at all. There are small bits of seepage under the Pod but the new rubber piece that slots into the bottom of the Pod helps to limit this a lot.
The Acro is very much a nice clean device, even when left in the pocket!
Usage
There isn’t a lot to the Acro as far as operation is concerned. You can adjust wattage, choose between auto-draw or auto-draw and button fire, as well as lock your wattage.
- Turn on/off : Press fire button x5 times
- Switch between auto-draw OR dual fire mode : Press fire button x3 times.
- Lock Wattage: Press Up/Down simultaneously.
Pros:
- Great slim size
- Great build quality
- Easy to use
- Really nice form factor
- Screen is very useful
- USB Type C chargeport
- Adjustable wattage
- Adjustable airflow
- Auto draw and button fire options
Cons:
- Slowish charging
- Filling can be cumbersome
- One piece pods
Where to Buy:
You can pick up the Smoktech Acro Pod directly through the Smoktech online store or from any good vape store that stocks Smok products. It costs $39.99 USD which is not too bad and pretty much the going price for many Pod kits these days!
Conclusion
I have really enjoyed this one. It ticks a lot of boxes, and the form factor really is something else! Slip it in your pocket and away you go. No need to worry about battery life, as it’ll give you over a day worth of vaping. Wattage is adjustable, for those chasing the perfect power level, as is airflow, which is an absolute dream on a small Pod device! It’s so good being able to adjust your airflow for how you’d like to vape for the day!
Flavour is not unrivaled, and that’s not an issue really, e-liquids made for Pods with higher flavour ratios are best for this, as is bumping your nicotine up a notch due to the lower wattage available.
The only real gripe I’ve had with this one, is the filling, it can be a little awkward, and getting e-liquid trapped with an air bubble in the middle of the Pod can be annoying. Thankfully, filling up slowly and steadily will easily get the Pod filled, it just takes a little more attention than I would have liked.
All in all, this is a fantastic little MTL pod device, with a form factor that is an absolute pleasure to use. I’d love to see some higher end finishes for this like a brushed stainless, or even a dimpled copper, maybe a full mirror chrome finish. Any of the above really, because the minimal branding and large flat surfaces really do make for showing off some more shine!!!
Great work Smok, love this one!
Rating overview
