Smok Morph S pod-80 Kit
We follow up our Smok Morph Pod 80 review with the bigger Morph S Pod kit. Whether you prefer to be able to change batteries or you fancy something a little smaller, Smok have your back!
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by Vape Club for review
https://www.vapeclub.co.uk/vape-pods/smok/smok-morph-s-pod-mod-80-vape-kit
£27.99
With the recent review of the superb Smok Morph Pod 80, we also got the chance to test the ‘S’ version. The only difference between the two is that the ‘S’ requires an 18650 battery whereas the Morph Pod has an internal battery. Although it’s a bit of a no-brainer that this version will be equally as good and a lot of this review is a repeat, I will go through the differences where applicable.
- Sub Ohm Pod Kit
- 5 - 80W Output
- 18650 external battery (NOT INCLUDED)
- DTL Vaping (MTL Coils Available)
- 2ml Refillable Pods
- Top Filling
- Leakproof Design
- Mesh Coils
Unboxing
The Morph S Pod 80 kit comes in a deep box with an outer sleeve, the artwork on the front lists the main features and the contents are on the rear.
The top layer contains the full kit including two coils and a USB-C cable. There’s a handy little tab to pull out the top layer and the documentation is underneath.
- Smok Morph S Pod-80 Device
- Morph 80 Refillable 2ml Pod
- Smok LP2 0.23 Ohm Mesh Coil
- Smok LP2 0.4 Ohm Mesh Coil
- USB-C Charging Cable
- User Manual
The manual is Smok’s usual thick multi-language phone book but it covers both versions. The print is quite small but it is well written and clear to follow.
First Impressions
The Morph Pod 80 looked and felt far better than I was expecting, the weight is just right for its size and the quirky shape really moulds into your hand, and the fire bar is much better than fumbling around for a smaller fire button.
I really like how Smok have made the Up/Down buttons discreet and the position of them is ideal to prevent accidental adjustments during vaping, but they can also be locked.
Though the Morph S is 10mm taller; the embossed ‘S’ is the main visual difference between the two, the whole thing has basically been stretched to accommodate the 18650 battery.
Discreet seems to be the order of the day as the branding is subtle despite it being large. One of my favourite features is the gold metal surround as it has a semi matt finish which makes it fingerprint resistant so the whole device stays pretty clean during use. The rest of the body and the fire bar have a thin rubberised coating which makes it all quite grippy.
The overall design is slanted to one side and the screen follows that angle, it might look a little odd standing up but surprisingly evens out in the hand. The USB-C charging port is placed underneath the fire bar and is ideal for charging upright.
18650 Battery
The main difference with the S version is that it doesn’t have an internal battery but takes a standard flat-top 18650. There’s a battery door on the base which slides open.
The door is fairly secure once the battery is fitted and I had no issues of it accidentally flipping open when stashed in my pocket or bag. The battery orientation is clearly marked on the inside with a bright red cross on white for the positive end and a little embossed negative symbol (-) on the door.
The screen is nice and bright with all the info you need displayed, this was easy to read even with older eyes and the brightness can be adjusted within the controls. The only thing I didn’t like was the ‘MORPH POD’ displayed at the top, why? But to be fair they did have room for it as they have included everything else.
Smok have done a pretty good job of the airflow control, it can be adjusted with a slider that rotates an internal ring which is dual sided.
Though this isn’t an innovative approach, it has been done really well. Much to my surprise, it closes off to a proper MTL vape. It seems Smok continue with their understanding of mouth to lung vaping, unfortunately they only include DL coils in the kit so I couldn’t test MTL. Fully open, it gives a very airy DL vape, it is one of the airiest pods I have tried.
One of the reasons for the airflow control being so effective is the pod fitting as the chamber has been divided into two, and the tight fit helps with the seal. It is held in place with two magnets which are firm, and there’s no rattle.
The coils are the LP2 range which are a simple push-fit. Don’t be deceived by their small size as they pack quite a punch! The fill port is top-fill via a little silicone bung which is easy to open and close. Access is a bit restricted due to the mouthpiece getting in the way, and worse still for us poor TPD sufferers, the internal 2ml bung also gets in the way of filling and vision. This ruins what would have been a superb pod, I did attempt to remove the bung but failed miserably as I couldn’t get a grip on it and started to ruin the plastic, I might try again after the review.
