VOOPOO DRAG S2 & X2 Review: The Original Pod Mods Are Back!

Product intro and specs

The DRAG X2 and S2 are the latest VOOPOO pod mods, and the follow-ups to two of 2020’s best-selling vapes. The DRAG X and S were the products that popularized the term “pod mod.” While the term has been used loosely since then, and it’s now used for all pod-based vapes, the X and the S were the prototypical pod mods: more compact than your average box mod kit and much more powerful than basic pod vapes.

VOOPOO has released a number of pod mods since then, including an unofficial sequel to the X2 with the H80s. With the official sequels, we get new pods, an updated chipset, and a new coil line (PNP X), which promises a lifespan of 100 mL of juice. Same as the originals, the X2 is powered by an 18650 battery and fires up to 80 watts, while the S2 comes with an internal 2500 mAh battery and fires up to 60 watts.

When I reviewed the original X and S, I was very impressed by what they brought to the table. Excellent build quality, dependable performance from the GENE.TT chip, and the perfect footprint for a DL vape. Let’s see if the sequels will continue the VOOPOO pod mod tradition.

Price: TBA (DRAG X2 at Element Vape), TBA (DRAG S2 at Element Vape)

Colors: Sky blue, modern red, glow pink, gray metal, spray black, colorful silver, pearl white

Build quality and design

As expected, the build quality of the series 2 is great. The X2, which is the 18650-powered version, measures 129.8 mm x 31.8 mm x 28.6 mm and weighs 195 grams with a full pod on. It is slightly larger and heavier than the S2 but still compact. Compared to the H80s, it’s shorter but a bit thicker.

The S2 has the perfect footprint, in my opinion, especially considering its 2500 mAh internal battery. It weighs 145 grams and stands at 122 mm x 31.8 mm x 28.6 mm. I can almost palm the device, and it weighs more or less the same as my ultra-compact Innokin Gozee/Zlide combo.

Both devices are fitted with metal frames and vegan leather panels that feel great in the hand. I love that branding is kept at the minimum this time, with no large DRAG logos—just the product name pressed on the bottom of the leather panel.

I received the colorful silver X2 and the sky blue S2. The X2 comes with a pod that’s silver at the top, while the pod of the S2 is gunmetal. Out of the seven color options, the colorful silver along with the glow pink are at the bottom of my list. It has a shiny silver metal frame and an iridescent silver panel that I find to be a bit too much—but that’s obviously up to taste.

The sky blue S2 looks stunning, though. Both the panel and the frame are a gradient blue to petrol green, with the buttons having a silver accent. If it were up to me, I’d probably have asked for the black or the gunmetal without giving it much thought, but I would have been missing out!

The new pods are top airflow and hold 5 mL of juice. They are tinted, but juice level is visible. The top airflow design is supposed to minimize leaking, and compared to previous VOOPOO pod mods, these do leak less. But you’ll still see juice accumulating under the pod if you leave the device unused for long periods. I also noticed that if the pod is filled up the top and has been left unused for say, three days or so, juice would leak from the airflow slot when you tilt the device. To be fair, I had been using 60VG juice when this happened, so maybe it won’t be much of an issue with thicker juice.

The devices are fitted with super strong magnets, the buttons are clicky, and the color screen is large, bright, and easy to read. Pretty standard stuff for VOOPOO pod mods. VOOPOO didn’t reinvent the wheel as far as design goes with the X2 and the S2—it feels like an if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it kind of thing. But these sure are their best-built and best-looking pod mods to date.

Getting started

VOOPOO has simplified things with its latest pod mods, and the X2 and S2 don’t have complicated menus or fancy modes and features. If you are versed with devices that take replaceable coils, it’s going to be a walk in the park.

First make sure you prime your coil by dripping some ejuice in it before installation. Push the coil inside the pod and make sure that the bottom of the coil aligns with the bottom of the pod. Unplug the filling port, fill the pod with e-liquid, and let it sit for five minutes for the coil to saturate before first use.

The X2 is powered by an 18650 battery, and the leather panel is the battery door. It is held by strong magnets, so you just need to pull the panel, insert a battery, and push it back into place.

Five clicks of the fire button turn the device on. The chipset will set the wattage automatically depending on the coil you’re using. Holding the up and down buttons gets you to the menu, where you can change mode, reset the puff counter, or check the chip ID and something called “level code” by entering the About device menu. Finally, holding up and fire locks the device, which will prevent it from firing.

There are three modes inside the mode menu: Smart, RBA, and Eco. Smart only allows adjustments inside the wattage range of the coil, RBA allows you to set the wattage freely, and Eco dims the screen and consumes less power.

