Pod System Reviews

Smok RPM C Kit

Antony puts the pedal to the metal when he takes the SMOK RPM-C kit for a spin

by Antony Lord
Sep 21, 2023

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The Electronic Cigarette Company (TECC) asked if we’d be interested in taking a look at the new RPM-C pod system. It’s been quite a while since I’ve used one of the RPM based kits, so I thought it was time to take this one for a spin and see if it’s still firing on all cylinders or if it’s ready for the scrap yard.

Specifications

107.4 x 28.3 x 25.3 mm
74 grams
5~50 watts output
0.15~2.5 ohms resistance range
1650mAh internal battery
1.6 amps charging via USB-C
Uses RPM2 coils
4ml Top fill pod (2ml for TPD regions)

SMOK RPM-C kit unboxing

The RPM-C comes in a fairly small box with the device, two coils, and a USB-C cable included, along with a smattering of paperwork. Yes it’s basic, but you certainly can’t complain here at the budget £18.99 price point that this is being offered at.

SMOK RPM-C kit all angles

The RPM-C is offered in a whopping nine different colour variants (although TECC currently only seem to offer four of those), and I was sent the Transparent Red version for testing. This starts off a deep black at the top and fades to a transparent red down towards the base and although it’s all plastic, it doesn’t feel cheaply made and that transparent red section reminds me somewhat of a boiled sweet.

Up front you have the control panel with a large convex power button that is perfectly positioned for thumb or finger firing, and two smaller up/down buttons at the base for adjusting your wattage. These all have a really positive click at the end of their travel and the power button in particular makes a rather satisfying “clunk” when pressed. In between these, there is a 0.96 inch screen, this is a little old school with a black and white output, but it suits the device perfectly and information is presented in a clear and uncluttered format that’s been a real pleasure to use.

SMOK RPM-C kit front and back

There are dimpled areas running down either side of the control panel which make this a really grippy little unit, despite the glossy plastic finish, I never felt like this was going to slip out of my hands, and that dimpled finish further cements that boils sweet look. The branding isn’t too over the top either with a small SMOK logo up front and a large RPM-C logo running down the spine of the device.

There are two airflow slots on the side of the RPM-C which are adjusted with a small plastic lever on the back of the unit. This provides plenty of airflow and a decent amount of adjustment so I have no complaints about the functionality, but this is the one area where the RPM-C feels a bit cheap, it simply feels a bit flimsy although I’m sure it should hold up to prolonged use, and let’s be honest, it’s not going to break the bank if it does fail six months down the line.

SMOK RPM-C kit USB-C

The RPM-C sports a 1650mAh internal battery with 1.6 amp charging via a USB-C port on the base. In my test this actually hit a peak charge rate of 1.38 amps with a recorded capacity of 1605mAh after 1 hour and 45 minutes, which isn’t too shabby.

SMOK RPM-C kit pod connection and fill port

The large pod is press fit into the top of the RPM-C and snaps into place very well. I’m presuming this is a modern PCTG pod (although I can’t find any mention of the material used) which has a really handy top fill system that has been a joy to use. I’m not normally too keen on these duckbill design mouthpieces but this has been slimmed down quite considerably from earlier RPM kits, and I’ve actually found myself liking this one quite a bit. One aspect I’m not too keen on though is the dark smoked finish as this makes it quite difficult to judge your e-liquid levels without holding the pod up to a light.

SMOK RPM-C kit pod fitting

The pod uses RPM2 Coils which are simply press fit from the bottom. Here in the U.K., we are of course limited to a 2ml capacity which is achieved with a silicone bung, mine “accidentally” fell out whilst I was taking photos of the kit giving me access to the full international 4ml capacity (difficulty rating 2/10). Replacement Pods are available in packs of three for just £5.49.

SMOK RPM-C kit RPM 2 coils

The RPM-C uses the tried and tested RPM2 Coils which have been around for a while now and cost just £10.99 for a pack of 5 coils which makes this a fairly inexpensive kit to run. Of the two included coils, my pick would be the 0.3ohm kanthal mesh coil direct lung which has dual heating zones for better performance and more even wicking, I’ve got pretty decent life out of this as well with the coil only just starting to drop off on the flavour front after 10 days. You also get a 0.6ohm coil with a tighter draw and a simple round wire design.

Pros

Bold design
Easy top fill pod
Inexpensive

Cons

Some may not like the all plastic design

Conclusion

I wasn’t really expecting much from the RPM-C kit but I’ve come away pleasantly surprised, and I’ve grown to love the boiled sweet design aesthetic on this transparent red version. Couple this with the £18.99 price tag, and you have a great little pocket mod to take out with you so this one gets a recommendation from me.

Many thanks to The Electronic Cigarette Company for sending the SMOK RPM-C kit over for review. If you’re thinking of buying, don’t forget to use the code POTV10 at checkout for an extra 10% discount.

SMOK RPM-C kit handcheck

Antony Lord

Reviewer at POTV

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I was a twenty a day smoker for 25 years and like most smokers I was always going to quit "next week". Having hit my mid forties and having the usual smokers cough and difficulty with anything more than moderate exercise it was obviously time to give up the cancer sticks. I bought my first e-cigarette in 2013 when they were expensive, difficult to find and quite frankly... crap. I used it for about a week then went back to the roll ups, mark up another failed quit attempt. The fact that I had just changed jobs and was under quite a lot of stress probably didn't help. Move on to 2016 and whilst I was browsing eBay I noticed that one of the suggested items that would occasionally pop up was for a cheap e-cigarette. It looked similar to the one I'd bought 3 years earlier but it was only £5 (about 8 times cheaper than before) so I decided to give it another go on a whim. Once the kit arrived I managed to gradually replace the cigarettes with my new kit over a two month period and got into watching YouTube reviews for newer kit. My cheap and cheerful kit was replaced by a more upmarket affair, and being a noob I made a mistake once it arrived... I put in the supplied direct lung coil, this was of course a complete revelation and I haven't touched a cigarette since. Oh and I no longer spend the first five minutes of every day having a coughing fit either.