Smok Rigel 230W Kit Review

Every so often something comes along that completely surprises you. Something that you initially put down as ‘not bad’, or even maybe just ‘something different’, but then you spend a bit of time with it and begin to really appreciate everything that it is.

Today’s review is on a device just like that. This setup sucked me in and then simply impressed me with it’s simplicity, usability, and absolute reliability. It’s not often that I pick up a specific device without even thinking about it, but with the “Smok Rigel”, my hand has just been gravitating toward it for the last few weeks!

Smok have copped a bit of negativity over the years, over their quality control and sheer amount of products that they’ve produced, earning them the stigma that their products are cheap, with low quality.

I have to say, for the last year, I think they’ve really pulled things together and are producing some quality gear right now. And this is a perfect example of that!

Today, I’m going to be looking at their latest dual battery kit, the Smok Rigel 230W kit!

A big thank-you goes out to Smoktech for sending this through for me to review!

Photos

First Impressions – Rundown

Smok’s packaging just gets better and better, the Rigel 230W Kit is presented wonderfully well, and taking it out of the box and feeling this device just fits. I’m actually surprised at how small this dual battery mod is, and the shape is totally ergonomic. Smok have gone to town not only on the presentation, but the finish of this setup, and it pays off. Holding this in the grip of the hand, gives you the feeling of quality, and with the rubberised coating, gives it extra grip, you’re not going to drop this in a hurry!

Boasting 230 Watts of power, this dual battery device, is straight up simple, with no extra functions or gimmicks, variable wattage mode is what you get, and it does it so well. Throw in a 6.5ml capacity tank into the mix like the TFV9 and now you’ve not only got power, but flavour and an e-liquid capacity to keep you going while out and about.

The MOD

The fit and finish of the Rigel mod is what makes this so appealing. Smok have gone for a Wismec Reuleaux shape that fits nicely and snugly in the hand, and is very comfortable to hold. Not to mention, dual batteries in this shape, really does cut the size down making this a really small dual battery device.

The styling of the device is elegant too. Wrapped around what I’m guessing to be a zinc-alloy frame, is plastic, carbon fibre and a rubberised coating giving the Rigel a luxurious feel, and an even better fitment of all components.

From top to bottom, you’ll find a spring loaded 510 connection, large clicky power button, 0.96″ TFT Colour Screen, two smaller option buttons, a USB Type-C charging port, with venting holes on the bottom.

I’m well impressed with the build quality of the Rigel, Smok have done an amazing job on it.

Battery and charging

The battery bay is access from the back of the device, opening up to quite a neat little interior, with battery polarity marks, spring loaded battery terminals and a ribbon for easy removal of your batteries.
They’ve also included a caution message on the inside of the door similar to how Vaporesso did it with their Gen S device.

Fitment of the battery door is fantastic, it’s held in place by two sets of magnets, and is secure, yet easy enough to remove. There is simply no movement while the battery door is in place, which is fantastic.

Usage & Operation

The Rigel is a pretty simple device, Smok have decided to do away with any Temperature control, and advanced settings, instead focusing on making it as simple as possible and easy to use.

The variable wattage only chip offers up a very pretty display, with all of the information you’ll ever need, and in a format that is not only easy to read, but all laid out in a simple way. The battery level is probably the hardest to read, and really needs to be done in a larger font, but the rest is quite clear.

Here are some of the button combinations you can use on the Rigel.

• x5 clicks of power button – Turns device off/on
• x3 clicks of power button – Locks/Unlocks device
• x1 click and hold power button – fires device
• Up button = wattage up
• Down button = wattage down
• Up/Down buttons together = Lock wattage
• Fire + Up = Reset Puff counter
• Fire + Down = Change screen colours (x6 to choose from)
  
  

The TFV9 Tank

Smok have released the TFV9 tank in several kits now, the most recent being the Smok Scar 18 IP67 rated device that I reviewed a little while ago. It’s a decent little tank, that uses V9 coils rated at 0.15 ohms, with an operating wattage of 40-90 Watts.

I’ve had a great vaping experience with this tank, on both the Scar 18 as well as this the Rigel kit, smooth flavour, easy filling and zero leakage.
The V9 coils seem to last quite a long time too, which is always a bonus!

The TFV9 sports a swing top fill cap (I personally don’t like this, but it does work quite well), x2 different types of glass (straight and bubble), a cyclops style airflow, and a removeable 810 drip tip.

Airflow & Coils

As I mentioned earlier, the TFV9 tank uses Smok V9 mesh coils, these are new coils rated slightly differently than previous TFV tanks, however the size and shape have carried over from the TFV8 and are fully compatible. At a resistance of 0.15 ohms with a Wattage range between 40-90 Watts, these coils suit a wide range of vaping styles, and perform quite well, with excellent flavour.

Combined with the TFV’s split cyclops style airflow, this tank provides smooth and flavourful vaping on coils that last a very long time!

Filling

To fill the TFV9 simply swing the top around until it is fully open, and fill from the smaller kidney shaped fill hole to the side. Swing the top cap back again making sure to seat it properly, and you’re done! Couldn’t be simpler.
I don’t personally like this style of fill cap, I would have preferred a threaded cap, but that’s just personal preference.

I will mention that Smok have done a pretty amazing job with the locking mechanism here, making sure that the top cap always has pressure on the silicone seal underneath. This is where many swingtops fail, and depressurize the tank. Well done Smok!

Does it leak?

Nope. Not at all. I’ve used 2 different TFV9’s and neither leaked, for the 2 weeks per tank that I’d used them and over 4 coils lifetime. I’m exceptionally impressed by this, as this is the reason I don’t usually vape sub ohm tanks, but Smok have reignited my interest in them here!

Pros:

• Great Size
• Wonderful build quality and styling
• Great feel in the hand
• Large battery and e-liquid capacity
• Excellent flavour
• Consistant vaping and easy to use
• USB Type-C Charging
• No leaking

Cons:

• Swing top to fill ( I hate these )
• Battery level really difficult to read
  
  

Where to Buy:

You can purchase the Smoktech Rigel 230W kit directly from their online vape store. At the moment it’s for sale at $49.99 USD which is great value for a dual battery 230W mod and tank.

Conclusion

This is a phenomenal piece of kit. From the smart styling to the lovely feel in the hand, the Rigel Kit is going to be a popular combo! You simply can’t go wrong with up to 230 Watts of power, and a great sized tank such as the TFV9.

I’m well impressed with this, and have found myself reaching for the Rigel ahead of other setups that I have in my review queue for the absolute simplicity and fantastic, consistent vape that it puts out.

With more Pro’s than Con’s and an amazing experience to back them up, I’d recommend this kit to any new DTL vaper out there looking for a neat setup, with great flavour and battery life.

Excellent work Smok! I’m glad to see you guys back in the game!

Shane Presser

Shane Presser has been vaping since 2013, and has extensive experience with advanced equipment, coil builds and DIY mixing. He is the man behind VapersGarage, and also more recently Aussie Vape Stores, a resource to help vapers find their nearest Vape Shops, and eLiquid Vendors.