SXmini Puremax 2
If you are looking for the best flavour from a pod kit, then look no further than the SXmini Puremax 2!
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A year ago, I got to review the original SXmini Puremax pod kit, and it instantly became a favourite, so much so that it is still one of my top go to kits when I really want to enjoy the best from my e-liquid. Well now they have refined and improved on the original and have released the nattily named SXmini Puremax 2! Even better, they sent me the new version to test out and compare.
Unboxing, Specs, and First Impressions
The Puremax 2 comes in a very unassuming little box, it is very understated and there is nothing flashy about it. I guess SXmini know their products speak for themselves, but this is a basic as it gets. It certainly won’t stand out on the shelf of your local vape shop! There is a little sticker in the top corner to show which colour option you are getting (there are five to choose from, and I was set Gunmetal and Red), but that is the only difference you will get across the range.
Sliding the box open, you are presented with the Puremax 2 in a foam protective sleeve, and to the side is where you will find the PX Pro 2 pod, two driptips, a USB-C cable, the user manual, and a warranty card. I would have liked to see two pods just incase of the unexpected, especially as this is a bit more of a premium pod kit. The included pods on my kits were both 0.6ohm, but there is a sticker on the box with all of the possible options so I am assuming some sellers will give you the option to choose which you’d like to start with.
- Max Output: 5-35W
- Voltage: 1V-6V
- 1300mAh LiPo Battery
- 0.96" Colourful TFT Screen
- YiHi SX304J Chipset
- Advanced Liquid Detection Alert
- Colours: Black, Gunmetal, Champagne, Red, Blue
- Supports: PX Pods, PX Pro Pods, PX Pro 2 Pods
- RDL/MTL Vaping Style
- Sx-link compatible (to customize the SX304J Chipset Screen)
Popping the pod out of its plastic bag and sliding it into the Puremax 2 gives you the first clue that this kit is going to do things differently as once seated, it vibrates and a message comes up on the screen to let you know that the pod is ready, jumping the gun at this stage as I hadn’t even filled it up yet, but it wasn’t something I was expecting so it grabbed my attention. Before filling up, I wanted a good look round things, and my initial impressions were very good. This time round we get a proper screen rather than minimal four lights on the original, and this has been well done. There is a dark plastic panel that runs up three quarters of the front, and the screen sits in this and looks pretty seamless. Above the screen is the control button which allows you to access the functions and also doubles as the fire button should you wish to use it. It all looks very smart.
The sides have a ridged design which remind me of heat sinks, but I am pretty sure they are just cosmetic. It gives things a nice industrial vibe though. The back is my favourite side with a grey glossy panel with a sophisticated feathered pattern which really comes to life when it catches the light. The panel was the same on both devices, so it doesn’t seem colour coded.
On the base is the USB-C charging port so you will need to lie it down when plugged in, and the airflow slider is on the side. This is a fairly standard slider with enough resistance to ensure it stays where you want it to be.
When it comes to the touchy feely side of the Puremax 2, I really like the combination of textures, and even the ridges on the side feel smooth especially coming off the rounded corners on the sides. The other beauty of the textures is that you instantly can feel which way round it is which is very handy if you wake up in the middle of the night and fancy a cheeky sneaky vape!
The Pods
The PX Pro 2 pods are the third version of the Puremax pods, and I think they are also the best as they have taken the positives from the previous two and have combined them whilst also refining everything. There is also a new addition, the 0.4ohm version, so this should now appeal to even more vapers.
One of the things I really loved about the originals that was lost on the second version was the option to use your own driptip, and I am delighted to see that has been brought back again, although the included ones are so comfortable that I ended up just using the narrow bore one. But it is always good to be able to customise things if you want.
On the top of the pod, there is a raised plastic rotating disc which you have to turn to be able to open the slider to fill up your juice. This also closes off the coil from the juice so you shouldn’t get any flooding. It is also really handy if you travel a lot as it will seal off the liquid for easier air travel. You do need to remove the pod to fill, but I’ve never had a problem with doing this although I know some people prefer top fill for speed. Once filled, slide the door back down and twist the top back round to open and give it a couple of minutes for everything to soak. Then you are ready to vape.
