Vaporesso Target PM80 Review
Pod mods are off to a great start in 2020, and if I were to guess, I would say that this new style of vaping device will overtake vape pods in popularity this year. They are basically the next evolutionary step in vape pod design, offering the same type of convenience, but also a great deal more power, more customization options and a lot more battery life. Today we will be taking a look at the newest pod mod from Vaporesso, the Target PM80. Let’s see if it has what it takes to compete against bestsellers like the VooPoo Vinci or SMOK RPM40:
A Look at the Contents
The Vaporesso Target PM80 comes in the new packaging that the Chinese manufacturer introduced for its newest generation of products powered by the powerful Axon chip, including the Gen mod and the Target Mini 2. It’s basically the same style of rectangular cardboard box we’ve seen countless times before, only with better printed graphics, including a picture of the device inside and a short motto. In this case the motto is “A Sub-Ohm Pod Mod”. That’s actually the best way to describe the Target PM80 in a single sentence.
Inside the packaging we have the new Target PM80 pod mod sitting in a plastic holder next to an extra refillable pod and two mesh coil-heads sealed in separate blister packs. Underneath that holder we have the other usual accessories – a micro-USB cable for charging, a user manual, and a warranty card. It’s a standard pod mod kit, although I will point out that manufacturers rarely include a backup refillable pod, so kudos to Vaporesso for doing so!
Design and Build Quality
Both the original VooPoo Vinci and the Vinci X are great vapong devices, but the main criticism they get regards their form factor. It’s not that they are uncomfortable to hold or use, but they just look like square blocks that you vape on, which isn’t particularly appealing. The new Vinci Air fixes that to some degree, but I still wouldn’t call it a good looking vape mod. The Vaporesso Target PM80, on the other hand, has a much nicer design, in my opinion.
The Target in the Target PM80 name isn’t just for branding, the device actually borrows the iconic design of Vaporesso’s longstanding series, including the general shape of the pod mod, the design of the air intakes, the fire button. There are a lot of familiar details reminiscent of the Target mods, if you have the time to really look for them. But what really matters is that they come together to form a very eye-catching, ergonomic design.
The Vaporesso Target PM80 measures 102mm x 33.5mm x 25mm, which makes it slightly shorter than the VooPoo Vinci and the SMOK RPM40, and is made primarily of zinc alloy. It only comes in gun metal, but you do have the option of selecting the sticker that comes on about half the device. My review sample came with a high-quality carbon fibre texture sticker, but you can choose from several more artistic versions as well.
The metallic portions of the device, the ones painted gun metal, are very glossy, and while they only act as fingerprint magnets right now, they seem very prone to scratching as well. There’s no denying the paint finish looks very nice, I just don’t know how it will hold up over time, is what I am trying to say.
The front panel is glossy as well, just like on the Vinci pod mod, the metallic buttons are nice and clicky and don’t rattle at all, even when you shake the device violently, and the color display is simply gorgeous. It has a good resolution, the three available colors are vibrant, and just the layout of the screen is very inspired.
The pods of the Vaporesso Target PM80 hold up to 4ml of e-liquid, and are not tinted at all, offering a very clear view of the juice level inside. While the pods do look slanted at an angle, the bottom is flat, so if you hold the device straight, you shouldn’t worry about the juice flowing to one side and accidentally damaging the coil-head.
Just like the VooPoo Vinci and the SMOK RPM40, the new Target PM80 features plug ‘n play coil-heads that simply have to be pushed into the plastic pods through the bottom. The fill port is located on the bottom as well, and sealed with a beefy rubber plug. So far, the sealing has been holding up very nicely, as the bottom of the pods is absolutely bone dry.
One of the things that most impressed me about the Target PM80 pod mod was how strongly the pods attached to the mod. All you have to do is drop them into the allotted port on the mod and magnets just snap into place. There is absolutely no rattle at all, and pulling the pods off the mod actually requires a fair bit of strength.
All in all, the Vaporesso Target PM80 looks and feels like a very solid vaping device, with an aesthetically-pleasing design and excellent build quality. I do wonder how all the glossy parts will hold up over time, but then again that goes for glossy gadgets in general. So far though, it’s an impressive little mod.
Menu System and Navigation
I usually skip this section when reviewing pods and pod mods, but the Target PM80 actually has a small menu system and some shortcuts that need to mention. First, to turn the device on and off, all you have to do is press the fire button five times in rapid succession. Pressing the same button three times will lock or unlock all the buttons of the device, so you can hold it in your pocket without worrying about it going off accidentally or your power setting being changed.
