Honest review time: The Maxpod from Freemax

Freemax the company who essentially introduced the world to subohm mesh tanks has finally released a mesh based pod system of their own. While they can’t say they are the first to introduce mesh based pod systems they can say they’re doing it with the experience of producing some of the top rated mesh tanks and coils to ever hit the market. It’s called the Freemax Maxpod and here is what I think of it so far.

Package contents:

1 xFreemax Maxpod Battery
1 xFreemax Maxpod Pod
1 xFreemax NS Mesh Coil 1.0ohm Pre-installed
1 xExtra Freemax NS Mesh Coil 1.5ohm
1 xFreemax Maxpod lanyard
1 xFreemax Maxpod Lanyard Ring
1 xMicro USB cable
1 xWarning card
1 xWarranty card
1 xUser manual

Listed features and specs:

Size:100.81x21.81x14mm
Weight:56.3g
Battery power:550mAh
Pod capacity:2ml
Output wattage:8-11W
Output voltage:Constant 3.3V
Material:PCTG/Steel/Zinc Alloy
Coil resistance:NS Mesh 1.0/1.5ohm

Packaging and contents:

The kit comes packed in a white and blue cardboard box with an image of the kit on the front and a bunch of specs, contents and company info on the back. In the kit you get the Maxpod, an empty pod with a 1.0ohm NS Mesh coil already installed, a spare 1.5ohm NS Mesh coil, a lanyard and a rubber lanyard ring to go around the device, a micro USB cable for charging, a user manual, warning card and a warranty card. The lanyard is a nice extra but it’s not something I ever use, the rest I’d say is pretty standard stuff for a kit like this.

The mod:

The Maxpod device feels really great in hand. It’s got a sort of Popsicle stick shape but thicker like a pack of gum. It’s made of a mix of PCTG plastic, alloy and steel and at 56.3g feels pretty considerable in the hand but also really comfortable to hold. Colourful IML plastic inlays on either side give it some style and on one face there’s a little light to indicate when it’s firing, charging or any kind of status it needs to indicate. It’s got an internal 550mAh battery and charges via micro USB where a port can be found on one side. 550 may not seem a lot but one of the best features of the Maxpod is it’s constant 3.3V output. Meaning no matter the level of the battery the hit will always be consistent and for me it tends to last most of the day before needing a charge. It’s a low power device which really helps extend the battery life. On either side just above the charge port are little holes which provide airflow to the pod.

The pod inserts into an open slot on the top of the device and is held in place via some fairly strong magnets. Inside the top looks pretty standard with three gold plated prongs to make connection with the coil in the pod and a hole for the draw to fire activation. The device is draw to fire meaning you put it to your lips, take a pull and it fires and the hole for the draw to fire mechanism is raised from the bottom to help prevent liquid entering. So far in my use it hasn’t leaked at all but a tiny bit of condensation has collected inside the device. Usually a quick wipe up when refilling is all I’ve needed to maintain it.

The tank and coils:

The pod that comes with the kit which also doubles as the mouthpiece holds a pretty standard 2ml of liquid and uses their replaceable NS mesh coils which means they work great with salt based liquids. The kit includes a 1.0 and 1.5ohm coil with the 1.0hm coil drawing 11W and the 1.5ohm coil drawing just 8W. The coils are plug and play so when it comes time to change it you just pull the old one out and slide the new one in. A short chimney in the pod means you don’t need to completely empty it but it will need to be about half empty. Filling the pods is essentially the same as most others these days with a small silicone plug on the bottom to cover the fill port.

One thing they emphasize on their site is the new coils use their FM SaltCoilTech 2.0 technology which uses their honeycomb mesh as well as their flax and organic cotton formula for a really good experience whether you decide to use salt based liquids or freebase. They suggest the 1.0ohm coil is best used for nearly any flavour and bigger vapour while the 1.5ohm coil is best for higher nicotine intake, throat hit and is best used with tobacco flavours. They’ve spent three years developing these coils and from my experience with them so far, it shows. I will say the draw is a tiny bit loose for those die hard mouth to lung fans but you can cover up the little air holes on the side and make it a little bit tighter if you find it too loose.

Overall:

With these little pod systems there really isn’t a whole lot to distinguish them so you really have to look at the smaller details and overall performance. With the Maxpod I love the regulated output, it’s always a consistent hit and on top of that flavour rendition with this thing has been fantastic. Those are typically the two biggest factors when I’m checking out a new pod device and Maxpod checks both boxes. It looks like it will be reasonably priced but availability may be an issue for now so keep an eye out for this one to drop in the future!

How it adds up
Solid constructionEase of useDraw to fireRegulated outputmesh coil performanceflavour and vapourSo far leak free
Condensation build upMTL a tiny bit loose unless covering airflow
8.5Overall
Presentation8.5
Build Quality8.5
Performance8.5