With the demand for more power from the vaping community, and higher powered budget small form factor mods such as the iStick series doing so well, Heatvape have updated the Defender with a few design tweaks as well as increasing the maximum power output to 50w.

Has the Heatvape Defender 50w got what it takes to compete with the latest range of budget box mods? Lets find out…

In The Box

The Heatvape Defender 50w comes packaged in a plastic casing, containing-

• 1x Heatvape Defender 50w box mod
• 1x USB charging cable
• 1x Instruction manual

Defender 2 50W Batter,Build And Looks

One thing I would say is that the Heatvape Defender 50w feels quite cheaply made, the buttons are pretty clicky in use and it has a bit of a budget feel, but that’s just my opinion! The 510 connector is centralised like it was on the original Heatvape Defender, which is pretty cool and looks really good with your tanks. 

The ego/510 connector has been done away with in favour of a spring loaded 510 connector, the ego/510 adaptors are a little outdated these days, and with the spring loaded 510 you get a flush fit with your atomisers, I tested many different ones on the Heatvape Defender 50w and all fit fine.

Form factor wise, the Heatvape Defender 50w feels great. It’s a really small mod that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand. Buttons are easy to reach and operate, and the OLED screen is very clear and visible, even in strong daylight.

Information such as battery life, atomiser resistance, selected power and voltage is easily readable. There is a micro USB port present on the Heatvape Defender 50w so you can charge on the move, and a battery cap underneath the unit itself for you to insert an 18650 battery.

The threading on the cap is really smooth and makes changing batteries easy.

Key Features

• Spring loaded 510 connector
• Takes one 18650 battery (recommended minimum of 20A rated)
• Variable wattage from 5 to 50 watts
• Variable Voltage from 2 to 8v
• Resistance range- 0.2 to 3 ohm
• Clear OLED screen
• Micro USB passthrough charging
• Overcharge protection
• Low voltage protection
• Short circuit protection

How Does The Heatvape Defender 2 Perform?

The Heatvape Defender 50w is able to fire resistances down to 0.2ohm, so pretty much all of the latest and most popular sub ohm tanks will have no problem performing on the Heatvape Defender 50w.

All of the tanks I used on the Heatvape Defender 50w worked with no issues, the only thing I would say is that tanks such as the Atlantis 2 with the 0.3ohm coil and the Sense Herakles with the 0.2ohm coil struggle a bit at 50w, as these coils are known to need 60W and above for optimum performance.

Not to worry too much, as you won’t have trouble running the Kangertech Subtank and similar tanks such as that, as 50w is more than enough for the coils used with those tanks.

You can switch between Variable Voltage (VV) mode and the more popular Variable Wattage (VW) mode.

A complaint about the original Heatvape Defender was that the power settings cycled through pretty slowly when holding down the plus or minus button, this time around holding down either of those buttons will increase the power in 1w increments very quickly, instead of the 0.1w increments when simply pressing the button.

5 clicks of the power button is still used to turn on the Heatvape Defender 50w.

This time around there is no built in Lipo battery, the Heatvape Defender 50w is powered by a removable 18650 battery accessed through the battery cap at the bottom of the mod. You will need to supply your own, and make sure you purchase a minimum of a 20a rated battery, a Samsung 25r or Sony VTC4 is ideal for this unit.

Also ensure you purchase your batteries through a reputable seller, battery safety is not to be taken lightly.

More Info On batteries can be found here

With a single 18650 battery I find that I get around a full days use with the Heatvape Defender 50w at 20-30w, using it at 40w and above will decrease battery life pretty quickly and reduce battery life to a few hours.

It’s ideal to use in conjunction with the Kanger Subtank Mini for example for out and about vaping. You can charge on the move with the built in micro USB charging port, and Heatvape say this can also be used as a pass through so you can vape whilst charging.

Final Review Verdict

The Heatvape Defender 50w is a perfect little box mod for those on a budget, packing a 50W punch and sporting a great form factor which means it fits in your hand perfectly.

Retaining the centralised 510 connector means that the Heatvape Defender 50w sports a really unique look, and having your atomiser in the centre of the mod actually looks pretty cool!

