VapersCanadaThe UWell Yearn is a solid little draw-activated, 11-watt pod device that hit the shelves a few months ago. TBH, I skipped over this one thinking that there was no way Uwell was going to top their other offering, the Caliburn. The Caliburn recently released the KOKO device (and recently reviewed) and pods – that is better suited to mouth-to-lung vapers – but a few trusted people kept saying “try the Yearn”. Let’s take a look:
Note: I purchased the unit and empty pods – not the pre-filled.
- Dimensions – 86.7mm by 20.2mm by 10.4mm
- Integrated 370mAh Rechargeable Battery
- Max. Wattage Output: 11W
- Zinc-Alloy & PC ABS Material Chassis Construction
- Draw-Activated Firing Mechanism
- LED Battery Life Indicator Light
- Juice Viewing Window
- Short-Circuit Protection
- Low Power Indication
- Vaping Overtime Protection
- Plug ‘n’ Play Cartridge Connection
- MicroUSB Port
- Available in Black & Blue, Grey, Black & Violet, Black
Disclosure: None, Yearn was purchased for review purposes.
UWell Yearn Packaging: Standard packaging, but wait – there are no pods included – pre-filled or empty. Boxed decently and included are a micro USB cable and instruction booklet.
Device: Solid. The fit and finish on the Yearn is excellent. The Yearn has a nice heft to it. The glossy zinc-alloy finish gives the Yearn some weight. Checking in at 41 grams – much heavier than it’s sibling Caliburn, despite being shorter.
The Yearn feels higher quality than the Caliburn. The bottom edge is rounded, so you won’t be able to stand it up like you can the Caliburn. The cut-out allows for easy viewing of juice level. There is one LED for battery indication and the micro USB port is on one side.
UWell Yearn Pods: Empty pods have 1.5 mL capacity. They are small but at 11 watts, you’re just not burning through e-liquid that fast. There’s a silicon tab on the side that’s fairly easy to remove – and the fill port is amply sized for most bottles… it can be a little messy if you’re using a juice that comes with a glass dropper. The coil type is listed as FeCrAl and doesn’t mention the coil type, but the packaging says the pods are 1.4 ohms.
The pre-filled pod (which I didn’t get) is a bit different than standard pre-fills – the pod must be “activated” before use. By activate, I mean the pod has to be inserted into the device, which basically moves the base to reveal the juice ports. The juice ports are hidden until activated to prevent the pod from leaking while in transit or storage. UWell calls it “Isolated E-Liquid Chamber Technology”. I call it genius!
Use: Being cynical when I received this, I put it through fairly rigorous testing by chain vaping and almost using it like I would a primary device. I loaded an empty pod with Dinner Lady Lemon Tart 20 mg salt as a frame of reference.
The draw is nice and tight. Some have said it’s as tight as the Juul – I think it’s a little looser, but whatever…it’s still great for true MTL vaping. Draw-activation has been flawless so far, but you know the activator is usually the first thing that goes on these devices. The effort required to activate is minimal – you don’t have to draw hard. A slow steady pull gives you heat and great vapor and flavor rendition for a mouth-to-lung pod device.
I’ve now re-filled the pod 5 times with Dinner Lady Lemon Tart salt and it’s just showing signs of slight deterioration of flavor and vape quality. Pods seem to have the same lifespan as Caliburn pods. The Yearn still hasn’t been spitty and hasn’t leaked one drop – and I haven’t seen any condensation inside the unit – not something I can say with most other pods systems I have.
Charging to full takes less than an hour for the 370 mAh battery. It’s not quite all-day usage but fine for me as it’s not my primary. I can get almost a full pod on one charge.
UWell Yearn Verdict: If tight MTL is your style, ditch your Caliburn and grab this. The flavor beats the Caliburn, with a much tighter airflow. It almost makes the KOKO look like a step back.
Don’t get this if you don’t like slow draw MTL. The UWell Yearn is being sold mainly as a pre-filled pod device in the US – but you can grab empty pods through E-Cigarettes.ca or Dash Vapes now.
Recommended for use with empty pods.
UWell Yearn Pod System Kit Includes:
- YEARN Device
- Micro USB cable
- User’s Manual
Uwell Yearn Manufacturer’s page