Aspire Cygnet Mod Review | How to miss the train… by 0.5 mm

Today we’re looking at the Aspire Cygnet mod. This device invites comparisons to the iStick Pico and Vaporesso’s Swag – and with good reason. All three are single 18650 battery mods with a curved and compact form factor.

Introduction to the Cygnet Mod by Aspire

Aspire have stripped down the functionality on this one, offering your choice of variable wattage, variable voltage, and straight Bypass mode. Temperature control, wattage curves, and firmware upgradability are out. That may be a con for more advanced vapers, but I can see this mod appealing to those who are looking for a simple, no-frills daily driver for out and about.

Let’s take a closer look at the Cygnet mod and see if this mod can challenge other devices in its class. We’ll be reviewing the “grey and gold” version.

Fun fact: A cygnet is a young swan. I fail to see the feathers, or neck.

Disclaimer: We received the Cygnet mod from Aspire for the purpose of this review. All opinions are based on my own experience and road-testing.

What’s In The Box

• Cygnet mod
• Micro USB cable
• Warranty card
• User manual
• Battery safety card

Features:

• Size: 72.5 x 48 x 23.5 mm
• Battery: 1 x 18650 (not included)
• Screen: 0.86 inch OLED
• Output modes: variable wattage | variable voltage | Bypass
• Wattage range: 1 – 80 W
• Voltage range: 0.5 – 8.0 V
• Resistance parameter: 0.1 – 3.5 ohm
• Continuous firing time: 10 seconds
• Charging: Either externally or via micro USB port
• Max USB charge: 1 amp
• 510 connection: gold plated, spring mounted 510 pin
• Available colours: black & grey | grey & rose gold | blue & rainbow | green & gold | red & black | pink & rainbow

Unboxing

First impressions of the Aspire Cygnet mod are good. The device comes in a simple box with slide-away cover. Aside from the mod, you receive a basic user manual, warranty and battery safety cards. You also get a plain black micro USB cable which is just over 50 cm in length.

The main body panel has a lightly blasted finish which is quite soft to the touch. The mod’s top and bottom are a lustrous rose gold which looks great, but is an absolute fingerprint magnet. I can also see this metal trim scratching up easily.

Cygnet Mod Design & Build Quality

In terms of build quality, the Cygnet doesn’t disappoint. Four torx screws are countersunk into the top and bottom of the mod itself. The Fire button sits slightly raised on the thinner front flank of the device. There is a slight amount of play to the button, but nothing unreasonable. It is also clicky without being loud, and has a short throw to it.

The OLED display sits below the Fire button and is relatively bright, but lacks the ability to be dimmed or brightened. It comes with a protective film attached to prevent scratches.

The only visible branding is the fairly discreet Aspire and Cygnet typography on the flank to the right of the display. The Plus and Minus buttons for altering wattage and voltage parameters are set into the underside of the mod in a similar manner to the iStick Pico.

The 510 pin is gold plated and spring mounted, allowing most atomizers to fit without the dreaded gap. The atomizer mount is then closed off on one side by the Cygnet’s characteristic stepped design.This allows the use of atomizers larger than 22 mm – a big plus in my book. However, in what I can only describe as a design decision with all the elegance of a drunken goose step towards redundancy, Aspire have limited the Cygnet’s diameter to 23.5 mm.

You will be able to fit attys up to 24 mm, but not without some slight overhang.

If your atomizer has bottom-fed airflow, the curved step could interfere with it. However, it’s still better than the size limitations of both the istick Pico (22 mm without a heatsink) and the Swag (also 22 mm). Since writing this review the new Eleaf Pico 21700 was released fitting upto 25mm.

Battery door

Similar devices in its class tend to feature a battery cap on the topside of the mod through which the 18650 can be inserted. The Aspire Cygnet uses a much thinner threaded cap which screws into the underside of the mod.

I think this enhances the overall look of the device, making it appear sleeker. The other plus in this regard is that the recess for the top of the battery has been turned into a design feature and increases the available real estate for your atomizer.

However, the battery cap is very thin and the threading could be better. The cap can be accessed either by hand (there’s a raised centre bar which you can twist with your thumb and forefinger) or alternatively via two small holes which are large enough to access with tweezers. If the threading doesn’t immediately catch, turning the cap counter-clockwise until the threads click works well for me.

The internal battery compartment is plastic and will offer some security in case of a torn battery wrap. Your battery goes positive side up into the mod and the positive polarity is clearly marked inside the device.

Unfortunately there’s no obvious venting holes at the positive end of the battery compartment. Probably the holes in the battery cap were intended for that purpose, but they’re facing the negative end of the battery.

Hand Feel

Thanks to its curved form factor, the Cygnet vape mod sits very comfortably in the palm of the hand. There’s hardly a sharp or straight line in sight, and overall the device feels very ergonomic. Looking at pictures of the device, I had assumed that the main body material would be a hard metallic finish, but instead we have a lightly blasted feel (very similar to the Aspire Zelos) in what could be zinc or perhaps aluminium.

In terms of operation, most people will access the Fire button with their thumb, which leaves the display directly underneath and easily visible. Plus and Minus buttons are set into the underside of the mod. This makes for a cleaner, simplified look, but means changing wattage or voltage parameters is a case of turning the mod over.

