Kanger Subox Kit Review

UPDATE: Check out our new Kanger Subtank V2 Kit review here

Hot on the back of the massive success of the original Kanger Kbox and Kanger Subtank, along with the proliferation of Sub Ohm starter kits becoming available, Kanger have released a package with a slimmed down yet upgraded Kbox, now known as the Kbox Mini, and a Subtank mini featuring upgraded airflow, OCC coils and a revamped RBA coil.

Also, you have a choice of colour options, with a black and white version hitting the market, along with a pink and purple version that will be part of the soon to be released Kanger Subox Nano kit. Kanger have already had huge success with the Subtank in its own right, the Subox Kit has already proven to be wildly popular.

Is this the killer starter kit? Let’s take a look at the whole package…

What’s In The Box?

There is a whole kit on offer here, barring a battery (you need to supply your own 18650 battery for the Kbox Mini) you will find everything you need to get up and running with the Subox kit-

• Kanger Kbox Mini
• Kanger Subtank Mini
• 0.5ohm OCC coil 15-60W pre installed in the Subtank Mini
• 1.5ohm OCC coil 10-26W
• Upgraded Mini RBA Coil
• Micro USB Charger
• Japanese Organic Cotton pad
• Pre built 0.5ohm coils for the RBA coil
• Screwdriver
• Replacement screws
• Battery stickers

That’s one hell of a starter pack!

Kbox Mini Battery / Body & Build

It’s a really small little thing, and it doesn’t really bear any resemblance to the original Kbox! It has been slimmed right down and given a complete makeover, gone are the bulky, ugly old looks on the Kbox and the LED screen readout has gone too, the new Kbox Mini is all about small and sleek form factor fitting beautifully in the palm of your hand, the curved edges making it a really comfortable fit.

Buttons are rubberised and colour coded to the unit, even though they are rubber they still do not feel cheap. The OLED screen is a little on the small side but it’s easily readable. The battery compartment is excellent, you have a magnetic battery door that gives you quick and easy access to the 18650 battery compartment, allowing for quick battery swaps.

You also have a micro USB slot on the side of the unit so you can charge using the supplied micro USB cable if you need to charge on the move. A small downside is the the 510 connector is fixed so you might have a little trouble using other atomisers with a It’s a really small.

Paired with the Kanger Subtank Mini it really has to be one of the best looking combinations available! It has a very premium and high end feel about it.

Kanger Subtank Mini Looks & Build Quality

Well I think we all know what a Kanger Subtank looks like by now! Arguably the biggest selling and most recognizable tank to date, if not the most recognizable vaping item full stop. The 22mm Subtank Mini version is included in the Subox Kit, now available in white or black instead of the traditional stainless steel version.

The drip tip is now delrin this time around, and the OCC coils have been given an upgrade to allow them to wick any VG juice ratio and handle more power. The juice holes at the side of the coil heads have been widened to allow for faster wicking, and these widened holes are also now present on the RBA coil too.

It’s still a very solidly built tank, and the solid Pyrex tank section remains, however there have been reports of the paint chipping off of the coloured Subtanks, and I have had a little chip off the AFC ring since I have been using it, but nothing too major.

Key Features Of The Kbox Mini

• Fixed 510 connector
• 82mm height
• 22mm width
• 7-50w available in 0.1w increments
• 0.3ohm minimum resistance
• Magnetic battery door
• Low Voltage Protection
• Low Resistance Protection
• Short Circuit Protection
• Reverse battery protection
• Low battery warning
• 10 second vaping cut off
• New lightweight and ergonomic design
• Uses one 18650 battery
• Charging via Micro USB

Key Features Of The Subtank Mini

• New and upgraded 0.5ohm and brand new 1.5ohm OCC coils
• Upgraded RBA coil featuring new PEEK insulators
• 22mm diameter
• 510 connector pin
• 68mm height
• Pyrex glass tank
• Upgraded dual airflow
• Now available in two colours
• 4.5ml capacity
• Delrin drip tip included

How Does The Kanger Subox Perform

In many users opinions, the original Kanger Subtank set the benchmark in sub ohm tank performance, however it many peoples eyes it did struggle with any juice that had a VG content higher than 70%. With the new OCC coils, the coil itself is now vertical and the juice channels on either side have been widened in order to accommodate up to 100% VG juice, and it can now wick faster allowing you to put more power through the coils.

The RBA coil has also had the insulators updated to the latest PEEK insulators and the juice channels have been drilled out at the side of the coil head.

