Mod Reviews

Vaporesso GEN Nano

The Vaporesso GEN Nano kit punches well above its light weight in most areas, performance, flavour and vapour production. Love the GEN? Then you’re going to love its baby bro!

by Si Davies
Sep 10, 2020

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Supplied by Vaporesso for review purposes.
https://www.vaporesso.com/vape-kits/gen-nano
RRP = $61.90 USD (Around £54)

What’s with all these new Vaporesso releases??
Before I delve into reviewing the GEN Nano Kit, let’s address why there seems to be a lot of vape gear coming from Vaporesso over the past year. Despite there being a pandemic, Vaporesso are certainly on a roll with some really great products, I always liked their traditional mods (especially the GEN) but I was left wanting when it came to their tanks and coils. For me, this all changed when they released the amazing DTL PM80 Pod/Mod as the flavour from the new GTX coils is superb. Then followed my favourite Pod, the XTRA which gave the same great flavour in a MTL little pod and I thought they had pretty much nailed both MTL and DTL stock coil markets, but now they have developed a couple of new devices going back to the roots of a mod and tank combination. I reviewed the GTX ONE recently and finally I was getting pod flavour from a stock coil tank WITH adjustable airflow. I then had the range of GTX coils to test and there wasn’t a bad one amongst them. Now along comes the GEN Nano with the added bonus of a new tank that takes GTX coils.

Vaporesso GEN Nano highlights

Am I Vaporesso fanboy? Yes/No, there’s a few releases that didn’t stand the test of time or fell short in some way, such as the PM30 which didn’t do it for me due to the airflow, and a few new pods I felt were overkill in such a swamped pod market, but generally I think Vaporesso have really upped their game which seem to have been spurred on by their coil development.

Here are two of my favourites so far:

GTX ONE for MTL (Mouth To Lung)
https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/reviews/mods/vaporesso-gtx-one-kit.html

PM80 Pod/Mod for DTL (Direct Lung)
https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/reviews/pod-systems/vaporesso-target-pm80-kit.html

Vaporesso GEN Nano box fresh

So back on topic, the all new GEN NANO is modelled on the original GEN mod but with an inbuilt battery packed into a compact version. I was already liking that, but the exciting part was that the new tank takes GTX coils. I am already very familiar with these coils as they are the only stock coils I buy these days for the PM80 and the GTX ONE. Now I have the option of a DTL mod and tank. To be honest, I’m fully expecting it to vape the same as the PM80 which leaves me with high expectations.

Features

Sub Ohm Vape Kit
Compact and Ergonomic
5 - 80W Output Range
2000mAh Built-In Battery
Intelligent AXON Chipset
3.5ml (2ml TPD) Tank
Compatible with Sub Ohm GTX Coils
Top Filling
Adjustable Airflow
Compatible with High VG E-Liquid

Unboxing and First Impressions

The Gen Nano comes in the contemporary designed box which is colour matched to the mod and tanks colour. The box is sturdy and will take pretty much anything a grumpy postman can throw at it. No notches in the lid still so you have to shake it to open, once you’ve got the lid off you are greeted to the top layer, the Gen Nano, the GTX 22 tank and a spare straight glass.

Vaporesso GEN Nano contents

Underneath a cardboard divider is a spare coil, micro usb cable (sadly it’s still not usb-C but superb quality), some spare seals, GTX coil specs, warranty and QC documents and a multi-language manual.

After inspecting the contents, I grabbed hold of the mod and tank for my first look and feel. The first thing that struck me was just how compact and comfortable it was, it really sits in your hand perfectly, grippy with smooth ergonomics, similar to the original GEN but obviously much smaller and lighter. The mod size is 115.0mm x 40.3mm x 24.2mm, and the weight is 140g including juice. The 22mm tank is actually closer to 23mm with the knurling, the base is 22mm though. The bubble glass option is 26.8mm wide, the height of the tank is 45mm with the drip tip.

Kit includes:

1 x Gen Nano Mod
1 × GTX Tank 22 (3.5ml or 2ml TPD)
1 × GTX 0.2Ω MESH coil
1 × GTX 0.6Ω MESH coil
1 × Glass tube (2ml)
3 x O-rings
1 × Micro-USB cable
1 × GTX coil reminder card
1 x User manual
1 x Warranty card

Vaporesso GEN Nano from all sides

Looks

Obviously looks are subjective, as a fan of the original GEN the Nano was an instant like for me. I love the two tone (The Specials, The Selector?) gradient colouring which matches the tank perfectly, the photos don’t do it justice as it has an almost iridescent look to it as you rotate it to the light. The branding is minimal and stylish and has details printed on the base which has battery vents. There’s no hard edges anywhere as every side has been smoothed or bevelled. The buttons are slightly raised and well positioned.