It is quite important to get the right pod for the job though, SXmini want you to have the best vaping experience so this really does matter. If you like thicker juices and larger clouds, you will want to try the 0.4ohm pod. The 0.6ohm is a bit mellower and is a little more of a middle ground but is still more suited to a restricted DTL style. The 0.8ohm is my personal sweet spot. It is a more traditional mtl style vape but with a bit more oomph to it. It works well for nic salts as well as 50/50 juices. Finally there is the pure mtl options, the 1.2ohm which is the most laid back of the four. If you like a nice, tight vape, this will be the one for you. I found if you put the wrong juice in the pod, a 70/30 juice in the 0.6ohm for example, the device would flash up the low juice warning to let you know that it wasn’t staying as fully saturated as it would like to be. This may seem like the Puremax 2 is a bit picky, but really it ensures you are getting the best possible flavour and performance which also preserving the coil life, so I think this is a really good way of doing things.
In Use and New Features
Vaping is very straightforward, you can either use it in auto draw or you can use the button to fire, both work perfectly. Most people will be more than happy with the factory settings too and won’t really need to change anything. But if you do want to customise things, you can access the output power by pressing the control button four times. You can then change the output in 0.5W increments. Three presses will lock the device which is always handy of you carry it around in your pocket.
Five clicks of the button lets you access the rest of the options. Here you can power down completely, switch between auto draw, button fire, or both, set the e-liquid alert to on or off (it is on by default), and you can change the theme. There are several themes to chose from depending on how much information you want to see. I like the standard theme as it has the most information clearly displayed, but they are all pretty cool. There is also an animation when you take a puff or a rocket taking off, cute but not something you really see when you are vaping. In addition to these, there is also a link dongle to connect to the SXi tools which promises even greater customisations. Unfortunately the download takes a while and even after that, my MacBook wasn’t happy to run it, so I had to skip playing around with that.
The new pods promise greater leak resistance, and in my testing my kit stayed dry so that is all working. The original pods always had incredible lastability, but now there is a new feature to preserve them even more. We have all had moments when we are distracted and maybe are not paying full attention to how much juice is left until you get the dreaded burnt cotton taste signalling the death of your pod, but the Puremax 2 takes this worry away. Now when you are getting near the point of running empty, the device will buzz to let you know you need to refill. This is brilliant and will mean you get even more from your pods in the long run. You can still use any older pods you may have around, but you won’t get the low juice alert.
The Puremax has always been about giving you the best possible flavour, and the Puremax 2 is the best tasting yet. All of the internal monitoring really does make a difference meaning you get hit after hit after hit of unadulterated flavour. It uses a version of temperature control which is how they get such performance and longevity, it is a very clever little kit whilst being really user friendly. You don’t need to know about what it is doing, just trust that is has everything under control!
Puremax Vs Puremax 2
If you already have the original, you may be wondering whether you should upgrade. This is tricky as the original is still a very good kit, but in my opinion, the new version is even better. For a start, you get a screen now with all of the information clearly laid out. The original just had four lights to let you know your battery level and that was it, but now you can monitor exactly what is going on. You also get a bigger battery although if you are using the 0.4ohm pod, it may still struggle to last you a full day. But you also can actually use the 0.4ohm pod as you have a bit more in the way of accessible power at your fingertips. Finally the low juice warning means your coils will stay healthier for much longer, better for you and better for your wallet. It is a lightly larger pod kit, but nothing that you’ll really worry about in real world terms. You are still going to be getting an above average vape if you are still using the older version, but if you have a few quid burning a hole in your pocket, I’d say the upgrade is worthwhile.
Final Thoughts
I loved the original Puremax, but the Puremax 2 builds on the legacy and improves on just about everything. As a flavour junkie, this is going to be my go to kit for my own vape time when I want to crack open a bottle of my favour juice and really enjoy it to the fullest. With the exceptional flavour and enhanced coil life, this is way ahead of most other pod kits available and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Many thanks to SXmini for sending the Puremax 2 in for review.
- Unbeatable flavour
- Clear screen
- Low juice warning system
- Attention to design detail
- Larger battery
- Juice control
- Software is hard to access
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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