ZLab ZJoins Mini Review: The Missing Link

Product intro and specs

The ZJoins Mini by ZLab is a game-changer for smokers looking to quit. It combines heat-not-burn technology with a vape pod system, blending them together for a new kind of puff. You’ll get that heated tobacco experience as you would with the IQOS, coupled with the flavor and vapor from a traditional vape. 

The ZJoins Mini is the compact version of the full-sized ZJoins. It is a slender device powered by a 1250 mAh battery, capable of heating 12 TEREA-style tobacco sticks per charge. The device also features adjustable airflow and adjustable heat modes, allowing users the ability to fine-tune the draw and intensity of the hit. Other features include a screen with real-time feedback on battery life, e-liquid levels, and temperature settings.

While the original ZJoins model takes the ZColors pods, which are the pods that are compatible with the ZLand battery, the ZJoins Mini is compatible with the new ZJoins Flavor pods. The pods have a 2 mL capacity and come in over 50 flavors with nicotine strengths ranging from 0 to 50 mg.

What’s best about the ZJoins Mini is its consistency and ease of use—you won’t need to dedicate an afternoon to learning how to use one. Keep reading to find out more about this groundbreaking device.

Price: TBA
Flavors: watermelon, vanilla, tobacco, strawnana, strawberry lemonade, strawberry, sour, skittle ice fruits, sakura, root (beer), raspberry, rainbow rain, pineapple, pear, peach, passion fruit, papaya, orange, NRG, mint cool, milk, maple, melon, menthol, mango, mango pineapple, lychee, lime, lemonade, kiwi, ice, hazelnut, Hawaiian fruit nectar, gum, guava, green apple, grapefruit, grape, dragon fruit, cotton candy, cola, coffee, coconut, cherry, cake, blueberry, blowpop, berry mix, acai, banana, bear foot

Size, look, and feel

The unassuming-looking ZJoins Mini is compact and lightweight, making it easy to take on the go. Even when out in the open, it looks innocuous and discreet. It won’t arouse too much interest—no one would be able to guess it’s a device for heating tobacco sticks and vape pods!

The ZJoins Mini measures 20.5 mm x 44 mm x 112.5 mm and weighs about 85 grams. It only has one removable part: the magnetized top cap. The top cap acts as a mouthpiece while concealing the vape pod and tobacco sticks inside the device.

The slender ZJoins Mini comes in a variety of colors. It’s got a monochromatic vibe but with two contrasting shades of the same main color. Those two shades make up the two sections of the device: the top portion is made of brushed anodized aluminum with a metallic finish, and the bottom section (that holds the real-time display screen) has a soft-touch, rubberized finish. Although there’s not much to look at with the ZJoins, I’m ultimately satisfied with the aesthetics and the feeling of it in the hand. 

The screen display is nice and bright, making all the information easy to read. Additionally, there are two side buttons: a heat selector (top button) and a boost mode (bottom button). 

Getting started

If you’re new to heat-not-burn technology, there are two types of heating elements: blade technology and induction heating. For the sake of brevity, just know that the ZJoins Mini uses induction heating. The tobacco sticks appropriate for induction heating are Terea HEET sticks—the ones used with the IQOS ILUMA. The ZJoins Flavor Pods are sold separately but should be available from wherever you bought the ZJoins Mini.

To begin, remove the magnetized top cap. You might be amazed at how strong the magnets are! Insert a tobacco stick into the circular chamber. Push it all the way in until you feel it stop. There will be resistance as you push it in, but keep going until it can’t go any further.  

Now it’s time for your vape pod. Before inserting it, look at the bottom of the pod. There’s a small airflow adjustment built into the pod. If you’d like to play around with the tightness of the draw, this will help you. Unfortunately, the airflow adjustment is really small. It’s a small slot that will open and close, but it’s very difficult to see with the naked eye. A convenient hack to getting the airflow where you want is to put the chimney portion of the pod in your mouth, then adjust it blindly while taking a draw on the pod. This will allow you to feel the airflow loosen or tighten. 

