Vaporesso Luxe QS Kit
Si got to take the new Vaporesso LUXE QS Pod Kit for a test drive, but can it improve on the already very solid original?
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by Vaporesso for review
https://www.vaporesso.com/vape-kits/luxe-qs
MSRP $32.90
One of my favourite Vaporesso pods has had a bit of a tweak with its fancy pantsy new skin and some minor improvements. Without giving too much away, the LUXE QS proves it’s still very relevant in todays crowded market.
- 1000mAh battery
- 2ml pod capacity
- 5V/1A USB-C charging
- Auto-draw activated
- 2 way airflow adjustment (rotate the pod)
- SSS Leak resistant
- Compatible with older LUXE Q pods
- Holographic luminous skin
- Top-fill pod
- New QS 0.6ohm and 1.0ohm pods
- MTL and RDL
It has been around 18 months since the LUXE Q appeared on the scene and I loved it, I think I rated it at least 9/10 back then and it still holds its own 18 months on, but the new QS version improves on a couple of things, mostly the new pod options with an RDL version.
Unboxing
The Luxe QS has similar bold packaging as the LUXE X had, the bold green logo on a black background. The outer sleeve displays your colour choice, some specs, and the contents, as usual the authenticity verification sticker is on the back.
Removing the outer sleeve reveals the documents wallet which also doubles as protection during shipping, removing the wallet exposes the full kit contents in one layer.
You get the device with a preinstalled pod, a second pod, a charging cable and the instructions along with a handy quick-start card.
Overview
There’s a familiar feel to the QS and that’s because it’s essentially the same size and has a metal body like the older version, the looks have changed with the funky holographic textured skin on the one face.
The holographic skin has a deep ripple texture to it and feels quite grippy, it is strangely tactile and is a bit different to anything I have seen before, credit to Vaporesso as they always manage to come up with different and innovative coverings.
Unlike the original Luxe Q, the back face is metal but if you look closely it has been texture with an almost fingerprint pattern, the new Vaporesso logo has been deeply embossed and looks quite subtle as does the rest of the branding.
There’s not much more I can describe that you can’t see in the photos, there are other colours available but they all have a similar holographic effect that looks different from all angles. I found it mesmerising at first but soon got over it.
The pod is a press fit and is held in place firmly, you feel a snap-in-place action as it requires a little force to fit it properly but nothing extreme, it just fits well and there’s no way it will fall out.
The pod features a two-way airflow option, you simply rotate the pod 180 degrees for a looser or tighter draw. The MTL tighter option feels a little tighter than the original, which is a bonus, I thought the original was fine but this is clearly better. RDL with the 0.6ohm pod is quite restrictive but is relative to how much you draw if that makes sense? As in, I tend to take shorter and less suction draws and it worked well, I would be happy using lower nicotine strength in RDL mode as the vape is very satisfying.
The pod is top-fill which is achieve by prying/levering the mouthpiece off with your thumb, it’s quite easy once you get the hang of it and the fill port is a decent size to avoid airlocks, there is a second hole that also prevents them so I found it very easy and mess free to fill.
The LED light is a little different compared to the original, the Vaporesso logo illuminates underneath the see-through coating which softens the light, but it’s more visible from different angles. The functions are the same, the LED is three colour and shows the battery status, Green being full power, Blue for below 70%, and Red when it gets to around 30%, and it flashes when it requires charging.
Here it is next to the original Luxe Q, as you can see they have pretty much the same form factor and size. The most noticeable difference is the covering, I think I prefer the original as shiny chrome is my thing and I liked the uniformity of it being covered on two sides.
The pods are cross compatible but the newer ones have magnets, perhaps this is why the airflow is a little tighter but I didn’t notice much difference when swapping and changing from one to another. With or without magnets, they both still work in each other which is very much a good thing as the pods will be available for some time to come, there’s nothing worse than finding a pod you love only to find them no longer being stocked.
