Geekvape G18 Starter Pen Kit – The Writing’s Never On The Wall.

Today it looks like we’re finally getting something a bit different with the Geekvape G18 Starter Pen kit.

Before you argue that point I don’t mean different as in innovative, rather that it’s had the chance to finally float to the surface after a tidal wave of pod kit releases.

And just when I thought pen style devices were doomed to a watery grave.

I find it a bit ironic that Geekvape itself has contributed quite heavily to the pod kit gravitational pull in, I mean, just take a look at the Aegis range.

It does looks like the tide is turning though and by lumping this release in under their “others” category I have to ask, what are Geekvape trying to spell out by going against the flow?

Could it really be an attempt to throw distance between themselves and a vaping sub genre that for some at least has grown old, stale and predictable?

Does this vape pen signal the return of increased portability, ease of use and the concentrated flavour generally assigned to MTL vape Pen products?

It’s probably time I stopped reminiscing and answered a few questions before I find myself up to my neck in it again. This time the proverbial hot water lol!

What Can We Expect From the Geekvape G18 Starter Pen Kit?

Because this is a starter kit, the Geekvape G18 pen has been designed specifically for the new vaper or lovers of all things MTL. It’s very low powered so I’m expecting a healthy lifespan from the 1300mAh integrated battery.

The airflow to the coils is from beneath so there should be plenty of decent flavour when using the three step voltage control.

The devices portability should play a key factor in its ability to use in an everyday working environment and hopefully the top filling system will allow for quick and discreet top ups.

Watch Neil C’s Hands On Video

 

Inside the Box

I received the reviewers edition of the kit in a 6×5 inch box. Some might suggest extravagant – I just thought it was overkill for what was inside, which was:

• G18 battery
• G18 atomiser (2ml capacity)
• Type C USB charging cable
• G series MTL coil 1.2ohm (pre installed)
• G series MTL coil 1.8ohm

Geekvape G18 Starter Pen Kit – Key Features

We’re looking at pen style portability so the Geekvape G18 Starter kit is going to be well suited in a shirt or trouser pocket.

Thanks to a 1300mAh capacity, the battery will last for at least a day before being needing a recharge via type C USB connectivity.

The deck has been designed to be leak proof and includes three different sized and fully adjustable airflow slots to tweak flavour requirements.

Two of the coils from the Geekvape G series have been included but there are others available including a mesh 1.2ohm alternative.

Something else to keep in mind is that they are also compatible with the Geekvape Wenax Stylus, Aegis Pod and Wenax C1 pod kits.

There’s an extensive range of colours to pick from and these are Black, Rainbow, Stainless Steel, Wood (under review), Royal Blue, Malachite, Aqua and Scarlett.

…Malachite…

Now there’s a colour! If your mindset is anything like mine you’ll be intrigued to learn that it’s actually a dark green. Not exactly what sprang to mind lol!

Geekvape G18 Specifications

• Size 18 x 137.5mm
• Material Stainless steel, chrome plating and PCTG
• Weight 72g
• Battery 1300mAh internal
• Display LED colour illuminator
• Tank refillable, replaceable coils
• Adjustable bottom airflow
• 0.5A Type C charge rate
• Output low/ medium/ high

Geekvape G18 Starter Pen Kit – Design and Build Quality

Geekvape G18 Battery Section

Without the tank, the battery measures 88mm in height and bang on 18mm in diameter.

The top and base have a nice reflective chrome finish.

The internal threading above the spring loaded 510 connector is butter smooth as demonstrated when screwing down the tank.

I did notice a very small amount of daylight between the two when fully tightened but that’s just me nit picking again…

The USB connector pin is adequately recessed into the base of the battery but it’s my usual headache! No vertical charging possible.

I have to say I’m impressed with the actual wood effect finish on the main body. It’s clearly been rolled on but I couldn’t find or feel a seam. Just below the fire button is the Geekvape logo which fails to look aesthetically pleasing.

It cheapens the appearance of what is otherwise a very classy looking colour scheme.

Relight My Fire Button

It’s great to see that the fire button is raised for ease of locating. It’s also relatively quiet when pressed yet certainly very responsive.

The LED surrounding it is bright which is just as well. Why? Because this is your only mode of voltage/power navigation. Let’s get into that now.

