20700 batteries. Are they future or fad? iJoy quickly jumped on board and have released a device that primarily uses 20700’s. I was beginning to wonder if there was ever going to be more variety in battery cells. It appeared that batteries hit a wall in their progression… To be honest, mods haven’t progressed much either. Sure, they come in all shapes, sizes and colors, but they all basically do the same thing. What matters to me is how well the device does it’s job. It’s not always about cost either. You can have a $200 mod that has a squishy button, hard to see screen, and inaccurate readings…That’s not the case here. I’m here to talk about a mod that won’t break the bank AND gives you the performance you crave…The iJoy Captain PD270
Alright, it’s been out for a hot minute and many people have shared their thoughts on this bad boy for good reason. Lately, finding a lower priced mod that works good has been relatively easy. Manufacturers are making better products for less and in my opinion the Captain is right at the top. P = Performance… D = Dual… 270 = 20700. Yes those letters and numbers have meaning…kinda like tires on a car. In order to cover everything appropriately I’m gonna have to refine my format. Reviews are still new to me so bare with me folks.
Unboxing:
iJoy has perfected their marketing game and it’s easy to see in their latest products. The packaging is retail ready and looks like something you would see on a shelf at Best Buy. I’ve bought tablets for my kids that came in a crappier box. It has the standard information, warnings and scratch-off security code we come to expect as well as the recently added warning that it contains nicotine. Sure…if they say so. Once open, the Captain is beautifully displayed and held firmly in place with foam. Remove the foam piece and you can get to the extras like the charging/firmware cable, a neat silicone 18650 adapter, and two 20700 batteries that are individually packaged in mini boxes. Not all Captain mods come with batteries though so be sure you get the one you want when buying.
The Batteries:
These iJoy branded cells are rated at 3000 mAh with a continuous discharge up to 40A. Holy cow. Packing that much punch into a cell barely large than an 18650 is revolutionary in my opinion. No way it can make 18650’s obsolete, but an equal? Easily true. I get fantastic battery life along with full on power blasting right to the coils. I can’t wait to get a 20700 tube mech…which iJoy makes already. These batteries are legit… total bosses. Hell they were originally designed for the fastest production electric car…the Tesla. Thank you Tesla, thank you…
Style and Comfort:
The designers at iJoy have been rocking lately and the PD270 backs that up. The smooth lines coupled with sharp edges, carbon fiber accents, hidden screen and classy engravings all come together beautifully to give this a powerful look and high class feel. The big button is back again but it doesn’t ruin the appearance, it compliments and blends in with it. You can hate on the big button all you want but don’t judge until you use it. When you pick the mod up your trigger finger naturally rests on top of it in the perfect position. I can easily fire this mod without searching for the button, and it doesn’t matter if you’re finger or thumb firing. It sits flush with the body making it almost tactile when viewing from the front. There must be an invisible hinge on the bottom section of the button because you cant fire it when you press it there, but it works great when pressed anywhere from the center section up. I get the satisfying ‘click’ I look for in mods. No squishy buttons to be found.
The USB charge port is conveniently located below the + and - buttons so you can leave it standing to charge or update. The carbon fiber used is not the cheap-o vinyl we’re all accustomed to seeing on our budget mods. It’s the good stuff with texture and dimension. I almost want to say its padded somehow cause it sure feels that way. It also does a great job providing grip so it doesn’t slip right out of your hand. Knurling on mods could be a real thing. Unbelievably this thing feels like its made for my hand. It’s a complete iJoy to hold.
The battery door slides out and swings open exactly as it should. I haven’t had any issues with it so far. It’s easy to open and stays locked shut after you slide it into place. I can see the tabs that lock it down wearing out eventually but not for a long time. For a mod that uses such large batteries it somehow retains a small, compact frame, but it does have substantial girth… making it not so pocket friendly. I wouldn’t call it a tiny mod but it’s not huge either. The size is relatively similar to a dual 18650 mod that takes 30mm tanks with no overhang. The paint is good, the buttons are good, the materials all over are good. It’s a solid device with satisfactory parts, small body and an ergonomic hand feel…what more could you want?
The Guts:
How they fit all the necessary wiring, IWEPAL chip and nearly 1 inch screen into this mod is amazing after looking down into an empty battery compartment. It has to be a tight fit or a small chip because it looks like there’s no room for anything but the batteries which, when installed, have barely any room for wiggle. This along with the door pressure makes battery rattle non-existent. The battery contacts are pretty standard and reminiscent of the Noisy Cricket 2 if you’re familiar with that. They’re hardly spring loaded since the batteries are held in place with pressure from the door. All of the contacts (battery and 510) are gold plated so thats a pro. Speaking of the 510, it’s small with very little travel. A lot of my attys with long positive pins don’t screw down completely flush which is a huge bummer. It feels pretty sturdy, and it has a foam sleeve at the bottom to keep juice out which is awesome but the 510 in my opinion should’ve had a little more effort put into it. Otherwise this would have been a 5 star mod. The only thing I didn’t do while testing the Captain was take it apart. Eventually I will but first I have to find a star driver that will fit the screws. I’m not like DJLSB when it comes to the real guts of devices and testing voltage and current, but I do like to see what’s inside of mods once they get some age on them. Plus, you would be surprised at how much juice collects inside these things after a few months, especially for those who drip or use rebuildables.
