VAPORESSO XROS 2 Review: More Precise Airflow and Better Battery Life

Product intro and specs

VAPORESSO really doesn't need much of an intro at this point. They are regarded as one of the top vape manufacturers in the world. The first XROS came out after the success of Uwell’s Caliburn, which was actually their competitor's first attempt at a pod system. Based on looks alone, the XROS was clearly a direct response to it.

But don't get it twisted, the XROS was far from a clone. It introduced new features like adjustable airflow, faster charging and easier to see pods. From a performance standpoint, its lower-ohm pods hit significantly harder and produce slightly more flavor and clouds than the competition. They clearly referenced their competitor’s design, but also implemented some additional key features of its own.

Today, I'll be checking out the second entry in the XROS line—well, technically the third if you count the XROS MINI. The XROS 2 is a refillable pod system with a visible pod design, a 1000 mAh battery, USB-C fast charging and adjustable airflow. I'll be comparing it to the Caliburn, the original XROS, and all of the best pod vapes I have tested up until now.

Price: $18.99 (at Element Vape)

Colors: lime green and blue, space gray, black, grape purple and blue, orange and red, silver.

Build quality and design

The XROS 2 stands at 112.2 mm tall, 23.4 mm wide and is 13.4 mm thick. So, just a tad thicker than the original, but otherwise the same dimensions overall. It weighs in at 45 grams with a full pod installed, which is actually five grams lighter than the original! They sent me the space grey version, but it also comes in three solid colors and three multi-color gradients. The orange and red edition looks so fire, literally! It has the same laser-etched branding on the front, and their signature "V" logo on the back. It also now features four "tiding LEDs" for monitoring battery life.

Like the first one, it still easily slips into pockets and is robust enough to survive an accidental drop or two. The body is constructed of steel and features a new matte finish that extends to the fire button, which has also been slightly increased in diameter. I say fire button, but since the XROS 2 features dual activation, you'll really only need to use it to turn it on or off when using its draw-activation mode.

The USB-C charge port is located on the bottom of the device. This time, the mAh rating has been bumped up from 800 to 1000 mAh. Last but not least, the adjustable airflow control now has a sideways water drop-shaped air inlet, instead of the original four vertical slits. This allows you to dial in your ideal setting with more precision than on the previous one.

Getting started

If you liked the pods on the XROS, then good news! The XROS 2 uses the same 2 mL pods. If you're not familiar with them, the pods have a boxed-out design with a tapered mouthpiece that snaps off for accessing the fill port. They snap in and are secured by magnets.

There are currently two pods available. They feature non-replaceable coils. One features a 0.8-ohm mesh coil for a looser MTL draw and the other one features a 1.2-ohm regular coil for a tighter draw. The kit comes with both pods, so you can decide which one you like best. To fill them, snap off the mouthpiece to reveal the fill-port valve.

I tested them out with nicotine salt e-liquid and some regular 70% VG e-liquid too. There was no spitback, leaking, flooding, gurgling etc. And when I take the pod out, everything is bone dry. VAPORESSO nailed these pods back on the original XROS after their first run of pods, so no real shocker here. In fact, it's very possible that they may have improved their quality control, as I didn't have to fill them slowly this time, or avoid chain vaping. No performance issues with either e-liquid.

Performance

The pods are where the rubber meets the road for most pod vapes. Fortunately, VAPORESSO got that sorted on the first XROS. The pods put out big flavor and an abundance of clouds. I never had to deal with spitback, gurgling, leaking etc. They’re the star of this show. I was even able to get a few more refills out of these pods versus the old ones. I refilled at least one to two times a day for over a week, so the coils can last for at least 20-25 mL, which is good for my standards.

Since the performance is so similar to the original, I will now focus on the newly added features. The main one being the new airflow control, which is now better suited for MTL. Instead of four equal slots, it has a sideways water droplet inlet that's tapers at the end. This gives you a wider range between open and closed off, so you can really dial the draw in as tight as you need for a better throat hit.

The cool part is that if you close the airflow all the way, it hits just like the new XROS MINI. Or you can open it up all the way for more of an airy MTL. So, the XROS 2 allows you to get a similar vape to the Caliburn, but also tighter or looser if you desire. The throat hit has never been very prominent on the XROS in the past, but with some 50 mg nic salt and the airflow closed off almost all the way, it's do-able.

The only significant issue I had was that the device randomly turns off sometimes. I am going to give VAPORESSO the benefit of the doubt. I suspect it's because they sent me a test sample, but it was still part of my experience and not something I can just sweep under the rug.

Battery life and charging

The battery life on the XROS 2 is now rated for a full 1000 mAh. That's nearly double the capacity of the original Caliburn. While the old XROS got me through the better part of a day, the XROS 2 gets me through the whole day and then some. Like the original, the 0.8-ohm pods tend to be a bit more power hungry, which means you'll generally get slightly less vaping time on them.

The XROS 2 takes just under an hour to charge. That's 15 minutes longer than the original XROS, but I still think that's good considering its 1000 mAh capacity. You can vape it while it's charging too, but it doesn't actually charge while you are puffing, which I'm guessing is for safety reasons.

The XROS 2 now features an updated "tiding LED" indication system. Instead of the multicolor single LED, it has four LEDs aligned vertically at the bottom of the device. Each one corresponds to 25% of the battery life. They fade in and out while vaping which I think looks pretty cool. The main difference is that the new system is more intuitive and precise than the previous one.

Here is a breakdown of the LED system on the XROS 2:

Four lights: 100% charged

Three lights: 75% charged

Two lights: 50% charged

One light: 25% charged

Pros / Cons

Verdict

The sequel isn't always necessarily better. We learned this with classic films. However, the XROS 2 is better than the original. Not by much, but VAPORESSO definitely tied up those loose ends. I think it was a smart choice to go with the same pods, which they perfected on the XROS. The new one just feels more like a finished product, whereas the original felt a bit expeditious.

I never had any major performance issues in terms of spitback, leaking, gurgling, flooding etc. The battery gets me through a full day of vaping. I've ran at least 25 mL of nic salt through these pods already and they're still putting out strong flavor. I had to get extra picky to find cons for this one compared to the first one. All in all, VAPORESSO finally nailed it with the XROS 2.

If you still love your XROS, I don't see a real need to upgrade to the new one. Unless you've been begging for a tighter draw, or just need the extended battery life. But with all things considered, if you're looking for your next refillable pod system then I would easily recommend the XROS 2. At the end of the day, it's a beefed out Caliburn with better flavor and battery life.

What has your experience been like with the VAPORESSO XROS 2? Leave a comment below.