• Press the fire button five times to turn the device on or off
• Press the fire button three times to step through the voltage/power output modes

When the device is switched on the LED will flash blue. To confirm it has been switched off the LED will briefly flash green.

On the initial power up, the default constant voltage output is set above 3.7V as denoted by a flashing green LED.

• Blue LED – constant 3.4V output
• Red LED – constant 3.1V output

Please note! The chip remembers your previous voltage setting even when the battery has been switched off.

Geekvape G18 Tank Section

There’s no difference between the standard and TPD release. Both tanks have a maximum juice capacity of 2ml.

First things first. Geekvape are referring to this as its crystal clear visible pod.

They’re right in one respect and (in my opinion) wrong on the other. I would class this as a tank simply because of the 510 connector. It is however, crystal clear and because it’s a tank all e liquid is visible. Pods are usually recessed and connected via magnets.

Bit of a rant.. I just think there has to be a way of distinguishing the two.

Underneath the tank there’s a protruding gold plated 510 pin that’s sure to provide additional conductivity to the installed coil. As already mentioned, the threading is silky smooth and very well engineered.

The tank has a height of 47.8mm from the top of the moulded 510 drip tip to the base.

Speaking of the 510 drip tip, I measured the internal bore to be a mere 3.5mm. So we’re definitely talking true MTL restrictions.

There’s maybe a little bit of doming inside the chimney. A silicone seal has been incorporated to provide additional seal for the plug and play coil.

Geekvape G18 Starter Pen Kit – Installing A Coil

• Unscrew the deck by turning clockwise
• Push the coil up into the chimney section ensuring a firm seal
• Screw the deck back onto the tank

Bottom Adjustable Airflow

You’ve a choice of three adjustable airflow options, all of which catering for the MTL vaper. Because it’s strictly MTL there’s no duality to it either.

The far left option will give the tightest restriction as denoted by the smallest pin hole.

Rotating the airflow control ring to the right marginally increases airflow. I did notice there’s very little difference in pinhole size to the third option. How that translates to the vaping experience we’re about to find out.

Let’s get ourselves juiced up first though!

Geekvape G18 Starter Pen Kit – Filling the Tank

The threading on the removeable top cap is made of plastic.

The top cap is also very small so take additional time when handling it. Lose it and it’s vape over!

With the plug and play coil already installed:

• Grab the moulded drip tip and turn it anticlockwise to remove the top cap

• Gently pour e liquid through one of the two fill ports taking care not to overfill
• Screw the top cap back into place
• Allow five minutes for the e liquid to soak into the cotton before vaping

I know I’m mentioning dual fill ports but while filling, the other one also allows air to escape. This dramatically improves the time it takes to fill the tank.

Geekvape G18 Starter Pen Kit – How Does It Perform?

The Geekvape G series also includes the G 1.2M mesh coil, G 0.8 and G 0.6 coil. All of which are compatible with the G18 Starter Pen Kit.

Geekvape G series 1.2ohm Kanthal wire coil (8W – 12W)

Both tests were carried out using maximum available power from the coils, in this case 12W.

This would also give me a rough idea of how the battery would fare under standard vaping patterns.

I used Riot Squad Cherry Fizzle, containing a 10mg hybrid salt content with a 50VG/50PG liquid ratio.

With the pinhole setting at its widest I certainly got an airy MTL vape. One that was a bit too loose to pass sufficiently as the draw experienced from a cigarette.

There seemed to be adequate power pumping through the coil but not enough to offer up a great deal in the way of flavour. It was still OK but just lacked any fizzle alongside the cherry.

Geekvape G18 Mid airflow restriction

My concerns about the similar size airflow slot were pretty much justified. Any increase to restriction was marginal but I was now approaching something I could consider a MTL vape.

There was an increase to the sweetness level of the flavour profile which was previously lacking.

As before the inhale was generally quiet with little turbulence and vapour production was very similar to that of cigarette smoke.

Tightest airflow setting

Now that was more like it!

Whereas I had a natural tendency to RDL vape on the previous two settings, this tightest of restriction simply would not allow it, aclear indication of moving into true MTL territory.

