Honest review time: The VooPoo Drag S & X

Voopoo a company not just known for their quirky name released a couple of new pod devices lately. They’re actually new additions to their DRAG line of devices, the same line of devices that arguably put them on the map. These latest additions take a really significant turn in the overall design of what most people will consider a DRAG but are still made with the same quality we came to know them by. Now they take on a somewhat familiar form, reminiscent of devices like the Vaporesso PM80 or the Geekvape Aegis Boost to name a few. It’s an extremely functional design that incorporates a single battery style mod with a refillable pod rather than a traditional tank which we seem to be seeing more and more of these days. Here are my honest thoughts on the new VooPoo DRAG S & X.

Package contents:

1 xDRAG X/S Device
1 xDRAG X/S Pod(4.5ml)
1 xDRAG X/S - PnP-VM 0.3ohm
1 xDRAG X - PnP-VM6 0.15ohm
DRAG S - PnP-VM5 0.2ohm
1 xType-C cable
1 xUser manual
1 xWarranty card
1 xChip card

Listed features and specs:

Pod capacity:4.5ml
Pod material:PCTG
Mod Material:Alloy + Leather
Output power:S: 5-60W
X: 5-80W
Output voltage:3.2-4.2V
Resistance:0.1-3.0Ohm
Battery capacity:S: 2500mAh internal
X: External 18650
Size:S: 87x33x28mm
X: 95x32.5x28mm

Packaging and contents:

The kits come packed in white cardboard boxes without lids but thin cardboard sleeves instead. The sleeves don’t offer the most protection but both of the kits I got were received without issues. On the front of the package is an image of the device along with some marketing highlights while on the back it lists the contents, some warnings and some basic company info. In the kit you get the Drag S or Drag X with a pod already installed, a USB Type-C cable for charging, a user manual and two coils. The two coils that come with the kits are a bit different with the Drag S coming with one 0.2ohm PnP coil and one 0.3ohm PnP coil while the Drag X comes with a 0.15ohm PnP coil as well as a 0.3ohm PnP coil. Both kits are fairly lightly packed with no real extras but you get what you need to get started.

VooPoo DRAG S & X:

The mods are beautiful and well designed pieces of gear with the only obvious physical difference between the S and X being height. The Drag X comes in slightly taller thanks to it’s ability to use replaceable 18650 batteries while the S rocks a built-in 2500mAh battery. The mod itself is made of a solid feeling alloy but is wrapped with a fabric, carbon fiber or leather backing which itself is branded with the name DRAG much like it’s namesake predecessors. A tiny bit of branding on either side denotes the name VOOPOO on one side and ‘Gene chip inside’ on the other. It’s the chip that powers these little workhorses. At the top, the new mods have open circular ports where the round PCTG pods attach via magnet.

Just below the top is the sliding airflow system which really lets you fine tune the dual airflow. To me because of that dual airflow this thing is much better suited to direct lung vaping but you can close it all the way for a still rather loose mouth to lung hit if needed. I like that I can adjust the airflow just using my thumb but it’s also stiff enough that once I set it, it shouldn’t move on it’s own. Down the face of the mod it’s got a round clicky fire button which sits above a bright and colourful OLED screen and just below it are the up/down adjustment buttons. The adjustment buttons are also round and clicky with a nice firm feel to them. At the very bottom of the face is the USB Type-C port for charging which it does at a rate of 5V/2A. On the DRAG X there’s a flip open battery compartment to accommodate the 18650 battery. Some little rubber feet on the bottom help standing it up and just shows an incredible attention to detail.

Physically aside from size and the fact that the DRAG X supports external batteries they are nearly identical but there are a few hidden internal differences between the two. Where the DRAG S has a max output of 60W the DRAG X can do a full 80W. I would almost never recommend doing 80W on a single 18650 device for a number of reasons but it’s nice that they don’t restrict you from it. Both devices are powered by VooPoos proprietary GENE chip which has come quite a way over the years. It’s now a super easy to use and rather intuitive board with simplified features that most any user should be able to pick up and use quickly.

