Smok Mag Review: Fully Tested with Results

SMOK Mag intro

The Mag is a new mod from popular vape manufacturer SMOK. It uses what appears to be the same chip and screen they have been using since the ProColor mod. It's a colorful and updated version of the user interface they employed on the wildly popular Alien mod in 2016.

Unlike most of SMOK’s recent mods, there are no LED lights on the Mag. The design is meant to resemble the handle of a gun (hence the name). To take this a step further, the fire button looks like a trigger, and the battery tray pops out of the bottom like a gun’s magazine, similar to the Incubus mech box mod.

The Mag is available in 25 colors, and no that isn’t a typo. It also comes in both right- and left-handed versions. Talk about options!

Price: $53-$65
Colors: Black with green spray, red black, white and auto pink, orange black, royal blue and white, and many more.

SMOK Mag gallery

SMOK Mag specs and features

Notable Remarks

Initial impressions and features

I was pretty impressed with the feel of the Mag right away. It has a really comfortable shape. While I’m not personally a fan of mods styled after guns, it does fit really nicely in the hand and is very ergonomic.

The paint job is excellent as well. The one I received has a matte black body, but the fire buttons, adjustments buttons, battery tray bottom, and accent panel all have a shiny bright red clear-coat finish.

To the right of the screen there is a big silver button that ejects the battery tray when pressed. The menu and layout are similar to most of the newer SMOK mods — like the ProColor, Devilkin, and Majesty — so it was pretty easy to pick up and use. The Mag also has a variety of modes, like a TCR mode, temperature control for Ni200, SS, and Ti, as well as soft/normal/hard preheat options.

Wattage mode performance

I found this to be a very accurate device in wattage mode. During my testing, it mostly fired a few watts on the lower side, but sometimes a little high. It hits slightly weak at the 0.12-ohm mark, which is very common, but fared a bit better in the 0.15-ohm range or higher. That’s pretty much what I expected from a SMOK mod.

SMOK lists the Mag as having 225-watt maximum output and a max voltage output of 9 volts. There is no maximum amperage output listed for it anywhere. In my test results, the wattage output was accurate, going to 223 watts.

The maximum voltage output I got was 6.94 volts with a 0.51-ohm coil, which is a little low for a dual-battery mod without a boost circuit, like this one. They list its max voltage at 9V, which implies that it has boost circuit, but my testing revealed this to be incorrect. (Max input voltage is 8.4 V so any output listed over that implies a boost circuit. This mod however does not have one, nor do any of the SMOK mods I’ve tested.)

I measured the maximum amperage at 44, which is 4 amps above average for a dual battery mod these days. Overall I find this to be a solid performer that's accurately rated, except for the voltage limit, which is overstated. It implies that there is a boost circuit which in fact is not the case.

Temperature control performance

Using SS316 wire with the default SS316 mode (and TCR set at 92), I tested six builds ranging from round spaced coils to fancy coils, both in single- and dual-coil configurations. This mod hits very much on the hot side. Anything over 400 F will give you some harsh dry hits. I personally like a warm vape and found the best range for me was around 370-380 F.

The throttle back was a little on the hard side. It doesn't pulse at all, but should throttle a little less to keep a more consistent puff. You have full wattage range options, which works well to adjust ramp up time.

SMOK mods in general have typically been poor at temp control, especially the Alien, so I consider this a step in the right direction for sure. It’s not something I’d buy just for TC usage, and it’s not going to perform like a DNA or YiHi chip in temp control, but it’s not completely awful either. I consider this one to be decent at temperature control — not good, but not bad. If you want to try it, just keep it under 400 F to avoid dry hits.

Features and other info

I’ve used ten atomizers on this mod with no issues at all. I’ve also pulled and wiggled at the 510 without issues or any drop in performance. The 510 is centered but can only handle up to 28 mm atomizers without overhang, despite the mod being 30 mm at its widest point,. Still, 30 mm atomizers don't look bad on it, despite the overhang.

The 510 platform itself is 25 mm wide, and doesn't sit flush with the mod. The top platform is angled down slightly and the 510 pin itself is level, so the back side of it sticks up slightly from the top platform.

The mod has no button rattle whatsoever. The fire button is large, clicky and shaped like a trigger. It’s really comfortable to use.

The color screen is large and bright, and it’s easy to see. The background is black, but you can change the color of parts of the text in the menu settings. There are individual battery monitors as well.

The battery door is designed to work like loading a semi-automatic gun’s magazine. Pressing the eject button pops out the battery tray from the bottom. The tray itself is clearly labeled with proper battery orientation. Just pop in the batteries and push the tray back into the mod until it locks into place.

The Mag has USB charging but I don’t recommend charging batteries internally on mods unless you are using one with an internal battery and have no choice.

How to use the SMOK Mag

Anyone who has used a recent SMOK mod can easily navigate this one. It’s the same menu system they have used for quite a few of their mods, like the ProColor. Five clicks unlock the mod. Three clicks enter the menu. The up and down buttons scroll through the menu, and you hold the fire button to select. It’s very simple.

Likes

Dislikes

Verdict

I lean towards recommending this mod, especially for use in power mode. Even though I’m not personally a fan of gun-inspired mods, I really like the comfort of it and the way the batteries load. As a temp control mod, it’s not terrible by any means and better than previous SMOK mods for sure, but there are certainly much better choices out there right now.

What do you think about the Mag? Do you like the design? Share your thoughts down below.