Hello everyone and welcome to Pizza Dave’s vape reviews. Today I will be going over everything you need to know about the Pico S kit by Eleaf. This device was sent to me by Eleaf for review.
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INTRODUCTION
The Pico S is the latest device released by the company Eleaf. Their Pico line has been around for a couple of years, and they keep on tweaking and refining it. I believe they are sticking with the Pico line because of years of success with it. These compact and functional devices have been in the hands of thousands of vapors, and you would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t either vaped one or tried one of their friends. Like all the Pico devices before it, the S features a single battery (this time a 21700), and compact design. It hast a maximum output of 100W, just 81mm tall, LED lights, and is available in several colors including red black, rainbow, white, silver, and blue. Without further a due, let’s dive in to this device, it’s features, and I will see you down at the bottom for my final thoughts.
WHAT YOU GET
- 1 iStick Pico S mod
- 1 Ello Vate tank (w/ 6mL bubble glass and 2mL straight glass)
- 1 HW-M .15 ohm coil
- 1 HW-N .20 ohm coil
- 1 AVB 21700 Battery
- 1 18650 Battery adapter
- 1 USB cable
- 2 User manuals (one for mod, one for tank)
- 1 Spare parts bag
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FEATURES
The Pico S is full of the usual features we would come to expect with a Pico and even adds a few little details to set it apart from previous models. First off, this mod is run by a single battery. This kit included an AVB 21700, which I have used on several items lately and had great results with. It is also compatible with 18650s via an adapter sleeve. One of the key styling points of this device has to do with how the battery is installed in the device. They ditched the old battery compartment with removable cape for a removable tube. This sets it apart from previous Pico devices in a big way and gave this device some added flair. This creates an opening in the middle of the device, so what battery way to make this stand out even more than to toss some LED lights in there. Eleaf tastefully put accent lighting in this space. The color is selectable (red, blue, green, cyan, white, pink) or shut off all together if LEDs just aren’t your thing. This device will fit up to a 25mm atomizer. Anything larger than that will overhang and be inhibited completely by the battery tube. An added note is that this device is METAL. Unlike some of the previous lightweight Pico mods, this thing has some serious substance to it. The full metal frame feels solid in hand and to make it feel even better is that I experienced zero rattle out of this thing at all.
______________________________________________________________________________
OPERATION
I have never personally owned a Pico device, so I am not sure if this is an updated system or not. The menus are very simple and self-explanatory so I am going to get too in depth about them. I found it easy to navigate and adjust.
Operation and menu systems are as follows:
- 5 clicks on, 5 clicks off.
No power up or power down screen at all, it turns on and off very fast
- 3 clicks enters the operations menu where you can select power or temp control modes
This includes temp control, wattage mode, 3 memory settings, and bypass mode. I didn’t dabble with temp control on this one, so I can’t comment on how well it works.
- Press up and down buttons simultaneously to lock the power or temp setting
- Press up and fire buttons simultaneously to enter an options menu
This options menu features stealth mode (on or off), led settings, preheat setup, screen layout (choose what you want to see in the bottom right corner), as well as information regarding the firmware and battery levels.
- NO LOCKING FUNCTION
The only way to lock out firing is to power off the device with 5 clicks.
Simple basic screen
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HOW IT VAPES
Like I said above, I ran this only in wattage mode. I used the included tank for almost the entire duration of testing, so I cannot comment on how well it performs temp control. In short, this device performed quite well. The amount of power it supplies seems to be spot on with the setting on the device and running it on one 21700 got me through my work day without dropping off too much. The fire buttons are solid and has a nice feel to it. I also experienced no rattle which always makes a device feel more well-built. I used this a little bit with a Geekvape Blitzen, and it performed just fine. With the performance I got out of the Ello Vate tank, there was really no reason for me to even try much else on it. With that being said, let’s jump into the included tank.
MISC. PICTURES
Shown next to the very small Rig RSQ
Examples of the LED lights, but a few more colors are available
Blue LEDs
Red LEDS
Green LEDS
Hand check
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ELLO VATE REVIEW
Eleaf couple the Pico S with the Ello Vate sub ohm tank. This tank features two of the best coils I have ever had the pleasure of vaping. The HW-M is a mesh styled coil. Flavor is amazing, and the coil life outlasts standard coils by a long shot. I vaped about 40 mL of some very sweet liquid through the HW-M coil and the flavor was still just as good at the last mL as it was at the first. I ran out of that liquid and had to change it up at that point. I rinsed the coil out and let it dry for a day. I switched flavors and ran 20 more mL of liquid through this one coil before it finally started to have reduced flavor and sometimes a burnt taste. At this point I installed the HW-N coil. This coil looks like an alternate mesh that resembled a notched coil that is installed vertically in this coil. This has a lower power tolerance than the HW-M coil. I vaped it around 50w, while I vaped the HW-M at 65 watts. I enjoyed the flavor from the HW-M a little bit more, but that is something subjective to the user. Overall this tank is one of the best sub ohm tanks I have tried. The only flaw that I found in it was the fill port “check valve” system. It makes a bit of a mess with dropper bottles as they don’t fully insert into it before getting juice on the outside. This is a small con, but a con none the less. One other caveat to this tank is that it is compatible with a large array of coils from other manufacturers. This includes Joyetech Pro Core, Smok Baby Beast, and Vaporesso GT coils (and many more). I however, have never used a coil of this form factor that performs as well as the included HW-M coil. I would gladly put that coil in those other brand tanks as well. They are a bit wider, so they will only fit tanks that are a bit wider. Hats off to Eleaf, as I feel the Ello Vate is a perfect fit for the Pico S and really completes the kit nicely.
