Aspire Cleito EXO Reviewed – Live Up-to Expectations?

The Aspire Cleito EXO tank has a lot to live up to given its predecessors in the trio are among the best loved sub-ohm tanks in the vaping world.

I guess everyone and his mother and step-brother has bought a Cleito – it was certainly my first sub-ohm tank – and the EXO is to look at anyway like that Uncle you don’t invite to family parties – he’s a relation just a little ‘different’ [that would be me then].

Gone is the open glass tank now replaced with a kind of protective armadillo style armour – or if you’re a Sci-Fi fan an EXO skeleton.

Gone too is the airflow control and gone too is the 3.5ml capacity – well sort of 😉

For the rest of the world the 3.5ml capacity is ‘kind of there’ and for those of us under the shadow of the TPD to all intents and purposes the EXO is a 2ml compliant tank.

However.

Aspire has pulled a crafty design feature out of the box making the EXO cross compatible with previous Cleito coils giving us a few mls more – or 1.5ml if we’re being exact.

So has Aspire done it again with the next generation Cleito?

Let’s take a closer look.

For the record this was purchased for the purpose of the review by EcigClick and as always and despite it being Jonny’s money – my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Inside the Box – Standard Version

It’s the same long plastic case with a lot less contents.

Aspire must be supremely confident in the durability of the tank as there’s no need for a spare glass – cuff rings or a vape band.

Good to see a spare coil though.

• 1* Cleito EXO tank (0.16ohm coil preinstalled)
• 1* Extra 0.4ohm Coil
• 1* Extra Drip Tip
• 2* Extra O-rings
• 1* Warranty Card

TPD Version

• 1* Cleito EXO tank (2ml version with 0.16ohm coil preinstalled)
• 1* Extra 0.16ohm Coil
• 1* Extra Drip Tip
• 2* Extra O-rings
• 1* Warranty Card
• 1* User Manual

Cleito EXO Specs

• 57mm tall
• 23.5mm wide
• Aspire EXO UK TPD version – 2ml capacity TPD
• Standard version – 3.5ml capacity
• Stainless Steel
• PCTG – food safe plastic

Quick Start Guide

Regular Cleito users won’t find anything to faze them as it’s all kept extremely simple:

How To Fill The Aspire Cleito EXO and Change the Coils

• To fill unscrew the top cap and fill down sides of the glass
• To swap coil pull off glass tank and replace coil

Key Features

Gone is the adjustable airflow on the old style Cleito replaced by a top to bottom airway intake.

Now that’s a mouthful – but in effect the air is sucked in at the top [just below the top-cap] it shoots down the side of the coil bounces off the bottom and rushes up the chimney.

How this affects the flavour and vapour production I’ll get onto soon.

Next up is the nifty way Aspire has gotten around the tricky issue of the TPD with the annoying 2ml max tank capacity.

Very cleverly the new Cleito EXO c0.16ohm coils are designed in such a way that when they sit inside the 3.5ml glass tank they take up enough space to lose 1.5ml – hence the 2ml capacity – now that’s thinking outside the box – or tank – but you get what I mean 😉

The good news – obviously lol – is that it is backward compatible with the old Aspire Cleito coils – 0.4 and 0.2 ohms [but not the 120] ARE compatible as is the Cleito RBA deck.

The EXO Shell

Next up is the protective shell and I’m guessing this is where the name comes from as it’s similar to an EXO skeleton.

Although it could be named after the extremely popular South Korean boy-band of the same name – but don’t quote me on that 🙂

The shell appears to be some kind of extremely thin stainless steel sheeting stuck literally onto the now plastic not glass tank – which was not at all what I was expecting from the photos.

This protective shield is indeed thin which does leave the two cut-outs exposed to knocks – though I assume Aspire are super confident at the EXO taking a few hits as obviously they don’t pack a spare – time will tell I guess.

It’s top fill just like the other Cleito’s and sadly the custom drip tips I bought for my original Cleito’s don’t fit – which is a shame but good news for the drip tip makers 😉

Design and Build Quality

As you might expect from Aspire the build is very good with silky smooth threads and tight O rings.

Jonny chose the ‘rainbow’ effect version for me to review – not sure if it’s my sparkling personality he was matching it to or indeed my love of unicorns – however it’s good to see the paint effect follows through right to the exposed drip tip ‘nub’.

How tough the paint job will be is anyone’s guess this early in the life of the Aspire EXO tank but first impressions – and I did nibble it with my teeth – is that it’s solid.

OK now to the design itself.

It’s another of those ‘Marmite’ moments – you’re gonna love it or hate it.

Personally I love the design because the one thing that annoyed me about the original Cleito was that huge rubber seal on the base – I found that so ugly and covered it up with a vape band.

I can obviously see the point of the protective shell – but those cut-outs on the side with the Aspire name running down do make it nigh on impossible to see your juice level – particularly with clear e-liquid.

The airflow intake ‘slots’ cut into the top of the tank are impossibly thin and to be honest I have no idea how the air gets down there – but I guess it has to and I’ll talk about the performance in a wee while.

