Hi ECF members, In this review i take a look at the istick Rim 80W Kit with Melo 5 from eleaf. The iStick Rim 80W Kit with Melo 5 was supplied for the purpose of this review by Lacey from eleaf.
iStick Rim with MELO 5 - Eleaf electronic cigarette
Introduction
The iStick Rim is the latest iStick device from Eleaf and in this kit comes paired with their latest version of the Melo Tank. The Rim is an 80W in-built battery device that has no TC settings as it's a simple Variable Wattage only device. Although it has no temperature control settings it has automatic temperature controlled dry burn protection (Smart Dry Burning Technology) which is only activated under certain conditions using the supplied EC-S 0.6ohm coil head. The Rim also has a TYPE-C interface and supported by QC3.0/PD3.0 charging protocol. The Melo 5 has a child resistance top-fill method and anti leaking mechanism allowing the coils to be changed while still having e-liquid in the tank, let's give the pair a look!
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In The Box
Contents:
1 x iStick Rim Battery
1 x MELO 5 Atomizer (TPD 2ml/Standard 4ml)
1 x EC-S 0.6ohm Head
1 x EC-M 0.15ohm Head
1 x 4ml Bubble glass
1 x QC3.0 USB Cable
2 x User Manuals
Spare Parts
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The iStick Rim Kit came in the usual Eleaf style of cardboard packaging, i received the Wildness design which is a sought of camo, it came with a Black Melo 5 tank. The different designs are, Wildness, E-Green, Maze, Macaron, Rainbow and Darkness, all versions come with either a Black or Silver Melo 5 Tank. Some of these designs are quite stunning and have been achieved by using IML technology, the material is rubber followed by a printed pattern then a protective clear film coating giving a glossy and very durable finish. The device is almost round shaped making it very ergonomic with a rubber panel on the spine for grip. The face has a Black panel which houses a large pill shaped fire button top followed by the screen, then below the screen we have the two round navigational buttons lined up vertically. Moving to the base we have generous venting, printed branding and the micro USB port, i really don't like the position of the micro USB port as you need to remove the tank before charging unless you want to tempt fate as lying down tanks have a tendency to leak. Finally up top we have the 510 platform with Gold plated, spring loaded 510. The device is very nicely made, very ergonomic and in my opinion most of the designs are very aesthetically pleasing.
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Melo 5 Specs and Features:
Diameter: 28mm(4ml)/26.5mm(2ml)
Height: 57.3mm
E-liquid capacity: 4ml/2ml
Coil: EC-S 0.6ohm Head; EC-M 0.15ohm Head
Optimal flavor and massive cloud
Top childproof structure for protection
Bottom anti-leak e-liquid lock system
New EC SS316L mesh coil
Thread: 510
Colours: Black, Silver
___________________________________________________________________
Melo 5 Overview
The TPD version comes with a 2ml straight glass installed and a bubble glass in the box, the standard version comes with the 4ml bubble glass pre-installed. The bubble glass has rubber banding which is a great idea as it prevents the glass breaking if its dropped but in my opinion is ugly as hell, so much so i stuck to the 2ml straight glass despite that meant filling too often for my liking. Up top we have a wide bore delrin 510 drip tip so you can use your own if you prefer. The Melo 5 has a child resistance top-fill method as it takes two actions to open, on the top of the top cap is a little arrow head, simply lift up the top-cap and slide open in the direction of the arrow head. To fill you need to push your nozzle through a self sealing membrane, then simply slide the top to close and it locks back in position. The Other feature the Melo 5 has is spring loaded shutters for the juice flow ports. When you unscrew the base the shutters drop stopping any liquid escaping out of the tank while changing coils, when the coil and base is screwed back into position the shutters lift up allowing juice flow to the coil. The airflow control is dual cyclops which moves with nice resistance, it has a slot followed by two different sized MTL air holes (the same both sides).
___________________________________________________________________
The Coils
You get supplied with 2 coils which are the new pre-installed EC-S 0.6ohm coil which is a SS316L Mesh coil and a dual purpose coil working well as a MTL vape or low wattage DL hit rated between 15-30W. The other coil is a kanthal mesh coil, the EC-M 0.15ohm coil head which is rated between 30-75W.
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iStick Rim Specs and Features:
Size: 30.3 x 36 x 80mm
Battery type: Built-in 3000mAh
Output wattage: 80W max
Resistance range: 0.05-3.0ohm
Charging time: 40min
Charging port: Type-C
Built-in 3000mAh battery for all-day-long vape
Type-C charging port with QC3.0 fast charge
Distinctive in Moulding Label(IML) Technology
Innovative dry-burn protection
Thread: 510
Designs: Wildness, E-Green, Maze, Macaron, Rainbow, Darkness
___________________________________________________________________
The Display
The Display is old school and in keeping with other iStick devices displaying just the basic information. To the left we have the horizontal battery status bar, next to this is the resistance top and the selected subpara bottom. The subpara options are puff counter, time of vape or volts, the right side of the screen displays the wattage in large font.
