Innokin DV Review: Return of the MTL Pods

The DV is Innokin’s latest refillable MTL pod system, and the second one the company has produced after the EQ. Innokin has a tradition of successful MTL products. The Zenith is an excellent MTL tank, the Ares has a large fanbase, and the Prism line has some very affordable and reliable products. On top of that, the Innokin EQ is widely considered one of the best MTL pod systems out there.

The DV is more feature-packed than the EQ. It comes with updated coils and four wattage settings to pick from. But is that enough to warrant a full recommendation? Keep reading to find out how it performs.

Price: $23.95 ($3.95 for replacement pods)
Colors: black, stainless steel, white

Innokin claims that DV stands for Daily Vape, but come on… we all know that this is the Darth Vader pod (although the white one is definitely a Storm Trooper). From the build quality perspective, the device is a typical Innokin product; the DV feels more expensive than it actually is. The construction of the device feels like solid metal and it has some weight to it. I weighed it with the pod filled up and it came out around 65 grams. By comparison, the EQ weighs about 54 grams and the SMOK Nord (which is rather heavy for its size), weighed out at 79 grams. The DV is much shorter than these two though, and smaller than the pics will have you think. Still, it is thicker than your average pod system.

The DV feels perfect in the hand, the button is very conveniently placed, and the wattage adjustment button protrudes just enough to make it easy to track without looking. Branding is very discreet, and the print on the back side has some texture to it. The 2.8 mL pods are larger than most of the pods out there, and it also comes with two of them in the box, which was a pleasant surprise. I’ve only managed to find two drawbacks. The pods are not magnetic. It’s not a big deal but I would have liked a bit more feedback when placing them inside the device. They are also a bit too dark. They have a similar tint to the pods of the EQ, which makes it real hard to check for the level of e-liquid. I also didn’t like the fact that the LEDs on the bottom of the device can’t be deactivated and will turn on every time you vape, but they are not too bright. Other than these (nitpicky) cons, the DV is built and designed really well.

Using the DV is pretty straightforward: just grab a pod, unplug the small rubber plug that’s placed at the bottom of the pod, and fill it up. I’m not sure why they didn’t go with the awesome twist system of the EQ, but I had no issues with the plug, especially with thinner e-liquid. Place the pod back on the device and give it 5 minutes to saturate. You then press the round fire button three times to turn the device on and vape, either by pressing the button or by just inhaling on the mouthpiece. Setting the wattage is also very easy: keep the button that’s placed next to the DV logo pressed and the device will cycle through the four power settings (12, 13, 14 and 15 watts).

I was testing the DV pods with a new e-liquid at first and it was smooth sailing, until I heard that the pods “may produce a plastic off-flavor”. The claim didn’t sound preposterous (I may have felt something), so I tested the second pod with a juice that I know like the back of my hand. And shoot: there is indeed a plastic flavor there. It eventually went away, but it took more than a full pod to get rid of it. I tested an additional pod with the same e-liquid and got no off-flavor at all. I obviously can’t keep doing that, but I certainly got a factory smell on at least one of my pods. Combining it with the reports of other users, I believe that the pods may be hit-or-miss. Good thing is that they will last you much more than a couple of fills, so there’s that.

Otherwise, the pods are excellent performers. They incorporate PLEX3D tech, which is also used in the coils for the iSub B tank and the Plexar kit. I’m not sure if they are actually much different in performance to any other mesh coil system, but I really do enjoy them on the iSub B. The pods kept up with all the liquids I tried in them, ranging from 50/50 to 70VG. I experienced some very minor leaking with thinner e-liquid, possibly from juice escaping from the plug when left overnight. I also had a bit of spitback when using a pod that had been left unused for a couple of days, but it went away after a couple of puffs at 15 watts.

The device gives regulated output, which means that it will vape consistently until the battery is depleted. It supports draw activation and also gives you the option to use it as a button-activated vape. You can’t adjust the airflow, but the default setting is a satisfying MTL draw that it is hard to complain about. It’s tight and smooth, although still a bit looser than the draw on the EQ. Auto draw works fine, but I did get a warmer vape when using the button even without warming it up before inhaling. Overall, I got the best results with the power set at 14 or 15 watts — 13 was alright, but 12 was underwhelming even when using nic salts in the DV.

The pod I am currently using with relatively clear regular nicotine juice is still going strong after five refills, but I have noticed a drop in performance after four refills on the pod I have been testing with darker nic salt e-liquid. I still wouldn’t replace it, but it’s getting there.

The DV comes with a 500 mAh internal battery which is relatively low for a device that fires the 0.5-ohm coils at around 13 watts. With the device fully charged, I managed to vape around half a pod before having to recharge. If you are using the DV as your main vape, no matter how you slice it, you will have to charge it at least once during the day. Luckily, it supports pass-thru charging.

The fire button also functions as a battery level indicator. It’s green when charged, yellow when the battery is half-full, and red when it starts getting low. You will manage to get a little vapor out of it when the button is red, but don’t expect much.

The USB port is placed on the bottom of the device which is actually practical because the DV can stand flat when placed at its side. Innokin states that the fire button will shine red while the device is getting charged, and turn green when it is fully charged. It took the button of my DV 53 minutes to get green, but it turned completely off after an additional 10-15 minutes. I believe it was still charging up to that point, so I’d say it takes a bit over an hour to fully charge.

Can I recommend the DV? This would have been a straight “yes” if it wasn’t for the weird flavor I got out of one of its pods. Its battery life is also on the lower end of the spectrum, but that’s the price you pay for portability. The draw is smooth, the form factor and build quality are excellent, and even the flavor gets much better after one to two refills. I have a feeling that Innokin will fix the plastic taste issue, but until they do, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend it.

All things considered, the DV is a solid pod system, but I actually think that most MTL vapers are better off using the EQ instead – especially if they are fans of a rather tight draw. What do you think of the Innokin DV? Let me know in the comments!