Koi Carts & Disposables Review: No Shortage of Vapor

Product intro and specs

CBD seems to lie at the brand’s heart, but Koi hasn’t been shy about exploring other branches of the hemp industry. There’s a nice variety of legal mushroom and cannabis products across the site.

I’ll be concentrating on three of them: Koi’s Purple Punch delta 8 cart, plus two of their D8 disposable blends (THCP/D8 in Rainbow Belts and THCA/THCP/D9 in Slurricane). Both are solidly delta 8 THC products, despite only one shouting it out in the name (more on that later).

Sidenote, I received another pair of disposables (both five-gram D8 distillates) that are no longer available for purchase. I’d like to briefly touch on these, as well, since their design was unique from the other vapes. I’m interested to see if Koi intends to relaunch them or release anything similar.

And a disclaimer: although I’ll give my input on all three available products, I wouldn’t recommend purchasing the Purple Punch cart until a certificate of analysis (COA) is available. It’s unclear to me whether this is an organizational issue or a genuine lack of third-party testing—because not only does Koi test other products, its recent COAs are comprehensive.

Do as I say, not as I do. Even if a brand publishes COAs, double-check that one is available for each and every product. Don’t be like me and test products for a week before catching the error.

Koi Delta 8 THC Carts (1g)
Price: $29.99
Strains: Gelato, Super Sour Diesel*, Purple Punch*, Lemon Runtz, GG#4, Blackberry Kush, Platinum OG, Pink Rozay, Orange Kush, Strawguava, Lemon Cake

Koi THCA + THCP + D9 XL Disposables (5g)
Price: $69.99
Strains: Slurricane*, Cherry Gelato*, Moon Berry*, Blackberry Kush*, Watermelon Skitz*

Koi Delta 8 THC + THCP Disposables (2g)
Price: $39.99
Strains: Lemon Cherry Gelato, Blackberry Kush, Guava Crush*, Rainbow Belts*, Sour Tangie*

*Available at the time of review

Size, weight, and feel

Koi has several designs in its arsenal, meaning that the functionality and aesthetics of its products differ from one vape to the next. You’ll find USB-C charging ports at the base of both disposables, and the Koi logo stamped onto the front. Other finishing touches vary.

Their 510 thread carts don’t need much introduction. You get one gram of oil in a ceramic chamber, an ergonomic mouthpiece, and a ceramic coil. All standard, yet built to last.

The five-gram Slurricane vape is about as compact as it gets for an XL product. Actually, it’s even shorter and slimmer than the two-gram Rainbow Belts pen: around 70 mm x 8 mm versus 95 mm x 15 mm. Slurricane is wider, but that’s made up for by the fact that it’s practically flat.

Beyond its discretion-friendly size, the Slurricane disposable is all about practical design. There’s even a small screen to track battery life and know when your pen is warmed up. The device has a 380 mAh battery and a simple, matte purple finish.

Rainbow Belts comes in bar form, with a matte black finish and a clear plastic mouthpiece. It’s powered by a built-in 280 mAh battery.

Remember that duo of out-of-stock disposables? Both vapes dwarf Slurricane despite also containing five grams of oil, and lack the screen I’m so enamored with. I’m unsure whether Koi is in the process of phasing out this build or if it’ll be relaunched later down the line. It was functional and comfortable in the hand, but if forced to choose, I’d go with Slurricane.

Getting started

We’ll keep touching on it throughout this review, but depending on the Koi product you’re working with, logistics vary.

Their carts are straightforward. All are standard 510 threads, so all you need is a compatible battery. Screw them in and vape away.

Koi’s disposables are pre-charged and ready to use. Even the draw-activated Rainbow Belts pen features a small button at the base, which you can click three times to initiate preheat. A small indicator light (located right by the button and charging port) will keep blinking until you’re good to take your first hit.

