Honest review time: The GeekVape Aegis Mini kit

Here’s a look at the latest kit released from GeekVape. It’s called the Aegis mini mod and it’s the third device in the Aegis lineup. I can’t tell you enough how much of a fan I am of the original Aegis and it’s follow up the Aegis Legend so I was quite thrilled to receive the Aegis mini for review. It was designed using the same built to last philosophy of it’s predecessors and is a truly welcome addition to the lineup. Here are my honest thoughts on the Aegis mini kit from GeekVape.

Package contents:

Listed features and specs:

Packaging and contents:

The kit comes packed in a nice black and orange cardboard box which are GeekVapes standard colours. I personally think their sense of style is fantastic and you can usually identify their iconic packaging with just a glance. In the kit you get the Aegis mini mod, the Cerberus Subohm tank, a spare super coil, a micro USB cable, a spare USB port seal, a warranty card, warning card, user manual and in my kit I got two spare glass tanks and two full sets of replacement O-rings but looking at their site I think mine containing two of each was an anomaly. If all of this were to come standard I’d say it’s one of the best packed kits I’ve received but take it with a grain of salt as the multiple extras may not come standard. Even if it’s not standard it’s a well stocked kit with everything you’d need to get started.

The mod:

The Aegis mini is the most diminutive of the Aegis line so far. It stands at only 78mm tall, about 40mm wide and has a diameter of 25mm. It’s made of the same sort of materials as it’s predecessors being mainly alloy, silicone and leather and carries the same IP67 rating meaning it’s waterproof, dust proof and shockproof. It’s been jokingly lovingly referred to as the ultimate apocalypse mod as it’s durability features make it virtually indestructible. There’s even a video of someone running over the original Aegis with a 6 ton tractor and it keeps on working which is exactly the sort of thing you’ll want to carry in to the apocalypse. Though I haven’t tested out the durability claims for myself I imagine the Aegis mini will hold up just as well as it’s siblings.

Unlike the original Aegis or the Aegis Legend the Mini comes with a 2200mAh internal battery that doesn’t appear to be user replaceable. Being that it’s an internal battery you can use the micro USB port to both charge and update the device much like the Aegis Legend but unlike the original which could only use the USB port for updates. The micro USB port located on the bottom of the device is covered with a rubber seal which you can remove using a fingernail to access the port. The seal is there to maintain it’s IP67 rating and as mentioned they include a spare seal should you accidentally lose or wear out the one it comes equipped with. Another handy feature with the USB port is it charges at a rate of 2A so you can quickly top up the battery with GeekVape claiming you can get as much as 80% charge with just half an hour of charge time. Compared to the Legend I find the micro USB even easier to use and access with less fears of the plug accidentally ripping off.

At the top of the device it’s got a nice wide stainless steel plate for the 510 connection. The threads are silky smooth and the mini should support atomizers up to 28mm without overhang. The Cerberus tank it ships with bulges out to 27mm but it’s base I believe is only 25mm so it still fits perfectly with the Aegis mini. On the face of the device it’s got a big bright 0.91″ OLED screen that’s easy to read and well laid out. It’s pretty much identical to the screen we saw on the Legend so I won’t go in to great detail about it. The screen sits flush with the device and has a glossy finish which may end up picking up some scratches but it’s essentially the same as the original and the Legend which for me have held up quite well. The glossy finish can make it a bit of a challenge to read in direct sunlight at times but for the most part it hasn’t been an issue for me, plus the screen brightness is adjustable.

Using the device is exactly the same as previous incarnations with the usual five clicks to turn it on and off. Three clicks to enter selection mode where it will let you cycle through the various modes by pressing +/-. The supported modes include Power/TC-Ni/TC-SS/TC-Ti/TCR/VPC(variable power curve) and Bypass. When a mode is selected you can make further changes by clicking the power button to cycle through on-screen options such as lock/unlock/reset resistance, change watts, change temp, change tcr, setup a power curve or reset puff count. When you’ve made a selection you can long press the fire button to get out of selection mode. You can also adjust the brightness of the screen by pressing power and +/- . Making adjustments on the device is a breeze and it cycles through options quickly with a quick press making 0.1 incremental changes and a longer press making full watt adjustments or pressing and holding will cycle through in full increments but in a reasonably controlled manner compared to most other devices. The whole experience is just simple and intuitive and I’d like to see more interfaces work this way.

Performance wise it does everything I ask of it and it does it well. It fires fast, reads accurately and offers multiple modes to suit nearly anyones needs. It fires up to 80W without issue and when testing out the TC it performed well through my basic set of tests though in my day to day I don’t tend to use TC and with the kanthal coils the kit comes with it’s not really an option out of the box.

The tank:

Now the Cerberus tank is the same tank that shipped with the GeekVape Nova kit. It’s a fairly standard looking subohm tank with some pretty typical features. It’s got a handy tongue and groove easy off top cap for filling and bottom adjustable airflow via two fairly large cyclops style slots. The airflow control ring has stops at either end and is sturdy enough it shouldn’t move around on you without you wanting it to. It comes equipped with a wide bore low profile delrin 810 goon style drip tip that’s nice and comfortable on the lips. One thing to note about the drip tip and top cap is there’s a raised piece on the cap that matches up with the drip tip so if using your own drip tip it might overhang depending on the size. I was content with the one it came with so stuck with it.

It comes equipped with a bubble glass tank that holds a comfortable 5.5ml of liquid but with the straight glass tank it still holds a decent 4ml of liquid. I’m not usually a fan of bubble tanks so I swapped it out for one of the straight glasses almost immediately. With the straight glass installed the diameter of the tank stays at 25mm and since it still holds a decent amount of liquid I’ve stuck with it.

The coils that come with the kit are both GeekVapes new 0.3ohm Super Mesh X2 coils which are rated from 30-45w with the recommended range being just 30-40w. They’re new and improved kanthal mesh coils and compared to the coils of the Alpha tank one of their prior releases they’re also a more universal format so should be interchangeable with most BB style tanks and vice versa. They’re exactly the sort of coil I appreciate with a low to moderate power range, good airflow and solid flavour I don’t really have anything to complain about with them. I also appreciate the fact that they give you two of the same coil as I’ve never really been a fan of getting two completely different coils that give a completely difference experience like I see in most other kits.

Not once have I experienced any leaking or dry hits and with the fairly low power consumption they help make my battery last all day. Flavour is quite good but if I had to make one comment is they can be a tiny bit airy, even when closing off the airflow of the tank they have a somewhat airy feel. I’ve been running them a little hotter to compensate and they seem to handle the 45w limit just fine. Longevity wise they’ve been holding up really well and I don’t see why they shouldn’t last just as long as any other mesh coils in their range.

Overall:

The Aegis mini is hands down my favorite Aegis yet and I love nearly everything about it. While the Cerberus tank is a pretty standard affair the Aegis mini itself is just a stunningly gorgeous piece of work. It still bears many of the same design elements as the original but it’s much more mature and refined being it’s the third iteration in the line. It’s considerably more pocket friendly than either of it’s predecessors and in my opinion looks much slicker for it. I couldn’t recommend this kit enough for both new and seasoned vapers alike, it’s absolutely solid. Really great job on this one GeekVape!!