The Geekvape Nova is the latest release from a brand that with every fresh release, their reputation for being a high end, trusty vape brand solidifies just a little more…and they’ve been releasing scores of new vaping products over the past 2 years.
I, for one, have always found their manufacturing standards to be well above par and have fast become a big fan of the brand.
With recent wins like the Karma 2 mech kit, the Loop RDA and the beautiful Blade kit, I was expecting big things when I opened up my vape mail and to find a bit of fresh Geekvape gear inside. I wasn’t at all disappointed.
The Geekvape Nova kit, including 200W Nova mod and the sexy Cerberus tank with its Super Mesh coils, is a tribute to the trusty box mods of years gone by…with modern flair of course. The Nova, with its artful resin finish, is a box mod in the classical sense of the word.
Read on to find out just how the Nova kit and myself got on… This was sent to us for the purpose of review. As always my views are my own.
What’s In The Box
- 1 x Nova Mod
- 1 x Cerberus Tank
- 2 x 0.2 Ohm Super Mesh coils (30-90W range)
- Spare glass and uber o-rings
- 1 x Micro USB cable
- 1 x User manual
Features Mod
- Advanced AS Chipset
- 10 ms Fire speed
- Dimensions 88 x 52 x 25mm
- Runs on dual 18650s
- Aluminium Alloy and Resin chassis
- 120g Weight (without cells)
- Comes in 8 colour combos: silver and flare, silver and onyx, silver and cobalt, silver and ember, black and flare, gunmetal and cobalt, gunmetal and ember, gunmetal and onyx
- Colour screen
- 200W Max output
- Battery reverse protection, over heat protection, overcharge protection, switch timeout protection, over current protection, short circuit protection
Features Tank
- 5.5ml with bubble glass and 4ml with spare glass
- 46 x 27mm with bubble glass
- Adjustable bottom airflow
- Removable 810 delrin drip tip
- Top Fill
- Super Mesh Coils compatible with Geekvape Aero tank
Build Quality & Design
Nova Mod
On opening the super neat, black box packaging, I discovered I had received the silver and flare resin version…and I squealed with delight…since that was exactly the one I’d had my eye on.
What a looker!
With the Nova mod, Geekvape has returned to dual 18650 styling basics, I’m talking classic dual 18650 rectangular box shape, with slightly rounded edges, of course.
All branding is on the base of the mod, leaving the beautiful aluminium alloy and resin box unmarred and pristine.
The aluminium alloy has a soft feel and is blast finished, it is extremely light but looks absolutely immaculate.
Both larger sides are ¾ resin finish, with the resin taking up the bottom and ending in a slanted upward sweep.
Resin
The resin wrapped around the sides slightly so that when looking at the mod from either narrow side, 2 thin bands of resin are visible either side.
The resin patterning is absolutely beautiful and my silver and flare version is rich with oranges, turquoise, green and blue.
The resin parts have uneven and slightly slanting lines of ribbing running all the way up, serving as both grip and a uniquely organic aesthetic feature that brilliantly offsets the box like lines of the mid as a whole. Genius.
510 Connection
Slightly closer to one narrow end, on top of the mod, is an elongated, SS 510 seating with 2 screws in it and a deep, spring loaded 510 connection.
Buttons and Screen
Down the side panel furthest from the connection, you’ll find a fire button at the top, then a round-cornered rectangular screen below that, two adjustment buttons one on top of the next below that and a micro USB port below that.
A seam runs in line with the place where the resin overlap ends, around all narrow sides of the mod.
The fire button is 12mm in diameter and has that high-quality concentric ring texturing, it seems to also me Aluminium alloy but may well be SS, it is perfectly clicky.
The screen is 21 x 10 mm and has a user-friendly layout with wattage on top in huge numbering, with resistance, voltage, amps and puffs in a line below that. It’s super bright and has a nifty sleep function.
The adjustment buttons are also circular, they are tiny but well raised so extremely tactile and clicky, nice!
At the top right corner of the side panel on the side to the right of the control panel (phew!) is a tiny little notch, really nicely cut out behind the corner of the panel’s face. Put your nail behind it and the side panel comes away easily…it also replaces easily, with the help of two round magnets.
A neat battery chamber is revealed with a good quality, woven ribbon. The markings are clear and the fit is snug but not too much so.
Around the battery seats is a brushed aluminium panel with the AS chip brand, as well as the words “Geekvape knows better” printed on it.
Cerberus Tank
The Geekvape Cerberus sub ohm tank has a more modern feel to it. It has a 510 pin that looks very much like the 510 we find on our Smok tanks these days.
It has a thick base and top cap.
The bottom half of the base comprises an adjustable airflow ring, with one huge 12mm cyclops slot either side and knurling which is sweetly reminiscent of the ribbing on the resin elements of the mod.
