Hands up! I’m a bit late to the party when it comes to the Freemax Marvos 80W pod kit.
This is the 4th version in the popular series and has been superseded by the award winning Marvos X 100W kit and the Marvos X Pro 100W.
..Just goes to show that Freemax haven’t been resting on their vape Laurels, doesn’t it.
Freemax have been manufacturing mid to high end vaping products for a decade now. From the word go they’ve been consistently enhancing the vape experience with innovation as the main focus.
Their brand mission is to continue to be the most reliable manufacturer for quality flavour replication. To remain pioneers in the industry and the number one choice for consumers.
When Freemax released the Fireluke M in 2017 it was the first time anyone had vaped mesh in a sub ohm tank. It featured the now infamous FM Mesh CoilTech complete with tea fibre cotton.
I’ve been a bit of a fan boy ever since!
The Freemax Marvos 80W kit features version 4 of said Coiltech so let’s take a look at how it performs and everything else the pod kit has to offer.
What Can We Expect From the Freemax Marvos 80W Pod Kit?
The Freemax MS platform ensures all coils within the Marvos range are compatible.
This also includes the latest MS-D mesh coils and FM CoilTech 5.0
What sets FM CoilTech apart from other coils is the way airflow has been carefully calculated to optimise flavour and vapour production.
Freemax do this by testing various mesh coil resistances and wattage outputs so that taste is purer, cleaner and more flavoursome.
The tea fibre cotton has excellent antibacterial properties and prevents flavour degradation over time.
The military grade stainless steel SS904L mesh is also corrosive resistant and has a honeycomb structure to boost flavour, faster and more efficiently.
All the pods in the Marvos range are interchangeable. In some instances by way of a 510 adaptor. There’s also a separate RTA pod.
CRC (Child Resistant Cap) versions are also available.
The mouthpiece includes a patented anti spit back design. So no matter how feisty the coil, it won’t leave hot E-liquid on the tongue.
The Freemax Marvos 80 is designed for use as a DTL (Direct To Lung) or semi Restrictive Direct to Lung (RDL) vape. We tell you what these terms mean in our Guide To Vape Styles.
This is made possible by a significantly wide adjustable airflow slider on the side of the device. It’s designed to enable accurate and smoother adjustment.
As the name suggests, the device is capable of churning out anything up to 80W of power. To do this it relies on a single 18650 external battery (not included).
There are three modes to choose from: Power (Variable Wattage), Smart or Bypass. The screen colour can be changed to reflect your current mood.
Fast 2A charging is incorporated but as always, I highly recommend using a dedicated external battery charger.
The Freemax Marvos 80W kit is available with a 2ml TPD compliant pod and as a 4.5ml capacity pod for those outside of the EU.
Pick it up in five metallic colour schemes. Choose from Copper (under review), White, Blue, Black or Gunmetal.
What’s In the Box?
- Freemax Marvos 80W MOD
- Freemax Marvos DTL pod 2ml
- MS mesh coil 0.15ohm
- MS mesh coil 0.25ohm
- Type C USB charging cable
- User manual
- Warranty card
- Warning card
Specifications
- Size: 26.9 x 34 x 130.55mm
- Weight: 129.8g
- Material: Zinc alloy + PCTG
- Screen: 0.96in TFT colour
- Pod capacity: 2ml / 4.5ml
- Coil: MS mesh – Tea fibre cotton formula – SS904L mesh
- Coil resistance: 0.15 / 0.25 / 0.35 / 0.5ohm
- Battery: 18650 (not included)
- Output mode: Power / Smart / Bypass
- Output voltage: 0.7V – 4.2V
- Output wattage: 5W – 80W
- Type C USB: 2A charge rate
Freemax Marvos 80W Pod Kit Design and Build Quality
My first impression is at how tall the device is. At the same time it’s relatively slim which means it’ll fit OK in a trouser pocket.
Marvos 80W Mod
I’m really digging the Bronze version complete with all its pseudo patination. It gives the Mod a worn appearance and even the ‘Marvos’ branding looks faded – straight out of the box.
The etched “V” patterns at the top and bottom aren’t really a necessity and the micro dots in-between may be prone to gathering dirt and grease.
The adjustable airflow switch sits directly beneath the pod housing and feels extremely loose. That’s before contact with any E-liquid.
