In for review is another goody from OXVA – meet the OXVA VPrime!
OXVA seemed to emerge from nowhere when they were wowing us all with such beauties as their OXVA Xlim, Origin, Arbiter and Velocity devices.
So let’s see how the new VPrime fares! Thank you to OXVA for sending this for review. I will report back honestly on my experience with the product I received.
What To Expect From The OXVA VPrime…
This kit is still classed as a pod kit but it aims to cater to those who like a higher power vape, whilst also satisfying those who like an MTL vape too.
Due to the range of pods and airflow provided, OXVA state this kit is the first “auto draw DTL pod”.
It is designed to be able to provide MTL, DTL and even RDL airflow options. We tell you what these terms mean in our Guide To Vape Styles.
The VPrime pods hold fixed coils – so the whole pod is replaced when the coil performance deteriorates.
So far you can choose from:
- 0.2ohm DTL (included in kit)
- 0.6ohm RDL (included in kit)
- 0.4ohm RDL (available separately)
- 0.8ohm MTL (coming soon).
An adjustable airflow control is also provided to fine tune the airflow to your needs!
The pods will hold 5ml in standard format which is reduced to 2ml for TPD regulated areas. A top fill port allows for easy refilling.
The coils used are part of the Unitech 2.0 design which promises a longer lifespan, smooth vapour and a richer flavour.
Looking now at the actual device – it houses a 2600mAh battery which is charged via the USB Type C port at a fast 2A charge rate.
The output is adjustable up to 60W and you can view this along with your other vaping data on the vivid 0.96inch colour screen.
To make things more fun, there are different 3D screen themes you can choose from: “Space Boy” (astronaut), Rocket Launch (a rocket taking off) or the plain “Cosmic Journey”.
When it comes to activation you can either press the fire button manually or opt for the auto draw which kicks in when you inhale.
Here in an introduction video from the OXVA Official YouTube channel.
There are 8 colours to choose from: Sakura Pink, Blue Leather, Brown Leather, Black Leather, Natural Green, Auroral Purple, Glorious Gold and Black Carbon.
Kit Includes
- OXVA VPrime device
- VPrime Cartridge 0.2ohm
- VPrime Cartridge 0.6ohm
- USB type C cable
- User manual
OXVA VPrime Specs
- Size: 37.8×23.5×105.5mm
- Battery: 2600mAh (Internal)
- Display: 0.96in colour screen
- Output: 5-60W
- User modes: VW (Variable Wattage)
- Type C USB 2A charging
- Resistance range: 0.1-3ohm
- Fire Button or Auto Draw activation
- Capacity: 5ml (Standard) / 2ml (TPD)
- Fixed coil replaceable pod cartridges
- Top fill
- 3 display themes
- Adjustable airflow
OXVA VPrime Design & Build Quality
I received the 5ml Black Leather kit.
The packaging is great, quite compact with a clear view window so you can see the colour of the device.
When you slide the tray out of the box there is an overlay which gives you a quick glance reference to the operation of the fire button.
Lift up the overlay to reveal the mod housed snugly in a foam cut out and a box to the side contains all the accessories.
Also included in the kit is an excellent quality Red braided USB C Cable and a little card with a guide to the different types of pods, e-liquids and power settings.
Instruction wise, this is pretty brief but does tell you most of what you need to know.
You get 2 pages per language and a decent diagram to show you all the components.
If you would like to view an online version of the manual (much better as you can zoom in and read it easier) click here.
OXVA VPrime Mod
This is quite a chunky but lovely rounded device. It reminds me a bit of a bar of soap in the shape!
The front panel houses the screen, fire button and LED indicator. Surrounding that is the Black Leather finish – which will vary depending on which variant you buy.
The rear panel is all Leather with some nice etching that has the OXVA Logo, VPrime and “Vaping Reimagined”.
Surrounding the Leather panels is the metal frame – Zinc Alloy I think. This has a lovely Gunmetal finish on my device.
On the base you will find the USB Type C port, 2 Torx screw heads and the text “2600mAh, Made in China”.
Looking at the device with the screen facing you, the left side houses the airflow adjuster.
The slider knob only protrudes around 1mm from the side of the device, so less chance of it getting caught in pockets or bags. It is quite easy to slide but not easy to knock out of adjustment by accident. Two symbols show which direction is restricted and increased airflow.
On the opposite side you will find the adjustment buttons. The top half of the button is the “+” button and the bottom half is the “-” button. This is nice and clicky and very responsive.
Above the adjustment buttons you will find the airflow inlet.
The pod compartment looks a bit crazy – this pod has a lot of magnets and electrical contacts.
In the centre of the pod compartment are 3 Gold colour sprung contacts which contact the electrical contacts on the base of the pod. As this is centred you can install the pod any way around.
You will then see 4 magnets in a square configuration – again these match the magnets on the base of the pod.
Otherwise there are 2 screw heads and the airflow chamber which is connected to the vacuum sensor which triggers the fire mechanism when you vape.
