When it comes to pod vapes, you’re literally spoilt for choice. Every major vape manufacturer makes one, so choosing one is now very difficult. In the last 12 months, I’ve tested and used around 60 pod vape devices and the best of the best are included in the table below.
The Best Pod Vape For 2020 (The Latest & Greatest Options)
If you’re in the market for a simple-to-use, vape pen-style pod that has great battery life, amazing flavor, and killer coils that last weeks at a time, the UWELL Caliburn G is the one to go for. This vape is utterly brilliant, even better than its predecessor, the late, great UWELL Caliburn.
Best Price | VaporDNA | £32.99
Here’s an extract from my review of the UWELL Caliburn G:
I’m always a little worried about “successor devices” – I always worry they’ll fail to live up to the hype of the device they follow. But here, UWELL has outdone itself: the UWELL Caliburn G takes all the elements that made the original UWELL Caliburn great and simply improved them, adding in more performance, better looks and design, and longer battery life.
The flavor, the pods, the overall vaping experience is utterly brilliant. For this reason, I’m calling this one early: the UWELL Caliburn G is the best vape pen-style pod vape money can buy right now – and this will likely be the case well into 2021 and beyond.
You can pick up the UWELL Caliburn for just $35 via VaporDNA.
Need more options? Here’s the best of the rest…
Fully compatible with Freemax’s AX2 coils, the Freemax Autopod50 is yet another gem from the company that basically invented mesh coils. This pod is perfectly sized, made from zinc-alloy, so it looks and feels great, and it delivers incredible flavor with all-day-long battery life. It’s slightly pricey, but that’s what happens when you have market-leading flavor production…
The original VooPoo Drag vape mod was something of a game-changer. Keen to reinvent the wheel again, VooPoo has returned with the VooPoo Drag X pod vape – and this thing is brilliant. It will run both Nic Salts and High VG vape juice, it has a HUGE battery life, and the coils last for weeks at a time. As pod vapes go, the Drag X is damn-near perfect.
Like the SMOK Alike, the Smok RPM160 Pod Mod is again another hybrid pod vape device, pulling aspects of pod vapes and vape mods into one seamless device. You have 120W of power under the hood, a gorgeously designed chassis, and SMOK’s brand new IQ-160 chipset which brings an array of vaping modes into play. If you want a fancy pod mod that behaves and performs like an actual vape mod, the Smok RPM160 Pod Mod is 100% worth a look.
The VooPoo Vinci will hold 5.5ml of vape juice; that’s about as big as it gets when you’re talking about pod vapes. Inside, you have a huge 1500mAh battery and support for both 0.3ohm and 0.8ohm coils – ideal for flavor and cloud-chasing. Everything is powered along by VooPoo’s GENE pod chip and 40W of power. If you want box mod performance, the Vinci comes highly recommended.
The FDA killed the UWELL Caliburn. And that sucks because that was a truly great device. There are now great alternatives, though, and the Freemax Maxpod Kit Pod Mod is our current #1 favorite option for a small, all-in-one vape device. This is a straight-up MTL pod, just like the Caliburn. You get killer flavor, as you’d expect from Freemax, and, unlike the Caliburn, the Freemax Maxpod has awesome battery life too. If you’re looking for a Caliburn alternative, this is the one you want to go for…
Overview of Our Top Picks…
As noted earlier, I’ve tested A TON of pod vapes between 2019 and 2020. The Freemax Autopod is my current favorite. But it’s not the only game in town. If you want additional options, make sure you check out the table below where the “best of the rest” pod vapes are listed.
Good pod vapes are super hard to find. For every 10 that I test, I’d say about 2 or 3 are actually any good.
In my office right now, I have about 20 pod mod devices and 95% of them are simply laying around collecting dust.
I used them, tested them, hated them, and relegated them to my drawer of doomed vape products.
This is the bad news: if you’re after a pod mod, you have to remember that the good ones are very few and far between.
Right now, there are only several pod mod systems that I’d actually go out and buy. The #1 would be either the Freemax Autopod or the VooPoo Drag X. Easily. They’re both freakin’ awesome in every way.
