Suorin Air V1 vs. V2: Making Sense of the Unmarked Update

Everybody knows the Suorin Air. It’s one of the most successful-selling vape devices of the year. But there are two versions of this device and a bit of confusion as to which is which. In a strange move, Suorin released a version 2 of the Air that was never branded as such. Some out there aren’t clear on which one they have. And there are lingering questions about the changes to the device.

We finally got the version two and looked into what’s new. Here’s what you need to know to understand the differences in the Suorin Air V1 versus the V2.

Aside from a weight difference of 1.2 grams, the basic specifications are almost the same for V1 and V2 with one big difference: the version 2 is said to be temperature controlled. That would mean the coil is likely a different material and the electronics are different. More on this later.

We received the Suorin Air in early 2017. I was so disappointed after a few puffs that I put it away for several months until I got the V2.

After reading many posts in FB groups like CSVC (Closed System Vape Collective) and Vape Nation about vapers loving the new Air, I had to give it another shot. I was hoping to finally “get” the hype.

You wonder why I only show you one picture for both boxes? Because it’s the same. All the technical stuff aside – this is by far the biggest problem I can see with the Suorin Air. You don’t have the clear choice between V1 and V2 since you can’t truly tell the differences from the box. This is a major problem if you buy online, and you can only hope that your local vape store lets you open the box before you buy it. There shouldn’t be too many of the original versions still on the market, but they’re still out there.

Visible differences on the cartridges:

• The rubber plug on V1 is black, but red on V2.
• You can’t see through V1’s coil housing but you can on the V2.
• V2 has a horizontal plastic tab to help the pods lock in the battery.

Visible differences on the batteries:

• The back of V1 says “Manufactured By Foxconn”, “Designed By Goldreams Technology.
• The back of V2 says “Designed By BlueMark Technology”, “Assembled in China” next to the Suorin logo.

Besides that, there are no other visible physical differences between the Suorin Air V1 and V2. Filling both cartridges is the same. Remove the rubber plug and squeeze e-liquid into it. Inserting the pods into the battery is also the same, but the V2 pods don’t sit in the battery as flush as in the V1. Suorin boasts about their “exacting tolerances,” in reality their quality control is all over the place.

Draw: The original Suorin Air is much airier than the V2. It’s neither MTL or DL. It’s a weird mixture in between, very airy but not airy enough for good DL. The draw on the V2 is more suitable for an MTL draw but my first pod was far too tight — like drinking a milkshake through a coffee straw!

Not believing that this was correct I prepared the second pod that I ordered separately. Way better. The second V2 pod gave me a nice draw that I was able to enjoy; not too loose and not too tight. I’d compare it to the draw of SMPO, just a tiny bit looser. Unfortunately, I can’t say which draw — too tight or loose — is what you’ll get since I got two pods with different draws.

If your pod is too tight, there’s a little hack for getting an easier and less restricted draw. All you need to do is take something like a little screwdriver and lift the plastic under the chimney. After you’ve done this you should have an airflow almost as airy as the V1, but it’s still capable of MTL draw.

Flavor and vapor: Depending on your luck with pods, the vapor and flavor aren’t all that different. The vapor is, however, above average for the size and type of the device. They’re both good at that. But the flavor on the V1 is much more inconsistent due to a lot of dry hits.

Leaks: I’ve gotten a little leakage with both versions. Not a lot mind you. But if it continues, I worry that it could possibly kill the batteries. I’ve used it with nic salts ranging from 50/50 all the way to 70 VG with the same results.

Dry hits: The original Suorin Air gives dry and burnt hits often. There are a lot of theories and hacks for trying to alleviate it, but it comes down to a poorly designed atomizer. The V2 is much better in giving consistent, non-dry hits, but it’s not as good as it should be considering it’s supposed to be temperature controlled.

The V2 is advertised on the Suorin site as having “intelligent temperature control.” For those that don’t know, that means the coil should not give a dry or burnt hit. If it had temperature control, that would mean the coil material would likely be different and the electronics would have to be different. The two devices and pods should not be compatible. But they are.

This leads me to believe that there is no temperature control. The V2 pods do work more consistently than the V1 (in either battery), but I’ve gotten near-dry hits irrespective of e juice viscosity. My colleague, Zora, has gotten multiple dry hits with the V2.

The updated Suorin Air is better than the original but still falling short of the “intelligent temperature control” promise.

The Suorin Air needed an update. Unfortunately, the update probably needs an update too! The version 2 has a more consistent vape, but the quality control is not where it should be. There is no way to determine ahead of time if you will get a super-tight draw or an easy draw. Luckily you can hack it to have an easier draw if you wish, but ideally the pods will work how they should with no fiddling.

Whether the original or the version 2, the Suorin Air is far from being my favorite pod mod. There are too many inconsistencies for me to be able to recommend it. I would recommend the Juul or the SMPO over the Suorin Air for prefilled, and the Suorin Drop or the Rubi by Kandypens for refillables.

What about you? If you have the Suorin Air, how has your experience been and what version do you have?