Eleaf ISOLO Air 2
The Eleaf iSolo Air was a bit of a classic so we were happy to see it rebooted with the Eleaf iSolo Air 2 Pod Kit
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by TECC for review
https://www.theelectroniccigarette.co.uk/eleaf-isolo-air-2
£36.99
iJust love mini vape kits, so naturally iLoved the original iSolo Air pod kit so iWas keen to try out the version 2, there’s not a massive difference between the two versions but it is actually better and a bit more refined.
- Pod capacity - 2ml
- Coil resistance - 0.8ohm / 1.2ohm
- Battery capacity - 1500mAh
- Output modes - VW
- Wattage range - 1-40W
- Dimensions – 91.4 mm x 27.6mm x 33.2mm
- Weight – 108g
One of the main things you need to know about the iSolo Air 2 is the mini size, so before I go further; here’s a photo next to a £1 and £2 coin for scale (and an excuse to reflect on QE2’s iconic profile).
The size makes it an instant pocket favourite, Eleaf have always been a leader in mini kits and I’m glad they are continuing in this area. My favourite EVER mini kit was the superb Pico Baby and I only just realised that I bought it from TECC back then and it my first experience with this company. I remember being impressed with them back then, and if you are new to TECC, I can personally vouch for them as one of the best UK suppliers out there (this is not an advertising comment, just my personal experience).
I’m now sulking as I no longer use the Pico Baby kit due to the out-dated coils, fortunately Eleaf have progressed a lot in this area and the newer mesh coils stand up well to the competition, so back onto the iSolo Air 2……..
Unboxing
As always, the kit comes in Eleaf’s no nonsense but high quality packaging, the box is solid and even survived a severe battering from the courier. The corner was completely crushed yet the contents were perfectly intact and there was not a sniff of damage.
Eleaf have always be consistent with their bundles and give you everything you need to get going other than e-liquid. One thing I always appreciate is their high quality charging cable which is a decent length and last a long time (I am still using the same cable from the Rim kit a few years back).
The pamphlet manual is clear and concise, again their no-nonsense approach doesn’t bloat out the instructions with piffle you don’t need to know. I take it for granted these days, but Eleaf always give you the ideal bundle depending on the kit.
First Impressions and Overview
Since I already owned the iSolo Air original, I kind of knew what to expect. Handling the V2 for the first time, I was struck that it had eaten a few pies since as it felt a bit chunkier, the difference wasn’t massive but it is noticeable.
Weighing in at 108g, it’s not the lightest pod kit out there, but considering it's an all metal body and has a 1500mAh battery, it starts to become more impressive. It’s a bit heavy for a shirt pocket, but is barely noticeable in your trouser, jeans or coat pocket.
It has also received a bit of a construction makeover to swell it out more and it appeared to be beefed up with thicker metal so the kit just felt higher quality all-round.
The leather padded wrap also appeared to be better quality and firmer, the original was quite soft and easier to scuff. The new leather should be harder wearing. Interestingly, Eleaf chose not to emboss any logos etc. onto the leather but that makes it look a bit plainer, instead they chose to ‘two-tone’ it with two colours which provides the main styling.
The branding is now on the actual body and uses a signature script style font, it’s not as subtle as the embossed leather but looks quite nice, you don’t really pay attention to what it says but more in its style.
For such a compact device, there’s a fair bit of styling and it looks visually more appealing than the original. It has been well sculpted but it now has harder edges, especially on the control/screen edge. On the plus side, this naturally pushes your digits away for the adjustment buttons making it harder to accidentally adjust.
The buttons have also been improved with a more profiled shape and are rounded off for comfort, they feel a bit more intuitive as a result and you can easily blind navigate them.
The pod is held in place magnetically and looks very similar to the original, the main differences are the top-fill bung and the pod now sits into the body deeper which is a small but important feature. The old version was a bit too easy to flip off and it rocked a lot during use, you could pretty much guarantee it would come off in your bag or pocket. The new version is a lot more secure and looks a bit better with less of it exposed.
Another finer detail is tucked away in the pod housing, the contacts have been raised creating a small reservoir in case the pod leaks, this ‘should’ help in e-liquid leaking into the electronics. I didn’t have any issues with the original leaking, but any protection is welcome.
Coil-wise, you get two different ohms provided in the kit; 0.8ohm and 1.2ohm, both are mesh which is important and the reason that Eleaf coils have become so good these days, both suit MTL vaping but also give a pretty decent RDL performance. I like how the ohms and wattage range is etched onto the base of the coil making it easier to reference once fitted.
A smaller but most welcome feature is the new top-fill bung which has been really well positioned. Surprisingly it looks quite discreet, and you hardly notice it until you need it. Usually a silicone bung exposed on the top is an eyesore, but not in this case and I like it far more than the original bottom fill.
The pod is actually backwards compatible so you can instantly upgrade the V1 with the newer pod, a nice touch and worth doing in my opinion as it is far less hassle to refill as it's easier to access and the visibility is better.
