In this review, I’ll be testing two kits that are very similar, with the main difference being the battery type. VAPORESSO GEN PT60, which comes with an internal battery listed at 2500 mAh, and GEN PT80S, which takes a single 18650 battery.
Both devices are AIOs and they are using the new xTANK, a pod tank with top airflow for maximum leak protection. The tank takes the familiar GTX coil line and is fully compatible with all of them—instead of semi-compatible as we’ve seen in some of their other devices.
VAPORESSO has been on a roll during the last couple of years, coming out with well-built devices that are great performers. Keep reading to find out if GEN PT60 and PT80S continue VAPORESSO’s tradition of solid beginner-friendly AIOs.
Design & Build Quality
PT60 and PT80S are small box-style AIO pod systems. Both devices are very lightweight and portable. They have a similarly sleek design, with PT60 being the more compact of the two, and PT80S being a bit taller to accommodate the external battery. The battery fits great, and the device has a nice magnetic battery door on the back.
The names of the two devices come from the wattage; PT80S can do a max of 80 watts while PT60 is 60 watts max. They both feel great in the hand and are ribbed for grip (and your hand-feel pleasure.) They are offered in six colors. All the colors are full-body, so each color stands out in its own way. I got the light silver versions for this review. They are all silver, and even the xTANK has a matching metal top. However, all the other colors have a black top for the xTANK.
There are three buttons on the device: a fire button on the top front above the screen, and the up and down buttons below the screen. They both have the same screen which, disappointingly, is black and white. I’m guessing they wanted to keep costs down and price them competitively since they are beginner-friendly devices, but VAPORESSO makes some of the nicest color screens out there and some color would have made the devices even better. They are bright and easy to see through.
All in all, they are pretty standard AIOs, but they are well-built, very lightweight, and done right.
Getting started
Both devices work the exact same way and are pretty typical AIO systems that are simple to use. I like how they don’t overwhelm users, as I recently reviewed a similar device that had way more modes than it really needed.
Here’s a rundown of basic operations:
l Press the fire button five times to turn the device on or off.
l Use the up and down buttons to adjust the wattage.
l Click fire three times to lock the device.
l Press fire and down to reset the puff counter.
l Press fire and up to flip the screen.
l Hold up and down to access the menu.
The menu lets you switch to VV mode or smart VW mode, but you won’t really need to use those on these devices. You can stay in the VW mode they come out of the box.
This pod also has adjustable airflow by sliding the top cap, and offers from a restricted DL vape to a wide-open DL vape—these devices are not for MTL vapers. The pod itself is magnetic and pops in and out of the body very easily. When putting it in though, you have to rotate it to lock it into place, and it’ll catch and stay stationary in the right spot. This makes adjusting the air and filling easier since the pod won’t rotate. To remove the pod, just grab it and pull it out. No special tricks are needed.
The filling is very easy as well with the design of the xTANK. The fill cap is located under the airflow ring, so just slide the air off to expose the rubber plug, and from there on it’s straightforward. Nice design to protect the plug as well. The pod is fully exposed, but monitoring juice levels can be hard because it’s very darkly tinted. As I’ve repeatedly said in the past, I wish all companies would just make clear pods and then offer a tinted version separately. Overall though, I’m very happy with the usage of the device.
Performance
The most important part of any pod device is going to be the coils. VAPORESSO’s latest pod systems have had really good coils, so we’ll see how this stacks up.
These devices use the GTX line of coils which I’ve used quite a bit on various other devices and find it to be a good line of coils overall. When I recently reviewed GEN AIR 40, it was only compatible with some coils of the GTX line. The xTANK, however, is fully compatible, which is awesome.
Each device comes with two coils in the package:
PT60
l A 0.2-ohm coil rated for 45-60 watts
l A 0.4-ohm coil rated for 26-32 watts
PT80S
l A 0.15-ohm coil rated for 60-75 watts
l A 0.3-ohm coil rated for 32-45 watts
→ GTX 0.15ohm Mesh Coil & GTX 0.3ohm Mesh Coil
For this test, I used GTX 0.15ohm Mesh Coil & GTX 0.3ohm Mesh Coil to show you how it performs.
With the airflow slider wide open I would suggest there’s still some restriction to the vape. It’s only in the region of 10% though so a very effective direct lung vape can be achieved.
The coil wasn’t producing any signs of turbulence and the inhale was a very smooth experience. A fair degree of noise is generated but it’s never going to set off any alarms.
With the airflow wide open, flavor quality was off the scale, and to be honest, I wasn’t expecting such an accurate representation.
The flavor was strong and intense with plenty of punch after longer inhales. Flavour never waned either. It was consistently good from the beginning to the end, leaving an impression on the palate afterward.