Vaporesso were keen to point out their patented ‘Corex’ tech in the pods, here’s the bumf from their official website:
"VAPORESSO Patented COREX Heating Tech is applied to make flavor accuracy better than ever. Formed by the microfiber in a complex structure, the cumulus cotton of COREX is ensuring a more consistent and longer enjoyment by innovative fluffier and higher liquid delivery."
I’m not going to disagree with anything there as they have clearly done something right, the flavour is top notch, but more on that in the ‘Performance’ section.
They also wanted me to mention their product tagline ‘Cute But Strong’, but I’m not sure I want to call my vape ‘cute’ – Well hard bastard would be a tagline I would go for!
Performance
When it comes to flavour, Vaporesso’s pods and coils are always good and the new 1.0ohm pod seems to deliver a bit more flavour than the older 1.2ohm. I know it delivers higher wattage, but the additional flavour feels more than the extra couple of watts, I’m now wondering if the 1.2ohm was mesh but the 1.0ohm clearly is.
Time to try out the new 0.6ohm mesh pod for RDL, I chucked in some 70VG/30PG e-liquid and took it outdoors for a damn good thrashing, I could soon see why Vaporesso were keen to stress its RDL potential as the vape was surprisingly enjoyable with some impressive vapour production for such a small coil, you are never going to get the massive clouds that you get from a higher wattage device and larger coils, but that was a good thing in my case, I rarely DL vape in the car or in public spaces but this was a good compromise. The flavour was just superb, and it felt I got a more intense flavour than I usually get from a proper cloud lobber.
So this little device was a master of MTL and RDL, I ended up taking both pods out with me so I could swap and change, and this is where the ‘SSS’ leak resistance came in handy, I had no leaking issues with either pod in my pocket.
I also gave the 0.6ohm pod a MTL test and it passed with flying colours, the draw was slightly looser than the 1.0ohm but still what I class as a ciggie-like draw.
The battery life was pretty good, especially with the 1.0ohm pod for obvious reasons, but on average it would last me just shy of 4ml before I had to recharge it, not too shabby as most of my other pods last around 2-3ml.
Recharging time was reasonable but not the fastest, it only charges at 1 Amp but I’m fine with that as it’s safer, and the device didn’t get too warm during charging. The longest I had to wait was around an hour.
Conclusion
I knew the LUXE QS was going to be a safe bet as the original was superb, but I wasn’t expecting it to be better, so it was surprising to find a better airflow, and more flavour (from the new pods), the rest is cosmetic and I think I still prefer the original purely down to it suiting my shiny preferences, but that is just down to my personal taste.
If you’re unfamiliar with the original, then it’s a no-brainer as the LUXE QS is simply a great little device that does MTL and RDL with great vape quality, it punches above its weight and the pods last around 20ml of 50/50 e-liquid and much more using 70/30 (I’ve put around 30ml in the 0.6ohm pod and it’s still going strong).
Reading back the official product webpage, it appears that Vaporesso are really pushing the RDL side but I think they are doing themselves an injustice as it does MTL equally well.
It’s another device I would recommend to a beginner in a heartbeat, but it’s also a worthy addition for experienced users such as myself, VooPoo had been swaying me away from Vaporesso pods, but the Luxe QS has drawn me back in.
Pros
- Better flavour
- Both RDL and MTL perform well
- Tighter airflow in MTL 1.0ohm pod
- Very compact for a 1000mAh device
- Innovative coating
- Mess free and convenient top-fill
- Backwards compatible pods
- Lanyard friendly
Cons
I can’t find a single thing wrong with it, usually I would bitch and moan about devices without fully adjustable airflow, but the airflow is a proper MTL or RDL and I wouldn’t adjust it even if I could.
Final Thoughts
The Luxe QS is a winner in my view and I’m really glad that Vaporesso are still supporting the Q platform. Better still, they have improved the pods to squeeze even more flavour out of them, I’m ever so fussy when it comes to MTL pods but I cannot fault this device, and it will become a firm favourite in my rotation.
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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