ePuffer XPOD Review

Intro

The ePuffer XPOD is a stick-style beginner vape. It has a 375 mAh internal rechargeable battery and the kit comes with three blank cartridges to be used with your own liquid, and you can add pre-filled pods to the kit. The prefilled pods come in either 2% or 3% nic salt, with six flavors to choose from. Purchased alone, the three-pack of pods (prefilled or blank) is $12.95, but added onto the kit, the price drops to $9.95 for the pods.

The ePuffer XPOD is not to be confused with the ePuffer XPOD Mini that we reviewed awhile back. Besides the two devices being totally different, ePuffer also used different flavors in this rechargeable XPOD that are also available in bottles.

Price: $39.95

Colors: Navy, pearl, violet

Size, weight, and feel

The XPOD weighs just about 23 grams with a full pod loaded. It measures 110 mm x 20 mm x 11 mm, which makes it a couple mm shorter than the PHIX but a couple mm taller than the Vuse Alto.

The XPOD has a lightweight body, only weighing about 23 grams. The outside of the device is textured with hexagonal indentations that add to the aesthetics as well as the hand feel. The main body incorporates two small juice windows of the same hexagon shape that show the level of your liquid left, and a little LED toward the bottom of the battery that indicates remaining battery life.

The XPOD comes in three colors, and the caps of the pods included match the color of the device you get, if you get the blank pods. The prefilled pods we have are either black or white caps.

Getting started

Everything you need to begin is in your package. When ordering the XPOD, you decide whether you want prefilled or blank cartridges.

If you're using the pre-filled cartridges, there really is only one step to using it: simply insert a pod into the device and take a puff. The pods are magnetized and they’re held in firmly enough to be dropped and not have the pod pop out. Each pod can be filled up to four times before needing to be discarded. But the main thing to know is that the taste will tell you when it’s time. It may come slightly before four fills, or it may come after.

The XPOD has no buttons or any complicated menu to navigate. It has an automatic draw, which means you simply take a puff when you’re ready to vape.

If you’re using the blank cartridges, remove the little silicone tab on the side. It’s really small and easy to lose, but ePuffer includes three extras. Also, the refill port is a bit small, so be careful when inserting your bottle so that you don’t spill your liquid. Fill the pod, then replace the plug and let the cotton wicks absorb for about five minutes before taking a drag.

How does it hit?

When using the prefilled pods, the XPOD has a smooth and easy MTL draw that has a medium throat hit, plus clean flavor. That said, we felt that some of the flavors had better flavor than others.

It doesn’t hit as aggressively as something like the original strength in JUUL because the XPOD has lower nicotine, but it’s also not a weak hit either. Obviously the 3% pods will hit stronger than the 2% ones, but even the 3% pods are still fairly smooth vapor. The blank pods perform the same, but the throat hit and flavor will vary depending on the juice you use and nicotine percentage you chose.

The draw of the XPOD is tight, but it’s easy to activate. You don’t have to collapse your cheeks to get it to turn on like some pod vapes. Just a light puff will be sufficient. And it hits almost immediately! You can take shorter or longer puffs—the XPOD can keep up without burning or tasting dry. Although, chain-vaping may cause a bit of a dry hit. Don’t get too aggressive with multiple consecutive hits.

One thing we really like about the hit of the XPOD is that it vapes quietly. Unlike other pods that snap, crackle, and pod loudly enough to turn a head, the XPOD barely makes any noise. Furthermore, there hasn’t been any leaking or juice spitting in the mouth. Even when using the refillable pods, we’ve had no hiccups in performance.

Are the flavors any good?

All the flavors are available for purchase in 30 mL bottles for $17.95, or in prefilled pods that come in a three-pack. Buying the prefilled pods in addition to a kit costs $9.95, or as a standalone purchase they run $12.95.

Double Apple: Sweet and a little sour. It’s an unmistakable aroma and flavor of apples. It’s a very well-balanced flavor, although most of us would’ve like it a tad bit sweeter. That said, none of us dislike this flavor.

Lemon Citrus Fusion: Designed to taste like lemon sorbet, this flavor is a bit divisive for our testers. Some think the lemon is too in-your-face with lemon, and others think it’s the perfect amount of lemon. It’s a bright and refreshing experience with a strong lemon taste and a little cooling effect.

Double Mango: The flavor we liked best of them all! It has a slight cooling sensation, and the actual mango flavor tastes and smells quite intense. Like a mango puree. Anyone that picks up this flavor can identify what it is without thinking. It’s one of the better mangos we’ve tried recently. It’s really well done! It’s lightyears better than the XPOD Mini mango.

Tobacco butterscotch: Light on the butterscotch with a medium tobacco base with just enough sweetness to liven up the flavor. It’s more tobacco than butterscotch. It didn’t quite live up to our expectations, but it didn’t really disappoint either.

Tobacco flue cured: More of a traditional tobacco ejuice flavor, the tobacco flue cured is slightly reminiscent of the fresh smell of a pack of cigarettes. The overall flavor is pretty light, but it also doesn’t demand a lot of your taste buds. And the aroma is almost non-existent.

Menthol Nordic Mint: Simple and plain. If you’re a fan of menthol, you should try this flavor. It’s not an over-the-top menthol, but it is not shy either. Only a few of our testers are fans of menthol, but they all gave this flavor high marks.

Battery life and charging

The XPOD device comes with a USB-C charge port. That’s the modern standard, so we’re happy to see ePuffer move away from the traditional micro USB.

Although the XPOD kit only has a 375 mAh internal battery, our testing shows the device to be tuned quite well. In other words, it seems to last a bit longer than other devices of a similar battery capacity. You can get through almost a whole pod before needing to recharge.

To charge the XPOD, simply plug in the included USB-C cord into the bottom of the battery, and use a computer or similar outlet as a power source. It takes about 45 minutes to fully charge, and you can use it while it charges.

Pros / Cons

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Verdict

The XPOD kit from ePuffer is a nicely designed kit for beginners or even experienced vapers that just want a simple device as a backup. We really appreciate that ePuffer includes 3x blank cartridges, with optional prefilled pods. And you can also buy the juice in bottles. Most pod systems like this will lock you into buying their pods, but ePuffer makes it easy to save money by not making this only a closed-system. You don’t even have to use ePuffer juice!

Epuffer XPOD

3.5

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