The JustFog Better Than Pod Kit is a strangely named pod kit from a company who launched in 2016.
However there is quite an impressive back catalogue from the company including devices such as the Q16FF, Minifit S and Compact 14. The original Minifit device had a lot of fans too.
What Can We Expect From The JustFog Better Than Pod Kit…
As the name suggests this is a pod kit with two main components.
The pod (or tank) is disposable – when the coil has deteriorated over time you discard the pod and replace with a new one.
Inside the pod is a 1ohm vertical coil and you can fill the pod with up to 1.9ml of your own e-liquid.
The main device (or mod) houses a 420mAh battery and the output is specified as 11W.
A USB Type C port is provided for charging and there is an LED indicator to display the battery status.
There are no buttons to contend with as this has an auto draw firing mechanism plus there are plenty of protections to keep you safe.
There are 5 colour options to choose from: Red, Yellow, Cream, Blue and Black.
These were provided free of charge for review purposes and I will report back honestly on my findings of the devices in my possession!
Inside the Box
Note : there is no USB cable included – but it uses TYPE C.
- JustFog Better Than Pod device
- Pod
- User manual
JustFog Better Than Pod Kit Specs
- Size: 21.8×12.5x77mm (Device) / 19x10x31mm (Pod)
- Output: 11W constant
- Battery: 420mAh (internal)
- Display: LED
- Resistance limits: not stated
- E-liquid capacity: 1.9ml
- USB Type C Charging
- Pods: Refillable, fixed coil
- Coils: 1ohm
- Side fill port
- Auto draw activation
- Smart battery protection
JustFog Better Than Pod Kit Design and Build Quality
I received 10 kits in total – thank you JustFog. There were 2 of each colour and also a few packs of pods!
I will say the Cream version actually looks to be grey! In my opinion the colours are a bit dull – I would like to see brighter more vibrant colours – but that is just how I am.
The packaging is very basic – a cardboard outer box with a plastic tray inside. All 10 arrived in perfect condition.
The mod and pod sit in the tray and the instruction manual is behind the tray.
Also worth noting there is no USB cable included.
It is great to see an isolation sticker on the base of the pod to prevent accidental firing before it has been filled.
The instruction sheet is a huge fold out affair with the very tiny writing!
Oh and if you unfold it – good luck in ever folding it correctly again!
On the back of the box is a scratch off authenticity code and you scratch the panel to reveal it and enter the code on the Justfog website.
Better Than Mod
Wow this is so much smaller than I expected.
It is actually quite cute too – far prettier than the pictures would have you believe.
It has a rough textured plastic finish which helps with grip and you shouldn’t be troubled by fingerprint marks either.
The stand out feature is the cut-out to allow you to view the e-liquid level. This does work OK in some conditions but as the back of the device is solid it can be a bit dark.
Below that is the LED indicator and the “JustFog” logo. The indicator is bright and you can see it when vaping.
The rear features the “Better Than” logo which is also etched into the main body.
On the base is the USB Type C port and the base appears to be a harder plastic material.
The base is Black apart from on the Black version where it is red!
Giving the kit a good shake gives no wobbles at all and the pod stays firmly in the device.
Inside the pod port are 2 magnets and 2 connections.
Better Than 1ohm Pod
The pod is totally clear – no tinting at all which is great to see.
The fill port is located on the side with a long cover. It doesn’t show you where to lift the cover but the top edge is where you need to lift.
Measuring at 5x4mm the oval style fill port is plenty big enough for my bottles. You can also swing the port cover out of the way for filling which is great.
I did find if you filled this too fast the e-liquid would splurt back out of the fill port – so take it easy!
The mouthpiece is a small dainty “Duck Bill” style and is comfortable on the lips. But it does feel “too short” – your lips feel like they are touching the mod when you vape.
On the base of the pod are 2 round metal discs which I assume act as both contacts and magnets.
You can insert the pod either way around.
Quick Start Guide
The device comes with a pod installed but you will need to fill it and remove the isolation sticker from the base of the pod.
The tab of the sticker is super visible through the clear viewing window. Make sure to fill before you remove this sticker. If you inhale on the pod when it is empty it will knacker up the coil on the only pod you will have got!
Basic Operation
- Power On/Off = there is no on/off switch so the device is on “stand-by” until you vape.
- Vaping = simply inhale on the mouthpiece and the auto draw sensor will activate the fire system.
- Battery indicator = White LED = 65-100% charge remaining, Blue = 5-30% remaining and Red = under 30%. When the Red LED starts flashing the device will shut down.
- Battery indicator when charging = the LED will turn off when charged.
- Installing / removing pod = the LED flashes white when you install the pod.
Protections
- Low battery – the Red LED will blink 4 times and the device will cut out until recharged.
- Short circuit – the LED will blink in White, Blue, Red sequence twice. Clean the contacts and pod bay. If there is still a fault replace the pod.
- Open circuit – the LED will blink 3 times – check the pod and mod connections. If there is still a fault replace the pod.
