Uwell Caliburn AZ3
Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, How many Caliburn’s are out now? Si takes a look at yet another one, the AZ3 Pod kit
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by Uwell for review
https://www.myuwell.com/index.html
Price TBC
Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, Caliburn, How many Caliburn’s are out now? I’ve lost track but hey, at least I know the vape is going to be superb. This time around we look at the new AZ3 which is even smaller than the Caliburn GZ2 and more starter friendly but still packs the same punch.
- Device Dimensions (H) 68.9mm (W) 23.8mm (D) 23.6mm
- Device Weight 39.5g
- Wattage (Max) 17W
- Product Material: Aluminium Alloy
- Liquid Capacity: 2ml
- Coil Resistance: 0.8ohm, 1.0ohm
- Battery Capacity: 750mAh
- Charging Type: USB Type-C
Unboxing
The Caliburn AZ3 packing is pretty standard by now, the outer sleeve gives a ‘little’ teaser as to what’s in store as you can see the actual device/colour through the clear window. The specs etc. are on the back along with the authentication sticker.
With the outer sleeve removed, you see the kit held in a blown plastic tray, and underneath that is the manual.
The contents are as it should be as it includes everything you need other than eliquid to get started, the AZ3 device with a 0.8ohm pod preinstalled, a second pod which is 1.0ohm, the charging cable and the manual, what more could you ask for? Perhaps a lanyard but they are an acquired taste and including one would just bump the price up.
First Impressions and Overview
Since I reviewed the very similar Caliburn G2Z a couple of weeks ago, I was just expecting less. In hindsight I should have reviewed this one first as it is much simpler than the AZ3, less is more in some cases and the simplicity turns out to be a strength and should appeal a lot more to beginners and especially disposable converts.
The first thing that struck me was the smaller size; (H) 68.9mm (W) 23.8mm (D) 23.6mm compared to the GZ2: 72.6mm x 28.8mm x 23.0mm. You can see they have shaved a few mm off here and there, and you just notice it as soon as you hold it for the first time.
The construction is simpler as the main body is aluminium extrusion but it still has plenty of style for such a stubby device. The front has a laser etched ‘CALIBURN’ logo, the sides have grooves which feel tactile and grippy, and on the back there’s that mysterious ‘Z E G P’ subtly etched, I still have no clue what it means so I will stick with my guess of “Zebra Elephant Goat Puncher” which suits me as how many times can I say that in my lifetime?
Just look at it! You have to consider that diddy size to appreciate just how slick and stylish it looks, I just love how it looks and, more importantly, I love using it.
With a full pod, it only weighs 42g which is ideal considering its sturdy metal construction, you barely notice the weight while using it or when it’s stashed in your pocket.
And then we have the cool LED lighting embedded into the laser etched logo. I’m still mesmerised with the smooth flowing animation that we first saw on the Caliburn A3S, unfortunately you don’t get to see it in photos but trust me it’s pretty slick and is pleasingly subtle. The USB-C charging port is on the base. You can use the provided little cable but it is pretty standard so you’re bound to have one if you require a longer one.
During vaping, the CALIBURN logo will flash. A green light indicates a more than 60% battery level, a blue light indicates a 30%~ 60% battery level, and a red light indicates a less than 30% battery level. The charging current is 5V/2A fast charging, which only takes 20 minutes on average, which is superb for a generous 750mAh battery.
It uses the same pod as the A3S which is a magnetic fit which turned out to be easier to remove than on the GZ2 but the fit is snug enough to maintain a decent air-seal.
The ohms of the pod are marked on the base along with the rated wattage but you won’t need to worry about that as the device recognises the pod automatically and sets the power accordingly. The top cap flips off which is a bit fiddly once out of the battery, but you won’t need to as it is top-fill.
With the pod installed, you just need to lever the mouthpiece over with your thumb and it flips off, it won’t go flying as it just pops over and you can simply pull it off then and fill her up. The fill port is marked with a red silicone port which accepts standard 10ml bottles, it’s pretty simple to fill right up to the top but if you overfill it then some e-liquid will escape out of the breather hole, but I found it easy to get used to and mess free.
