VAPORESSO ARMOUR MAX Kit Review: Test Results Are In

Product intro and specs

The VAPORESSO ARMOUR MAX kit is the latest kit from VAPORESSO, one of the top brands in vaping. They have really been putting out many good products across all categories and have established themselves as a trusted brand in the industry.

The ARMOUR MAX is the first in its line, and although VAPORESSO has made a lot of products, one thing they hadn’t made yet was a rugged mod. Oddly, this one doesn’t show an IP rating, so I assume it’s not water-resistant. But it’s built to handle drops so it can compete with the rugged mods from other companies, like the Aegis line from Geekvape.

The ARMOUR MAX kit is a fully-fledged dual-battery mod and sub ohm tank kit. It’s nice to see a more advanced device come out, even though they aren’t as popular as they once were. The mod is rated for a 220-watt output and takes two 2x700 batteries—or two 18650s with the included adaptor. The tank is the iTANK 2, which uses the GTi coil line, same as the original iTANK, the TARGET 100/200W kits, and the GEN 200 kit. They also offer a single 2x700 battery version called the ARMOUR MAX S, which is rated for 100 watts, but outside of the battery configuration and max wattage it is pretty much the same kit in a smaller size. 

Price: $79.99 (at Element Vape)

Colors: Black, silver, green, yellow, orange

First impressions

The packaging of the ARMOUR MAX was pretty cool (and large.) I was sent the Limited Edition, but I don’t know if it’s only for reviewers or if it will be for sale. The Limited Edition came in a large box with a slider to open on the top and contained some extras like three extra coils and a tactical belt holster for the mod.

The mod has lots of hard rubber to add to the durability. The iTANK 2 also comes with a hard rubber cover to protect the glass from breaking in the case of a drop. The lock slider is one of the coolest ones I’ve seen and probably the most functional since it’s also the power button.

The mod itself has some real heft to it and feels really solid. It's small for a dual 2x700 mod but not small overall. It’s quite a kit. I weighed it at 414.3 grams with 21700 batteries and a full tank. It’s made to be durable, not light and small.

The battery door has a button on the back that springs it open. The batteries bottom load, and then you just shut the door, which is on a hinge. Branding is simple, with an etched VAPORESSO into the color accent on the back.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the kit design here. It feels like a throwback to when companies were constantly putting out new dual-battery mods.

Build quality and design

In the hand, the ARMOUR MAX really feels like a well-built mod. It's heavy and solid. Nothing rattles, the screen is recessed to prevent breaking, the buttons are flush to prevent damage, and the lock slider is fantastic. It definitely feels like it could take some accidental damage and keep ticking. I threw it around a bit after testing, and it still looks new and works normally. It seems like a good option for people who drop their mods a lot.

The fire button is a red octagon on the front and slides up and down. If you slide it up, it can’t be pressed to fire the mod. It’s a great design to pocket and not worry about accidental fires. Just slide it up before pocketing and slide it down before you vape.

Right below the fire button, there is a 0.96-inch color screen. The screen is horizontal, but in the ARMOUR MAX S (the single battery version,) it’s vertical. It displays all the important things; mode, resistance, puff timer/counter, battery level for each cell, and your power setting. The 510 pin is perfectly centered, and the mod is symmetrical, so it works the same in both hands.

There are five color options in total. I got the yellow one, and it reminds me of Bumblebee from the Transformers. All colors are mostly black with the red fire button, and the color options are accents around the mod and the glass protector ring. The accents have a nice texture to them. The rubber around is all black regardless of the color. It is a hard rubber, except on the bottom, which is softer and gives it a grip when standing up. Overall, It looks tactical, and the color accents show no signs of wear or pealing on mine.

Features and functions

The ARMOUR MAX comes with quite a few modes—maybe even a bit too many for nowadays. There are three power modes and three temp control modes. The industry has seemed to shift away from temp control and more complicated mods in favor of simpler mods, pods, and AIOs, so it is nice to still see some companies making temp control options for the vapers that still use it.

For the power modes, you have F{t}, Eco, and Pulse. Eco is actually your standard power mode, Pulse mode is supposed to pulse during a puff to deliver extra flavor, and F{t} mode adjusts power to keep a hit steady (I guess like a faked-out TC mode.) None of that is really needed, in my opinion; just a normal power mode with a watt curve mode is the ideal setup. It gives you a clearly labeled basic option as well as some extra controls to customize your vape.

