4_5stars

SMOK Thallo S Review

There’s no denying the fact that the VooPoo Drag S and X were two of the best pod mods of 2020, but it’s still a bit shocking to see them so blatantly copied by other manufacturers. The new SMOK Thallo and Thallo S are obvious replicas of VooPoo’s pod mods in both design and functionality, but to their credit, SMOK did add their own flavor, in the form of 21700 battery compatibility for the S version, and proprietary coil-heads. Copying successful products has always been very popular in the vaping industry, but it’s still shocking to see it so prevalent…

SMOK Thallo S Specifications

Dimensions: 129 mm x 37.5 mm x 31 mm
Material: Zinc Alloy, artificial leather
Battery: Single 21700/18650
Wattage range: 5-100W
Voltage range: 0.5-4.0V
Resistance range: 0.15Ω – 2.5Ω
Vaping Modes: Variable Wattage
Pod capacity: 5 ml

SMOK Thallo S Packaging and Presentation

The new SMOK Thallo S pod mod comes in the same style of packaging we saw on the SMOK RPM80 Pro, a rectangular cardboard box with a picture of the device and various pictograms of its main features, on the front, and a list of kit contents, the usual age restriction and nicotine warnings, and various certification, on the back.

One thing that struck me as weird about the Thallo S packaging was the fact that it makes no mention of the 21700 battery compatibility, arguably its main advantage against the VooPoo Drag X. It just seems like a wasted opportunity, considering the packaging only lists the external 18650 battery, and the corresponding 80W max output.

Inside the packaging, we have the Thallo S pod mod, two included RPM2 coil-heads, a USB Type-C charging cable, a spare drip tip matching the color pattern on the fake leather finish of the pod mod, a user manual, as well as warranty and battery safety cards.

SMOK Thallo S Design and Build Quality

As I mentioned in the introduction to this review, the design of SMOK’s Thallo pod mod line is heavily inspired by the VooPoo Drag S and X devices, as well as by the company’s new Argus Pro. The tinted, refillable pods have the same bell-like design, the mod has a very similar shape and the same fake leather finish, and even the rectangular, color display is very reminiscent of VooPoo’s devices. There are however some notable differences.

For example, the Thallo pods come with removable 510 drip tips, whereas Drag ones had a non-removable plastic mouthpiece. The adjustable airflow control ring has a slightly different design, although it has the exact same function, and the control panel on the mod protrudes from the body, whereas on the Drag pod mods it was more seamlessly integrated. Finally, the fake leather finish features some weird “fluid” patterns that remind me of resin. However, SMOK recently released some more classic leather colors, which I think was a good call, as these fluid designs are a bit over the top.

The Thallo and Thallo S pods hold up to 5ml of e-liquid, which is 0.5 more than what the Drag S and X pods, and they come with removable 510 drip tips. I’m a big fan of the idea to include a spare tip in the same color configuration as the mod itself, as “matchy-matchy” is still a big deal for many vapers.

The Thallo pods attach to the mod via two pair of large magnets, but you do have to make sure they go all the way in when attaching them. You can hear the magnets click, but that doesn’t mean the pod is firmly attached. To make sure, just rotate the pod left or right, until it falls into place. If it’s already firmly attached, you won’t be able to turn it at all.

Before filling the Thallo pod, make sure you have inserted one of the two RPM coil-heads included in the kit. Most pod mods come with a coil-head pre-installed, but this one does not, so you’ll have to do it yourself. You’ll notice that the base of the coils is not perfectly round, so you will need to align the flat edges of the coils with the magnets on the bottom of the pod. If you don’t align the coils correctly, they will not go into the pod all the way, and the airflow slots on the bottom will not align with the air slots on the pod mod itself.

The airflow adjustment ring doesn’t have any stoppers, so you can rotate it 360 degrees; however, the o-ring on the inside provides enough tension that you don’t have to worry about it rotating accidentally.

The Thallo S mod feels very comfortable and surprisingly light in the hand, even with a 21700 battery inserted. The leatherette is very soft, almost cushion-like, and protruding control panel has beveled edges, so it doesn’t really bother me that much. The buttons are nice and firm, and pressing them produces a very satisfying click. As for the 0.96′ color display, it’s very bright, and has a very clean interface that displays all the necessary information.