The Slurricane disposable is button-activated. Otherwise, it’s the same deal: press three times to preheat. You’ll also get a ten-second countdown right on the screen. As you vape, the device keeps you up-to-date on your remaining battery life, dropping in increments of ten. No need to worry about a surprise dead battery.

How do they hit?

The short answer: from effects and flavor to vapor output, the Koi disposables held their own. No big complaints. I didn’t run into any airflow issues and got plenty of tight mouth-to-lung draws.

Koi’s disposables, particularly the XL Slurricane device, were surprisingly potent. This was a welcome change of pace after my streak of bad luck with delta 8 THC. And yet, I have no doubt that Slurricane’s 20% THCA content did a bit of the heavy lifting. My high sat somewhere on the cusp of lightly stimulating and sleepy.

Rainbow Belts was even drowsier and required a few more hits to get me where I wanted to be. Still potent, and it trumped the Purple Punch cart in that category, as well.

I intend to keep using the products beyond this review. In particular, I’m curious about the longevity of the five-gram Slurricane disposable—oversized vapes are notorious for clogs and other premature death tolls. I’m eager to see how it holds up. No mishaps yet, and I’ve been testing that one for over two weeks.

Are the flavors any good?

I’d say “pleasant” is a good way to describe the flavor of Koi’s vapes. It’s nothing earth-shattering and may not appeal to users seeking a complex profile, but they’re lightly herbal and smooth from start to end. Not too sweet, with just a hint of fruitiness.

Purple Punch (cart): Crisp and clean, with the slightest fruity tang. Not out of the ordinary compared to other delta 8 carts I’ve tried.

Rainbow Belts (2g disposable): My top pick as far as palatability is concerned. There was an undercurrent of berries with a slightly tart finish.

Slurricane (5g disposable): The sweetest and furthest from authentically herbal, but nothing abrasive. Definitely a prominent grape flavor. Somehow, this isn’t the first time I’ve linked a disposable to the taste of alcohol, but I’ll go ahead anyway: Slurricane was ever-so-slightly wine-adjacent. 

Pros / Cons

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Verdict

Funnily enough, my big criticisms are unrelated to the products themselves. Everything I tried was solid and ticked the boxes I’d expect from this mid-range price point. The vapor output was especially impressive, effects came on quickly, and flavors were nice. No issues with clogging or low-quality hardware.

The biggest sticking points for me? A missing COA and misleading labeling.

You can take a few paths to locate the Rainbow Belts COA: through links in the product listing and lab results page, or by entering your vape’s batch number. And while the Slurricane COA wasn’t linked on Koi’s dedicated lab results page, it was easy to access through the listing or by batch number. No complaints there. But as mentioned, the Purple Punch cart doesn’t seem to have a COA.

From what I can tell, Koi is headed in the right direction when it comes to comprehensive third-party testing. While that’s great to see, there should be accessible COAs for every batch of products, not just most of them.

The labeling concern actually relates to my highest-rated product. It’s not the sort of issue that’s going to trip up experienced hemp vapers, but I can see it confusing newcomers. That’s why I’d like to address it. I’ll admit it’s a nitpick, but I’m nothing if not a nitpicker and occasional killjoy.

Calling the Slurricane disposable a “delta 9” product isn’t entirely fair, especially since THCA is already addressed—I’m guessing that’s where the claim originates from. THCA decarboxylates and converts into delta 9 as you vape. Either way, there’s no detectable delta 9 THC already present in the oil. What it does contain is 65% delta 8 THC. It’s great as far as delta 8 products go, I just wish its contents were clear even before pulling up the COA.

Koi knows what it's doing as far as formulation and production goes. With a few tweaks to COAs and labeling, the brand could soar even higher.

Koi Disposables

3.5

Buy now

Koi disposables cover great territory, merging beloved cannabinoids like delta 8 THC, HHC, and THCP into the brand’s signature blends. They even offer non-intoxicating CBD vapes, for the next time you want to unwind without the high. Each device is third-party tested and rich in plant-derived terpenes.

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