VooPoo Drag 3 Review
The Drag has been VooPoo’s most popular brand since the company’s inception, so it’s not that surprising that we’ve reached the third generation of the VooPoo Drag vape mod, not to mention the several “spin-offs” (pod mods and vape pods launched under the Drag name). In some ways, the latest member of the Drag family represents a step backwards, but overall, it’s a worthy successor to one of the best selling vaping device in history, the Drag 157W.
VooPoo Drag 3 Specifications
- Dimensions: 138 mm x 52 mm x 25 mm
- Material: zinc alloy, leatherette
- Battery: 2 x 18650 (not included)
- Power: 5W – 177W
- Output Voltage: 6.4V – 8.4V
- Resistance: 0.1Ω – 3.0Ω
- E-liquid capacity: 5.5 ml
VooPoo Drag 3 Packaging and Presentation
The third iteration of the Drag vape mod comes in a much smaller and simpler package than its predecessors – a thing, rectangular cardboard box featuring a large picture of the device on the front, and a list of kit contents, age restrictions and nicotine warnings, manufacturer contact information, and a scratch and check authenticity sticker.
Inside the box we have a Styrofoam mold that holds the Drag 3 mod as well as the included TPP Pod Tank. Underneath that is a smaller box, which is where we have all the accessories – two TPP coil-heads, a USB Type-C charging cable, and a user manual.
VooPoo Drag 3 Design and Build Quality
Apart from the excellent Gene chip that made them two of the fastest firing vape mods – and certainly the fastest budget mods – on the market, the two previous VooPoo Drag mods also impressed with their eye-catching design and above average build quality. The latest addition to the Drag family is no different.
The original Drag had an all metallic body with in-your-face branding on one side and a very nice, net-like texturing on the other. The Drag 2 was launched in a time when colored resin was all the rage, so it featured very high-quality resin panels on both sides. For the Drag 3, VooPoo once again retained some of the original elements that made the original stand out, while implementing popular contemporary elements.
The first thing that really catches your eye when opening the box for the first time is the leatherette finish on the Drag 3. It goes all around the device, with the exception of the control panel, and has a very smooth, cushiony feel to it. It’s the exact same style faux-leather we saw on the VooPoo Drag X Plus recently, and the exact same color (Prussian Blue).
The Drag 3 comes in a variety of colors and textures, so if you don’t like the Alcantara-like velvety feel of the Prussian Blue leatherette, you can opt for a more realistic leather look and feel. VooPoo have been known to release several versions of their popular Drag mods over time, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see more aesthetic options in the future.
Starting from the top, we have a classic 510 connection with a spring-loaded, gold-plated pin, which, even though it’s not centered on the mod, can accommodate atomizers up to 25mm in diameter without any overhang.
The way the Drag 3 is designed, it looks like a C-frame vape mod, but appearances can be deceiving, as the latest Drag actually features a classic bottom battery door. You just apply a bit of pressure and pull it outwards to make it spring open, and push on the door and push it back in to close. The inside of the battery door and the battery compartments both feature battery polarity indicators, so nothing to complain about there.
The control panel is identical to the Drag X Plus pod mod we mentioned earlier, and it’s pretty much the only element reminiscent of the previous two Drag advanced mods. The round fire button is slightly recessed for a more comfortable thumb press, the generously-sized color display is bright and has decent resolution, and the USB Type-C near the bottom allows you to charge or update the device upright.
Despite its extensive redesign, the Drag 3 feels just as solid in the hand as its older siblings, only much more ergonomic, thanks to the rounded edges that have now been covered in leatherette as well. In terms of looks and feel, it’s definitely my favorite Drag advanced mod yet.
VooPoo’s latest vape mod comes with the same TPP pod tank we covered in the Drag X Plus review, last week. It makes no sense going over it in detail here, so if you want to know more about it, check out the aforementioned review. In short it’s essentially a pod similar to the ones on the Drag S and X pod mods, that hooks up to a 510 base. It also works with the new TPP coil-heads, a larger, more advanced version of VooPoo’s popular TPP coil-heads.
VooPoo Drag 3 Menu System and Navigation
The newest Drag vape mod features the exact same menu system, navigation and interface as the Drag X Plus, which makes sense considering that they are both powered by the same Gene Fan chip. I won’t go over the details of how everything works, as I’ve already done that in the Drag X Plus, and it’s pretty easy to figure out anyway.
I will however reiterate that the VooPoo Drag 3 is the simplest, most bare-bone of all previous Drag advanced mods. Gone are the days when you could at least tinker with temperature control, memory modes or even that weird FIT mode. Now you only get variable wattage, with no other modes or settings whatsoever. That’s good, if you prefer simplicity, but the Drag 3 just doesn’t feel like an advanced vaping device.