Thee large Super Mesh coil head is visible through the bubble glass that’s installed on the Cerberus when it arrives.
Above the tank section, which has a 5.5ml capacity with the bubble glass, is another knurled ring, with Cerberus branding on it.
The flat top cap has a raised and similarly knurled seating for the 810 drip tip, which is removable.
The top cap twists off to reveal 2 large fill ports.
Machining is excellent and big, well-fitted o-rings make breakdown an easy task.
Accessories
I’m pleased about the inclusion of an extra coilhead, together with more o-rings and seals than I could possibly need in this lifetime. I didn’t receive a user manual, but then again I received a pre-sale sample so hopefully, you will get one with your purchase, lol!
How Does The Geekvape Nova Kit Perform?
Well, put it this way…when you take your first few hits of any kit and your smiling reaction with every hit is, Wow…that’s awesome….then you know you’re onto something good.
Let’s chat about the AS Chipset. Ramp time, at 10 milliseconds, is the best of the best. Responsiveness is absolutely top-notch throughout.
I get flawless new coil and resistance readings.
TC is smooth and accurate for Ni and SS and the power curve feature was a welcome surprise which, I am glad to say, works a charm. I didn’t expect a curve feature with this tiny screen but I’m pleased to say, Geekvape have made the five increment setting easy to use.
I appreciate the wealth of protections included with this chipset.
Now, one issue I’ve noticed is that my batteries are not draining at a balanced rate, generally, the one on the right is draining faster…it’s a good thing there are all those protections in place. I’m not sure if this is an issue distinct to my mod or whether this is a common flaw.
Cerberus Tank
Airflow is absolute perfection, from a heavy restricted hit right up to a slightly restricted open, the Cerberus airflow is smooth as smooth can be.
Even with airflow fully open and wattage dialled down to the lower spectrum for this coil…the tank is a cloud chucking beast.
I am hugely impressed with this full-featured mod, I’ve had absolutely no issues with it. The tank is well above and beyond the type of tank we often get with a kit, which can sometimes be a little below par.
The Cerberus is an outstanding tank, with a hassle-free fill and coil change and included coils that will knock your socks off.
How To Fill
- Twist the top cap to the right
- Fill through one slot
- Replace the cap
How To Change the Coil
- Separate the glass from the base by twisting
- Unscrew the old coil from its seating
- Replace
- Prime
- Attach base to tank
- Fill
- Enjoy
Stock Coil Performance
The Kanthal mesh coils included with this kit are the 0.2 Ohm X1 Super Mesh coils from Geekvape. They have a range of 30 to 90 W and a recommended range of 60-80.
At first I was irritated that a lower resistance, higher wattage coil had not been included, instead of two of the same.
Then I tested out the coils.
My God.
You absolutely could not find a fuller cloud, fuller flavoured 80W vape than this. Imagine the flavour and cloud of 120 W on the Smok Prince, only here you get it cooler and at 70W.
These mesh coils are phenomenal, rich, juicy, full flavour and equally rich, thick plumes of cloud.
A high wattage vaper like me can sit happily on these coils at 60 W, while the X1 and Nova Kit fool you into thinking you’re vaping at 100 and something watts.
As is to be expected, these coils drink juice for sport.
Apart from that, absolutely no complaints, full marks for the included coils.
How To Operate the Menu System
- 5 Clicks on or off
- 3 Clicks to access modes
- Adjust buttons to scroll
- Fire to select
- Fire and up or down to adjust brightness
How To Replace The batteries
- Pop off the battery cover
- Remove batteries
- Insert batteries according to the + and – markers
Battery Life
In spite of issues with uneven battery drainage, I found the battery life on a pair of Samsung 2500s to be above average, at around 10 hours regular vaping at 70W.
Pros
- Classic look with gorgeous resin detail
- Excellent Ramp
- Outstanding Cloud
- Outstanding Vapour Production
- Great Battery Life
- Scratch Proof Finish
Cons
- Uneven battery drainage
- Thirsty coils (To be expected somewhat)
Final Review Verdict
So…if you fancy the classic styling on box mods like the Stentorian Basilisk and Voopoo Drag but want a mod with an up to date chipset that has an outstanding ramp and an accompanying tank that gives you all the flavour and cloud that’s made mesh the talk of the vaping world, then the Geekvape Nova Kit is for you.
This full-featured mod and sub-ohm tank blew my socks off with scrumptious uber-clouds and more flavour and power than I even NEED!!!! Perfect for medium to high-level vapers and just about anyone who needs a little resin swirly cumulonimbus action in their lives.
And..
Would I buy the Geekvape Nova kit again if I lost/broke the device? Definitely.
