GeekVape Aegis Max Review

The Aegis is by far GeekVape’s most popular product line, so I guess it makes sense for the Chinese manufacturer to milk it for all it’s worth. Ever since the Aegis 100W came out back in 2017, we’ve seen numerous other Aegis mods, most of which only slightly improved on the original, and yet people bought them. The new GeekVape Aegis Max is more of the same, but I’m sure it will be just as successful as all the other Aegis mods before it.

Aegis Max Packaging and Presentation

Just as GeekVape’s Aegis mods have remained virtually unchanged over the last three years, so has the packaging. The company is using the same rectangular cardboard boxes painted in the traditional orange and black combination, with a picture of the device inside on the front, and a short description, a list of contents, pictograms of the kit’s main features, and company contact information, on the back.

Inside the package, we have the Aegis Max mod, a GeekVape Zeus sub-ohm tank, a user manual, and a box of accessories, which contains a spare coil-head for the Zeus tank, a mini-USB cable for charging and firmware upgrades, some spare o-rings for the tank, a battery adapter, and a couple of wacky tools that you don’t usually see in vape kits.

Aegis Max Design and Build Quality

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph of this review, the GeekVape Max looks and feels like more of the same, and by that I mean that the design and feel of the mod looks virtually unchanged from the original Aegis 100W mod I reviewed over three years ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been a fan of the Aegis design. It looks cool, it’s ergonomic, the quality of materials is outstanding, and that real stitched leather handle is the cherry on the cake. The problem is that apart form some minor changes, it has remained unchanged for over three years now.

Why change what isn’t broken, you ask? Well, why buy virtually the same mod you bought a few months, or a year ago? It goes both ways. Personally, I think the design of the Aegis line has been around long enough, and it’s time for GeeekVape to go back to the drawing board. They did a great job on the GeekVape Aegis X, so they clearly have the talent to do it again.

As I mentioned, the Aegis Max retains the same general design as most other Aegis mods before it. The only noticeable changes between this brand new mod and the original Aegis 100W are the enlarged connection plate, which looks like it can easily accommodate 30mm atomizers, the designs of the buttons, which are slightly smaller this time around, and the location of the charging port.

There is also a slight difference in size between the two vape mods, with the Aegis Max being slightly smaller, as it is compatible with 21700, as opposed to the 26650 compatibility of the Aegis 100W. Other than that is is literally the same mod. It has the same general design lines, the same outdated black and white display, the same chip, exact same battery door, and the same rubberized exterior.

Basically, the only new feature of the Aegis Max is the 21700 battery compatibility, which, in my opinion is way too little to justify buying a new vape mod. It’s not a bad mod, by any means, in fact it’s just as good as previous Aegis mods, so unless you really care about the 21700 battery compatibility, go ahead and just get one of those.

Aegis Max Menu System and Compatibility

Unfortunately, the Aegis Max not only looks a bit old, it’s actually just as old on the inside. It’s powered by the same AS Chip that was in the original Aegis and most Aegis devices since. Sure, GeekVape will sometimes put an “AS Chip 2.0” on the packaging, and they may have made some tweaks to it since 2017, but in terms of interface and features, it’s the same exact chip.

And because the Aegis Max the exact same chip, it also has the exact same vape modes, features and button combinations as the 2017 Aegis 100W, so I won’t bother listing all that’s available here. If it’s something you want to learn more about, just check out my review of the Aegis 100W.

Aegis Max Battery Life and Performance

The new GeekVape Aegis Max introduces 21700 battery compatibility for the first time, so if that was something you were hoping for, rejoice! If you are bummed out about having to buy a new battery, don’t be, as the kit also includes a plastic adapter that allows you to use the mod with a single 18650 battery.

Even with a 21700 battery, the new Aegis Max remains a single-battery device, so don’t expect it to give you the best battery life. Maybe you’ll get an hour or two more out of it, than with an 18650, but definitely not much more than that.

For some reason, GeekVape couldn’t even be bother to upgrade the charging port to the newer USB Type-C standard, which fits the theme of this mod perfectly. They had already used the new standard on the Aegis Pod, so they could have easily integrated here as well, but they just went with the old mini-USB interface. I know it’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s a clear sign that this device is just an old Aegis under a new name.

Performance-wise the new Aegis Max is, again, the same as previous Aegis mods. That isn’t very surprising considering that it is powered by the same exact chip and features the same vape modes. It works well for what it is, but in terms of progress from 2017 to 2020, there literally isn’t any. That won’t mean too much if this is your first Aegis mod, but having tried so many other Aegis devices over the last 3 years, I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed.

The GeekVape Zeus Tank

The Aegis Max kit comes bundled with one of GeekVape’s most popular sub-ohm tanks, the Zeus. We reviewed the GeekVape Zeus X RTA a while back, and the Zeus tanks is very similar, both in design, as well as in e-liquid capacity (5ml) and the fact that they both have top airflow.

The tank is fairly easy to use, the coils are inserted through the bottom; you just unscrew the base, and pull the installed coil-head out, either by grabbing it with your fingers, or with e small metal tool provided in the kit. Do pay attention when inserting a new one in, as there are two small notches that have to be aligned with some grooves on the tank.

To fill the GeekVape Zeus, you have to remove the top-cap, by doing a quarter-turn, and pour juice in through one of the two fill ports. Because this is a top fill tank, the risk of leaking is basically non-existent. There is a risk that the coil-heads get flooded and the juice come up through the central shaft and into your mouth, but I didn’t experience any such issues.

The Zeus comes with two mesh coil-heads, an 0.2Ω and an 0.4Ω, both of which deliver excellent performance, in terms of vapor production and flavor, but they both need a fair bit of power to reach their full potential, and that takes a toll on your mod’s battery life.

The GeekVape Zeus is a solid sub-ohm tank, one of the best on the market, but it’s not enough to redeem this kit, in my opinion.

Conclusion

I’ve been testing and using Aegis mods for a long time, and I’ve always been very fond of them, but the repackaging of the same old mod under a new Aegis name is getting a little ridiculous. If this is your first Aegis device, by all means, buy it… Come to think of it, no, unless you really care about the 21700 battery compatibility, get the Aegis 100W, or the Aegis Solo, if you can find them, they are probably heavily discounted these days.

Not to hate on GeekVape or anything, but they really need to comes out with something new in the Aegis line, because this repackaging strategy is really getting old.

The GeekVape Aegis Max was sent to me by Health Cabin for the purpose of this review. They are selling the Aegis Max kit for the super decent price of $42.30 (if you log in)

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