GeekVape B100 (Aegis Boost Pro 2) Pod Kit
Welcome back folks to another review. We have the GeekVape B100 (Aegis Boost Pro 2) Pod Kit to look at today, sent to me by the ever-so-kind Joyi over at Sourcemore. I'll be doing another Sourcemore review on the Vandy Vape Requiem RTA later today, so hop on over if that's something of interest to you. The new B100 is the 2nd generation of the original Aegis Boost Pro, and should not be confused with the other B100 Aegis Boost Pro Max that housed a single 21700 external battery.
The original Aegis Boost Pro was a 100W single 18650 external battery pod kit that had much of the same features as the newer Aegis Boost Pro 2. The main differences being that the Aegis Boost Pro 2 is more streamlined for low resistance DL vaping using exclusively GeekVape's P-series coils. It also features their newest chip and comes in a much slimmer and rounder form-factor than its predecessor. However, there are a few drawbacks with the ABP2 over the original. I'll dive a bit deeper into this as we go along.
Again, I want to send a shoutout to Joyi over at Sourcemore for sending me this device for a review. As a reviewer, you can rely on this critique to be fair and honest. With pros often come with some cons, and I'll be sure to mention them when I see them.
Let's take a peek, shall we?
(photos can be clicked on for easier viewing)
• Overview •
Color Options:
We have:
> Silver
> Black
> Blue Red
> Bottle Green
> Golden Red
> Mint Blue
> Pink Purple
> Rainbow
Key Features:
GeekVape B100 Aegis Boost Pro 2 Details:
> IP68 rating, durable in use
> Powered by AS-Chip 3.0
> Smart and boost mode
> Single external 18650 battery
> 100W power output
> 0.96 inch curved display screen
> Designed with 4.5ml capacity
> Top airflow leakproof design
> Fit for GeekVape P Series Coil
> Accidental press protection lock design
Parameters/Specs:
Brand: GeekVape
Product Name: B100 (Aegis Boost Pro 2) Kit
Battery: Single external 18650 battery (Not included)
Output Power: 5W-100W
Charging: Type-C charging
Display Screen: 0.96 inch curved screen
Operating Temperature: 0℃~45℃
Storage Temperature: -20℃~60℃
Relative Humidity: 45%RH~75%RH
Cooling Mode: Natural Cooling
Pod Capacity: 4.5ml
Fit For: GeekVape P Series Coil
Packing Size: 81*81*135mm
Carton Size: 431*339*301mm (40pcs/carton)
Color: Silver, Black, Blue Red, Bottle Green, Golden Red, Mint Blue, Pink Purple, Rainbow
Package Contents:
1* GeekVape B100 (Aegis Boost Pro 2) Mod
1* GeekVape B100 Empty Pod Cartridge (4.5ml)
2* GeekVape P Series Coil (Pre-installed: 0.15Ω 70W-85W, Spare Coil: 0.4Ω 50W-60W)
1* Type-C USB Cable
1* Coil Tool
1* Spare Parts Pack
• Testing & Observations •
The Basics:
The GeekVape B100 Aegis Boost Pro 2 comes packaged the same as you'd expect with any GeekVape product. The large sleeve and box protect it well during shipping. As you can see from the picture above, it took some bumps and bruises on the way over, but everything inside was perfectly cushioned. The USB-C cable is about a foot long which doesn't leave a lot of room for charging, but USB-C is used pretty much everywhere now and so you should be able to find a longer cable quite easily, especially if you're an Android phone user. If not, I'd suggest looking up USB-C 25W wall adapter kits on Amazon which are very cheap and should supply you with the full charging capabilities of a 3.0 QC cable.
The kit comes with a spare 0.4 ohm P-series coil, and a coil removing tool which comes in handy if you're having trouble getting the coil out. If you have decently nimble fingers, or the slightest of fingernails, it shouldn't really be a problem.
Nowhere on the box or product, did it specify that this was a sample, so what you see here should match exactly what you can expect inside the box.
