Pod System Reviews

Joyetech Exceed Grip Plus

Joyetech continue to be at the forefront of innovation, bringing out the new Exceed Grip Plus. The Electronic Cigarette Company have kindly sent one in for review so here is what we thought

by Craig Chambers
Aug 12, 2020

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Shenzhen based Joyetech have been leaders in the vape industry since 2007 and continue to be at the forefront of innovation. The Exceed Grip Plus expands on the Exceed family, the Grip and the Grip Pro, and brings an extra 40W and an external 18650 power supply. The Plus and the Pro share the same EZ cartridge and EZ coils. Thanks again to The Electronic Cigarette Company for supplying the Grip Plus for review.

In the box

The Exceed Grip Plus comes well packaged with clear info regarding contents etc, and also includes a small ribbon tab to assist removing the lid. Once opened, the Grip Plus is securely mounted in a foam inlay, and below this is a box with the extra coil, usb C lead, manual, warranty and battery safety card.

Kit Contents

1 x EXCEED Grip Plus battery
1 x EZ cartridge
2 x EZ coils
1 x USB-C cable
1 x User manual
1 x Warranty card

Joyetech Exceed Grip Plus box and contents

Specifications

Pod capacity - 2ml
Coil resistances - 1.2ohm (spare) / 0.4ohm (fitted)
Resistance range - 0.15-3.0ohm
Output mode - VW
Wattage range - 1-80W
Battery compatibility - 1 x 18650
Max. charging current - 2.0A
Dimensions - 91.0mm x 44.2mm x 21.4mm
Assembled weight exc. Packaging (approx.) - 148g

Quick Tour

The Exceed Grip Plus is a well-built mod with a good sized, positive feeling fire button, a 0.96” OLED screen and the up/down buttons below. Battery access is via a side panel held securely by four magnets. The battery sled is well marked for the orientation of the 18650 cell, but make sure you have the ribbon behind the battery as it’s a very tight fit. The negative sprung contact is very stiff and can damage the wrap on the bottom of the cell. There’s no movement at all from the panel. This is not a lightweight mod at 148g, nearly as much as the dual cell Argus GT. The Plus comes with the 0.4ohm coil installed in the EZ cartridge so I started with this first. The EZ cartridge is a clear PCTG making it easy to view juice levels. Unlike most pod systems, the EZ is exposed, and fit and removal is a simple push/pull which only fits one way. Juice filling is via a silicone plug covered hole on the rear, which I have found a bit awkward to open. It also seems to be a point of leaking if left standing for 24hrs+. I test all pods with a 24hr stand to see if leaks occur either through the coils or refill ports.

Joyetech exceed grip close up

One of the selling points of this pod is its side airflow adjustment which is accessible all the time. This works like a top airflow system with air drawn in and down to the base of the coil within the cartridge. The slider to adjust airflow is a little exposed for my liking as it could easily be moved when pushed into a pocket or bag and may work loose if juice gets in and lubricates it, but in my time using it, I had no such issues. Once a battery is installed, it’s the usual five clicks to power on/off. Up/down buttons adjust wattage and also scroll through a sub menu after pressing both together. In the sub menu is an option to turn off the SMART mode for auto setting the watts dependant on coil resistance. Also in the sub menu is puff info, colour to change the look of the display, and ID check. A simple system that once a colour is picked to suit, you’re unlikely to use again. The drip tip is a removable 510 type, giving the option to swap to a favourite if required, as long as it has O rings.

In Use

The coils are a push fit and only fit one way. A quick prime and install, and it's time to fill the cartridge via the rear fill port. A decent sized port means most bottles will fit but make sure any excess juice is cleaned off when refitting the silicone plug as it seems to affect the seal, as I discovered the first time with a quarter tank dumped in very short time. For the 0.4ohm coil, I used a 70/30 juice and after giving it a few minutes to soak in, I gave it a go at the wattage set by SMART (26W). After a couple of pulls, it was vaping nicely with all the flavours I expected and clouds which I didn’t. For a small device, it’s not shy at chucking the clouds out. Moving up and down the rated watts (20-32W), I settled on 28W as a nice balance for warmth and flavour. At the bottom end it was a bit too cool for me, and higher than 32W I sensed a burning taste, not cotton but juice. Airflow wise, I started wide open, closing it down by small increments. Flavour and clouds were still there down to around half closed, and noise had decreased, not that it’s particularly noisy. Below halfway and dropping the power a bit, the draw becomes more a restricted DTL. All in all, a very good performer.

On to the MTL 1.2ohm coil, and I opted for a 50/50 juice. Rated at 7-13W, I started low with the airflow open and this was quite loose for a MTL coil. At around 10W, it was producing exceptionally good flavour but the airflow, even almost closed, was a bit too airy, not the tight draw that I’d expected. It should suit any MTLers who don’t mind a bit of a relaxed vape, but if you’re looking for tight draw like a fixed airflow gives, you may be disappointed. It’s still a very smooth, discrete vape and adds hours to the run time using a high mAh battery.

Joyetech Exceed Grip Plus coils

Round up

There’s plenty of positives but also some cons. Positives are the solid build, responsive buttons, clear display that is readable in all but the brightest sunlight. The cartridge, despite being external, isn’t going to drop out as it’s a really good fit. The clear cartridge is easy to see juice levels, and the coils, especially the 0.4ohm are particularly good. Charging from around 20% to full is around one hour, and at 1.5A, the battery life is very good especially on the 1.2ohm coil.

The downsides include the silicone bung on the fill port. It’s awkward to open and if not secured firmly will leak as evidenced by the first tank fill leaking within five minutes and it also occurring when left standing. The battery compartment is extremely tight and could damage the cell wraps, especially if the ribbon is not tucked around the battery. It’s also a weighty device and may not be pocket friendly to some. Being an all metal/alloy body, it was noticeably warm when charging but external cells should be charged in a dedicated charger and not a mod for safety unless in a situation where usb charging is unavoidable.

More information is available at TECC. Thanks for reading and to TECC for supplying this kit.

Joyetech Exceed Grip plus in black

Craig Chambers

Reviewer at POTV

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Searched extensively for info on ecigs & vaping & found this forum. The knowledge gained gave me confidence to go and buy an ego/C4 set up which allowed me to break the smoking habit. Alas this wasn't totally satisfying but from the knowledge gained here I quickly moved to a Kanger Subox & Sub tank & so began the rebuilding learning curve. 3 yrs on & I have aquired a few more mods & atties, make my own juice & built a squonker. I use a variety of set ups including temp control, regulated & mech set ups & still picking up tips & ideas. Been fortunate enough to meet a few apes over time & can honestly say the community spirit shown on the forum extends to real life