Hi everyone! TheOneVape_Review is back once again with a pod system review - The Aurora Play by vaporesso. To those Zippo fans out there, the design of this pod system might catch your eyes. Everything about it is so similar to a Zippo lighter and of course, without an igniter. In this review, I am going to share with you my first-hand experience with it and my final thoughts.
INTRODUCTION
The Aurora Play by Vaporesso is a Zippo inspired pod system that has a very similar form factor and flicking sound as a Zippo lighter. Of course, it does not have the ability to start a fire and e-liquid will be used to fill up the pod instead of a Zippo fluid. The pod, which is able to support nicotine salts / freebase / CBD, has an e-liquid capacity of 2 ml and uses a 1.3 Ω ccell ( ceramic ) coil. What made pod stand out from the rest is its innovative top fill system which uses a Push-To-Fill ( PTF ) system. The Aurora Play is draw activated, has a 650 mAh built-in battery capacity, the ability to switch into 3 different wattage modes ( 9 w / 10.5 w / 12.5 w ) and supports 1 amp charging which can be charged fully in 45 minutes. Not forgetting to mention, the Aurora Play uses an OMNI Board Mini.
How does the Aurora Play performs? Let me talk more about it, show some pictures that I took below and give you my final thoughts.
SPECIFICATIONS & FEATURES
Height : 80 mm
Width : 46.5 mm
Depth : 16.7 mm
Cover Design
Push-To-Fill System
3 Power Modes
PCTG Pod With CCELL Built In
2 ml E-Liquid Capacity
650mAh Built In Battery
SAFETY FEATURES
Pass-Through
Burn
No Load
Short-Circuit
Overtime
Low Resistance
Low Power
Overcharge
ESD Circuit
Flash Heat
COLOR OPTIONS
Metallic Grey
Silver
Bronze
Rainbow
Color Options / Picture Credits: Urvapin
PACKAGING CONTENT
1 x Aurora Play
1 x 1.3 Ω Spare Pod
1 x 10 ml E-Liquid Filling Bottle
1 x Micro-USB Cable
1 x Quick Guide
1 x Warranty Card
1 x User Manual
Aurora Play Packaging
Packaging Content
AURORA PLAY COMPONENTS
PTF Filling Slot
Mouth Piece
Refillable Pod
'Zippo' Cap
Power / Mode Button
Light Indicator
Micro-USB Port
OVERALL LOOKS & FEELS OF THE AURORA PLAY
AURORA PLAY
The Aurora Play, as mentioned many times above, is a Zippo lookalike pod system. It has a metal cap and body just like how a normal Zippo will look like. Once the cap is opened, you will be able to see a hinge which gives you the option to either make the cap stay in place with some resistance on it or zero resistance at all - meaning your top cap will be flipping around easily. The Vaporesso Aurora Play logo is laser edged on one side of the cap. Just right below the cap, there is a window to view the capacity of your e-liquid on both sides. The power / mode button, light indicator and micro-usb port are all located at the bottom half on one of the sides. 3 venting holes are located at the bottom. The Aurora Play looks very neat and clean overall.
The Aurora Play has quite some weight to it as it is mainly made out of metal. Since it has a matte finish on it, it will not leave any fingerprints and it feels really nice in the hands. Opening and closing the cap made me felt reminiscent of the days when I was still using a Zippo lighter. For those who likes to flick open and close the cap on your Zippo lighter, you are able to do that as well. At the very beginning, when I tried taking a puff, I felt awkward holding it as the top cap is in my way. But once I got the hang of it, I didn't even realize that the cap was there or rather, in my way. The base of the Aurora Play is quite narrow and it topples off easily. Therefore, I'd always let it lay flat on the table. Lastly, the light indicators are bright enough to see outdoors.
Overall Looks
Window To View E-Liquid Capacity
POD
There will be 2 pods in the packaging; one is pre-installed and another one is inside the box. The pod comes in only 1 type of resistance which is 1.3 Ω and is marked on the pod. The pod has a ccell coil inside which is made of ceramic and it is known for giving good flavors. They are rated to be used between 9 - 12.5 watts. The pod itself has a Push-To-Fill ( PTF ) system which I find it a good innovation because it is mess free, and can refill quickly without doing the traditional way. The mouth piece has a classy looks to it and it reminded me of the 510 drip tips in the older days. On the underside of the pod, there are 2 magnets as they are held in place in the Aurora Play by magnets. The pod is made out of clear transparent plastic so it makes everything much easier to see through from the window.
The PTF system works pretty well for me and not much resistance is needed to refill. The PTF system only works on bottle tips instead of glass drippers. But don't worry, Vaporesso has included a 10 ml e-liquid filling bottle for those who are using glass drippers. I noticed every time after I refill, there will be excess liquid on top so make sure to wipe it off. The mouth piece is quite comfortable in the mouth and I am able to vape in it any directions. The magnets are strong enough for the pods not to drop out and it fits nicely in the Aurora Play as well. The pod can only be placed in one direction.
Push-To-Fill System
1.3Ω Pod
BUILD QUALITY
AURORA PLAY
The Aurora Play has a pretty good finish on the exterior. After using it for 2 weeks, no scratches or color drop off can be seen. But the interior under the top cap does not have a good finish. The finish inside seemed incomplete and the color drop off is quite serious. The button is very clicky and responsive with no button rattle. The cap is a little on the loose side when closed and once opened, the cap will wobble around. It did not give me the impression that it will drop out anytime soon but I am not too sure in the long run.
