4stars

Vaporesso PodStick Review

As the name suggests, the New Vaporesso PodStick is a pod system that looks a lot like a stick mod. But there’s more to it than that. The Chinese manufacturer claims that it offers “the best of both worlds”, meaning it can deliver a satisfying mouth-to-lung vape, as well as an airier direct-lung hit thanks to the different kinds of refillable pods available. Let’s take a closer look at the Vaporesso PodStick:

A Look at the Contents

Most pod systems nowadays come in small cardboard boxes befitting their own small size, but the PodStick packaging is different. It come in a large, sturdy, peach-colored box with a picture of the elegant pod system on the front, and a short description, list of contents, and technical specifications on the back.

Inside the box, we have the Vaporesso PodStick sitting in a plastic holder, and underneath that is a smaller box of accessories that contains a braided micro-USB cable for charging, an extra refillable pod, user manual, and a branded filling bottle which you’re actually going to need. Glad to see Vaporesso included a spare pod, you’d be surprised, but most manufacturers only offer one.

Design and Build Quality

One of the most attractive things about the Vaporesso Podstick is its design. Even if you’re not a big fan of classic stick mods, you’re probably going to appreciate the elegance of this device. It’s very minimalist, has some nice lines and even the rose gold color of the sample I received for review seems to fit it perfectly. It’s definitely one of the nicest-looking pod systems I’ve seen in a while, and a breath of fresh air from the classic shapes everyone’s been using so far.

The PodStick measures 111mm x 22mm x 18mm, is made primarily of metal (most likely aluminum) and comes in five different colors. As I mentioned, I received the rose gold one which looks absolutely stunning.

Starting at the top, we have a disposable plastic pod with a non-removable 510 drip tip. Unlike other manufacturers, Vaporesso hasn’t adopted the interchangeable coil-head design, opting for disposable pods instead. The plastic casing is sealed shut, so when the coil goes, you have no choice but to throw away the whole pod. It’s basically the classic pod design we had before devices like the Smoant Pasito or VooPoo Find S Trio came along.

The shape of the pods reminds me a lot of the disposable tanks the iJoy Diamond VPC came with. The concept is pretty much identical, the only differences being the type of coils inside, and the fact that the VPS was pod mod, while the PodSTick is marketed as pod system. PodStick pods feature two styles of coils – 1.3Ω cCELL coil for mouth-to-lung vaping, and 0.6Ω mesh coils for increased vapor production and enhanced flavor. I personally prefer the former, but if you’re into direct-lung vaping, the mesh coil pod is the way to go. Luckily, both types of pods are included in the kit so you can try them and see which one you prefer.

The PodStick features a top-fill port which can be accessed by pushing the top part of the pod outwards. Just look for the little arrow indicator on the top of the pod and push the top the way it’s pointing. That will reveal a fill-port similar to the one on the Renova Zero, whic, as you probably know, is made by a sister company of Vaporesso. I’ve grown to love this type of valve filling system where you have to apply pressure to open the valve, but the one disadvantage it has is the dependence on the filling bottle included in the kit. You can find some other bottles that work, but any soft-tip bottles are a pain to work with as the their tip bends and you end up spilling juice all over. Still, all things considered, I still prefer this filling system over all the others I’ve seen on pods.

The pod is held in place by a pair of magnets, but keep in mind that when inserting a pod you have to press down on it until you hear a click, otherwise it will not connect to the battery contacts at the bottom of the port. Oh, and while we’re on pods, the one thing I don’t like is that you can’t really see the level of e-liquid in the pod without taking it out to check.

As I mentioned, the mod itself is very minimalist, featuring only a protruding fire button, five LED battery indicators and some branding near the bottom. At the very bottom we have the micro-USB port for charging. I normally don’t like charging ports on the bottom because you can’t place the mod upright to charge, which increases the risk of leaking, but thanks to Vaporesso’s now famous valve-style fill port, the risk of leaking is minimal.

To turn on the Vaporesso PodStick all you have to do is press the fire button five times in rapid succession. This is a manual pod system so you’ll have to press the fire button each time you want to vape. That’s one of the things that sets it apart from the Renova Zero, which had a draw-activated switch, but overall I would say the two devices are oddly similar.

Battery Life and Performance

The Renova Zero had a battery capacity of 600mAh, which was huge compared to most similarly sized pod systems, but the Vaporesso PodStick built-in battery is rated at 900mAh, which puts it over the SMOK Novo 2, and just under the Eleaf Tance Max. I think it has decent battery capacity for its size, but there are some better devices out there if you don’t mind a bulkier frame.

The PodStick features five LED battery indicators, each corresponding to 20% of the total battery capacity. So if five lights come on when you press the fire button, you have between 100% and 80% battery left. If four light come on, you have between 80% and 60%, and so on.

The rate at which you deplete the battery also depends on power output, Like the Renova Zero, the PodStick features three different power modes (Low, Medium, High) and you can switch between them by pressing the fire button three times in rapid succession. Green is the highest power output, blue is medium and red is low. I’ve found myself using it in blue mode with the pre-installed cCELL coil, but if you prefer a slightly hotter vape, the green would be the better choice.

In terms of performance, I would say the Vaporesso PodStick is comparable to the Renova Zero, and I mean that in the most positive way possible. The Renova pod system remains one of my all-time favorite, despite the innovations we’ve seen in the last few months. It may not be the most advanced pod system out there, but it does a few important things right – it has a proper mouth-to-lung draw, has adjustable power output, and the flavor is above average. Well, the PodStick is about the same, with the addition of different style coil-heads.

I’ve been seeing a lot of people complaining that the PodStick doesn’t have adjustable airflow or replaceable coil-heads. It’s true, it doesn’t have those things, but as far as I’m concerned it doesn’t really need them. Some people are just looking for convenience. They don’t enjoy fiddling with a device and trying to find a sweet spot. They just wanted something that delivers nicotine in a way that they find enjoyable, and if that means an experience similar to drawing on a tobacco cigarette, I think a lot of people are going to be satisfied with the the Pod Stick.

I’ve mostly been using the Vaporesso PodStick with the higher-resistance cCELL coil-head and so far I’ve really been enjoying it. The restrictiveness of the draw is just right, the flavor is on point, and at medium power output, the vapor is just warm enough. It’s just my style of vape, so I have nothing to complain about. I’m sure a lot of people will enjoy the mesh coil pod, but it’s a bit too airy for me, so I din’t see myself using it.

The PodStick is powered by the Omni board in the Renova Zero, so it features the same built-in protections, including the dry-burn protection, which cuts off power from the battery when it detect that the coil is dry, which is one of the things I love most about the Renova pod.

Conclusion

Having tried dozens of different pod systems over the last year or so, I would say that Vaporesso’s are my favorite. They’re the only company that has consistently done mouth-to-lung right, and that counts for a lot. Plus, their devices always look slick, and come with useful features like adjustable power output and anti-dry hit protection. They may not have the most technologically advanced pod systems in the world, but they are still some of the best on the market.