Home Pod Mods Joyetech Atopack Dolphin Reviewed: A Pod Mod With Flavor! + Video Review

Joyetech Atopack Dolphin Reviewed: A Pod Mod With Flavor! + Video Review

Compact pod mod, easy to use and a great starting point for new vapers.

November 13, 2017

The Joyetech Atopack Dolphin is from one of the foremost, Shenzhen based vaping brands specializing in affordable, convenient gear.

Sometimes they can be a little hit and miss but they have come up with a quite few winners in the past and I dare say, their products are improving steadily.

Their Cuboid series of mods was a huge success, as was their innovative pod mod design in the Atopack Penguin.

While the pod mod may not be the choice for hard core cloud chasers, it’s appeal for beginners is undeniable and I’ve seen this first hand.

New users and cross over vapers will be more likely to stick with something that’s discreet, easy to use, portable and doesn’t constantly need charging or refilling, which is exactly what the Atopack Penguin SE provided.

The Atopack Dolphin By Joyetech

The Joyetech Dolphin utilizes the same revolutionary cartridge system but the unit feels even smaller and more ergonomic.

This is a neat little device.

While it’s not a big cloud machine by ordinary mod standards, it does deliver an unexpected flavor burst, thanks to a ceramic base and vertical juice injection system which goes to show, the guys at Joyetech are working hard!

But can it be rated as one of the Best Refillable Pod Vape systems available?

What’s In The Box

1 x Atopack Dolphin Battery
1 x Atopack Dolphin Cartridge
1 x Atopack Coil (JVIC3 1.2 Ohm MTL)
1 x Atopack Coil (JVIC2 0.25 Ohm DL
1 x User Manual
1 x QC USB Cable
1 x Warranty Card
1 x Warning card
Silicon mouthpiece to restrict draw

Features

6 ml cartridge, 2 ml also available
2100mAh on board battery
50 W maximum output
Dimensions: 100 x 50 x 31mm
92 g weight
Transparent juice tank
Available in yellow, blue, white, black and orange
2 A charge
LED battery life indicators
Cartridge side fill without removal of coil head
JVIC vertical juice injection system
MTL and DL coils included

See The Joyetech Atopack Dolphin In Action With My Video Review

Build Quality & Design

Now, given the fact that I own a Penguin, I knew this thing would be small but what first struck me on opening the well presented drawer box packaging, was how much more ergonomic this looked.

Picking it up, it sort of disappears in my palm, it’s so rounded and discreet. It’s also very lightweight but the problem with this is that, combined with the shiny, plastic finish on the black version I received, it ends up looking very cheap and feeling that way too…from what I’ve seen though, the color options look far classier.

The thing is, a pod mod should be lightweight, so I can’t actually subtract points for that part. It’s definitely lighter than the Penguin, the casing is now plastic (as far as I can tell) instead of zinc alloy like the Penguin.

The black version is an absolute fingerprint magnet and also, as you may have noticed, pretty darn hard to photograph without photographing your own warped reflection.

So, this modular, dolphin shaped doohickey has no screen or controls, only 5 LED indicators which will display your battery levels. 5 LEDs on means full, 1 means empty…and so on.

There is a big thumb print shaped and thumb print sized fire button, doubling as a 5 click on or off switch.

The pod, when standing alongside the Penguin, is slightly thicker, shorter and rounded instead of flattened at the sides, there are no sharp edges, it’s all ergonomically rounded and smooth as a…a Dolphin, I suppose.

The pod has a mouthpiece, not a drip tip, as such; you suck through an extension of the cartridge so you can’t remove the mouthpiece from the cartridge.

I definitely see why it’s called a Dolphin, the mouthpiece looks like the snout of a dolphin, no two ways about it. The mouthpiece is definitely smaller than Joyetech’s previous pod system, at .9cm now, which should be a good thing when it comes to MTL…well, it should be.

The mouthpiece and cartridge, which are attached, must be separated from the battery to change the coil or to fill the tank.

