VOOPOO Vinci SE Pod Kit
VOOPOO have released another disposable killer with the deceptively good Vinci SE Pod Kit
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by VooPoo for review
https://www.voopoo.com/vinci-series/vinci-pod-se.html
RRP £21.99
With the current trend of simplifying pods and going back to basics, VooPoo have released an updated ‘SE’ version of the Vinci pod kit and an upgraded pod to make it that bit better. Spoiler alert but the vape quality is outstanding.
- Size: 24*14*93.5mm
- Device Material Aluminium Alloy
- Output Power 11-15W
- Battery 900mAh built-in battery
- Capacity 2ml
- Pod Material PCTG
- Pod Resistance 0.8ohm
- Colours: Flame Red, Midnight Black, Cream Tan, Dawn Blue, Whale Fall Blue, Forest Green, Provence Purple, Coffee Brown
Don’t go expecting anything new or remotely innovative with this kit, in fact it wouldn’t look out of place being released in 2019, how-ever the word ‘refinement’ is what this device is all about and that makes it worthy of a 2022 release.
Unboxing
Think ‘basic’ and you won’t be disappointed, the Vinci SE kit is minimal at best and you get just enough to get started (excluding e-liquid).
The box is a simple design and looks quite budget which is a shame as the device looks and feels posher than the packaging would suggest.
The device is held in a blown plastic tray with the ‘extras’, cough-cough, held underneath. These include a charging cable and the rather pointless user manual/pamphlet.
There’s no second pod which is becoming a bit of an annoying trend with these starter kits, I understand that it makes the retail price more affordable but personally I am finding it less attractive and you feels a bit like ‘shrinkflation’ as the price is similar to dual pod kits.
First Impressions and Overview
Being honest, I wasn’t that impressed so far as it all looked a bit average and not something I have come to expect from VooPoo’s recent line-up, there’s nothing that says ‘VooPoo’ about it and the disappointing unboxing still left a bitter taste in my mouth.
All of that was soon forgotten once I actually started vaping on the little bugger, and I started to feel a lot more positive about the Vinci SE as a result.
It really reminded me of the Vaporesso XROS from a couple of years back but immediately felt better quality and more ergonomic with rounder corners and an ever so slight taper at the base which was surprisingly effective.
There’s a little shiny oval panel which is the status LED light, it is colour matched to the body but with a mirror finish which breaks up the blandness of the front face.
The back face had an etched pattern on it which gave it a bit more style with ‘VOOPO VINCI’ branding within it and it looks quite discreet. The USB-C charging port is on the side which I prefer these days as it helps stability during charging.
During charging, the LED light displays the current charge status which pulses during charging and stays lit once fully charged, the LED is a dual colour (green and red), the manual didn’t really detail its function but it was pretty useful. It will display green while the device holds enough charge for a full powered vape, as the battery gets lower it will start to display red and provide a slightly lower powered vape but that is hardly noticeable. The good thing is that it will vape in this state for quite a while so you get plenty of notice to recharge.
It might not sound much but this function makes the Vinci SE better than most of the current skinny versions which only have single colour LEDs which are near useless, it’s one feature I was glad to see VooPoo included.
The LED is quite diffused which I’m not sure was deliberate or the mirrored panel diffusing it too much, either way I prefer it like this, it's bright enough to see when you need to but not so bright as to be annoying and it is easy to cover when stealth vaping. Generally I see the brightness as a pro.
The pod is a press fit (no magnets) and requires a little effort to pull out and snap back into place, this usually makes for a better air seal. The fitting is superb and zero wobble.
To fill up the pod, you simply flip off the mouthpiece with your thumb which exposes the fill port on one side and a breather hole on the other (do not fill through the centre as that is the coil), I found it straight-forward, mess free, and easy to see your e-liquid.
Since it is a ‘Vinci’, it is backwards compatible with previous Vincis, but better still for me, it is also compatible with one of my all-time favourite pod kits, the DRAG Nano 2 which really is a Brucie bonus due to the pod’s upgraded flavour and airflow. It is also compatible with the VINCI Q and the VINCI Pod Royal Edition.
Antibacterial Mouthpiece
One of VooPoo’s listed features is the mouthpiece being made from ‘Silver Ion’ which claims to be 99% effective against bacteria, this is not something I can prove but I’m all for any additional hygiene measures. I know it’s a virus but I also have not caught Covid while using this kit, coincidence? You decide!
