Vaporesso Swag 2 with NRG Tank Kit

Vaporesso Swag 2 with NRG Tank Kit

Kindly supplied by Vaporesso is the superb SWAG II Kit
https://www.vaporesso.com/vape-kits/swag-2

The all new design still has the original SWAG look but has updated to match the look and feel of the highly rated GEN along with some of the functions such as Pulse Mode.

The Kit includes the NRG SE or PE Tank (SE is the TPD 2ml and the PE is 3.5ml capacity), which perfectly match to the mod with its knurled style pattern on the airflow control ring, and is compatible with existing GT coils. It also takes the new GT4 mesh coils.

Unboxing & Contents

Vaporesso packaging is pretty trendy and compact. The Swag 2 mod with NRG tank fitted is on the top in a tray with the extras in a box underneath, the full kit includes:

• Vaporesso Swag II Device
• NRG SE Mini 2ml Vape Tank
• Spare Seals
• GT4 Meshed 0.15 Ohm Vape Coil
• GT CCELL 0.5 Ohm Vape Coil (Stainless Steel)
• User Manual
• Micro USB Charging Cable
• Warranty Card
• Authentication Card

There is no spare glass or bubble glass option which might be a con for some but it’s a nice little bundle. After priming GT4 Meshed coil, I proceeded to admire the mod, it feels superb with its rubberised feel (same as the GEN). On first impression, the battery cap looks too tall but when the tank is fitted, it looks proportional. Out of the box without a battery it feels very light, I popped a battery in and the weight is just right and balanced.

The colour is really classy and striking. I really like the texture and finish on this kit, and they have matched up the plating on the tank perfectly.

The colour range all look great. It’s rare that I like all colour options, but I would be happy with any of these, they just work for this style.

Swag 2 Mod

The mod itself uses the same navigation layout as the original Swag but has a whole new simpler chassis and upgraded electronics similar to the GEN if you are familiar with that. It’s a single cell 18650 battery mod, 5 to 80W variable wattage, pulse mode, temperature control, bypass mode, DIY mode for RTAs and smart modes.

On the box it says ‘Power & Style’, and it certainly lives up to those claims with the right battery. I use a Molicel P26A 18650 2600mAh 25A battery, which is ideal for this mod power wise, but it will cope with a 20 amp battery also. Styling wise, it just looks classy and ergonomic, its compact, grippy form factor feels so good in the hand. There is an indented curve on the one side which initially felt suited to my left hand, but soon I found it suitable for either hand and caught myself holding it multiple ways with either finger or thumb firing and it still felt comfortable.

The navigation buttons are the same as the original Swag but new to me. You have an +/- rocker button on the side, and a select button at the base so you don’t use the fire button to navigate, which is great as you are not firing the mod accidentally when trying to navigate. The fire button is above the screen, all the buttons protrude about 1mm and feel soft and tactile with a smooth click action. There is zero rattling. The USB port is located near the base. To insert your battery (sold separately), the battery cap is at the top which you unscrew. The threads are a bit rough feeling but I lubricated it with a drop of eliquid and it felt much better. It has a rubberised coating making it really easy to unscrew and tighten. The 510 pin is spring loaded and the base is slightly protruding to avoid atty rash which is a pro. At the bottom, there are battery ventilation holes with the ‘AXON’ chipset logo.

 

Operation and Navigation

Turn the mod on/off with five clicks of the fire button. You’re greeted with the Vaporesso boot screen and, after a second, it is ready to go. By default, it is in variable wattage with pulse mode activated. The pulse mode is excellent as it delivers instant and consistent power as you vape by pulsing the required power evenly throughout the vape. This feature was also on the GEN, though it is more effective and noticeable on higher wattage settings.

To get to the menu, you click the select button three times (you can also access by holding down the ‘select’ button). 

Instructions from the manual PDF:
https://www.vaporesso.com/hubfs/imgs/downloads/manual/swag_2_Manual.pdf

1) Power on/off: Press the power button five times in twos.

2) Lock/un lock the buttons: Press the power button three times continuously to lock or unlock the "+" button, "-" button and mode button.

3) Mode button: Press the mode button three times continuously to start modes setting.

4) The NEW LOAD and OLD LOAD will show on the screen after a tank is installed.

a. In the SMART VW ON mode, press “+” (NEW LOAD) to enter the device recommended wattage; press “-” (OLD LOAD) to enter the wattage that you have already set.

b. In the SMART VW OFF mode, to produce the best temperature control effect, please press “+” (NEW LOAD) when installing a new tank, and press “-” (OLD LOAD) when installing a used tank.

5) Vaping: press the power button to start to vape. For your safety, please do not vape for more than 10 seconds at a time.

6 *PUL: PULSE Mode (DEFAULT) When the tank is installed, the device will enter the pulse mode automatically to boost flavour with large cloud continuously.

*ECO: POWER ECO Mode When the battery power is less than 40%, the device will provide an option to enter the power eco mode automatically.