It’s not really going to appeal to seasoned vapers, due to the lack of features, but for beginners the Heatvape Defender 50w is ideal, and the price is appealing too. It would make a handy back up mod for those looking for one!

The Good

• Very cheap for a 50w mod
• Very easy to use
• Ideal for beginners
• Great form factor
• Replaceable 18650 battery
• Fires down to 0.2ohm so most sub ohm tanks can be used
• Spring loaded 510 connector means a flush fit for your tanks

The Not So Good

• No longer has a built in battery so you need to supply your own (Maybe a negative for some)
• Build quality feels a little cheap
• Temperature control could have been included like on the Heatvape Invader Mini (Again only really a negative for more advanced vapers)
• Lacking in features so may not appeal to advanced users

Check Out Our Best Vape Mods Post Here

The post Heatvape Defender 2 50W Review appeared first on Ecigclick.

More recent devices featuring waterproof and shockproof properties are:

• Geekvape Aegis Legend
• Geekvape Aegis X
• Geekvape Aegis Solo
• Vandy Vape Jackaroo

Heatvape Invader Mini – The ‘Tank’ Of The Vaping World?

With its rugged looks it is definitely one aimed at those who love to give their mods a fair bit of abuse as it is designed to take pretty much anything you can throw at it!

Check out some of our favourite vape mod devices here

Heatvape have a pretty good record with releasing solid mods, the previous Heatvape Defender and the Heatvape VMesh were received very warmly and sold very well. Let’s see if Heatvape are onto another winner with the Invader Mini…

In The Box

The Heatvape Invader Mini comes in a clear Perspex box with a cardboard sleeve around it bearing the Heatvape logo, a clear window to show the mod inside the Perspex box and Invader Mini at the bottom.

Inside the box you will find the Heatvape Invader Mini unit, and that is it. No spares, and the Heatvape Invader does not support USB charging so you won’t find a USB charging cable here.

Invader Looks and Build

Available in black, grey, green and blue, regardless of the colour you have selected one thing you will probably notice when you first look at the Heatvape Invader Mini is that it is ugly. Really ugly.

It looks like a Transformers finger, but for good reason, the ruggedized silicon outer skin is going to help protect your mod against shock damage, dust damage, water splashes (being IPX4 resistant means you won’t be taking it scuba diving with you, but it will withstand being splashed) and provide protection against being crushed.

You are really going to have to give this mod a serious flogging to break it- there are even videos circulating online of them being run over yet still working afterwards!

The chromed brass 510 connector is 22mm width to help your favourite vape tanks sit flush, the connector cap itself can also be adjusted up and down accordingly so that you can ensure your mods sit flush.

It is really smooth, but at the same time you still feel it is solidly built.

The power and up/down buttons on the side are very clicky and responsive and are placed around the OLED screen display.

Battery cap at the base boasts buttery smooth threading, this has to have one of the smoothest battery caps I have ever seen, making changing batteries a breeze. Button or flat top 18650’s fit in the battery compartment with no issues at all.

Once all together and everything is screwed in, the unit is completely sealed. This is one of the key reasons why USB charging was not included as that would leave an open port.

It feels pretty weighty in the hand once you have popped a battery in and screwed in an atomiser, the unit weights 217 grams without a mod and battery due to the solid build quality, so pretty hefty, but it still feels quite nice in your hand, and you don’t have to worry about breaking it should you drop it!

Features

• Waterproof Level – IPX4
• Crushproof, shock proof and dust resistant
• Accurate temperature control from 200F to 600F
• Innovative 510 thread with adjustable connection cap to fit any 510 atomisers without a visible gap
• Dimensions – 31.5mm x 39.5mm x 102mm
• Weight – 217g
• Made from eco-friendly Zinc Alloy, Silicon and Brass
• Output Power – 1W-50W
• Output Voltage – 1V-9.9V
• Ohm Limit – 0.1-1.0ohm in temperature control mode, 0.16-2ohm in normal mode

How Does The Heatvape Invader Perform?

Boasting a clone of the DNA40 chipset, but with 50watts of power instead of 40, I was a little apprehensive at first as my previous experiences with the clone DNA40 chipsets have not been good. Not so here.

