Dotmod dotAIO SE Review – Classy, Pocket-friendly, All in One

As far as looks go, the new Dotmod dotAIO SE is certainly a winner, but does its performance live up to the classy design?

It seems like the days of hundreds of pods are behind us (I hope!) and we are now moving into AIO’s being the current big thing.

An AIO typically has a lot more versatility than a pod system, with removable coils, often a rebuildable head as an option, and occasionally an external battery.

They also tend to be capable of far higher power output, so great if you want to chuck some clouds!

What Can We Expect From The dotAIO SE by dotmod?

The Dotmod dotAIO SE is actually the second AIO device from the company.

Their first one, the dotAIO was a slightly more colourful option. The internals remain identical, it’s just the materials (and cost!) that has changed.

The original dotAIO was made of CNC aluminium, with aluminium panels, the SE is made of zinc alloy, and has plastic panels.

With a cheaper material cost, the cost of the device has gone down dramatically, and I actually prefer the look of the SE. It’s also a little heavier in the hand, not being made from aluminium.

This was sent over for review from NewVaping – thank you – and as always, my thoughts are my own, and I will report back honestly on what I find.

Inside The Box

• dotAIO SE
• 2ml PCTG Tank (2.7ml in non TPD countries)
• Airflow Base
• 0.3Ω Coil (Preinstalled)
• 0.7Ω Coil
• 2x Drip Tips
• Chimney adapter for Aspire Nautilus Coils
• Type C Charging Cable
• Spare O-Rings

Specs

• Dimensions – 78mm x 43mm x 22.5mm
• Materials – Zinc Allow
• Power Output – 4 Power Levels (max 35W)
• Battery – 1x 18650
• Charging – USB C
• Capacity – 2.7ml (2ml TPD)

Design and Build Quality

Opening the box you’re immediately struck by the high end packaging, this is a classy looking device.

It comes in just two colour, Black and White (which I received), and even my girlfriend (who has absolutely zero interest in what I spend my time reviewing) said that it looked really smart when she saw it.

Dotmod dotAIO SE the Body

It’s a small rectangular device, with the sides having a nice curve to them so it’s very comfortable to hold.

Around the outside it’s a chrome finish, this is an absolute fingerprint magnet, and I had to keep cleaning it to get decent photos!

At the top you have your 510 drip tip, you get two included. The one that’s preinstalled is the same metal as the exterior of the body, and is relatively low profile and wide bore for a 510, more suited to a direct to lung draw.

The other one is a vase shaped delrin piece, white or black to match your door panels. This has a much narrower bore and is set up for mouth to lung.

On one of the long edges you have your USB C charge port, this is set up to allow pass through charging, so you can continue to vape whilst it charges.

I recommend using an external battery charger, but I’m glad that the charging port is USB C.

On the base of the device you’ll see there are two little cut outs in the metal. This allows you to pull off the doors easily, and the one on the tank side actually does double duty.

More on that in a bit.

Dotmod dotAIO SE – Doors

The doors are both made of plastic, and they’re held in place by three strong magnets. Because the door fit slightly inside the body, there’s not even a hint of wobble.

I did notice if you press down on the long edge where the battery is, it will pivot on the battery and raise the opposite side slightly.

The doors have a lovely filigree pattern moulded into the surface, with dotmod written in the centre. As well as adding a touch of class, the texture means that they’re very grippy.

This ornamentation isn’t just on the doors though, removing the panels that covers the tank, there’s a lot of curly leaves and decoration laser etched onto the shiny finish.

As well as a a very Apple-esque “Designed by DOTMOD in California. Made in China”. This is also where the regulatory marks are hidden, so they don’t spoil the look of the exterior.

On the side with the tank in it, your primary airflow is through the gap that you can use to check your e-liquid level.

However you will notice that there’s a cut out channel in the door. This is to allow a secondary airflow into the device, that enters at the bottom.

You actually get a small sticker in the box, that allows you to cover the primary airflow hole/window totally.

This will then restrict the airflow to only coming in the bottom and give a much more restrictive vape.

The Dotmod dotAIO SE Tank

The tank is made from clear PCTG.

It has a nice easy to access fill port on one side, and the top edge has a little lip to make it easier to remove from the device.

In European countries with TPD regulations, this is going to be 2ml, the rest of the world get the slightly larger 2.7ml.

It’s a long coil from Dotmod for this device, and it is screwed into the airflow control base. Make sure when you’re changing coils you don’t lose this part!

Because Aspire Nautilus coils are so much shorter, there is a little chimney extender included, to allow you to use these as well.

How To Fill The Dotmod dotAIO SE Tank

• Remove the tank from the device (optional, but recommended in case you spill)
• Lift open the stopper
• Fill with your preferred e-liquid
• Replace the stopper, and reinstall in the device
• If it’s a new coil, remember to leave it 5-10 minutes before vaping to make sure your coil is saturated

How To Change The Dotmod dotAIO SE Coil

NB: Must be almost totally empty of e-liquid

• Remove the tank from the device, pull outwards from the top where there is a lip to give you grip
• Pull the airflow assembly and coil out of the base
• Unscrew the old coil from the air flow ring
• Screw on your new coil
• Push the combination back into the base, make sure it’s seated firmly
• Fill up, then replace the tank in the device

Dotmod dotAIO SE – Controls

You’ve got 2 button control and no screen on this device.

The fire button is always accessible due to a cut out in the door panel, the other smaller mode button is accessed by removing the door.

The fire button is nice and clicky, and easy to find by touch. 5 clicks on/5 clicks off is the only other function.

Removing the panel on the button side, and you can see there’s a lot of laser engraved text.

