Smok Solus 2 Kit
Tim loved the original Smok Solus kit, so it was only right that he got to test the follow up, the Smok Solus 2
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by Tim Jones
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Today for review we have the Smok Solus 2, that’s right, the long awaited sequel to my Smok Solus review is finally here!! I really liked the original Solus as I found the flavour to be outstanding and even though there were some issues, I was looking forward to this with cautious optimism.
The Smok Solus 2 was provided to me by The Electronic Cigarette Company for the purpose of review.
The packaging is typically standard with a cardboard sleeve which just slides off to reveal the device and charging cable. Underneath the device is a user manual and a warranty card, and I’m glad they’ve kept it all very minimal and not sealed the device in plastic or anything although the contents do reveal my first problem, only one pod. I do wish they would include a second pod as if you have any issues with the first one, you will be without your vape until you can source more pods. I do appreciate the cost implications but just add a second pod in for the vaper’s convenience.
In my original review I was accompanied by the environmentally conscious Raccoons as I thought the original Solus was a great alternative to disposables, so this time who could join me on this journey? Well, long before James Cameron came along and crossed them with the Smurfs, the folks in Ferngully were fighting the environmental fight so they will be my guide.
“Look for the hero inside yourself, Crysta. Look to the good and loving heart in you and all others” – Magi Lune, Ferngully
Looks wise, they’ve kept the kind of disposable styling, but I actually like the way it looks, it’s simple but stylish with just a line, a small LED, Smok on the front, and a line and the warnings on the back. The warnings on the back are a little odd but with the USB-C port being on the bottom of the device, there’s not many other places they could have gone. The Solus 2 is a bit bigger than the original, it’s 107mm x 21.5mm x 13mm and weighs just 32.5g due to its light aluminium body.
The device houses the 700mAh battery which charges from flat to full in about an hour and a half which is quite long, but you can vape whilst charging. The only light on the device is the small blue LED on the front which lights up when charging and disappears when full, and it also lights up when you vape. This brings me to my second issue, the light only ever flashes blue and doesn’t change colour at all, this is an issue when you are vaping as you have no idea how much charge you have left. You want to go out with the Solus 2 and you’ll have no idea if it will last until you get back home so you just have to kind of guess or make sure it’s fully charged before you go. They could have made it light up green, blue, or red depending on battery level to make this easier.
“Humans. What wonderful creatures. So clever. So helpful.” – Hexus, Ferngully
The pods are made of PCTG, house a 0.9oHm mesh coil and can hold 2.5ml of e-liquid (2ml TPD). There aren’t replaceable coils as this is a closed pod, so once the pod is done it’s just recycle it and pop a new one in. The pods just slide into the top of the device and are held in place with a little click and some strong magnets. I really like how the pods sit above the level of the device so you can always see how much liquid you have left. Too many pods sit below the level so you have to remove the pod to see your liquid, but not here and it’s a good design touch.
Filling the pod is done by a rubber bung on one side of the pod which you just peel back and fill. The bung is nice and sturdy, and the coil will burn out before the bung breaks, and the fill port is easy to access and use to fill. On the other side of the pod is where the fun begins though as if you look closely, there’s a small cut out gap to provide extra airflow. You can put the pod in one way, and it will provide a tighter draw or turn it round for a looser draw. You just line up the cut out with the small airflow hole on the side of the device and that’s the loosest setting which Smok are saying is for RDL, but I’ll come onto the airflow later. One other thing to note on the pod is that it has a minimum level line for the pod, simple but oh I do love a min level line on a pod! I’m a simple man but I do really feel it helps, especially for new vapers or people moving over from disposables.
One other thing to note is that the pods from the original Solus will fit the Solus 2 so if you have left over pods then fear not as they will work here.
“We all have the power – and it grows when it is shared” – Magi Lune, Ferngully
I loaded up the pod, let it sit for ten minutes to get things nice and saturated, and was ready for the nicely tight, flavourful experience I got with the original Solus. Holy ice skating penguins’ flippers, this is a different experience altogether and it kind of took me by surprise. Let me start by saying that the flavour is actually really rather good, there’s a nice warmth to the vape and it is a pleasurable experience for sure, but it’s all a little loose for my personal preference. With the airflow on the tighter setting, it’s still a medium MTL vape which is a bit loose for me but will suit those looking for this kind of vape. With the airflow on the more open setting, you get a loose MTL, Smok say that this is the RDL setting but it’s a very tight RDL and doesn’t really provide the right warmth, I’d treat this as a loose MTL vape instead.
The pod life was strange one for me as I had quite an odd experience. I vaped it constantly for about eight days with absolutely no problems at all, the flavour was great, the vape was good, it was a pleasant experience, and then all of a sudden, the flavour just disappeared. I’m talking one vape it was fine and then boom, like getting a surprise snowball in the face, it was gone. The pod wasn’t burnt out and it still vaped just fine, but the flavour was incredibly muted. I carried on vaping it and it took a good few more days before the pod finally gave up the ghost and burnt out.
“The truth doesn’t always win friends, but it certainly influences people” – Batty Koda, Ferngully
So, how do I feel about the Smok Solus 2? Well, in all honesty I find it a mixed bag. They only provide one pod which I think just isn’t good enough, it takes a while to charge, it’s a little loose for my taste, and the flavour just dropped off a cliff after eight days. I do wish they had kept the tightness of the original and maybe had a tight MTL and a medium MTL as the airflow options.
However, the flavour, when it’s there, is surprisingly good, the auto draw works a treat, and it’s all round a nice punchy, warm, smooth vape giving a good quality experience. If you like an open MTL vape, then you’re not going to be disappointed with this.
This is a simple but effective device and would be ideally suited to new vapers and people who want more than having to keep buying disposables. The Smok Solus 2 is available from TECC for less than a tenner, and that’s a pretty good deal for a decent starter pod system.
Tim Jones
Reviewer at POTVI was a 20 a day smoker for 25 years, I'd tried to quit before but I never lasted more than a few days. I first tried a vape pen in 2018 and i used it while still smoking for about 6 months before I gave the pen away to a friend. In Jan 2020 I decided to give vaping another shot, I scoured many articles on POTV and bought myself an Adept Zlide and some Chiri Sun and I've never looked back.I've now gained quite the collection of devices and liquids and started on rebuildables and some mixology. I love contributing to the forum and enjoy learning from fellow vapers and generally having a laugh, as a Forest fan you have to have a sense of humour!
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