If you own the original (big) GEN then you will be pleased just how much it matches. Unfortunately the colour I was sent didn’t match my blue Gen, but they still looked good side by side.

I rarely included ‘In Hand’ photos as hands come in different sizes (which is handy) but here’s an idea of how snuggly it fits into my average to small hand.

Vaporesso GEN Nano handcheck

GTX TANK 22

On its own, the tank looks very generic and not one I would buy separately as it would look a little odd on other mods, but paired with the GEN Nano or indeed the original GEN, it is a perfect match. The contemporary styling makes sense then. It’s a good looking tank which is only let down by the bland and cheap looking 510 drip tip. On the plus side, the drip tip is wide bore and comfortable.

Vaporesso GEN Nano GTX22

The plug-n-play coil fitting is simple enough, though you still need to have most of the tank empty before swapping coils. Everything strips down easily and all makes sense to put back together. Strangely, Vaporesso have gone for a screw top fill, it would have been nice to see a slide to fill (like the Innokin Zlide) as filling on the go means you have to remove the top cap fully before filling and it can be messy.

Vaporesso GEN Nano filling up

Would you like a happy ending with that sir?
So the cherry on the icing with the GTX Tank 22 (as the name suggests) is the GTX coil compatibility. This tank takes the full range of coils, from DTL to MTL and the RBA.

Vaporesso GEN Nano GTX coils

This above all was what got me excited about this kit. I already loved them in the Target PM80, PM30 and the new GTX ONE kit, and now I had the option to use them in a DL (Direct Lung) tank and, as it happens, they included my favourite coil in the PM80, the GTX 0.2Ω Mesh. For those that haven’t tried these coils, then you are in for a treat, great flavour, vapour production and they last a long time. I reviewed the GTX coil range recently and there’s a coil to suit most preferences from DL to MTL.

GEN Nano Mod

The menu and functions appear to be the same as the original GEN but it has the improved firmware update which includes Smart VW (Variable Wattage) mode which scans the coil you have in the tank and sets the power to the approved wattage. It is one of those features I find useful and recently updated my old GEN to include it. It also featured on the PM80, not only that but it displays the wattage range on the screen which is even more useful.

Controlling the GEN Nano is fairly straight forward for standard operation, but you need to delve deeper into the menu for Smart VW, TC (Temperature Control), and BP (Bypass) to name a few. Some feature in the DIY option, but strangely the most useful Smart VW appears in the ‘System’ option which is a surprise and it should be in the main selection, not a huge problem by any means as it will be the main option I use then it only needs to set it once.

To navigate the menu there are three small buttons at the base of the mod, the two upper ones are - and +, with the lower one as the menu and confirmation button. To go into every function would be epic, but here’s a summary:

5 x FIRE = Turn device on/off

3 x FIRE = Lock/Unlock adjustments

3 x MENU (small lowest button) will enter the main menu which includes:

Pulse Mode
Power Eco
Smart TC (Temperature Control)
DIY Mode - Sub Menu which includes:
VW (Variable Wattage
VV (Variable Voltage)
VT (Variable Temperature)
CCW (Customized Curve of Wattage Mode)
BP (Bypass)
SP (Super Player)
SYSTEM SET - Sub Menu which includes:
SMART VW
AUTO ECO
PUFF
BRIGHTNESS
FLIP SCREEN
DEFAULT
VERSION
EXIT

To explain all these modes would get very complex, instead I will link to Vaporesso’s PDF manual:
https://www.vaporesso.com/hubfs/imgs/downloads/manual/Gen-nano-manual.pdf

There really are some superb functions as you investigate them in the manual. For me personally, I find PULSE MODE, SMART VW and occasionally POWER ECO the most useful, the rest of the options are more for DIY RTAs or RDAs and of no use for GTX coils, most users won’t need to stray into the menus at all.

The screen holds all the information you should need depending on which mode you are in, but by default it displays:

Battery Percentage
Resistance (Ω Ohms of the inserted coil)
Puff Counter (up to 9,999)
Selected Wattage (In 0.5 Watt Increments)
Mode (PUL = Pulse by default)
BEST (The Wattage Range Recommended For The Inserted Coil)

Most of the digits are very small, I needed reading glasses to see read them. The main info, which is the wattage, is plenty large enough fortunately. The actual LCD screen is bright enough indoors but really hard to see outdoors, the brightness isn’t quite as good as on the original GEN.

