timwis Posted April 9, 2020 Posted April 9, 2020 Hi Vapor Talk members, In this review i take a look at the Aegis Pod Kit 800mAh from Geekvape. The Aegis Pod Kit was supplied for the purpose of this review by Clay from Geekvape. Introduction Apart from an Aegis Vape Pen and Mech (both doubtful) The Aegis Pod Kit completes the clean sweep of Aegis devices now giving those that like to just press a fire button and vape an IP67 rated option. Both front and back has a central strip of the signature leather with stitching giving this rather large simple pod device an unmistakable Aegis look. The device has type C USB, 1.5A charging and three tiers of battery status indication. Giving an 18W constant output with it's 0.6ohm Mesh G-coil (to be the coils used in similar future devices to keep compatibility) the device gives a restricted DL vape and emphasis on "VERY", a "very" loose MTL if you prefer. The pods hold 3.5ml of e-liquid (have seen the device on pre-order in UK so must also be a TPD solution). With it's durable, rugged, yet aesthetically pleasing design and in-built 800mAh battery, let's give the Aegis Pod Kit a good look! ___________________________________________________________________ In The Box Contents: 1 x Geekvape Aegis Pod Device 800mAh 1 x Pod Cartridge 3.5ml 2 x 0.6ohm KA Mesh G-Coil 1 x Coil Removal Spanner 1 x USB Cable 1 x User Manual 1 x Warranty Card ___________________________________________________________________ Aesthetics and Ergonomics The Aegis Pod Kit come in typical cardboard box with sleeve packaging with a picture of what was obviously an earlier prototype of the device on the sleeve, so i expect the retail packaging will be different. I received the Gunmetal version, the colour options are Beetle Black, Gunmetal, Silver Chafer and Tamamushi, a good choice of options that suit the classy aesthetic look as i really don't feel bright colours will suit the device. The device has a flat form factor with the face and back having a pleasing to the eye shape which would perform well in a wind tunnel. The main chassis is Zinc Alloy with silicone edges and on both the face and rear a central strip of padded leather with stitching (all very Aegis). Incorporated towards the top of the front leather section we have a rhombus protruding fire button with rectangular central LED indicator. Most of the pod protrudes and although tinted is not dark, moving to the base we have a Type C USB port. Out of all the simple just press and vape pod devices the Aegis Pod without doubt has the best build quality and despite only being 73g still feels a quality device when handled. ___________________________________________________________________ Aegis Pod System Specs and Features: Dimension: 88.1*40.3*18mm Shell material: Plastic + silicone + leather + zinc alloy Power range: Constant power output MAX 18W Resistance range 0.4ohm-3ohm Battery Indicator: Green (100-70%) Blue (69-31%) Red (30-0%) Battery Charging indicator: Green light 70-100%, red light 0-69% Battery capacity: 800mAh Charger specification: Type-C 5V/1.5A Low voltage protection: 3.2V+-0.1V Maximum output voltage: 4.2V Lower power standby: Quiescent current <25uA Maximum puff time: 10s High temperature protection: 80c E-liquid capacity: 3.5ml Charging Port: USB Type-C port IP67 Rated Colours: Beetle Black, Gunmetal, Silver Chafer, Tamamushi ___________________________________________________________________ The Pod You receive one pod which holds 3.5ml of e-liquid but as this is already on pre-order on some UK sites i would imagine their is also a TPD version. The pod is tinted but not darkly and also with so much of the pod protruding outside the device seeing the e-liquid inside posed me no problems at all. Looking at the base of the pod we can see as well as the main pod body we also have a second wall both sides which is part of how the pod secures and on one of these walls we have some vertical cutouts to allow air to the base of the coil. To one side we have a bung which lifts easily but sits deep giving a good seal, this stays attached to the pod when lifted and revealed is a large fill port so no issues with nozzle size. When filling just be aware that the pod will fill one side before starting to work it's way to the other so start slow and once the liquid as evened out then you can quicken to complete the fill. I had zero issues when filling and was completely mess free but just take your time at the start and not go gun-go else it could result in a mess. ___________________________________________________________________ The Coil Heads You receive 2 identical coil heads which are Kanthal Mesh 0.6ohm and a new G-Coil which is going to also be used with some future products giving compatibility. Looking at the coils they don't really look like they perform with small wicking holes that made me think 50/50 suitable only (i was wrong) and more of a MTL bore (although not supertight) but again a lot more air than expected. The coils just get press fitted into place but the o-rings give a very tight seal and although the air enters via the base of the coils the slots are quite narrow so any escaping e-liquid should be minimal. ___________________________________________________________________ Fitting The Pod Looking inside the Pod Bay we can see two negative and central positive bent over prongs that protrude out of a raised silicone seal as even the pod bay is IP67 rated. The sides have a couple of protruding tabs and also to line up with protruding rails on the front and back of the pod we have indented slots on the front and back of the bay walls. It's quite complex and difficult to explain but the result is the pod clicks into place very securely with no movement whatsoever and what a relief you don't need to remove the pod to see the juice level as it takes quite an effort to remove! ___________________________________________________________________ IP67 Rating The Aegis Pod Device has the same IP67 rating as the other Aegis devices which also includes the pod bay so will survive drops, knocks or dropping in the bath etc. The Type C USB port is open but on closer inspection the board with pins protrude from out of a sealed silicone section sealing the device