Silly Check Valve
Tank is pretty large, but it can be quite compact with the 2mL glass (removes chimney extension so it also gets shorter)
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FINAL THOUGHTS
The Eleaf Pico S is a great entry into today’s market. I thoroughly enjoyed using it for many reasons. For one, the look just does it for me. The upgrade to the Pico styling is excellent in my opinion, and I even enjoy the LED lights that subtly accent the tube. It performs well with the included tank and is a tasty vape right out of the box. I only have a few small complaints that I had to nit pick to find. One, is the battery tube bumps into the bubble glass of the Vate tank. It is still removable with the tank on but requires some finagling to get it out. It can also be a little finicky to thread back into the device, but once you get a feel for the pressure to apply it gets easier each time. The only other flaw is fingerprints. The gloss black model is a fingerprint magnet, but sure looks good when it is clean! I recommend this for anyone that vapes around 60-70 watts. Battery life would be a struggle if vaping at 100w is your thing. The included tank is great, and the coils last quite a long time.
PROS
- Compact design
- Ergonomic
- LED lights add some nice flair (subjective)
- Simple to use
- Ello Vate is a flavor machine
- Buttons feel great
- Included battery works great
- Lots of color options
- Firmware upgradeable and has a “custom logo” setting
CONS – really had to nitpick here
- Finger print magnet on black model
- Battery tube removal bumps into bubble glass (but is still removable)
- Battery tube threading can be finicky to get started
- Coil marking sits low in tank so “recommended wattage” is hardly viewable when installed
Thank you everyone for reading my review, and thank you to Eleaf for sending it my way! If this device seems like something you want to try out, I have attached links to where it can be purchased.
Vape Sourcing - $56
https://vapesourcing.com/eleaf-istick-pico-s-kit-100w.html
Eleaf link for more information
http://www.eleafworld.com/istick-pico-s-with-ello-vate/
Pizza Dave – delivering real reviews with no extra toppings
______________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
The Pico S is the latest device released by the company Eleaf. Their Pico line has been around for a couple of years, and they keep on tweaking and refining it. I believe they are sticking with the Pico line because of years of success with it. These compact and functional devices have been in the hands of thousands of vapors, and you would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t either vaped one or tried one of their friends. Like all the Pico devices before it, the S features a single battery (this time a 21700), and compact design. It hast a maximum output of 100W, just 81mm tall, LED lights, and is available in several colors including red black, rainbow, white, silver, and blue. Without further a due, let’s dive in to this device, it’s features, and I will see you down at the bottom for my final thoughts.
WHAT YOU GET
- 1 iStick Pico S mod
- 1 Ello Vate tank (w/ 6mL bubble glass and 2mL straight glass)
- 1 HW-M .15 ohm coil
- 1 HW-N .20 ohm coil
- 1 AVB 21700 Battery
- 1 18650 Battery adapter
- 1 USB cable
- 2 User manuals (one for mod, one for tank)
- 1 Spare parts bag
______________________________________________________________________________
FEATURES
The Pico S is full of the usual features we would come to expect with a Pico and even adds a few little details to set it apart from previous models. First off, this mod is run by a single battery. This kit included an AVB 21700, which I have used on several items lately and had great results with. It is also compatible with 18650s via an adapter sleeve. One of the key styling points of this device has to do with how the battery is installed in the device. They ditched the old battery compartment with removable cape for a removable tube. This sets it apart from previous Pico devices in a big way and gave this device some added flair. This creates an opening in the middle of the device, so what battery way to make this stand out even more than to toss some LED lights in there. Eleaf tastefully put accent lighting in this space. The color is selectable (red, blue, green, cyan, white, pink) or shut off all together if LEDs just aren’t your thing. This device will fit up to a 25mm atomizer. Anything larger than that will overhang and be inhibited completely by the battery tube. An added note is that this device is METAL. Unlike some of the previous lightweight Pico mods, this thing has some serious substance to it. The full metal frame feels solid in hand and to make it feel even better is that I experienced zero rattle out of this thing at all.
______________________________________________________________________________
OPERATION
I have never personally owned a Pico device, so I am not sure if this is an updated system or not. The menus are very simple and self-explanatory so I am going to get too in depth about them. I found it easy to navigate and adjust.
Operation and menu systems are as follows:
- 5 clicks on, 5 clicks off.
