Innokin Kroma 217 Z-Force Kit
May the Z-Force be with you!
Almost all images were provided to me by Innokin or taken by myself for the purpose of this review. If you would like a photo taken down, please contact me.
Hello folks! Welcome to another one of my overly done reviews. Today I have a kit that would seem to be long awaited by both Innokin fans and DL vapers alike. Earlier this year, during a Q&A with Phil Busardo and Dimitris (VapinGreek) here on ECF, they had both mentioned that a 21700 battery compatible mod was in the works as well as another DL atomizer. With their powers combined (
) along with the Innokin Team, we have the newest addition to the Kroma-series mods and Innokin's newly released Z-Force DL style tank resulting in the Kroma 217 Z-Force Kit. We'll dig up the dirt on all of this in a bit, but first I'd like to give a special thanks to
@Innokin_timmy for coordinating and allowing me to test this product.
My objective in the reviews I do is to hopefully add some unbiased perspectives and considerations. There's no such thing as a perfect product, and I will point that out when I see it. I will also endorse positive changes and concepts, which you'll see quite a bit of in this review simply because I believe Innokin continues to sit on the forefront of pushing vaping technology to new boundaries; something I wish more vape companies would take a chapter from. Changing the knurling on the airflow ring and adding a suffix to the name as a new release for the month, or adding a boost to the chip - which it should have to begin with - is NOT innovation (I'm looking at you VooPoo). I'm really sick of seeing companies do this, and for that I applaud Innokin.
- Quick Overview in Flipbook Mode -
All pictures can be clicked on for easier viewing/readability
The Build.
The chassis is made of light-weight but sturdy, Zinc-alloy. If you're familiar with the previous Kroma-R, this is that, except on roids.
Color Options.
- River Wood
- Mariana Blue
- Stealth Black
- Glass Fiber
- Carbon Fiber
I received the River Wood and Carbon Fiber variants. I've read about a few people not liking the color matching of the River Wood tank and mod, but if you look at the lighter blue accents on the mod, they match the tank. I think they work great together; same with the Mariana Blue and its darker shades of blue on the mod. The rest are your standard stainless steel, gunmetal, and black designs.
The Z-Force Tank.
As it states, this is strictly an RDL/DL tank. I appreciate that Innokin did not try to stretch the advertisement of this tank into the MTL region because it is not that. They have several tanks that have already mastered that. The airflow is quite smooth in all settings, and I have yet to hear the itching of a whistle. Y'know, that airflow when you vape, it sounds like it's ever-so-close to whistling - the kind where if there are dogs in your neighborhood, they're all cranking their head to the side looking in your direction.
DuoPrime Wicking.
Unlike other dual coil, coil heads where you see two smaller wound coils on the inside, the DuoPrime sports a single coil on the inside of the wick, as well as a single coil on the outside of the wick. The coil on the outside heats slower which allows it to expose layers of flavor from the ejuice simultaneously as it heats up. The concept is brilliant.
Sliding Top-fill.
Nothing new here. We've seen this design on the Innokin Zlide as well as many other prebuilt coil head tanks. Innokin did execute the membrane style and quality better than they did in the Zenith II which is great to see.
Leak-proof Coil Changes.
Messy coil changes with full tanks is a thing of the past! A spring-loaded sleeve pops out when the coil is removed, sealing off the tank's juice ports. I filled the tank to the brim and tested how well this performs further below.
Coil+ & Refresh Modes.
Coil+ was introduced with the Innokin Sensis Pod Kit. When the mod is set in this mode, releasing the fire button heats the coil at 40% of the set Wattage for about a 1/2 of a second which helps to extend coil life and draw in juice for the next vape. The Refresh Mode does essentially the same thing, but fires the coil at 40% for about 4 seconds when selecting Auto. If Auto isn't cutting it, you can select Manual and fire it for as long as you'd like to revitalize the coil.
External Battery Compatibility.
With the adapter sleeve, you're able to use use an 18650-sized battery (18 mm Diameter * 65 mm Length). Without the adapter sleeve, you can use a 20700 (20 mm Diameter * 70 mm Length) or 21700 (21 mm Diameter * 70 mm Length)-sized battery which is highly recommended. Depending on the choice of battery specs and your preferred Wattage, you can expect anywhere from 0 to 40% more battery life. Remember the 3 Watts per 1 Amp CDR rule. Example: 20 Amp Continuous Discharge Rate (CDR) = 60 Watt max. 30 Amp CDR = 90 Watt max.
USB Type-C Charging.
The battery charger I used to test the USB-C Voltage and Amps is the XTAR PB2S. It read 4.8V and 1.6A. The XTAR charger itself is rather new to me, so I cannot verify the accuracy of it. However, being that it's not far off from the spec listed below, my guess is that it's fairly accurate. Although the USB-C port works great for recharging, it's highly recommended to recharge the batteries via an external charger to avoid damaging the chip from continued USB abuse.
Protections.
Two important things I think you should be aware of are highlighted here. The "LOW VOLT" warning is really a good point to consider recharging your battery. To check your battery's current Voltage, Press the + directional button and the fire button simultaneously for a few seconds. Note at the top, that the mod will not fire with a battery Voltage below 2.7V. I would recommend not allowing it to drop below 3.0V for the sake battery stability and lifespan.
Specifications:
Device Dimensions:
132*45*30mm (With Tank)
86*45*30mm (Without Tank)
Net Weight (Kit):
~194-196g
Color of Product:
Glass Fiber, Carbon Fiber, Mariana Blue, River Wood, Stealth Black
Tank Capacity:
2ml/5ml
Resistance and Wattage Range:
0.3 Ohm @ 30-45W; 0.2 Ohm @ 50-80W
Coil Material:
Kanthal
Glass Replaceable:
Yes
Airflow:
Adjustable
Top or Bottom Airflow:
Bottom Airflow
Wick Material:
Cotton flax
Top Coil or Bottom Coil:
Bottom
BVC or Horizontal Coil:
BVC
How to Fill the Tank:
Slide Top Fill
How to Replace the Coil:
Unscrew the tank base to replace the coil
Internal / External Battery:
External 21700 Battery or 18650 Battery (with adapter)
Battery mAh:
Depends on Chosen External Battery
How Long the Battery can Last:
Depends on Wattage setting
Minimum / Maximum Wattage:
6.0W-80W (18650 Battery with Adapter); 6.0W-100W (21700 Battery)
Minimum / Maximum Voltage:
1.0V-7.5V
TC Range:
N/A
Cut-off Time:
3s-18s Adjustable
Tank Compatible:
510 Thread Tank
Max. Output Current:
18650 Battery: 28.5A; 21700 Battery: 32A
Resistance Range:
0.1Ω-3.5Ω
Body Material:
Zinc-alloy
Thread Material:
Stainless Steel
Thread Type (Ego/510?):
510 Thread
510 Connection Type (Spring loaded?):
Spring Loaded
Charging Current:
5V/1.7A
Charging Indicator:
Display screen shows charging status
Battery Capacity Indicator:
Red: Battery <10%
Yellow: Battery 10%-60%
Green: Battery >60%
Features:
- 21700 External Battery
- 6-100 Watt Output
- Coil+ and Refresh
- USB-C Charging
- Z-Force Tank
- ZF Coils with DuoPrime Wicking
