Pod System Reviews

Eleaf IORE Prime Kit

Have Eleaf finally nailed the MTL pod? Read our review of the Iore Prime pod kit to find out...

by Si Davies
Apr 19, 2022

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Supplied by TECC for review
https://www.theelectroniccigarette.co.uk/eleaf-iore-prime-kit
£19.99 (Includes 2 x free e-liquids)

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit with box

I’ve not had a great deal of luck with Eleaf when it comes to MTL (Mouth To Lung) vaping for various reasons such as lack of flavour or loose airflow, but it appears that the IORE Prime has solved that with easily the best MTL device that Eleaf have produced so far.

Eleaf IORE Prime at a glance

Size - 94.6mm x 26.5mm x 16mm
Tank size - 2ml
Output wattage - Up to 15W
Weight - 69g
Auto-Draw
Adjustable Airflow
0.8ohm & 1.2ohm pods
USB-C Charging
900mAh internal battery

Unboxing

The IORE Prime comes in a two piece box, the outer sleeve displays your colour choice and some kit details/contents on the back.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit unboxing

The IORE Prime is held in a foam layer, and there’s a separate box with a good quality USB-C cable. Underneath the foam layer, you will find the manual and warranty.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit contents

You only get one pod included, which is the 0.8ohm, but there is also a 1.2ohm pod available. The pods come in boxes of two for £6.99 and are refillable.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit pod box

Overview

The IORE Prime kit won’t win any innovation awards and is pretty similar to the Lost Vape Ursa Mini pod kit with its sliding airflow adjuster on the side.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit airflow slider

The body is metal and feels really comfortable as every edge has been rounded. The main styling comes from the two colourful panels, the purple version has a 3D effect and is really pleasing to look at, the black coated body and panels are a satin finish which are fingerprint resistant and always looks clean.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit purple panels

I wasn’t too keen on the obligatory branding on the one edge but I only really noticed it while photographing it, it didn’t bother me once I got using the device.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit slide to fit

The pod is a press fit and is reasonably easy to remove; the fit is perfect and provides a good air seal which makes the airflow adjuster more efficient.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit top fill pod

I really liked the top filling as the mouthpiece pops off quite easy to reveal the fill port, interestingly the silicone fill port gasket looks and feels solid. I thought I had a duff pod at first but it is a design feature to prevent messy filling, you have to push your e-liquid bottle tip in with a bit of effort and it stays in place really well as you fill it up, it’s a small detail but it makes filling up just easier and mess free. There is a breathing hole to prevent airlocks and I was able to fill it right up to the top.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod fitting

There’s something about Eleaf devices that just ooze quality and generally their kit is pretty bullet proof. My very first vape was an Eleaf and it is still going strong after five years of solid use, and the IORE feels the same quality, the airflow slider especially so as it feels almost perfect with a smooth action but enough resistance to stay put once selected.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit side on

The weight isn’t the lightest for such a small pod but doesn’t feel too heavy either, and I was more than happy popping onto a lanyard, 69g is still light enough to put into a shirt pocket too.

I’m going through a bit of a Drip Drop e-liquid phase at the moment, especially when I realised I could thin it with PG nicotine for MTL devices. I was wary of the included warning card stating that the maximum tip size is 3mm but all the bottles I tried fitted, including short-fill bottles and 10ml bottles.

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit with juice

Performance

I started off with the included 0.8ohm pod. There’s no buttons or settings other than the airflow adjuster, and I was half dreading it being too loose but it turned out to be just right though fully closed suited me and provided a decent ‘cheek-pulling’ draw.

The biggest surprise for me was the flavour, the IORE Prime rivals pretty much any pod I can think of. The draw is smooth and the heat is just right too, even with the airflow closed off it never felt hot. The auto-draw worked perfectly and there’s a hidden LED bar at the bottom of the ‘ELEAF’ panel which illuminates as you draw which shows the battery level. The position of the LED makes it actually useful as you can see it while vaping, and it’s diffused enough so it’s not too bright.

So everything was rosy so far, perfect flavour, warmth and smooth draw, so I was just hoping that the pods lifespan would be good…. After a LOT of use, I’m pleased to report it is as good as the rest of it. I have gotten through 20ml of heavy exclusive use and there is still no sign of the flavour dropping off or burnt taste. This has exceeded my other favourite pod, the Drag Nano, already. I’m not sure it will replace it, but on overall performance the IORE Prime is just better.

Battery life with the 900mAh using the 0.8ohm pod was very good and would last me all day and into the evening before needing a recharge. I also didn’t notice the power dropping off as I vaped well into the Blue LED status. I couldn’t find the battery charge amps but I’m guessing it’s somewhere between 1.5-2.0amps as it took well under an hour to charge from red LED status.

I was also sent some of the 1.2ohm pods to test and they were also very good and you will get a longer battery life with them, but the 0.8ohm pod is just so much better. I usually go for 1.2ohm coils or pods, but I will definitely be ordering 0.8ohm pods for this.

I was so pleased with the IORE at this point and even happier that I have absolutely no cons or even niggles, the only downer I could find is the lack of a spare pod bundled with the kit. On the plus side, the pod lasts longer than many others so you have plenty of time to get some new ones.

Conclusion

The IORE Prime is not only Eleaf’s best MTL pod to date, it is also the best overall MTL vape from any Eleaf device/tank I have tried, everything is just right and I was left really impressed with this little cracker.

The lack of a spare pod shouldn’t put you off as the lifespan is more than decent and will last you long enough to order more, I would suggest that you order some at the same time as I really doubt that you will dislike the vape so it’s a pretty safe punt.

Pros

Compact and comfortable
Effective airflow control
Quirky mess free top fill
Eliquid visibility
Good battery life
Solid Eleaf quality
Flavour
Long pod lifespan

Cons

Only one pod included

Final Thoughts

Eleaf have nailed it with the IORE Prime and whatever they have done to improve their coils performance, I hope it continues in other MTL kits to come. It might look like nothing new or innovative but who cares when it delivers so much.

Score: 9/10 – Turning over a new Eleaf

Eleaf IORE Prime Pod Kit shoot out

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!