Chris 'majorvapes' SissonIt seems there is no end to the new rage that is pod mods. Wotofo who until now has mainly stayed out of the game recently dropped their take on a all in one pod system called the Manik. Well known for their RDAs, RDTAs RTA and mesh coils Wotofos first attempt at a pod device looks pretty swanky. Here are my honest thoughts on the new Manik Pod Mod from Wotofo.
Package contents:
| 1 x | Manik Pod Mod |
|---|---|
| 1 x | User manual |
| 1 x | Charging cable |
| 1 x | Empty pod cartridge |
| 1 x | D15 Clapton Mesh coil |
| 1 x | D14 A1 Conical Mesh Coil |
Listed features and specs:
| Dimensions: | 126 x 33 x 27mm (with pod installed) |
|---|---|
| Net Weight: | 115g |
| Coils & Resistance: | D15 Clapton Mesh Coil 0.2Ω D14 A1 Conical Mesh Coil 0.2Ω |
| Pod Capacity: | 4.5ml (Standard Edition) / 2ml (TPD Edition) |
| Main Material: | Zinc Alloy |
| Display: | 0.96’’ TFT Screen |
| Battery Type: | Single 18650 Battery (not included) |
| Output Power: | 5-80W |
| Output Voltage: | 0.5-4.2V |
| Charging Port: | Micro USB |
| Charging Current: | DC 5V/1.5A |
Packaging and contents:
The kit came packed in a black and green cardboard box with a clear plastic sleeve over the face. For some reason the sleeve on mine was nearly impossible to remove but that’s hardly a complaint. In the kit you get the Manik Pod Mod, an empty pod, a micro USB cable, a spare coil, a user manual and a warning card. It’s a very lightly packed kit but you do get what you need to get started.
The mod:
The mod takes on a somewhat familiar look and at a glance resembles a number of other pod system on the market. It isn’t until you take a closer look that you start to see the differences. Unlike the others it’s a bit taller, a bit slimmer and has a solid zinc alloy body, no rubber or multi frame design but it does have a grippy leather backing that’s threaded and stamped with the name Manik. If you’re familiar with the Lostvape Thelema it’s probably closest to it in overall design. At the top like any other it’s got an open slot to slide in the pods. They’re held in place by a push button lock similar to Geekvapes Aegis system. So far it’s worked well and has kept the pod locked and secure. The slot also looks well sealed against leaks but so far I haven’t had any. Around the exterior of the pod slot are three airflow intakes. No airflow control of any sort so this will mainly be geared towards the direct lung crowd.
Down the face of the mod it’s got a tinted plastic screen, a squarish plastic fire button, a 0.96″ TFT colour screen, matching square plastic adjustment buttons and a micro USB charge port. No rattle or anything with the buttons and they all have a decent click to them. It can charge at a rate of 5V/1.5A so it’s fairly quick to charge and the device accepts an 18650 via the flip out battery door on the bottom. I’d still prefer to see USB Typc-C and 2A charging but the 1.5A quick charge at least is decent. Powered by the newly developed NexChip it’s got an 80W limit but also a super fast fire time which Wotofo claims is 0.001s. I can’t really measure that but it does seem to fire fast. Of course it’s got all the usual safety features built-in like low voltage warning, short circuit protection, low resistance and overheat protection.
The screen despite being under tinted plastic, is fairly bright and well laid out with all the usual information like a battery bar and percentage, current wattage, lock status, volts, resistance, puff count and puff timer. The Manik with it’s simple interface is also super easy to use as it really only has one mode, Variable Wattage. It uses the usual five clicks to turn it on and off, three clicks locks the fire button, pressing fire and – clears the puff count, pressing fire and + changes the theme colour and holding both adjustment buttons locks the interface. That’s it, super simple, easy to navigate and should be a breeze for anyone to pick up.
The tank:
The pod that comes with the kit is made of plastic but I didn’t see it specified what type so be careful with tank crackers. It holds a very cozy 4.5ml of liquid and there’s a silicone plug on top for easy refilling. Unfortunately the drip tip is not user replaceable and is built-in to the tank itself. It does however use plug and play coils and is cross compatible with Vaporesso GTX or Voopoo PnP coils. Wotofo also offers an RBA but sadly it’s not included in the kit. The coils are bottom airflow and as mentioned above it doesn’t have any sort of airflow control so what you get will depend on the coils you choose. With bottom airflow coils there’s always a risk of leaking but so far so good.
Now the coils that come with the kit are what really make it pop. It comes with a 0.2ohm D14 A1 Conical nexMESH coil(35-40W) and a 0.2ohm D15 Clapton Mesh Coil(45-55W). Both are fairly low rated for power but the performance of these coils is pretty intense. My favorite of the two is the D15 Clapton Mesh coil which is basically a coil comprised of several tiny little claptons which is likely why it needs just that little bit more power. The flavour and clouds this thing kicks out are impressive to say the least and if you tried their nexMesh Pro Tank with their H12 Clapton Mesh coils, it’s a very similar experience and one of my favourite coils to come out in the last year. Pretty much zero break in time and longevity is about what I’d expect from mesh coils like these with myself averaging just over a week per coil.
Overall:
The Manik is likely one of the more straightforward pod mods to hit the market recently but that’s not to say it doesn’t compete. I personally appreciate it’s slimmed down interface and it’s bare essential approach but also it’s sleek design a overall build quality. Of course without any airflow control this one definitely leans toward the direct lung crowd but with the variety of coils available you should be able to pick and choose what works best for you. Personally, I’m really digging the Manik and especially the D15 Clapton mesh coil that comes with the kit.