There’s a good selection of colours too: stainless steel – black – blue – anodized rainbow and bronze.

Overall its well put together and in my opinion looks amazing – but most importantly how does the Cleito EXO vape?

How Does the Aspire Cleito EXO Tank Perform?

I think regular Cleito users who enjoy vaping with the airflow wide open are in for a shock.

Whilst I would not in a million years call this a restricted lung hit – for my vaping taste it is close.

If you have an original Cleito try vaping now with the air flow a little over halfway closed.

If that’s comfortable for you – then you’ll love the EXO – that’s the diplomatic way of saying there’s not enough airflow for my style of vaping.

Now that’s not a bad thing by any means – and yeah I’m perfectly happy tooting on it but I felt my lungs in particular asking for an airier vape if that makes sense!

The best way I can describe the hit I’m getting is it’s extremely clean and feels almost filtered.

I added the RBA deck and whilst the vape was a little looser it was still not airy enough for me.

Hey don’t let that put you off by any means it’s a great vape but lack of airflow control is for me at least a bit ‘retrograde’.

I did find that when chain vaping the top cap can get very warm – not hot enough to burn but uncomfortable – the tank however remained extremely cool.

If you do find the top–cap getting to hot with a bit of stretching the original heat resistant chuff cap covers do fit – just.

Cleito EXO Flavour, Clouds and Coils

Flavour wise and Aspire has nailed it with these 0.16ohm coils and I mean that!

Straight out of the box – primed and left for 10 minutes the flavour from my current favourite e-liquid was extremely good.

They have a recommended wattage of 60-100watts and the EXO handles the 100watts with ease giving a pleasantly warm vape.

For science I pushed it a little higher and found it maxing out at 130 watts as a slight sense of burning was developing – but still not getting excessively hot.

Regular Cleito users will know it can sometimes take a tank and a half at least to get the flavour popping.

I tried a 0.2 and 0.4ohm coil – both broken in – and the flavour dimmed a touch IMHO.

Not sure what they’ve done with these coils – apart from maybe widen them – but hands down they are flavour coils!

OK back to the 0.16ohm coils and the vapour production.

Look I don’t think you’re going to win any cloud chucking competitions with this tank.

It might be the airflow but I found the vapour production just OK.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being ‘clouds for days’ I’d give this maybe a 7.7 – not bad but certainly not a ‘chucker’ as the chasers say.

As to coil longevity I’ve had one coil on the go for 8 days now at a steady 87.5 watts.

I’ve been using x3 different flavoured 70/30 VG PG e-liquids [on the sweet side] and the flavour – once you pass the crossover taste lol – is still good with no signs of needing a coil swap.

So depending on your vaping style I should imagine you’ll get the same amount of use as you would an original Cleito coil which for me is around 10 to 14 days.

What I Like

I love the look of the Aspire Cleito EXO and the shell really does make this tank pop out from the crowd.

The flavour I’m getting on the 0.16ohm coil is extremely good and knocks the socks of the other Cleito coils.

Good to see Aspire has kept this top-fill and as I’ve shown it really is as simple as unscrewing the top and dunking that coil.

Whilst I can’t say it’s 100% leak free I can’t see anywhere it could leak from and certainly given I’ve taken this everywhere and thrown it about a bit I have had no leakage whatsoever.

What I Don’t Like

I’m a little miffed there’s no airflow control.

As a tank it still performs well but those who prefer an airy vape might find themselves compensating somewhat.

It could be my aging eyesight but checking clear e-liquids through the view ports [and aspire lettering] is almost impossible and you’ll find yourself tilting it this way and that to see what’s left in your tank.

Whilst it’s not the end of the world any of you who owns a custom Cleito drip-tip will have to get another as the ones I’ve got don’t fit.

Final Review Verdict

The original tank sold in the zillions and I expect the Cleito EXO to do the same and maybe even break the record.

I’m pretty sure anyone who’s owned an original Cleito will feel the need to buy an EXO and I wouldn’t stop you – it’s a tough good looking well-built solid performing sub-ohm tank.

A week in and I’m getting used to the less airy vape and absolutely loving the flavour I’m getting off those 0.16ohm coils.

I wouldn’t call this a cloud chucker but I would definitely call it one for the flavour chasers particularly with the 0.16ohm coils.

Personally I think it looks awesome and daft as it seems the yellow in my rainbow version seems to match perfectly with my Aspire Archon – it’s the little things this style warrior appreciates lol.

Given Jonny bought the Aspire Cleito EXO for the purposes of this review would I go out and buy one?

I’ve begun moving away from tanks and on to RDTAs these days – but I will be buying a black and a silver Cleito EXO in the near future purely for matchy matchiness and ease of use whilst out and about.

Pros

• Simple to use
• Top fill
• Cleito coils compatible
• Cleito RBA compatible
• Capacity can be changed
• Tough and durable
• Great design
• Choice of colours

Cons

• No airflow control
• Difficult to see juice levels
• Not compatible with custom Cleito drip tips