Mod Reviews

iStick Pico by Eleaf

I think that most of us have had an iStick in one form or another at some point since they are popular devices. But what if they had a replaceable battery, offered more Wattage and was actually even smaller? Sounds great right? Well the good news is that this is exactly what Eleaf are offering you with the new Pico box mod!

by VapeMaster
May 29, 2016

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iStick Pico by Eleaf

The Pico requires a single 18650 battery which can be charged via the included Micro USB cable. It offers up to 75W of power and has Temperature Control functionality supporting all popular wire types. In addition the form factor is outstanding and the device is both comfortable and discrete. So is it really as great as it sounds? We shall see.

iStick Pico features

Dimensions: 70.5mm x 45mm x 23mm
Available in five colours: black, white, hot pink, silver and grey
Requires 1x 18650 battery (Not Included). Reccomended continuous discharge current should be above 25A
Output mode: VW/Bypass/TC (Ni,Ti,SS,TCR-M1,M2,M3) mode
Output wattage: 1-75W
Resistance range: 0.05-1.5ohm (TC modes)
Resistance range: 0.1-3.5ohm (VW/Bypass mode)
Temperature range: 100－315℃/200－600℉ (TC modes)
Stainless Steel Threaded Spring-Loaded 510 Connector
Micro USB Port
Firmware Upgradeable
Device is available on its own or with an included MELO III Tank

MELO III features

Length: 55mm
Diameter: 22mm
Capacity: 2ml
Thread type: 510 thread
Material: 304 stainless steel
Colours: silver, black
Top filling
Adjustable Invisible Airflow Controller
Heat insulated drip tip
Tank can be fully broken down for cleaning

What’s in the box?

1x iStick Pico (Battery not included)
1x Micro USB Cable
User Manuals
1x MELO III Mini Atomizer (Only when buying the complete kit)
1x EC 0.3ohm Coil
1x EC 0.5ohm Coil
4x Seal Rings

iStick Pico styling and build quality

The most obvious thing about this device is the size. It really is incredibly small so would be ideal for people who are fed up with bulky mods or if they simply need something discrete to carry around with them. You can easily fit this device in the pocket of your jeans!

The form factor is superb and it is incredibly comfortable to use due to its lovely rounded edges. The device feels very well put together and it is quite durable.

The 510 pin is spring-loaded and has stainless steel threading. I had absolutely no issues at all getting atomizers to sit flush with this device. The battery compartment is quite unique and to get access to it you need to unscrew the cap on the top of the mod. Then you simply put in a battery - positive side down - before screwing the cap back on. Venting is provided by eight holes in the base of the device.

The screen is both bright and clear with all the typical information you would expect being clearly shown: Resistance, Voltage and Wattage/Temperature. In addition battery life and wire type are also displayed.

Located on the front of the device is the main fire button which is very responsive and it has a nice soft feel to it. Also located on the front of the device at the bottom is the Micro USB port. Eleaf do advise that you charge the battery externally due to the fact that it will be faster but if you don’t own an external charger you can still charge it via the USB. You can also receive firmware updates from Eleaf via the Micro USB port.

On the base of the device you will find the plus and minus adjustment buttons and while they are perhaps a little small they are nicely recessed so the mod remains upright when put down.

The Pico allows you to fire your atomizers as high as 75 watts. The device offers Variable Wattage mode and Temperature Control mode. All major wire types are supported in Temperature Control so you can use Nickel, Titanium and Stainless Steel. In addition the Pico also has a TCR (Temperature Coefficient of Resistance) mode that allows you to fine tune your settings. From what I have read the chip in the Pico is the same Joyetech one used in the Wismec RX200 and Vape Forward Vapor Flask.

The MELO III tank as mentioned only comes with the complete kit and in my opinion it is a really nice atomizer. Sadly it only holds 2ml of juice but at least it is fully compliant with the ridiculous TPD regulations. This problem is thankfully offset somewhat by the fact that the included coils don’t need a huge amount of Wattage so the juice won’t drain as quickly as most and it also has top filling. The MELO III can be fully disassembled for cleaning. The O-rings are very thick so you shouldn’t experience any leaking. Do keep in mind when unscrewing the top cap for that is does require a little force to unscrew since the O-ring makes for a very tight fit. If you disassemble the tank and lubricate the O-rings properly it should solve this minor issue.

The airflow controller is unusual since the slot itself is hidden but you can easily tell if it is fully opened or closed. It is a little trickier to adjust it when it is fitted to the Pico since the battery compartment cap can get in the way but you can still manage it.

Ease of use

The Pico is incredibly easy to use so I doubt that anyone will have a problem with it. In addition the manual is well written and covers all of the functions.

Like all iSticks five clicks of the main fire button switches the device on/off.
Three clicks of the main fire button brings up the menu. You can cycle the different modes with the plus/minus buttons. Confirm your selection with the fire button.
Stealth Mode can be activated by holding down the fire button and the minus button for a couple of seconds. Hold down both buttons again to come out of Stealth Mod.
The device can be locked and unlocked by holding down the fire button and the plus button for a couple of seconds.

Performance

In the short time I have spent using this device I encountered no performance issues at all. The Pico was consistently reliable no matter what mode I used. I tested the device in Variable Wattage mode using the MELO III tank and also with my GP Heron 1.5 and I got a really nice vape from both of them.

To test out the Temperature Control functionality I firstly used by Freemax Scylla which looked absolutely ridiculous when fitted to the Pico due to the size of the tank. The Scylla currently has a Ni200 coil fitted and I set the temperature to 245°C which resulted in a great vape with no weird heat spikes, resistance fluctuation occurring.

I then tested out the Stainless Steel functionality using the Innokin iSub V and once more I got a consistently good vape with no apparent problems. I didn’t test the Titanium functionality but since the other wire types had no issues I wouldn’t expect there to be any with Titanium.

One thing I will mention about the MELO III tank is that it is a really enjoyable vape and the coils do give you good flavour. Using the pre-fitted 0.3ohm coil I only really needed to vape at 32W which means the battery won’t drain ridiculously fast. With the airflow fully opened up the MELO III offers a slightly restricted direct lung inhale. It certainly won’t appeal to the serious cloud chasers but it will be more than satisfactory for most people. By closing off the airflow you can vape this tank mouth to lung if you want to but it may still be a little loose.

Battery drain on this device is pretty good and as long as you vape modestly you won’t run the battery down too quickly. I happen to be a heavy vaper (as you would expect) and even when chaining away on this device at 32W I got at least 3-4 hours of vape time before I had to replace the battery. Given the incredibly small size of this device it really isn’t an issue to carry an additional battery or two with you.

If you like the vape at the maximum output of this device then expect battery life to be reduced significantly. Keep in mind this is not a device for the high Wattage vaper’s out there. Temperature Control Mode will also drain the battery faster.

Conclusion

I have to admit I really couldn’t stop using this device because I loved it! Funnily enough despite the many devices I own I found myself reaching for this one the most often. I think the reason is due to a number of things: the size, weight, ease of use and the fact that it consistently performs well.

I was also just as impressed with the included MELO III tank which gave me an excellent vape no matter what juice I used in it. In my opinion if you love iStick’s then without a doubt you are going to want one of these (I know I do). If you haven’t used an iStick before then rest assured this device does exactly what you want and is simple to understand so it will make an ideal purchase for someone who is new to vaping.

This is an exceptional device from Eleaf that is really going to appeal to a lot of people!