The original Kbox was loved and loathed by many, it was a good cheap variable wattage box but there was a distinct lack of a screen, instead power was adjusted through pressing a button to cycle through different power preset wattages up to 40w. It also had a twist battery cap that was very prone to getting stuck!

It was a good cheap little mod, but many thought there was scope for Kanger to do a lot more. Enter the Kbox Mini, boasting a 50w power output, an OLED screen with power adjustable in 0.1w increments, and no more dreaded stuck battery cap as there is now a user friendly magnetic battery door in place.

So how do these improvements perform? Very well in fact. Starting with the Kbox Mini you have a powerful little 50w mod that is ideal for use with the Subtank, able to provide more than enough power to the coils that the Subtank Mini has.

If you are using the Kbox Mini in the 20-35w range, you can expect to get most of a full days use from it before needing a charge (dependent on your 18650 battery), and it recharges easily on the move with the supplied micro USB cable.

If you prefer to charge your batteries in a traditional charger, then the magnetic battery door gives you quick access to the battery. The Kbox Mini can now fire coils with a resistance as low as 0.3ohm, and with the 50w output this is more than enough power for the resistances the box supports. Using the Kbox Mini at 50w or close to it will severely compromise battery life however.

Onto the new Subtank Mini, which has been given a little face lift and new coils to power it. In terms of performance, there’s a second airflow slot added to the side of the tank, which means even bigger clouds from the Subtank. That extra airflow also works in combination with the delrin drip tip to ensure the Subtank doesn’t get too hot at high temperatures.

The OCC coil heads are different to what they used to be. They retain the same box shape as found on the original OCC coils, but you’ll see the juice channels are much wider and the coil is now vertical.

You can use up to 100 VG juice using the new coils, I’ve been vaping various max VG juices such as the Apollo FaQ range in the Subtank mini without experiencing dry hits, and I have run the 0.5ohm coil up to 55w and the 1.5ohm coil to 26w before I got a dry hit. They can definitely handle the high power now!

The clouds are massive with these new coils- at 50w on the 0.5 ohm coil you can really chuck some serious cloudage. Unfortunately I do feel the flavour is a little muted on these coils compared to the old ones, vaping them side by side I got more rich flavour notes from the ‘old’ coils than the new ones.

The ‘old’ coils can’t touch the upgraded OCC coils for clouds though! If you are more of a flavour chaser the ‘old’ Kanger coils are still compatible with the new Subtank Mini.

I had found the original RBA coil for the Subtank to be a little hit and miss, with you really needing to be spot on with your build and wicking to get much out of it. Also there had been many documented issues with faulty RBA coil heads which required multiple revisions to be released.

One of the most popular adjustments users made to their RBA coil was to drill out the sides of the chimney sleeve to aid wicking, and also wick higher VG as the original RBA coil had pretty small juice channels.

Kanger had surely seen this and have already drilled out the sides of the chimney sleeve- this is my eyes has improved the RBA coil massively. It’s now easier and less fiddly to get good results from, I’ve found that lining up your coil with these holes and feeding the wick through, snipping it off at the chimney sleeve, brings excellent flavour and cloud results.

I’ve ran the RBA section up to 65w with no issues! The RBA coil is my preferred option to use with the Subtank Mini and it makes it a fantastic tank.

Final Kanger Subox Review Verdict

Kanger have come out with a really superb ‘starter kit’ here, it’s no surprise it has earned a place in our Best Vape Mod / Box Mod list. There’s something for everyone included in the package- newbies can dive right into the OCC heads and get a really good vape, quite likely better than anything they have experienced yet, experienced users have a great RBA coil in their hands allowing them to stick their own preferred build in.

The Kbox Mini just makes the Subox Mini kit as a whole a great package, the form factor as a whole is excellent and as mentioned, one of the best looking set ups around in my eyes!

The Good

• One of the best looking set ups around
• Great for newbies and experienced users alike
• Revamped Kbox mini is a great 50w VW mod in its own right
• New RBA coil is a huge improvement on the old one
• It’s priced very well
• Rock solid build quality
• Airflow on the new Subtank Mini is massive
• Huge clouds from the Subtank Mini!
• Magnetic battery door and micro USB charging on the Kbox Mini allows for easy charging options
• Subtank Mini now able to handle up to 100% VG

The Not So Good

• Flavour with the new OCC coils seems a little muted compared to the old versions
• Single 18650 battery for the Kbox Mini doesn’t last all that long
• Subtank Mini is prone to the occasional leak
• You’ll need to be buying a lot more juice using this set up! It’s very thirsty
• Paint chips off the Subtank Mini quite easily