- Testing Results and Observations -
The Innokin Sceptre 2 has been quite the treat thus far. The look, the feel, and the performance are, for the most part, every bit of what you can expect from an Innokin device. In comparison to the original Sceptre, this device is smaller, built better, has more options, and is easier to swap out coils. This pod kit is made of zinc alloy and is slightly heavier than most devices of this size, but it's not a bad thing at all. In fact, the hand-feel is solid and it feels like I'm holding something of quality, instead of a cheap piece of plastic. You can be sure that this can take a fall without busting apart.
Before we continue, there are two things about this kit that I want to point out that I find are huge pluses. The first being, the recycled material that Innokin continues to use for their packaging. It shows that they're trying to be part of the solution beyond helping people get away from cigarettes. The second, is that this pod device uses replaceable coils instead of replaceable pods with fixed coils built into them. Rather than throwing away a chunk of plastic every time your coil goes bad, you can simply replace the coil which is extremely tiny in this device. The vape industry as a whole seems to be disregarding the environmental concern of plastics - that just gives non-vapers another reason to hate vaping. Let's not add fuel to the fire, the future of vaping looks bleak enough, already.
Now, let's get into some of the things I've noticed while testing out this pod device.
- What Comes In The Box? -
∎ Innokin Sceptre 2 Device (0.6 ohm coil pre-installed)
∎ Spare S-coil (0.5 ohm)
∎ USB Type-C Charging Cable (1 foot long)
∎ Users Manual
∎ Warning & Safety Manual
- The Pod Mod -
(Please excuse my crudely made GIF, there's a 360 degree viewer on Innokin's Sceptre 2 page toward the bottom)
As you can see from the pictures above, this device has quite an elegant look to it. The glossy finish really pops the color out and it's not quite the fingerprint magnet as you'd imagine. Yes, you can see some fingerprints, but it isn't as bad as you'd expect on an all silver chassis. On the front, you can see the main fire button. This is also used to turn the mod off and on (3 clicks) and to change the power setting from regular (blue) to boosted (purple). Depending on the 0.5 or 0.6 ohm coil you're using, this will change the wattage 2 to 5 watts. The power setting difference will change the flavor output, which is more rare than common for these types of devices, so that's great to see.
To the right of the power button on the side, is the airflow control. That switch slides up (RDL) and down (MTL). I'll give you a closer look at that further down.
To the left of the power button on the side, is the USB Type-C charging port. This is rated accurately at 800 mAh (0.8A). The device will charge with a 3.0 QC USB charging cable, but it will still only charge at 0.8A which is kind of slow, but best for your battery. It also supports pass-through vaping, which allows you to vape while it's plugged in. Pull out your phone chargers with a little bit more length if you're in dire need of a puff.
From top down, you get a peek at the standard pod connection. There are 4 silver magnets in each corner with spring-loaded brass positive and negative connector pins toward the center. The magnets do a very good job of keeping the pod in place. There's also a truncated black tube that provides the auto-draw the necessary suction to activate.
- The Pod -
The pod holds 3 mL unless you live in a TPD location. This is a nice little bonus from all of the 2 mL pod devices out there.
The airflow design in the Sceptre 2 is quite different than we see in most other pod devices. Often, the airflow intake is built into the pod mod via holes or an adjustable switch on the pod mod. In earlier models, the airflow adjustment was made at the base of the coil. The Sceptre 2 uses side airflow much like the Uwell Havok V1 which proved to be a superior form of airflow control for a pod device. This is what allows such a wide and effective variation from a true MTL to an RDL draw.
