Today we’re taking a look at the KOOPOR mini from KOOPOR™, a division of Smok. When I first received the review unit, I was impressed. It’s a nicely designed box mod, without a lot of branding, and a solid housing. After popping in a freshly charged 18650, and testing Watt and TC modes, I honestly expected to see a $100+ price tag, on the final product. To my pleasant surprise, the KOOPOR mini has a MSRP of just $54.
Thanks to KOOPOR™, for sending us this mod for review.
The KOOPOR mini is a stylish mod, with a nice degree of control. While the KOOPOR mini targets vaping enthusiasts, with it’s many menu options, it also has quick control options, that allows use by intermediate and novice vapors. The KOOPOR mini runs on a single 18650 battery, and outputs a maximum wattage of 60. (the KOOPOR Plus will run on 2x 18650 batteries, with a maximum wattage of 200) The KOOPOR mini mod is solidly constructed with a stainless steel case, with a zinc alloy coating, and a nice technical design etched into the face. The display is a nice shift from the typical white OLED displays, with a nice blue hue, which may be too dim for some, and will definitely be difficult to read in sunlight.
Here’s a quick rundown of the menu options
[watt / TC]
[nickel / titanium]
[temp, soft / normal / hard]
[screen time, 5 – 240 secs]
[reset puff counter / puff count]
[flip display]
[Nickel TCR]
[initial resistance* for TC coils]
[turn unit off]
More info below in, the KOOPOR mini menu explained section.
* the initial resistance is a fine tuning option for for adjusting for ambient temperature
The KOOPOR mini comes in two flavors, the brushed zinc alloy and an equally stylish black finish. Both feature the KOOPOR™ name and circuit paths design, on the back we have mini and an open with arrow. On the bottom of the unit is a nice warning that the micro usb port is only for upgrades.
Personally I’m not a fan of directions on opening a slide off battery cover, but it’s small and at least on the brushed zinc model, it’s not too bad. The KOOPOR mini also features many vent holes on the battery cover and bottom of the unit (48 in total) and adds a nice appeal to the design.
The KOOPOR mini feels solid, and with a stainless steel case, it is. This also adds a bit to the weight, compared to the Kanger Subox weighing 114g the 170g KOOPOR mini is noticeably heavier. Personally I like heavier mods as I tend to loosely grip lighter mods and sometime fling them by mistake as I just did earlier today with the Subox. Whether it’s the KOOPOR mini bare in my hand, or in the orange silicone sleeve it just fits. It fits so well, that my dual battery mods like the iPV4, actually feel a bit too big in my hand now.
The KOOPOR mini does a great job with Ni200 atomizers, unfortunately the titanium coils I ordered have not made it in time for this review. When it came to wattage mode I did have a small issue. The issue involves vaping from a standby state, and will prompt the user if the coil is the same, or a new coil. I have reported this issue, but have not received a response from KOOPOR™, as to whether this issue was resolved in consumer units. So if your unit has this issue, just tap the fire button to wake the KOOPOR mini first, the unit should then work normally.
The KOOPOR mini simplifies temp control a little with a soft normal and hard option, and offers standard control of temperature. This allows you to control how aggressively the KOOPOR mini gets to the desired temperature. It does this by limiting the maximum wattage used when heating the coil. More info below in, the KOOPOR mini menu explained.
With it’s price point, the KOOPOR mini is priced right for just about everyone. However with the KOOPOR mini’s menu options KOOPOR definitely has the power user in mind. With the pressing of a few buttons at the same time, we can easily change between wattage and temperature control, switch between the soft, medium, and hard settings, and adjust the wattage, or temperature. This provides a nice balance of ease and control, allowing a novice to access the most used settings without using the menu, and a great deal of control for power users. I’d recommend this mod to anyone that wants a great mod at a great price.
The KOOPOR mini uses an icon driven menu, but not all are covered in the manual (at least in the reviewer kits)
(sliders) Allows us to switch between Wattage and Temperature modes.
(coil)* Coil allows us to choose between Nickel and Titanium for temperature mode.
(Tc) Is the menu access for the soft, normal, and hard aggression of temperature.
Soft 6-40w
Normal 6-50w
Hard 6-60w
(bulb) Screen Time controls how long the display stays lit after last button press.
(Pi) Puffs count and reset of counter
(screen rotate) Screen Direction for left and right handed vapers (flips the display)
(Tr)* TCR** controls the sensitivity of the temperature regulation/monitoring.
*items not listed in the manual
** Based on testing and information I could find on Nickel TCR
Using too low of a setting could trigger the dry coil prompt, even when the coil is wet.
Too high of a setting could cause cotton to burn, even when the temperature is under the burning point of cotton.
What’s not to like about this mod? It’s a great value at a low to moderate price point, with both nickel, and titanium temperature control. The KOOPOR mini also has a nice clean design, and comes standard with a nice magnetic battery cover. And while it does have a set of easy 2 button presses to access the most used features, the KOOPOR mini also has some nice power user functions. Some caution should be used when adjusting the power user settings.
So no matter how good something is, there will always be something that we can find fault in, and the KOOPOR mini is no different. The biggest problem with the KOOPOR mini is not the device, it’s the instructions. There is a glaring issue with translation, and some features are just completely missing from the documentation. This has made it difficult for many reviewers to cover all the menu features. As for the KOOPOR mini there are just a few things that could be improved, the button rattle especially on the fire button : LCD brightness is not suitable for outdoor use : an issue with the device asking if the atomizer is new (seems to only happen in wattage mode).
Other than the documentation needing a bit of work, I absolutely love this device. It’s well made, has a good number of features both for ease of use and for the power user. The KOOPOR™ design may not be for everyone, it is a clean circuit board design that’s sure to draw attention. With a solid stainless steel case, and a 60w output it’s a mod that should last for quite some time. And with the magnetic battery cover, it’s a snap to replace the battery in the KOOPOR mini.
There’s not much more you could ask for in a mod, unless it’s more wattage and battery life. If that’s you, then keep an eye out for the KOOPOR Plus which will feature 200w power, and holds 2x 18650.
Never really enjoyed this one, it’s a little underwhelming and you can’t really run an rda on anything like that but it’s still on the bigger side. This is the clear winner now a days http://ecigtests.com/2015/09/smok-x-cube-ii/
Based on the recent information on software upgrade for the mini, it requires some special equipment, and will require you to send your Koopor mini to a wholesaler or vendor that is doing the firmware upgrades. I spoke with VaporDNA as well, they are doing the upgrade for customers that bought the Koopor mini from them, and are working with Smok, to possibly expand this to other Koopor mini owners. So make sure to contact the vendor first, and get all the details.