Vaporesso Degree Review
With so many pod systems and compact all-in-one systems coming out virtually every day, it’s getting harder for people like me to do reviews, as all these devices are so similar. Yes they may have different designs and battery capacities, but when it comes to functionality they’re not that different. It’s rare that a pod system stand out from the rest, but the new Vaporesso Degree is definitely one such device. It’s a closed pod system disguised as a mini box mod with variable wattage capabilities and a bunch of smart features. That’s not something you see every day…
A Look at the Contents
The Degree pod system comes in the same style packaging as Vaporesso’s new flagship vape mod, the Gen 220W – a colorful rectangular box with a layout of the device and a marketing slogan (in this case “Small Got Mightier”) on the front, and a short description, a picture of the device as it comes in the box, technical specifications, list of contents, as well as scratch-and-check authenticity sticker on the back. It’s definitely one of the nicest vape packages I’ve seen in a while, so kudos to Vaporesso for that.
The Vaporesso Degree kit includes the elegant Degree pod mod, an extra pod, a fill bottle, a micro-USB cable and a user manual. The “review kit”, I received also included a metallic chain and a finger lanyard, which sadly are not included in the commercial version of the Degree kit.f You can buy them separately, though.
Design and Build Quality
Over the years, Vaporesso has built a reputation of making great quality vape products, and the Degree pod system lives up to that reputation. Not only is it by far one of the nicest looking pod mods on the market today, but it’s also one of the most high-quality ones I’ve ever reviewed. It has an all-metallic zinc alloy body, and the design of an advanced box mod, complete with an OLED display, wattage adjustment buttons and a gorgeous resin panel.
The Vaporesso Degree measures 90mm x 41mm x 16mm, has a built-in 950mAh battery, a power range of 5W – 30W, and an e-liquid capacity of 2ml. It comes in two color variants – brushed metal and dark grey – and comes with a range of decorative panels, from fine resin, to textured resin and textured black. It comes with a matching drip tip as well, and as I said, it’s one of the best looking pod systems money can buy.
At the top of the Degree pod mod, we have the sleeve-like resin drip tip complete with an adjustable airflow control ring at the base, and the push-valve fill port we’ve seen on other Vaporesso devices, like the Renova Zero. That’s one of the nicest features of this device, he fact that you can just refill the pod inside without having to take it out. Finally, on one of the top corners we have the lanyard attachment slot.
Moving further down, we have the command panel – complete with a fire button, OLED display, wattage adjustment buttons, and micro-USB charging port – on one of the thinner sides of the mod, a decorative, non-removable panel on one side, and on the opposite side we have a metallic panel that doubles as a magnetic door. The etched Vaporesso logo on this magnetic panel also offers as a window for checking the e-liquid level inside the pod, although it’s very easy to see through it.
Finally on the bottom of the Vaporesso Degree we have some venting holes for the built-in battery.
The magnetic panel is held in place with the help of three pairs of magnets. By removing it, you gain access to the 2ml pods, which you can also take out with the help of a fabric ribbon. But because of the top filling system, you only really need to remove the pods when the coil inside no longer works properly, and because Vaporesso’s cCELL ceramic coil-heads are famous for their long life cycle, you probably won’t be messing with the magnetic door too often.
The Vaporesso Degree pods are disposable. That means once the coil-heads inside go bad, you need to throw away the whole pod. That’s definitely not the direction most manufacturers are moving in, and it only makes Vaporesso’s decision to add variable wattage functionality that much stranger. Implementing a replaceable coil-head system like we’ve seen on the VooPoo Vinci, SMOK RPM 40 and other such All-In-One vaporizers would have made much more sense, but all we got was pods, so…
Anyway, the pods hold 2ml of e-juice, are easy to refill thanks to Vaporesso’s proprietary push-valve system, and come with either ceramic cCELL coil heads (1.3Ω) for mouth-to-lung vaping, or mesh coil-heads (0.6Ω) for direct-lung vaping. Yes, thanks to the adjustable airflow system on the mouthpiece, you can enjoy both styles of vaping with the Vaporesso Degree.
All in all, the new Vaporesso Degree is a very interesting pod system. One one hand, the excellent design and build quality are quite impressive, but on the other, the decision to go with disposable pods is kind of confusing.
