The OBS Alter AIO Kit is up for review today, a power-packed 5-70W AIO/Pod crossover that promises to deliver on versatility and battery life!
There’s pod style cartridges, MTL and DTL coil head options, mesh coil options and replaceable coil heads. A compact design, but with a whopping 2500 mAh internal battery, and an ultra sleek and gorgeous metallic finish…what’s not to like?
Well, unfortunately…plenty, as you’ll see later in this review.
What Can We Expect From the OBS Alter AIO?
Having enjoyed reviewing the OBS BAT kit many moons ago and having admired their sleek releases like the Cirius RDTA and the sexy Cube Kit, the Cube Mini and the Cube X, I was excited to get my hands on some more of their gear.
Since I encountered issues with my first sample of the Alter AIO, including excessive leaking, jammed fill port caps and general messiness, I was keen to experience better luck with their speedy replacement sample.
That one arrived in an even sexier color than the previous one and promised so much!
Read on to see how I fared.
Inside The Box
- Alter Mod
- 2 x Pods
- 1 x Delrin Flute MTL Drip Tip and 1 x Delrin 510
- Type C Charge Cable
- 1 x NX Coilhead (MTL) 1 x SX Coilhead (MTL) 1 x M1 Coilhead (DL)
- 1 x User Manual
- O-rings
Key Features
- Size: 85x43x24mm
- Output: 5-70W
- Resistance range: 0.15-3ohm
- Battery: 2500mAh (internal)
- Display: LED Screen
- E-liquid capacity: Sub Ohm / High power Pod = 3.5ml (Standard) / 2ml (TPD), Nic Salt / Low Power Pod = 5ml (standard) / 2ml (TPD)
- Coils: M1 (0.2ohm), M3 (0.15ohm), SX (1.4ohm), NX (0.15ohm)
- Bottom adjustable airflow – changeable airflow bases for Sub Ohm or MTL
- Top filling
- Magnetic connection pod
- Type C USB port
Design and Build Quality
OBS Alter AIO Mod
Opening up the neat, yellow box packaging, I instantly take a liking to the Alter kit’s sleek and sophisticated look and gorgeous mirror like finish.
I received the black version, which has a fish net patterning with a thick clear overlay which gives the decal a sense of depth.
Then, I received the magnificent blue version, which has an incredible fine diagonal line patterning, an exquisite color grading from purple at the bottom into blue at the top and that same thick clear overlay which adds depth and an ethereal sheen to the finish.
Both versions are certified fingerprint magnets.
A simple, rectangular box design, with rounded edges, fits neatly in the palm of your hand, compact but clearly beefier than your average pod mod.
There are 14 small battery ventilation holes at the base, controls and OLED screen running up one narrow side and a recess in the top, into which the pod cartridge fits to reveal a juice-level window and a view of the coil head on the top of the narrow side opposite the controls.
There is an OBS stamp in small lettering at the bottom of one colored side and a small ‘A’ logo near the middle of the other, with ALTER in unassuming lettering near the bottom.
With the cartridge installed, all but the two larger, coloured and resin finished sides is black, matte finished zinc alloy.
OBS Alter AIO OLED Screen and Controls
The control side of the mod has a USB C port at the bottom, with dual arrow shaped adjustment buttons above that, OLED screen above that.
There’s a clicky, round and metallic fire button above that and a small, sliver of window to the tank above, and on the actual cartridge.
This sliver of window is obviously decorative, as the juice levels can only be checked through the larger viewing window on the opposite side, where the corner of the mod section is ‘cut away’ revealing a larger section of the cartridge…see pics!
The OLED screen is small but comprehensive, with pictorial battery level display, wattage setting, resistance, voltage, puff counter and puff timer.
The screen is bright and easily visible in any light.
OBS Alter AIO Tank
The tank is a pod cartridge style design, with a removable drip tip off to the side at the top and a slider (which unlocks with a button on the opposite side at the top) through which you access the fill port.
One upper corner of the cartridge remains visible when the pod is installed, revealing the juice window, as well as 15 small airflow holes on either side, through which air is sucked when you draw, quite ingenious.
On both the MTL and the DTL pods, the coil-head is removed by simply pulling the coil base out of the bottom of the pod and unscrewing it from the base, I love this feature!
Only the MTL pod has adjustable airflow on the coil base, a small plastic lip obscures or reveals a series of small airflow holes or a larger airflow slot, respectively, depending on what resistance you’re after.