Feature Set

The Cygnet doesn’t offer all that much for advanced vapers. We have a pared-down system here, which dispenses with TC, wattage curves and firmware updates. If you’re looking for advanced functionality, best look elsewhere. However, as a daily driver, I think the Cygnet mod has the most popular functions that the majority of vapers use.

Variable wattage runs from 1 – 80 W, moving in decimal point increments. Variable voltage runs the whole gamut from 0.5 – 8 V, also moving in single points. You can round robin both your watts and volts.

Bypass mode utilizes the direct output voltage of your 18650 in a manner similar to a mech mod, but with the added protections of a regulated device.

Menu Functionality and Firmware Upgrading

The Cygnet is simple and straightforward to use and operate.

• Five clicks to the Fire button turn the device on and off.
• Three clicks to the Fire button activates stealth mode. The screen will go black, and your Plus and Minus buttons are locked. Three more clicks to the Fire button deactivates it.
• Pressing Fire and Minus simultaneously locks output in both variable wattage and voltage modes.
• Pressing Fire and Plus simultaneously toggles between wattage, voltage and Bypass modes.
• Holding down Plus and Minus simultaneously for two seconds will flip the screen orientation. I like this function as it caters to both lefties and right handed users.
• If you want to change menu languages, when installing the battery, hold down the Fire button. The firmware version will be displayed, followed by “EN CH”. Plus and minus allows you to switch between English and Chinese.

There’s no possibility to upgrade the Cygnet’s firmware. The micro USB cable is provided for charging only. The charge rate is restricted to 1 Amp, which pales alongside Vaporesso’s Swag mod. However, I would always suggest charging your batteries in a dedicated external charger.

Aesthetics

The Aspire Cygnet is one good looking mod! It makes similar devices in its class look clunky in comparison – and that’s down to how Aspire has turned the dimensions of the mod into a design feature.

However, in my opinion the recessed 510 plate is a mixed blessing. You will be able to run 24 mm attys on the Cygnet – but not without a bit of overhang. That may something you can live with – but I can think of many an OCD vaper who can’t. And since when were 23.5 mm atomizers a thing anyway?

The metal trim that crowns the Cygnet looks great, but it is a fingerprint magnet. It requires a lot of TLC to keep clean and shiny. But what annoys me the most is that the “gold” of the Cygnet is a lot more like rose gold. I struggle to pair this mod nicely with a matching atty.

As far as I can see, the other colour runs with gold trim will have the same issue. The range of colour variations look nice and are a bit different from your standard, bold primary colour fare.

How Does The Aspire Cygnet Mod Perform?

I took the Aspire Cygnet on a 5-week road trip and used it extensively with low-wattage, mouth to lung (MTL) devices. My go-to was a YFTK clone of the Kayfun Prime.

Looking back, I’m really glad that I had this mod on the road with me. It was perfect for situations where a bulkier box would have got in the way. The mod is small, looks stylish, and fits easily into a pocket or the drink holder of your car for out and about.

Running a tank or RTA with a resistance of around 1 ohm at 20W or so, this setup can last you a day, or several tanks worth of e-liquid (whichever comes first). I used a couple of Sony VTC5s with this mod, and found that the Cygnet was quite sparing on the batteries at this level.

Of course I could have paired it with a larger atty, but the overhang ruled that out for me. The OLED display is bright enough to see clearly in sunlight and easy to navigate – although for me, it’s more of a set it and forget type of device.

I was very happy running the Cygnet in variable voltage, at 4.2 V throughout the day. After more than a month’s solid use, the only signs of damage I can see are some hairline scratches on the metal trim. And fingerpints of course. Endless fingerprints…

There’s enough headroom on the Cygnet to run a sub ohm tank or rebuildable too. That would make for a compact, small and stealthy setup – but you’ll want to have some extra batteries with you.

Pros:

• Tiny, compact design that packs a reasonable punch
• Good battery longevity (depends on your build, amp limit and vaping habits though)
• Intuitive, simple menu functionality that’s easy to grasp
• Good looks, in my opinion more attractive than similar devices such as the Pico and Swag
• 510 mount will accept up to 23.5 mm atomizers without overhang

Cons:

• Metal trim is a fingerprint magnet and requires constant care to keep clean
• Stepped design up top limits “functional” atty size to 23.5, rather than 24 mm
• Colour of the “gold” is hard to match with most atomizers
• Battery capacity limits the use of this mod to low wattage MTL devices, think 20 – 50W.
• Battery door could be machined better and made easier to open/close
• Venting holes are in the wrong place
• Pared-down functionality (no curves/TC/TCR/firmware upgrading) will limit use for some vapers

Final Review Verdict

I wasn’t expecting a huge range of functionality from the Aspire Cygnet mod. After all, it’s a single battery mod with the same size as a Pico or Swag. I see this more as a reliable daily driver for out and about, especially for vapers who run an MTL tank or rebuildable.

If you’re looking for a mod that you can use with your favorite high-wattage drippers, or something that offers a full range of advanced functions, look elsewhere. A DNA device this one ain’t.

If however you’re after something that’s small and compact, I think this is a quality offering from Aspire. The colours may be hard to match for some, but I like the good looks and smooth form factor of the Cygnet. Now I just have to find the perfect atomizer in rose gold to match it with. Vaper’s OCD has no end in sight…