One thing Smok advertise as a feature in this kit is the ‘Leakproof Design’ which was one of the shortfalls of the RPM series. I couldn’t spot what they have done in the pod design as the coils airflow hole is exposed, this is where pods/tanks tend to leak through as excess juice builds up in the coil and seeps through the bore. I’ve had no leaking so far, but time will tell on that one. The pod housing appears to be well sealed so it could be they mean that? As in if it does leak then the electronics are protected?
Controls
The chipset is pretty basic stuff, the only thing you can change of the actual vape is the wattage. You can rotate the screen four ways, adjust the brightness, and lock either the power or wattage buttons.
- 3 x Fire = Locks Fire button
- Press & hold Up/Down buttons = Locks adjustment buttons
- Press Fire & Up = Resets Puff Counter Y/N
- 5 x Fire = Rotate screen options, long press fire to confirm setting, while in this menu a short press will enter screen adjustment, another short press will enter the ‘Power On/Off’ option.
Performance
My expectations weren’t very high for this kit as it’s ‘just another Smok pod’ and I’ve tried a few including the RPMs. While the vape was good, there’s nothing new to offer, or is there?
I went for the 0.23 Ohm coil first which is rated at 20-45W. I kicked off with 25 watts and found myself at 35 watts, either my memory fails me or there’s something different going on as the flavour and vapour production were remarkable. I was taken aback by the clouds from such a small coil at 35 watts. I smacked it up to the max 45 watts and enjoyed it even more with a warmer flavour, the draw was silky smooth however much I adjusted the airflow. It was a little loud though but the sound was as expected and there was no whistling.
I then tried the 0.4 Ohm coil rated ‘BEST AT 25W’ so I just went with that. The trade-off of less power was fairly balanced and I enjoyed this coil a lot, I would choose this one if battery life was important as it would last a full day. The flavour and vapour production were still impressive, and again the airflow was silky smooth, but for me the 0.23 Ohm had more of an impact.
Battery life is going to be relative to the battery spec you put in but it was excellent even with the 0.23 Ohm coil at 35 watts. I got most of a full day and night out of a 2500mAh 18650 battery and it performed well even as the battery dipped to its lowest. I did find the tiny font of the battery percentage hard to read on the fly which eventually caught me out and I cursed that wasted space of ‘MORPH POD’ at the top of the screen, a nice large battery percentage would have been much better.
One of the benefits of the 18650 battery is that you can charge it in an external charger which I prefer, but you can charge it in the mod via the USB-C port. Another benefit is you can carry a spare 18650 battery for it and that makes quite a difference for those longer days away.
Morph Pod 80 vs Morph S Pod 80
As mentioned earlier the only real difference between the two is the battery option as the ‘S’ takes an 18650, as a result it has been stretched taller and has a battery door on the base.
The ‘S’ is slightly heavier but still has the same ‘in the hand’ experience. They vape exactly the same so it pretty much comes down to your battery preference. The height is only 10mm taller on the S which makes little difference to the ergonomics as they both feel pretty much the same in the hand. The internal battery version will suit newer vapers or technophobes that prefer simplicity, but the 18650 version has the advantage of being able to swap the battery with a spare with no down-time for charging.
Conclusion
Despite my reservations, the Smok Morph S 80 turned out to be a superb little kit. I absolutely love the 0.23 Ohm LP2 coil for both flavour and vapour production, and the airflow control is one of Smok’s best yet with the added bonus that it will close off to MTL.
The ergonomics make this one of the best ‘in the hand’ pod/mods I have tried, it just gels into your grip and you can finger/thumb/grip fire it however you rotate it. The looks are stylish and the controls are slick. Overall I think the Morph Pod 80 punches well above its weight.
Pros
- Superb ergonomics
- Clear and bright screen
- Classy styling
- Airflow control is excellent
- Flavour and vapour production
Cons
- TPD 2ml bung sucks ass!
- Battery percentage is a little hard to see
Final Thoughts
The Morph S Pod 80 is one of Smok’s best yet, easily beating their RPMs in my opinion. It soon ‘morphed’ into one of my all-time favourite pocket DL kits. I managed to get that tw@ting 2ml TPD bung out which made it even better. The 18650 version suits me more as I can carry a spare battery.
Score: 9/10 – Morphor your money
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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