Uwell Whirl T1 Pod Reviewed

Welcome back you lot. Today I’m looking at another little pod system. It’s not something you’re likely to have seen before, unless you’ve come across this particular unit. It’s not a Pod Mod, nor is it a smaller disposable pod system, it’s a little bit of a hybrid, and not the type you’d expect either!

Just a quick look at the images below, will have you thinking, “Maybe it’s variable wattage, replaceable coil pod mod? It certainly looks large enough to be one!”. What if I were to tell you, this bulky looking thing is actually really really lightweight and a lot more simple and straight forward than you’ll ever believe?

Let’s take a look at the Uwell Whirl T1 Pod!

Big thanks goes to Sourcemore for sending this directly through to me for review!

General Info & Photos

I won’t leave you in suspense, this new Pod device from Uwell, (well not quite so new now, I’m a little behind on this one) is a super simple device, featuring a really lightweight body, 1300mah internal battery, maximum 16 Watts of output with 3 power levels, draw activated firing, with disposable pod, childproof filling, and adjustable airflow.

That’s a lot to take in, but as advanced as this bit of kit is, Uwell have made sure to keep the operation of it as simple as possible.

The Body

The body of the Whirl T1 is triangular, with some really rounded corners, so not a full on triangular shape, more cylindrical in shape. The triangular nature of it reflects the 3 different power settings and the 3 different Pod rotations that you can insert the Pod in order to achieve them. As a bonus, this shape is really really comfortable to hold too!!

Made from an alluminium alloy, the Whirl T1 body, not only feels great in the hand with it’s grips and indents, but is also really lightweight, giving off an almost empty feel to it when you pick it up. Almost as though, a lot of room inside the device has been left empty.

With a Pod recess up top and airflow slots just below it, the Whirl T1 doesn’t have a lot more going on beside a rudimentary display on the front which really only guides you on which power setting you’re on, and the USB Type C charge port on the base. Otherwise it really is a simple internal battery powered mod, with draw activated output.

The POD

When I first opened up the box for the Whirl T1, I have to admit I was a little taken aback by the pods. These look like some pretty decently designed Pods! PCTG tinted plastic, included airflow control switch on the base, push to fill – fill port, built in drip tip, and generally a pretty good, solid build. Unfortunately, I was left more than disappointed to find out that the coils are not replace-able. Yep, that’s right, these are disposable pods. This is a missed opportunity for Uwell to re-use some of their existing coils unfortunately. Uwell Caliburn G coils, Havok coils, even Aeglos Coils could have been used here, and doing so would be a lot better for the environment.
In my opinion, this larger sized device, just does not suit the disposable Pod, leave that to the smaller devices.

Airflow

What I am impressed about with the Whirl T1 Pods, are the airflow control, and the filling methods. The airflow control is changed via the small switch on the base of the Pod, which allows you to slide the control across for anywhere between a restricted DTL draw right down to a fairly tight MTL draw. Sure, you have to remove the Pod in order to adjust the setting, but in all honesty, I think this is a bit of a set and forget sort of thing anyway. I know I don’t go altering my airflow every 5 minutes of the day, and having it hidden away, also makes sure that it doesn’t get accidentally adjusted while stored in your pocket.

This airflow adjustment is easy to slide, with only the smallest amount of restriction or feedback, so you’ll need to carefully slide it across to get to your ideal airflow. I’ve also noticed that there isn’t a lot of range with this airflow, completely open will give you a restricted DTL draw, whereas completely closed will give you quite an open MTL draw.

These pods friction fit into the main device, and can take a little bit of effort to remove. A magnetic connection for the pod would have been a better idea, but I haven’t had a lot of problems with it the way that it is. You just need to get a good grip on it before trying to pull it.

The Whirl t1 pods put out some good flavour, and some surprisingly dense clouds for the low wattage that they run at. I am impressed by these.

Filling

The fill port is really cool. Rather than going with a silicone plug, Uwell have designed a port that you insert your bottle nozzle and push and fill. The one way valve allows you to fill, and when you take the nozzle away, locks back down to ensure no e-liquid comes back out. Genius!

Battery

The Whirl T1 comes with a 1300mah internal battery. To be honest, this is a little on the smaller side, and I would have liked to have seen it be a little larger. There’s certainly the room inside of the body for a larger battery, and the 1300mah doesn’t last all that long. It does last a lot longer than I’d expected however due to the lower wattage power limits of this device, just not all day as I would have hoped.

You’ll find a charge port on the bottom of the device, and as with all of their newer devices, Uwell have gone with the trusty USB Type C connection, which pushes out quite a fast charge, so that you can get up and running quick smart, should you get caught out with a flat battery.

Any Leaks?

Despite the fact that the Whirl T1 uses enclosed Pods or non-removeable coils, which makes leaking more controllable by the manufacturer, I have still experienced some seepage from the bottom of the Pods. Granted, it only really happens when leaving the device sitting for 24 hours or more, but it does happen. Luckily, the recess of the Whirl T1 makes it really easy to clean up, and the rubber bedding in there makes it near on impossible for e-liquid to get into the actual device itself.

Usage & Features

If you’re looking for a mass of features and a heap of button combinations for the Whirl T1, you’re going to sorely disappointed, because Uwell have purposely made this device so very simple to use, with little controls if any!
The Whirl T1 is draw activated, and adjusting between the 3 different power settings is done by removing the pod and rotating the direction of it. That is about it, besides the sliding airflow adjustment on the Pod itself, there aren’t any more controls. There is no fire button, there is no on/off switch.

The three power settings will output a different wattage on rotation of the Pod, and the numbers are all marked on the base of the Pod itself. I feel these markings could have been made a little more prominent, as it can be quite difficult to see the markings unless you catch it in the right light, or reflection of light. An LED indicator is provided on the front of the device, it flashes with the correct amount of arrows in comparison to the Mode you are in. It can be a bit of a pain relying on this to be able to tell which setting you have it on though, and I think some more prominent markings are needed.

The three power modes are:
– Mode one 14W
– Mode two 15W
– Mode three 16W

Pros:

• Good size, comfortable and lightweight
• Great flavour and vape
• Auto draw works really well and is very reactive
• The airflow is a nice level, not too tight not too loose
• Fill port is quite a good feature, easy to fill
• Clever use of Pod orientation for power settings
• Fast charging

Cons:

• A little seepage under pods
• Pods are disposable
• Sometimes difficult to remove pods

Where to Buy:

The Whirl T1 is stocked up now pretty much everywhere, but you can pick it up from Sourcemore’s online vape store for around the $27 USD price point.

Sourcemore have also given me a coupon code to use, just enter “WHIRK” on checkout and you’ll get the Whirl T1 kit for $17 USD. You can also use the code for replacement Pods, which will come out to $5.88 USD per Pod when using the code!

A quick look around the web sees them stocked at several Australian stores for around the $38 AUD mark.

Conclusion

While I’ve found a few problems here, that Uwell could have improved on, I do think this is quite a good little device. It has a lot going for it, in particular in how easy it is to use. It would be a great beginner setup for someone who wants a no mess no fuss way of filling, and who doesn’t wish to bother with replacing coils at all.

The filling and pod orientation for different power outputs are quite ingenious, and I commend Uwell on pushing through and releasing something with some alternative design. I actually think these two things are the Whirl T1’s saving grace.

I particularly do not like the disposable pods, the non-removeable drip tips, only one pod being in the pack and the non-existant USB cable in the box.

Otherwise, it’s a good little device that performs very well and is build to be really simple to use.
If you’re looking for a no-fuss setup, and don’t mind purchasing disposable pods, this is a great bit of kit for any beginner vaper!

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.