Innokin Endura Apex Vape Pen Starter Kit
Hello folks! Today I'll be doing a review on Innokin's newly released Endura Apex Starter Kit. I'll be sharing with you everything you can expect in the package, my experiences with it thus far, and what I see as potential pros and cons. This is the first Endura device I've tried in their long lineup of Endura products, so my observations will have no basis for comparison against the previous models unfortunately. However, as with pretty much all Innokin products, you can expect top notch build quality and innovation. From my brief overlook at the other Endura products, the Apex is no exception.
I wanted to get this review out a week ago, but got COVID just before Christmas so that's delayed my testing a bit. I wanted to make sure getting the 'VID didn't effect the results of my findings. I want to thank Nicole over at Innokin for sending me the device, and @Innokin_timmy for remaining active in ECF. As always, this review will be conducted in a fair and honest manner.
A more interactive and in-depth page with additional info for the Endura Apex can be found on Innokin's site here. I will list the basic options and product specs before diving right into my observations to try and compress the review a bit and avoid redundancy.
Available colors are:
• Pink
• Purple
• Grey
• Black
• Blue
• Green
Product Specifications:
Device Dimensions:
• 22 * 55.5mm
Tank Capacity:
• 3.0mL/2.0mL (TPD)
Resistance And Wattage Range:
• 0.9 ohm (0.8 ohm spare Prism S coil) 14.5-18W
Body Material:
• Glass/Stainless Steel
Coil Material:
• KAL (Kanthal)
Coil Compatible:
• Compatible With T20S Prism S Coils
Airflow:
• Bottom Adjustable Airflow
What's in the package:
• Endura Apex Mod
• Prism T20S Tank (0.9 ohm Prism S mesh coil pre-installed)
• Spare Prism S Coil (0.8 ohm round wire)
• Spare O-Ring Set
• USB Type-C Charging Cable (1 foot in length)
• User Manual
• Warning/Safety Booklet
I received two kits for the review (thank you Innokin) and as you can see there's a 510 connection making this not a pod device, even though it kind of looks like one. Other than e-juice, this kit has everything you'll need to start off with making this a great starter kit option. Although a bit tall, the Apex has a very petite hand-feel and will fit nicely in your pocket (as long as you're not sitting down) or purse. When stood up, it's slightly shorter than most 18650 box mods with an atomizer sitting on top of it making this quite tall for its size. The User Manual is laid out very cleanly and is very easy to read if you find yourself confuzzled.
And as before, I want to thank Innokin for using recycled material for their packaging. <3
The cylindrical Apex mod is made of stainless steel which makes me wonder thinking back, when I last saw a vape product made out of SS other than coils. Nearly everything vape-related these days made of metal is either zinc-alloy or aluminum-alloy. It does add a slight amount of weight, but you can be sure the Apex can handle a fall or two. The 6 color options all have a slightly reflective matte-like satin finish and the fire button and rotating bottom switch are both outlined with an LED light making the operation of the battery quite easy to understand while also being aesthetically pleasing.
On the top we have a spring-loaded, brass or gold-plated 510 connection with smooth threading and a 22mm diameter platform. On the bottom is where you'll find the USB Type-C port capable of charging up to 0.8A. In the User Manual, it states that the device charges at 800 mA (0.8A) which is absolutely wonderful to see for a change. Most companies would advertise a 1.0A charging speed and while it seems to be the industry norm to embellish specs like this, it's disheartening to continually see it time and time again. There's a reason we value Mooch when it comes to battery specs - the truth does matter. I really appreciate Innokin's honesty here, which reiterates why I believe in their company. It may not seem like a big deal to you, but honesty is a must for me.
I did notice a slight bit of power dropoff as the battery reached the lower end of the orange LED (10-30% battery life) and that's to be expected in a simple non-boosted chip. For best performance, I'd recommend tossing the mod back on the charger once the LED flips from green to orange.
To recharge this device, you're looking at about 2 hours for the 1800 mAh internal battery to fully charge. For the wattages this device uses (14.5-18W), a full charge should likely last you through the day. Luckily the USB Type-C charging port does detect QC 3.0 cables for the android users, and also allows pass-through vaping if you find yourself needing more battery life and wanting a puff here and there.
As I mentioned above, there are LEDs that line the fire button and the bottom rotating switch. The LED around the fire button notifies you of the battery life you have left each time you fire the device. Per the User Manual:
Green indicates >30% battery life.
Yellow indicates between 10 and 30% battery life.
Red indicates <10% battery life.
Note: Recharging the device also lights up the same LED and will remain red until it reaches >90% battery capacity at which point it will turn green. When fully charged, the light will turn off.
The bottom of the battery mod is a switch that rotates clockwise and counter-clockwise to adjust the power setting.
Oddly, this GIF I converted from their website page is backwards, lol. Looking at the mod from the bottom, clockwise turns the mod to the higher power setting, and counter-clockwise sets it to the lower power setting. This doesn't make much difference because the light tells you which setting you're in regardless of whether you're spinning it CW or CCW.
Now, there is a small discrepency I've noticed. Innokin's site shows a 14.5W low setting and 18W high setting. The User Manual states a 14.5W low setting and 16.5W high setting. The coils themselves are rated up to 18W, but that doesn't necessarily determine whether the mod can reach that 18W, but it sure leans it in that direction. Whether it's 16.5W or 18W, there is a small performance difference between the two settings. I wouldn't say it's significant, but MTL coils generally don't have a significant amount of room for adjustments simply because 2W can go from a perfect vape to a burnt one. In this case, it's enough to improve the vape slightly if you like a warmer puff.
