Product intro and specs
The up-and-coming FEELM Air could be the next “must-have” prefilled pod vape.
As a brand, FEELM is a powerhouse in the industry that pushes ceramic atomization and micro-tech far beyond standard vape systems. Their new device to be released, called the FEELM Air, is a prefilled ceramic-coil pod vape with the makings of a hallmark product in this niche.
The Air is one of the slimmest devices ever, nudging out the Suorin Air by just enough to capture the bragging rights for the slimmest “Air.” It produces haptic feedback by way of vibration for the duration of your inhale for an enhanced experience. And you can get up to eight hours of vape time with only ten minutes of charging.
If you’re familiar with using pre-filled pod vapes you’ve likely seen “FEELM Inside” on other pod vapes from NJOY to RELX to other big names in the space. FEELM Tech, a subsidiary of Smoore, has a huge market share for atomizer tech across brands. But what’s in the Air is not exactly the same atomizer as in other devices, so no need to dismiss based on your feelings about the NJOY Ace (that uses FEELM atomizers).
The Air uses FEELM’s new ultra-slim bionic film ceramic coil, with seven layers of composite heating elements. Ultimately, it’s designed to be hyper-efficient in vaporization, with little to no chance of leakage. The specifics of the tech are presented on the FEELM site through an ungodly amount of marketing “facts” about its tech and atomization, some of which I’ll outline here—but this isn’t an ad for FEELM. I’m going to review the product based on the performance for the user—which is what matters most.
Price: TBA
Specifications
- World's first 7-layer composite heating film
- Film thickness: 2 μm
- Substrate thickness: 3.5 mm
- Device thickness: 7.8 mm (25% thinner than last generation)
- Charging: Type-C / 10 minutes charging time
Kit contents
Size, weight, and feel
In a few words, the FEELM Air is lightweight, super thin, and refined. My first thoughts were that it looked ready for prime time!
The Air came with two batteries: one of the battery housings has a rubberized coating and the other is just brushed aluminum—like the JUUL. I like the rubberized finish which takes on no fingerprints and is easy to hold. It’s so thin that it almost doesn’t feel like you’re holding anything. Although the JUUL is 0.8 mm slimmer than the 7.8 mm thick Air, they both have that slippery feeling. My recommendation to FEELM would be to use the rubberized coating as the standard.
As an aside, I noticed that the marketing of the Air says it’s the “World’s thinnest ceramic coil vape...”. The emphasis is on the ceramic coil part because it’s not the thinnest vape device ever. Still, the Air has a featherweight feeling in the hand, and its overall form factor makes it pleasurable to hold.
The FEELM Air pods are flat and made of durable plastic. Their flat form factor makes drawing easy, unlike the diamond form of the old Phix. The Air pods are darkly shaded which makes seeing juice levels dependent on having a good light source.
Luckily, the pods are held in by strong magnets—though there is a little wiggle room up top. Similar to the Vuse Alto pods’ tolerances, also with FEELM inside, but the Vuse Alto’s magnets are not nearly as strong. I imagine it’s designed like this to eliminate all effort from insertion and removal. I guess it’s a tradeoff. It’s not a deal-breaker by any means.
There’s no info yet on the resistance of the pods.
Getting started
How does it hit?
An MTL draw, but not super tight. It rides the fence between being a loose MTL and a straight MTL. The haptic feedback activates on the draw and is pleasant—not too aggressive. Overall, I love the hit and the feeling of the haptic feedback while drawing on it. The vibration noise is at a minimum and in general, the vape hits quietly.
The throat hit is really nice, but that also has to do with the juice inside. With the tester samples I received, I don’t know what the mg strength is, so I don’t know if the throat hit is due to the tech more than the nicotine.
As for wicking and ultimately performance, the ultra-slim bionic film ceramic coil wicks about as flawlessly as you can ask for. The hits are simply perfect! Not subjectively so, but in the sense that it’s the exact same for short, long, or successive hits.
And the Air has an incredible ratio of flavor to sensation. FEELM calls this the “Flavor lock technology” where that first hit is going to be the same up until the pod is empty.
Special features
Battery life and charging
How would you like to charge for just 10 minutes and be able to vape for a whole workday? Nice, right?! You can do that with the FEELM Air!
I can’t yet find information on the capacity of the battery. What I can attest to is the ultra-quick charge, via USB-C. Of course, charging comes with the territory unless using disposable vapes, but anyone that has used any rechargeable vape knows that the charge can really throw a monkey wrench into your satisfaction. With the Air, there is little interruption since you can get such an extension of vape time from only 10 minutes. Seeing as I only got two pods with the kit, I didn’t really need to charge but one time. Either way, this is a big advancement in the prefilled pod arena, and it will most certainly be a huge benefit to vapers.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Compact and lightweight
- Innovative atomization that wicks amazingly well
- High quality design and manufacturing
- Strong magnets
- Easy
- reliable
- and consistent draw
- Zero leaking
- Substantial hit
- Fast charge
- Advanced tech in a simple beginner device
Cons
- Pod tolerances allow for easy removal but create slight wobble
- Can’t easily see juice levels
Gallery
Verdict
The FEELM Air is a pod vape that seems destined for greatness. The only real cons are that the pods don't feel very secure up top, and they’re hard to see through without direct light. But, those matters are not uncommon in similar devices. Unlike others though, the Air has one helluva consistent hit! Anyone that knows me as a vaper knows that I take long drags. Normally not too many in succession, because coils can get stressed and start to alter taste. With the FEELM Air, I can just keep hitting it and it’s exactly as expected!
If you’re a fan of prefilled pod vapes, make sure to keep an eye out for the FEELM Air. I don’t yet know what the retail flavors are going to be, but the flavors they sent me (mint and mango) were both solid. The flavors were good enough for me to finish, rather quickly actually. I preferred the mango, but I vaped the mint with no hesitation. The thing that impressed me most though, was the hit itself. FEELM nailed it! For pod vapes, the hit has to be right. Their ultra-slim bionic film ceramic coil wicks like a champ, and I’d easily recommend this to anyone looking for a prefilled pod vape.
Jeremy Mann
Vaping for: 14 years
Favorite products:
Favorite flavors: Desserts, fruit mixes, sweet tobaccos
Expertise in: Vaping history, MTL vapes, DIY, cannabis/vapes
Jeremy Mann
Previously having been the chief-editor, I am now a contributor here at Vaping360 and I reside in southeast Michigan. I've been vaping since my first ecig purchase in 2010. For more reasons than I can list, vaping has been a lifesaver for me. Now, my goal is to help other smokers make the switch.