One upgrade I’ve noticed since the Penguin is the fact that you needn’t remove the coil head from the cartridge to get to the fill point, you can simply unplug a silicon tab on the side of the cartridge to fill…but you can still fill the cartridge through the slot behind the coil too, I discovered this before I’d noticed to new fill method.

Where the dolphin’s forehead would be (were this a real dolphin), you’ll find two fixed airflow slots, below which are the fire button, the micro USB port and and LEDs, in that order.

When I draw through the mouthpiece with the device off, I’m getting a good restricted lung flow but if I’m guessing right, this is not going to be restricted enough for MTL.

The LEDs run vertically over 2 cm, they’re big and bright in dim light but not overly obvious in daylight.

There is a seam running around the pod below the fire button which, as far as I can tell, serves no purpose and is just a manufacturing detail.

On the other side of the pod, the side closest to the mouthpiece and not the airflow slots, there’s a busy little cluster of ‘Atopack Dolphin Joyetech’ branding…

The base has six little ventilation slots for the built in battery.

Quick Start Guide To The Joyetech Atopack Dolphin

To set up the device, one needs to remove the plastic stopper that’s sitting where the coil should be, at the bottom of the removed cartridge, replace it with the coil of your choice (MTL or DL), fill your cartridge and then bombs away.

Read more about Mouth to Lung and Direct to Lung Differences.

Atopack Dolphin Coils

Let’s chat about those coils though. The JVIC system, which lies below the juice well when your cartridge is fitted, is fitted with the coil lying horizontally.

An opening in the side of the coil head allows the juice to enter the coil chamber from the side, so that cotton gets a good soaking and, hopefully, you get a lot of flavor and no dry hits. The entire casing of the head is ceramic, which is also a flavor maximizer. To top that off, gravity will keep your coil soaked.

I find that the rounded shape of the Dolphin makes the cartridge and mouthpiece tricky to get a grip on for removal, your fingers sort of slide off the mouthpiece half the time when you pull but it’s usually 3rd time lucky for me, although I sometimes have to stick my nails into the seam to separate the pieces as there’s no tab for leverage.

All in all I find this system ultra easy to use, with a big 6 ml cartridge, you don’t need to fill often and the silicon seating for the coil head is perfectly manufactured to make it a pleasure to remove and replace the coil head.

My initial setup (having used the Penguin before) took me less than a minute, which epitomizes what the pod mod is about, convenience and ease of use.

What’s more, I found the silicon seating for the coil is removable, meaning, you can clean the cartridge out when you want to freshen up your flavor.

I also like the fact that the cartridge is see-through so you needn’t remove the whole section to check juice levels.

I’ve seen the other colored models pictured and, in my opinion, they look smarter than the black, which is near impossible to look directly at since you’re always seeing a reflection in it’s surface or your own juicy finger marks, I suppose beauty’s in the eye of the beholder though…ahem. I’m a little particular about looks.

How Does The Joyetech Atopack Dolphin Perform?

Look, this isn’t a vape that screams power, in fact it hardly even says it out loud, unless you’re in the 5 LED battery level range, once that 5th LED goes out though, the power is stretched. That’s what you get from fixed voltage.

I’d say this device only functions optimally when between 80 and 100% battery levels, especially on the 0.25 Ohm coil, which needs at least 40W to be itself.

With that said, I see fairly good vapor production on both coils, far more than you’d expect by the look of the device. This is an outstanding device for beginners, no question.

The device doesn’t protest to a long draw either..though long draws tend to drain the battery rather fast. Still, the device remains cool and functional, even when you pressure it: which you probably shouldn’t, for the sake of your coils.

The main reason it stays so cool, it’s completely heat resistant, with it’s PETG / silicon cartridge and ceramic coil head. Whatever overheating might happen with an extended draw is not going further than your coil.

I’ve noticed that one is inclined to abuse the fact that this device stays super cool with extended firing and the result is that you tend to think it chucks more cloud than it does.

I tested it against a handful of devices with a 30-50W range, over the space of a 5 second draw and the results were average when compared to regulated mini mods and new mini AIOs, like the Exceed D19 from Joyetech…for a pod mod though, it’s excellent.