So with no further ado, let’s see how the GEN NANO actually vapes.
I pretty much knew what to expect and demand, so I went straight in with the 0.2Ω GTX Coil as it was my favourite in the PM80 and I could directly compare the two as I had the same Rachael Rabbit 3mg 70VG/30PG juice in both. I wasn’t expecting a lot of difference but the GEN NANO managed to squeeze even more flavour out of the same coil. I put this down to two factors, PULSE MODE and Airflow Control (AFC). PULSE Mode is tricky to describe but it delivers a very consistent vape, especially at higher wattage where it pushes the battery’s voltage capacity. I vaped at the suggested wattage sweet spot 55 Watts and, after adjusting up and down, I was more than happy going back to 55 Watts. 60 Watts gave me a warmer vape but shortens the coil lifespan, for me the trade-off wasn’t worth it. 55 Watts gave a nice warm vape, large vapour production and plenty of flavour.

After a few tanks I switched over to the GTX 0.6Ω MESH coil, same juice and SMART VW set the wattage to 28 Watts. This coil clearly suits a more restrictive DL (Direct Lung) vape so I closed off the airflow until I found my suited draw. The vape wasn’t quite as intense as the 0.2Ω but I really enjoyed using this coil, more than I did when reviewing the coil range in the PM80. The PULSE wasn’t as evident, but adjusting the airflow really helped deliver the best from this coil.

Out of the two, I think I will stick with my favourite 0.2Ω but I like having the option of the 0.6Ω for when I am out and about all day as the battery life should last a lot longer.

Battery Life

The inbuilt 2000mAh battery lasted a lot longer than I had expected. The AXON chipset is really efficient and the no nonsense small screen doesn’t waste power. It’s hard to quantify battery life as we all vape differently so it’s easier to say how many ml of juice I got through before the battery was too low to carry on, at 55 Watts in PULSE mode it lasted just shy of 10ml, at 28 Watts it was over 15ml (I lost count), which is very impressive for such a compact device. Better still, you can always choose ECO mode if you need it to last even longer, but this comes at a price of a less instant and warm vape but is very useful if you are out for longer than expected.

Vaporesso GEN Nano compared

Is it much kop for MTL (Mouth To Lung)?
Erm… not really. I did try a 1.2Ω GTX coil in it, the airflow closed down fairly well but the three sided intake was a bit too much and the drip tip is too large so it just didn’t feel right for a tight MTL draw. However it did work well if you prefer a loose MTL draw. For me, my fix for this was shoving on the GTX ONE tank onto the GEN NANO mod but it kind of defeated the purpose, the GEN NANO is a superb compact DL (Direct Lung) kit and should be an alternate setup to a MTL tank

Conclusion

If you are after a pocket friendly setup for DL/DTL (Direct Lung) and are a flavour chaser (like me), then I highly recommend the GEN NANO. Surprisingly it has mostly replaced my much loved PM80 for DL vaping, the flavour and vapour production is staggering, a traditional mod and tank setup that should satisfy most DL users that prefer stock coils. In fact as an avid DIY user, I’m being swayed away back to stock coils, especially the GTX range. I’m kind of gutted that I cannot match any of my own builds to the flavour I get from a GTX coil at such low wattage, perhaps it says something about my build skills but I believe it is down to Vaporesso’s wicking development.

I wasn’t overly impressed with earlier Vaporesso coils, I preferred Freemax Mesh or Smok Mesh V2s, but they required a much higher wattage which drains you battery, juice and money faster. I can now get a better taste, vape and lifespan at a much lower wattage, that’s a winner in my book.

Simply put, the GEN Nano kit punches well above its light weight in most areas, performance, flavour and vapour production.

Love the GEN? Then you’re going to love its baby bro!

Vaporesso GEN Nano mixed up

Pros

Compact and ergonomic
GTX coil compatibility
Superb features
Good battery life
ECO options
Stylish GEN baby brother
Pocket friendly
2000mAh inbuilt battery

Cons

Ugly drip tip
Screw top fill
No usb-C

None of the cons are deal breakers, more of a shame in the current market.

Final Thoughts and Score

The GEN Nano and Tank 22 is the best DL release since the Target PM80. Not only has it got all the functionality of its larger brother, it also has a tank and coils that really make this kit a strong contender for mod/tank of the year for me. You would be hard pushed to find a better traditional pocket mod/tank option.

Score: 9/10 – The best traditional Mod / DTL Tank combo of 2020 (so far).

A genuine thank you to Vaporesso for providing my new favourite DL pocket puncher

Vaporesso GEN Nano, its not easy being green

Si Davies

Reviewer at POTV

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My 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!