Starss Icon Pod System
Welcome to another Sacred Vape review, this time we are focusing on something rather out there in terms of design and performance, it is... The Starss Icon Pod system.
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by Chris Ashton
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Welcome to another Sacred Vape review, this time we are focusing on something rather out there in terms of design and performance, it is... The Starss Icon Pod system.
Before we get into this, this was sent to me for the purpose of a review by Vaporl.
So, let’s begin!
Hands up who has heard of Starss before? Honestly, me neither. They are a company based over in the USA and seem to offer some very interesting designs for devices, with the Icon being no exception. Featuring a range of designs to collect from Harley Davidson to almost Gothic style designs, you can tell this device was born out of the heart of middle America.
So how does it perform? Is it worth your time? Before we find out, what exactly do you get in the box?
In the Box
- 1pc Starss Icon Device
- 2pc Pod
- 1pc USB Cable
- 1pc User Manual
- 1pc Liquid Injection Bottle
Specifications
- Dimensions: 63 x 52 x 17mm
- Battery: Built-in 380mAh
- Input Voltage: 3.3-4.2V
- Material: Zinc Alloy & PCTG
- Coil: 1.7ohm
- Capacity: 2ml
About the Stars Icon
The stars Icon is a 360 mAh internal battery pod style device. It comes in a rounded design, with a 2ml pod that inserts into the top of the device and features an auto draw system. There is an indicator light on the front, along with a USB port for charging and comes in a range of different designs. The device is zinc alloy with a moulded plastic front and back alongside the logo of choice upon purchasing. It has a front indicator light with three light options, green (full), blue (50% charged) and red (20%) battery.
The Pod itself is 2ml capacity as stated and comes with a 1.7 Ohm coil installed with bottom silicone fill plug to fill the device up. The pod connects via a soft snap into place with no visible clasp or magnetic connection to secure.
Icon Pros
First and foremost, I love the idea behind the designs for these pods. They are very distinctive from the round body to the different style ‘icons’ they come with. They are clearly influenced by American Southern culture with a motorbike style, roses/skull, eagle etc so plenty of options for design (or plenty to collect).
The first pro for me is the flavour from the pod, very nice when using simple flavours inside. Wicking doesn’t fare too badly (more on that below) and the vapour production for around 10W worth of power is pretty good. It gives a nice throat hit as well using higher strength nicotine. The battery life isn’t the longest you will find by a stretch but the small power alongside the nice throat hit offers something rather nice and when used as intended, will get you through most of the day before a charge is required.
If you want to vape more regularly with this device, you will then notice a drop in life unfortunately. Charging time is around 45 minutes via USB port also, so not too long to get you back vaping again.
The device feels nice and sturdy and has a nice weight to it, which makes it feel a little bit better made than other plastic pods on the market. The large mouthpiece of the pod sits nicely within the mouth and the slightly larger airflow allows the device to really offer a bigger hit for its low power. You get two pods in the box which is always a pro as it gives you plenty chance to use the device
Icon Cons
The first con for me with this device, following on from a previously mentioned point about wicking, is its limitations. Unfortunately, this device does not wick well with nicotine salts and to be honest I found the coil life within the pod to last a mere few hours using them before very harsh dry hits.
So it seems this type of pod isn’t going to be an all in one design and is better suited for regular nicotine liquid. Following on from there, the pod life in general is a little short, around 4-5 days regular use using normal E-liquid - so not bad if you can get the pods cheap but not really practical for a daily use device I found.
The rounded design may not appeal to people who prefer the longer style pods as the rounded edges doesn’t allow for full gripping compared to others.
Finally, there is a slight movement in the pod area when wiggled, which I know there is a simple solution to prevent this, but it is worth mentioning anyway. The pod doesn’t have any wiggling in the device during use.
Conclusion
So overall thoughts here? Honestly it isn’t a bad little pod device, the problem is, it isn't an outstanding one neither. That is what will hold this type of pod device back and if you are looking to buy one then it is on aesthetics rather than overall performance.
For the life of the pod you get nice flavour and airflow, plus a really cool design on the device from a range of them. It is solid, well-constructed, has a nice weight and is small enough to fit into your pocket without any buttons. However, it isn’t the best pod system on the market by a long-shot but it isn’t the worst neither. If you like the look of it then go ahead and pick one up for £20 or under, anything more and I don’t think it is really going to be worth it.
Chris Ashton
Reviewer at POTVMy first ever proper set up was the vision spinner 2 and nautilus mini tank. That set up lasted me around 9 months believe it or not. Until I upgraded like everyone else to the Kanger Subbox Kit and I never looked back. I have had my ups and downs over the years from bad purchases, failures and setbacks but the most important thing is that I have learned. My hope as a fellow vaper is to pass all my knowledge on and help others as they have helped me over the years. Nowadays I am a writer, reviewer , Youtuber and long standing member of this fine vaping community. I write as a hobby and review as a fellow vaper. I look to bring unbiased and honest thoughts which I hope you enjoy though my reviews. Just remember, vaping is there to get you off the cigarettes so enjoy it and stay safe!
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