Pod System Reviews

Vaporesso Swag PX80

Vaporesso have started 2021 swinging bringing out the gorgeous Swag PX80 kit

by Si Davies
Jan 25, 2021

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Vaporesso appear to be kicking off 2021 as strong as they did last year. The PM80 is one of my all-time favourite DL pod/mods though things have moved on a lot in the past year, and it looks like Vaporesso have been pretty innovative with the all new Swag PX80.

A few of the highlights are:

Embedded IML ccreen
Replaceable coil without emptying pod
Quad leakage protection
Adjustable rotating airflow
GTX platform
AXON chip and external 18650 battery

Vaporesso Swag PX80 size and parts

The SWAG PX80 certainly ticks the boxes with features and innovations, there’s nothing I can think of that Vaporesso haven’t addressed and the design team have done a superb job packing so much into a compact kit.

The PX80 is in the SWAG product line and follows the same compact form and uses an 18650 battery (not included), but that’s where the similarities end. The PX80 has been designed from scratch and utilises some of the latest innovations.

Vaporesso Swag PX80 details

Love them or hate them, pods are here to stay and are evolving all the time. The ‘pod’ is more like an evolved tank to me (or Podank as I call em) only with a magnetic connection instead of a 510 pin. Hopefully Vaporesso will follow the trend of supplying a 510 adaptor so you can have the best of both worlds.

Unboxing

The packaging is the now traditional Vaporesso style, a two piece black box and colour blended out sleeve which matches the colour choice. I take it for granted now but I do really like the Vaporesso style.

Vaporesso Swag PX80 first look

The packaging has been kept to a minimal and is well laid out, it’s sturdy enough for the postal workers to lob it around to their hearts content without damaging it. Opening the black box reveals the top layer holding the PX80, 2 x GTX coils and the great quality usb-C cable.

Underneath the top layer is a slim black envelope containing the manual and reminder cards.
(Being a cocky sod, I neglected to read these which turned around and bit me later).

Vaporesso Swag PX80 unboxed

SWAG PX80 Kit Contents

1 x SWAG PX80 mod
1 x SWAG pod (4ml)
1 x GTX 0.2Ω mesh coil
1 x GTX 0.3Ω mesh coil
1 x Type-C USB cable
1 x User manual
1 X Warranty card
1 x Reminder card

I have to admit that I was rather disappointed with only one podank, Vaporesso usually provide two pods in their kits or a spare glass with their tanks. The problem is with AIO (all in one) devices is that if you break the tank then the whole device is useless. It’s not a deal breaker, but I would suggest you add a spare pod to your basket if you purchase one.

First impressions

Picking up the Swag PX80 for the first time and looking at all the details felt good, this thing is sheer quality and all the details and styling are so well thought out. It might not be as evident in the photos as the compact size is what makes it all look so good, the gunmetal anodised chassis is flawless and the leather panel on one side with the resin carbon fibre on the opposite side works rather well.

It’s the feel of it in the hand that is most appealing though as it just feels so comfortable and naturally grippy, it has been sculpted on every edge and smoothed off so that there’s no hard edges digging into you hand.

Vaporesso Swag PX80 all sides

The carbon fibre effect resin coated screen side was my favourite, damn this looks so good and high quality, with no battery in it you are left wondering where the screen is as it is underneath and the whole panel has the carbon fibre coating.

Popping an 18650 battery into it is strangely satisfying. I say this as the threaded top cap is the best quality I have experienced, I own a few mods with this battery cap style but the threading and quality of the PX80 stands out. The threading is so smooth, a small detail but a welcome one.

Vaporesso Swag PX80 top and bottom

Once the battery is fitted, you get to see the well implemented screen. It appears to be the same one as the PM80 has, clear, bright, well styled, and surprisingly it stands out well underneath the carbon coating. This was a bit tricky to show in the photos, but trust me it looks superb.

