Hi ECF members, In this review i take a look at the Kubi Pod Starter Kit 550mAh from Hotcig. The Kubi Pod Starter Kit 550mAh was supplied for the purpose of this review by Tina from Hotcig.
kubi-Mods Kits-HOT TECHNOLOGY
Introduction
Hotcig got known for their dna box mods but recently have started releasing devices powered by their own HM chip. Here we see their entry into the ever growing pod system market with the Kubi. With it's cigar shape, rubberised finish and petite size it both looks appealing and is as ergonomic as it comes. The pods are not refillable as far as the warranty goes but housing a ceramic 1.8ohm coil known for longevity i managed to get mine open and have refilled it a few times but it's not straight forward. It outputs a constant 3.5v which gives 7w but seems more and gives a surprising amount of vaper production for such a low powered device, so lets have a little look!
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In The Box
Contents:
1 x Hotcig Kubi Pod Starter Kit
1 x Extra Cartridge
1 x Leather Pouch
1 x USB Cable
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Kubi is a small cylindrical shaped device that has a very appealing cigar look to it, (My wife asked if it vibrates, she must think it looks like something different), the shape and size (it's small) makes it both very ergonomic and pocket friendly. It comes in 6 different colours, made of Stainless Steel it has a rubber paint finish which gives it both a nice feel and look. I received the Black version, it's also available in Grey, Red, Blue, Purple and Silver, all are nice shades of the mentioned colours. The pod is tinted Black and shaped like a bullets head, the device is a tube shape with a Silver band towards the bottom, after the Silver band the device tapers inwards to the base. The front of the device has a little Rectangular LED indicator light towards the top and then on the vertical above the Silver band "KUBI" is printed in a metallic Silver. The base of the device has printed branding and safety marks, central is the micro USB port.
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Kubi Specs and Features:
Size: 16 x 16 x 87mm
Battery type: Built-in 550mAh (Battery 13350)
Material: Stainless Steel
Pod Material: PCPG
Capacity: 1.7ml
Power voltage: 2.7V-4.2V
Output voltage : 3.5V
Coil resistance Range: Ceramic 1.8ohm
Food grade material for safe vape
Portable design with anti-leak system
Draw-activated switch without button
Ceramic coil for optimised flavour
Colours: Grey, Black, Red, Blue, Silver, Purple
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Bonus Lanyard
The kit includes a rather nice rope style Lanyard with Leather pouch to hold the device.
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The Pod
The Pod is shaped like a bullets head and it comes fitted to the device without the coil section (you also get a spare pod). The spare pod has the coil section inserted but their is a o-ring fitted at the base preventing it from closing properly, this o-ring is fitted for that reason because once the coil section snaps properly in place it is supposed not to be opened so is a non-refillable disposable pod. looking inside the open pod you can see the air pipe the coil fits on to and can see a space between this and the outer casing of the pod. To fill simply aim your liquid between the air pipe and the casing, i found once my nozzle was directed properly i found looking at the pod from the outside i was able to see the juice level while filling so i didn't overfill. Once filled you remove the loosely fitted bottom o-ring from the coil section then line up the 2 notches with the 2 cutouts on the pod, when they interlock the pod snaps shut in theory to use until your liquid runs out and then replace with a new pod.
Looking at the base of the pod (which is the coil section), we see the 2 contacts and hole to lead to the membrane switch, the perimeter has a Silver surround which is actually magnetised to secure the pod. Their are also on both sides of the base kidney shaped cutout sections that come in handy when it comes to actually allowing you to refill the pods (this isn't a recommendation, just i did). The pods are tinted Black but find i can easily see the juice level in daylight but when in artificial lighting sometimes found the need to hold it up directly to the light source.
Refilling The Pods
(Disclaimer: The pods are marketed as non-refillable so if you were to try and open them to refill and damage them you are not covered by any warranty)
A bit of a ridiculous disclaimer their as once you have used the liquid inside the pod if you don't try to refill them you would only be throwing them anyway. As pointed out the pod comes with a ceramic coil which are known for their longevity which seems a waste in a non refillable pod but i have refilled one of my pods half a dozen times but it is a bit of a drama. To undo you can get something in the joint between the top and coil section of the pod and just going around the perimeter separate evenly a bit at a time until it separates, i was successful this way but it was an ordeal (If you use a knife then you do so at your own risk). The other way is get something like small pliers and using those kidney shaped cutouts i mentioned on the base to tug the coil section off the main pod, this is far easier but your pliers need to be small and the blunt type.
