N
F
REVIEWS
R
VYPE EPOD By Benedict Jones
Specifi cations:
- Dimensions: 105mm*19mm*10mm
- Battery capacity: 350mAh internal cell
- E-liquid capacity: 1.9ml pre-fi lled pods
- Charging: Proprietary 0.45A charger
Vype have been producing entry level vaping products for six years
now and the ePod is their latest offering, a tiny closed system with
pre-fi lled pods. This device will likely be people’s fi rst experience of
vaping, so is it a worthwhile choice?
Construction, fi t and fi nish of the ePod are good but fall short of best
in class. Vype do not state the main chassis material but from the
metallic satin fi nish it would appear to be aluminium. It’s a lightweight
design, with clean minimalistic lines and minimal seams but it doesn’t
feel quite as robust as some of its competitors. Pods are secured
with a magnetic connection and the tolerances here are on point, with
a barely noticeable amount of play once installed.
In terms of user experience, there’s not really much to talk about,
this is a closed system after all. The ePod is draw activated, pod
installation is simple and a single LED lets you know when the
device is fi ring, low on battery or charging. The proprietary magnetic
charging dock is simple to use but more on that later.
In terms of vape quality, the ePod is among the best closed systems.
Ramp up time is not quite as instantaneous as I would like but I can
certainly live with it, since the coil technology Vype has developed
puts out warm vapour, with good flavour saturation and a tight
draw that closely emulates a cigarette. I was supplied with 18mg/
ml nicotine salt pods for review and found them to give a satisfying
throat hit across the board, so no complaints there either.
Battery life is about as good as you can expect from a tiny 350mAh
internal cell. I found it to last for approximately half a day’s moderate
use before needing a charge, which takes approximately 45 minutes
from flat to full. Unfortunately, you can’t vape whilst charging but this
isn’t a deal breaker.
My only real gripe is the magnetic proprietary charger. Whilst it works
nicely, having a specifi c charger for a vaping device is annoying,
especially when there is an abundance of micro-USB cables that do
the job just as well. If you forget the charger, or lose it, you’ll have to
purchase an entirely new device. Not ideal.
PROS
- Good selection of flavours
- Wide availability
- Satisfying throat hit
130 VAPER EXPO
CONS
I was sent six flavours to sample with the review device, here’s a brief
rundown:
Golden Tobacco: A simple Virginia-style tobacco with some light nut,
caramel and vanilla accents.
Garden Strawberry: A sweet and mildly tart candy strawberry, good
for a fi rst fruity vape.
Very Berry: Candy cherry, with a light berry accent.
Vanilla Medley: Though described as a pure vanilla blend, I mostly get
a creamy banana here.
Chilled Mint: A full-on mint flavour with a satisfying coolant fi nish.
Tropical Mango: A light and authentic mango, the mildest of the fruits
on offer.
In summary, the Vype ePod is a solid entry level device that provides
good vape quality, a nice selection of flavours and great ease of use.
The proprietary charger is an annoyance though.
- Proprietary charger
- Not the quickest coil ramp up