VAPORESSO LUXE XR Review: A More Versatile LUXE X

Product intro and specs

The VAPORESSO LUXE XR is the latest AIO/pod system by VAPORESSO. VAPORESSO has been killing it in the vape game for quite some time and has steadily improved over the years, which is always a good sign that a company is doing this right.

The LUXE XR is a pod vape that is a small update to their recent LUXE X, which I reviewed a couple of months ago. In essence, it replaces the built-in coils of the X with replaceable coils, and comes with two pods that are slightly different from each other (one for MTL and one for DL). Its internal battery is listed at 1500 mAh, and the pods have a massive 5 mL capacity.

The LUXE X was an excellent device; let’s see if the replaceable coils of the XR have an effect on performance and if they make it a better option overall.

Price: $27.99 (at Element Vape)

Colors: Black, silver, pink, gold, galaxy blue, galaxy purple, galaxy red.

Build quality and design

The LUXE X is larger than the average MTL pod but smaller than a DL setup, so it fills a nice gap between the two. It offers more battery life than the average MTL pod and has enough power for the DL coils it takes. It’s quite light in the hand but still very durable.

The see-through case is beautiful and allows you to see the chip inside, but it’s also durable. As a geek myself, I really like see-through cases. It looks almost identical to the LUXE X, with only some minor changes on the logo and some different colors. With this updated version they offer a total of seven colors; two from the LUXE X (black and silver) and five new ones.

The color options are all mostly a black-to-transparent fade, with a small metal ring of the color covering around one-third of the body. The new options include a pink and a gold, but also three “galaxy” colors that look like a starry night. These come in blue, red, and purple. I got the blue galaxy one for review, and the mix of the design with the clear case looks beautiful.

This is a simple one-button device, with the button acting as both the power button and the on/off button. There is no inhale to fire. The front bottom has three breathing LED lights for battery charge level. All in all, it’s a pretty standard and simple stick-style pod system, but it is well-built and looks great.

Getting started

The LUXE XR is a basic pod system that’ll be easy for beginners but offers enough for experienced vapers too. The basic usage is basically “press the fire button five times to turn it on/off”. It doesn't get easier than that. There are no power adjustments either.

Outside of the replaceable coils, where this one differs though from the LUXE X is that the XR comes with two differently designed pods, one for MTL and one for DL. The MTL pod has a narrower airflow outlet and a thinner shape. According to their site, the pods are cross-compatible between the two devices as well.

Filling the pod is easy. The pod itself is magnetic and pops in and out with little effort.  It’s not tight in there, but the magnets hold it in place well with no wiggle if you shake it. Once the pod is out, you can remove the little black rubber plug on the bottom to expose the fill hole.

The pod is pretty much fully visible, however it is hard to see juice levels due to the dark tint. I don’t know why that's so common when clear pods are so much better for use. I get the looks, but not when it gets in the way of function. When running low, you have to slant the device to see if any juice is left on the bottom, not because it’s covered, but because of the dark tint. Overall though, I’m very happy with the usage of the device.

Performance

Coils are what really makes or breaks a device. VAPORESSO’s pod systems have had really good coils lately, and thankfully this one uses the same ones as the LUXE X which were already good. (You can find more info in the performance section of the LUXE X review). These are mesh coils that make use of “COREX” tech, which is stated to offer 50% more flavor and 50% more coil life. I don’t know how one could put a percentage on flavor, but the life is really good. There are two coil options available, each coming with its own pod. A 0.4-ohm coil for DL vaping at around 30 watts, and a 0.8-ohm coil with the MTL pod that's powered at around 16 watts.

I always feel like these low-power DL coils kind of feel like they’re in no man's land, but that's my personal preference. It doesn't pack enough punch to really be DL for me. If you like the 30-ish range though, it does a decent job as a portable small DL vape. Where it really shines though, is with the MTL coil for a medium to loose MTL. It offers much more battery life than a traditional MTL-only pod, and it is still very portable. Not to mention the large 5 mL capacity over the typical 2 mL of most MTL-only pods. It really can be an all-day vape for most people.

Battery life and charging

Most people using the XR in MTL should find it to be an all-day vape without having to charge. The internal battery is listed at 1500 mAh and the charge rate at 1.5A, with the Type-C port located at the bottom of the device. This means it has to lay down while charging—not a big deal, but I prefer ones that can stand up while charging.

I tested their ratings, and for the charge rate, I got max 1.18A. Decent rating there, as most round up a little. For charge time, it’s 61 minutes. That’s pretty average for a pod system since most of the faster ones charge in about an hour give or take a few mins. For battery size, it’s a little under 1200 mAh, so I consider it a bit overrated. However, to be fair across the board, most devices are rated about 20% higher than what you actually get. This one is a little over 20%, so pretty average rating considering how most companies do it. Still, I would prefer a more accurate rating. The device does have passthrough as well.

This is practically the same device as the LUXE X, out of which I got a little more mAh during my testing. But batteries don’t all perform identically to each other, so realistically expect about 1150-1250 mAh out of this device—which is still 2-3 times as much as a standard MTL-only pod would give you.

The three breathing LED lights act as a battery meter:

I'm a bit disappointed they went with a four-step meter, especially since they had four steps on a recent device I reviewed (the GEN AIR 40). For some reason three steps has become an industry standard, but seeing them revert to the norm was a little disappointing for me personally.

Pros / Cons

Gallery

Verdict