There is also a Smart option you can turn on and off. With Smart on and using the GTi coils, it’ll recommend you the best wattage. I typically leave it off as the wattage is printed on the coils anyway, and I like to have as much control as possible over my mod.

For temp control mode, they have three options: Ni, Ti, and SS. I’m not sure why companies still add Ni or even Ti since nobody has really used those in years. A default SS316 and a TCR (fully adjustable) are all that's needed these days for temp control mode.

I know I mentioned it before, but really, one of my favorite features is the slide-locking power button. You can slide it up and down. Up locks it so it can’t be pressed, and down unlocks it. It’s a purely mechanical lock, so there's nothing to break or fail on it. I've seen mods with locking sliders, which I always liked, but they were typically an extra button and software-driven. This is the first one I've seen with a mechanical lock, and it works great for quick pocketing.

Using the ARMOUR MAX

As far as usage goes, the ARMOUR MAX is a pretty typical mod. There is a fire button, up and down buttons, and, of course, the sliding power button lock, which I’ve mentioned probably too many times. Basic operations are as follows:

In the menu, you can adjust the mode, reset your puffs, and change the screen color. There are three options: blue, orange, and green. You can also look at the puffs, which keep track of daily puffs for the last five days, and you can reset them.

Power mode performance

Testing on this mod was done with Samsung 30T batteries and in Eco mode. They only list one max output: watts at 220. Amps and volts aren’t listed on their site or in the manual.

During my testing, the max achieved wattage was 208, so it is a good rating at 220 watts. It will most likely hit 220 watts with a resistance between 0.11 and 0.20 ohm, so that's a pass for me. I was still able to hit over 200 watts on a dual battery mod.

The amp limit I got was 39A with a 0.11-ohm coil, which is average for dual battery mods. Most are around 40A. The volt limit I got was 8.979V, so there is a boost circuit. This isn’t a requirement for dual-battery mods, but it is a big plus when they have it.

Overall, it performs well in power (Eco) mode. It’s a pretty accurate mod, only being a few watts off in the areas most people will use it. Thanks to the boost circuit, I was able to get over 120 watts even with a 0.63-ohm coil, so voltage will never be an issue. The mod adjusts in full-watt increments, which is great. It scrolls fast, but it does not round-robin. You can see the full test results above.

As far as the charge rate goes, they list it at 5V/2A. While it’s charging, it shows individual battery percentages. There is passthrough vaping as well. Of course, the actual charge time will depend on your batteries and it’s always just better to use an external charger and not worry about charging in the mod or waiting.

Temperature control performance

For temp control mode, as usual, I tested it with SS wire. I used SS316L builds in the TC-SS mode. TCR is not adjustable.

The ARMOUR MAX has an 80-watt limit, which is odd as usually VAPORESSO doesn’t do that. So it’ll work for practically all single-coil builds, and regular wire single or dual-coil builds. Some dual fancy wire builds will probably require more power.

I found it worked well in TC, giving a nice warm vape at 430F. You can adjust it from there if you like a cooler or hotter vape. Puffs were smooth and consistent, with no dry hits, even on longer puffs. Very well done there.

iTANK 2 tank rundown

I won’t go over the tank too much here, as it’s basically the same tank from my TARGET 200 review. The only difference is the way to fill; where the iTANK had a slide-back top, the iTANK 2 has a button that pops the top off, just like the Geekvape Alpha tank. This is fully a DL tank for the medium-wattage range of about 50-85 watts based on the available coils and airflow.

There are two coil options in the kit, the same I tested for my TARGET review. The 0.15-ohm option isn’t included but is available now.

The short rundown is that both coils are good, and both have impressive coil life (80-88 mL.) The 0.2-ohm coil has a bit better flavor, but if you want to save some battery life, the 0.4-ohm coil is a great option.

Overall, as far as kits go, it is one of the better tanks available. Most kits come with bad to average tanks, but this one is a legit sub ohm tank with good coils.

Pros / Cons

Gallery

Verdict

Overall, the ARMOUR MAX is a solid dual-battery mod. It's a great option for advanced vapers who don’t mind a bigger device and want something durable. The included tank is great as well, which is kind of rare in kits. If you want a smaller option, there is the single-battery version (ARMOUR MAX S,) which comes with the same tank. Judging from the dual-battery version, this would also get a full recommendation.

Have you tried the VAPORESSO ARMOUR MAX? Let me know how you feel in the comments below!