I had already discussed the Knight 80 produced by Smoant in April, a pod vaguely inspired by AIOs in concept, with even the possibility of using an RBA despite them not being as popular back then as they are today. Several entries in the Pasito line are also attributable to AIOs, a comparison I had already made when talking about the Pro. Building on the experience gained with these very products, Smoant takes its first step into this world with the Knight AIO, consisting of the namesake mod and the Knight AIO Cartridge for using K-Coils. Sample sent free of charge by Smoant, without receiving money or having employment relationships.
The Knight AIO is a mix of aluminum and PCTG, a choice made for both aesthetic reasons and to save a few grams, with a weight of 130 grams when the Knight AIO Cartridge is installed, and 102 grams without. Dimensions are 96 x 51 x 26 mm, so we're talking about a contained AIO. It is exclusively compatible with 18650 batteries, with the possibility of using its Cartridge, and its "RBA" which is slightly different from the usual, as will be seen later.
Lastly, you can remove the Knight AIO Cartridge and use it with other Boro/RBA/Bridge systems, as Smoant declares universal compatibility.
White box with a common window shared with other Smoant products. Inside, on the hardware side, you'll find the Knight AIO, a Knight AIO Cartridge, two K-Coils (0.4Ω and 0.15Ω), a second drip tip in addition to the pre-installed one, a USB Type-C cable, and an instruction manual.
Included in the Smoant Knight AIO Kit are a 510-threaded nut and two drip tips with the same connection. It's possible to use other different ones, but the stock ones have the convenience of having a small tooth, which, once correctly positioned in the nut, allows you to unscrew or screw it. Although from the photo the area near the nut seems entirely plastic, it should be clear from the picture that internally there is still a plate (I believe) of steel to reinforce the structure and allow the nut to be screwed in without fear.
Once the nut is unscrewed, the boro is inserted by removing the magnetic side panel, which is equipped with holes to prevent condensation. The profile created on the Knight AIO's body provides a fairly firm hold, with no impression that the panel will move during use. In addition to its own Knight AIO Cartridge, Smoant also declares compatibility with other boros or systems with pre-made coils. I tried a boro + RBA and a tank cartridge with pre-made coils from another manufacturer, and I had no reading problems.
On the front, a second small door is installed to check the liquid level and allow refilling by simply unscrewing the cap, without having to disassemble the nut, remove the door, and reassemble everything. The idea is nice, although honestly, one or two holes on the aluminum body, again to prevent condensation, would have been useful, if not a second "frame" without glass. It's therefore possible to use the Knight AIO without the small door, but its housing remains visible, which some might find unaesthetic.
On the other side, the fire button is very nice with tone-on-tone engraved patterns. The positioning favors right-handed users, as pressing it is easy regardless of how the Knight AIO is held, whether with the index finger or thumb. Just below, the screen is a 0.49-inch OLED, small but in line with many other commercial AIOs. The plus and minus buttons are excellently sized and accessible without having to remove any doors, which is a big plus for me.
I would have preferred the bottom entirely in aluminum, as having PCTG in contact with surfaces doesn't thrill me in terms of longevity; a few extra grams on the total weight would have been much better. However, it's wide enough to stand upright with the aluminum part, which, as will be seen below, corresponds to the battery compartment lid, making it stable.
A macro Smoant logo is engraved on the small door that allows the insertion of 18650 batteries exclusively. The hold is entrusted to magnets, and it's difficult to remove as it creates quite a bit of friction with the PCTG frame. This solution is definitely more convenient than other AIOs I've tried; the battery is completely safe from condensation and dust. It can be inserted with the Smoant logo both at the bottom and at the top.
Also on the frame are macro logos that differentiate the Knight AIO from other entry-level AIOs, which are often anonymous. The clear smoked PCTG finish is very nice, with engraved positive and negative signs for correct battery insertion. The Knight AIO comes standard with a negative washer connector, so to tighten or remove the battery, simply rotate it. This protects the battery wrap and doesn't stress the AIO's structure too much.
The circuit, as Smoant has accustomed us to, offers many options, some more successful than others.
5 clicks of the fire button to turn the Knight AIO on or off
3 clicks to select the delivery mode
Pressing the + and - buttons together locks the buttons, with the fire button NOT firing
VW (Variable Wattage): normal variable watts
VV (Variable Voltage): instead of watts, voltage is selected
DVW: Variable Power Curve
BYPASS: mechanical vaping emulation with delivery based on battery charge and ohm value
NI (Nickel), TI (Titanium), SS (Stainless Steel): preset profiles for these materials
TCR: for manually importing TCR
In DVW mode, fire button and + to unlock wattage selection, fire button and - to unlock step length selection. TC is obviously not practicable.
The aforementioned Knight AIO Cartridge in detail: made of totally clear transparent PCTG, 5 ml capacity. Equipped with a double hole, protected by a rubber cap so that you can refill directly from the window as I said before, without having to disassemble everything. Also standard, it comes with an airflow selector to partially close the draw, which remains a very open MTL/RDL.
Coil extraction or insertion is done by separating the tank part of the Knight AIO Cartridge from the base; it's even better to use gentleness since it's PCTG. K-Series coils are installed by simple pressure thanks to the two o-rings, despite the presence of threading at the base, probably used for other devices.
K-Series or K-Coil, generously sized structure given its RDL vaping destination.
K-1 Mesh Coil 0.3Ω: 50-65W
K-2 Mesh 0.4Ω: 35-50W (included in package)
K-3 Mesh Coil 0.6Ω: 20-25W
K-4 Dual Mesh Coil 0.2Ω: 55-65W
K-5 Mesh Coil 0.15Ω: 70-90W (included in package)
I listed the K-4 and K-5 for completeness, but reading the wattage I reported above, it's easy to understand that they are far too powerful to be used by a single 18650 battery device.
As Smoant has accustomed us to, being loyal to the brand's products pays off as aftermarket accessories can often be used on multiple devices. This is the case with the K-RBA, which is simply a rebuildable coil, or as it is modernly called, an RBA when referring to atomizers for the BB world. After trying it on the Knight 80, a cousin of this Knight AIO, here too it maintains simplicity and effectiveness. For a few euros, you can therefore try the world of rebuildables and "remedy" the absence of MTL K-Coils.
As a product, at the average price range I see in several shops, there's nothing to complain about given the content. Adding a few moneys, you can get its RBA; if you discard its Knight AIO Cartridge in favor of other Boros and RBAs, it still remains in an acceptable price range considering that you don't need to buy the nut and battery washer since they are included in the package. Compared to other commercially defined AIOs with barebones circuitry, the Knight AIO's offering is slightly richer. As Smoant has accustomed us to, I imagine there will be other releases to integrate the offering; this Knight AIO is just the first piece for a brand that has always had a loyal fanbase.
For more information, colors, and specifications, you can consult the dedicated Knight AIO page on the Smoant website:
https://smoant.com/product/knight-series/knight-aio
I thank ECF and the Staff for the space, Smoant for the Knight AIO and You for reading.
The bottom row are my 3 old Paradigm Magma rebuildable drippers, simple 2 post/single coil builds. One is a clone, the other 2 are authentic. I did a build tonight for the first time in years, and I had forgotten how much flavor I was losing with a tank.
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