Aspire Breeze NXT Review: Is it Really That Good?

The Aspire Breeze NXT is the follow-up release to the popular Aspire Breeze AIO line. The NXT is an appealing device on several fronts and it’s getting a lot of hype right now. First of all, it has an incredible 5.4 mL juice capacity. That is virtually unheard of in AIOs!

Like the Breeze 2, it has a 1000 mAh battery capacity, but the NXT works with 0.8-ohm mesh coils (two are included). The NXT has an automatic draw and button-fire (like the original), and you can refill the cartridge without removing it. Add in a side-mounted external airflow ring capable of MTL up to a restricted lung hit, and at first glance it looks like the NXT may be one of the best AIOs of 2019.

Aspire sent me this device free of charge for the purpose of this review.

Colors: red, black, white
Price: $32.95 (at Element Vape)

The Aspire Breeze NXT shares a similar footprint to the original and second Breeze. It stands at 96 mm x 35 mm x 20.5 mm and weighs about 75 grams filled with juice. It only stands 1 mm taller than the Breeze 2 and though they weigh about the same, the NXT holds 2.4 mL more liquid.

The NXT has a similar mouthpiece and removable dust cap as the others, but it’s got a more ergonomic body with a cinched waistline for easy button-firing and holding. The button is perfectly placed and has no rattle. The satin aluminum finish of the other Breeze models has been replaced with a glossy body that looks and feels amazing in the hand. But it will show greasy fingerprints.

The cartridge is still secure like it was in the Breeze 2, but now it’s press fit instead of the spring-loaded button-release. There are fewer points of failure than with the previous model. The cartridge clicks into place and it will not accidentally come out, even when you drop it.

Although the main juice window is just a thin strip between the pod and the battery device, you can see the bottom half of the juice level on the side of the cartridge. It’s not the most ideal juice window because it’s one-sided and light doesn’t pass through it very well, but I like that it’s there instead of just that thin strip.

For those new to the Breeze devices: the dust cap that is on the device out of the package is great for use while in a pocket, but it’s not practical when you simply want to vape. Take that off and set it aside.

Cartridge removal: The cartridge is seated firmly. I find it easiest to remove it by squeezing the ribbed sides with my strong hand and pulling at the battery device with my weaker hand. I like that the cartridges are so secure, but this could be difficult for people that have a hard time grasping things.

Coil swap: When you’re going to add a new coil, you simply line up the base of the coil with the sides of the bottom of the coil housing. Then press in the head. But to remove the coil, you’re going to have to use your nails alongside the rounded portions of the coil head base. It’s more convenient than screwing in a coil head, but the O-rings on the head make for a tight fit. You may have to really pull at it to come out. Also, if you have juice in the cartridge, you won’t be able to pull out the coil without making a mess unless it’s half full and you tilt it to the side. I think it’s best to dump the juice before pulling out the coil head.

Refilling: On one side of the cartridge, there’s a square silicone plug. It’s latched onto the cartridge, and under it is a large fill port. Every dropper bottle will fit, and you can pour juice straight in. Since the NXT holds so much liquid, you may be surprised how long it takes to fill. But when you want to empty the cartridge, the single fill-port will create a vacuum pressure causing the liquid to remain in the cartridge, even after pulling off the large tab. You’ll have to shake the cartridge a bit to get the juice flowing out.

Airflow adjustment: The airflow adjustment is set on the side of the device. There is a little metal dial, like a volume dial on old Walkman, that adjusts the airflow. You can leave it open, halfway, totally closed off, or varying degrees in between. It’s an incredibly useful feature. But due to the dials placement on the side of the device, the airflow can be accidentally blocked if you grip the NXT totally inside your hand. It’s still a huge improvement over the previous model though. With the previous Breeze, you had to remove the mouthpiece, set the airflow, then put back on the mouthpiece.

As stated in the intro, the NXT can go from MTL to a restricted lung hit. I think it shines in the loose MTL to restricted lung hit range. It can do a strict MTL, but I think the 0.8-ohm mesh coils are better suited to bigger hits.

So far, there’s no word yet on any other coils for the Breeze NXT. Right now, the 0.8-ohm coils are it. They aren’t compatible with any other device, and none of the other Breeze coils will work in the NXT.