There’s a small detail in which way around you pop the pod in; one side has a minimum e-liquid level marked halfway across the wick hole, the other side has the ‘PRO FOCS’ logo on it. Ideally you should refill at that level which is around 0.5ml to get the longest coil life, I didn’t really find it an issue as you quickly get used to seeing the level anyway, so I didn’t give a FOC which way around I fitted the pod.
The last thing to mention before performance is the handy lanyard loop on the top corner, Uwell have got it just right as you can easily thread a standard string type lanyard through it without snagging, it won’t accept lobster claw type lanyards though.
Performance
I feel like a broken record when it comes to pretty much EVERY Caliburn’s performance, in fact I’m going to open my Caliburn A3S review then ‘copy-n-paste’ it!
“Right off the bat I got a near perfect vape from this little bugger, I started off with the pre-installed 1.0ohm and the flavour is superb, the draw is smooth, and the airflow is a proper MTL ciggie-like draw. It comes back to the perfect fitting pod providing a proper air-seal so air only comes in through the two tiny holes on the side.
"The 0.8ohm was equally as good but with that little bit more of everything, warmer, more saturated, and a stronger hit but still tight enough to be pure MTL. At a real push, I could manage a tight RDL draw, personally I will be buying the 0.8ohm pods as they should handle ‘disposable’ style e-liquids better."
"The e-liquid visibility pretty good throughout but the window was a bit difficult to see through in low light, but a quick tip onto its side revealed how much was left. In bright daylight you can see every drop, the only thing to take note of is the pod has a ‘MIN’ fill line marked only on one side, and you do need to pay attention to that as the wicking ports are a little higher from the base.”
That’s the end of the copy-n-paste, but it really is an identical vape to the A3S which is a good thing as I can’t really imagine a better vape from a replaceable pod kit. The main difference came to using the device and I much preferred using this little bugger. I think I’m just bored with the standard long pods, the compactness of the Caliburn AZ3 just felt better to use. I loved how the stubby size fitted into my paws and the way I could easily stealth vape it as it is so easy to hide in your grip which naturally covers the LED.
I also found that the airflow was harder to accidentally block due to the rippled sides, I’m just so impressed with both the included pods; flavour, smoothness and lifespan are all amongst the best out there, and the ability to handle sweeter e-liquids just crowns it as one of my all-time favourite pods.
Conclusion
Essentially the Caliburn AZ3 is a Caliburn A3S squished down into what I consider a much better and more compact form factor, which one you prefer will be down to your personal taste but either one will give you a near perfect MTL vape, much much better than any disposable if you choose the right e-liquids (ELF LIQ from TECC are my main choice at the moment https://www.theelectroniccigarette.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=ELFLIQ+Elf+Bar+E-liquid as 4 for a tenner is a steal for the quality)
I’m really torn between this and the GZ2 which is a surprise. On paper, as an experienced vaper the GZ2 suits me more, replaceable coils, adjustable airflow, and even better LED lighting, but the simplicity of the AZ3 and the few millimetres shaved off the size won me over more than I expected. I love 'em both though and am likely to flip between the two in my rotation.
The only thing I’m struggling with is the names! AZ3-A3S-G2Z, 2D2, C3-PO, AZZ, A33, B4 UGO, ME2 U2 ………..honestly I am lost and I think we need a new range as all these letters are just too hard to remember and you don’t find the name on the device either. It’s hard to recommend something you don’t remember the name of; “what ya vapin?” – “I dunno, it’s a Caliburn innit”.
Finally on a plus note, Uwell are the masters of miniaturising vapes. I’m still in awe of what they did with the Valyrian 2 mod, 3 x 18650 into such a small mod! And now they have miniaturised the Caliburns too, The Mini, The Mighty, I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Pros
- Stubby size
- Perfect vape quality
- Convenient pods
- Top-fill
- Lanyard loop
- Handles sweet e-liquids
- Proper fast charging
- That ‘it’ factor
- It won’t ‘Cali’burn a hole in your pocket
Cons
Another Uwell device that has none, not so much as a niggle, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Final Thoughts and Score
With so many Caliburns to choose from, we really are spoilt for choice, but these latest two (G2Z and AZ3) have blown the rest out of the water, but each to their own as the taller Caliburns perform equally as well. Basically CALIBURN = VAPE QUALITY, which device you choose won’t be a bad choice.
Score: 9.5/10 – Just buy one and don’t Cali-burn your bridges.
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!
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