The Innokin T18-II Mini kit is the smaller sibling of the T18-II kit which I really loved.
This one’s part of the Innokin Endura range, all of which are solid starter kits including the original T18 kit.
Innokin is one of the biggest players in vaping with a pretty much superb catalogue of tanks – mods and vape kits.
We’ve reviewed a whole host of Innokin products and all have received good or excellent reviews with standouts being the recent Kroma R kit – the Proton Mini Ajax – the awesome iSub B tank and right back to the legendary Coolfire IV TC 100 – still a fantastic mod.
What Can We Expect From The Innokin T18-II Mini by Innokin?
Following on from the success of the T18-II kit basically the Mini is just that!
A slightly smaller version with a slight decrease in battery capacity.
Instead of the 1300mAh of the standard version, the Mini has a 1000mAh capacity internal battery.
You still get the same three power levels to choose from (10.5W, 12W and 13.5W) and adjustable airflow so plenty of options to tailor the vape to your preference.
Being starter kits in general the Endura range are targeted to those who use higher nicotine strengths and are MTL vapers.
MTL is a vaping style favoured by ex-smokers as it is similar to the “taking back” of smoke.
There are 6 colours to choose from – Stainless Steel, Blue, Black, Purple, Coral Pink and Green.
OK, on with the review.
This vape kit was sent to me free of charge and my thoughts and opinions are my own.
Inside The Box
- Innokin Endura T18-II Mini Battery
- Innokin T18-II Prism tank
- 2×1.5ohm coils (1 already installed)
- Magnetic cover cap
- Spare drip tip
- O-rings
- USB cable
- User manual
Features
- Size: 130x18mm
- E-liquid capacity: 2ml
- Resistance range: 1.2-3.8ohm
- Battery: 1000mAh internal
- Power modes: Low (10.5W), Medium (12W) and High (13.5W)
- Adjustable airflow
- Magnetic cover cap
- Compatible with original T18 coils
- Top fill
Build Quality and Design
As per usual the packaging is perfect and the device arrived to me in pristine condition.
The tank and battery components are located separately to help prevent any electrical issues during transit.
Inside the cover of the inner box are the basic instructions – but these are more of a quick start guide, as is the “instruction leaflet”. which, although great for getting started these do not cover such things as fault conditions etc.
One thing I did notice was that the indicator for power level is not mentioned, I had to pop onto the Innokin website to find this info.
I received the T18-II Mini in the green colour, and it really is super super cute! Admittedly the colour may not appeal to all but I love it!
The finish is like a matt coating with almost a pearlescent shine! I love a bit of pearlescent.
It has an almost suede like texture and I just can’t stop feeling it – why does this sentence sound like filth every time I read it back?!
There are line graphics to add a bit more interest to the design and these are a silvery grey colour, and there’s a black fire button and airflow ring accents.
All in all a lovely looking kit in my eyes.
Innokin Endura T18-II Mini Battery
As mentioned above this has a smaller battery capacity to enable the kit to be smaller than the original version.
Function wise this is pretty much the same as the larger version and again the airflow adjustment and intake is mounted on the battery.
This does prevent you from using the tank on another battery or mod as it has no airflow of its own. The airflow enters from the battery and travels up the 510 into the centre of the coil.
The airflow ring has plenty of adjustment with grips to aid turning, although this is lovely and smooth to turn anyway.
There is a large fire button which is responsive and clicky and does the trick.
Above the fire button are 3 indicator lights, these display the battery capacity remaining, power level selected and any fault conditions.
And about 3/4 of the way up the battery is the Micro USB port.
On the base of the battery is the text stating the capacity and voltage.
The magnetic base of the battery drives me mad as it keeps attracting random metal stuff on my desk!
Innokin T18-II Prism Tank
The tank has the same pearlescent finish as the battery and matches perfectly.
The glass part of the tank is just presented as windows which show your liquid level clearly.
Being part of the tank the glass should be pretty well protected but the down side is that if you break the glass it cannot be replaced – broken glass = new tank sadly.
On the top of the tank is the top cap which you remove to refill.
For some reason on the photos this looks a slightly different shade to the rest of the tank – this shade difference isn’t obvious in normal light.
On the base of the tank is the bottom cap which unscrews for coil changes, however, I found the bottom cap kept unscrewing on its own . It seemed to have pretty loose threads?
Also the gap between the bottom cap and the rest of the tank was a bit uneven so I do suspect the threads on this are not very clever at all.
Underneath the tank you will find the 510 connector – which is where the battery power is transferred to the coil. This is unusual as it is hollow to allow airflow into the tank.
Other tanks usually have the air inlet on the base or top of the tank itself. Whereas the T18-II range has the incoming air flowing from the battery airflow adjustment ring.
This does mean you will struggle to use this tank on another mod other than the T18-II range.
Magnetic Cap
In the kit is the magnetic cap which fits over the drip tip to keep out general debris and dust, and it fits well.
When not in use Innokin suggest you place the cover on the base of the battery. 