This is one of the better clone chipsets out there, it reads resistance with ease and can differentiate between Kanthal and Ni200 builds almost instantaneously with a single button press when putting a new atomiser on the Heatvape Invader.

Whenever you change your atomiser, the Heatvape Invader Mini will ask you whether this is a new coil or not, by displaying a message saying ‘new coil up same down’.

This essentially means that you need to press the up button if you have changed your coil/atomiser, or if you have screwed in the same atomiser you used previously you just need to press the down button and vape away.

It is especially important that you make sure the correct resistance is set each time, I mistakenly just pressed down a couple of times when popping a new build on and I got an ‘atomizer short’ message when trying to fire. This is easily remedied however by unscrewing the atomiser and restarting the process, ensuring you press the up button rather than the down button!

I have had great results with the Heatvape Invader Mini in temperature control just by setting the temperature to 420F (Celsius is not supported here) which is the burning point of cotton, and adjusting the power accordingly to suit the juice in question. The Heatvape Invader Mini supports a huge range of temperature settings, from 200-600F. I have not had any issues or errors with the chipset and resistance is read accurately.

Of course, should you not wish to use the Heatvape Invader Mini in temperature control, you do not need to do so. You have 50 watts of power at your disposal here. 5 clicks turn on the unit and 5 clicks after that will lock it, after 2 minutes of inactivity the Heatvape Invader Mini will automatically power off to save battery life.

You are still prompted with the ‘new coil up same down’ message when screwing in an atomiser that does not have a temperature control build in it, but I have noticed that it will read the resistance anyway no matter what button that you have pressed.

Battery life has been excellent with a Sony VTC4 battery so this tells me that the chip used in the Heatvape Invader Mini is a very efficient one. I got easily a full days vaping from a single 18650 battery.

The Heatvape Invader Mini really hasn’t ever skipped a beat for me, so to sum up the performance it has been tremendous.

Final Thoughts

Heatvape have released an excellent mod here. I did not think I would like this at all, but I have found myself using it on a daily basis – it’s reliable, hasn’t skipped a beat and once you get used to the different functions and menu system it actually does become easy to use.

Yes it is hefty and ugly but it is also safe and you aren’t going to be able to break this easily.

Guess I had pre judged it based on its looks- never judge a book by its cover, or in this case a mod by its looks!

I have given it more abuse than a number of mods would be able to handle in my time with the Heatvape Invader Mini and it just still works as good as it did on the first day I got it out of the box.

A temperature control mod boasting this many features along with the rugged aspect is a compete bargain at the price point it is being sold at.

There are barely even any marks on the silicon sleeve of the Heatvape Invader Mini despite my best efforts! I am really impressed with this latest effort from Heatvape.

The only things that let the Heatvape Invader Mini down and stopped me from awarding it an overall score of 5/5 are the fact that it will turn off after being idle for 2 minutes and as mentioned it is not the best looking mod around.

Otherwise, I really highly recommend the Heatvape Invader Mini, it’s a really solid release from Heatvape and a really reliable unit that really will take anything and everything that you can throw at it!

The Good

• Completely rock solid- excellent build quality, very reliable
• Temperature control works perfectly well
• Very good chip
• Accurate resistance readings
• Will take anything you can throw at it
• One of the smoothest battery caps out of any mod
• Bargain price

The Not So Good

• It’s an ugly mod! (Subjective)
• Auto switches off after 2 minutes of being inactive

The post Heatvape Invader Mini Review appeared first on Ecigclick.

Heatvape Co. Ltd are based in Shenzhen, China. Their goal in their own words is to, “find and develop the best technology and provide the best service to the e-cigarette community”.

VMESH X1 Features:

• 75A 3500mah polymer battery cell. (Claimed to be the strongest in the industry)
• A fixed 510 thread
• Best matched to RDA/RTA and Sub Ohm Tanks
• Resistance range 0.1-3.0 ohm
• LED battery life indicator
• Short circuit protection
• Output Power 0-150w. Dependent on users coil resistance

Heatvape highlights the following advantages over regular mechanical mods:

• A strong battery cell ensures tanks will put out maximum vapour production
• A Protected PCB Board ensures high safety
• Anti-heating, no overheat after long term use

Packaged together in a black cardboard box it includes:

