Pod systems are invading the vape scene like a swarm of locusts. There popular and inexpensive for the most part. I have received way too many to do a review for each and every one. 2 of them were not sent for review but I thought I would throw them in anyway and just make it a Pod orgy.....ugh.
I have never actually purchased a pod system and had no intent on doing so, just not my style. I have friends who use them on occasion for getting a nic fix while being discreet...hmmm, that makes sense and I found myself using pods in the same manner. Prior to that I would just refrain from vaping instead of being the obnoxious guy in a crowd blowing fat clouds.
I have purchased some salt nic which in the right pod sure does give me that nic fix. They do have warnings that it is not for sub-ohm use and yeah, that would be a mistake as the ones I purchased are 25 and 35mg nic, they would blow your head off in a sub-ohm setup.
Some are closed pod systems like the Komge K1, Vaptio C-Flat Executive kit and the Hangsen IQ. The closed systems come with flavor cartridge prefilled and once it is done you simply buy a new cartridge or as is the case with the Komge K1 you throw away the pod as you can neither fill it or recharge it, estimated 200 puffs and your done. The rest you can charge and refill at your leisure, no need to use salt nic if you don't want to, regular e-liquid can be used but that is not ideal. Either way I used both salt nic juices and my normal everyday juices and will talk about the differences.
Disclaimer: None of these pods will give you the flavor you would get with a good sub-ohm tank, RDA or RTA. I will talk about the flavor in comparison to one another only.
Komge Cashew
http://www.komge.com/Project_view.php?id=33
The samples I was sent are pre-production and I have relayed the concerns I have to Komge directly. I was told they would send me the final production version once it is released. If there are significant changes I will update it.
The Cashew has a nice satin finish on all the colors, black, blue and orange. It is a very compact and easy to hold pod, it hides nicely in my hand for an inconspicuous vape. The draw is one of the tightest of the bunch but that tightness led to it being one of my favorites for high mg salt nic. No buttons, just take a draw and you get vapor. 2ml juice capacity.
The pod is easy to refill but I did not like that the plug was not attached and no spares were included in the package, definite con there. The pod was a little too loose when attached as well, they need to make it more secure as it became dislodged a few times while in my pocket. It also did not include a spare pod in the package, only a USB cable and needle nose refill bottle pictured above.
Flavor with regular juice is pretty muted which is the case for most of these pods with a couple of exceptions. Flavor with nic salts was a little better but not great for a pod system.
I have to mention that for the high mg salt nics I was using the Cashew was in my top 3, not for flavor but for my ability to take a good hit and not get a scratchy throat or cough. There are some pods that I have to sneak up on to take a salt nic hit or I will cough up a storm, not cool. That was not the case with the Cashew, never took a salt nic hit and coughed and got my nic fix easily.
Now if Komge can improve the flavor but keep the same draw then this will make for a great stealth pod. They also need to have the plug attached, it is small which would make it easy to lose and there are no spares.
I like the shape, feel in the hand and draw on the Komge Cashew and I hope they address these issues. For salt nics it is one of my go to pods and will use it from time to time when I need that nic fix but need to keep it on the down low.
Komge K1
http://www.komge.com/Project_view.php?id=36
The K1 is a closed pod system, no re-charging, no refilling and it comes filled with US made Apollo e-liquid. The packaging I received had 3 pods in each and the flavors were King Pin (Creamy sweet, peanut butter with a hint of tobacco) Melon (blend of honeydew melon, cucumber, and mint) and Breeze (menthol and mint) and all are 5mg nic, no mention if it is salt nic. No button to press, just suck on it and get vape. 1.3ml juice pre filled.
Pretty small at 73.5mm x 19.5mm x 12mm and light as can be. Has a faux carbon fiber finish on it and comes with a plug attached to the mouthpiece which can be reused.
The K1 had me question the quality of the salt nics I had purchased as the flavor is much better. King Pin is my favorite, never been much of a tobacco fan but it is in the background and mates well with the peanut butter. I normally stay away from menthol vapes but breeze is pretty tasty and clears up my sinuses. Melon is the least flavorful of the bunch but still decent. King Pin has me a bit hooked though, it is the one I grab for and may just buy a bottle to vape in my normal setups https://www.apolloecigs.com/boss-tobacco-king-pin
Draw is tight like the Cashew but still satisfying, the 5mg nic is a little on the light side compared to the Cashew loaded with 25mg salt nic. It still satisfies and maybe the lower nicotine helps the flavor come through more? Not sure but it is by far one of the tastiest pods in this roundup.
With a quick google search I see it listed for $25 for a 3 pack which comes to a little more than $8 a pod. Not a bad price and I have been huffing on the King Pin pod for awhile now and it is still going. I haven't been counting my puffs, I am not that thorough or crazy but it has been better than I expected.