On the bottom, the SMOK Thallo S has a hinged battery door, which lets you access the battery compartment. Inside, you will find a plastic adapter, which you can use with 18650 batteries. I definitely recommend investing in one, or even two 21700 batteries, though, as they can extend your vaping time quite substantially. The battery compartment has polarity markings on both the bottom and the back of the battery door, and there is no battery rattle whatsoever.

You would really have to nitpick to find something to complain about the Thallo S. The leatherette isn’t the most realistic I’ve seen on a vape mod, and the “fluid” patterns aren’t the most inspired, but other than that, SMOK did a very solid job.

SMOK Thallo S Menu System and Navigation

Having just reviewed the OXVA Velocity pod mod, the Thallo S seems a bit barebone in terms of available features, but realistically speaking, it has everything the average vaper really needs. It doesn’t actually have a menu to go into and make changes, but there are some things you can change directly on the home screen.

Most vaping devices these days automatically turn on after you insert a battery, but the Thallo S doesn’t You need to press the fire button five times to turn it on and off. When you turn it on, the device will ask you to choose what type of battery you have inserted, 18650 or 21700. Depending on the battery, the max power output will range from 5W to 80W, or from 5W to 100W for the larger capacity battery.

On the main screen, you can use the + and – buttons to adjust the power output, but you can also use some button combination to access a few built-in features. For example, pressing the + and – buttons simultaneously will lock and unlock those same buttons, while pressing the fire button three times rapidly, will lock the fire button.

To clear the puff counter, you have to press the fire button and the – button at the same time, and to change the color scheme on the display, just press the fire button and the + button. That last one is a nice touch, as I was able to change the interface to blue, to match the blue resin pattern on the mod itself.

That’s basically all you need to know about the SMOK Thallo S menu system and navigation. This device only works in variable wattage mode, and has no smart features, like most of its competitors. That’s fine by me, but a smart mode could prevent inexperienced vapers from ruining their coil-heads by bumping the power output too much, so it is somewhat of a con.

SMOK Thallo S Battery Life

The compatibility with 21700 batteries is one of the greatest strengths of the Thallo S, and one of its main advantages against the competition, so it’s weird that SMOK didn’t even list it on the packaging. Still, at least they implemented it, that’s something.

Not only does using the SMOK Thallo S with a 21700 battery increase your vaping time, but it also lets you bump up the power output by 20 percent, which is considerable. 21700 battery compatibility has become very popular in the vaping industry lately, so I definitely believe buying one or two of them is a good idea.

The Thallo S features USB Type-C charging, which is a pro, but I still recommend getting an external battery charger, just to be safe.

How Does the SMOK Thallo S Vape?

There is a reason why SMOK chose the Drag X and S as inspiration for its newest line of pod mods, they were very good! And seeing as they took that tried and true design and built on it, the Thallo S turned out to be very good vaping device as well.

I’ve been using the Thallo S pod mod for almost two weeks, and I’m struggling to find things to complain about. The new RPM2 coil-heads (the 0.16Ω especially) have been performing wonderfully both in the vapor production and flavor department, so if you’re in direct lung (DL) vaping I’m pretty confident you’ll be happy with the Thallo.

Just like the Drag S and X, the Thallo S has an integrated airflow adjustment system that mainly works for direct lung vaping, not mouth-to-lung (MTL). Sure, the second coil-head included in the kit is an 0.6Ω with a small inner-diameter, but it’s still not suitable for a proper MTL draw. Even with the airflow closed up completely, you can only do a loose MTL draw at best.

I never really penalized the Drag S and X for their airflow adjustment system, and I’m not going to do so here. This is a vaping device aimed mainly at direct lung vapers, so if you’re into MTL, just get the Intake MTL RTA instead.

As a direct lung pod mod, the SMOK Thallo S is about a good a device as you can get. The new RPM2 coil-heads work great, the airflow adjustment option is a welcome edition, considering SMOK has notoriously been neglecting to include it in its pod mods, and the power ramp-up and firing speed of the device are impressive as well.

Conclusion

The SMOK Thallo S is a solid pod mod designed primarily for direct lung vaping. The build quality is very solid, it has airflow adjustment, the battery life is better than most of its competitors, thanks to the 21700 battery compatibility, and it can output 100W of power. The only negative I can think of is that it is based on another company’s design, but if you have no problems with that, the Thallo S is a really good pod mod.

The SMOK Thallo S was sent to me by Sourcemore, for the purpose of this review. If you’re thinking of getting one, use the code THALS to get a discount on the Sourcemore website.