Voopoo Drag Intro
Let that roll off your tongue.
Kind of wretched, right? Well get used to it, because regardless of how unsavory it feels, in this review we take an in-depth look at the new 157-watt Drag Mod from Voopoo Tech.
The Voopoo Drag mod is a small, dual 18650 regulated box that utilizes the 32-bit super Gene.Fun chip to bring us a feature-rich vaping experience that includes the expected variable wattage and temperature control modes (with TCR), and some additional attributes that are remarkably similar to another well known chip: the Omni from Vaporesso. We’ll explore all of that in detail below.
The Drag mod is available in two colors: silver/red and silver/black. I was able to find the Drag on pre-order at several well-known Chinese sellers, with wildly varying prices.
Note
Disclaimer: We received the Voopoo Drag from Heavengifts for the purpose of this review.
Voopoo Drag Gallery
Voopoo Drag Specs and Features
Kit Content
- Drag mod
- USB charge/upgrade cable
- User manual
- Warranty card
Specifications
Notable Remarks
Unboxing the Box
Out of the box, I was surprised by the heft of the Drag mod. I weighed it and it tips the scales at 212g empty and 298g with batteries installed. In comparison, the heaviest mods I own are my clunky old Cuboid at 298g, a Revenant Cartel 160 at 272g, and a triple-cell Triade at 324g (all weighed with batteries installed).
I couldn’t find the material at the Voopoo website, but several sellers list the box as being made from zinc alloy. I am skeptical, and have never seen a dual-cell zinc alloy box that was this small and this heavy. I thought it was made from stainless steel based on the weight. Anyway - it is heavy.
One side of the mod is inlaid with red and black carbon fiber, and the other (door) side is laser etched with the Drag logo, which covers the entire door. It’s a big logo but not blingy, and well done. The Voopoo name appears on the carbon fiber side, in small script.
The magnetic battery door is easy to remove yet secure, with no rattle or movement when installed. It appears that the battery tray is injection molded in white plastic, with a ribbon to remove your batteries. The ribbon is the only other place you will find the Voopoo name.
The fire and control buttons are nice and clicky, with no rattle. The USB port is located on the front panel, below the buttons. The Drag features a stainless steel 510 with spring-loaded, gold-plated center pin.
Super Gene.Fun vs Omni - similarities
Smart Wattage - In variable wattage mode, when you attach your atomizer to the mod, the Gene.Fun chip detects a change in resistance and asks if the coil is new. If you answer yes, it sets the the wattage to a recommended starting point, to prevent you from accidentally torching a new coil or build.
CCW (Constant Curve of Wattage) - CCW allows the user to create a custom vaping curve in 0.5-second intervals for the first nine seconds of the vape. Keep in mind that the mod times out at ten seconds but that can be changed using the Voopoo software.
CCT (Constant Curve of Temperature) - same as CCW, but with temperature.
Of course the Gene.Fun chip also brings the standard variable wattage, temperature control with titanium, nickel, and stainless steel heating elements, and TCR.
Like the Omni, you can also set the mod to variable voltage, but the feature was not available until I upgraded the firmware.
The Gene.Fun chip also offers eight protections:
- Reverse polarity
- Puff timeout
- Over-temp
- Over current
- Overcharge
- Over discharge
- Short-circuit
- Balanced charging
Super Gene.Fun vs Omni - differences
The Drag mod also boasts a 0.025-second fire time, so when you hit the fire button - it’s go time.
The final difference between the Gene.Fun and Omni is that Voopoo allows you to make custom vaping curves (CCW and CCT) right at the mod OR by using their software interface on you PC.
The software
The Voopoo software is much more rudimentary, but does allow you to make changes to any of the screens, update your firmware, and “customize” the mod by changing some of the operating characteristics such as the custom vaping curves, vaping time-out.
I used the software to upgrade the firmware, change the boot screen from “Voopoo” to my initials, and mess around with the custom vaping curves. It’s nice that you can create the curves using the buttons on the mod, but I found it much easier doing it with my PC.
Note that the software only supports Windows - Mac users are out of luck.
Performance
The test builds
The second, for TC, was a single stainless steel coil at 0.34Ω in a Hadaly RDA.
Drag Show - Act I - Variable Wattage
When I pressed the button, the mod seemed to fire instantly as promised, with no lag. There was the expected ramp with the large mass of the claptons, but that was easily remedied with an aggressive ramp that I set with the software.
I won’t bore you with the gory details, but the mod performed exactly as expected.
Drag Show - Act II - Temperature Control
The Gene.Fun chip did a great job of monitoring the temp of the coil and never allowed the coil to reach overtemp. I watched as the current to the coil fluctuated between 12-16A with a well saturated wick. As the wick dries out, the current dropped steadily, with a concurrent drop in vapor production. The Drag mod performed perfectly, and I never experienced a single dry hit.
Likes
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Tasteful branding
- nicely etched logo
- Easy to use software interface
- Relatively small size
- Excellent performance in VW and TC
- One-watt adjustment increments (subjective)
Dislikes
Cons
- Odd name
- Heavy for pocket carry
- Square edges a bit “sharp”
- Old-school box design
Two snaps up
The Drag mod is an aesthetically pleasing box with straight lines and tasteful branding that is well put together. The square edges of the box a feel a bit “sharp” compared to a lot of mods with rounded edges, but it’s not uncomfortable to hold and use. The weight is surprising for a smallish box, and may prove to be a bit burdensome, even in a front jeans pocket - so forget about a shirt pocket.
On the plus side, the mod performed exactly as promised, and I loved the 1-watt adjustment increment, which made scrolling through the wattage setting much faster. It’s a minor thing but such a peeve of mine that the first thing I do with my DNA mods is change the increment to 1-watt in Escribe.
I really like the 160-watt Omni chip used in the Tarot Pro with custom vaping curves. The Voopoo Drag, with the Gene.Fun chip, adds the convenience of a simple software interface to bring a few extra goodies, so it’s a win for me.
Bottom line, to me, the Voopoo Drag feels like an absolute steal at 38 bucks.
Gary Joseph
Gary Joseph
Gary is a retired technical writer residing in the metro Detroit area. Besides vaping, and writing for Vaping360, some of his other interests include motorcycling, watch collecting, bicycling and fitness.