I find the airflow to be a little more restricted than the Penguin was, which is a good thing! Still, even with the mouthpiece restrictor fitted (and I prefer to leave it on all round), I find the airflow a little too full for MTL, almost…but not quite there.

I found that shutting off one airflow hole with a finger worked for my MTL, when worst came to worst.

How about an airflow restricting stopper next time if you can’t include adjustable flow? I didn’t find that the mouthpiece restrictor made much of a difference.

That said, I have met a few people who found it optimal.

I’ll be honest: this is not the most solid 50W Max vape around but combined with this level of portability and the fact that it’s not really breakable, it’s still a winner and it will meet the needs of many people. It’s an awesome pod system.

If forced to chose between the Penguin and the Dolphin I’d be hard pressed, they are very, very similar in function. Portable, convenient and discreet, I’d say the Penguin is good for the back pocket, while the Dolphin is good for the side, purely based on shape.

How To Fill The Atopack Dolphin

Separate the mouthpiece from the battery by pulling the parts in opposite directions
Locate the little silicon tab
Open it
Fill to capacity
Replace all components

How To Change the Atopack Dolphin Coils

Separate the mouthpiece from the battery
Remove the coil head from its silicon seating
Replace

Stock Coil Performance

JVIC 3 MTL Coil Head

Okay, so the JVIC 3 MTL coil that’s included has a 1.2 Ohm resistance. I was vaping with 12 Monkeys vape juice.

It feels like a good coil and the flavor is very much there. My issue is that I don’t find the airflow restricted enough for a comfortable MTL so I don’t feel I’m getting the most out of this coil.

I can take an MTL draw and get an average cloud, it’s just not comfortable, I’m swallowing air.

JVIC 2 Coil Head

The JVIC 2 Coil, which also came with the Penguin SE and has a 0.25Ohm resistance, has outstanding flavor, on par with the JVIC3 but with the airflow perfect for a restricted DL hit. You really get a good vape on it, when your battery level is at 80-100%.

I used really high VG juice on both coils, about 80%, which is not ideal for this style device but the coils held up nicely and the flavor on both was really pronounced.

Read more about the differences in PG and VG in e juice.

Battery Life

I’d say maybe 8 hours sporadic vaping of a chance and also a tendency to drain faster when it’s lower because its fixed voltage (so power diminishes with battery life) and you compensate by taking longer draws. I was impressed by charge time though, only half an hour.

What I Liked

The convenience of a large tank and a very rugged device that won’t break in your pocket. I liked the see-through tank and the ease of both fill and coil change.

What’s more, you can change coils without spilling any juice, even when the tank is full. I like the airflow for DL hits. I found the flavor to be excellent all round, for a pod system…way better than expected. Oh and ergonomics couldn’t be better either.

What I Dislike

I’d have liked to see at least a rudimentary adjustable airflow for a comfortable MTL because the airflow, for me, is too open for MTL.

I’m not a big fan of fixed voltage devices and find the vape becomes somewhat unsatisfactory when below 60% (3 LEDs) on this device as the 0.25 Ohm coil head needs more power. I’m definitely not a fan of the reflective, fingerprint loving finish on the black version.

Final Review Verdict

A lot of my criticisms of the Joyetech Atopack Dolphin have to do with personal preference but when taken for what it is, which is a discreet and highly portable, easy to use pod system, this pod mod gets a big thumbs up.

I’ve offered a few beginner and smoker friends a selection of small and large mods to try, with the Dolphin being among them and 3 out of 5 opted for the Dolphin…and that is after taking a test draw on all of them. This is a winner for beginners and ex-smokers and a really good job from Joyetech, with only 1 or 2 details I’d like to see changed on the upgrade.

And..

Would I buy the Joyetech Atopack Dolphin if I managed to lose or break it? Yes…but I’d get one of the colored versions that I can’t see myself in.

Have you used the Dolhin pod mod? Let us know what you thought in the comments below!