After you have your airflow set, drop the pod into the pod housing. Then, put the top cap back on. If you have the top cap reversed, the strong magnets will repel it. This ensures you always have it on correctly.

It’s time to power up! Press and hold the top button on the side. This preheats the induction chamber. The screen will display a heat icon and tell you to please wait. When it’s finished heating, there’ll be a haptic vibration alerting you that it’s ready. Then a timer will appear on the screen starting at 4:40. That’s the length of time that session will last. Note: you must have a tobacco stick inside to preheat. The preheat takes about 20 seconds, and then the device is ready to be used. Go ahead and start puffing. If you want to kick it up a notch, press the bottom button to activate the boost mode. It’s a warmer and more intense hit. 

A couple of extra things to point out. When you start a session, don’t remove the top cap until you’re finished. If you do, the tobacco stick will be pulled out, interrupting your heating session. The device seems to only want to stay heated if the tobacco stick is in. If you’re a vaper and used to changing out flavor pods at will, this will take some getting used to. 

Lastly, if you’re already an IQOS user, the plastic mouthpiece might also take some getting used to. With the IQOS, the tip of the tobacco stick feels just like a cigarette. You won’t get that familiar feeling with the ZJoins Mini, at least in terms of the feeling of a paper filter.

How does it hit?

I am impressed! The ZJoins Mini has an incredible hit. Warm, flavorful, and unique. It’s unlike any vaping or smoking experience I’ve ever had. Hookah doesn’t even compare. 

The taste of the heated tobacco is very close to that of a cigarette but without the nastiness of combustion. Toss in the added dimension of vape flavors and you have a robust and complex hit. I said “whoa!” after my first hit. 

My experience with the IQOS was with the first generation of devices. I had a difficult time getting a consistent hit and even heating. When I first tried it, I thought the IQOS was a great addition to harm reduction, but I wasn’t too enamored with it. I wasn’t a big fan of the taste or vapor output. With the ZJoins Mini, I love the flavor, vapor output, and the clarity of the tobacco taste. It’s so good that when I started vaping again, it tasted like something was missing. I still don’t know how I feel about that. 

Best ZJoins Flavor pods

There are over 50 flavors to choose from. Everything from fruits, candy, desserts, to drinks is on the menu. 

I’m a huge fan of the other products made by ZLab, and the flavors are mostly the same as those of the ZJoins Flavor pods. The options on the menu are accurate tasting, flavorful, and aromatic. However, it’s important to note that although you can combine and stack flavors with some other ZLab products, the ZJoins line only takes one flavor at a time. 

I sampled several flavors with varying degrees of success. I tried a couple of fruits, desserts, candies, and drinks. So far, the coffee tastes the best with the tobacco stick. It’s a slightly sweet, medium-dark roast that goes very well with the heated tobacco!

Other notable flavors are the fruit profiles like mango, papaya, and lychee. In general, I think most of the fruits taste good with the tobacco sticks. The candy flavors do well, too. But not all the flavors I sampled felt appropriate. For example, the milk flavor normally tastes great in other ZLab vapes, likely because I stack it with other vape flavors. With the ZJoins Mini, as a single flavor with a tobacco stick, it’s not that great (big surprise). Milk and a cigarette? No thanks. I recommend sticking to the fruits, candy flavors, and coffee. 

How long does it last?

The ZJoins Mini lasts long enough to heat up 12 tobacco sticks. Considering I am not a normal user of tobacco sticks, one charge would last me a long time. Regardless, it’s easy to keep track of how much battery life you have left by knowing how many sticks you’ve used or by looking at the battery meter on the screen.

Charging the ZJoins Mini is the same as charging other small electronic devices. It is charged by a USB-C port on the bottom of the device, and it takes about 90 minutes to charge. One minor issue for me is that when the device is charging, the screen is not illuminated. You must press a button to activate the screen to know if the charge is up. I’d prefer an indicator that stays on so I can see the progress of the charging at a glance.

Pros / Cons

Gallery