All the included coils fit well with the power of the devices. There are seven coils in total in the GTX line, but I’d stick to the DL ones only due to the large airflow. So, in the end, the four coils listed above are the best options.
Overall, all four coils were at least good, but I found the best balance is the 0.2-ohm one as it works well around 50 watts and gave me great coil life and solid flavor. The other three are good options as well, and it’s a proven line of coils that should be easy to find so you know you’ll have an accessible good vape for a long time.
Vapor Production
What can I say that I haven’t already? It’s absolutely fantastic!
Taking longer pulls will result in clouds to rival any self-respecting sub-ohm tank!
But as before the only tell-tale sign that this is a pod tank is in dissipation rate. It’s quite fast. Well, I think that’s the general theme with most pod kits on the market.
It really adds to the pleasure and enjoyment of the vape although you still won’t get that throaty build-up of a sub-ohm tank.
The xTank isn’t bothered by airflow restriction either. Cloud production is immense regardless of the setting applied.
I was very impressed.
X Tank
From top to base the pod measures 43.8mm and has a diameter of 24.8mm. The fixed mouthpiece is comprised of a clear PCTG and has an opening of 8.4mm, designed for a direct-to-lung vape.
The juice viewing window is also clear and sports two glass panels with a new logo that Vaporesso adopted in March of this year.
There are four circular magnets on the base of the pod and they connect to the Mod section with a reassuring ‘snap’. It’s not designed to rotate within the Mod and I’ll explain why.
It’s due to the double top system. By rotating the top cap on the xTank clockwise the silicone stopper of the fill port becomes exposed.
Rotating anti-clockwise opens the dual airflow ports. I’ve not seen this before on a pod and we’re assured by Vaporesso that it’s a world first.
The turning tolerance of the top cap is spot on and has enough resistance to ensure fine-tuning of the airflow. As always, whatever adjustment is made on one side is reflected on the other.
Battery life and charging
GEN PT60 comes with an internal battery listed at 2500 mAh, the charge rate is listed at 2A, and the Type-C port is located under the up and down buttons. I tested all this and for the charge rate, I got a max of 1.83A, so their rating is solid. For charge time, I got 56 minutes. Again, great rating, and a quick charging time for a pod system. Most pods like this charge up in about an hour to 90 mins. For battery size, it’s a little over 1650 mAh, so I consider it quite overrated.
However, to be fair across the board, most devices are rated about 20% higher than what you actually get. When this device shows that the battery is low and it won’t fire, plugging it in shows that charging starts at 25%. So the battery can’t handle the wattage well when it’s under 25%, which takes away a lot of its usable battery life. On a lower watt device, this battery would have had more usable capacity, so I can see the reason behind its rating. But an 1800-2000 mAh rating would have been fairer. You won’t get near the life of a good 2500 mAh battery.
I chose to test PT80S with a 2500 mAh 18650 battery (in order to compare the life I got from PT60 with a 18650 that’s listed at the same capacity,) and I got much more battery life out of it. As far as PT80S testing goes, I got a max charge rate of 1.87A, so solid rating at 2A as well. Both have passthrough vaping which is standard these days.
Pros
+ Solid build quality
+ Very lightweight and pocket-friendly (especially the PT60)
+ Simple but sleek-looking devices
+ Six color options
+ Ease of use. The double top system works a treat
+ Pods are held firmly
+ Great capacity (4.5 mL)
+ Uses existing proven coil line (GTX line)
+ Good coils choices for the type of device
+ Good rating on charge rate (1.83-1.87A)
+ Passthrough vaping
Cons
-Pods are tinted too dark
-Condensate or e-juice can build up around the adjustable ring on the top cap
-Condensate visible on the inside of the mouthpiece (subjective)
-PT60 specific - usable battery life is well short of 2500 mAh advertised
-Old-school black and white screens feel outdated
-Difficult to read the screen in direct sunlight
-Occasional dropping of coil resistance affects Smart wattage mode
-Mouthpiece and xTank warm up under airflow restriction (subjective)
Final Review Verdict
Overall, VAPORESSO did a solid job with these devices. The fantastic flavor and cloud production, the lack of leaking, and a double-top system that oozes convenience it’s actually the weight that impresses me the most.
It has to be one of the lightest pod kits I’ve used to date and one that’s got aesthetics and ergonomics written all over it. It’s just so comfortable in the hand and won’t bog down a trouser or even a shirt pocket.
I really like the PT60 for a beginner DL device due to its size and weight, but just know battery life is closer to what you’d get from a 2000 mAh advertised device. Outside of that though, it makes for a great little AIO. The PT80S is a little bigger, but the ability to swap out batteries and not wait for a charge is a big bonus for intermediate vapers. It just depends on your needs. Both are good carry-around DL devices that are easy to use.
Have you tried the VAPORESSO GEN PT60 or the PT80S? How was your experience with your device?
