In this review, I will tell you about the technical features of the productive and powerful Armor S mod complete with the iTank 2 sub-tank from Vaporesso.
Powerful and productive mods complete with equally “cloud” tanks are not only sold less and less often, but are also not produced by many companies in principle. Especially for fans of big clouds, Vaporesso has come up with two new devices: one for two 18650/21700 batteries called ARMOR MAX, and the second, very similar, but for a single 18650/21700 battery called ARMOR S.
Package
The set is sold in a large cardboard box, mostly black. On the front side there are images of the battery pack and tank, and in the current color. In the background is the green Vaporesso logo and the name ARMOR S. online vaping shop in australia The back side is occupied by a list of the delivery kit, the manufacturer’s address, certificate icons, a sales barcode and small warnings.
The sides are given over to a sticker with a hologram and an authentication code, as well as a brief description of the main features of the set.
What is in the box
The delivery set is decent and large: the main part lies in a plastic tray, and all the pieces of paper are placed in a special envelope, marked with another manufacturer’s logo.
The envelope will contain extremely sparse instructions in several languages, a guide to safe use and a reminder on how to lock/unlock the mod, as well as how to open the battery compartment. I repeat, there are no instructions at all, there is essentially nothing in it, you will have to understand the functionality of the device yourself. Or just read the review below.
The composition of the main part is as follows: the mod itself, an iTANK 2 tank with an installed maintenance-free evaporator, another evaporator in a blister, bubble glass, a set of spare O-rings and a chic cable in a white fabric braid with USB Type-A on one side and USB Type- C to the other.
Vaporesso ARMOR S. Kit design
Don’t let the photos fool you. Upon closer inspection, the apparent lightness of the battery pack turns into the weight of a brick, covered on all sides with rubberized inserts. The mod is unreasonably wide and thick and also quite tall, becoming even more monumental after screwing on the complete tank. In a gentle female hand it will look at least alien. And not every men’s clothing will make him look adequate.
Available colors are shown in the collage above. In my opinion, the cutest ones are the all-black and yellow options. Orange is also interesting, but green and silver (just like in the review) are a little less pleasing.
Let’s start with the mod – it’s a solid and massive block, and why be modest, it’s practically a brick. Wide chamfers beveled at 45 degrees help to hold the device in your hand better and more conveniently, but they do not add visual lightness. The rubberized inserts on the sides, on the front side and on the back surface are very grippy, with ribs, but at the same time they easily collect fine dust and other dirt. At the same time, the mod does not have any protection at all, not just from moisture or splashes, but even from dust. There are no plugs, no seals, the most you can count on is conditional impact resistance.
Connector
The base of the mod is a metal frame, the remaining elements are plastic or rubber. But the connector is steel, with a brass spring-loaded pin and is quite a classic 510. The diameter of the metal part is only 20 mm, and without an overhang noticeable to the eye, tanks up to 26 mm can be installed.
The underside is completely rubberized, so you don’t have to worry about scratches.
Review of the ARMOR S kit from Vaporesso – battery compartment button Review of the ARMOR S kit from Vaporesso – battery compartment
In this case, the entire lower surface is the battery compartment cover. To open, you need to press the button under the Vaporesso inscription on the back of the mod. The button is quite easy to press, so accidental battery ejections will be normal.
Batteries and adapter
The device can operate both from 21700 format batteries and from more conventional 18650 batteries, which will have to be installed through the included adapter. The main thing is not to forget that the batteries need to be pushed with the positive side inside, otherwise the device will not turn on.
Controls
The control buttons are on the front, just below the color screen and above the charging port. They also have rubber pads and are marked with arrows pointing up and down.
Charging process
Replaceable batteries require charging in external devices, but if there is a special need, they can be charged in the mod itself. But it won’t be fast. During my tests, the charging current barely reached 1 Ampere, although all sources from the manufacturer indicate 2.
Interface
The device is turned on and off by pressing the Fire button five times and is in F(t) mode by default. This is the basic mode, where you choose the power yourself using small buttons from 5 to 100 Watts.
The screen displays the power in large numbers, below them the current operating mode, then the number of puffs taken, a line with the resistance of the evaporator and a battery charge scale.
Simultaneously pressing “up” and “down” will programmatically block the buttons, and a corresponding notification will appear on the screen. It turns off the same way.
Pressing Fire three times opens the menu. Here we will have to stop and give a detailed description, because… There is almost nothing in the instructions and it will be difficult for beginners to understand.
SETTING – settings menu, more about it below.
F(t) MODE – basic wattage mode.
PULSE MODE – a mode somewhat similar to varivolt. The voltage freezes, but you still control the power.
ECO MODE is an economical mode in which the maximum power is limited by the evaporator resistance.
TT-SS – temperature control for stainless steel.