The Aegis Boost Pro 2 Pod Mod:
I received the Mint Blue colorway which you can see is quite vibrant and sleek. The slightly darker blue shiny metallic ribbon outlining the faux-leather padding on the backside of the mod can be a bit of a fingerprint magnet, however it isn't as bad as I've seen with some other colors. Lighter colors may show this a bit more.
The front-side panel configuration is the standard display with the fire button on top of it, and the down and up (left and right) directional buttons below it. The USB-C charging port can be seen at the bottom. Even though this is a single battery mod, I'd still suggest purchasing and/or charging the device using an external battery charger.
To the left of the display, you'll find GeekVape's physical locking switch they call the A-Lock. When flipped down, it deactivates all of the buttons which makes this a very quick and easy way to safely stow the device in your pocket or purse. This is one of my favorite new features being released on a lot of newer devices because I don't have to look at the device to know I'm safe from it firing in my pocket. Although soft, the switch clicks into place when moved up or down while also signifying on the display whether you've locked or unlocked the device. You shouldn't have to worry about the switch moving on you accidentally unless you're pressing something pretty hard against your pocket with an up and down motion.
The top of the pod mod has all the standard pod connectors and magnets you're likely to see on most pod devices. In the middle is where you'll find the spring-loaded brass or gold-plated positive and negative connectors. Surrounding it are four strong magnets that have no issues keeping the pod intact, but also not too strong to where you'll find it difficult to remove the pod. I've dropped this device 3-4 times from 3 or so feet and the pod has never popped out of the pod mod.
The bottom of the Boost Pro 2 is covered with a ribbed silicone rubber padding surrounding a screw-in battery cap. In previous iterations of single external battery GeekVape devices, this cap has become weak point in many of them. There's an O-ring (seen in the bottom picture, above) that sits below the threading on the battery cap that seals it for the IP-68 rating. In the past, this had created a lot of friction on the threading when replacing the battery which has caused it to strip over the course of a year or so. I own the original Boost Pro and Boost Pro Max, and can tell you that this cap has a lot less pressure and friction when screwing the cap in and out, so I don't see this being an issue. It would also appear that they changed the metal used in the cap from an aluminum-alloy to stainless steel or zinc-alloy. In addition, there were a lot of threads on the older caps in comparison to the newer one on the ABP2. This makes it much easier to twist the cap off with two or so rotations instead of many. If you are concerned about the longevity of the threads, I'd suggest removing the O-ring from the battery cap, but know that you are sacrificing the IP-68 rating of this device which keeps it water and dust proof.
But wait, isn't this device tri-proof? What about shock proof? It is my opinion that the testing methods used to distinguish a device as shock proof are done without a battery or atomizer attached to the mod (in the case with 510 devices). Do I think this device would withstand several falls from 6 or so feet with no battery in it? Yes. However, adding a battery to the device results in roughly twice the amount of weight, which creates a larger impact when dropped. Do I think this device could handle a drop with a battery in it? Probably, but that highly depends on what you drop it on. If the ABP2 lands on a rock, directly on the screen, it may not survive that kind of drop. For most cases where this device is dropped on a flat surface, I do believe it will survive the fall with only minor scuffs or scratches. Even with an 18650 in it, it's quite light.
The only other con I'll add to the battery cap is that the flip-down tab to unscrew the cap is difficult to get under. The slit allowing you to get your fingernail underneath it is very tiny. If you don't have fingernails, you'll definitely need a pin, paper clip, or knife to flip the latch down. The coil removal tool kind of works, but only on one side and it isn't an easy task. I wouldn't rely on this tool to get the battery cap flap to flip open. This is an oversight on their newer battery caps, as there was never an issue with the older ones on the Boost Pro and Boost Pro Max with regard to the flip-down tab.
Overall, assuming that the new caps don't strip out like the older ones, this portion of the mod is a huge win.