So if you do plan to stick the Marvos 80 in a pocket, chances are the airflow will have altered by the time you’re ready for another vape.
I’m not the biggest fan of the design – I’m always reminded of a panel pin for some reason.
The fire button definitely feels sticky. So much so that an audible squeak can be heard when using. No such issue exists with the rocker switch.
The front panel is composed of a shiny gloss Black plastic and prone to finger prints from the get go but the 0.96in TFT colour screen is quite bright and clear.
A type C USB charging port is sensibly placed at the bottom and recessed to prevent accidental damage.
The Freemax Marvos 80W kit relies on an 18650 battery and it’s fitted by opening the hinged door on the base of the Mod.
Simply slide the door forwards to release it. There doesn’t appear to be any spring load mechanism but the door itself feels sturdy enough and doesn’t rattle around.
Marvos DTL Pod
The pod is made from the usual tough PCTG material and fully transparent.
It incorporates a moulded mouthpiece with an opening of 10mm. Additional proof that the device is set up for a direct lung vape.
Peering down inside the mouthpiece I can see exactly what Freemax mean by their anti spit back tech.
A series of grooves are cut into the lining to trap any rogue E-liquid droplets before reaching the mouth.
Four small magnets are press fitted into the underside of the pod. Although providing a firm connection with the Mod, it’s easily separated when dropped from standing height.
But the magnets do allow the pod to spin freely inside the mod using its own magnetic ring, so there’s no wrong way of attaching it.
The Marvos DTL pod uses a bottom fill system. There’s an arrow on the silicone stopper to show how and where to open it.
Quick Start Guide
How To Install The 18650 Battery
- Push the battery door forwards at the point of the arrow to release and lift
- Insert the 18650 battery with positive (+) end facing downwards into the Mod
- Close the battery door by sliding it back into position
The device will automatically switch on.
Note: Always make sure your battery is in good condition.
Remember to periodically check for signs of damage or tears in the battery wrap. If the battery shows signs of damage, replace it immediately.
If the wrap is torn, you may be able to replace it with a new one.
We tell you more in our Guide To Battery Safety.
How To Install The Coil
- Pull the Marvos DTL pod out of the battery section
Push the coil up inside the pod chamber as shown in the diagram
Push the coil up inside the pod chamber as shown in the diagramRemember to push the coil in as far as possible. This will ensure the O rings are providing an adequate seal.
How To Fill The Pod
With the coil installed, locate the fill port seal on the base of the pod
- Lift the silicone stopper at the point of the arrow marking and pull to one side
- Push the E-liquid bottle nozzle into the fill port opening
- Gently squeeze E-liquid into the fill chamber. Avoid overfilling
- Replace the silicone stopper ensuring a firm seal
- Drop the pod back into the battery/Mod section
Replace the silicone stopper ensuring a firm sealLet the E-liquid soak into the cotton for around five minutes before vaping.
How To Operate The Freemax Marvos 80W Pod Kit
- Press the fire button 5 times to turn the device on or off
- Use the menu rocker buttons to increase/decrease wattage
- Press the fire button 3 times to select Smart, Power or Bypass mode
- Hold both menu rocker buttons to lock/unlock the device
- Hold the left rocker and fire button together to cycle through the five colour schemes
- Hold the right rocker and fire button together to reset the puff counter
- Hold the fire and both menu rocker buttons to restore device factory settings
NB: It’s still possible to vape while the device is locked.
Smart mode automatically detects the best power setting for the installed coil. You will not be able to vape outside of the coils maximum wattage range.
In power mode the user defines power settings for the coils, between 5 – 80W.
In Bypass mode the device runs directly off the battery. Power is displayed in voltage.
Please note that when in Bypass mode the menu rocker buttons are disabled.
In the event of malfunction the screen will respond to over vaping, no atomiser, high temperature, low voltage, low resistance and low battery.
How Does The Freemax Marvos 80W Pod Kit Perform?
I began by testing the included 0.25ohm MS mesh coil.
It has a power rating of between 40-60W with a recommended setting of 50W. That’s exactly what Smart mode suggested so I ran with that.
IVG’s Apple Berry Crumble, a 70VG/30PG E-liquid ratio was used with 3mg freebase nicotine applied.
Freemax MS 0.25ohm Mesh Coil
Even with airflow wide open the flavour is insane!
Apple and Berry combine, blasting out of the exhale and even subtle traces of baked pie crust are included.