When it comes to functions they’ve gotten rid of temp control and a lot of other junk like curves and just left basic wattage intact but also added a number of smart features. Both devices have a smart mode which will automatically set the recommended wattage for the attached coil but you can still adjust it if needed. They also both have an RBA mode which lets you set a custom wattage right off the bat and it doesn’t try and set it for you. One feature that the DRAG S has over the X is it also has the ability to use a draw to fire function. When choosing the mode you can decide between press to fire or P+A which is Press and Auto meaning you can either press the button to fire or just take a pull and it will fire. I do notice that the draw to fire is just a tiny bit slow to trigger but it works pretty consistently. Not sure why this wasn’t included on the X but as a fairly lazy vaper it’s a feature I find myself using quite a bit.

Using the device is a breeze and you can turn it on and off with the usual five clicks. Three clicks cycles through the basic modes while pressing both adjustment buttons brings up the puff tracker which it can track over the course of two weeks much like the Vinci I reviewed in the past. You can clear the count by pressing fire and down or lock the device pressing fire and up. As I mentioned a simple interface and feature set but one last feature which is new to me is a tracking system. The device now tracks your puffs but associates it to points which you accumulate to essentially level up. It doesn’t really do anything other than gamify the puff counter but it’s an interesting and somewhat fun feature which isn’t something we see very often. It works as a scoring and ranking system but as far as I can tell it’s for personal use only and doesn’t compare your score with anyone else’s.

The tank and coils:

The pod or tank that comes with the kit is made of PCTG plastic so should hold up to most liquids quite well. It holds a decent 4.5ml of liquid and uses a silicone plug on the bottom to fill it. A decent sized chimney inside the tank means you can swap coils without emptying the tank all the way. As mentioned it uses any of VooPoos PnP or plug and play coils so it’s super easy to maintain in that regard. Not only does that give you a pretty wide variety of coils to choose from but that also includes an RBA. The tank is held to the device using a series of strong magnets and not once has it come loose while in use.

I’m not really going to review the coils as I’m pretty sure I’ve covered them in previous reviews but I can assure you that VooPoo PnP coils are among some of the best I’ve used and in my time working with these kits not one of the coils that I’ve tested has leaked. Flavour and vapour production are incredible as all three of the coils that come with the two kits are mesh based. The S kit comes with a 0.2ohm PnP-VM5 coil rated from 40-60W and a 0.3ohm PnP-VM1 coil rated from 32-40W where the X kit replaces the 0.2ohm coil with a 0.15ohm PnP-VM6 coil rated from 60-80W but keeps the 0.3ohm VM1 coil as well. I found all four coils tested could be run at or even just under their lowest recommended wattage if battery life is a concern and for me it usually is and considering both devices are single battery I’d suggest using the higher resistance lower rated coils as they still deliver incredible flavour and performance but will also provide the best power savings.

Overall:

I think we need a new name for this style of device as there only seems to be more of them coming out. I’ve tested quite a few of them in the past little while and I have to say so far the VooPoo DRAG S and X are my new favorites. I’ve definitely been picking up the S more than the X simply for the auto-draw feature which at 45W is kinda awesome but aside from that they really perform exactly the same. One of the things that puts these new DRAGS at the head of the pack is the simple fact I haven’t had a single drop of liquid leak out in the weeks I’ve been testing them. I have had the tiniest bit of condensation under the tank but even that has been minimal at best. With the adjustable airflow I still feel this thing is better suited to direct lung but maybe with the RBA or different coils it might give a better MTL experience. Would I still recommend these? Easily! But you’ll have to weigh your options between the two and pick the one that’s right for you!

https://www.voopoo.com/drag-series/drag-x.html

https://www.voopoo.com/drag-series/drag-s.html

How it adds up
Solid constructionEase of useOptions for internal or external batteryAuto-Draw feature on the DRAG SOverall aestheticsUSB Type-C5V/2A ChargingFun features4.5ml capacity PCTG tanksSupports any PnP CoilsSliding airflowNo leaking so far
Auto-draw feature not on the XNot quite for MTL
9.3Solid mod
Presentation9
Build Quality9.5
Performance9.5