The number of pods in the table (and below) is small because A) most pod mods kinda suck in a couple of really important ways, and B) a lot of them have terrible battery life.
The pod mods mentioned in this article are essentially the cream of the crop, the pod vapes that work great, vape great, and have decent battery life.
Best Pod Vape For Flavor
Fully compatible with Freemax’s AX2 coils, the Freemax Autopod50 is yet another gem from the company that basically invented mesh coils. This pod is perfectly sized, made from zinc-alloy, so it looks and feels great, and it delivers incredible flavor with all-day-long battery life. It’s slightly pricey, but that’s what happens when you have market-leading flavor production…
Best Pod Vape For Clouds
The original VooPoo Drag vape mod was something of a game-changer. Keen to reinvent the wheel again, VooPoo has returned with the VooPoo Drag X pod vape – and this thing is brilliant. It will run both Nic Salts and High VG vape juice, it has a HUGE battery life, and the coils last for weeks at a time. As pod vapes go, the Drag X is damn-near perfect.
Best Pod Vape For Beginners
The FDA killed the UWELL Caliburn. And that sucks because that was a truly great device. There are now great alternatives, though, and the Freemax Maxpod Kit Pod Mod is our current #1 favorite option for a small, all-in-one vape device. This is a straight-up MTL pod, just like the Caliburn. You get killer flavor, as you’d expect from Freemax, and, unlike the Caliburn, the Freemax Maxpod has awesome battery life too. If you’re looking for a Caliburn alternative, this is the one you want to go for…
The Best Pod Mods I’ve Tested (To Date…)
#1) UWELL Zumwalt (My #1 Option For 2020)
UWELL is known for making some pretty epic tanks. Valyrian, anyone? But it has on occasion knocked out some other cracking hardware too. The UWELL Zumwalt is a great example of this. Late to the party, but packing plenty of heat, the Zumwalt replaces the UWELL Caliburn which was banned from sale in the US.
Why? Because it looks utterly badass, it vapes like an absolute champ with brilliant flavor and a nice-n-tight MTL draw. Chuck in very good battery life and an ultra-portable, ultra-pocketable design and you’re in a very good place.
I am a HUGE fan of this device, having picked one up back in April. Since then I have been using it daily. The Zumwalt is by far the most impressive pod mod release of 2020 so far. File this one under AWESOME.
Why You’d Buy This Pod Mod:
- Awesome Design
- 100% Refillable
- Great Coils, Loads of Flavor
- Brilliant MTL Draw
- Decent Battery Life
#2) The Mi-Pod
For me, the Mi-Pod is the best pod mod on the market right now. It’s 100% refillable, the coil heads are great and last a long time, and the device itself looks totally badass.
The Mi-Pod | ($39.99 Flawless Vapes)
If you want a great-looking pod mod that’s insanely portable, has decent battery life and produces great vapor and flavor, the Mi-Pod is just about the best in the business right now.
I use mine all the time. It’s become my de facto pod mod, the device I take out with me on nights out or long(ish) drives.
It fits pretty much anywhere and it’s super-reliable.
Why You’d Buy This Pod Mod?
- Great Design, Unique Looks
- It’s Refillable
- Great Flavor – Nice and Precise
- Decent Battery Life
#3) Lost Vape Orion
If you’re feeling flush and don’t mind spending a little more cash, the Lost Vape Orion is the one to go for. It’s powered by EVOLV’s new DNA Go chipset, which is just about the most advanced pod chip in existence right now.
The Lost Vape ORION
Battery life is brilliant and so too is the flavor and overall performance. The only downside to this device is that it costs quite a bit more than the other pods on this list.
Oh! And Lost Vape doesn’t sell it with a coil either; you have to buy them separately, which is a bit rubbish.
Other than that, the Lost Vape Orion is HUGELY impressive. Probably the best pod mod to date, just as long as you can stomach the price tag.
Why You’d Buy This Pod Mod Vape?