Another ‘on-trend’ thing is the ohms choice of the included pod which is 0.8ohms, this usually indicates to me that it should be suitable for the latest e-liquids that replicate disposables. These tend to be over sweetened and are renowned as coil killers as they gunk up the coil quicker, so for this review I chose to put the Vinci SEE through its paces in the hope it would handle these (something the DRAG Nano 2 1.2ohm pod couldn’t).
Airflow is where the Vinci SE left mixed feelings, it is fixed and not even a ‘rotate the pod’ option to loosen or tighten it up, you’re stuck with the default. Fortunately it was pretty decent and definitely a MTL tight draw, not as tight as I prefer but not too loose as not to enjoy it.
The air is drawn in from both sides which can usually be problematic if you block them with your grip, but the natural way to pinch hold the Vinci SE meant this didn’t become an issue. If you are a lanyard user then you can block them partially off if you really need to tighten up the airflow.
Aside from that, the airflow was noticeably smooth, VooPoo have tweaked the pod design to improve this and they did good as it makes a fair difference compared with the older pods. It also improved the performance in the DRAG Nano 2 which is a big thumbs up from me.
Performance
Since there’s no settings or airflow to adjust, it was simply a case of suck it and see. Instantly the vape quality was simply superb, the flavour was intense right off the bat and I honestly cannot think of any other pod that can beat it, even the latest ones I have reviewed which impressed me soon faded into the distance compared.
(What’s with the silly clay models? I hear you say, no reason but it’s just a lock-down hobby I have restarted so you can expect more random critters from my warped mind).
Combined with the improved airflow, this made for a very high quality vape and started making the Vinci SE something a bit special which I found surprising, it has ‘basic’ written all over it but the vape quality raised it into another league.
It also handled the over sweetened e-liquid nicely and the pod has lasted well so far, I am currently on 18ml and still no drop-off in performance that I can notice. The DRAG Nano 2 0.8ohm pod would struggle beyond 10ml, so a better flavour, smoother airflow, and longer lasting pods make the Vinci SE an overall success.
Battery life was reasonable; 0.8ohm pods obviously drain more power than traditional 1.2ohm pods and appears to draw around 15 watts, this lasted me most of a working day with heavy use. The battery status from the two colour LEDs was useful and the amount of low battery warning was pretty good, I had plenty of notice to recharge, but as with most of these pods, I found top-up charging with a USB power-bank is the best way to ensure you’re never stuck.
Disposable Heroes
I know I keep harping on about ditching the disposables but THIS device is yet another strong reason to move onto better things. It has so many advantages over disposables (including battery status LED) that I really cannot think of any reason not to switch, the vape quality alone will have you disposing those disposables in no time. The Vinci SE stands out as one of the best current alternatives.
Conclusion
I almost didn’t want to like the Vinci SE due to its stingy bundle, lack of innovation, fixed airflow, basic chipset, and old design, but it soon won me over. The vape quality is right up there with the very best (if not the best) and I ended up liking the simplicity as a grab and vape kit for on the go and driving. The main reason the Vinci SE is so good is mostly down to the improved pod design which actually delivers the ‘improved flavour’ that VooPoo claimed.
Without a doubt the Vinci SE pod is the best MTL vape I have experienced from VooPoo to date.
Pros
- ‘Can it get any better?’ Vape quality
- Flavour, flavour and flavour (the flavour is superb also)
- The most improved pod I’ve experienced
- Leak resistant
- Very beginner friendly
- Disposables annihilator
- Top-fill
- Dual colour LED
Cons
- Only one pod included
I almost feel mean giving it any cons but they cannot be ignored. I decided the fixed airflow wasn’t a con as it was just right for MTL, any other niggles such as the basic design and no adjustments will be subjective as they could add actually to the Vinci SE’s strengths.
Final Thoughts
The Vinci SE has been a bit of a treat despite my first impressions, VooPoo have simply nailed it when it comes down to the flavour and vape quality that I’m left wondering if it could ever be improved on any more than this? The basic style and out-dated features don’t really matter if you’re just looking for a simple to use handy pod. This is one of the best I’ve tried, but I will be using the all-new 0.8ohm pods in my treasured Drag Nano 2 for an instant upgrade.
Score: 8/10 – Slightly harsh as the vape quality is as near to a 10/10, the rest lets it down.
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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