*STC: SMART TEMPERATURE CONTROL Mode When the temperature heating wire (SS/Ti/Ni) is detected, the device will provide an option to enter the STC(smart TC) mode automatically.

*DIY: DIY Mode You can choose traditional VW(H, N, S), VV, VT, CCW, BP (bypass) and SP( super player) modes in this section. When the coil resistance is extremely low, the device will provide an option to enter the SP (Super Player) mode automatically.

6. Choose a Mode

7. Options in DIY MODE

*VWS/VWN /VWH (Variable Wattage Mode)

VWH: high start-up speed

VWN: normal start-up speed

VWS: soft start-up speed

*VT-SS/VT-NI/VT-TI/VT-MI (Variable Temperature Control Mode) The SS, NI and TI modes are only available for the Stainless Steel SUS316L, Nickel200 and Titanium materials respectively. Choose the MI mode to make a customized setting when installing other heating wire materials.

*VV(Variable Voltage Mode) Customize the voltage value according to your requirements.

*SET: SYSTEM SETTING Including puff counter, brightness, flip screen, smart VW, auto eco on/off, default and version settings, the operating interface can be customized by yourself.

8 *CCW (Customized Curve of Wattage Mode) Press “+” and “-” buttons to customize your own curve of wattage output; move to the next bar with a quick press to the Power Button; press the Mode Button to save and exit when the setting is done.

*BP (Bypass Mode) A direct output voltage mode depends on the battery level; the supported coil resistance range is from 0.15Ω to 5Ω.

*SP (Super Player Mode) The device supports broader resistance range from 0.03Ω to 5.0Ω, which is adaptive to the mainstream tanks such as RDA and RBA.

Additional function - Lock setting by clicking the fire button 3 times.

If all that looks complicated, don’t worry as it is really simple to navigate, and if you are only likely to vape in wattage mode, the default settings are ideal and pulse ready, so there’s no need to delve into the menu.

NRG SE/PE Tank

The included NRG tank comes in two versions, the killjoy bullyboys SE 2ml TPD version and the 3.5ml PE version. They are physically different in size but take the same coils:

NRG PE TANK

• Dimensions: Φ25 x 50mm
• Capacity: 3.5ml
• Coil: 0.15Ω GT4 MESHED Coil (50-75W)
• 0.5Ω GT CCELL Coil (25-35W)

NRG SE MINI TANK

• Dimensions: Φ22 x 46mm
• Capacity: 2ml
• Coil: 0.15Ω GT4 MESHED Coil (50-75W)
• 0.5Ω GT CCELL Coil (25-35W)

The tank is a traditional screw in coil style. It has a wide bore 510 drip tip which is the ideal size. It has a slide open fill port cap which is wide enough for most shortfill bottles, it feels secure and I have had no accidental pocket openings of the lid. The airflow control ring is knurled so easy to turn and quite firm so it should stay in position.

To change coils, it is a simple process. Unscrew the base and pull it off, it will be tight the first time but some eliquid applied to the seals will solve that, then screw your new coil into the base clockwise. Prime your coil before screwing it back together.

There are two coils included:

• 0.15Ω GT4 MESHED Coil (50-75W)
• 0.5Ω GT CCELL SS Coil (25-35W)

The CCELL is stainless steel and suitable for TC mode (Temperature Control), but I don’t know the material of the GT4 so have to assume its kanthal, which is not suitable for TC and should be used in wattage mode or pulse mode only.

You will notice the dual GT4 Mesh coil has two different cottons (pure white outer and off white inner) which appears to be a tea fibre blend for added flavour production. The CCELL has a ceramic inner with cotton outer.

The CCELL has a lower wattage rating which means your battery will last much longer with this option (especially in TC mode), but which will give the better flavour?

Performance

So now all the boring stuff is out of the way, let’s get on to how well it vapes…

I started off with the GT4 mesh coil in default pulse mode and started off at the lower wattage to break the coil in. Even at 50 watts, the flavour brought a smile to my face and I could see this coil was going to be a proper flavour giver. As I eased up the wattage, it performed perfectly for me at 65W and the flavour just got better and better. Although you won’t exactly notice the pulse mode as it all happens in milliseconds, you do get a consistent, smooth, powerful vape.

I vaped until the battery started to get low to see how the eco mode performed. It does indeed work but obviously the wattage and warmth diminished, but at least you will be able to vape for a short time after rather than being stuck without. It is a handy feature in emergencies, but I always carry a spare battery so it’s best to change the battery if you have one. Also it is best not to drain your battery too low to maintain your battery health and lifespan.

I absolutely hammered this coil, chain vaping to really push the coil and attempted to test the coil life. After seven days it still looked like new and showed no signs of letting go anytime soon. I REALLY LOVE this coil, the flavour (and cloud production) is incredible.

The battery life on the GT4 cell lasted me around four to five hours of moderate vaping, which was better than I expected on a single battery mod at such high wattage, so I was more than happy with that.

