Vaporesso Target 200
Vaporesso have never been shy about releasing new kits, they just keep on coming! Not that it's a bad thing when they are as good as the new Target 200 and iTank kit!
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by TECC for review
https://www.theelectroniccigarette.co.uk/vaporesso-target-200
£44.99 inc UK P&P
Vaporesso have been knocking out pods and pod/mods as of late, but it’s good to see they haven’t lost their pedigree when it comes to proper mods and tanks. The latest in the successful ‘Target’ range is the dual 18650 Target 200 mod with the iTank featuring all new GTi coils, without giving too much away Vaporesso have come up with something rather special here.
- Supports dual 18650 batteries with 220W max output
- DC 5V/2A Type-C charging, 0.96'' TFT Display Screen
- F(t) mode in the AXON CHIP for more precise heating rate control
- Newly developed iTank
- Turbo airflow system and 3 air inlets
- Easy top filling system
- Compatible with GTi 0.2ohm/0.4ohm Mesh Coil
- Unique cage-like structure
- Braided water-resistant fabric
Unboxing
Vaporesso’s boxing is always well packaged with little bloat, and the Target 200 kit is no exception. The outer sleeve displays the colour option photo, there are a few of the highlights on the sides, and the specs/contents are on the back, along with the authenticity label.
The sturdy black two piece box is tightly packed and is one of those ‘shake the crap out of it’ types to separate it. Once opened, it has an envelope on the top containing the documentation, underneath that is a blown plastic tray containing the entire kit and extras.
The contents are as you would expect in a mod and tank kit; the Target 200 mod, the iTank with a 0.2ohm coil pre-installed, a second 0.4ohm coil, a braided USB-C charging cable, and a spare straight glass with spare seals inside.
First Impressions
Picking up the mod for the first time leaves a very good first impression as the compact size and texture is rather impressive, Vaporesso have always been innovative with their textures and styling, but they have outdone themselves on this one as the braided fabric is superb; it’s comfortable, intricate and really adds a unique look to it.
142.1mm x 42.8mm x 33.7 mm
The other striking thing you notice is the size as they have really gone to town in squishing everything together in a triangular construction which results in a far more compact and ergonomic grip, fortunately Vaporesso didn’t sacrifice durability as the construction feels solid and hard wearing.
Part of the strength is the exoskeleton cage design and a strut at the back of the mod giving additional support, there’s no point me describing the looks as you can see for yourself in the photos. The thing you can’t tell is just how natural it all feels in the hand, the mod is fairly ergonomic and the central tank mounting makes it feel well balanced, but it’s worth pointing out that this design tends to naturally guide your grip to thumb firing as index finger firing feels a bit clumsy. This wasn’t an issue for me as I liked how it felt.
The weight of the mod is fairly light without batteries (124g) but it all mounts up by the time you add 2 x 18650s and fill up the tank. Fully loaded up, it comes in at just shy of 290g but it didn’t feel that heavy in use as the balance was so good.
The styling of the mod is simply classy and is beautifully done, there wasn’t one detail that looked wrong or out of place. Even the raised 510 connector has a groove around the diameter so it doesn’t just look added, the branding is subtle and complimentary with the only standout logo being ‘Vaporesso’ on at the top of the tank but that is on purpose to guide you to the top-fill opening.
There’s a slide open battery door at the base which is held in place by spring tension once the batteries are fitted, it was nice to see the clearly marked white battery symbols. Once closed, I appreciated the design element of the door as it was part of the styling rather than just a door.
I simply love the all new screen and interface; it’s bright, bold and well laid out. The ‘surprised face’ layout amused me, but it was very functional in this layout. Vaporesso have refined the user interface to be fast and simple, especially for stock coils using the iTank. Functions such as TC, Voltage, and Bypass are buried within DIY mode but they are not too hidden as to make it difficult.
- 5 clicks of the power button to turn the device on or off
- 3 clicks of the power button to lock and unlock the adjustment buttons
- Hold the mode button to adjust modes
- Use the + or - button to activate F(t), Pulse or VW modes
- Press the mode button 3 times to access all modes and system settings
The only thing I missed was the suggested coil range they used to display, but the mod does a good job of auto-detecting the coils ohms and setting the wattage to the middle range, so I soon got used to it.
A feature I found superb was the quick selection for the main modes, you hold down the mode button for a couple of seconds and you can scroll through the three options quickly and press the Fire button to use instantly.
The main modes for stock coils are: (taken from the manual)
*F(t): F(t) MODE (DEFAULT)
F(t) MODE is by adjusting temperature, heating speed and time, F(t) mode releases the flavors of e-liquid adequately, delivering the perfect balanced tasting experience consistently from the first puff throughout.
*PUL: PULSE MODE (DEFAULT)
PULSE MODE: It’s a mode to improve vaping experience through constant voltage output, delivering optimal flavor production, throat hit, nicotine satisfaction, and perfect temperature cloud continuously.
VW (Variable Wattage) is just plain adjustable wattage without the above.
iTank
The all-new tank is quite interesting and strips down easily by unscrewing the base counter clockwise. The TPD version has a plastic sleeve on the inside which stays in place when you slide the main glass off.
Fortunately this sleeve can be removed for ‘cleaning’ (nudge nudge), there’s a visible seam which can be prised apart with a thin jewellers screwdriver, it comes apart quite easily and undamaged so you can pop it back on after you’ve cleaned it (wink wink).