TT-NI – temperature control for nickel.
TT-Ti – thermal control for titanium.
EXIT – exit the menu.
Interface
The settings menu is as follows:
MODES – return to the selection of the vaping mode (essentially a “back” button).
SMART (ON/OFF) – enable or disable the “smart mode”, when the power is automatically adjusted to the resistance of the evaporator.
TCR LOCK – power blocking in thermal control mode.
PUFFS – puff counter reset.
THEMES – screen color schemes, you can choose from blue, orange or green.
DISPLAY – adjust screen brightness.
DEFAULT – reset all settings to factory settings.
VERSION – view the current firmware version.
EXIT – exits the menu to the main mode.
Review of the ARMOR S kit from Vaporesso – Fire button unlocked Review of the ARMOR S kit from Vaporesso – Fire button locked
And finally, I’ll tell you about the Fire button, here it is not only the most visible and orange-rectangular, but also has a mechanical locking system. In the lower position, everything works as it should, but if you move the button up, it stops being pressed in principle, which is quite convenient.
Vaporesso iTANK 2
The design of the tank turned out to be interesting and even somewhat original. Right out of the box you are offered a device with physical glass protection, albeit plastic. It is precisely because of this protection with diagonal slots that the futuristic look is obtained, especially in the silver version. As for the rest, the tank is quite proportionate in size for its volume of 5 milliliters, has a top filling and the ability to adjust the tightening force from below.
Review of the ARMOR S kit from Vaporesso – filling neck
On top there is a removable mouthpiece, which is attached to the filling cap using two o-rings. It stands there reliably and, in principle, does not imply disconnection; anyway, it is not something standard (diameter 10.5 mm) and you still won’t be able to replace it.
Just below you can see a button, almost like on an electronic watch, marked with a red dot. After pressing the button, the lid on the spring will rotate 180 degrees and provide access to the filling hole. There is only one last one, but it is wide and covered with a thin silicone layer with a slot, so there will be no problems with refilling. And there is even hope that the liquid will not leak on its own if the lid accidentally opens in your pocket.
Review of the ARMOR S kit from Vaporesso – tank connector
There is nothing particularly interesting at the bottom; only around the 510 connector is the name of the tank, mandatory marks and information about the manufacturer. The connector itself is floating, but protrudes enough for safe use on hybrid devices like mechanical mods. The information is essentially meaningless now, but we still need to talk about it.
Review of the ARMOR S kit from Vaporesso – adjusting the blowing intensity
The tightening force is adjusted by turning the ring at the bottom of the tank. Two long slits overlap until they disappear completely. It’s almost impossible to catch a tight puff, but adjusting a loose one to suit you is no problem. The rotation is moderately tight, the adjustment does not get lost on its own.
By completely unscrewing the bottom, you can not only see the floating positive pin from the inside, but also gain access to the maintenance-free evaporator for replacement.
You can immediately remove the straight glass with the protective casing and install an enlarged spare “pot-bellied” one, also sometimes called “bubble”. This is needed primarily to increase the volume of stored liquid, so a good 5 milliliters turn into a solid 8!
With the release of the new iTANK 2 tank, Vaporesso has traditionally released new GTi format vaporizers. Their main feature is high performance at high power. And, as a result, a huge amount of steam when using a liquid with 30% PG and 70% VG. As for the taste, I can’t say anything bad, but nothing good either. Just normal vapors and that’s it.
Review of the ARMOR S kit from Vaporesso – GTi coils
Currently, you have the following options:
GTi 0.15 Mesh evaporator – for 75-90 Watt power
GTi 0.2 Mesh – power 60-75 Watt (included)
GTi 0.4 Mesh – for a power of 50-60 Watts (included)
GTi 0.5 Mesh – for 30-40 Watt power
Whether a serviceable vaporizer from Vaporesso itself or third-party manufacturers will ever be released is unknown.
Vaporesso ARMOR S Set. Personal impressions
I was already accustomed to compact devices and the ARMOR S set seemed to me unnecessarily bulky and large, especially in terms of thickness. Even the use of a 21700 battery does not justify the 37 millimeters of thickness. It could have fit in 26-28.
Rubberized inserts. I also have something to say here. More precisely, ask the question: why are they needed at all, if the mod is in no way protected from water or dust? Just for the sake of design and some hint of impact resistance? Doubtful.
The mechanical lock on the Fire button is great and great. Well done here. For the management and organization of the menu – also a like, for those who are in the know, everything is simple and clear. But for beginners, without detailed instructions it will be difficult. The board also pleased me; it works flawlessly, although not at the maximum possible speed.
The biggest concern is the battery reset button that opens the battery compartment. It’s too easy to press. There were no precedents during the week of testing, but there is still concern.
If you are not bothered by the general brutality and you are looking for a mod for one battery, you can order it.