Only buy the device on the premise that the pods can't be refilled. Because i managed to refill mine doesn't mean you will be successful, i might well break the next pod when i try to open it for the first time as first time is a bit of an ordeal.
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Fitting The Pod
Looking inside the device the bay where the pod gets inserted looks particularly tidy. You can see the usual Gold plated, spring loaded contacts and membrane switch. The inside is stainless steel so the pod gets press fitted into place but also the magnetic surround of the base of the pod makes it extra secure, you need to give the pod quite a hard tug to release it, a very good job.
___________________________________________________________________
Operating The Device
The Kubi is a draw activated device so can't be turned on or off, you simply take a draw and the device activates. There is an LED that flashes various times when a safety protection kicks in. The LED also lights up when vaping but gives no battery status indication at all.
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Charging The Device
You charge the Kubi via the micro USB port and while charging the LED is permanently on. I didn't time the device charging but it didn't seem too much over an hour, once fully charged the LED goes off.
___________________________________________________________________
How Does It Vape?
Like the CoilArt Mino the membrane switch is very sensitive so no need for a primer puff, it vapes really well more akin to a pod device with a physical fire button. If the specs are correct the vape feels a few watts more than the 7w and it gives good cloud production for a suction activated pod device of this type. The Kubi is powered by the HM chip so it may be possible that once the battery voltage is less than 3.5v it is being boosted as i don't experience any drop of at all, it gives a consistent vape throughout the battery life. The end of the bullet shape pod is very comfortable in the mouth and the draw while not being super tight is certainly tighter than most pod systems and strictly MTL. If i hadn't found that refilling the pod was possible it really wouldn't make economic sense but i'm still using the original pod and have filled it time and time again, it's still a con that these are suppose to be non-refillable pods because you shouldn't need to be using a knife or pliers to open them and just because i have been successful with one pod it's no guarantee as the first time i refilled it was by far the hardest to get undone and could easily of just broke the pod. The flavour from the Kubi 12 months ago i would of said is good for a pod system but with some of the pod systems that have come out of late having better flavour than in the past it is just average. However after many refills the flavour is still the same as when i first started using it, the problem is you only benefit from the longevity of the coil if you can get the pod open, hopefully they will change the pods so the coil section screws on. The battery life doesn't sound much at 550mAh but after mainly using the device over the last three weeks when i have been out and about and for a couple of hours here and their today i used it constantly with nic salts and it kept going all day. My only issues with the device is not it's performance it's the pods being non-refillable unless you have some small pliers or risk cutting yourself with a knife (i strongly advise against using a knife), and no guarantees the first time you will get it open without damaging the pod to the extent you won't be able to use it anyway. The other issue is that there is absolutely no battery status indication and because it seems to be giving a constant 3.5v so no drop off (which is a pro) you have no idea when the battery will soon need recharging.
___________________________________________________________________
Final Thoughts
You should only look at this device if you are prepared to throw the pods after only i pod full of e-juice and no battery status indication is another big con. The flavour is average but the rest is pro's all the way. No primer puff needed, consistent vape throughout the batteries life, good battery life, looks and feels great, cigarette like draw and plenty of cloud. The best way to describe my thoughts is it's a mixed bag!
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Shaped like a cigar (my wife shouts "Bullet")
good quality
Stainless Steel
Rubber paint finish
6 colour options
Ergonomic
Pocket friendly
Ceramic coil
Cigarette type draw
Good vaper production (relative)
Pods fit securely
Spare coil
Constant 3.5v output
Very responsive membrane switch
Ease of use
Lanyard with Leather pouch
Cons
Pods not designed to be refilled
No battery status indication
Flavour only average
In artificial light not easy to see juice level
I would once again like to thank Tina from Hotcig for supplying the Kubi Pod Starter Kit for the purpose of this review.