All cartridges fit effortlessly in and out of the top of the mod, with a strong magnet holding the cartridge in place and no imperfect seams, very nice indeed!
On the surface at least, this is a gorgeous, beautifully designed device.
OBS Alter AIO Top Fill
The fill port is accessed via a small slider, which unlocks by depressing a little arrow shaped button whilst sliding.
The port has a membrane seal, through which you must press your juice nozzle.
The membrane is very recessed and hard to penetrate with shorter nozzles and a has a tendency to pool liquid between itself and the slider, whenever you fill the pod.
How Does The OBS Alter AIO Kit Perform?
It really is a beautiful little kit, with clean lines, an attractive design and an ergonomic feel.
I am, unhappily, not able to use the MTL cartridge for MTL since, even with the airflow on its tightest setting, I just can’t get enough resistance for an MTL draw.
That said, airflow is very smooth and perhaps some vapers will find no issues with MTL on this airflow.
The device packs a punch in the upper wattage range, more than you’d expect from such a compact design.
All controls are speedy and responsive, with no issues powering down or up.
I find the automatic power lock feature is a good addition for safety reasons but it’s also bloody irritating.
Coil readings are instant and accurate and I like the fact that I can use my baby beast coils in the DTL cartridge.
Once I received my replacement sample, I realized that the chronic leaking issue I’d experienced with my first DTL cartridge was due to the coil head and not the cartridge itself.
The replacement DTL coil head didn’t leak but sadly, one of the replacement MTL coil heads did.
0.2Ohm M1 DL Coil
This mesh coil head has a recommended range of 50-70 W with a sweet spot at about 60W.
This coil head chucks clouds at an insane rate and flavour is rich and juicy.
Take note however, you need to be careful as juice level drops fast and the cotton tends to burn as soon as its juice inlets are exposed above the liquid line.
My first sample of this coil head leaked excessively and drove me fucking insane.
0.15 Ohm SX Coil
The warmer vaping of the two MTL/nic salt coil heads, this baby is designed for 20-25 W vaping. Great flavour for a nic salt coil head with outstanding vapour production
As mentioned, I’m unable to MTL vape at this airflow resistance, even when dialed down.
With a short burst DTL hit I get good vapour production here so I expect, if you like an open-airflow flow MTL, you’ll have a great experience with this coil head.
1.4 Ohm NX MTL Coil
A much cooler MTL here, with the device limiting this coil to a 12 W setting.
Unfortunately, at such a cool setting and with my issue with the unrestricted airflow on this cartridge, I’m unable to give you a good review of this coil head as I simply can’t use it as it was intended.
My second sample of this coil head leaked excessively, driving me fucking insane for the second time in as many weeks.
I was unable to draw at all without a mess inside the cartridge recess and an empty tank after 5 seconds.
OBS Alter AIO Battery Life
A 2500 mAh on board battery makes for good battery life on this device, although on the bottom two bars, the DTL coil-head simply doesn’t get enough power.
With constant vaping on the DTL coil in the recommended range, you’ll get about 4.5 hours before you have to charge.
Battery life would be better if I could use this device for MTL but sadly, as mentioned, the airflow is to open for me.
Pros
- An attractive device with a gorgeous metallic finish
- Ergonomic and compact
- Responsive controls
- Impressive cloud and flavour
- Versatile and convenient
- Compatible with Smok Baby Beast coil heads (DL)
Cons
- Many of the coil heads leak excessively, making them un-vape-able
- Some users will find the airflow too open for MTL, as I did
- Filling can be a little messy
- DL coil struggles when battery is low
Final Review Verdict
The OBS Alter kit is really a mixed bag of nuts for me.
A leaky coil head is irritating enough but having received two coil heads out of 6 that leaked so much they were unusable is a little too much for me to recommend this kit wholeheartedly.
Also, if, like me, you require a high airflow restriction to MTL vape comfortably, you might find that the MTL cartridge is not of much use.
With that said, there were so many amazing features on this device that I really did appreciate, the look and ergonomics, the battery life, the beautiful vapour production and flavour.
I just hope OBS can sort these design and manufacturing faults out ASAP because then the OBS Alter kit would be one of smoothest and most badass AIOs on the market.
So have you had the same issues with the leaky coils?
Is this a kit you’re likely to buy?
Let me know in the comments below 🙂
