Astral
Achiever
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2020
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GeekVape S100 Kit.
Disclaimer: This is an independent review of a vape device kindly provided to me by @Sourcemore and is not associated with Planet Of The Vapes or any other organisation. The opinions here are purely my own and I am not receiving any payment or inducement for them.
Rebranding is a difficult business, sometimes companies feel the need to rejuvenate themselves or roll with the times, sometimes they’ve made a faux-pas and feel the need to disassociate themselves from the past, and sometimes they’re a manufacturer who just wants to distinguish their new product from their old.
The first of those two are easily understandable but the third is often a little trickier to comprehend, particularly when the product they’re trying to rebrand is already a legendary one and held in such high regard.
When it comes to iconic names in vaping, there are few more iconic than the GeekVape legendary Aegis line and the prime example of this being the baby of the bunch - the Aegis Solo. So when we heard GeekVape were launching a new Aegis Solo 2, we were all excited and expected it to be called just that - the Aegis Solo 2. But no. For some reason GeekVape has done something unthinkable and ignored the continuity of familiarity and instead called their newest little cherub the S100. Why? Well that’s a secret, and they ain’t telling!
Either way, it doesn't matter, it’s still the same, great little single 18650, dust-proof, water-proof, shock-proof device it always was, but only now it’s a little better. It’s not like Coca Cola changing its recipe or anything, it’s a simple upgrade - a new and improved Aegis Solo, if you like.
It even looks just as good, just a little more finessed with crisper lines and a little less rubbery.
It still has the same bezeled, padded, ‘leather’ panel, wrapped seductively three-quarters of the way around the 137.6 x 46 x 40mm zinc-alloy chassis to make it so instantly recognisable. Only now it has a large ‘A-Lock’ switch running down the side and a fully-sized Zeus sub-ohm tank adding to the glitz on top.
The new matte and metallicised, silver, grey, red, navy blue, rainbow and classic black colour schemes only go to improve this too.
For a utilitarian IP68 rated mod they’ve done really rather a good job in making this mod look really quite showy. It might well be the best looking mod in the fish pond should you drop it, and might also go a little way to curbing your embarrassment too!
This is something I approve of enormously as I like a little bit of sparkle on my Wellington boots!
Something else I like enormously is the new 1.08” screen. This sets out your battery life, wattage, resistance, voltage, amperage and puffs, all on a vibrant and easily legible new user interface in a clear and laddered font and bold text. You even get a nice choice of colours too.
You’ve got all your normal and numerous modes of operation - wattage, bypass, VPC, TC-NI, TC-TI, TC-SS and TCR - all set out behind three clicks and a scroll of your firm and clicky power and selection buttons positioned above and below the screen, and the design gets even better when you get to the top of the mod too.
Here you’ll find the crowning glory - the 5.5ml, stock coil Zeus sub-ohm tank.
Having used this tank before on the Obelisk Z kit I already knew what to expect and again, it didn’t disappoint.
This is a great piece of design, and with it’s top-filling, top-airflow and well ventilated architecture, it channelled enough current through the chamber to blow up a gale - and with it’s 0.2ohm (70-80w) and 0.25ohm (45-57w) Z-Series coils fitted it packed some serious heat too.
In truth the higher of these coils is too much for this little 18650 kit to endure for long, but as long as you have some spare batteries or a 5v/2amp charger to hand you can have some serious fun in the meantime - or you could always change the tank or coil for a sub-25mm or higher resistance one of your preference. There are others available.
That said, there’s no real need to unless you really chain it. You have to be pushing it really quite hard to exhaust your battery life quickly, and if you’re an intermediate or tepid vaper like me you should get a fair amount of time before you need to replenish.
I got a decent amount of the day out of mine, but then I don’t chain vape at 80w’s!
Not everything about this kit is good though; there are some downsides to it too - not least that the screw-in battery door protrudes ever so slightly from the base of the mod giving it a little table wobble, albeit with the plate being wide enough that it never really threatens to topple over.
Then there’s the battery cap itself.
The water-proofing O-Ring is a little thick and grippy and gives a resistive feel when screwing it in either direction, meaning you need to give it a good, hard twist whichever way you’re turning it.
But at least it is a screw-in design rather than a sliding hinged flap, and other than that it’s mostly good.
The prime example of this being the newly introduced ‘A-Lock’ switch they’ve fitted which makes it just so damn convenient.
This really is a neat little feature that allows you to lock the controls and fire button while it’s at rest without the need for having to turn it off. I guess that brings a whole new meaning to something burning a hole in your pocket!
Another thing I liked is just how tactile it feels. The slightly curved nature of the padded wrap and the sensuousness of the coating provide a lovely hand-feel, making you want to clutch it in your abated little paws just for pleasure.
Geekvape really has done an excellent job of presenting this mod, and while the improvements are small, they are palpable.
The mod and tank both look good and the peripherals of the coils, coil tool, spare parts pack, spare 5.5ml glass tube, USB Type-C cable and reading literature are all nicely presented in a dual tiered GeekVape branded black and orange box too.
While there may be little foibles, this is an unquestionable development on the original Aegis Solo and an endeavour well worth undertaking.
GeekVape has clearly thought long and hard about how their product is used and tweaked the design and aesthetics accordingly.
Whether it was wise to change the name is a matter of contention, as is pairing it with the demanding Zeus tank, but you can’t say it doesn’t perform, it’s just a matter of how long it performs for - and that’s something only the consumer can control.
The GeekVape fan club will surely be happy and us neutrals have a more compelling option too. I’m sure many will buy it regardless of already having the original.
The Aegis Solo became infamous for its durability and longevity, and I can’t see any reason why the S100 will be any different.
So, if you need an IP68 rated mod for work or play that looks as good in the fishpond as it does in the hand, then this is definitely one to consider.
I’d like to thank @Sourcemore for sending it to me for review, and if you want one you can get one from @Sourcemore here for the price of $81.60.