VooPoo Drag 3 Battery Life and Performance
Just like its two predecessors, the new Drag 3 is powered by two 18650 batteries, which are not included in the kit. I never recommend on-board charging, as an external charger is a much safer and efficient way to keep your batteries in optimal condition. That said if you don’t have any other option, the fast-charging feature is nice to have, and it’s built-in on the Drag 3 via the USB Type-C interface.
In terms of battery life, it depends on the power output, the capacity of whatever batteries you decide to use, and how much you vape. What I can tell you is that the Gene Fan chip has always been very good at managing battery life, so you should get the maximum out of your batteries.
Performance wise, the new Drag 3 is essentially a Drag X Plus with better battery life and superior power output (177W versus 100W). The Gene chip is still one of the best in the business, although the competition has caught up in terms of firing speed, the power output and resistance reading are fairly accurate for a device in this price category, and the power ramp-up is as impressive as ever.
The one very annoying thing about using the Drag 3, or the Drag X Plus for that matter, is that whenever you go more than 15 minutes without using the device it shuts off. That is designed to save battery life, but it can get annoying after a while, as you try to draw on the atomizer only to find that you have to press the fire button five times to turn it back on.
We went over the performance of the new TPP pod tank in the Drag X Plus review, and since you’re getting the exact same things and the same two coil-heads, there’s no point in regurgitating the same information again.
Conclusion
The third generation Drag proves that VooPoo is still one of the leading manufacturers in the vaping industry. Not only does it look better than a lot of the advanced vape mods on the market, but the build quality is also top notch, as is the performance. That said, the Drag 3 feels simpler, less advanced than the previous two iteration, which for me is a bit of a con. Still, with so few vape mods coming out these days, one can’t really complain…
The VooPoo Drag 3 was sent to me directly by VooPoo for the purpose of this review.
Pros
- classy, eye-catching design
- Alcantara-like leatherette
- lightweight and compact
- solid build quality
- Gene Fan chip
Cons
- barebones features menu
- automatic turn-off function
Voopoo drag3 is the worst vape I’ve ever bought. Dropped one time an do to the design now the battery door pops open an will not stay shut. Thank god my drag2 is so much better I have dropped it an it has taken a beating but still works better then the drag3. I would not spend money on a drag3 if my life depended on it. Total waste of money@@
Same with me , the worst thing the leaking from the coil and the same proplem with the batterys
This is my 3rd Drag 3 i buy and always the same shit, the battery door wont close and the customer service are the worst.
Coming from the Drag x (that I will say is the best vape I’ve owned to date) I am very familiar with the product. My X died via falling overboard after 2 years, not from use. I replaced it with another brand disappointingly, and am back to voopoo with nothing but relief and joy from my Drag 3. Most of the complaints in the review can be remedied via a software update from the manufacturer website.
I have had drag 1 and still own drag 2 , can’t fault either. But drag 3 is a pain , keeps changing the coil reading. I use a aspire tank with a 1.6 coil and the reading starts ok but for some reason it goes up or down when using it . Reads anything between 0.7 and
2.5 . Which also changes the wattage and the taste.
First 2=were great. 3 looks good but that’s about it
Also don’t like the battery compartment, sometimes
it’s a pain to get the battery’s out
Same issue as Jame Gilbey. Drag 3, using a Nautilus Mini with 1.8 coils. Have been fighting with VooPoo for 3 weeks about warranty, after daily emails it is obvious they will not honor a device which is less than a month old. Every day, they find another question and demand additional documentation and IT’S always my fault.
I love to drag 3 but hate that it leaks vape juice all over from air vent,hate having to keep wiping it down.other than that no other issues. Should have stuck with filling it from top not bottom.
Terrible mod: battery door wont stay closed, at all. Tank leaks all the time too. Poor build quality / engineering – avoid and don’t waste your money.
I just bought the drag vape and it is terrible the juice pours out the top I have ruined several pieces of clothes how can I stop it from leaking out the side I am losing a lot of juice
Drag 3 leaks like a sieve. 🙁
I just made a trade with a guy and this thing says fully charged it’s got batteries I think I just got scammed because it doesn’t work at all I spent $27 on him and he said he had to take it home that he would give me because I had a t a r r o t was no good
I have been using voopoo drag series for about two year now. It’s the best! I just have one discrepancy or a question I will say, can you use U4 coils, .23 with drag3 mod?
I purchased one because the store I went to didn’t have my N1 so I had to get this one instead. The problem is that it is burning the hell out my throat. I have tried everything to stop it, but nothing. Thank you!
Well i would like to say this has been the best vape mod i have ever had im out at the lake and i have been haveing some beer and forgot i had my vape in my pocet and i went in the water for 10 min and relized i forgot my vape in my pocet and i thought i wrecked it but i took batterys out let it dry for 20 min in sun and it still works. Varry imprest