it'self. ___________________________________________________________________ Operating The Aegis Pod Device The Aegis Pod is a very simple device that can be turned on or off with 5 clicks of the fire button. Turning off is confirmed with two flashes of the LED in the colour of the current battery status and turning on is confirmed with 3 flashes, just be aware when pressing five times to turn off however quickly you do it the device will fire as this fires with no noticeable delay whatsoever! Once on simply press the fire button to vape and that's it! The device gives a constant output of 18W and when trying to work out exactly what is going on in conjunction with checking my sums it seems the device is actually direct output but gives a constant 18W by having a wattage cap so it delivers initially whatever the battery has (direct output) but then the chip limits the power. This means even at 3.2V 18W is given as this is what 3.2v with a 0.6ohm coil gives and once the battery falls below where it can no longer give 18W being direct output that's as it goes below the 3.2V cut-off so it's time to charge, of course as well as having the benefit of consistent power throughout the 18W limit will also help with battery life. I can understand some thinking why not draw activated as a constant wattage would suit it but then this is an Aegis and a membrane switch would compromise the IP67 rating. The device does have battery status indication which is shown by what colour the LED lights when the fire button is pressed: Green = 70 - 100% Blue = 31 - 69% Red = 0 - 30% The device also has all the usual safety protections which if they kick in are indicated by various flashes from the LED. ___________________________________________________________________ Charging I am pleased that the device has Type C USB and the charge rate is 1.5A, the device charges in just over half an hour which is fantastic while also supporting pass-through. Normally i don't like the position of the USB being on the base of the device but as this is a device that lies down anyway then on this occasion it makes no difference, some might point out it can actually stand up but let's be honest even the draught from a feather would see it toppling! While charging the LED breathes Red from 0% to 69% charge and then breathes Green between 70% to 100% charge, once fully charged the LED lights solid Green. ___________________________________________________________________ How I Found The Device And Thoughts! There are plenty of all singing and all dancing devices available and the latest pod mods that are getting more powerful and sophisticated so i am simply judging the Aegis Pod on what it is which is a simple press to vape pod device. First is the draw and the Aegis Pod can't be classed as a MTL device it just has too much air although for those that like a very loose MTL that's perfectly doable. The device is really a restricted DL device like so many of the pod mods that are available and what i like about it is the strong warm consistent vape with plenty of cloud which sets this apart from most of the other simple pod devices that are much less powerful. The flavour doesn't have a wow factor but is on par and perfectly acceptable but the flavour is pretty much from the off with very little if any break-in period. Geekvape claim 4 3.5ml refills of optimal flavour and i assume they mean after the initial full pod as my experience was even better as i got 6 pods full and for most of the 6th pod full the flavour was still as good as the first, the flavour then did fall off a cliff but 20ml for a coil is well above average for a pod device. It does mention Nic Salts in the marketing and people can vape what they like but i personally wouldn't recommend nic salts at 18W and how much air the device gives again is more suitable for freebase. Despite the small wicking holes i used 70VG e-liquid and it wicked with no problem even when testing a bit of chain vaping. Even the pod bay is IP67 rated but apart from towards the end of the coils life where i got just slight wetness (not pooled barely anything) which was so minimal it could easily be condensation for the most part the bay remained dry. With the device having an 18W cap didn't just give the device a consistent vape throughout but also helped battery life as the chip was basically only allowing 3.2v for the entire time until the voltage dropped below 3.2v and then the device needed charging. After saying that 18W with a 800mAh battery isn't an all day device for a moderate vaper but still not shabby for what it is, a simple portable pod mod and when compared to similar it fairs very well. The e-liquid can be easily seen at all times and 3.5ml is a good capacity, would prefer a top-fill method but with a bit of care taken the pod fills mess free and seals very well (had no leaking from fill port). Finally although most would need to charge this at least once during the day if it's their only device it takes just 35 minutes to fully charge while also supporting pass-through. ___________________________________________________________________ Likes High build quality Good hand feel Has that reassuring Aegis look Portable (even if bigger than similar devices) 4 Classy colour options Pod fits very securely Can clearly see juice level Fills mess free Had no leaking issues IP67 Rating Powerful warm vape for type of device Constant 18W Battery life compares well to similar devices Mouthpiece comfortable Restrictive direct lung / very loose MTL if preferred Flavour on par Above average coil longevity (20ml) Next to no break-in period Coils compatible with future products 3 Tier battery status indication Type C USB Nice protruding fire button (responds instantly) Charges from empty to full in just 35 mins Supports pass-through Cons More coil options would be preferable Fixed airflow No power adjustability Takes quite a tug to remove pod (petty) Bottom fill Battery not big enough to last all day I would once again like to thank Clay from Geekvape for supplying The Aegis Pod System Kit 800mAh for the purpose of this review. ___________________________________________________________________
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