However, as an RDL vaper, I was disappointed to find this device giving off a burnt taste when the airflow was completely open. Using the pre-installed 0.6 ohm coil, having the airflow wide open was fine for the first 50 or so puffs, and that's when I started to notice the burnt taste. Oddly enough, when I'd close the airflow to an MTL, it vaped just fine. Even longer MTL draws (2-3 seconds) were just fine. I fiddled around with the pod wondering if the pod was air locked and not wicking correctly, but nothing changed. I switched to the 0.5 ohm coil and the same thing happened. Vaped 50 or so puffs with the airflow wide open, and then the burnt flavor started to kick in. I haven't been able to get the burnt flavor to go away in RDL, so I've been exclusively vaping the device in MTL; it's vaping MTL fantastically - perplexing. The only thing I can think of is, the wide open airflow pulls too much juice out of the wick when taking a draw, and it leads to a dry wick before the puff is over. Short RDL puffs seem to work just fine - unfortunately this doesn't provide much in terms of flavor. This is about the only con I have with this device. If you're an MTL vaper, this is a great choice for a compact device.
The tapered mouthpiece is extremely comfortable between the lips. This is more or less paramount for an MTL vaper to get that tightly suctioned draw.
Also, remember to take the yellow sticker off of the coil before vaping. 
- The Airflow -
If you want to try your luck with the RDL setting, this is where you'd set that up. With the adjustable switch slid all the way up, you can see the airflow opening - this would be for RDL. When the switch is all the way down, it cuts off almost all airflow to the coil making a true MTL vape. I say "true" because it very accurately simulates the draw of a packed cigarette. Not all MTL devices will provide this even though they claim to be MTL.
- The Coils -
There are two components to the coil. The wider, stubbier brass piece is the coil adapter, and the silver portion with the Innokin logo, recommended wattage range, and the coil material type (thank you for including the coil material on the coil itself) is the coil itself. When replacing the coil, remember to keep the brass portion, as it will need to be screwed onto the new coil before being inserted into the pod.
The stated compatible S coils for this device are the 0.5 and 0.6 ohm coils. The original Sceptre device allowed the use of the 1.2 ohm coil, but there's no mention of any predefined settings for a 1.2 ohm coil for the Sceptre 2. The 0.5 ohm coil has an 18 and 20 watt setting between blue and purple, respectively. The 0.6 ohm coil has an 11.5 to 16.5 watt setting for blue and purple, respectively.
However, I happened to have some 1.2 ohm S coils that were mistakenly sent to me from the Sceptre Tube review I did a while back. I'm a test pilot (for vapes), so...
FOR SCIENCE!
Being that this device caps out at 3.4 volts and 8 amps (stated in the product specs - see, they are useful!), a 1.2 ohm coil isn't really in any danger of burning. 3.4 volts / 1.2 ohms = 2.83 amps. 3.4 volts * 2.83 amps = 9.63 watts; 9.63 watts is the highest amount of wattage this device can put out for a 1.2 ohm coil, which is about the upper limit of the recommended wattage range for the 1.2 ohm coils (recommended range is 8 to 9.5 watts). If none of this makes sense to you, what I'm trying to say is, eureka! It's working perfectly.
I've been vaping with the 1.2 ohm coil in RDL for about about 10 minutes now. I'll update how it's going by the end of this review.
- Refilling -
The refill plug as seen in an earlier photo has an arrow pointing "up" when the pod is sitting upright. Remember that this arrow is telling you which direction the tab end needs to be pulled to expose the refill hole. Some people say this is counter-intuitive, but I find it rather easy to understand. There's a lip on the plastic pod at the end of the plug nearest to the mouthpiece that makes it almost impossible to pull the plug out from that end.
The bottle nozzle you see here is from a 120 mL Chubby Gorilla bottle. There's no problem fitting the entire end of the nozzle inside the refill hole, which makes this a mess-free refill. Just make sure not to fill the juice all the way to the refill hole. Other than causing a mess, this can air lock the pod and prevent the coil from wicking properly. This can also cause flooding which will lead to gurgling when you vape.