POD
The PTF system is quite a success in my opinion. It did not leak on me throughout the whole duration, just excess liquid on top after filling. I heard that the drip tip was removable but I didn't try to remove it. It did not get loose on me or drop off randomly. The magnets are quite strong as well and it holds in place just like how it should be.
AURORA PLAY NAVIGATION
Click 5 times to ON / OFF the Aurora Play.
The light indicator will blink 3 times once you take out the pod.
The Aurora Play has a 3-level power control; Click 3 times to change between power modes:
- 9 watts ( Red )
- 10.5 watts ( Blue )
- 12.5 watts ( Green )
The light indicator will show 3 battery mode levels:
- Red ( Low )
- Blue ( Medium )
- Green ( High )
PERFORMANCE
AURORA PLAY
The Aurora Play has a very responsive draw activated function. It shows no signs of delays when taking a puff every single time. The power / mode button is also very responsive without any delays. The light indicators are very bright and clear although they switch around the meanings light indicator, trying to be 'different' from others. What I meant is, usually red indicates highest wattage available, but the red was used to indicate the lowest wattage available which is 9 watts for this case. This is just my guessing and I might be wrong. I tend to confused myself with the light indicators sometimes but is not much of a deal breaker. The Aurora Play doesn't hit as strong as my other pods in my opinion but is not weak either. The difference between 9 and 12.5 watts isn't huge and is only slightly noticeable to me. The battery life is only able to last me for 1 refill ( 3 days ) at 10.5 watts and like I always say, the battery life you get out of it depends on your vaping style. To me, the battery life is around the same as my DV pod which is good and to my liking.
POD
I would normally let my fresh pod sit for 5-10 minutes to prime up before vaping. Vaporesso stated that to get the best experience, use e-liquid with PG / VG with ratio 50 / 50 or 30 / 70 and also to replace pods after 5 refills. I used naked100 50 / 50, 35mg nic salt throughout the whole duration. I have tested with 2 different naked100 nic salts. I realized the flavor was very off on the first pod so I took out the spare pod and the same thing happened. I have let them sit for a longer period of time and still, the flavor was very off. I went to buy a spare pod as I thought maybe the pods were faulty, and still, very off flavor but lesser this time. So I thought there was something wrong with my nic salt so I tried it on my other pod but the flavor was fine. I couldn't enjoy this pod. The restriction of this, to me, is a loose MTL. I would always take a long drag out of this due to the weak throat hit it provides me. I couldn't find where the airflow holes is located at on the Aurora Play but I found out that the air will pass through the magnets under the pod. At 9 and 12.5 w, I get a warm vape but a tad warmer vape at 12.5 w. I am able to chain vape rapidly 15 puffs without any dry hits and it wicks pretty good as well. The vapor produced is quite good for a pod system.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Aurora Play by Vaporesso is a 'Zippo' inspired pod system which has a very classy looks. I like everything about it from the form factor to the innovative Push-To-Fill system. It might be a little awkward holding it at first due to the obstruction of the cap, but I get over it as I used it for a longer period of time. I like how it mimics an actual Zippo lighter with the exact same sound when you open and close the cap. Its clean looks is definitely a thumb ups for me as I don't like flashy devices.
The pod did not leak on me through the PTF system or through the magnets unlike some of my other pods. I don't really like the loose MTL draw as I like a tighter MTL. I would prefer if they give the options to adjust the airflow to our personal preferences as more pods nowadays are giving that option. The flavor I am getting out of this is really off and I have no idea if I am just unlucky or if the pod is really bad. I even purchased an extra pod just to test it out and it didn't went out very well. I wish they would also put in different resistance pod instead of both having the same resistance.
Who is this pod for? I wouldn't want to recommend this to you guys, but everyone will have different experiences. What you like does not mean what I will like, so yeah. This pod is for those who are a fan of Zippo lighter, who loves to fidget around with things and love to have a classy looking pod system with adjustable wattage. I would say this is not suitable for stealth vaping as the cap itself will create a lot of noise just by opening / closing or whenever it knocks on the body of the Aurora Play.
If I were to buy the Aurora Play again, would I buy it? No due to the fact that the flavor I am getting was pretty off, the MTL for me was pretty loose and I am someone who likes to stealth vape without causing too much vapor or noise.
WHAT IS GOOD
- Innovative Push-To-Fill System
- Classy 'Zippo' Style Looks
- Good Battery Life
- 1 A Charging
- Strong Magnets To Hold Pod In Place
- Window To Check E-Liquid Capacity
- Good Vapor Production
- No Leaking / Spit Backs
- Ability To Change Wattage
- Provides 10 ml Filling Bottle
- Supports Pass Through
WHAT ISN'T
- Flavor Is Off
- Noisy Side If Want To Stealth Vape
- No Options To Adjust Airflow
- Provides Weak Throat Hit [ Subjective ]
- Build Quality Under Cap Isn't Good
PRICE OF AURORA PLAY
AURORA PLAY
VaporDNA - $29.99
Ave40 - $35.90
HeavenGifts - $35.90
REPLACEMENT CARTRIDGE ( 2 Pcs / Box )
VaporDNA - $7.99
Ave40 - $10.90
HeavenGifts - $10.90
Thank you for taking the time to read my review on the Aurora Play by Vaporesso. This is TheOneVape_Review, signing off.
REVIEWER DISCLAIMER: I only type reviews during my free time so some products may take quite some time to be posted up. All products are used for 2 weeks or more.
PRODUCT DISCLAIMER: The Aurora Play was not sponsored by any companies or shops. This product that I reviewed was bought with my own money.
PICTURE DISCLAIMER: All pictures posted in my threads are purely taken by me and only me. Do not use without my acknowledgment or giving any credits.