- It’s The Most Advanced System On The Market
- It Looks Amazing; Excellent Build Quality
- Vapor Production & Flavor is Exceptional
- Coil Heads Last AGES
- Very Good Battery Life
#4) SMOK Nord & SMOK MICO
SMOK’s had a rough few years, while many of its peers have grown and grown. The company produced a slew of sub-par products but now seems to have gotten its ass in gear with the SMOK Nord and SMOK MICO, two rather exceptional pod mod vapes.
The SMOK MICO – A Proper Good, Stealthy Pod Mod
I’ve included both in one section because they’re very similar. The major differences – size and battery – are covered in detail inside our SMOK Nord vs SMOK MICO comparison post. Both are excellent options, though the Nord does have bigger pods and better battery life.
In terms of raw power and performance, both are equally matched. The Nord and MICO will both run MTL and Sub-Ohm coils. They both hit like a freight train, and both devices’ coils last a good long while – weeks at a time between changes.
The SMOK Nord – An Excellent, High-Performance Pod Mod That’s Super Cost-Effective
The ONLY thing you have to consider when looking at the Nord and the MICO is A) how they look and which you prefer the look of, and B) whether battery life is important to you. If it is, the Nord is the one to go for.
#5) Aspire Breeze 2
The Aspire Breeze 2 is a little bigger than the other pod mods on this list, but that’s OK because it is one hell of a pod vape. The styling, the finish, the battery life, the way it vapes – all are very, very good.
The Aspire Breeze 2
The 0.6ohm coil heads are the ones to go for; the 1.0ohm heads can be a little wonky in my experience. On top of this, you have all-day battery life and great vapor/flavor production.
The Aspire Breeze 2 is one of the most popular pod mods around right now, and once you try it for the first time, you will know why. It does everything right and seldom makes a wrong move.
Excellent stuff across the board, basically.
Why You’d Buy This Pod Mod Vape?
- Great, Robust Design
- Excellent Battery Life (All-Day)
- Great Flavor & Draw
- Simple To Use & Run
- Decent Vapor Production
- Great Coil Heads (Especially 0.6ohm)
Pod Mod Vape Systems | Things To Keep In Mind
You’ll notice that I didn’t include JUUL in the list above.
The reason for this is simple: running a JUUL costs a lot of money because it is a closed system.
In order to vape on a JUUL, you need JUUL pods, and these cost $15.99 for a pack of four.
Each one lasts about 200 puffs.
And when you do the maths, things start to get pricey.
My JUUL
JUUL is great if you want to get off cigarettes right away and you want something super-simple.
In this context, the JUUL is decent. But I do genuinely prefer the models mentioned above.
They are open systems, meaning you can refill the pods with your own E Juice, and this makes them way more cost effective.
JUUL isn’t cheap either; a starter kit will set you back $34.99 and while you can save money on JUUL pods by signing up to JUUL’s auto-ship program (15% per order), you’re still going to be better off with an open system vape.
What About Nic Salts E Juice…
You don’t HAVE to run Nic Salts E Juice inside a pod mod, but it is the only type of device you can, so you might as well.
Nic Salts E Juice is stronger, 20-50mg of nicotine, and the big idea is that you need to vape less – though this isn’t always the case.
My favorite Nic Salts E Juice brands are, again, few and far between – the current top picks for right now are listed in the table below:
| Brand Name | Picture | Rating | Why It Rocks! | Best Place To Buy? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
TOP BRASS – Tobacco Peanut Butterscotch (My #1 RY4 Nic Salt Blend) |
| 100% |
| |
|
(The ALL-Time BEST) |
| 100% |
| |
|
(Perfect For Dessert Lovers) |
| 98% |
| |
|
(A RY4 To DIE FOR) |
| 98% |
| |
|
(Sweet, Sassy & Sour) |
| 98% |
|
Whenever I’m using a pod mod, I like to have it loaded with Nic Salts – it just makes more sense when you’re dealing with smaller batteries.
Anything Else I Need To Know?
Nope, that’s about it!
But if you want to see the Best Pod Vapes Table again, simply click here to go back to the top of this page…
My picks for the best pod mods are listed at the top of this article; they’re all excellent devices that really do delivery great performance and excellent value for money.
If you’re interested in Nic Salts, check out my guide on my current #1 favorite Nic Salts brands right now.
Happy vaping!
