Product intro and specs
The ICEWAVE X8500 from Mi-Pod and ZOVOO is a 600 mAh disposable vape with 16 icy flavors. The device is built like a little box mod with a large LED screen for the e-liquid and battery status.
The X8500 uses a 1.0 ohm mesh coil and holds 18 mL of 5% nicotine salt juice. Obviously, it’s rated for 8500 puffs, hence the “8500” in the name. The question remains; is this a disposable you’d want to take that many puffs from? Let’s find out.
Price: $19.99 (at Mi-pod)
Flavors: Blue razz ice, blackberry ice, cherry cola, clear, fresh mint honeydew watermelon, lush ice, mango ice, peach ice, Ribena, sakura grape, sour apple, strawberry ice cream, strawberry banana, strawberry kiwi, vanilla casta tobacco
- Nicotine strength: 50 mg/mL (5%)
- Capacity: 18 mL
- Puffs: 8500
- USB-C charge
- Draw activated
Size, look, and feel
The ICEWAVE X8500 is a box mod-styled disposable. It’s reminiscent of a simplified Orion Bar 7500. Like the Orion Bar and many other disposables, the ICEWAVE X8500 exterior is a transparent plastic, with the battery and internals encased in a graphic-designed wrap. The device feels solid in the hand and measures 100 mm x 40 mm x 23 mm. The whole thing has a glossy feeling, which makes this disposable a lot less prone to drops.
The mouthpiece is a flattened or whistle-style tip. Although this is not my preferred mouthpiece normally (I like the Ming style), the mouthpiece is super comfortable to use, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.
On the bottom of the X8500, there is a decal of what looks like touch-sensor buttons, but that’s where the LED screen illuminates once you take a hit.
Getting started
Besides removing the ICEWAVE X8500 from the packaging and plugs, there’s nothing to stop you from vaping immediately. I’d just point out that there’s no airflow control or buttons, and the USB-C charge port is on the bottom. As for the LED screen…
The LED screen is easy on the eyes and, frankly, fun to look at. Of course, it’s very useful. No more guessing about juice levels! The size is large enough to read at a comfortable distance, and it stays on just long enough for you to read it (about three seconds). I recently reviewed the UTBAR, and those lights cut off almost as quickly as they come on. I appreciate this detail with the ICEWAVE.
The LED screen shows the battery life indicated by a percentage, and the juice indicator is a meter in the shape of a drop.
The bars inside the ejuice indicator are color-coded, and they act as a meter. This is what the colors mean.
- Green (on top): full or almost full level of liquid
- Blue (middle): anywhere from half to 2/3 full of liquid
- Red (bottom): less than half; getting low
How does it hit?
The ICEWAVE X8500 has a 1.0-ohm quick-activating mesh coil, just like a lot of other disposables. But anyone who’s ever used a disposable knows that specs don’t tell the tale.
The ICEWAVE X8500 hits nicely. It’s an easy draw but still tight, and the flavor is quite pronounced. It’s also a quiet draw, which is nice when stealth vaping. If you take a quick and light hit, the vapor will be less, yet the hit will still satisfy. If you take harder and longer hits, the hit will intensify, and there will be a lot more flavor and vapor.
ICEWAVE X8500 best flavors
The flavors in the ICEWAVE X8500 run the gamut of fruits, drinks, desserts, to even a tobacco flavor. Again, all these flavors have an icy blast, evident in the name “ICEWAVE.”
These are my five favorites:
Sakura grape: Dense flavor of sweet purple grapes with that X-factor of Sakura. It’s just a grape vape, but kinda elevated.
Strawberry banana: Highly aromatic, rich, and sweet. The banana and strawberry are both identifiable and taste perfect together. No candy taste here. The fruit flavors are legit.
Cherry Cola: Very accurate cola flavor with an icy blast that’s almost like carbonation.
Blackberry ice: Natural tasting and tart. Surprisingly good. Blackberry is notoriously hard to pull off in eliquid, but it’s done nicely in the X8500.
Clear: An unflavored vape with a heavy dose of cooling. Although it’s unflavored, it’s refreshing and enjoyable.
How long do they last?
The ICEWAVE X8500 has a battery capacity of 600 mAh. Considering its quick-activating mesh coil, I thought the juice would get drained quickly, but the juice supply has lasted well into the first charge and is not yet at red (in the LED juice indicator).
The lifespan of the battery is not as impressive. What I thought would be an issue with juice getting drained quickly was realized with the battery. It’ll probably last about a day of moderate-to-heavy vaping.
When it's time to charge the ICEWAVE X8500, just plug the device into any USB-C compatible power source. Unlike other models, this device features a battery status indicator on the LED screen, which displays both a (large print) number and a percentage, providing a clearer idea of the battery's charge status. Watching a light flash is nerve-wracking (as it is on many other disposables), and it doesn’t tell you much. The ICEWAVE X8500 LED indicator is fantastic! All you need to know is on the screen.
Note: it would be nice to be able to activate the screen without having to take a puff to turn it on. After all, if the juice level is in the red, would you want to have to take a puff just to read the LED? If the juice is out and you take a puff, you won’t even need an LED screen because a dry hit is the original indicator!
Pros / Cons
Gallery
Verdict
The ICEWAVE X8500 is a solid choice for disposable vapes. It vapes really well, and it has an amazing draw. It feels good in the hand, and that little screen is an absolute pleasure.
As with a lot of disposables, I wish the flavor lineup could be a little better. But it’s hard to knock a good disposable when you’ve experienced one. Luckily, the flavors that I did like were quite good to me and not just tolerable enough to do the review (which happens a lot with disposables).
The ICEWAVE X8500 is recommended.
