Product intro and specs
Following the success of the Aegis Boost series, Geekvape launched a miniature version—the original Hero—in September 2020. It was an especially rugged and compact AIO kit, compatible with B Series coils. Although the Hero was followed up with a couple of sequels, they both remained faithful to the original AIO concept. The new Aegis Hero Q, however, is quite the departure. It certainly looks like part of the family, but it’s the first “proper” pod vape in the series.
Admittedly, I was pumped about this release. It’s a mashup of three things I love: Q pods, Aegis durability, and square (KOKO-inspired) designs. Essentially, the Hero Q is just a top-tier pod vape packaged in a suit of body armor. Also, the “cute factor” is not lost on me—this little bugger is adorable.
Although expectations were high, I was quickly let down by a few aspects of this device. I still think it’s a fantastic pod vape, but it falls just short of perfection. Keep reading to learn why.
Price: $20.99 (at Element Vape)
Colors: Black, gray, white, rainbow, green, blue, cyan, purple
Build quality and design
The build quality may be my favorite aspect of the Geekvape Aegis Hero Q. Very few devices in this price range are so well constructed. It’s almost flawless (we’ll get to the “almost” part shortly). Like most Aegis devices, the body consists of three recognizable components:
- The outer shell is a shock-resistant rubber. The thickness is comparable to the larger Aegis models, so it can likely withstand a fair amount of abuse.
- The metal frame along the middle is coated in a matte finish (on most colorways). This tiny detail scored big points for me, as I’m not a fan of the glossy accents that Geekvape often uses. The soft, matte paint looks much classier and doesn’t attract fingerprints.
- Lastly, the faux leather padding is thick and squishy, which adds to the fantastic hand feel of the device.
Much like online dating, many products look great in pictures but are disappointing when you finally see them in person. The Aegis Hero Q is not one of those products. What you see is what you get. It may be a bit heavier than you’d expect (88.4 grams), but it doesn’t feel excessive.
I suppose it’s time to address the shortcomings I alluded to earlier. The first one is minor: the lanyard attachment piece is plastic. It’s an unnecessary weak point on an otherwise durable device.
The most notable design flaw is the screen—it’s obscenely tiny. Aside from the larger wattage display, the fonts could be dwarfed by a fruit fly. Those with poor vision will struggle with this one. Additionally, it only has a three-digit puff counter, which always irritates me. On the plus side, the display does have a battery percentage (although not everyone will be able to read it).
Getting started
If you’ve used any pod system (with adjustable power) over the past few years, operating the Aegis Hero Q should be mostly intuitive:
- One click to wake up the screen
- Three clicks to enter wattage-adjustment mode
- Five clicks to lock the button, power on, or power off
- Remove the pod and long-press the button to reset the puff counter
I did notice one unusual feature: five clicks lock the button, but the only way to unlock it is to turn the device off and back on again (ten more clicks). I’m certainly glad there’s a locking feature, but it would have been more practical to activate it with four clicks rather than integrate it into the on/off functionality.
The included Q pods are the top-fill versions (side-fill pods are also available). To fill, press against the wide side of the mouthpiece until it pops off (note that this is much easier when the pod is installed). Next, insert the bottle tip into the hole on top and fill the pod.
Unfortunately, the pods have not been upgraded since I did my Wenax Q Pro review, so I’m forced to make the same complaint. The top-fill Q pods do not have a secondary hole for air to escape while filling. This can lead to an unnecessary mess if you’re not paying attention.
When inserting a pod, the screen briefly displays the recommended wattage range; the chip also limits you to that range when you adjust the wattage:
- 0.8 ohm: 12-18 watts
- 0.6 ohm: 18-25 watts
It’s worth noting that the default wattage selected by the chip is the maximum for the pod. In other words, if you insert a new 0.6-ohm pod, the device automatically adjusts to 25 watts. This seems counterintuitive; ideally, the minimum wattage should be the default.
Airflow adjustments are made by sliding the switch on the top of the device. It offers four clickable settings, ranging from MTL to RDL. Interestingly, when the switch is (seemingly) closed off, it opens an independent pinhole for MTL. I love this concept—it simplifies the process of locking in a proper MTL draw. Most sliders force you to reduce the airflow hole to a small sliver, which may introduce turbulence and/or whistling.
Performance
The kit includes two Q pods (2 mL): 0.6 ohm and 0.8 ohm. They are identical to the ones I tested in my Wenax Q Pro review, so my experiences may be redundant for some readers. Regardless, I was thrilled to give them another spin. They’re phenomenal pods, and they deserve more recognition.
0.8 ohm (MTL): I had previously tested this pod with a sweet fruit blend, so I opted for a dry tobacco flavor this time. As expected, it produced great flavor with hardly any break-in time. As a lover of MTL, I can’t find much to complain about here. Again, I don’t consider it the absolute best MTL pod on the market, but I’d certainly put it in the upper tier.
0.6 ohm (RDL): Although the 0.6-ohm pod seems adequate for MTL, I went with RDL just to broaden the experience. Not only does this pod handle 70% VG e-liquid with ease, but it also performs beautifully. I’d even put it in my top RDL pods of the year (so far). The only downside is that 2 mL doesn’t last long at 20+ watts, so prepare for frequent refilling. Thankfully, Geekvape also offers a range of 3 mL (side fill) pods as a separate purchase.
Note: Geekvape estimates that these pods should last about ten cycles (20 mL), which has also been my experience. At the time of writing, I’ve put 19-22 mL of e-liquid through them, and the performance is just starting to drop.
Battery life and charging
Considering the Aegis Hero Q’s compact size, I was surprised to learn it housed a 1300 mAh battery. That’s one of the largest batteries in the Q lineup, second only to the Sonder Q2 (1350 mAh). I’ve been getting about three fills (6 mL) per charge, which is more than enough to get me through the workday.
Charging is done via the USB-C charge port on the screen side of the device. While charging, a flashing battery bar displays on the screen (along with a breathing RGB lightbar) so you can monitor its progress. If you’d prefer to see the precise battery percentage, click the button once to view the home screen temporarily. While I’m grateful the percentage option exists, I would have preferred to see it on the charging display as well.
A full charge only takes about 45-50 minutes, which is on the faster side for a 1300 mAh battery. The percentage reading does seem to be a bit inaccurate, though—after it reaches 99%, it takes another eight minutes to get to 100%.
Pros / Cons
Gallery
Verdict
The Geekvape Aegis Q may have a few quirks and shortcomings, but it’s still a winner in my book. I love the design, performance, construction, and battery life. It also oozes nostalgia, reminiscent of an Aegis Legend that never grew up.
The screen, however, could be a deal-breaker for some. It’s outdated, tiny, and the fonts are difficult to read. Those who have poor vision or prefer flashy color displays should probably steer clear. Also, the locking functionality was poorly implemented, forcing you to click 15 times just to power the device on and off. Lastly, I’m still waiting for Geekvape to add an air escape hole to the Q pods; one tiny change, and they’d be much easier to fill.
If those things don’t bother you, then I’d highly recommend the Aegis Hero Q. Not only is it durable and affordable, but the performance and build quality are top-notch. Geekvape may have failed to achieve perfection, but it still succeeded in making a stellar pod vape.
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