SMOK NOVO Master Kit
SMOK have brought out the NOVO Master Kit, stylish yet user friendly
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In light of all the crazy news coming out and the new restrictions about to hit the vaping world, pod kits are set to become even more attractive than ever. Disposables are out, refillable, user friendly kits are the way forward. Of course us old vapers have been saying this for ages, but now the government are stepping in and soon there won’t be any alternative but to find more sustainable kits that do the job. Thankfully TECC already stock a fantastic choice in that department, and this time round they have sent over the latest offering from SMOK, the NOVO Master kit.
SMOK are proper old school, they have been around almost as long as I can remember and they led the way in tank development with their near legendary Subtank, which brought sub ohm vaping to the masses. Since those heady days, SMOK have had their ups and downs, and at times it seemed that they were struggling a bit to keep up with the ever evolving market. But recently they seem to have turned a corner and appear to be back on track, bringing out consistently good kits again. But the pod kit market is quite crowded, so the SMOK NOVO Master kit needs to be able to deliver if it is to make any waves.
Unboxing and Specs
The SMOK NOVO Master Kit comes in a stylish silver wrapped box, it has a certain flair which also shows who this kit is aimed at. It is very understated and has a certain style whilst still maintaining a level of class which is unusual for a basic pod kit. Slid off the outer sleeve, and you are presented with a blown plastic tray housing the kit with a 0.8ohm pod re-fitted, along with a second 0.6ohm pod and a nice ribbon USB-C cable. Lift that out and you will find the paperwork, a manual of near biblical proportions and an equally big safety manual, plus an authentication slip and another card which tells you to read the manual before use. Thankfully that isn’t the monster task that it initially looked like as the manual is packed full with just about every language known to man being, and the relevant bit is only five pages, and most of that is pictures.
- Tank capacity: 2ml
- Coil resistance: 0.8ohm, 0.6ohm
- Battery capacity: 1000mAh
- Max Output: 30W
- Dimensions: 24.5mm x 16.7mm x 107.5mm
First Impressions
The SMOK NOVO master Kit is clearly aimed at a more mature market, whilst there are several colours to choose from, none of them are lairy or garish. I was sent the Black Carbon Fiber variant, and I have to say, it is a smart little set up. The carbon fiber panels are high quality, and they contrast well with the satin finish on the rest of the body. Every edge and corner has been smoothed off and rounded out which makes it extremely comfortable to hold and strangely satisfying to feel. I am really into tactile devices, and this scores well in the touchy feely department.
The branding is also quite restrained, the name is printed on the front in silver, the manufacturing details on the back but are also small and discreet, and everything else is printed black on black along the side so you really have to look for it if you really feel the need to safety logos. All in all, it is definitely one of the more stylish pod kits that won’t bring unwanted attention to itself or to the user.
The charging port is on the bottom so you will need to lay if down to charge, and the side is where you will find the stepless airflow control. I love the term “stepless” as it makes the simple slider sound much more technical than it is. There is basically one airhole with a slider that you can position with precision to your exact preference. For me, I liked it set just over half closed, and bonus points go to the resistance which means that once set, it is quite firm and doesn’t easily move out of place.
Finally on the front is a flat button and light to show battery status or any safety warnings. The battery status lights follow the tried and trusted system so Green = 100-70%, Blue = 70-30%, and Red = 30-0%. The button serves as a fire button if you don’t like auto fire devices, but it also lets you switch between regular mode and boost with just a couple of clicks. One thing that I wasn’t so impressed with is that the button doesn’t have a lock, so even though the button is pretty flush, it can still fire if you have it loose in your jeans pocket, it might be better to give it 5 clicks to turn the kit off if you want to be on the safe side. Non locking fire buttons is a bit of a bug bear for me, I really do think it should be a basic standard requirement for all vaping devices.
The auto fire draw works flawlessly, hitting the spot every time. Combine that with the silky smooth shape, and you have a worthy replacement for any disposable if you pair it with something like the new Maryliq salts. It is a little thicker than a disposable, but the shape makes this seem irrelevant. The mouthpiece is one of the more comfortable ones I’ve used too. It is one of those kits where everything just feels effortlessly right somehow.
SMOK have included two different pods in the kit which is great as you get to try them out before committing to a pack without knowing which is right for you. The 0.8ohm is slightly milder but will squeeze out a bit more battery life, and the 0.6ohm hits slightly harder. Both wicked well and gave good flavour, although I found they needed half a pod to really break in before they started to show what they could do. The flavour isn’t as saturated as some of their competitors, it is a bit more of a mellow vape although you can put it in boost mode which will give a bit more instant gratification. I also found the two modes were useful for different flavour profiles, boost worked well with sweeter fruity flavours, but regular really suited tobaccos, and if you like more traditional flavours, the SMOK NOVO master is a serious contender here. Once again, the kit wore its mature style well.
Final Thoughts
So with so many basic pod kits, is there space for a new one from SMOK? Yes, I think there is. The styling alone will appeal with its understated classy looks, not everyone wants a flashy colours and bling, and the performance also delivers a different experience which works really well with a wide variety of flavour profiles. Is it revolutionising the wheel? No, and there really isn’t anything new or daring here, but that isn’t what the SMOK NOVO Master kit is about, but if you are looking for a smart easy to use kit, you might want to add this to your list.
8/10 – Solid and dependable, SMOK still have their place
Many thanks to TECC for sending in the SMOK NOVO Master Kit for review.
Michelle (Purplefowler)
Reviewer at POTVWhen her usual forum closed, Michelle found herself in a brave new world full of excitement that something fresh and new was happening. A few days later she somehow found herself on the moderating team and is still not really sure how that happened. Even stranger, she slowly worked her way up to admin and now helps behind the scenes, liasing with vendors and coordinating social media but she can still be found making smutty comments on the forum. If all that wasn't enough, she also is a proud member of the Potv review team specialising in E-liquid reviews for the discerning vaper.
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