It does fall off when knocked so I tend to leave the cover cap in the box to be honest as I know I will be losing it in a very short time if I took it out and about!
Topfill
The top fill is OK – simple to use – the cap is easy to unscrew.
But I do find this a bit basic as people need to know not to add liquid to the centre of the coil and just to the edges instead.
In 2020 we have devices with slide, twist and dedicated fill ports to make life easier, so this method does look slightly dated.
Mouthpiece
The drip tip (or mouthpiece) is a standard 510 fitment. This means if you want to replace it just use another drip tip that has 510 fitment.
It is a pretty basic drip tip and you do get a spare in the kit in case you damage or lose it.
I found other 510 drip tips fitted but some had a longer base (the part inside the tank) and they didn’t push in fully. If you have quite a short base (only 1 O-ring as compared to those with 2 O-rings) these fit perfectly.
Coils
This kit uses the existing T18 range of coils. Make sure to buy the correct type.
If the coils in your kit have the “3” holes up the side – buy the T18-E coils, if yours have “5” holes up the side you will need T18 (not the E). They are not interchangeable!
The “E” version of these coils was created for the 2ml version of the tanks to meet the TPD regulations.
Innokin T18-II Mini Set-up Guide
The Innokin T18-II Mini kit comes with the tank and battery not connected.
This is great to make sure you don’t accidentally fire the device without first adding e-liquid. If you do this the coil will be damaged and probably only fit for the bin – so make sure to fill up before use!
Innokin T18-II Mini Kit – Mod Basic operation
This is a pretty simple kit to operate but you will need to adjust the power to your preference and also the airflow. But please don’t get worrying I will describe how to do those things in my guide below!
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- To turn on/off = press the fire button 3 times
- Battery capacity = the light above the fire button will flash after vaping – 3 lights flashing = full, 2 lights flashing = half and 1 light flashing = low battery.
- Output control = to select the wattage output turn off the battery then hold the fire button down and the light above the fire button will cycle through each setting. Release the fire button when the setting you require is illuminated. The 3 lights illuminated = 13.5W, two lights = 12W and 1 light = 10.5W. Turn the battery back on with 3 presses of the fire button.
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- Adjust airflow = rotate the black ring on the base of the tank – the more holes exposed means the more airflow. To make the airflow more restricted close off the holes one at a time.
Innokin T18-II Mini – How To Charge The Battery
- Use the supplied USB cable install the small end into the USB port on the battery.
- Install the large end into a suitable USB outlet.
- The lights will cycle through the level indications.
- The lights will go out when fully charged. You may see all three lights on for quite a while – but be patient they will all go out when fully charged!
This does take quite a while to charge. I have tried to time this 3 times now and keep forgetting about it – so I will update the review in the next day or two with the full time I found it took.
How To Fill The Tank
- This is a top fill tank so unscrew the top of the tank.
- Add e-liquid in the space around the coil – do not add e-liquid to the centre hole of the coil – if you do and try to vape you might have no lungs left from the spitting!
- Watch the e-liquid level through the tank window.
- Replace the tank top cap.
- If using a new coil or for first time use leave the tank to stand 5-10 mins for the coil wicking material to absorb the liquid. This may take up a lot of the liquid in the tank so check the level and refill as necessary.
Make sure the liquid level is always above 1/3 full as lower than this could be difficult for the coil to wick and could damage the coil and you will get a nasty dry hit!
Innokin T18-II Mini – How To Change The Coil Head
You will need to either empty the tank before a coil change or be prepared for some e-liquid leaking!
- Remove the tank from the battery.
- Turn the tank upside down.
- Unscrew the tank base.
- If a coil is installed this will just pull out of the tank.
- Insert a new coil into the tank and make sure the edges of the coil are aligned with the straight edges on the tank – once aligned push the coil in fully.
- Replace the tank base and fill as described above.
How Does the Innokin T18-II Mini Kit Perform?
My first experience with the Innokin T18-II Mini is not good.
Turning the device on and pressing fire results in 3 LEDs lit up and nothing else happening. Sadly the instruction manual does not state what fault actions exist so I can only assume this is a fault condition?
I can only turn the device on or off with the tank removed. With the tank installed the 3 LEDs light up and stay on and nothing else will happen?
The only other thing I can try is to replace the coil. Everything else looks fine – no contamination of the contacts or leaks anywhere?
So to follow on from this – the second coil worked a treat. I have also spoken to a couple of friends who have the big T18-II kit and they found a few times faulty coils in a pack have caused the same problem.
The coils are not expensive but bear in mind you might occasionally get a faulty one in a pack and it stops the device firing. Replace the coil and you should be fine.
I order to continue the review I had to buy some more coils as I only had 1 working coil in my kit and wanted to try different liquids!
Innokin T18-II Mini – Flavour and Cloud Production
To be honest the tank and coil are exactly the same as you find on the T18-II kit which I reviewed in the past. Also the power levels are the same – but just as an update I have treated this as a new device.