___________________________________________________________________
Navigating The iStick Rim
I have always found the iStick devices very easy to navigate and with the Rim being Variable wattage only it's even more straightforward. To turn the device on and off is 5 clicks of the fire button and when turning on it goes to the main display instantly with no boot up time. Pressing up and down together locks and unlocks the navigational buttons but the device will still fire. To enter the menu you need to press up and fire simultaneously which brings up the usual row of icons you can scroll through (they round robin). The first icon is exit which takes you back to the main screen then the next icon is the subpara where you can choose whether you want puffs, time vaped or volts displayed on the screen. The next icon is for turning stealth mode on or off then we have where we can select pre-hest and set the wattage and duration. Next is timeout options followed by hardware and firmware information, finally the last icon when selected shows the voltage on the battery. When adjusting wattage it alters in 0.1W increments up to 20W (for fine tuning MTL vaping) and then switches to 1W increments up to 80W, That's it, so simple.
___________________________________________________________________
Smart Dry Burning Technology
So the iStick Rim is a simple variable wattage device but it does have Smart Dry Burning Technology which is a a form of auto temperature control that protects against dry and burn't hits by activating when your juice runs dry, when this happens "Dry Protection" is displayed on the screen and the power cuts out. The dry burn protection only works when vaping below 30W and with the new EC-S 0.6ohm coil head as the material used is SS316L which works with temperature control.
___________________________________________________________________
Protections
Dry Burn Protection
Over 10s Protection
Short Circuit Protection
Over Current Protection
Over Charge Protection
Over Discharge Protection
___________________________________________________________________
Using Independently
Although coming as a kit of course both the iStick Rim device and Melo 5 tank can be used with other tanks and devices. I can see myself using the ergonomic pocket friendly iStick Rim as a little out and about device with it's 3000mAh battery. I will also be getting more of the EC-S 0.6ohm coil heads but not to use the Melo 5 with the Rim as i just don't like the other coil but actually to give me a stock coil tank option on my Mirage using Replay.
___________________________________________________________________
My Experience Using The iStick Rim Kit
The iStick rim i really enjoyed using as an out and about device, it slips in the pocket and gets swallowed up in the hand when using, as a power only vaper the lack of TC settings just simplifies the device and let's face it those using TC are a very small percentage. The fire button is easy to feel and very clicky and fires without noticeable delay, like every iStick device i have used it just behaved very reliably. Having an in-built battery will be a con to some and a pro to others but what are definite pros are it's 3000mAh battery which gives really good battery life and the device has TYPE-C USB interface and supported by QC3.0/PD3.0 charging protocol allowing the device to be fully charged in just 40 minutes. The Melo 5 even with airflow fully open has quite a bit of restriction which will be as much to do with the bores of the coils. The 0.15ohm coil i'm really not too keen on, it has a rating up to 75W but any thing over 50W it struggled to wick and chain vaping is out of the question. I used it at 50W to at least get a warmish vape and flavour was good but nothing to get excited over. The new EC-S 0.6ohm coil is a cracking coil and very versatile i used it with the airflow closed down to the two air holes each side for a quite airy MTL vape right up to using it 10W over it's rating at 40W with the airflow fully open and just about every watt in-between with different airflow amounts and it gave really excellent flavour throughout. The Melo 5 doesn't allow for super tight MTL but when set on just one hole each side it's close to a cigarette type pull like the EC-S coil head the Melo 5 is a good versatile tank. The iStick Rim accommodates up to a 26mm atty without overhanging the platform so any tank i can think of that suits the device will fit no problem.
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Very well made device
Stunning designs (in my opinion)
Durable finish
Very ergonomic
Pocket friendly
User friendly simple device
TYPE-C interface and supported by QC3.0/PD3.0 charging protocol
Smart Dry burning technology
26mm atty's without overhanging platform
3000mAh battery (gives very good life)
In-built battery (also put has a con some prefer them others prefer external batteries)
Nice clicky fire button (fires without delay)
Worked very reliably
Melo 5 very good child resistant top-fill system
Anti leaking mechanism
EC-S 0.6ohm coil gave cracking flavour
EC-S 0.6ohm coil very versatile
Cons
In-built battery (a con to some)
No bells and whistles in regard features (it's meant to be a simple user friendly device)
USB port on base of device (i don't like this at all)
Melo 5 EC-M coil 0.15 head rating seams too high and only ok flavour
Rubber banding on bubble glass (i see it's practical advantages but looks ugly in my opinion)
I would once again like to thank Lacey for supplying the iStick Rim 80W Kit with Melo 5 for the purpose of this review.
