Pod System Reviews

Smok Novo Pro Pod Kit

Smok have been busy refining their Novo range and we have a look at the results with the Smok Novo Pro Pod Kit

by Michelle (Purplefowler)
Apr 24, 2024

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Back in January, I got to try out the Smok Novo Master pod kit which, at the time, was the newest incarnation of the Smok Novo series. I really liked it, but there was still some room for further refinement, and Smok obviously thought so too as they have now brought out the Smok Novo Pro kit. TECC very kindly sent one over for us to review.

First Look and Specs

The Smok Novo Pro from the outset, looks very similar to the Master, they have kept the brand theme consistent with the design of the packaging which follows the mature silver box. It is stylish and understated, and is obviously aimed at the adult vaping market which is to be commended. The box shows your device on the front and then has all the specs and relevant info in the sides and back. It is functional but not overly exciting, and I mean that as a compliment.

The layout inside is slightly different. The Smok Novo Pro fitted with the 0.6ohm pod is sitting in a plain blown plastic tray. There is a separate tray fitted underneath and this is where the USB-C cable, 0.8ohm pod, and the paperwork are kept. I like how the second tray fits into the main tray, it keeps things tidy, and I do like a bit of order.

Popping the Smok Novo Pro out of the packaging, you get your first feel of this new kit, and I have to say, first impressions were great. I was sent the Matte Black from the leather range, and it initially looked impressive. The size is the first thing that strike you, this thing is tiny. How they crammed in a 1300mAh battery is a complete mystery as it really isn’t much bigger than a disposable. Not only have they put a good sized power unit in, but they have also managed to fit a small screen too, so it feels like a proper little mod.

Bear in mind, this is a cheap kit, it feels like a quality device. The main body is metal, not plastic, and the leather(ette) panels feel really nice with the contrast between the solid sides and the warm, tactile pads. It also helps with the grip too, something I appreciate when I am working out in the cold weather. There is nothing more annoying than the soap bar effect when you just want a quick vape! All the edges have been rounded off so there are no hard corners, everything is smooth which is very comfortable to hold.

The main branding looks good too with the name embossed into the front panel and a little blurb about it being designed by Smok on the back panel. Along the side is printed the brand name as well as the battery size and safety regulation marks. For some reason this has been printed in white, personally I think a shiny black would have fitted better, but it isn’t offensive.

The charging port is also on the side so in theory you should be able to stand the Smok Novo Pro up whilst charging, but in practice, this isn’t easy as there is a rubber pad on the base which seems to throw the balance off. I should come clean here though, mine may not be sitting 100% straight as I wasn’t paying full attention when I was unpacking things, and I saw a pad and assumed it was a plug cover for the USB – C port so started to try and peel it off before I notice the real port on the side. Luckily I didn’t manage to peel it off completely, and it stuck back well enough, but it might be the reason mine doesn’t like to stand up without wobbling.

Pod Capacity – 2ml
Coil Resistance – 06ohm, 0.8ohm
Wattage – 3-30W
Battery Capacity – 1300mAh
Size – 112mm x 24.6mm x 14.6mm
Weight – 59.2g (regular range), 64.2g (leather range)
Charging – USB-C

Getting Started

The Smok Novo Pro came with roughly half a charge to preserve the battery, so you will want to stick it on charge before you really start to use the kit. Charging is quick so it won’t take long to get to full charge and then you can get into things properly.

The instructions say you should remove the pod to fill even though it has a side fill port. I’m lazy so I filled in fitted and had no problems, so I am not too sure why this is a thing. The rubber cover over the filling port is very snug though, whilst this makes leaking a non-issue, it is quite tricky to grab the edge to life. I found it was better the tilt the pod to fill as it helps the displaced air to escape. Once filled, I let it sit for a few minutes before firing it up for the first time. There are two main differences between the Novo Pro pods and the ones that came with the Master, the first being the fill method as the master required you to pop off the mouthpiece to top fill, and the second was that the break in time was much better on the Pro. From the first puff, the flavour came through really well. The break in period on the master wasn’t huge, but it did take longer for the full flavour to really develop.

Airflow can be adjusted with a slider on the side. It is a mouth to lung kit, fully open will give you an easier draw, and shut down will give you a proper cheek puller. I found it a little too intense so stuck with fully open. Wherever you set it, the auto draw works flawlessly, but you also have the option of button firing if that is your preference. On larger mods, I always like a good fire button, but on smaller pod kits, I go for auto fire every time, especially when it works as well as this. You can also disable the fire button by pressing it four times.

The Smok Novo Pro will automatically set the wattage after reading the coil, and again, I was happy with what it selected, but if you want to experiment a bit, three presses of the button will allow you to do this. You can either press the button to change it in single unit increments, or you can hold it down to scroll through faster. Once you get to the maximum 30W, it will round robin back to 5W.

The screen is basic but functional, showing the wattage, battery life, coil resistance, and puff count which also doubles as a puff timer. The battery life is shown as a bar rather than a percentage, but that is fine, especially as the screen is small so there is only so much information they can squeeze in whilst still making things clear and readable.

The Pods

The included pods seem efficient, and I was getting well over a week of heavily sweetened e-liquid before the taste began to change. Flavour is excellent, very strong and also quite detailed. These are the best coils I’ve used from Smok so far, but if you have older Smok pods knocking around, the Novo Pro is back compatible with original Novo pods, Novo 2 pods and Novo 2X pods. One thing that really gets on my nerves is instant obsolescence with pod kits, to this made me happy.

The pods unusually are not magnetic fit, instead they just slot in, but they are incredibly secure. It takes a bit of welly to remove them, so you’ll have no trouble with random loose pods.

My only moan about these new pods is that there was quite a lot of condensation build up. It only seems to stay around the sides, and I didn’t notice any near the contacts, but these days, we are used to very little excess moisture. You will need to give them periodic wipes just to keep the moisture under control.

So, the flavour is great, the battery life is impressive for a tiny kit, and it feels really nice, so what’s the catch? Well, there is a hum. Now this isn’t a problem as such, it is just the board monitoring everything and keeping you safe, but if you find random noises distracting, you will definitely notice this. During the day when there is general noise around, it wasn’t an issue, but when watching a film in the evening, it was audible enough to be slightly irritating. I am particularly sensitive to noise though, but I know I’m not the only one who gets bugged by things like that.

Final Thoughts

I really liked the Smok Novo Master as a small and attractive pod kit, but the Smok Novo Pro takes everything up a notch. They have really packed a great kit into a tiny package which just feels so nice to use. The Master was in no way a behemoth, but the Pro is just so much more refined. It is the perfect pocket sized daily runner kit which won’t leave a dent in your pocket, both physically and figuratively.

If you think the Smok Novo Pro is the kit for you, visit our friends at TECC who sell the kit for £18.99, and this comes with two free e-liquids to get you up and running.

Many thanks to TECC for providing the Smok Novo Pro kit for review.

Pros

Very compact
Good battery life and performance
Stylish, mature look
Great build quality
Very good flavour

Cons

Condensation build up
The hum

Michelle (Purplefowler)

Reviewer at POTV

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When her usual forum closed, Michelle found herself in a brave new world full of excitement that something fresh and new was happening. A few days later she somehow found herself on the moderating team and is still not really sure how that happened. Even stranger, she slowly worked her way up to admin and now helps behind the scenes, liasing with vendors and coordinating social media but she can still be found making smutty comments on the forum. If all that wasn't enough, she also is a proud member of the Potv review team specialising in E-liquid reviews for the discerning vaper.

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