No power up or power down screen at all, it turns on and off very fast
- 3 clicks enters the operations menu where you can select power or temp control modes
This includes temp control, wattage mode, 3 memory settings, and bypass mode. I didn’t dabble with temp control on this one, so I can’t comment on how well it works.
- Press up and down buttons simultaneously to lock the power or temp setting
- Press up and fire buttons simultaneously to enter an options menu
This options menu features stealth mode (on or off), led settings, preheat setup, screen layout (choose what you want to see in the bottom right corner), as well as information regarding the firmware and battery levels.
- NO LOCKING FUNCTION
The only way to lock out firing is to power off the device with 5 clicks.
Simple basic screen
______________________________________________________________________________
HOW IT VAPES
Like I said above, I ran this only in wattage mode. I used the included tank for almost the entire duration of testing, so I cannot comment on how well it performs temp control. In short, this device performed quite well. The amount of power it supplies seems to be spot on with the setting on the device and running it on one 21700 got me through my work day without dropping off too much. The fire buttons are solid and has a nice feel to it. I also experienced no rattle which always makes a device feel more well-built. I used this a little bit with a Geekvape Blitzen, and it performed just fine. With the performance I got out of the Ello Vate tank, there was really no reason for me to even try much else on it. With that being said, let’s jump into the included tank.
MISC. PICTURES
Shown next to the very small Rig RSQ
Examples of the LED lights, but a few more colors are available
Blue LEDs
Red LEDS
Green LEDS
Hand check
______________________________________________________________________________
ELLO VATE REVIEW
Eleaf couple the Pico S with the Ello Vate sub ohm tank. This tank features two of the best coils I have ever had the pleasure of vaping. The HW-M is a mesh styled coil. Flavor is amazing, and the coil life outlasts standard coils by a long shot. I vaped about 40 mL of some very sweet liquid through the HW-M coil and the flavor was still just as good at the last mL as it was at the first. I ran out of that liquid and had to change it up at that point. I rinsed the coil out and let it dry for a day. I switched flavors and ran 20 more mL of liquid through this one coil before it finally started to have reduced flavor and sometimes a burnt taste. At this point I installed the HW-N coil. This coil looks like an alternate mesh that resembled a notched coil that is installed vertically in this coil. This has a lower power tolerance than the HW-M coil. I vaped it around 50w, while I vaped the HW-M at 65 watts. I enjoyed the flavor from the HW-M a little bit more, but that is something subjective to the user. Overall this tank is one of the best sub ohm tanks I have tried. The only flaw that I found in it was the fill port “check valve” system. It makes a bit of a mess with dropper bottles as they don’t fully insert into it before getting juice on the outside. This is a small con, but a con none the less. One other caveat to this tank is that it is compatible with a large array of coils from other manufacturers. This includes Joyetech Pro Core, Smok Baby Beast, and Vaporesso GT coils (and many more). I however, have never used a coil of this form factor that performs as well as the included HW-M coil. I would gladly put that coil in those other brand tanks as well. They are a bit wider, so they will only fit tanks that are a bit wider. Hats off to Eleaf, as I feel the Ello Vate is a perfect fit for the Pico S and really completes the kit nicely.
Silly Check Valve
Tank is pretty large, but it can be quite compact with the 2mL glass (removes chimney extension so it also gets shorter)
______________________________________________________________________________
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Eleaf Pico S is a great entry into today’s market. I thoroughly enjoyed using it for many reasons. For one, the look just does it for me. The upgrade to the Pico styling is excellent in my opinion, and I even enjoy the LED lights that subtly accent the tube. It performs well with the included tank and is a tasty vape right out of the box. I only have a few small complaints that I had to nit pick to find. One, is the battery tube bumps into the bubble glass of the Vate tank. It is still removable with the tank on but requires some finagling to get it out. It can also be a little finicky to thread back into the device, but once you get a feel for the pressure to apply it gets easier each time. The only other flaw is fingerprints. The gloss black model is a fingerprint magnet, but sure looks good when it is clean! I recommend this for anyone that vapes around 60-70 watts. Battery life would be a struggle if vaping at 100w is your thing. The included tank is great, and the coils last quite a long time.
PROS
- Compact design
- Ergonomic
- LED lights add some nice flair (subjective)
- Simple to use
- Ello Vate is a flavor machine
- Buttons feel great
- Included battery works great
- Lots of color options
- Firmware upgradeable and has a “custom logo” setting
CONS – really had to nitpick here
- Finger print magnet on black model
- Battery tube removal bumps into bubble glass (but is still removable)
- Battery tube threading can be finicky to get started
- Coil marking sits low in tank so “recommended wattage” is hardly viewable when installed
Thank you everyone for reading my review, and thank you to Eleaf for sending it my way! If this device seems like something you want to try out, I have attached links to where it can be purchased.
Vape Sourcing - $56
https://vapesourcing.com/eleaf-istick-pico-s-kit-100w.html
Eleaf link for more information
http://www.eleafworld.com/istick-pico-s-with-ello-vate/
Pizza Dave – delivering real reviews with no extra toppings