iStick Rim with MELO 5 - Eleaf electronic cigarette
___________________________________________________________________
iStick Rim with MELO 5 - Eleaf electronic cigarette
Introduction
The iStick Rim is the latest iStick device from Eleaf and in this kit comes paired with their latest version of the Melo Tank. The Rim is an 80W in-built battery device that has no TC settings as it's a simple Variable Wattage only device. Although it has no temperature control settings it has automatic temperature controlled dry burn protection (Smart Dry Burning Technology) which is only activated under certain conditions using the supplied EC-S 0.6ohm coil head. The Rim also has a TYPE-C interface and supported by QC3.0/PD3.0 charging protocol. The Melo 5 has a child resistance top-fill method and anti leaking mechanism allowing the coils to be changed while still having e-liquid in the tank, let's give the pair a look!
___________________________________________________________________
In The Box
Contents:
1 x iStick Rim Battery
1 x MELO 5 Atomizer (TPD 2ml/Standard 4ml)
1 x EC-S 0.6ohm Head
1 x EC-M 0.15ohm Head
1 x 4ml Bubble glass
1 x QC3.0 USB Cable
2 x User Manuals
Spare Parts
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The iStick Rim Kit came in the usual Eleaf style of cardboard packaging, i received the Wildness design which is a sought of camo, it came with a Black Melo 5 tank. The different designs are, Wildness, E-Green, Maze, Macaron, Rainbow and Darkness, all versions come with either a Black or Silver Melo 5 Tank. Some of these designs are quite stunning and have been achieved by using IML technology, the material is rubber followed by a printed pattern then a protective clear film coating giving a glossy and very durable finish. The device is almost round shaped making it very ergonomic with a rubber panel on the spine for grip. The face has a Black panel which houses a large pill shaped fire button top followed by the screen, then below the screen we have the two round navigational buttons lined up vertically. Moving to the base we have generous venting, printed branding and the micro USB port, i really don't like the position of the micro USB port as you need to remove the tank before charging unless you want to tempt fate as lying down tanks have a tendency to leak. Finally up top we have the 510 platform with Gold plated, spring loaded 510. The device is very nicely made, very ergonomic and in my opinion most of the designs are very aesthetically pleasing.
___________________________________________________________________
Melo 5 Specs and Features:
Diameter: 28mm(4ml)/26.5mm(2ml)
Height: 57.3mm
E-liquid capacity: 4ml/2ml
Coil: EC-S 0.6ohm Head; EC-M 0.15ohm Head
Optimal flavor and massive cloud
Top childproof structure for protection
Bottom anti-leak e-liquid lock system
New EC SS316L mesh coil
Thread: 510
Colours: Black, Silver
___________________________________________________________________
Melo 5 Overview
The TPD version comes with a 2ml straight glass installed and a bubble glass in the box, the standard version comes with the 4ml bubble glass pre-installed. The bubble glass has rubber banding which is a great idea as it prevents the glass breaking if its dropped but in my opinion is ugly as hell, so much so i stuck to the 2ml straight glass despite that meant filling too often for my liking. Up top we have a wide bore delrin 510 drip tip so you can use your own if you prefer. The Melo 5 has a child resistance top-fill method as it takes two actions to open, on the top of the top cap is a little arrow head, simply lift up the top-cap and slide open in the direction of the arrow head. To fill you need to push your nozzle through a self sealing membrane, then simply slide the top to close and it locks back in position. The Other feature the Melo 5 has is spring loaded shutters for the juice flow ports. When you unscrew the base the shutters drop stopping any liquid escaping out of the tank while changing coils, when the coil and base is screwed back into position the shutters lift up allowing juice flow to the coil. The airflow control is dual cyclops which moves with nice resistance, it has a slot followed by two different sized MTL air holes (the same both sides).
___________________________________________________________________
The Coils
You get supplied with 2 coils which are the new pre-installed EC-S 0.6ohm coil which is a SS316L Mesh coil and a dual purpose coil working well as a MTL vape or low wattage DL hit rated between 15-30W. The other coil is a kanthal mesh coil, the EC-M 0.15ohm coil head which is rated between 30-75W.
___________________________________________________________________
iStick Rim Specs and Features:
Size: 30.3 x 36 x 80mm
Battery type: Built-in 3000mAh
Output wattage: 80W max
Resistance range: 0.05-3.0ohm
Charging time: 40min
Charging port: Type-C
Built-in 3000mAh battery for all-day-long vape
Type-C charging port with QC3.0 fast charge
Distinctive in Moulding Label(IML) Technology
Innovative dry-burn protection
Thread: 510
Designs: Wildness, E-Green, Maze, Macaron, Rainbow, Darkness
___________________________________________________________________
The Display
The Display is old school and in keeping with other iStick devices displaying just the basic information. To the left we have the horizontal battery status bar, next to this is the resistance top and the selected subpara bottom. The subpara options are puff counter, time of vape or volts, the right side of the screen displays the wattage in large font.