The CCELL coil is a different story. I should have started with this coil as I set myself up for disappointment as the GT4 Mesh was something special. That said, if you prefer a cooler vape and need a longer battery life, this coil is a good option. First impressions weren’t good as going from the GT4 to the CCELL is chalk and cheese, but the following day once the GT4 was history in my mind, I started to enjoy the CCELL for what it is. The flavour is pretty good for such low wattage, and the battery life was far better (as expected) almost lasting the day. Once ECO mode kicked in, it wasn’t as dramatic a loss compared to the GT4 and almost lasted eight hours of moderate vaping with the odd chain vaping session.

I also tried this coil in TC and smart TC mode, but if I’m honest I didn’t get a better vape in these modes as PULSE mode just performed perfectly. The smart TC was clever as it scans your coil with a cool animated graphic on the screen, I can see this feature being more useful on RTAs and RDAs.

So all things considered, I found ordering the GT4 Mesh coils was a priority as this made the whole experience a much better vape. I can live with the shorter battery life as it takes seconds to swap batteries.

Onto the feel of the mod while vaping. I loved how the mod fits comfortably into your hands however you hold it. I found myself vaping it in all sorts of combinations, finger firing, thumb firing and even lower finger firing. All felt natural to me with its grippy feel, small size and light weight. I also found it a perfect pocket mod and had zero issues of accidental firing or the lid flipping open.

One of the downsides of reviewing is using a device exclusively during its road testing period so you miss your favourite mods, but I ended up really enjoying using this kit.

The perfect duo, the GEN & the Swag 2
The GEN was in my top three mods of 2019 which, for many reasons, is a fantastic mod. So I was keen to get my hands on the Swag 2 to compliment the GEN, and I am pleased to say it does exactly that, though I find myself grabbing the Swag 2 when leaving the house as it is so handy and I am hooked on the GT4 coil.

As you can see, the Swag 2 looks as good as the GEN but it’s so much smaller. Granted, the GEN is a dual battery and can handle much higher wattage tanks, but the Swag 2 has such good flavour that I’m more than happy to rotate between both mods as the mood takes me.

Having gotten used to the same menu system is handy too, for all their options and features, I found myself mostly using the excellent hard hitting pulse mode in both as it works really well.

The charm of the smaller Swag 2 is similar to the GEN and I found myself loving both as they both look as good as they perform.

Conclusion

I took slightly longer to review this kit than usual, partly due to enjoying using it and also trying to kill the coils through excessive use. Neither show any signs of giving up soon, after a week of vigorous testing neither show signs of burning or gunk build up.

In all honesty, I wanted just the Swag 2 mod in the end for a MTL tank so expected to swap the tank, but I really love the GT4 coil and ordered some new coils within days of testing. This kit will stay as it is.

The road testing and review is complete but I am still using this kit along with my other favourites which says it all. I know this kit is a 2019 release, so it’s too late to include it in my ‘Best of 2019’ but it certainly would have made it into that. I have tried so many kits that I struggle to remember but I think it would have been number for me.

Highly recommended

Pros

• Small form factor
• Ergonomic
• Superb rubberised coating
• Perfect colour matching kit
• GT4 Mesh Coil is top notch for flavour (& clouds)
• Menu system offer a LOT of features and options
• PULSE mode performs really well
• Top cap battery changing
• Select button navigation
• Bright easy to read screen
• Classy styling
• Wide Bore 510 drip tip
• Knurled airflow ring
• Smooth airflow
• Feels great in the hand
• Smart Eco mode is handy if you’re without a spare battery
• Variety of cross compatible coils
• Multiple ways to hold and fire
• Lots of Temperature Control options and customisation

Cons

• No spare glass
• Matching colour drip tip would have finished it off perfectly
• Battery life on high wattage won’t last the day
• Old tech Micro USB

Final Thoughts

I have surprised myself when listing the pros & cons, it is possibly the most pros I have produced in a review for such a small device, so I guess it sums up just how good this cracking little kit is. I often examine kits and think ‘what would I change’ to make it better, here’s what I would have chosen:

• 20700 battery (which would have made it larger but worth the compromise).
• include bubble glass.
• USB-C
• lower profile battery cap.
• classier and slightly small drip tip.
• indented Curve on both sides.
• more included coils to try.

In A Nutshell

The Swag 2 & NRG PE is a worthy upgraded kit which has leapt into being one of my favourite mods. Novelty factor aside, I think it will take some beating. Along with the excellent GEN, it will belong in my most used kits. There is so much going for it despite its minimal looks (which is one of its strengths), it is ideal for beginners and experienced users alike – ‘Power & Style’ does what it says on the tin (box).

Score 8.5/10 – Compact, Classy with high end features at an affordable price

Thanks again to VAPORESSO for supplying this kit for the review.
https://www.vaporesso.com/vape-kits/swag-2

Check out the Planet Of The Vapes REVIEWS section for more reviews and previews https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/reviews

Also check out Vaporesso’s news and competitions in the POTV Forum:
https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/forums/

 

 

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