You have your 4 different power levels displayed by illuminating 1-4 of the quarters around the fire button.

• Very Soft – 1 light
• Soft – 2 lights
• Medium – 3 lights
• Strong – 4 lights

You only see these lights when you press the smaller mode button, as when you’re vaping the whole ring around the fire button will light up to indicate your battery.

• Green – 100%-61%
• Blue – 60% – 21%
• Red – 20% – 1%

You also have various warnings, indicated by a combination of the colour light flashing (white, purple or red) and the number of time it flashes.

• White 2 flashes – Atomizer Short
• White 3 flashes – No atomizer
• White 4 flashes – Resistance out of range
• Purple 8 flashes – Dry burn protection
• Red 3 flashes – Power Off
• Red 5 flashes – PCB too hot
• Red 8 flashes – Low battery

The little button beneath this text is your main control button, press it once and you’ll illuminate the current power.

Press it repeatedly to cycle through the four power levels.

If you press and hold this button you will switch on/off dry burn protection.

• Green glow – On
• 2 Yellow flashes – Off

This is effectively a type of temperature control that is set up for the stainless steel that is used in the Dotmod coils. Cutting the power when the resistance rises indicating a dry coil.

Presumably this would also work with a rebuildable coil, if you use stainless steel wire.

Dotmod dotAIO SE – Wattage

As the wattage only has four options, the wattage is set by the resistance of the coil you use.

Very Soft and Strong at the extremes, with two intermediary positions.

• 0.3Ω Coil – 20-35W
• 0.7Ω Coil – 14-20W
• 1.6Ω Coil – 8-14W (not reviewed)

Dotmod dotAIO SE – Optional Accessories

As well as having a standard 510 drip tip, you’ve got various other ways that you can customize your vape.

The doors are the most obvious thing you can change, and there’s quite a variety of different options out there, both from Dotmod themselves, and from a range of third parties.

There’s also the option of using it as a rebuildable. Dotmod make an dotAIO RBA, which looks to be set up for mouth to lung with smaller airflow holes.

On the third party side of things, Atmizoo make the dotShell, a really interesting looking rebuildable that costs about the same as the whole device!

How Does the Dotmod dotAIO Perform?

I’ve tested this out for about two weeks now, and I’ve put it through it’s paces both as a direct to lung system with the 0.3Ω coil, and as mouth to lung with the 0.7Ω.

For these tests I mostly used Fizzle‘s Shandy e-liquid at 70/30 PG/VG blend and SVC Labs Berry Ice at 50/50.

Dotmod dotAIO SE – 0.3Ω Coil – Airflow and Cloud Production

The airflow control allows quite a lot of air through this little kit.

Fully open, it was just the tiniest bit restrictive. On a scale of 1-10, from tightest to fully open, it’s around an 8.5.

It’s certainly of producing a decent amount of vapour, far more than you would get from your average pod system, and on a par with smaller direct to lung stock coilers.

0.3Ω Coil – Flavour

The flavour unfortunately is a little bet of a let down.

With a higher VG e-liquid, I think you probably need to be pumping in a bit more power than the 35W maximum this kit is capable of.

It’s not bad flavour, but it’s just a bit muted.

Dotmod dotAIO SE – 0.7Ω Coil – Airflow and Cloud Production

This coil is a little bit more restricted than the 0.3, but not by much.

Fully open it goes up to about a 7.

You can still have a very comfortable DTL draw, but I think this coil really shines when you close down the airflow.

The airflow control isn’t really set up for a mouth to lung vape though, as you have to close the AFC right down.

I found that it was at it’s best when there was just the smallest sliver of a gap on the airflow.

Although you can close it down further by putting a sticker over the primary airflow hole on the door, I found you could manage the same thing by just adjusting your grip to cover it a little more.

I tended to prefer doing it this way, as you could still use window to check your e-liquid level.

0.7Ω Coil – Flavour

With a higher resistance coil, and 50/50 e-liquid, the flavour really pops.

In fact I’m happy saying that this is in the same ball park as some of my rebuildables.

Dotmod dotAIO SE – Dry Burn Protection

I’m always a bit lairy of testing out dry burn protection in case it doesn’t work, so it’s always one of the last things on my list.

I’m really pleased to say that kit cuts power to the coil the moment it detects that it’s running dry.

A flashing purple indicator around the fire button clearly lets you know what’s happening (as that’s the only time they use that colour) and I’ve actually stopped checking the level on my tank, relying instead on the dry burn protection to stop me from burning out the coil.

Even running several tanks totally empty, the 0.7Ω coil is still holding up admirably!

Pros

• Really good looking (if a little fancy)
• Dry burn protection works like a charm
• Plenty of options to accessorize

Cons

• 0.3Ω coil isn’t terribly flavourful
• Plastic doors feel a little cheap
• The chrome is a fingerprint magnet

Final Review Verdict

I’ve really been enjoying my time with this little kit, and the fact that it will take the Nautilus coils just adds to it’s versatility.

Although the 0.3Ω coil wasn’t a stand out, it was perfectly competent, however, the 0.7Ω makes a great mouth to lung coil.

I’m almost certainly going to be picking up a rebuildable for this.

And whilst some people might find that the limitation of only having four power settings is a bit restrictive, I’ve found that they provide enough variety to tailor your vape to how you like it.

I actually like the slightly heavier weight of the SE over the original dotAIO, and the only place where it feels cheap is the doors. However this is cleverly mitigated by the lovely moulded pattern they have going on.

All in all, it’s a classy little kit.

If I was going to a wedding or a posh dinner anytime soon, it would be definitely this that I’d be putting in my pocket!

Have you used the Dotmod dotAIO SE or thinking of getting one?

Let me know in the comments below!