Aspire ESP 30W Review

While Aspire were one of the first to release a Sub Ohm tank they didn’t exactly rush into the box mod market with the ESP 30W.

So that should mean they have produced a product that improves on the current box mods in circulation right? Well that’s what  we are going to take a look at.

The Aspire ESP 30W box mod was purchased for the purposes of this review.

In the box / Presentation

The ESP 30W comes in sturdy compact sliding draw box and includes.

• 1 X ESP 30W Box MOD (1900 mAh)
  
• USB Charging Cable
  

Battery/Body/Build

When I saw the first pictures of the Aspire ESP I found it a little underwhelming, the carbon finish and the chunky dial on top didn’t really get my juices flowing but that is of course a personal preference.

Roll on to today with the ESP in hand and my initial impression is much the same, the build and finish feels too ‘plasticy’ for my liking and just doesn’t have that same feel of box mods such as the solid MVP3 or even the Kanger Subox. The rotary knob sat on top even looks a little odd.

Now I want to fast forward here a little, I have been using this device now for a couple of weeks and I have to say my initial impressions have changed a little. The device still feels a bit too plastic for my liking but this for many could be a good thing and that’s due to the light weight feel of the mod. It is noticeably lighter in weight than a lot of other similar sized products out there.

Then there is the rotary knob. This has actually won me over as well. It makes things so simple and easy to use, no mad button pressing combinations to deal with, all you do is turn the knob one way or another to select your desired wattage and the changes appear on the OLED screen.

It’s as easy as using a Spinner or variable voltage vape pen e cig. I didn’t think I’d like this but in practice it’s turned out to be a bit of a positive for me. But then I like things simple whilst still showing all the other information you would expect.

Keep in mind this isn’t necessarily aimed at advanced vapers, Aspire have introduced a product for everyday vapers that is pretty much fool proof to use. The learning curve is short.

The firing button is located in a nice position on the side and although it seems to protrude a fair bit it actually acts as a homing beacon for your finger, mine seemed drawn to it every time I picked the MOD up. The small size fits nicely in the hand as well being only (approx) 87mm high (not including rotary knob) and 42mm wide.

The battery comes in at 1900 Mah, not the biggest in it’s class for sure but still plenty even for the heavy vapers amongst us.

As a moderate vaper I could get a good couple of days before popping it on charge which is done by way of a micro USB port on the base of the device.

I like many would prefer the port to be on the side but it’s not a deal breaker. The ESP can also be used when on charge as a pass through so no down time when powering up.

Despite it coming across as a basic device the Aspire ESP still has the following functions.

Functions

• 5 click on/off
• Screen display – Battery indicator / atomiser resistance / wattage and voltage
• Check atomiser – For when device doesn’t detect tank
• Check Battery – When low power is reached

There are no real negatives for me in the working of the device, the only thing I’m not a massive fan of is the carbon wrap but as mentioned that’s just a personal preference.

Overall

Lightweight, small enough to fit comfortably in the palm of my hand and super easy to use with the rotary knob.

Performance

The Aspire ESP has a self adjusting pin and supports coils with a resistance down to 0.3 Ohms so offers plenty of options.

I tried a number of sub ohm tanks including the Aspire Atlantis 2. Strangely the ESP 30W wouldn’t recognise the tank with the 0.3 Ohm coil and repeatedly displayed ‘check atomiser’.

Likely an issue with the coil head but something I will look into further. The 0.5 Ohm coil had no such problem though.

Update: The box of the ESP stated it was compatible with 0.3ohm coils but this is a mistake on Aspires part. The ESP is compatible with 0.4ohm coils and above. Which now makes the issue with the coils I was using a pretty obvious one!

The Atlantis 2, unsurprisingly, sits on top of the ESP just right. No overhang or daylight between the base of the tank and the MOD itself. Performance wise, as expected spot on through the settings.

The Kanger Subtank Mini works a treat as well but doesn’t (at least for me) sit flush to the top of the MOD, there is noticeable daylight between the two. Probably only an issue for the most picky of us vapers out there however!

So very good overall apart from the stated 0.3 Ohm coil compatibility being incorrect. 

Is the 30W maximum output for everyone? No probably not for more advanced vapers but for my personal needs it’s just fine.

Is the rotary knob a step backwards? At first I thought it may be but the more I used it the more I actually like the simplicity of it.

Overall – No problem dealing with all the tank I used on top barring the one issue mentioned above. performance issues although maybe too basic for advanced users. The Atlantis 2 sits perfectly on top as would be expected and is a good match for the device.

Overall – Final Thoughts

While I initially thought the Aspire ESP 30W seemed a little basic this actual turned out to be a real plus point. The rotary knob simplifies it’s use so makes it even more accessible to the newer vapers amongst us.

For me there are better options available for vapers

Read More: https://www.ecigclick.co.uk/best-box-mods-and-vape-mods/

Here’s the good and not so good.

The Good:

• Very lightweight MOD
• Great entry point to box mods for new users
• 1900 Mah battery life is still good (even if competitors have higher spec)
• Rotary knob makes the device super simple to operate
• 30W output.
• Atomiser resistance down to 0.3 Ohm
  
• Works well with variety of tanks and clearomisers.
  

The Not So Good:

• The build for me isn’t on par with other devices.
• Overall may not be suitable for advanced vapers.
  

Final Aspire ESP 30W Review Verdict:

Good introduction to vape mods for new vapers but there are better