Battery Life and Performance
The Degree pod system is powered by a 950mAh non-removable battery. That’s a pretty decent capacity for a device this size, and having tried Vaporesso’s new Axon chip when I reviewed the Gen mod, I know it rationalizes battery very effectively. That’s right, this little device features a simpler version of the Axon chip which comes with some of the smart capabilities we’ve seen on the Gen.
Depending on what wattage you use it on, the Vaporesso Degree can keep you vaping for a whole day on a single charge, but if you’re a heavy vaper and plan on vaping at over 20W, the 950mAh battery may prove insufficient. Luckily, this device has passthrough functionality, so you can vape while it charges. It also has fast-charging, so it only takes about an hour and twenty minutes for the battery to fully charge.
Unlike the more simplistic pod systems we are used to, the Degree has a fully functional display complete with a battery indicator, so you don’t need to rely on a small LED light to know how much battery you have left.
The Vaporesso Degree is impressive both in terms of design and build quality, at least as far as pod systems go. However, I was really curious to see how it performs, due to strange the variable wattage + disposable pods was to me. Luckily, it wasn’t the compete disappointment I thought it would be; in fact, it offered me one of the most enjoyable vaping experiences I’ve ever had with a vape pod.
I would say the secret to the Degree’s success is the adjustable airflow system at the base of the mouthpiece. It basically allows you to use the device in both mouth-to-lung (MTL) and direct-lung (DL) modes, which sadly can’t be said about the majority of pod systems on the market today. Some manufacturers either go for one of the two modes, or opt for a “middle of the road” approach, which most often than not ends up disappointing fans of both vaping styles.
Personally, I enjoy using pod systems in MTL mode, and the Degree did not disappoint. With the 1.3Ω cCELL coil and the airflow slots just a tiny bit open, I managed to get the very restrictive draw I was looking for. But you can go for a looser or even a very loose draw if that’s what you like. It all depends on personal preference, but the adjustable airflow and the two very different coils in the included pods make any style of vaping possible.
I didn’t use the mesh-coil pod too much, as I prefer advanced mods when it comes to direct-lung vaping, but I can tell you that at the maximum allowed wattage, it produces decently sized plumes of vapor. As far as flavor, both the mesh-coil and the cCELL coil deliver a clear, crisp flavor.
Now, because this device is powered by Vaporesso’s newest chip, the Axon, it also has some cool “smart features”. First of all, as soon as you insert a pod into the Degree, the chip “scans” the coil inside and adjusts power output accordingly. For example, with the cCELL coil pod, which has a wattage range of 7W -12.5W, unless your wattage is already withing that range, the device will automatically set the wattage at 10W. This is essentially a way to prevent newbie users from ruining their coil-heads.
Unfortunately, Vaporesso takes things a bit too far by preventing you from going over the recommended wattage of each pod. So for the cCELL coil-head you can’t go over 12.5W, while for the mesh coil you can’t go over 22W. Some people may prefer an even hotter vape than what Vaporesso recommends, even at the risk of buring a pod, plus why set the maximum wattage of the mod at 30W, if I can only use it at 22W max?
I like Vaporesso’s idea of protecting the coil-heads from accidental burning, but I think they’re holding our hand too hard by not letting us go over the recommended wattage ranges.
Another included smart feature is the smart temperature control. The mod will continuously monitor the e-liquid level inside the coil-head and display the “Low e-liquid” message on screen if the cotton wicking isn’t saturated enough. This message may also show up on screen when you pop in a new pod, but it will go away after the cotton wicking becomes saturated. But what if you don’t see the warning on screen in time and you try to vape with a dry coil-head? Well, the Vaporesso Degree also features smart temperature control and will protect the coil-head from being burned. Pretty cool, right?
Conclusion
The Vaporesso Degree is one of the coolest-looking pod systems I have ever had the pleasure of testing, and the build-quality is top notch as well. From the smooth resin panel, to the bright OLED display and responsive buttons, everything feels smooth yet solid. The smart features of the the Axon chip also put the Degree in a league of its own, as far as pod systems are concerned, and the airflow control system helps it excel in both MTL and DL vaping modes.
The one thing I can really complain about is that the Degree is just a pod system, and not an AIO device that supports interchangeable coil-heads. Considering that that’s where the industry seems to be heading, Vaporesso decision to go with disposable pods makes no sense. Still, we may end up seeing new types of pods in the near future, if there’s enough interest from consumers.
The Vaporesso Degree was sent to me by Vaporesso, for the purpose of this review.