- Over-time – if you vape for longer than 8 seconds the LED will blink in the White, Blue, Red sequence 4 times and the fire will cut out.
- Over charging – when fully charged the device stops taking in power.
How To Charge The Battery
The charging rate is not specified.
- Using a USB type C cable connect the small end into the USB port on the mod.
- Connect the large end of the cable into a suitable USB outlet.
- The LED will display the colours until fully charged when it turns off completely.
The charging time for me using a 1A and 2A mains plug was a few minutes either side of 1 hour. So not particularly fast charging for such a small battery.
How To Fill the Pod
I recommend turning the pod upside down when filling as the mouthpiece part also houses your e-liquid.
Also I would say to fill this slowly as it can splurge back out of the fill port it you fill it too fast.
- Remove the pod from the mod.
- Lift up the cover of the fill port and add e-liquid through the port.
- Watch the e-liquid level through the clear side of the pod.
- Replace the fill port cover firmly.
- If this is the first fill allow the pod to stand for 10-15 mins to allow the e-liquid to soak into the coil. This is called Priming and is a very important step. If not fully primed you could burn the coil out and your throat lining in the process!
How Does the JustFog Better Than Pod Kit Perform?
I used my own e-liquid mix which is 50/50 PG/VG made from IVG Bubblegum Concentrate at 20% ratio. This is quite high a flavour ratio as I prefer plenty of flavour, but sadly this means it can be a coil killer sometimes.
I add nic salt to approx 6mg strength.
If any of these terms are over your head – have a read of our handy guides below!
- MTL V DTL – A Guide To Vape Styles
- VG and PG in E-liquid – all you need to know
- Beginners guide to E-liquid
- Nic Salt E-liquid
1ohm Pod Performance
The first vape I have to say was impressive.
Plenty of flavour and the output at 11W seems to be perfect – in fact it even gets a bit of warmth too!
It is way “better than” I expected!
The vapour is as expected – a typical MTL exhale with a stream of vapour but not cloudy or dense by any means.
I am really impressed, I get a lovely tingle on my tongue after exhaling and a great throat hit too! Well done JustFog!
So far I have refilled this 10 times and the flavour kept improving from the first refill and it is still excellent now!
I used the same pod on both mods as I wanted to test the coil life – especially with my coil killer e-liquid and it seems to have coped perfectly so far!
Airflow
This is a tight MTL vape no doubt about it. I am not sure where the airflow inlet is – I assume it is using the viewing window as I have tried covering the USB port and it makes no difference to the resistance.
So if you like a restricted DTL or loose MTL this is probably not the kit for you.
On a scale of 1 being your face turning purple and 10 being breathing fresh air I would rate this at around 3.
It is not the tightest airflow I have ever used but it is still pretty restricted.
Mod Performance
I reviewed 2 devices of the 10 I received as just a random quality check!
Both performed identically!
The auto draw system fires up quickly as soon as you inhale.
I had no issues with charging or leaks or malfunctions.
Battery Life
As always this depends on your own vaping habits. I am a constant heavy vaper and I got around 4 hours vaping from each charge.
If you are someone only using this a few times a day in your break-time for a burst of vaping you should get through most of the day I would assume.
Pros
- Very small and cute
- Totally clear pod
- Lovely texture to device
- Beautiful flavour and throat hit
- Good tight MTL airflow
- Quick auto draw activation
- Surprisingly well made
- Pocket and hand friendly – super stealth!
- No leaks at all!
Cons
- No USB cable included – but this does help keep the price low.
- Instructions have tiny writing and no downloadable version on the JustFog website.
- Charge rate is not specified.
- Will there be issues getting replacement pods? I have not seen many UK stockists with them.
- Quite slow charging at around 1 hour – which is a bit poor for such a small battery.
- The colours available are a bit dull (just my opinion)!
- If you fill the pod too fast it can leak back out of the fill port.
Final Review Verdict
I am not going to lie this is a budget vape kit which does appear to be budget too. So when reviewing I have had to take the price into consideration.
There is only 1 pod and no USB cable included, it is all plastic and doesn’t look expensive. It would be much prettier in a shiny metal – but again this is not designed as a premium kit.
But this is also a good point as the price of this kit will hopefully appeal to those who use disposable vapes and instead of chucking away a whole device they will only have to replace the pod. Saving money and waste.
It could also be used as if it was a disposable – at that price if it gets lost or damaged it is not going to cause much anxiety.
If someone wants to give vaping a try this is also a brilliant starter kit, super easy to use, no mess filling and you don’t need to faff about changing coils.
I have used more expensive pods which perform worse than this – for the price it really is something special.
I admit I didn’t expect this to be as good as it is!
Would I Buy This Kit Myself?
If I was in the market for a budget device and didn’t want a disposable I would happily spend the money on this.
The battery capacity does reduce how useful it is to me as I am a constant heavy vaper so if I was leaving the house for a day I probably wouldn’t take it with me and choose a kit with a larger battery.
I also do worry about whether pods will be available for this, sometimes with less mainstream brands you can struggle to obtain spares. I am not seeing many sites with replacement pods in the UK?