These 0.8-ohm Kanthal mesh coils have large wicking ports, and a flattened base that makes removing and inserting them just a matter of pulling and pushing. These coil heads wick quickly, and they have very little ramp, whether using the button or the automatic draw. So consider these coils to be high-performance coils. They can work with 50/50 juice, but I think it’s best to stick with high VG juice. Also, these are not the coils to use with high strength nic salts unless you’re a glutton for punishment.

My first impression was that the NXT has above average performance. The flavor is quite pronounced, and the hit is intense. In the beginning, the vape is warm and forceful because the Breeze NXT uses bypass mode. Therefore, it works out best to do a loose MTL to a restricted lung hit because it benefits from additional air to cool the coil. It simply gets too hot to do a strict MTL. But since the NXT uses bypass mode, the performance will start to soften over the life of the charge. That means that the hit will decrease in intensity and heat as the battery drains. If you’re midway through or low on battery power, you can get a comfortable MTL hit with the airflow closed off. I would’ve preferred a consistent output and adjustable watts.

I first tried to use 36 mg nic salt and…that was not a good idea. Stupid mistake! After the wooziness cleared, I dumped the high strength juice and loaded up 6 mg in the cartridge. Later, I got the courage to go higher and I found 12 mg to be about the limit for me. Of course, you could go a little higher than that, but I wouldn’t recommend it regardless of the charge or airflow setting.

The NXT vapes quietly, and I haven’t gotten any spit back. But there has been a little leaking on the bottom of the pod which may or may not become a problem later. Also, the automatic draw seems to be almost too responsive. Occasionally, I’ve heard it activate when holding it and swinging my arm. I wonder how it would fare while driving with the windows down? In the instruction manual, it says that the device should be turned off (five clicks) when not in use to guard against misfires. I would prefer a one-step on/off feature if that is the only way to guard against the device firing on its own. I’m not saying I’ve had issues with autofiring, just that I do have some concerns.

Lastly, although I think the Breeze NXT has above average performance, my first two coils tasted bad after just a couple mL. They made my favorite juice taste like cardboard! On this last coil, I’ve been through almost 15 mL of juice and it’s still performing at a fairly high level. Considering all the hype I’ve heard about this device, I assume that my first two coils were just bad coils and everyone else had coils like my current one.

The 1000 mAh battery life of the NXT is about average for the size of the device. It will stand up to a heavy day of vaping, and up to two days of moderate vaping. It’s charged via a micro USB port along the side of the device, but I do wish it had a USB-C instead.

The NXT has pass-thru charging and it can stand up while charging—something the original Breeze could only do with the PCC. There is no PCC for the NXT. It’s just a straightforward charge. Once the battery is below the cutoff, the LED will flash red. While charging, the fire button’s LED indicates the level the charge status is at.

Green: 3.8 V and above
Blue: 3.5 V to 3.8 V
Red: 3.5 V or less

When you go to charge the device, the charge status light will turn blue after 60 seconds. If you see blue, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s midway through charging. The device is fully charged when the green LED turns off. The charge takes 90 minutes to finish when the battery is completely drained.

I heard a lot of buzz about the NXT before I used it, so I did have some expectations. On one hand, those expectations were met. On the other hand, not at all. I don’t think it’s as good as I heard it was supposed to be.

But I think Aspire hit a homerun with this design. It’s got super useful features, and it’s really easy to use. But I’m not a fan of the bypass mode. It’s such an intense vape on a fully charged battery that the drop-off really changes the experience. It’s not that it becomes no good with less power, but 6 mg will go from feeling just right to too light.

Lastly, the coil performance has been mostly a letdown. Only one out of three coils I’ve used so far has worked well. The other two couldn’t make it past 2 mL before tasting off, yet the “good” coil has lasted for nearly 15 mL. Because of the bypass mode and coil inconsistency I experienced, I can only give it a half-hearted reccommendation at this time.

Update: after trying one more coil, and seeing similar comments about poor coil performance, I can’t even give this a half-hearted recommendation. I don’t recommend the Breeze NXT at all…unless Aspire can fix these coils! I did get one good coil, so I believe there is a fix.

Have you tried the Aspire Breeze NXT? Let me know about your experience in the comments section.