VOOPOO VMate Max Kit
It's time for a VOOPOO refresh with the latest VMate Max kit which now has a bit more going on under the hood
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by Antony Lord
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VOOPOO are updating their VMate series of pods for the first time in two years, and today I’ll be looking at the newly released VMate Max kit. This features a nifty hidden screen and updated side fill pods that range from a restricted direct lung to a mouth to lung vape, so it should be a fairly versatile kit.
Specifications
- 103 x 29 x 18.7 mm
- 81.5 grams
- output 5~30 watts
- internal 1200mAh battery / 2 Amp charging via USB-C
- Compatible with all VMate pods
The VMate Max is available in seven colours, and I was sent the “fancy purple” variant for testing. Inside the box you’ll find the VMate Max along with two of the updated side fill VMate pods, a USB-C charging cable, and a brief user guide.
The VMate Max has a compact smooth pebble like design and is relatively light at just under 82 grams despite the metal chassis and 1200mAh internal battery. The back panel has a slightly matte finish, and this, coupled with the plastic front panel, mean that despite initial impressions, there’s a decent amount of grip available so you shouldn’t find this slipping out of your hands. At first it looks like it’s a bit of a plain Jane with limited controls, but that decorative front panel is hiding a secret…
When you turn the device on, you will be confronted by what VOOPOO calls their “Hidden Horizon” screen and 256 colour LED side bars which shine through that apparently solid front panel, give it a moment or two and this will magically disappear again which is a pretty trick. Despite the fact that the screen is hidden whilst it’s not in use, it’s still clear enough to see and uses a simple one button menu system which is easy to learn.
Don’t want to see those bright LED sidebars every time you want to take a puff? Two clicks on the button located on the side of the VMate Max will turn these on and off. Five clicks will get you into the menu proper where you can select things via a series of single or long clicks. It’s really easy to learn, and you’ll pick it up in no time. Two main power modes are available; “power mode” lets you set the wattage manually, and “shift mode” lets you select from three predetermined settings. As with previous VOOPOO kits that have used similar setups, I’ve stuck to the simple “shift’ mode as the default settings seem well optimized for the pods.
Even though there is a power button on the side, this is a purely auto draw activated system. This has been 100% reliable in use, just like all the other recent VOOPOO kits I’ve used recently. On the rear of the chassis, you’ll find an adjustable airflow which can go from almost closed to a restricted direct lung draw which leads to the area directly under the pod at the top of the device. Due to the way this is positioned, I have found myself accidentally covering this up with my fingers on occasion but it’s difficult to see where VOOPOO could have located this otherwise and a simple shift of my grip solves the issue.
Finally at the base is the USB-C charge port. During charging, the hidden screen will once again light up and give you a battery percentage along with an estimated charging time. In my tests, this hit a peak charge rate of 1.9 amps with a recorded usable capacity of 1106mAh achieved in a rather impressive 37 minutes. Whilst the capacity is good for a kit of this size and nature, I did find that I couldn’t get through a full day of use whilst I was using the 0.4ohm pod.
Two updated pods are available for the VMate Max with VOOPOO’s updated coils and cotton which claim three times longer lifespan than previous pods. I’ve been using the preinstalled 0.4ohm pod for almost two weeks and it’s still going strong, although it should be noted that I haven’t been using this as my primary device. Please note that whilst the VMate Max is compatible with the full range of pods, the new 0.4ohm pod isn’t suitable for older VMate products as the VMate Max has an upgraded 30 watt power output.
The pods have a 3ml capacity in non-TPD regions, 2ml here in the UK, and now sport a convenient side fill port which means that you don’t need to remove the pod when refilling. Even though the pods are lightly tinted, it’s still easy to check on your e-liquid levels in use. As always, the flavour is on point with these VOOPOO pod,s and they’re kanthal which means that they’re suitable for anyone with nickel sensitivity issues like myself.
Conclusion
A versatile and compact kit that’s easy to carry around all day with long lasting pods and rapid charging, sign me up! Whilst the 1200mAh battery probably won’t get you through a full days use, the rapid charging offsets this which makes the VOOPOO VMate Max a great daily driver when you just want something compact to throw in your pocket but still want a good restricted direct lung vape rather than the usual mouth to lung draw found on many smaller kits.
Many thanks to VOOPOO for sending the VMate Max over for review.
- Compact and versatile kit
- Rapid charging
- Can accidentally cover the airflow in use
- Won’t get through a full day with the 0.4ohm pod
Antony Lord
Reviewer at POTVI was a twenty a day smoker for 25 years and like most smokers I was always going to quit "next week". Having hit my mid forties and having the usual smokers cough and difficulty with anything more than moderate exercise it was obviously time to give up the cancer sticks. I bought my first e-cigarette in 2013 when they were expensive, difficult to find and quite frankly... crap. I used it for about a week then went back to the roll ups, mark up another failed quit attempt. The fact that I had just changed jobs and was under quite a lot of stress probably didn't help. Move on to 2016 and whilst I was browsing eBay I noticed that one of the suggested items that would occasionally pop up was for a cheap e-cigarette. It looked similar to the one I'd bought 3 years earlier but it was only £5 (about 8 times cheaper than before) so I decided to give it another go on a whim. Once the kit arrived I managed to gradually replace the cigarettes with my new kit over a two month period and got into watching YouTube reviews for newer kit. My cheap and cheerful kit was replaced by a more upmarket affair, and being a noob I made a mistake once it arrived... I put in the supplied direct lung coil, this was of course a complete revelation and I haven't touched a cigarette since. Oh and I no longer spend the first five minutes of every day having a coughing fit either.
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