As a consequence, I was able to enjoy an extended inhale and get the full effect of the flavour from Cherry Fizzle. Much of which occurred towards the end of the exhale where both sweet and sour tones filtered through very nicely.

Yes indeedy doody! This was the exact experience I was looking for from a MTL vape. The restriction was spot on and so was the balance between flavour and vapour production. Impressive.

I got a whooping 18 hours continuous use from the battery, during which time I vaped roughly 6ml of e liquid. A highly impressive performance given that I was pumping maximum power to the coil at all times.

Keep in mind that once the LED indicator turns red there’s around one hour vaping time left before the battery gives up the ghost.

Geekvape G Series 1.8ohm Kanthal wire coil (7W – 9W)

This is probably one of the lowest wattage MTL coils I’ve reviewed here so it would be interesting to see how it performed. I used 88 Vape Original Tobacco pre loaded with freebase nicotine.

The liquid ratio was 50VG/50PG.

Using the widest airflow slot this was once again far too airy a vape and one I couldn’t consider to be MTL.

I found myself wanting to restrictive lung hit on the coil but there’s not really sufficient power for that.

However, while attempting to vape MTL there was still good flavour production. All the tobacco notes were there and as expected, cloud production was suitably stealthy.

I was also able to notice the subtle difference in power between this and the 1.2ohm G series coil.

Geekvape G18 Mid Airflow Restriction

On this occasion I could actually tell the difference between mid and wide airflow. The flavour did take on more of a concentrated nature while being a comfortable restriction for a MTL vape.

It retained the quiet nature of the inhale with just a minimum level of turbulence.

Tightest Airflow Setting

There it was again!

The perfect MTL vape, in my opinion. The restriction was spot on and for such a low powered coil so was the flavour and cloud production.

Admittedly, it’s best to forget about any warmth being generated so the vape will be cool. If it works this well with tobacco blends it will totally harmonise with fruits and menthol based profiles.

As an added bonus I picked out a slight throat hit from the freebase nicotine which really helped to replicate the draw from a cigarette.

The battery held up for an amazing 20 hours continuous use on the highest power setting. During this time I vaped around 5ml juice.

Pros

• Incredibly lightweight and pocket friendly
• Easy to use, convenient top fill system
• Clear PCTG tank much less prone to damage than glass
• Amazing battery life
• Bright LED – easy to read in direct sunlight
• Leak free coils

Cons

• Unable to charge while in a vertical position
• Two of the airflow slots give an airy MTL vape (subjective)
• Dual fill ports are on the small side
• Green LED remains solid even once fully charged
• Type C USB charging isn’t that fast

Geekvape G18 Starter Pen Kit – Final Review Verdict

I didn’t notice any sign of the flavour diminishing as the battery life waned. That’s a sign of constant voltage regulation – it works just fine.

There’s very little weight to the device which is great but it made me question its ability to withstand a few hard knocks. It does seem to have a fragile quality to it.

The bright LED worked fantastically well in direct sunlight. The fire button responded well to the button bashing needed to step up or down the power levels.

When charging, the battery will initially pulse red, blue when mid charged and finally remain a solid green when completed.

It’s annoying that the green LED refuses to turn off after the device is fully charged. In doing so I would have known that the battery was ready for use.

The coils don’t leak but you may encounter a few drops of condensation inside the deck. Something to be expected in all honesty.

Geekvape G18 Starter Pen Kit – Who’s It Suited To?

I’ve heard all the whinging about Pod Kits saturating the market – and there’s no disputing that fact.

Geekvape has done good in releasing this no nonsense starter pen kit. It certainly takes me back a few years to when they too were overloading the vape scene.

Yet I don’t recall folk moaning about them. When looking at the Geekvape G18 Starter Pen kit it’s clear to see why.

It’s the perfect jumping on point for the new vaper. No daunting screen display showing wattage, voltage, resistance, etc that in all honesty the new vaper isn’t interested in.

The fire button doubles up to provide all the power available from the coils in an easy and straight forward manner.

The flavour and cloud production is more than adequate for a newbie and the battery will last for days on end.

If you’re new to the vape scene I would wholeheartedly recommend this vape pen. It won’t disappoint.

..I’m still not sure how to pronounce malachite though lol!