The whole panel is gorgeous to look at, the contours and curves look great as you rotate it in your hand. Also, and pretty important, this coating wasn’t a fingerprint magnet which is a general niggle in glossy finishes so Vaporesso have come up trumps with this feature, I have no clue what IML stands for but who cares, it just looks great!

The pod/tank wasn’t as on par with the mod regarding styling though, it looks a bit bland and unfinished to me. The black doesn’t match the gunmetal of the mod for me, and the ‘MADE IN CHINA’ and the part number etched onto the chimney was odd and unwelcome. The mouthpiece is clearly aimed at DL users, it looked too short for my liking but this turned out to be me being too cocky to read the manual and even the reminder card detailing this as a feature. I felt rather silly after as it turned out to be a great little innovation.

Vaporesso Swag PX80 coil options

The actual features of the pod/tank turned out to be much more pleasing and innovative, I was pretty impressed with what Vaporesso have done with such a simple looking design. Here’s a few of the features:

Leak resistant
Plug & Play coil swapping when the tank is full
Twist and press coil eject
Eliquid trap section and recycle
Airflow adjustment

It was only when I went to fit a coil that I realised I had been a knob-head by judging the mouthpiece too early. It has a clever little locking push-to-eject feature. Without a coil fitted the mouthpiece depressed into the tank, when you push a new coil in then it pops up and extends fully showing a silver ring which improves the look and feels better to vape on.

Up until then I was baffled why they had a directional arrow and lock icons. I tried twisting and turning it without anything happening, had I just looked at the manual or the useful little reminder card I would have realised, that will teach me to RTFM next time!

Vaporesso Swag PX80 podank

Swapping coils is where this feature comes into play. Unlock the mouthpiece by rotating to the unlocked position and simply press it down to eject the coil. If you are doing this with a full tank then you will need to do this upside down, pull the coil out and fit an new one (best to prime it first with a few drops of juice), the mouthpiece pops back up, rotate it to the locked position and away you go. It’s no biggie if you don’t lock it again though.

Vaporesso Swag PX80 swapping the coil

I was pretty impressed with the podank by now and knowing that it takes my favourite GTX coils was a bonus, though it is worth pointing out that these coils aren’t the standard ones as they feature an extra O-ring to utilise the leak-resistant design. It will still accept the older coils but it will have less protection, something you need to be aware of when ordering new coils.

Though this kit is clearly aimed as a sub-ohm DL/RDL device, it still accepts the narrow top GTX coils so you have plenty of options to suit your vaping style.

Filling the pod was a bit naff as it is bottom fill via a tiny silicone seal, and the super tiny arrow marking doesn’t stand out as it has CE info on it. This surprised me as Vaporesso have been so innovative with the other features and neglected a common irritation.

Menu and Navigation

Regular Vaporesso users will be familiar with the chipset, it is essentially the same as the PM80:

The PX80 uses the Axon chipset and I didn’t find the need to refer to the manual once with its common sense interface and options.

5 x clicking the ‘FIRE’ button = turns the mod on/off
3 x clicking the ‘FIRE’ button = locks/unlocks adjustment buttons.
Click either ‘UP’ or ‘DOWN’ buttons to increase/decrease wattage or voltage.
Press and hold ‘Up/Down’ buttons to enter the options menu.

Once in the menu, navigation is achieved using the ‘UP’ and ‘DOWN’ buttons and the ‘FIRE’ button to confirm your selection. Menu options are:

VW = Variable Wattage.
VV = Variable Voltage.
SMART VW = Smart Variable Wattage – This option scans your coil and sets the wattage to the optimal setting.
PUFF = Puff counter info and reset.
THEME = Colour scheme (green, blue or pink)
DEFAULT = Restores to factory settings.
EXIT = Exits (shock horror)

Usually I rate the ‘Smart Wattage’ feature but for some reason it doesn’t work too well in the PX80. It does work when you insert a new coil, but if you adjust the wattage after then it always remembers that. Removing the pod and firing it then putting the pod back in still had the previous wattage so the Smart simply didn’t kick in unless I used a different ohm coil. A combination of changing to VW, turning it off/on and switching back to SW eventually worked but negated the handiness of this feature.