To go into the menu, just hold down the two small + and – buttons for a couple of seconds. Once in the menu, you can use the + and – buttons to browse through all the available settings and confirm your choice with the fire button. You can choose between Variable Wattage and Variable Voltage modes, as well as Smart Variable Wattage, which automatically sets the power output that the chip considers ideal whenever you attach a new coil-head, based on its resistance. You can turn this feature off if you like, but I think it’s really useful for beginners and casual vapers.
In the menu you can also check your daily puffs over the last seven days, and reset the puff counter, in Theme, you can change the color of the display from three available colors: green, blue and pink, the Default option allows you to reset the mod to factory settings, and Exit jumps to the home screen.
The Target PM80 doesn’t have the most advanced menu system and navigation, but it’s better than nothing, especially if you are the type of user who likes to customize both their vaping experience and the look of their device.
Battery Life and Performance
One of the great advantages that pod mods have over classic vape pods is battery life. A good pod system, like the Renova Zero, has a battery capacity of around 600mAh, while pod mods have more than double that. But even when compared to devices in its own class, the Vaporesso Target PM80 is in a league of its own. Despite being slightly smaller than the VooPoo Vinci, it has a considerably larger battery (2,000mAh compared to 1,500mAh).
In terms of battery life per size, there’s nothing better than the Vaporesso Target PM80 on the market right now, and this thing also features fast charging (2A), allowing you to recharge the depleted battery in just about an hour, as well as passthrough technology, so you can use it while it’s charging.
Performance-wise, the Vaporesso Target PM80 is comparable to its main rivals, the VooPoo Vinci and the SMOK RPM40. In fact, you can even use VooPoo plug ‘n’ play coil-heads with the Target PM80 pods, if you like. I don’t know if this was intentionally done by Vaporesso, but it certainly opens up a whole plethora of coil-head options, as VooPoo has a whole range of plug ‘n’ play coil-heads for its Vinci pod mods.
The main difference between the Target PM80 and the VooPoo Vinci, as far as I can tell, is the lack of any type of airflow control on the former. Unlike the Vaporesso Degree, the company’s newest pod mod has some wide-open air slots, with no way to mitigate how much air hits the coil-head, other than covering the slots with your fingers. That basically means you can only use them for direct lung vaping.
The Target PM80 is advertised as a sub-ohm pod mod on the box that it comes in, so you can’t blame Vaporesso for misleading people about the capabilities of its device, but some mouth-to-lung (MTL) option would have been nice, I’m not going to lie. If VooPoo could pull it off on their pod mods, there is no way Vaporesso couldn’t come up with something. Hopefully they will offer some MTL solution if they ever come up with a version 2, but right now, the Target PM80 is all about direct lung vaping.
If you’re into DL vaping and looking for a simple to use yet robust pod mod, the Vaporesso Target PM80 is a very solid option. The new Axon chip activates the battery instantly, the power ramp-up is nothing short of impressive, and the two included GTX mesh coil-heads (0.2Ω and 0.3Ω) deliver excellent vapor production as well as great flavor. The device even suggest the best range for every coil-head, so you don’t have to experiment yourself, unless you really want to.
And if you’re not satisfied with the Vaporesso GTX coil-heads, you can always go to VooPoo for alternatives, seeing as the PM80 pods are compatible with the competition’s coil-heads as well.
Conclusion
The new Vaporess Target PM80 is definitely worthy of the iconic Target brand. Not only does it look like a Vaporesso Target, but the build quality is there as well, and the performance is impressive as well. If you’re into sub-ohm vaping, and don’t really care about the lack of MTL options and adjustable airflow, there is honestly no better pod mod out there. Performance is really solid, it’s a looker, and the 2,000mAh battery capacity is unmatched.
The Vaporesso Target PM80 pod mod was sent to me directly by Vaporesso, for the purpose of this review.
Nice, detailed review, but I think you’ll find that if you look in your Vaporesso box again, you’ll find a small packet of rubber grommets that fit into the airflow holes on the device and allow you to restrict your airflow to something closer to MTL.
Hmm, I think you may be right. I don’t remember seeing those rubber plugs in the PM80 box, but I specifically remember them in the PM80 SE kit I reviewed a while back. I mentioned them in that review, but somehow I missed them when testing the original PM80. I’ll have to double check the kit if I can find it…
Have bought two, second within a week of the first,really like them. Have had about a month now and have used them but not all the time. One the battery will no longer take a charge. The second charges but shuts down…like goes to sleep and to get it going have to plan in to charge, remove charger and if not drawing on it regularly, goes to sleep again. Too bad, I really like them but not at all happy with dead battery and sleep mode. Would not buy again!