• 1x Heatvape VMESH X1.
• 1x USB Charging Cable
• 2x Alternative Mesh Covers. In the case of the review item which was stainless steel the black mesh covers were already pre fitted. The stainless steel ones were included as extras.
• 1x brush, similar to those included with shavers. I assume its to help keeping the USB charging port, the mesh covers and the 510 connector dust free
• 1x Allen Key, very sturdy.
• 1x User Manual

What The VMESH X1 Is Not:

Let me first state clearly for all concerned that the VMESH X1 is not a VV/VW device. Unlike other mods such as the SMOK Morph or the Geekvape Aegis Solo this device does not allow you to adjust your preferred wattage the manual way.

This is a mechanical box mod with its own internal battery with an included PCB board to provide short circuit protection. It is designed to provide a constant 4.2 volts of power but wattage is determined by the actual resistance of the coil in your RDA/RTA or Sub Ohm Tank.

The VMESH X1 is a smart looking and well constructed device:This device has some real weight to it, it is very well constructed and I suspect it is a device that would be quite resistant to a few knocks.

Everything about it feels really solid. I wouldn’t say it was overly heavy but it certainly is considerably more weighty than comparable sized devices. Someone who is used to the weight of a standard tube mechanical mod will certainly like the feel of this device with its high quality construction.

The button used to fire the device has a very satisfying click to it and the feel of it is just right. My one issue is from a purely ergonomic point of view is that the button does protrude a little too far, I feel it would have been better if it was slightly flatter. Its not uncomfortable but it does take a little getting used to.

I actually found it more natural to position the button between the crook of my thumb and forefinger.

The mesh covers are well made and you can tell that they serve to assist in the cooling of the device. The top and bottom of the device are polished stainless steel and I must point out that they are something of a fingerprint magnet.

The USB charging port is located on the bottom of the device. The LED display works well and is positioned at the bottom on the same side as the switch.

Heatvape points out that it “allows users to change the colour and shape of the mesh by themselves”.

In actual practice it means you can swap the colours of the covers, out of a choice of two.

Still its a nice extra and means if you want a complete stainless steel look you can achieve it, or even a two tone look.

Personally I just see them as useful spares in case a cover should ever become damaged.

Wait a minute my devices don’t sit flush:

If you purchase this device then this is something you will have to live with. There is a noticeable gap between the RTA and the top of the device itself. Its not a huge gap by any means but it is there.

The 510 connector is fixed and Heatvape point out that the gap is necessary to provide sufficient cooling.

Personally it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. All my tanks and drippers looked fine on it and I for one would rather the device was consistently operating safely than worry about slight gaps.

Is the VMESH X1 Simple to Use?

In practice the device has been extremely straightforward to use and I have had absolutely no issues with it. Replacing the mesh covers is also easy to do and requires you to remove both sets of screws from the top and bottom of the device before sliding off the existing ones.

Please note under no circumstances remove the PCB board from inside the device. The manual also warns against this.

Operating procedure:

• Screw the atomizer onto the device itself. Heatvape warns that you should not allow an atomizer to block the airflow holes.
• Three clicks switches the device on and three clicks switches it off.
• Power on display: The LED will flash twice and then will enter standby status.
• When the device is in standby the LED light will switch off and there will be no output.
• Vaping Status: Holding the fire button down the LED light will be bright gradually and then stay constantly bright while continually pressed.
• If the fire button is held for more than 12 seconds the device will shut itself off until the button is released.
• Low Voltage Warning: The LED light will flash red every 5 seconds. After 5 warnings the device will switch of.
• No Atomizer Status: The LED light will blink every 3 seconds. The device will turn off and stop working after 5 blinks.
• LED Battery Life: Above 90% battery life remaining is displayed as a green light. A blue light for between 50-90%, a pink light when between 10-50%.
• Finally below 10% is displayed as a red light.

How Does The VMESH X1 Vape?

This is going to be entirely determined by what RTA/RDA/Sub Ohm Tank that you’re using and far more importantly the actual resistance of your coils.

Lets say you want at least 50-60 watts for your Sub Ohm Tank.