That’s about it as far as operations go. I’m perfectly happy with the options available here, and I am sure that beginner DL vapers will appreciate the simplicity of these devices.

Performance

The PnP X line comprises two pods, MTL and DL. The standard versions of the X2 and S2 come with the DL pod, but I was sent an MTL pod to check. I won’t be testing it in depth, but the main difference between the two pods is that the MTL pod has a replaceable drip tip, which looks like 510, but it isn’t—my 510 tips are very loose in there.

You can use the MTL pod with a DL tip as well, but the hole seems to be a bit narrower than that of the DL pod, so the airflow will be more restricted. Note that there is an MTL version of the S2 that comes with the aforementioned pod in the package. The X2 is only available in the DL version.

As far as coils go, the PnP X line has four options:

Let’s get one thing out of the way: these are not MTL devices. The closer you can get to something resembling an MTL vape is by using the MTL pod with the 0.6-ohm coil at around 15 watts with the airflow fully closed. I can’t imagine using it as my main MTL vape, but it’s passable. Opening up the airflow even a hair makes it a weak RDL vape, so you’ll need to raise the wattage and forget about MTL.

As for the 0.3-ohm coil, I have no idea why they labeled it as RDL/MTL. It can’t be used for MTL, period. As an RDL vape, it’s not bad, but it’s probably my least favorite out of the three coils included between the two devices. Flavor doesn’t pop as much, but it’s an okay vape at around 35 watts, especially if you want to conserve battery. I found use for it with a mango juice that has too much throat hit for some reason, but I won’t be buying more in the future.

Now to the real stars of the show. I was actually surprised by the 0.15 and the 0.2-ohm coils since top-airflow vapes usually sacrifice flavor for leak protection. But the PnP X pods seem to employ a top-to-bottom airflow design, and while the air travels some distance to reach the coil, both coils produce solid flavor—probably better than the bottom airflow coils of the previous VOOPOO pod mods I’ve tried.

The 0.15-ohm coil beats the 0.2-ohm for flavor, but the 0.2-ohm is no slouch. In fact, I’ve used the 0.2-ohm coil more, but that’s mainly because I prefer using the S2, which doesn’t push enough power for the 0.15-ohm coil. Even if you like the 0.15-ohm coil at 60 watts (I found it best at 70-75 watts,) I’d advise against using it with the S2 to avoid stressing the battery. The 0.2-ohm coil at 50-55 watts is an excellent option, and you won’t be missing that much in terms of flavor and overall performance.

As for coil life, I didn’t manage to test VOOPOO’s claims for 100 mL, but I’ve gone through at least ten fills (50 mL) on the 0.2-ohm coil, and it vapes like new. Judging by that, it wouldn’t surprise me if it did 100 mL.

Battery life and charging

The X2 is 18650-powered, so I won’t talk about it in this section—battery life and charging will depend on the specs of your battery. As always, a dedicated charger is preferable to on-board charging for 18650s.

Testing the S2, a full charge got me through a bit over one full pod, so around 6 mL of juice. According to the puff counter, this was 180 short puffs (around two seconds) at 50-55 watts.

The screen shows the battery charge percentage when the device is plugged in. I timed a full charge at 65 minutes, so if the 2A rating is accurate, the battery capacity may be slightly overrated. Still, battery life as well as charging speed are more than satisfactory.

Output is regulated, so even at a low charge, performance stays consistent. Unfortunately, and similar to most (if not all) VOOPOO devices released during the last couple of years, the S2 and X2 do not support passthrough vaping. I’m sure this is a chip limitation that has to do with battery safety, but I’m hoping VOOPOO finds a way to change that in future products.

Pros / Cons

Gallery

Verdict

The DRAG X and S were two of the best-selling vapes of 2020, and their sequels will undoubtedly follow suit. Sure, you can get slightly better flavor from a bottom airflow pod, but as a whole, the new DRAGs are going to be tough to beat.

Build quality is excellent, the GENE chipset is one of the best in the industry, and the new coils are long-lasting and offer some of the smoothest DL vaping you can get.

The only real con here has nothing to do with the performance of these devices—it’s more about marketing and VOOPOO’s habit of mislabeling coils as MTL. Not many people will buy the new DRAGs for MTL, but those who will, won’t be satisfied.

But for everyone looking for a compact internal battery DL vape, the S2 should be at the top of their list. And if you don’t mind a slightly larger device, the X2 has even more going for it—the 0.15-ohm coil is the best of the line, and you can get even more battery life out of a high-quality 18650.

The S2 has already become part of my daily rotation due to its excellent hand feel, but both devices are highly recommended.