Airflow Control
Eleaf have changed nothing here as far as I can tell, and rightly so! The airflow control is the best I’ve tried on a pod/mod kit. The dual sided incremental air inlets offer an impressive range and can easily give you a tight MTL draw right up to a surprisingly airy RDL. I’m a fussy sod when it comes to a tight MTL draw, and the iSolo Air 2 meets my needs exactly, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Opurration
This will be short and sweet as the iSolo Air is a wattage only device:
- 5 x FIRE = Turns the device On/Off
- Press & Hold FIRE and Up button = Resets puff counter
- Press & Hold FIRE and Down button = Flips screen 180 degrees
- Pres & Hold Up and Down buttons = Locks adjustments
That’s the lot and is all you need anyway.
The small screen is very bright and a bit brighter than the original which makes it surprisingly easy to read, it holds the minimum information:
- Selected wattage
- Ohms of your coil
- Puff count
The coil detection automatically sets the wattage right in the middle of the coils' range, but it also remembers your fine tuning (like my OCD 11.1 watts) which has been such a good feature in current gen kits and is perfect for beginners.
Purrformance
The bad news is that the iSolo 2 is no different to the iSolo 1, the good news is that the iSolo 2 is no different to the iSolo 1. Personally I am glad they didn’t mess around with the performance as they got the V1 spot-on for flavour and coil lifespan, the simple interface makes it very beginner friendly, and the auto wattage works well, but you still have the flexibility to adjust it to suit your tastes.
I was referencing my previous review to compare, and then it dawned on me just how identical it was, so I’m going to shamelessly copy-n-paste my original opinion:
I started off with the GTL 1.2ohm Coil (7-13 watts) at 11.1 watts with the airflow set to the narrowest, the result was a really nice MTL experience, flavour was spot on, kept up with chain vaping, and power was instant and smooth. I have no complaints at all with the flavour and coil performance, I just wished the mouthpiece was narrower.
The GTL 0.8ohm Coil (12-18 watts) was still a good MTL vape at 15 watts, at a push you could do a very restrictive direct lung with the airflow wide open but it's best left at MTL in my experience. Naturally the vape was warmer and more intense, I actually preferred this coil even though my preference is usually over 1.0Ω, the more intense flavour and harder hit really suited Nic Salts. This would easily give me my morning nic hit head rush.
A small thing we often take for granted and some manufacturers often get wrong is the wicking port position. The GTL Mini pod has got it perfect, the ports sit right at the base, and you can almost run it dry without a dry hit. I would be confident you can vape 80% of the 2ml before you need to refill.
Battery life was superb, especially with the 1.2Ω coil, bordering on two days, and charging from well below half way only took 30 minutes due to its proper 2 Amp USB-C fast charging. The charging status was just a simple battery icon without estimated time or percentage though, no biggie as I just knew it would charge fast.
I have nothing to add to this, I could simply swap the body between V1 and V2 and it would vape the same. I still wish the mouthpiece was a tad narrower though.
Meet the new boss’ same as the old boss?
So it performs the same, so what’s the point of a V2? Well there’s a few improvements and a couple of subjective changes, but overall I think it’s just better.
Eleaf have beefed it up with a better cast metal rather than the thinner and cheaper feeling metal used in the V1, they have added metal to the pod housing to prevent the pod being flipped off which works well but also looks better in my opinion, the new buttons feel a bit more tactile but I think I prefer the look of the flatter buttons, and the leather appears to be more durable as a result.
The pod is a small but significant improvement as it makes filling so much easier and mess free, hats off to Eleaf for making the effort to improve this as they could have easily left it alone as it wasn’t really a problem before.
Essentially the V2 I would class as a better quality product, sure it is chunkier but that’s the price you pay for a better metal construction. I’m hating the current trend of thinner pressed metal such as Smok are using these days, lighter isn’t always better and the equation in my simple mind is thinner = shittier, and Eleaf appeared to have read my mind with the iSolo Air 2’s much improved metal body, the trade off with weight and size is worth it.
(Why the silly little figurines in the review images? Why not? – I think they look less boring and I make most of them from lockdown mentality hobbies)
Conclusion
Eleaf are one of my favourite manufacturers, and their no nonsense and classy approach to their designs always make them look unique. Upgrading the iSolo Air to a version 2 might not seem much of a deal but is a wise move as it keeps the product and more importantly its performance relevant, the pace of new products is so fast that it’s easy for a product like the Solo Air to become lost in history which would be a shame in this case.
The iSolo Air 2 a superb kit for new and experienced users alike, you don’t need bloated functionality when you can achieve the vape quality that this kit produces with such a simple interface that just works. There’s enough to adjust, such as the wattage or airflow, to refine the vape to suit your style, and you’re left wanting little more than that.
Pros
- So compact
- Light and ergonomic
- MTL specific yet does a great job for RDL
- New GTL coils are top notch
- 1500mAh in this size is impressive
- Classy styling
- Airflow control is one of the very best
- Improved pod housing
- Top-fill pod is so much better
Cons
- Mouthpiece could have been narrower
Compared to the original review, the pros have increased, but the subjective con remain the same.
Final Thoughts
The iSolo Air 2 has literally brought a new lease of life to this format. The relentless pace of new products often means that I forgot some gems, and the V1 had sat unused for a few months, but the V2’s improvements should make this kit harder to neglect. I will be popping this onto a lanyard and using it a lot in the coming months, well until Eleaf bring out a new version of the Pico Baby (I can only hope).
Score: 9.2/10 – iSimply love it.
(Goodbye my queen, you will be missed)
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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