Battle of the Pods
Suorin Vagon vs Rincoe Ceto vs VooPoo Panda
Hello everyone!
I've been using these three pod systems from two weeks to a month now. I figured a 3-way comparison would be more useful than reviewing them individually.
All of these devices were sent to me to review. Suorin Vagon was sent by Heaven Gifts, Rincoe Ceto was sent by Rincoe and the VooPoo Panda was sent by VooPoo. All of them come in a variety of colors.
This is actually my second unit of Panda, the first one died after a few days of use. VooPoo said the first unit was a pre-release review unit that might have slipped through quality control.
The Contenders
I've used the same ejuice in all three devices. It's a 70VG mix with 24mg nicotine salt. It's a Kush Man type flavor with very little sweetener.
It's hard to properly measure the dimensions of the Suorin Vagon and Rincoe Ceto because of their shape and curves. I've measured the longest edges where possible.
VooPoo Panda comes with a 8 watt MTL pod and a 12 watt Restricted Lung Hit pod. The other two devices come with just MTL pods.
Photos - Album
Flavor
Flavor-wise they're all decent, especially considering the size of the coils. Obviously they're not as flavorful as rebuildables, or even sub-ohm tanks, but they're flavorful enough to hold your attention. Frankly, flavor isn't meant to be the star of the show here, it's there to sugar-coat the thunderous nic salt hit that these pods are so good at delivering.
There's a noticeable degradation in flavor after the first fill in the Ceto and the Vagon. It degrades further with every fill until the pod dies.
These pods systems were a big hit among my smoker friends. They liked the flavor produced by these pods and they loved the nic salt hit even more. I think these pod systems are suited better for them than the experienced vapers looking for a change of pace.
Winner
For MTL pods it's a tie. Overall I liked the 12 watt pods in VooPoo Panda the most. Flavor was a bit more saturated than the rest.
What they all get wrong
A GOD DAMN REGULATING CHIP
My main problem with all three pods: unregulated power delivery. When the charge is full they provide a satisfactory, flavorful nic salt hit. As the battery voltage starts to drop the flavor and the hit gets weaker. You can't help but reminisce on how well they hit fresh off the charger after the first 20-25 hits. It's a bummer really. The Ceto and the Vagon are more affected by this than the Panda.
This might not be an issue if you've just switched over from cigs and are taking just a few puffs every 2-3 hours. You'll feel almost anything at that point. But if you like to top up a few times per hour you're going to be disappointed with all 3.
They don't have to offer VV/VW/TC, there's no need for a screen. They just need to deliver a consistent voltage for a consistent vape, from 100% charge to 0%. They can pick any voltage and then wrap the coils accordingly. I'm sure they can fit a simple regulator without making the units too big.
Draw
I think all three of them have a draw that's a little loose for MTL hits if you like to draw in one go. if you do a few short MTL pulls you get a much better result. Obviously lung hitting them will yield the best flavor and hit. VooPoo 12w pod is pretty good for that, but the rest of the devices are quite good too.
For MTL pods I'd say VooPoo Panda produces the most vapor. Suorin Vagon is next, followed by Rincoe Ceto. The Panda should've had a much narrower bored drip tip.
Winner
Suorin Vagon is the clear winner here. Keep in mind it's a personal preference. I found it to have the smoothest draw among all 3. I normally lung hit the other devices but I like to vape the Vagon with few short MTL pulls.
Portability
They are all very small and light and should fit in just about any pocket. Their shapes are very ergonomic too, which makes them easy to hold and carry.
They all have a similar filling method. It's very easy to use with narrow tipped bottles like the Chubby Gorilla or regular e-liquid bottles. Dropper bottles or twist cap bottles won't work.
None of them leaked in the entire time I used them.
Winner
Rincoe Ceto is the easiest to carry. It's slim and flat shape makes it slightly easier to carry in pockets.
Suorin Vagon is the easiest to use. the mouthpiece is in the center unlike the other two. Like the Ceto it's also draw activated, you don't need to press any buttons.
The off-center mouthpiece of the Ceto can make it awkward at times to puff. VooPoo Panda might be a little awkward to use if you've got big hands, as the button and the mouth piece are very close to each other, on the same plane.
What they all got wrong
None of the 3 pods come with a cap to close off the mouth piece. They are all tiny and meant to be carried in pockets but you'll always have lint and dirt gathering in the pods if you do. It's not just these 3, the majority of the pods out now don't come with a cap either. Very disappointing.