Using an online calculator such as http://www.onlineconversion.com/ohms_law.htm we know the Heatvape VMESH X1 puts out a constant 4.2 volts and lets say that our tank uses 0.6 ohm coils. Inputting both the volts and the resistance into the calculator gives us a result of 29.4 watts. However if your Sub tank requires at least 50 watts for typical vaping and only uses 0.6 ohm coils then the device would not be practical for you.

Now lets say your tank supports 0.2 ohm coils. We do the calculations again and the result is 88.2 watts. Which is good enough for most high power Sub Ohm tanks out there but may be a little too hot for some.

To be fair it will all be something of a balancing act and this is perfectly fine for most existing mechanical mod owners who are comfortable building their own coils to their preferred resistance anyway.

To actually get the maximum wattage you would have to have a very low resistance coil. A 0.12 ohm coil would get you to 147 watts. However if using a coil this low please do take care and be safe. I do wonder that if running at 0.12 ohm how much undue stress you would be placing on the internal battery long term.

I used a Vision MK Tank on this device for almost three days. The MK Tank was pre fitted with a 0.2 ohm coil and I have had a consistent 88 watts of vaping until the battery finally ran out of power. Flavour was good vaping Wick Liquor Deja Vu and at all times vapour production remained constant. I did heavily chain vape on the device for the first day.

On the second day I was more moderate in my usage since I was also testing other devices, by the third day I was once more chain vaping simply to drain the battery so I could check the amount of charging time.

Overall in my estimate I would say I got somewhere between 15 and 24 hours worth of constant use out of the device before having to charge it.

Charging time was 3 hours 45 minutes. The LED light will blink when charging, changing colour at each power level. Finally when fully charged it is a solid green.

Importantly the device stays cool at high wattage due to its unique design.

Is The VMESH X1 Worth It?

If you want a mechanical mod experience that offers a greater degree of safety than a typical mech then yes its a good device.

Its limitation for some will be that you can’t adjust the wattage manually to suit your preferred juice or style of vape.

For those that enjoy rebuildable devices and tweaking their own vaping experience via coil making then this device will be right on the money for them.

My only major concern is that the device having its own internal battery is yet another limiting factor and while the battery charge is excellent I wonder long term on how long it will last for.

Price wise for what the device does its very reasonably priced at £50 which I think is worth it for the solid construction and ease of use. Plus it is a decent looking device.

Overall – Final Thoughts

A very well made device but one aimed at specific types of vaper’s, namely rebuildable fans and mechanical mod users.

Certainly it offers yet another choice to people who have a passing interest in mechs but may have until now been put off by many of the safety concerns.

For anyone who wants to tweak wattages very specifically this is likely not for them. I personally thought it was great but I happen to enjoy mechs and RTA/RDA’s.

The Good

• Excellent solid construction and good looking
• Long battery life
• Consistent 4.2 volts until the charge runs out
• Capable of very high wattage but dependent on coil resistance
• Short Circuit Protection
• Stays cool even at high wattage

The Not So Good

• Wattage limited to coil resistance, no manual tweaking
• None replaceable internal battery
• Somewhat weighty
• Non adjustable 510 pin which leads to a slight gap between atomizers and the device due to necessary device cooling

The post Heatvape V MESH X1 Review appeared first on Ecigclick.

It’s based around the Eleaf iStick type of design but has a few interesting features that could make this a mini vape MOD that could be worth looking at.

This e cig was purchased by myself for the purposes of this review.

In the box / Presentation

The Heatvape Defender comes in a small perspex case with authenticity scratch label.

• 1 X Heatvape Defender 25W
• 1 X Lanyard
• Manual
• Micro USB Charging Cable

Battery/Body/Build

The Defender has an impressive 2600 Mah battery with a body design that o first look is similar to the iStick but that is where the similarities end.

The standout feature of this device is the way the threading is designed and set on top of the body. Heatvape have centered the thread so whatever tank you use sits nicely in the middle rather than off to the side.

Not only this but they have designed a twin thread connector that allows you to switch between 510 and EGO fittings easily without the need for an adapter. 

This works by simply unscrewing the connector, flipping it and screwing it back in. This is a fantastic feature and one that seems so simple, it’s one of those ideas where you think ‘why hasn’t this been done before’?

Anyway it has been now and I wouldn’t be surprised if similar version hit the market in the coming year. Very useful if you have both EGO and 510 tanks.