The Aegis Boost Pro 2 Pod:
In the intro, I mentioned that the Boost Pro 2 was directed more toward low resistance DL vapers. What I meant by that was that the Boost Pro 2 is compatible with only one pod, and thus one series of coil - GeekVape's P-series coil. With the original Boost Pro and Boost Pro Max, they made two separate pods that both fit each of those devices. One pod fit the B-series coils, and a separate pod fit P-series coils. GeekVape's B-series coils have a wide range of resistances from 0.2 ohm all the way up to 1.2 ohm providing a wide range for DL, RDL, and MTL vapers. Their P-series have lower resistance coil options from 0.15 to 0.4 ohm making them aimed at more DL and RDL vapers. Although the Boost Pro 2 is more streamlined, it excludes the possibility of utilizing the B-series coils for those that seek an MTL option. This is also reflected in the AS-Chip 3.0 as well, which we'll get more into below.
The pod itself is made quite well and there have been some positive upgrades in the Boost Pro 2. First and foremost, the rubber refill tab was made about twice the size as it was in the original making it much easier to pull out. They also added a longer leash on this tab, allowing you to pull it up and out of the way.
The drip tip is not removeable with the ABP2 pod like it was in the previous models, however in the previous models, the removeable drip tip was more of a cap so I'm not sure how good secondary drip tips would have looked on those devices anyway.
The bottom portion of the pod is made of what looks to be a foggy polypropylene. It's semi-transparent allowing you to somewhat see where your juice levels are if the darker tinted top isn't allowing you to see that. It does take a little bit of light to properly see it. If you see your juice levels down in the non-tinted area below, I'd recommend refilling the pod. Properly capillary action can be disrupted if the wick in the coil doesn't have enough juice to stay saturated.
Make sure when installing the coil that the straight edges of the coil line up with the straight edges on the pod. When sealed correctly, this pod contains juice exceptionally well. I've no mishaps with leaking of any sort, and there's no residual moisture down in the connection bay.
Lastly, the airflow control has been placed onto the pod instead of the pod mod like in the previous generation. I can't really say that this is a pro or con, but I will say that the sliding lever is much easier to adjust than the older spinning knob.
The P-Series Coil:
The ABP2 uses GeekVape's P-series coils. After having used several GeekVape tanks and coils, the P-series coils are my favorite. This is the opinion of a predominantly DL and RDL vaper, so if your tastes fall more in line with MTL, your opinion will likely differ. I've heard the B-series coils are fantastic for MTL, but that is not available for the Aegis Boost Pro 2. The available resistances for the P-series coils are 0.15, 0.2, and 0.4 ohm.
You'll notice that the juice ports allowing the juice to wick are quite large meaning this device should have no problems keeping up with wicking while chain vaping. I've not run into any issues with wicking thus far which is a nice change for a pod device.
On the bottom of each coil, it states the coil type, the coil metal, the resistance, and the recommended wattage range. This is all pertinent information for those with metal allergies, but I want to heed a warning on the wattage recommendations. It is my opinion that most companies overstate the recommended wattages of their coils, so my suggestion would be to start just below the recommended wattage and slowly work your way up to find what best suits you for warmth and flavor.
And lastly, there's a picture of the coil removal tool and how it's used if you find it difficult to get the coils out of the pod.
The AS-Chip 3.0:
The new GeekVape chip is operated very similarly to the older GeekVape chips. With 3.0, they introduced "Boosting" mode which to me is nothing more than a renamed "Bypass" mode - it will offer you as much power as the battery can supply at its current voltage level. Since this chip is not boosted, the maximum amount of wattage it can deliver will reduce as the batteries dies which is essentially the same thing as what a bypass mode offers. Being that this chip isn't boosted, as a single battery mod, that's going to be a con for me. A boosted chip has the ability to maintain a constant voltage output even when the battery voltage drops below the needed voltage to maintain the wattage setting on the mod. This may sound like word salad, but essentially when the battery indicator reaches around 2 of 5 battery bars, the wattage setting begins to fall from 50W down to 35ish watts. At around 1 of 5 battery bars, the wattage output is further reduced down to 20ish watts before the battery dies out. You can't properly vape a 0.15 ohm coil at 20W rendering the last 1/5 of the life in your battery pretty much useless.