kubi-Mods Kits-HOT TECHNOLOGY
___________________________________________________________________
kubi-Mods Kits-HOT TECHNOLOGY
Introduction
Hotcig got known for their dna box mods but recently have started releasing devices powered by their own HM chip. Here we see their entry into the ever growing pod system market with the Kubi. With it's cigar shape, rubberised finish and petite size it both looks appealing and is as ergonomic as it comes. The pods are not refillable as far as the warranty goes but housing a ceramic 1.8ohm coil known for longevity i managed to get mine open and have refilled it a few times but it's not straight forward. It outputs a constant 3.5v which gives 7w but seems more and gives a surprising amount of vaper production for such a low powered device, so lets have a little look!
___________________________________________________________________
In The Box
Contents:
1 x Hotcig Kubi Pod Starter Kit
1 x Extra Cartridge
1 x Leather Pouch
1 x USB Cable
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Card
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Kubi is a small cylindrical shaped device that has a very appealing cigar look to it, (My wife asked if it vibrates, she must think it looks like something different), the shape and size (it's small) makes it both very ergonomic and pocket friendly. It comes in 6 different colours, made of Stainless Steel it has a rubber paint finish which gives it both a nice feel and look. I received the Black version, it's also available in Grey, Red, Blue, Purple and Silver, all are nice shades of the mentioned colours. The pod is tinted Black and shaped like a bullets head, the device is a tube shape with a Silver band towards the bottom, after the Silver band the device tapers inwards to the base. The front of the device has a little Rectangular LED indicator light towards the top and then on the vertical above the Silver band "KUBI" is printed in a metallic Silver. The base of the device has printed branding and safety marks, central is the micro USB port.
___________________________________________________________________
Kubi Specs and Features:
Size: 16 x 16 x 87mm
Battery type: Built-in 550mAh (Battery 13350)
Material: Stainless Steel
Pod Material: PCPG
Capacity: 1.7ml
Power voltage: 2.7V-4.2V
Output voltage : 3.5V
Coil resistance Range: Ceramic 1.8ohm
Food grade material for safe vape
Portable design with anti-leak system
Draw-activated switch without button
Ceramic coil for optimised flavour
Colours: Grey, Black, Red, Blue, Silver, Purple
___________________________________________________________________
Bonus Lanyard
The kit includes a rather nice rope style Lanyard with Leather pouch to hold the device.
___________________________________________________________________
The Pod
The Pod is shaped like a bullets head and it comes fitted to the device without the coil section (you also get a spare pod). The spare pod has the coil section inserted but their is a o-ring fitted at the base preventing it from closing properly, this o-ring is fitted for that reason because once the coil section snaps properly in place it is supposed not to be opened so is a non-refillable disposable pod. looking inside the open pod you can see the air pipe the coil fits on to and can see a space between this and the outer casing of the pod. To fill simply aim your liquid between the air pipe and the casing, i found once my nozzle was directed properly i found looking at the pod from the outside i was able to see the juice level while filling so i didn't overfill. Once filled you remove the loosely fitted bottom o-ring from the coil section then line up the 2 notches with the 2 cutouts on the pod, when they interlock the pod snaps shut in theory to use until your liquid runs out and then replace with a new pod.
Looking at the base of the pod (which is the coil section), we see the 2 contacts and hole to lead to the membrane switch, the perimeter has a Silver surround which is actually magnetised to secure the pod. Their are also on both sides of the base kidney shaped cutout sections that come in handy when it comes to actually allowing you to refill the pods (this isn't a recommendation, just i did). The pods are tinted Black but find i can easily see the juice level in daylight but when in artificial lighting sometimes found the need to hold it up directly to the light source.
Refilling The Pods
(Disclaimer: The pods are marketed as non-refillable so if you were to try and open them to refill and damage them you are not covered by any warranty)
A bit of a ridiculous disclaimer their as once you have used the liquid inside the pod if you don't try to refill them you would only be throwing them anyway. As pointed out the pod comes with a ceramic coil which are known for their longevity which seems a waste in a non refillable pod but i have refilled one of my pods half a dozen times but it is a bit of a drama. To undo you can get something in the joint between the top and coil section of the pod and just going around the perimeter separate evenly a bit at a time until it separates, i was successful this way but it was an ordeal (If you use a knife then you do so at your own risk). The other way is get something like small pliers and using those kidney shaped cutouts i mentioned on the base to tug the coil section off the main pod, this is far easier but your pliers need to be small and the blunt type.