The Komge K1 was a pleasant surprise and I find myself jonesing for the King Pin pod. I had to put a sticker on it though as there is no markings to tell you what flavor is in the pod, that is the only con I can think of.
Vaptio C-Flat Executive
https://vaptio.com/catalogue/c-flat-executive_1039/
One of the nicest looking pods in this roundup, shiny gold on one side and a green marble looking finish on the other with a green mouthpiece. A definite fingerprint magnet on the gold side, I was cleaning it a lot. Comes with a pre-filled cartridge of menthol in 5mg nic and even though there is a plug it is stuck in there, I am pretty sure I could remove it but would probably break it in the process. Has a button you need to press to vape, con right there as most pods are draw and vape and Vaptio has a pod that does just that. 5 clicks on/off and USB charging with passthrough. 1.5ml pre filled juice.
Comes in a variety of colors and each have different flavor, Strawberry, Apple, Mango, Coffee and the Menthol I received.
Has the option for either MTL or DL vaping depending on if the button is facing you or away. I could maybe tell a little difference but in general it felt the same both ways.
The flavor is actually pretty good for a menthol and the 5mg nic really hits, I get a good nic buzz from it. Not a fan normally of menthol but this is not overpowering and overall I enjoy it.
I can confirm that the C-Flat refillable pods do work in it: https://vaptio.com/catalogue/c-flat-tank_718/ . Luckily I had an extra and loaded up with some of my high mg salt nics. The flavor was not great with my Lava Flow 35mg but I was able to vape away without coughing up a lung. It is unfortunate they do not include an extra refillable pod in the kit considering how expensive it it. I am guessing you can buy pre filled cartridges for it as well but looking through Vaptio's website I was not able to locate them. Considering how flavorful the pre filled was compared to the refillable with Lava Flow it looks to be more about the juice than the pod itself.
Doing a quick search on google I found it for $40, pricey especially considering it only comes with one pre filled cartridge. Looks really nice and the flavor really comes through with the pre filled, if your an executive then I guess you can afford it.
Vaptio Solo-Flat
https://vaptio.com/catalogue/solo-flat_675/
Not the flashiest of the bunch but comes with 2 refillable pods and no button, just draw and vape. USB charging with passthrough and juice level windows on either side which are about impossible to tell your juice level with, these suckers are small. 1.5ml juice capacity.
Flavor is just so so with the Solo-Flat with either salt nic or regular juices. I can vape it with salt nic though without any irritation or coughing. Vaptio has better offerings in pods, unfortunately the Solo-Flat is not one of them.
I have never actually purchased a pod system and had no intent on doing so, just not my style. I have friends who use them on occasion for getting a nic fix while being discreet...hmmm, that makes sense and I found myself using pods in the same manner. Prior to that I would just refrain from vaping instead of being the obnoxious guy in a crowd blowing fat clouds.
I have purchased some salt nic which in the right pod sure does give me that nic fix. They do have warnings that it is not for sub-ohm use and yeah, that would be a mistake as the ones I purchased are 25 and 35mg nic, they would blow your head off in a sub-ohm setup.
Some are closed pod systems like the Komge K1, Vaptio C-Flat Executive kit and the Hangsen IQ. The closed systems come with flavor cartridge prefilled and once it is done you simply buy a new cartridge or as is the case with the Komge K1 you throw away the pod as you can neither fill it or recharge it, estimated 200 puffs and your done. The rest you can charge and refill at your leisure, no need to use salt nic if you don't want to, regular e-liquid can be used but that is not ideal. Either way I used both salt nic juices and my normal everyday juices and will talk about the differences.
Disclaimer: None of these pods will give you the flavor you would get with a good sub-ohm tank, RDA or RTA. I will talk about the flavor in comparison to one another only.
Komge Cashew
http://www.komge.com/Project_view.php?id=33
The samples I was sent are pre-production and I have relayed the concerns I have to Komge directly. I was told they would send me the final production version once it is released. If there are significant changes I will update it.
The Cashew has a nice satin finish on all the colors, black, blue and orange. It is a very compact and easy to hold pod, it hides nicely in my hand for an inconspicuous vape. The draw is one of the tightest of the bunch but that tightness led to it being one of my favorites for high mg salt nic. No buttons, just take a draw and you get vapor. 2ml juice capacity.
The pod is easy to refill but I did not like that the plug was not attached and no spares were included in the package, definite con there. The pod was a little too loose when attached as well, they need to make it more secure as it became dislodged a few times while in my pocket. It also did not include a spare pod in the package, only a USB cable and needle nose refill bottle pictured above.
Flavor with regular juice is pretty muted which is the case for most of these pods with a couple of exceptions. Flavor with nic salts was a little better but not great for a pod system.
