Product intro and specs
I know what you’re thinking, and yes, that’s another Caliburn. And Uwell seems to be aware of the potential confusion, and they’ve taken good care to neatly divide the Caliburn pod vapes into two sub-lines (three if you count the KOKOs.) The G2 is the second Caliburn G, a line that takes its name from Great/Grand and caters to the more advanced pod users.
The main characteristic that sets the products of the G line apart is that they are essentially AIOs, since they take replaceable coils. But the G2 comes with some more tricks up its sleeve. It has a vibrating mechanism that provides haptic feedback, a large 750 mAh battery, and a new entry to the G line of coils. But most importantly, fully adjustable airflow!
While the original Caliburn never made it into my rotation, I’ve been a huge fan of every Caliburn that came after it—including the first G, which I really liked but some people reported leaking issues. Keep reading to find out if the G2 brings enough new features to the table to justify the purchase of yet another Caliburn.
Price: $29.99 (at Vape Juice Depot)
Colors: Carbon Black, Pyrrole Scarlet, Shading Gray, Gradient, Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Green.
Build quality and design
The first thing I noticed when I unboxed the G2 is that it feels like a hybrid of the original G and the Caliburn A2. The sides are textured (like the G) while the front and back are smooth (like the A2). As far as dimensions go, it falls right between these two. And even the mouthpiece follows suit—it is similar in size to the mouthpiece of the G but curvy and comfortable like the A2’s mouthpiece.
The one thing that, thankfully, the G2 does different, is the juice window. This time the window is visible from both sides, so checking juice levels is easier than ever. This was one of the main issues I had with the original and its tiny cut-off at the side, and even with the A2 and KOKO 2, both of which had the window visible only on one side.
The pods are also redesigned to allow for airflow adjustability, which is a huge upgrade in my book. This makes them incompatible with the original G—and every other Caliburn for that matter. The pods click in place and don’t use magnets, but if it’s any consolation to those who like fiddling with magnetic pods, the device vibrates every time you insert a pod.
All in all, the G2 is built well and looks great—and that’s especially true for their signature blue-purple-pink color option. From a build quality and design perspective, it feels like an updated A2, which was the best Caliburn to begin with.
Getting started
While the G line is aimed towards the more advanced pod users, the G2 is a very easy device to use. Here’s a rundown of basic operations:
- Drip 4-5 drops of juice inside the coil.
- Insert the coil in the pod with the flat side at the bottom of the coil pointing toward the red airflow mechanism.
- Place the pod inside the device and push on the flat side of the mouthpiece to remove it.
- Fill the pod by pushing the tip of your bottle in the red hole.
- Let the device aside for 5 minutes for the coil to saturate.
- Five clicks turn the device on.
- Push the button or just inhale on the mouthpiece to vape.
- If the draw feels too tight or too loose, remove the pod and set the airflow accordingly.
As for the device’s haptic feedback, the G2 will vibrate when:
- A pod is inserted.
- The device short circuits.
- The battery is low.
- Your puff lasts for 8 seconds.
- The device is plugged in for charging.
- The device has fully charged.
Performance
The G2 is compatible with the UN2 coils of the G, so if you’ve used the original, you’ll know more or less what to expect out of the pre-existing coils. There are three coils available, and they come in 0.8, 1.0, and 1.2 ohms with the latter being a new addition to the line. I’ve tested the 0.8-ohm coil in my review of the G, so I’ll focus more on the others here.
No surprises here, as the 1.0-ohm and the 1.2-ohm coil perform as expected. The higher the resistance, the cooler and weaker the vape, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The 1.2-ohm coil is great for stronger salts, while the 1.0-ohm coil is perfect for mid-strength juices. The 0.8-ohm coil is the best for flavor in my opinion and needs less nicotine to shine. And don’t forget that the G2 has adjustable airflow, so you can fine-tune it. If your juice feels too strong on one of the coils, you can open up the airflow, which will give you a cooler vape. In fact, you could use the 0.8-ohm coil for a restricted DL vape if you set the airflow fully open. The other two coils are a bit too weak for that.
As for coil life, expect around 20-25 mL out of these coils, with the 0.8-ohm coil lasting longer and the 1.2-ohm coil having a slightly shorter coil life. My testing was done with relatively clean juice, so if your juice is heavy on the sweetener, you should set the bar a bit lower.
Finally, a word about flooding and leaking, as I’ve received a few comments on my review of the original G about these issues. As I mentioned in the intro, I didn’t have any problems with the G, outside a bit of flooding leading to juice in the mouth when the device was left unused for long periods. But I decided to check the G2 thoroughly, and I even filled up one of them and left it unused for 10 days. Went back, checked the contacts, and they were bone dry. I did have a bit of spitback in the first couple of puffs, but it was smooth sailing after that. I can vouch for the G2 not leaking, at least in the units they sent me. I can only talk about the devices I am testing, so hopefully users won’t face any QC issues this time.
Battery life and charging
The Caliburn G2 charges through the Type-C port that’s at the bottom of the device. With a full charge clocking in at around 25 minutes, this is one of the fastest charging pods I’ve ever tested! This is night and day compared to the 45 minutes of the original G, and along with the airflow adjustment, the two most important updates offered by the G2.
As for battery capacity, the G2 is rated at 750 mAh, which is around 50% higher than the 520 mAh of the G. But in my testing, the numbers didn’t translate to the battery life I expected. Using the 1.0 and 1.2-ohm coils I managed to go through around 2.5 mL of juice before having to charge the device, which is slightly less than what I was getting out of the 0.8-ohm coil on the original G. But to my surprise, using the 0.8-ohm coil on the G2 did allow me to go through a bit more juice, slightly over 3 mL. That’s not the 50% extra life that their ratings promise, but it’s not bad, and part of it probably has to do with the vibrating mechanism.
One thing I noticed is that while some pod vapes will allow some puffs after the battery is empty, on the G2 you’re not even getting half a puff. That’s not a con by any means but, given that the device provides haptic feedback once the battery is empty, I’d really like some warning vibrations before that.
Finally, the LED light turns on every time you take a puff, and it is color-coded for the three battery levels:
- Green: 60-100%
- Blue: 30-60%
- Red: 0-30%
Pros / Cons
Gallery
Verdict
I’ll keep it short and simple here; Uwell absolutely nailed it with the G2! The only vapers that wouldn’t miss much by skipping the G2 are those who have either the A2 or the KOKO 2 and don't see airflow adjustability and replaceable coils as must-have features. Everyone else, from fans of the line to smokers looking to quit, should think twice before passing on this one. With its fully adjustable airflow, three coil options, sleek looks, and haptic feedback, the G2 is hands down the best Caliburn to date.
Highly recommended.
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