Only buy the device on the premise that the pods can't be refilled. Because i managed to refill mine doesn't mean you will be successful, i might well break the next pod when i try to open it for the first time as first time is a bit of an ordeal.
___________________________________________________________________
Fitting The Pod
Looking inside the device the bay where the pod gets inserted looks particularly tidy. You can see the usual Gold plated, spring loaded contacts and membrane switch. The inside is stainless steel so the pod gets press fitted into place but also the magnetic surround of the base of the pod makes it extra secure, you need to give the pod quite a hard tug to release it, a very good job.
___________________________________________________________________
Operating The Device
The Kubi is a draw activated device so can't be turned on or off, you simply take a draw and the device activates. There is an LED that flashes various times when a safety protection kicks in. The LED also lights up when vaping but gives no battery status indication at all.
___________________________________________________________________
Charging The Device
You charge the Kubi via the micro USB port and while charging the LED is permanently on. I didn't time the device charging but it didn't seem too much over an hour, once fully charged the LED goes off.
___________________________________________________________________
How Does It Vape?
Like the CoilArt Mino the membrane switch is very sensitive so no need for a primer puff, it vapes really well more akin to a pod device with a physical fire button. If the specs are correct the vape feels a few watts more than the 7w and it gives good cloud production for a suction activated pod device of this type. The Kubi is powered by the HM chip so it may be possible that once the battery voltage is less than 3.5v it is being boosted as i don't experience any drop of at all, it gives a consistent vape throughout the battery life. The end of the bullet shape pod is very comfortable in the mouth and the draw while not being super tight is certainly tighter than most pod systems and strictly MTL. If i hadn't found that refilling the pod was possible it really wouldn't make economic sense but i'm still using the original pod and have filled it time and time again, it's still a con that these are suppose to be non-refillable pods because you shouldn't need to be using a knife or pliers to open them and just because i have been successful with one pod it's no guarantee as the first time i refilled it was by far the hardest to get undone and could easily of just broke the pod. The flavour from the Kubi 12 months ago i would of said is good for a pod system but with some of the pod systems that have come out of late having better flavour than in the past it is just average. However after many refills the flavour is still the same as when i first started using it, the problem is you only benefit from the longevity of the coil if you can get the pod open, hopefully they will change the pods so the coil section screws on. The battery life doesn't sound much at 550mAh but after mainly using the device over the last three weeks when i have been out and about and for a couple of hours here and their today i used it constantly with nic salts and it kept going all day. My only issues with the device is not it's performance it's the pods being non-refillable unless you have some small pliers or risk cutting yourself with a knife (i strongly advise against using a knife), and no guarantees the first time you will get it open without damaging the pod to the extent you won't be able to use it anyway. The other issue is that there is absolutely no battery status indication and because it seems to be giving a constant 3.5v so no drop off (which is a pro) you have no idea when the battery will soon need recharging.
___________________________________________________________________
Final Thoughts
You should only look at this device if you are prepared to throw the pods after only i pod full of e-juice and no battery status indication is another big con. The flavour is average but the rest is pro's all the way. No primer puff needed, consistent vape throughout the batteries life, good battery life, looks and feels great, cigarette like draw and plenty of cloud. The best way to describe my thoughts is it's a mixed bag!
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Shaped like a cigar (my wife shouts "Bullet")
good quality
Stainless Steel
Rubber paint finish
6 colour options
Ergonomic
Pocket friendly
Ceramic coil
Cigarette type draw
Good vaper production (relative)
Pods fit securely
Spare coil
Constant 3.5v output
Very responsive membrane switch
Ease of use
Lanyard with Leather pouch
Cons
Pods not designed to be refilled
No battery status indication
Flavour only average
In artificial light not easy to see juice level
I would once again like to thank Tina from Hotcig for supplying the Kubi Pod Starter Kit for the purpose of this review.
kubi-Mods Kits-HOT TECHNOLOGY
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