REVIEW BY BENEDICT ‘NED’ JONES
Nord Specifications:
Size: 94mm x 30mm x 18.8mm
Battery Capacity:1100mAh internal cell
Output: 3.3-4.2V
E-liquid capacity: 3ml (standard) / 2ml (EU)
Coils: 0.6ohm Mesh DTL, 1.4ohm round wire
MTL
SMOK’s Novo pod has seen great success in recent months, and with demand
growing for slightly larger pod devices, something like the Nord was inevitable.
This is larger than your average pod system but is still smaller than more traditional
pen-style starter kits. Construction, fit and finish seem to be an improvement
on previous SMOK pods. With an aluminium frame, the Nord retains a lightweight
feel but is sturdier than some of the smaller pod devices on the market.
The focus here is on convenience and ease of use. There’s just one button,
which turns the device on or off and acts as a firing mechanism. There’s no
power adjustment or settings to fiddle with here. The 1100mAh internal cell
is substantial considering the Nord’s compact size, and this delivers on many
vaper’s requirements for a stealthy device that can last for a full day’s use
comfortably.
Moving on to the coil and pod section. This is a slight departure from the Novo,
in that the user replaces coils rather than the whole pod itself. This adds an extra
step for the user, but it’s very easy to swap out the press-fit coil heads and
cuts down on the cost of replacement pods. Refilling is performed by removing
a rubber seal on the side of the pod, and the opening gives ample room for
the vast majority of bottles.
– Coil longevity
– Battery life
– Ease of use
– Relatively long charging time (Almost two
hours from flat to full)
Interestingly, there are two different coils to choose from when using the Nord,
and they perform rather distinctly from one another. The more traditional 1.4ohm
round wire coil is pretty much what we’ve come to expect from a pod system.
It provides a moderately restricted MTL vape, certainly more restricted than
the puzzlingly loose draw of the Novo. The result of this added restriction is a
warmer and more flavourful vape than its predecessor. When using relatively
sweet e-liquid with the device, I got through almost five refills before needing
to replace the coil. For the TPD edition, this translates to roughly seven refills,
which is really quite impressive longevity compared to other refillable pods
on the market. Battery life when using this coil was also great, easily lasting
a full day of moderate use with 20mg/ml nicotine salt e-liquid.
The 0.6ohm mesh coil is likely what has caught many vapers’ eyes, though.
This provides a different experience and certainly surprised me. It’s a looser
draw, with a warmer vape and substantially higher vapour production than its
MTL counterpart. The relatively low power output meant that my usual 3mg
sub-ohm e-liquids didn’t quite suit this coil, though. Instead, I loaded it up with
20mg nicotine salts, and the result was fantastic. This allows for short, sharp
bursts of high nicotine vaping.
This is a versatile device. Using the 1.4ohm coil is a great option for a restricted
MTL vape, with longer puffs and good battery life. The 0.6ohm mesh coil is
ideal for short bursts of salt nicotine, and using it in this way means battery life
is almost as good as with the MTL coil. If using lower nicotine concentration
and longer puffs on this coil, expect much shorter battery life.
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