The actual finish is very nicely done, the black version I have has a ceramic matte effect finish that feels great in the hand. I has seen previous reviews where the Defenders had a gloss finish that was a fingerprint magnet. This seems to be a much improved addition.

The micro USB charging port is placed on the base of the MOD. It does state in the instructions that it can be used whilst charging as a pass through device but for me this didn’t work. I was having to unplug, take a few drags and then plug back in.

Not sure if it is a one off but as it stands for me this can be a bit of a nuisance.

Heatvape Defender Functions

The Defender has a voltage range from 1V to 8V and 5W-25W.  It will also fire atomisers with a resistance of 0.5-3.0 Ohm.

The main display screen and functions are down the side of the device and set out simply with a power button and +/- selector button. The buttons do have a slight rattle to them which I would think at the stage we have reached with box mods should be a thing of the past with all devices.

The OLED screen shows the following info:

• Remaining Battery
• Resistance of attached atomiser
• Volts or Watts output depending on if you are using volts or watts
• Main section of the display shows your current voltage or wattage selection.

The Defender is easy to use with the following functions:

• Click power button 5 times to turn on or off
• Click power button 3 times to select either volts or watts
• Pressing the +/- buttons will flow through watts or volts in 0.1 increments.

The Heatvape Defender is really simple to use, the only thing that I found to be a bit of an issue is the time it takes to flow through the settings. Keeping the +/- button pressed and then releasing will result in the watts to cycle through the settings automatically which in itself is Ok but there is no accelerator, it ambles though slowly until you reach your desired setting.

This isn’t a huge problem I’ll admit and it will likely not be an issue for many vapers, especially ones with that thing called patience.

Other features: from that everything else was good, the safety features include:

• 10 second safety cut off
• Overcharge, low voltage and short circuit protection

Battery Life

The 2600 mAh battery provides great battery life in such a small device. As a moderate vaper it was easily seeing me through 3 days with a Nautilus Mini on top firing at 11W and around 2 days with the Kanger Subtank Mini working at 20W.

It will of course vary depending on the atomiser resistance you are using as well as your vaping habits but even the heaviest of vapers should get a good return from this.

Overall

The twin threading on the Defender is the standout feature and one I think is a clever bit of design, doing away with the need for adaptors. The build and feel is great as is the battery life. I was disappointed at the slow volts/wattage selection and the fact that the pass through feature didn’t work for me.

Performance

The Defender had no issues working with a number of tanks I tried. The Nautilus Mini performed as you would expect and sub ohm vaping with both the SMOK VCT and Subtank worked well, again as expected.

It has to be said the Subtank Mini from Kangertech fits perfectly on top of this and looks great without looking too oversized.

With numerous box mods hitting the market the 25W maximum may not seem all that impressive but for me personally it is more than enough. I tend to vape around the 20W mark when using sub-ohm tanks with a 0.5 Ohm coil.

Obviously this will again depend on what you will be vaping with but for vapers that are new to box mods this will provide plenty of power and options to give top results.Overall – Handled the subtanks with a 0.5 Ohm coil with ease and worked perfectly with ‘standard’ tanks such as the Nautilus mini and Aerotank.

Overall – Final Thoughts

I think the centered tank on the Heatvape Defender looks great and definitely a change in terms of looks from most box mods out there.

Would be a good bit of kit for vapers buying a box mod for the first time or more experienced vapers looking for a more compact device that packs plenty of power.

Here is a summary of the above review:

The Good:

• Nice matte finish that feels good in the hand.
• The twin 510/EGO thread connection is simple but at the same time a great design.
• Compact device, will slip in a pocket or bag easily.
• Great 2600 mah battery life.
• Sub Ohm vaping capable from 0.5Ohm.
• Provides upto 25W
• Easy to use
• The various tanks/clearomisers I tested worked well.

The Not So Good:

• Slow watt/volt selection.
• Pass through didn’t work (at least on my device)
• Slight button rattle
• Micro USB port is positioned on the bottom, not a huge issue it has to be said.

Final Heatvape Defender Review Verdict:

Very Good: Recommended

The post Heatvape Defender Review appeared first on Ecigclick.