The airflow adjustment doesn’t fully shut off the airflow completely but you do need to suck like a hoover to get air through it. Fully open this is still pretty restricted and even at this setting is ideal MTL vaping territory.
I will be using 50/50 VG/PG e-liquid for my review of this kit – in both standard (freebase) nicotine and nicotine salt types.
T18 1.5ohm Coil
Nic Salt E-liquid
For this I used my usual CrazyCloudzzz Bubblegum flavour Crazysaltzzz, a nicotine salt and is a 50/50 mixture.
I usually use this e-liquid in my Uwell Caliburn and my Voopoo Drag Nano so it is easy to compare the flavour output.
I have mainly been using this the Innokin T18-II Mini in the middle (12W) setting as it is just right for me, especially with nic salt. It is not too harsh but there is no massive loss of flavour either.
Throat hit is just what I want from this nicotine strength.
At the lower power level there is little taste, throat hit or vapour in my opinion. At the higher power level everything ramps up a lot – more flavour and vapour. However, and with my preferred stronger strength nicotine salt e-liquid, this was slightly too high power for me throat hit wise!
Plus of course using in the mid power setting is more economical on e-liquid and battery usage so this kind of suited me better.
Standard High Nicotine E-liquid
So I also tried the Innokin T18-II Mini with a new coil and 50/50 Liquid e-liquid – just to see if it can adapt between nic salt and freebase nicotine liquids.
Even at the lowest 10.5W power rating the flavour was super clean.
Moving up to the medium power setting and things just keep improving – this gives one hell of a throat hit with freebase nic at higher strength!
At the highest power setting although a huge throat hit this still isn’t unbearable to vape at all. I just find it a bit drying on my throat and prefer this at the medium setting too.
Prism T18-II Tank Heat?
I have seen people mention in comments on previous T18 reviews about how the drip tip gets very hot in use.
I have not had this with either of the T18 devices I have used. In fact the tank to me barely gets warm even on the highest wattage.
However I do use strong nicotine e-liquid so perhaps I am taking shorter vapes than some people? If you have less throat hit / nic strength perhaps people are taking a lot longer vapes and the tank does get warmer?
Innokin T18-II Mini Mod Performance
I have had no issues at all with the mod performance, the only blip I did have was due to the original faulty coil. With the coil replaced the mod has been solid. Charged perfectly, power output has been as expected and no malfunctions at all!
Looking at the T18-II kit I already had – the large version – the paintwork has started to come off mainly around the battery base. I think the coating on the Innokin T18-II Mini should be more durable as it is more like the original T18 kit.
Innokin T18-II Mini Battery Life
Using the kit in the 12W (middle) setting with my nic salt e-liquid I got around 8 hours (approximately 4 tank refills).
The full size kit averaged around 10 hours of battery life on the same power setting so there is not a huge drop in battery life for the size.
Pros
- This is such a pretty little device!
- Lovely flavour and vapour production
- Simple to use
- Great airflow with some adjustment
- 3 power levels to tailor your vape to the liquid you are using
- Lower price than the full size Endura T18-II kit
- Compatible with existing T18E coils
- No leaks from the tank
Cons
- Some coils seem to be faulty
- You cannot use the tank on another device due to the dedicated airflow on the battery
- Using another tank on the battery could be difficult as the airflow is channelled through the battery and 510 pin.
- The instructions could do with being expanded, the quick start guide is fine but things like fault conditions are not explained fully.
- Base of tank can become loose.
- Charging time is pretty slow – compared to other devices with similar battery size.
- In this era of fill ports it could be confusing to a new user to make sure they fill this correctly.
Final Review Verdict
As you know I loved the full size version of the T18-II and apart from a smaller size and battery capacity this is exactly the same!
I do love the pearlescent effect of the paintwork and find the Innokin T18-II Mini a bit prettier!
I will add that I gave a few of the original full size T18-II devices to friends who all think it is a brilliant kit.
There has been issues with replacement coil quality – some reporting at least 1 faulty coil in a pack of 5.
Up until I used the Innokin T18-II Mini I hadn’t had a faulty coil – but one of the coils in the actual kit were faulty.
The flavour and vapour are really great – but I have been spoiled by the Uwell Caliburn which is epic for flavour.
I gave the same tank on the T18-II kit 9.5/10 for both in my review but since using the Caliburn this has made the performance of this tank feel slightly less than I am used to.
Although not up to the high criteria of the Caliburn this is still a very solid performing tank and by no means lacking in flavour or throat hit.
I have knocked a few marks off for build quality due to the faulty coil in the kit and the strange bottom cap on the tank which keeps unscrewing itself.
Design wise the fact the tank and battery can only be used together and not with other devices is a slight con in my eyes.
All in all this kit is fit to bear the Endura badge and like the rest of the Endura range is ideal for new vapers, great value for money and one of the best starter kits you can buy.
If you know someone using the original T18 kit and wanting an upgrade they will easily get used to the T18-II and Mini version.
Is this a vape pen kit you’re interested in or have already bought?
Let me know what you think about it in the comments below!