However, at 50W there’s next to nothing in the way of warmth and that does take away some of the magic of this dessert profile.
Power to the coil feels instantaneous and the inhale is silky smooth with little in the way of turbulence.
It’s quite understandable for the vape to be relatively loud on this airflow setting but that’s still something to be aware of.
Definitely a direct lung vape with say, maybe around 10% airflow restriction at the max.
Other Airflow Restrictions
Adjusting airflow to around mid position (50%) and I don’t get the restriction I’m looking for.
I’d hazard a guess at a further 5-10% over wide open, which really isn’t enough to be effective.
There may be a slight increase to the warmth and concentration of flavour but nothing much to write home about.
As before, vapour production is immensely impressive. Even with my aging lungs it travels a good 3 – 4ft across the room before tumbling and dissipating.
It’s when the airflow is closed off to around 80% that a semi restrictive lung vape becomes an option.
Yet it doesn’t seem to have much effect on flavour quality. Having said that there’s now more warmth generated so that does add an extra dimension to this classic E-liquid recipe.
I favour this level of restriction the most. Simply because it’s my preferred style of vaping.
Freemax MS 0.15ohm Mesh Coil
I opted to try out bypass mode while testing this coil. So although best suited to 70W, I went in at the top end of the wattage scale.
Digbys Inca was used. It’s a Tobacco flavour with a 70VG/30PG E-liquid ratio containing 3mg freebase nicotine.
As previously mentioned, power is pulled directly from the battery while in bypass mode. It relies entirely on the fire button since the menu rocker is disabled.
Usually a fully charged 18650 battery will pull between 4 – 4.1V but the Freemax Marvos maxes out at 3.4V. So that’s more in line with its maximum wattage output of 80W.
It’s true what I’ve heard about bypass mode. You really cannot beat those first half a dozen pulls for power. More importantly, and in this case, that power is both instantaneous, pushing out flavour by the vape load.
I got a very strong, warm and punchy vape. The nutty, caramel tones of the profile mixing perfectly with the blended Tobacco.
The vapour production was great and on par with the 0.25ohm mesh coil.
Airflow properties were also on par with the 0.25ohm coil. Again, it needed to be restricted by around 80% to be classed as a semi restrictive vape.
I felt that was the optimal setting for flavour and vapour production too.
Overall Battery Performance
Smart mode gave me 6.5 hours use from the 18650 battery. During this time, flavour and vapour production held up well. The puff counter read 175 when the battery gave up and I’d vaped around 12ml of E-liquid.
I got the same number of hours when using bypass mode. What I will say is that I felt the vape to be slightly more consistent across overall life span of the battery.
By the time it needed charging, voltage had dropped to 2.75V. The chip was still pulling 52W of power – a drop of 28W but negligible in terms of overall performance.
The puff counter was reading 162 and I’d vaped around the same volume of E-liquid as when using Smart mode.
Pros
- Excellent flavour and vapour production from both coils
- Masses of airflow for a direct lung/semi direct lung vape
- Ergonomic and comfortable in the hand
- Sturdy battery door
Cons
- The fire button is a bit sticky
- Display isn’t great in direct sunlight
- Gloss Black plastic front panel prone to scratching easily
- Airflow adjustment not as versatile as it could be
- Both coils do leak at the base
- 2ml TPD pod guzzles the juice (subjective)
Final Review Verdict
The Freemax Marvos 80W pod kit performs very well. Both coils deliver excellent flavour properties and vapour production is pretty sweet too.
Those Freemax MS mesh coils crave power and airflow. Of particular note is how well they retain awesome flavour regardless of airflow setting.
Tea Fibre cotton, you see. Has me every time!
I usually have to supress airflow a fair bit to get the flavour I’m looking for.
That’s not the case here.
Yes, the coils are juice guzzlers and the pod was frequently refilled. That’s always going to happen when power meets pod capacity.
The Freemax Marvos 80W pod kit isn’t particularly heavy and feels comfortable in the hand despite its height. The fire button is sensibly placed for thumb firing.
Menu functionality has been kept simple and is easy to use. Switching from mode to mode is as easy as it gets. I love how Smart mode works to preserve the lifespan of those two amazing mesh coils.
So, yeah – overall I’d say Freemax ain’t meshing around when it comes to the Marvos 80W pod kit.
A solid and reliable device.