Basics of the UI:
The UI wattage changes in 0.5W increments. It does round robin from 100W back down to 5W, and vice versa. There are 4 different power modes, they are Power, Boosting, VPC, and Smart. I'm not entirely sure why TC modes are accessible in this device, as I'm pretty sure all GeekVape coils are made of kanthal which can't properly be used with the NI (nickel), TI (titanium), SS (stainless steel), or the TCR modes. Maybe a 510 adapter will become available in the future? To access additional features, use the following button combinations:
> Shut off/Turn on mod: 5x clicks of the fire button
> Change screen brightness: Press and hold left or right directional button + fire button
> Change firing modes: 3x clicks of the fire button - firing mode is then highlighted, press left and right directional buttons to switch modes
** Also while the firing mode is highlighted, press and hold both left and right directional buttons to cycle through UI colors
** Once a firing mode is chosen, press the fire button if you wish to move the cursor down
> To exit mode selection: Allow the cursor to time out, or press and hold the fire button for 1-2 seconds
The clarify:
> Power mode is wattage-controlled.
> Boosting mode runs the batteries at their maximum capable battery draw.
> VPC mode allows you to change the first 2.5 seconds of firing by adjusting each 0.5 second increment to different wattage values. This essentially allows you to preboost your firing to get the coils up to vaping temp faster, or slow the ramp up time.
> Smart mode caps the available wattage based on the coil resistance to help beginners from burning their coils.
The side A-Lock when slid down disables all of the buttons from activating.
The UI and operation is as simple as that.
Conclusion:
Overall, the GeekVape B100 Aegis Boost Pro 2 vapes really well, but with some caveats. The biggest downfall for this device is that the AS-Chip 3.0 doesn't have a boost in it, therefore the last 2 to 3 battery bars will give you reduced wattages depending on what wattage you've set the mod to. I've been vaping the 0.15 ohm coil at 50W pretty much exclusively which is to my liking, but anyone vaping in the 70 to 85 watt range is going to experience this wattage drop even faster. To me, that wasn't a good move on GeekVape's part to take that out. The original Boost Pro and Boost Pro Max did have chips that had boost, and it makes a world of difference in quality of life. If you're wanting the battery to last longer, I'd suggest sticking to the 0.4 ohm coils which will allow you to vape between 25 and 50W pretty easily.
When you are pulling the wattage that you want from this kit, it rocks. I've absolutely been in love with GeekVape's P-series coils ever since I got the original Boost Pro and Boost Pro Max and would hands down recommend them over the Z and Z Max coils.
Overall, this kit is a win as long as you keep your batteries topped off!
++ Pros ++
> No leaking!
> Vibrant colorways
> Very simple UI
> IP-68 rating
> Well-assembled
> Great hand-feel
> Buttons are clicky and responsive
> Small and pocketable
> Pod is magnetized well
> Airflow is easier to change
> Refill tab made bigger, easier to refill
> USB-C (1.5A charge speed, although wouldn't recommend charging battery internally)
- - Cons - -
> Battery door flap is hard to flip down
> Chip has buck, but no boost
+ - Considerations - +
> 18650? Will we be seeing a 21700 version in the near future?
> Boosting mode feels like a gimicky Bypass mode
Rating:
8-8.5
I promise that I try to keep these reviews as short as possible, but feel the need to cover everything. If you stuck with me to the end, I very much appreciate it. Again, I want to thank Joyi from Sourcemore for making this review possible. If you're interested in purchasing the Aegis Boost Pro 2, check out Sourcemore's link here as well as the P-series coils found here. There's also a May sale right now giving you 10% off your cart (code: "may10") or 5% off for bronze members (code: "may5"). Sourcemore is always up to date with what's new and shiny, so check back frequently if you like to stay on top of new releases. That's all I got for ya!
Thanks and happy vape hoarding!
