Liberty Flights Product Review – Battle of the Mini Box Mods
The Liberty Flights offices have been buzzing over the last few months with passionate discussions about the new mini box mod devices coming from, arguably the two biggest electronic cigarette manufacturers camps. Aspire were first out of the starting blocks with their ESP 30W. Vaping hard down their necks were Kangertech with their SUBOX Mini Kit.
As product development manager for Liberty Flights, I spend some of my day, alas I wish it were more, sampling and testing pre-release devices from manufacturers and deciding which to offer online and in our retail stores. After vaping so much liquid that I am now persona non grata in the LF warehouse through these devices I can tell you that the decision was tough.
As the ESP doesn’t come with a tank in the kit, I paired it with an Aspire Nautilus. The SUBOX mini comes as a complete kit with Kanger’s own Subtank mini.
Before we get to the brass tacks it is fair to say that both are amazing pieces of kit. Both affordable and both ooze style. As a designer and a vaper, a good-looking device is always a must and these two tick those boxes with big ticks.
As the ESP was first on the scene I will start with that. As soon as the ESP hit my desk I was impressed, rugged carbon fibre, easy to use settings and excellently shaped to fit in the hand. This quickly became my all day vape. After a couple of weeks use, the honeymoon period had not ended. I found myself with this device everywhere I went. The battery life (1900mAh) was ample; a solid day’s use out at 15 watts (my sweet spot for the Aspire BVC coils). The ESP has a range of 5-30 watts.
The consistent power output from the ESP meant that I didn’t need to change the coil, no burnouts at all.
Just as I was falling in love with the ESP, I started to hear rumours from a source at Kangertech about a new device they were releasing to compete with the ESP. I was sure that nothing could come between the bond that had forged between my ESP and me.
Then it happened. Kanger’s SUBOX Mini glided onto my desk and into my life.
As a kit option Kanger have hit the nail on the head with the SUBOX Mini. The kit is an excellent ADV for both new vapers and the experienced alike. The simplicity of the features mixed with the versatility between stock sub-ohm coils and a re-buildable deck, position this as perfect for novice and expert alike.
The attention to detail shines through and their eye for design is showcased through the new “Aqueous Ceramic” colour coating. The coloured, re-designed Subtank Mini seamlessly merges with the new K-Box Mini to give an elegant look. No miss-matched tanks and batteries here. Kanger seem to have fixed the well-known leaking issue in the Subtank range with the new design in the Aqueous Subtank Mini, I have used my version relentlessly for two weeks now and it is yet to leak.
After two weeks use with each, I was stuck with a difficult decision; pick a favourite. Although both are excellent pieces of kit, and a testament to the expertise and eye for detail of their respective manufacturer’s, my heart is telling me to go with the Kanger SUBOX.
The fact this comes as a completed kit really helped with my decision, visually I feel the ceramic coating really helps draw the clearomizer and battery into a single unit. The fit of the clearomizer to the tank has been flawlessly designed and the SUBOX outputs 20 watts more than the ESP. The Aspire ESP will still always be with me as a secondary device but the SUBOX kit will almost certainly, be my ADV for the foreseeable future.
That is until something new gets my attention. How fickle one can be when it comes to loving and vaping.
Darren Holden Product Development Manager