Voopoo Vinci Air Review: Balancing Portability and Performance

Product intro and specs

The Voopoo Vinci Air is a pocketable pod style AIO, and the latest in the long line of Vinci pod mods. What sets it apart from the rest of the Vincis is its much smaller footprint. While the original Vinci was a large pod vape, and the Vinci X was comparable to a full vape kit, the Air is a pocketable device—similar to something like the SMOK Nord.

Just like the rest of the line, the Air is powered by the GENE.AI chip, which allows it to fire up to 30 watts and sets your wattage automatically depending on the coil you are using. The device features a 900 mAh internal battery, and its pods hold 4 mL of e-liquid.

While I loved the battery life and performance of the previous installments of the Vinci line, their size can be a deterrent for many vapers. Let’s see if Voopoo had to make any compromises in in order to reduce the footprint of the Vinci Air.

Voopoo sent me this device free of charge for the purpose of this review.

Price: $34.95 (at Element Vape)

Colors: Aurora, aurora blue, classic red, classic blue, space grey, camouflage, carbon fiber

Build quality and design

The first thing I noticed when I got the Vinci Air out of the box is how small it is. It is not one of these super tiny vapes by any means, but it is much smaller than the rest of the Vinci line. Voopoo claims that it is 20% lighter and 30% thinner than the original Vinci, and the numbers add up. If you want even more numbers, it weighs 91 grams with a full pod on, and at 101 mm x 27 mm x 18 mm, it is around 25% smaller overall than the Vinci. Compared to the SMOK Nord, the Air is only slightly larger—and most of it is due to the larger pods of the Air.

I received the carbon fiber edition, so I can’t speak about the other colors but they look real good in the pics. For what it’s worth, the carbon fiber sticker looks and feels good, same as it did on the original Vinci.

The pods of the Air are significantly smaller, which means that the device is not compatible with the rest of the Vinci pods. But they still hold 4 mL of juice, which is impressive for a device of this size. The pods are clear, making it easy to monitor your juice levels, and they are kept in place by a couple of pretty strong magnets. The part you grip to remove the filling port plug is a bit longer this time, but it’s still very thin and flimsy, and it will break if you are not careful.

Getting started

To get started, prime your coil with 4-5 drops of e-liquid and push it inside the pod. Remove the fill plug, fill the pod with juice, insert it into the battery and set the device aside for a good five minutes to allow the coil to saturate.

The operation of the Vinci Air is pretty straightforward.

• Five clicks of the firing button turn the device on/off
• Three clicks of the firing button change between button and draw operation
• Fire and up locks/unlocks the device
• Fire and down clears the puff counter

The Vinci Air will set your wattage and limit the output automatically depending on the coil you are using. The Air goes on standby if not used for a while, which kinda bugged me with the original Vinci. But after using the Vincis extensively during the past months, I’ve developed muscle memory and always click once before using it even if it’s not on standby.

Finally, the firmware is updateable and Voopoo’s configuration software is very easy to use. There hasn’t been an update on the Air yet, but once there is, you’ll be able to find both the firmware and the software at Voopoo’s service page.

Performance

The Vinci Air comes with two coils in the box:

• The PnP-R2 mesh coil (1.0 ohm) rated for 10-15 watts
• The PnP-VM4 mesh coil (0.6 ohm) rated for 20-28 watts

I’ve discussed the 0.6-ohm coil extensively in the performance section of the Vinci X review—I think it is a very flavorful mid-power coil for restrictive DL vaping, and easily my favorite out of all the PnP coils. It is great for 3-6 mg regular nicotine and up to 20 mg salts, and wicks 70VG with no struggle at all.

On top of that, this is one of the longest-lasting coils I’ve had on a device like this. I lost count of the times I refilled the 5.5 mL Vinci X pod before proactively changing the coil. But there are a couple of limitations. It is a bit too powerful for the tight airflow option, and at 25-watts, the 900 mAh of the Air won’t last you that long. Which brings me to the other included coil.

The 1.0-ohm coil on the Air is by far the best MTL I’ve had from a Vinci. It’s not perfect, and it may be a bit airy for some people, but unlike the Vinci and the Vinci X, the Air can actually do MTL. And the flavor is great. Just make sure you have the pod inserted the right way and adjust the wattage according to your juice. At the 12-15 watt range I could go up to 30 mg salts or 9 mg regular nic, but your mileage may vary.

Turning the pod the other way around makes it a very restricted DL vape. It is rather cool at the 12-watt default, but I enjoyed using it like that at the max wattage (15 watts)—and I had no dry hits with 70VG. The 0.6-ohm coil is a clear winner for this type of vaping from a performance standpoint, but considering the battery limitations of the Air, the 1.0-ohm coil is a great option for when you are out and about. It is a great all-around coil.

The sensor is rather sensitive and works fine, but I preferred using the button for MTL. And as with the rest of the Vinci line, you should expect a bit of juice in the mouth when the pod is low on e-liquid. Thankfully there’s no leaking outside of the occasional minor condensation under the pod.

Battery life and charging

The battery of the Vinci Air is listed at 900 mAh which is not bad, but it could have been a bit more considering that the Nord has a 1100 mAh battery.

Using the 0.6-ohm coil at the 25-watt default power setting, I managed to vape a bit over half a pod before having to charge the device. That translated to 170 puffs. With the 1.0-ohm coil vaping MTL at 12 watts, I went through more or less the same liquid on a charge, but it took me 360 puffs to do so. If you are using the 0.6 coil you may need to charge at some point during the day, but I felt confident leaving my place with the device fully charged when using the 1.0-ohm coil.

The device charges through a micro USB port that’s placed at the side, and the home screen features a five-line battery icon. I timed a full charge at 63 minutes. While charging, you can see the exact level of the battery on the screen, which I find to be pretty useful for everyday use. Finally, the device does not support pass-thru charging. That’s generally a con, but in a way it may be a good thing as I’ve had issues with pass-thru on the original Vinci.

Pros / Cons

Gallery

Verdict

Voopoo nailed it with the Vinci Air. I had my reservations at first, because the 0.6-ohm coil was my clear favorite out of the PnP coils I’ve tried, and the 900 mAh of the Air are simply not enough for vaping at 25 watts. But the 1.0-ohm coil was a big surprise. Not only it does MTL, but it is also a solid RDL vape.

Over the past couple of weeks, the Air has been the first vape I reach for when I am leaving my place—and that says a lot. It is an easy recommendation, but I would strongly advise you to get an extra pod, or even an extra Air. This way you can use the 0.6-ohm coil at home, and the 1.0-ohm coil when you are out and about. And you also have a backup in case the fill plug breaks.

What do you think of the Vinci Air? Let me know in the comment section!