___________________________________________________________________
Navigating The iStick Rim
I have always found the iStick devices very easy to navigate and with the Rim being Variable wattage only it's even more straightforward. To turn the device on and off is 5 clicks of the fire button and when turning on it goes to the main display instantly with no boot up time. Pressing up and down together locks and unlocks the navigational buttons but the device will still fire. To enter the menu you need to press up and fire simultaneously which brings up the usual row of icons you can scroll through (they round robin). The first icon is exit which takes you back to the main screen then the next icon is the subpara where you can choose whether you want puffs, time vaped or volts displayed on the screen. The next icon is for turning stealth mode on or off then we have where we can select pre-hest and set the wattage and duration. Next is timeout options followed by hardware and firmware information, finally the last icon when selected shows the voltage on the battery. When adjusting wattage it alters in 0.1W increments up to 20W (for fine tuning MTL vaping) and then switches to 1W increments up to 80W, That's it, so simple.
___________________________________________________________________
Smart Dry Burning Technology
So the iStick Rim is a simple variable wattage device but it does have Smart Dry Burning Technology which is a a form of auto temperature control that protects against dry and burn't hits by activating when your juice runs dry, when this happens "Dry Protection" is displayed on the screen and the power cuts out. The dry burn protection only works when vaping below 30W and with the new EC-S 0.6ohm coil head as the material used is SS316L which works with temperature control.
___________________________________________________________________
Protections
Dry Burn Protection
Over 10s Protection
Short Circuit Protection
Over Current Protection
Over Charge Protection
Over Discharge Protection
___________________________________________________________________
Using Independently
Although coming as a kit of course both the iStick Rim device and Melo 5 tank can be used with other tanks and devices. I can see myself using the ergonomic pocket friendly iStick Rim as a little out and about device with it's 3000mAh battery. I will also be getting more of the EC-S 0.6ohm coil heads but not to use the Melo 5 with the Rim as i just don't like the other coil but actually to give me a stock coil tank option on my Mirage using Replay.
___________________________________________________________________
My Experience Using The iStick Rim Kit
The iStick rim i really enjoyed using as an out and about device, it slips in the pocket and gets swallowed up in the hand when using, as a power only vaper the lack of TC settings just simplifies the device and let's face it those using TC are a very small percentage. The fire button is easy to feel and very clicky and fires without noticeable delay, like every iStick device i have used it just behaved very reliably. Having an in-built battery will be a con to some and a pro to others but what are definite pros are it's 3000mAh battery which gives really good battery life and the device has TYPE-C USB interface and supported by QC3.0/PD3.0 charging protocol allowing the device to be fully charged in just 40 minutes. The Melo 5 even with airflow fully open has quite a bit of restriction which will be as much to do with the bores of the coils. The 0.15ohm coil i'm really not too keen on, it has a rating up to 75W but any thing over 50W it struggled to wick and chain vaping is out of the question. I used it at 50W to at least get a warmish vape and flavour was good but nothing to get excited over. The new EC-S 0.6ohm coil is a cracking coil and very versatile i used it with the airflow closed down to the two air holes each side for a quite airy MTL vape right up to using it 10W over it's rating at 40W with the airflow fully open and just about every watt in-between with different airflow amounts and it gave really excellent flavour throughout. The Melo 5 doesn't allow for super tight MTL but when set on just one hole each side it's close to a cigarette type pull like the EC-S coil head the Melo 5 is a good versatile tank. The iStick Rim accommodates up to a 26mm atty without overhanging the platform so any tank i can think of that suits the device will fit no problem.
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Very well made device
Stunning designs (in my opinion)
Durable finish
Very ergonomic
Pocket friendly
User friendly simple device
TYPE-C interface and supported by QC3.0/PD3.0 charging protocol
Smart Dry burning technology
26mm atty's without overhanging platform
3000mAh battery (gives very good life)
In-built battery (also put has a con some prefer them others prefer external batteries)
Nice clicky fire button (fires without delay)
Worked very reliably
Melo 5 very good child resistant top-fill system
Anti leaking mechanism
EC-S 0.6ohm coil gave cracking flavour
EC-S 0.6ohm coil very versatile
Cons
In-built battery (a con to some)
No bells and whistles in regard features (it's meant to be a simple user friendly device)
USB port on base of device (i don't like this at all)
Melo 5 EC-M coil 0.15 head rating seams too high and only ok flavour
Rubber banding on bubble glass (i see it's practical advantages but looks ugly in my opinion)
I would once again like to thank Lacey for supplying the iStick Rim 80W Kit with Melo 5 for the purpose of this review.
iStick Rim with MELO 5 - Eleaf electronic cigarette
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