I have to mention that for the high mg salt nics I was using the Cashew was in my top 3, not for flavor but for my ability to take a good hit and not get a scratchy throat or cough. There are some pods that I have to sneak up on to take a salt nic hit or I will cough up a storm, not cool. That was not the case with the Cashew, never took a salt nic hit and coughed and got my nic fix easily.
Now if Komge can improve the flavor but keep the same draw then this will make for a great stealth pod. They also need to have the plug attached, it is small which would make it easy to lose and there are no spares.
I like the shape, feel in the hand and draw on the Komge Cashew and I hope they address these issues. For salt nics it is one of my go to pods and will use it from time to time when I need that nic fix but need to keep it on the down low.
Komge K1
http://www.komge.com/Project_view.php?id=36
The K1 is a closed pod system, no re-charging, no refilling and it comes filled with US made Apollo e-liquid. The packaging I received had 3 pods in each and the flavors were King Pin (Creamy sweet, peanut butter with a hint of tobacco) Melon (blend of honeydew melon, cucumber, and mint) and Breeze (menthol and mint) and all are 5mg nic, no mention if it is salt nic. No button to press, just suck on it and get vape. 1.3ml juice pre filled.
Pretty small at 73.5mm x 19.5mm x 12mm and light as can be. Has a faux carbon fiber finish on it and comes with a plug attached to the mouthpiece which can be reused.
The K1 had me question the quality of the salt nics I had purchased as the flavor is much better. King Pin is my favorite, never been much of a tobacco fan but it is in the background and mates well with the peanut butter. I normally stay away from menthol vapes but breeze is pretty tasty and clears up my sinuses. Melon is the least flavorful of the bunch but still decent. King Pin has me a bit hooked though, it is the one I grab for and may just buy a bottle to vape in my normal setups https://www.apolloecigs.com/boss-tobacco-king-pin
Draw is tight like the Cashew but still satisfying, the 5mg nic is a little on the light side compared to the Cashew loaded with 25mg salt nic. It still satisfies and maybe the lower nicotine helps the flavor come through more? Not sure but it is by far one of the tastiest pods in this roundup.
With a quick google search I see it listed for $25 for a 3 pack which comes to a little more than $8 a pod. Not a bad price and I have been huffing on the King Pin pod for awhile now and it is still going. I haven't been counting my puffs, I am not that thorough or crazy but it has been better than I expected.
The Komge K1 was a pleasant surprise and I find myself jonesing for the King Pin pod. I had to put a sticker on it though as there is no markings to tell you what flavor is in the pod, that is the only con I can think of.
Vaptio C-Flat Executive
https://vaptio.com/catalogue/c-flat-executive_1039/
One of the nicest looking pods in this roundup, shiny gold on one side and a green marble looking finish on the other with a green mouthpiece. A definite fingerprint magnet on the gold side, I was cleaning it a lot. Comes with a pre-filled cartridge of menthol in 5mg nic and even though there is a plug it is stuck in there, I am pretty sure I could remove it but would probably break it in the process. Has a button you need to press to vape, con right there as most pods are draw and vape and Vaptio has a pod that does just that. 5 clicks on/off and USB charging with passthrough. 1.5ml pre filled juice.
Comes in a variety of colors and each have different flavor, Strawberry, Apple, Mango, Coffee and the Menthol I received.
Has the option for either MTL or DL vaping depending on if the button is facing you or away. I could maybe tell a little difference but in general it felt the same both ways.
The flavor is actually pretty good for a menthol and the 5mg nic really hits, I get a good nic buzz from it. Not a fan normally of menthol but this is not overpowering and overall I enjoy it.
I can confirm that the C-Flat refillable pods do work in it: https://vaptio.com/catalogue/c-flat-tank_718/ . Luckily I had an extra and loaded up with some of my high mg salt nics. The flavor was not great with my Lava Flow 35mg but I was able to vape away without coughing up a lung. It is unfortunate they do not include an extra refillable pod in the kit considering how expensive it it. I am guessing you can buy pre filled cartridges for it as well but looking through Vaptio's website I was not able to locate them. Considering how flavorful the pre filled was compared to the refillable with Lava Flow it looks to be more about the juice than the pod itself.
Doing a quick search on google I found it for $40, pricey especially considering it only comes with one pre filled cartridge. Looks really nice and the flavor really comes through with the pre filled, if your an executive then I guess you can afford it.
Vaptio Solo-Flat
https://vaptio.com/catalogue/solo-flat_675/
Not the flashiest of the bunch but comes with 2 refillable pods and no button, just draw and vape. USB charging with passthrough and juice level windows on either side which are about impossible to tell your juice level with, these suckers are small. 1.5ml juice capacity.
Flavor is just so so with the Solo-Flat with either salt nic or regular juices. I can vape it with salt nic though without any irritation or coughing. Vaptio has better offerings in pods, unfortunately the Solo-Flat is not one of them.