The two pictures at the top of the collage above show each coil (they're both the same coil) having all the information we like to see on a coil. The resistance, the recommended wattage, the coil material used, as well as the name of the coil.
The next picture shows a side-by-side view of the 0.9 and 0.8 ohm Prism S coils. The box packaging states that the pre-installed 0.9 ohm coil is a T20S (compatible?) coil, but the coil package exteriors are both labeled Prism S coils with no further information, so be careful when ordering new coils. Just a tad bit of room for confusion here. The 0.9 ohm coil is mesh, the 0.8 ohm coil is round wire.
You can tell the coil on the left was used extensively as the cotton's very dark. One observation I found to be weird is that the 0.9 ohm coil has larger juice ports (the small circles where you can see cotton) than the 0.8 ohm coil. In most cases, coils with higher resistances generally have smaller juice ports. With the Prism S coils, the 0.9 ohm coil is made of mesh wire and offers a greater surface area of vaporization which usually means more ejuice use and more flavor when fired. The 0.8 ohm coil is made of round wire and thus it doesn't need juice ports as large.
The bottom of the Prism S coils are very similar to the form factor of Innokin's famously known Z-coils. The straight edges I noted in both the pictures of the coil (shown above) and the tank (shown below) need to be lined up when installing the coil. Make sure the black O-Ring you see just above threading of the coil is present, otherwise you're going to find yourself a wet mess.
Between the two coils, I can't say I noticed much of a difference in flavor output. This could come down to the juice I chose to use which is a 70/30 VG/PG 3mg French Toast. For both RDL and MTL, on the inhale I could pick up some of the savory flavor, but on the exhale there wasn't much there. If anything, I was almost picking up hints of tobacco which I never used in the device, lol. I could imagine a tobacco flavor being a good choice for these coils if you're wanting a subtle tobacco flavor. I do get a little bit more of a punchy flavor when vaped in MTL with a single hole for airflow. Regardless, if you enjoy a more subtle flavor output which some people do, this is a great MTL option. For those that like a more pungent flavor output, I don't think you'll find much enjoyment from these coils. Maybe they'll release additional Prism S coils in the future? Who knows. Really though, I don't think we should expect MTL devices to be flavor powerhouses.
The new Prism T20S tank design is overall pretty standard with the exception of the coil and bottom base cap which is unique to Innokin - their Z-coil tanks use the same method. Each coil has 510 threading which connects it directly with the positive pin of the mod. Every time you replace the coil, you're replacing the 510 connection of your atomizer which has worked out pretty great in their tanks. I've had the Endura Apex for about a month now, and I've yet to have a single leaking issue which is saying something, considering it's a bottom airflow tank.
The refill kidney-shaped hole is offset with a smaller circular hole which serves as an air outlet when filling the tank. Several pod devices are severely lacking this feature which inevitably leads to a messy refill - not with the Apex. Unlike some other Innokin tanks that have a spring-loaded juice port cover when pulling the coil out, make sure your juice level is nearly empty before attempting to replace the coil. You should hardly be able to see any juice in the tank window if you want to be sure not to have a juice spill when taking out the coil. You can turn the tank on its side when pulling the coil out to give you a little bit of wiggle room.
The top cap and removeable 510 driptip (driptip needs an O-Ring if you use your own) are made of plastic. I'm a bit leary with plastic to metal threadings, but the top cap screws on quite smoothly. The underside of the top cap has a large rubber gasket attached to it to seal the tank. The tank overall has been very solid against any leakages.
Lastly, the airflow offers a great range of MTL vaping. A single airflow hole offers what I would consider a "true" MTL vape, as it's very close to that of a packed cigarette. With all 4 holes exposed, it's a loose MTL. When I say I'm RDL vaping this device, I'm loosening my lips around the drip tip to allow ambient air to be inhaled along with the vape. I tend to vape most MTL vapes in this way when not testing out the range of airflow. The coil has kept up very well with the wicking. I've not had a single burnt vape from the Apex.
+ + Pros + +
• Package has everything needed for a starter kit
• Slim and sleek hand-feel
• Solid stainless steel build quality
• Low and high power options
• Great range of MTL airflow
• Great battery life
• Driptip is comfortable and great for MTL
• Removeable driptip
• Juice level is easy to see
• No leaks
• Easy to refill/mess free
• Great road companion
- - Cons - -
• The Apex is a bit tall - not so pocket friendly if you sit down
• Battery indicator distribution should be more evenly spread out, like <30%, between 30 & 70%, and >70%
+ - Preferential Considerations - +
• Flavor production isn't the best, but there are those that like a more subtle tasting vape
Overall Rating & Verdict
8
I've been using this device for my commute and I can't say I've been complaining. Does it put out the most flavor? Nope, but in some cases - like when I'm driving - I tend to take more puffs than when I'm busy with stuff at home. To me, sometimes flavors can almost get gaggy when vaped excessively due to things like boredom, and I'm okay with the Endura Apex not reigning champion in that department. To me, reliability, overall consistent performance, and leakage issues are where my stocks are invested, and the Endura Apex hits the mark in all of these categories.
I hope I hit on pretty much everything. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a response or PM me. You can find the Endura Apex on Innokin's website or at any participating vendor. It's the start of a new year - cheers to all the happy lungs out there!
Also, happy vape hoarding!