In general use you will likely only remove the base and coil. The coils are interesting as you can see right through the bore and base, Vaporesso have been innovative here and they claim it makes the airflow smoother which makes sense as it isn’t diverted through additional slots in the coil base.
The coils are a press fit but I found them quite fiddly to get out as there’s very little to get hold of, I did manage to do it without a tool but it was much easier with a teaspoon to lever it out.
The coils included are:
- GTi 0.2Ω mesh coil: 60 - 75W
- GTi 0.4Ω mesh coil: 50 - 60W
You’re FIRED!
You might notice that there’s only one coil in my photos; there’s a reason for that due to a major numbnutts moment from me during the photography. I left the power on and when I placed the kit on its front which ended up pushing the fire button down, I heard the noise first and then a ruck of smoke pouring out of the drip-tip!
As you can see from the photo, it completely burnt out the coil and rendered it useless, typical as it was the coil I was most looking forward to trying; the 0.2ohm.
The drip tip is an odd choice as it is a 510 fitting yet opens up to a full wide bore of an 810 style, I’m not sure why they didn’t just make it an 810 as this tank is never going to be a MTL one. The other thing I didn’t like about the drip tip is that the skinny part that goes into the tank is a tight press fit without O-ring so it’s a friction fit, this part is VERY thin and I can see this knackering up over time or breaking. Fortunately you can use your own 510 tip, but Vaporesso still haven’t invested in a drip-tip designer and it feels like an afterthought.
Filling the tank is convenient with the pivot sliding top cap, it’s easy to spot where, as it is marked with ‘VAPORESSO’, so you push it to pivot and reveal the filling port. I did have an issue when using a 100ml shortfill bottle as the drip-tip got in the way and I had to remove it.
Things by now hadn’t gone to plan with me burning the coil out and the drip-tip spoiling the fun, but all that would soon be forgotten once I started vaping the Target 200 kit.
Performance
I only had the one coil to try due to my earlier cock-up, the 0.4ohm rated 50-60 watts, but the mod set it to 40 watts which was odd as I was expecting 50-55 watts but at least it set it to a lower value and I eventually eased it up to 55 watts after breaking it in.
I have gotten used to the GTX coils which are superb across the board, but this new coil is on another level and is what I call a proper sub-ohm DL vape, 55 watts was ample for this coil and I got a warm, flavourful draw and impressive vapour production. I did feel this leaned more towards flavour than vapour production which suited me nicely, but it should still satisfy cloud chasers (especially the 0.2ohm from what I’ve read).
Sods law that I burnt the 0.2ohm coil out as I think this will be the best option for this high power dual battery setup, but the 0.4ohm gave me a good indication of what to expect so I’ve taken the punt on ordering just the 0.2ohm coils. The hollow bore coils certainly do the job well and make the iTank a worthy upgrade. Apart from the drip tip, I really like this tank and how it looks, and I think it’s the best DL tank that Vaporesso have produced so far.
All in all the Target 200 kit was a real pleasure to use, the looks are classy and ‘grown-up’ for want of a better word, yet there’s still plenty of design elements to admire between vape. Thumb firing was the clear way to use this mod, even when I deliberately used my index finger I was soon back to using my thumb without even noticing I had done it.
A slight quirk, which is quite pleasing, was that the screen appeared to be slightly less of a fingerprint magnet than you would expect on a panel this size, I don’t know if it’s a new plastic or if it has been coated with something? I saw no mention of it, but it’s welcome none the less.
The F(t) mode turned out to be my favourite, but I can’t put my finger on quite why or what it’s doing, all I know is I get a consistent, fast hitting, flavourful vape each time. Pulse mode is still good and hit slightly harder, but I found this mode suited DIY round wire coils RTAs on the old GEN that first featured Pulse mode.
I’m not quite sure why I’m comparing it to the GEN mod but that was my instinct to compare, perhaps it was the innovative skin? But they are clearly different animals, the GEN is lighter, skinnier, and I think would take more abuse as I think I will be more precious in how I treat the Target as it could look pretty tatty with a few knocks and scrapes, especially with such a large exposed screen face. But ‘in the hand’, the Target clearly wins.
Conclusion
Vaporesso have come up with a winning combination with the Target 200 and iTank kit, they have always been innovative and rarely copy others. This kit is clearly Vaporesso and is unique enough to win over most dual battery DL vapers, it looks and feels a serious vape tool and it performs accordingly.
Pros
- Innovative ergonomic design
- Unique braided skin.
- New user friendly interface
- Impressively compact for a dual 18650 mod
- The new iTank is a worthy upgrade
- Flawless build quality
- Innovative flavoursome coils
- 2 Amp charging
Cons
- Rubbish drip-tip doesn’t deserve crowning this kit
After a solid few minutes trying to find cons I could only come up with the drip-tip, but don’t let that be a deal breaker as it is still comfortable and does the job, but it’s the only area I felt that Vaporesso could do better.
Final Thoughts
For TECC’s current price of £44.99, you’re getting a lot for your money, I would pay that just for the mod and still be chuffed. I think the design is going to be pretty popular and will suit most people’s tastes. I’ve tried the majority of Vaporesso’s mods over the past few years, but this is their finest work to date.
Score: 9/10 – “Stay on target! Stay on target!”
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy 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!
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