Fortunately one of the most useful features on the chipset is the ‘BEST’ wattage range displayed on the screen. It is such a great feature and I simply kept within this wattage range, somewhere in the middle gives a great coil lifespan.

Vaporesso Swag PX80 screen and leather

Performance

There were no surprises here, the Swag PX80 performed as good as it looks. I tried four different ohm coils in it and the flavour is superb, the GTX coils are just so good and I’m especially glad that Vaporesso stuck with these. The two included coils are a proper DL vape and the airflow is nice and airy though you can close it off by rotating the pod. Using 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω coils, you can get a pretty decent RDL draw with the airflow closed down to suit your preferred draw. You can MTL with it but the airflow is still too loose for me, even when fully closed the mouthpiece is way too large for MTL.

Generally I was really enjoying using the Swag PX80 and it was clearly better than my much loved PM80 due to the airflow adjustment and the leak resistant pod which has worked flawlessly, any juice that would normally leak is distributed into the lower air chamber and sucked back up into the coil as you vape. Vaporesso introduced this in the Luxe PM40 and works a charm on that also.

Here it is next to the PM80. Time will tell if the PX80 will ween me off the PM80 as the smaller size of it is still useful to me. Saying that, the PX80 is still jeans pocket friendly and not too heavy. At a push, I would have to admit that the PX80 is better in many ways but I like them both.

Vaporesso Swag PX80 vs PM80

The vape is instant and I noticed no drop-off as the battery started to run out, I can’t really predict the battery life as it depends on the mAh of the 18650 you use. I tended to use a 2500mAh and it easily lasted me all day of moderate use. Though I usually charge my batteries in a dedicated charger I’ve been happy to charge it within the mod, 2 Amp usb-C charging is very welcome and the charging screen offers percentage and time remaining which I found pretty accurate.

The coil lifespan is simply superb, I have been using the GTX range of coils since early last year and they last so long, I almost take it for granted these days but I can generally trust that I won’t be caught short with a dry burning coil. These generally drop off the flavour towards the end of their lifespan and I can’t recall having a dry hit from them.

Conclusion

Vaporesso should be very proud of the Swag PX80, they have pretty much nailed everything you could want in a pod/mod. My only niggles are with the tank but there’s no deal breakers. If you liked the PM80 and the Swag 2, then I think you will love this kit. It vapes better than both, and I prefer it in the hand as it feels compact yet substantial.

The pod/tank looks a bit dull on its own, but it looks good when fitted and fuelled up with juice. Had they spent a little more time on the visuals then it would have really complimented the gorgeous chassis.

Vaporesso are off to a flying start in 2021 with the PX80 and there are a few features I can see that will likely appear in future releases so I am looking forward to see what else their designers are dreaming up.

In what now seems like ‘the good old days’ where you could see vape stuff in a shop, I would have bought one on the spot after seeing and holding one. That says a lot for me as I usually take too long choosing.

Pros

A stunning design
IML embedded screen looks superb (IML = Inner Meatloaf Leopard?)
High quality chassis with a nice finish
Takes GTX coils
Leak resistant tank design
Feels great in the hand
Ideal for novice vapers

Cons

Bottom fill podank
No spare pod

Neither con is a deal-breaker, far from it as the overall kit is something a bit special. A stunning and classy design which packs that GTX punch. Forget MTL as the PX80 is clearly aimed at DL & RDL users, they have nailed the vape for both.

Score: 8.5/10 – One of Vaporesso’s finest kits

(Close to a 9 – 9.5/10 if the tank looked classier)

Vaporesso Swag PX80

Si Davies

Reviewer at POTV

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My 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!