VOOPOO VMATE MAX Review: A Gem of a Vape!

Product intro and specs

The VMATE MAX is the latest pod system by VOOPOO. Unlike the ARGUS G2 Mini I recently reviewed, which was meant to be an affordable option, the VMATE MAX is a more premium pod device with a fully capable chipset, a hidden screen, and various modes and features.

The VMATE MAX's internal battery is listed at 1200 mAh, and it comes with the newer version of the VMATE pods. The device comes with two VMATE V2 pods, 0.7 for MTL and 0.4 ohm for RDL, both with a 3 mL capacity. The new pods fill from the side and come with improvements in performance and longevity, but the MAX is also compatible with the original 2 mL bottom-fill VMATE pods.

VOOPOO has done an excellent job on pods lately, making many great ones in a row, so let's see if the VMATE MAX continues that tradition.

Price: $29.99 (at Element Vape)
Colors: Onyx black, fancy purple, dove grey, glacier silver, neon blue, ruby red, shiny green

Build quality and design

The VOOPOO VMATE MAX is a standard stick-style pod vape like the recent ARGUS G2 and G2 Mini devices. It's similar to them in size, not tiny but not large—just a good size to pocket. It features a screen and has adjustable wattage as well as a preset option in “Shift mode.” On the back, like other VOOPOO devices, it features an air slider to adjust from a tight MTL to a restricted DL vape. 

While it does have a button on the side, it’s not a fire button. It’s an inhale-to-fire pod system, but I’ll go over the functions of the button in the usage section. The USB-C port is on the bottom of the device. There are two LEDs on the front that can be turned off. The battery meter is shown on the screen, and it's a percentage, which is great. 

They offer a total of seven colors: six solid colors and one that fades from blue on the bottom to green on the top, called “Neon Blue.” The VOOPOO logo is small and on the front above the screen and LEDs, while the VMATE logo is medium in size and it's on the back below the air slider. 

The front that covers the screen has a design to it, which they call “Gem-like." I can see why, as it looks like looking into a gem. It’s a brushed finish that looks great. And you wouldn’t know a screen or an LED is behind it without pressing the button, so it has the looks of a simple and classy device with the features of a more techy-looking one. Overall, the device looks great and feels really well-built and solid in hand.

Getting started

The VOOPOO VMATE MAX is an intermediate pod system. It’s basic enough for a beginner, but also has enough features for more advanced vapers so it really can work for anyone. It’s an inhale-to-fire-only system. There is one button that does almost everything outside of firing the device, so you don’t have to worry about the button getting pressed in your pocket. Usage is pretty simple. 

The device comes in Shift mode by default. 

• Press the button three times to cycle through the preset modes (Eco, Normal, Sport, and Hard). 
• Press the button two times to turn the LEDs on/off. 
• Press the button one time to turn the screen on. 
• Press the button five times while the device is off to turn it on. 
• If the device is already on, press the button five times to enter a menu that allows you to reset the puffs, change it to basic Power mode, and turn it off. 
• If you are in Power mode, three presses of the button will allow you to adjust the power. 

On the back of the device,  there is an air slider that will let you adjust from a tight MTL vape to a restricted DL vape. The VMATE MAX shines as an MTL vape, but it can be used with the 0.4-ohm coil to do a restricted DL vape just like the G2 and the G2 Mini before it.

The new pods here follow the same trend they did with the ARGUS line of pods. They are labeled as “top fill” but they are really side fill pods as the rubber plug is on the side. Filling is easy, as it can be done while the pod is still in the device. Unlike previous pods, these are not magnetic but click in place instead. They fit great, though, with no wiggle. Sometimes too great, as they can be tough to pull out. 

Since the pod is a smooth plastic, even with the ribbed design for grip at the bottom I still found myself using my teeth at times to pull it out. It is not a major deal since you only need to remove them to change them out, which for most people will be every two weeks or so, depending on consumption. I’ll still ding them for it, but it would be a bigger deal if you had to remove the pod to fill it. Magnets would have worked better. 

The pods are fully visible, so seeing the level is very easy. However, they are tinted, which I'm never a fan of. Thankfully, they are not too dark, but you do need some light to see the juice level. Overall, though, I'm very happy with the device's usage, but I would have preferred magnets instead of the click-in pods.

Performance

The VMATE MAX uses the same pods as the rest of the VMATE line. The original line has a 0.7-ohm and a 1.2-ohm pod, both 2 mL, which are bottom-fill pods that need to be removed to be filled. The VMATE MAX comes with one of each of the newer 3 mL side-fill pods—0.7 ohm and 0.4 ohm. They are leak-resistant as well according to VOOPOO, but to be honest, it's been a while since I experienced leaking from a pod vape. For what it's worth, the MAX pods didn't leak at all during my testing.

I used both pods and found them to be really good both for flavor and longevity. I was able to vape 30 mL through each pod with no issues and they both were still going strong. About 20 mL is the minimum expected on coils like this, so I am very happy with the results. 

Overall, I preferred the 0.7-ohm coil, but using the 0.4-ohm in Eco mode works well, too. Since the device is adjustable, you have more leeway with the coils. The 0.7-ohm pod in Sport mode was very similar to the 0.4-ohm pod in Eco. So, having two good coil options with adjustable power and airflow really makes it a great device for getting a vape where you like it. Overall, I am very happy with the performance of this device.

Battery life and charging

The VMATE MAX is advertised as lasting three days on a charge, but that's probably more applicable to light vapers. I’ll never get three days on any device because I vape too much. So I'll just focus on the battery capacity and how fast it charges.

The internal battery is listed at 1200 mAh, just like the G2 Mini, so it’s possible that it’s the same battery. They list the charge rate at 5V/2A (both listed on their site), and the port is USB-C located on the bottom. When I see specs like this, I expect at least 960 mAh and a charge rate of 1.75A or higher, as most companies round up, and around 20% is the expected inflation on these specs for various reasons. So I'll only ding companies for being worse than expectations to be fair to everyone. 

I tested all this, and for the max charge rate I got 2.03A, so it's a true 2A charging. For charge time, it’s about 33 minutes for a full charge. Most pods charge in 30-60 minutes, so it’s up there with the fastest ones. For battery size, I got around 1040 mAh usable. That fits into my expectations, so no complaint there. 

It does support passthrough vaping, like all pods should, so I'm glad they added it to the recent devices after not having it in a few of their older ones. Overall, I am very happy with the battery specs and charging on this device. Top notch for sure.

Pros / Cons

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