Honest review time: The Aspire AVP

There’s no shortage of pocket friendly pod devices on the market these days and considering their lower cost, ease of use and convenience it’s no wonder we’re seeing more and more options hit the market everyday. However not all pod devices are created equal and while most are in fact compact and convenient they might not always include the features and functions we look for in a device. Aspire who are no strangers to pod devices recently released the AVP, quite possibly my favorite super compact pod device yet. While at a glance it’s hardly different from a number of other devices I’ve tried it certainly packs some features that I look for. Here are my honest thoughts on the AVP from Aspire.

Package contents:

1 xAVP mod
2 xAVP POD
1 x Micro USB cable
1 xLanyard
1 xUser manual
1 xWarranty card

Listed features and specs:

Battery capacity:700mAh
Liquid capacity:2ml
Height:82mm
Width:39mm
Thickness:14mm
Colours:Black, Grey, Purple, Rainbow, Orange
Coil resistance:1.2ohm
Coil MaterialNichrome
Output:Variable(8w, 10w,12w)
Charging:1A

Packaging and contents:

The kit comes packed in a nice black cardboard box with a sleeve over it. On the sleeve it shows an image of the kit on the front, some company info and a listing of the contents on the back. An authenticity check sticker and batch info are listed on the top while the colour of the device is printed on the front. Inside the kit you get the the AVP mod, a package of two empty refillable pods, a micro USB cable, a lanyard, a warranty card and a user manual. It’s a very straightforward kit but it does come with everything you’d need to get started.

The AVP mod:

The AVP mod is very discrete at only 82mm tall, 39mm wide and 14mm thick, it’s fairly close in size to a bic lighter but shaped more like a Zippo. It’s mostly made of some type of metal alloy and feels really solid in hand with a carbon fiber sticker inlaid on both sides. The device is available in a variety of colours including black, gray, purple, rainbow and orange. I got the gray version and it looks really slick with a sort of gunmetal gray finish. It weighs about 75g and fits very comfortably in the pocket. It only has a couple of obvious features, one being the micro USB port on the bottom which can charge the 700mAh internal battery device at a rate of 1A and a little sort of diamond shaped button that also acts as the indicator light on one of the faces.

There’s also an eyelet for the lanyard string on one side of the device which I found can act as a sort of airflow adjustment. The draw naturally is a tiny bit airy but covering the hole with your finger drastically increases the tightness of the draw. With the detachable lanyard string installed you aren’t able to tighten the draw as much since some air will still get through but it does still work. Also the pods which are normally held in with magnets have some friction to deal with as the string wraps through the inside where the pod is installed. Without the lanyard installed the magnets are nice and strong and not once has a pod slipped out by accident. They’ve even added a bit of grip on the sides to help pull the pod out as the magnets do a pretty solid job on their own.

I should probably mention that it’s a draw to fire device meaning you just put it to your lips, take a pull and it fires but this is one of the few that I’ve seen with a button on it. That button is actually dual purpose and not only is it used to turn the device on and off but it also allows the user to adjust the regulated output of the device. That’s right it’s also regulated which is quite uncommon in a compact pod devices like the AVP. It can switch between three different output levels 8w, 10w and 12w so you can adjust the experience to your liking with this device. It’s fairly low powered but it works well with the included 1.2ohm pods. The button sits almost flush with the device so it’s less likely you’ll click it by accident but unfortunately it does make pressing it consistently a bit of a challenge. Of course it’s got all the usual safety features built in as well like an automatic cutoff, short circuit, low voltage, overcharge and over heat protections so it should remain safe in nearly any circumstance.

It can be turned on and off with the usual five clicks of the button. Two clicks will let you switch between the three different power levels which are indicated by the light flashing a different colour for each of the three levels. On their site they show the power levels in the order of red, blue then green but on the device it goes from blue to red to green. Blue feels the weakest so I assume it’s 8w, red is 10w and green is 12w. It also uses the same light to indicate remaining battery which can be a bit confusing when you first use it but it’s easy enough to get the hang of. The remaining battery is indicated when taking a pull, the light will shine green when the battery is above 3.8V, blue if it’s between 3.5-3.8V or red if it’s below 3.5V. It does support pass-through vaping so if you do need to top up you can continue to vape on it while it charges. probably the best thing about the AVP is regardless of the remaining battery the device will fire at the set wattage until the battery can no longer sustain it meaning each draw will be exactly the same as the last and you can bump up the power to your liking.

The AVP Pod:

The kit comes with two empty refillable pods that have built-in ni80 coils rated at 1.2ohms. The pods which also act as the mouthpiece hold 2ml of liquid which is pretty average for a pod device this size but they have one other very handy feature hidden on the bottom. It sports a spring loaded press to fill nozzle where you quite literally press the tip of your liquid bottle in and give it a light squeeze to fill it. It’s super convenient although it can be a tiny bit messy the first couple of times if you manage to overfill it or drip a few drops on the bottom while lining up with your bottle. A quick wipe with a tissue is usually all it takes though. Still it’s far more convenient than wrestling with a tiny silicone plug like most others seem to use. Of course the size of your tip will matter when using them but I think most modern bottles shouldn’t be an issue. Admittedly once I got used to it I’ve hardly needed to wipe anything up, my trick being to start with the bottle facing up to avoid drips then tip and press in at the same time.

I’ve been using one pod steadily for a week now and it’s still going strong. I am using a fairly clean 50/50 35mg salt nic so results may vary but so far from my experience with it I’ve been thoroughly impressed. Flavour is full and pronounced for a pod system and depending on the power setting the vapour I get from it is quite impressive. As mentioned the draw is a somewhat loose mouth to lung but covering that lanyard hole really makes a difference if you prefer a tighter mouth to lung hit.

Overall:

I’ve had a few pod devices impress me in the past but the AVP is truly a VIP in the pocket friendly pod market. It’s got everything I look for in a pod device, regulated output, an easy fill system, decent battery life and it looks great to boot. On a full charge it tends to last me all day with pretty steady vaping but results will vary depending on how much you vape. This one will be well suited to both new and seasoned vapers alike. If you’re in the market for a super compact regulated pod device I can’t recommend this one enough!!

Honest review time: The Aspire AVP
Solid constructionSlick looking deviceRegulated outputEasy push to fillComes with two podsOn/Off buttonGood battery lifeLanyardAirflow semi adjustable
Button a bit hard to pressDraw a bit loose by default
9.2Overall Score
Presentation9
Build Quality9.5
Performance9
Reader Rating 95 Votes
2.9