- Final Thoughts -
Other than the difficulty I'd been having trying to use RDL with both the 0.5 and 0.6 ohm coil, this device vapes like a champ. Flavor output is on point with what you'd expect from a great tasting MTL. RDL, when it was working, was also great. Oddly enough, this device doesn't mention compatibility with the 1.2 ohm S coil, but it's been vaping like a champ in both MTL and RDL. I'd say it's putting out even better flavor which doesn't make any sense to me. This would lead me into suggesting that you buy 1.2 ohm S coils when you order replacement coils. It's going to use much less battery power than the 0.5 and 0.6 ohm coils for longer battery life, and the flavor's even better? Again, I'm perplexed.
There has been some condensation buildup where the pod seats, but this can be pretty easily wiped out with a Q-tip. I actually rinsed mine out by covering the USB port with my thumb and sending water down through the slot in the pod mod where the side airflow switch would be if the pod was attached. I don't recommend this if you're not comfortable with this method - I've spent some time with pod mods so this is nothing new to me.
The 1400 mAh battery has been impressive to say the least. For internal battery devices, it's not uncommon for the advertised mAh capacity to be overstated by 20 or so percent. I honestly believe this device carries the full 1400 mAh it states, because it's held a charge for multiple days at a time before needing to be recharged. I would estimate 3-4 pod refills before a recharge is necessary. Using the boost power setting and RDL will diminish the battery longevity a bit.
As stated above, the regular versus boosted power settings do give different flavor potencies which is nice to see. Too often I've noticed that devices with predefined wattage settings don't really make much of a difference in the vape. Also, having the button activation and also the auto-draw activation is a huge plus for me. If the auto-draw seizes to function (which isn't uncommon), then you still have the fire button. If you're worried about the pod firing in your pocket or purse, 3 clicks - that's all it takes.
The side airflow slide switch does a very good job of giving a proper RDL and true MTL vape. I hope to see this type of airflow adjustment in future devices. It worked very well on the Uwell Havok V1, and it's worked equally as well on this device. Yes, it's that nice.
Also an update on the 1.2 ohm coil. I've been vaping it in RDL for the latter portion of this review, and it's working flawlessly. Even in MTL, it's been working flawlessly. As mentioned above, I'd highly recommend getting the 1.2 ohm S coils if you choose to get this device and are looking at refill coils. Also the refill coils come 5 in a box which is nice, instead of the 2 or 3 that some brands tend to give you.
- Pros/Cons/Preferential Considerations -
+ + Pros + +
∎ No leaks (so far)
∎ Super easy to understand/operate
∎ Great flavor output (best with 1.2 ohm coil)
∎ Sleek aesthetic
∎ Solid build quality (zinc alloy)
∎ Feels good in hand
∎ Mouthpiece is slim and super comfortable
∎ Pod holds 3 mL
∎ Airflow slide adjustment does a very good job of providing a true MTL draw to a tighter RDL draw
∎ Lots of coil resistance options (now that we know the 1.2 ohm coil is also an option)
∎ Swappable coil instead of the entire pod
∎ USB Type-C charging
∎ 3.0 QC charging cable useable (still charges at 0.8A however)
∎ Pass-through vaping
∎ Both auto-draw and button activation
∎ 2 power settings
∎ Long lasting 1400 mAh battery
- - Cons - -
∎ Auto-draw can sometimes be difficult to activate in RDL
∎ 2A charging would have been nice
- + Preferential Considerations + -
∎ RDL can be finicky with the 0.5 and 0.6 ohm coils (not an issue if you vape MTL)
- Overall Rating -
9 (with the 1.2 ohm coil)
7.5-8 (with the 0.5 or 0.6 ohm coil)
That's all I have for you peeps. I hope you take a chance with this device, it's one of the best pod devices that I've used in a while. I love that it has replaceable coils instead of pods, and I think performance-wise, it sits right up there with the best of them. With the ample airflow options, I dare say it might be the best pod device I've tested.
I hope I've informed you with all you'd want to know about the Innokin Sceptre 2. This device can be found on Innokin's site here. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or PM me.
Thanks for reading, and happy vape hoarding!