The magnets have a very strong force and pull the pod in from about half way installed. Yet it is easy to remove the pod when required.
Screen
This is a lovely screen – the display area measures around 22mmx12mm and it is bright and clear.
Below the screen is the LED indicator, you can choose from different lighting effects or turn it off completely.
Depending on what theme you have selected the screen information does vary.
Cosmic Journey Theme
This theme displays the battery percentage and icon at the top of the screen.
Below that is the selected output in watts.
Underneath you will see a padlock icon, which shows if the fire button is locked or unlocked.
In the circles below you will see the pod resistance in ohms (Ω) and your puff time in seconds.
The bottom of the screen displays the puff count.
Space Boy Theme
With this screen theme things are a bit crammed up. But you do get a lovely image of an astronaut.
Again at the top is the battery remaining icon and percentage with the power output below with the W symbol (for Watts).
At the side of the output is the padlock symbol.
The next row displays the pod resistance and puff time, with the puff counter value at the bottom of the screen.
Rocket Launch Theme
For this theme the data is set with a space rocket as the main image.
At the top is the puff counter and the spark symbol shows the battery percentage remaining.
Then you have the pod resistance and puff time.
At the bottom is the output value in W (Watts) and the padlock symbol.
OXVA VPrime Pod
I received the 5ml standard kit and it is a big old pod! I am not sure how the TPD compliant pods work – are the pods the same size with filling material to reduce the capacity or are they physically smaller? Let me know in the comments if you have tried both the 5ml and 2ml!
There is a lovely flat but rounded mouthpiece which feels super comfortable in use.
At the side of that is the fill port cover. You lift this from the bottom side of the cover to reveal the fill port. The port is a rounded rectangle shape and measures approx 3x6mm. I had no issues getting my bottle nozzles in here.
In the 5ml pod, the area inside the mouthpiece is utilised for e-liquid storage. But this did cause a few air locks when filling. This is basically where an area of the pod seems to have a “bubble” which reduces the space left for e-liquid. I often found the mouthpiece area had an air bubble which prevented me from adding the full 5ml to the pod. Tilting the device and pod when filling so that the e-liquid entering from the bottle is aimed towards the mouthpiece can help prevent airlocks.
The top half of the pod is visible when it is installed into the mod and this is where the e-liquid lives. Below that is the coil section which is concealed anyway so you have a really good view of the e-liquid level at all times.
On the bottom of the pod is where most of the good stuff is happening. Also the 0.2ohm pod has a Red base to help identify it.
It is etched with the pod resistance and the recommended power limits.
There are 4 Silver circles which are the magnets that hold the pod in position in the mod.
In the centre are 3 Gold coloured electrical contacts and there are 2 airflow inlet holes. All these are designed so the pod can be inserted either way around.
The pod feels super sturdy and very well made.
Quick Start Guide
The kit comes with the 0.2ohm pod installed. Make sure to fill this before removing the isolator sticker at the base of the pod. If you vape before filling this will burn out the coil and the pod will need to be binned.
The 0.6ohm pod is packaged inside the box.
You will need to fill, charge and set up the device to get going – I will guide you through the steps below!
OXVA VPrime Basic Operation
- Power On/Off = press the fire button 5 times to turn on or off.
- Vaping = press the fire button or inhale on the mouthpiece to vape.
- Battery indicator = The screen displays the battery percentage remaining and an icon.
- Battery indicator when charging = The screen will display the charging progress as both an icon and a numerical percentage. The screen will turn off when fully charged.
- Turn on / off manual firing = press the “+” and “-” adjustment buttons at the same time to lock or unlock the fire button.
- Adjust output = press the adjustment buttons to increase (+) or decrease (-) the required power on the screen.
- Puff counter reset = press the fire button twice to access the secondary menu to reset the puff counter. To scroll use the adjustment buttons and use the fire button to confirm the selection.
- Secondary menu = press the fire button twice and a secondary menu offers you the options to adjust the screen theme, the lighting effect (you can turn the lighting off) and puff counter reset. To scroll use the adjustment buttons and use the fire button to confirm the selection.
- Adjust airflow = Move the airflow slider up to reduce the incoming airflow and down to increase.
OXVA VPrime Protections
- Low battery – The screen will display “Low Battery”. To rectify charge the battery.
- Short circuit / too low resistance – The screen will display “Short”. To rectify clean all pod and device contacts. If still not working try a new pod. After that if the issue persists the device may be faulty.
- Open circuit / no pod installed – The screen will display “No Atomizer”. To rectify make sure a pod is installed. Clean all pod and device contacts. If still not working try a new pod. After that if the issue persists the device may be faulty.
- Over time – if you vape for longer than 8 seconds the screen will display “Time Out”. Restart vaping to continue.
- Over heat – if the circuit board temperature is too high the screen will display “Temp High”. Wait for the device to cool down before vaping.
How To Charge The Battery
The charging rate is specified as 2A.
- Using the included 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 screen will display the charging process as a percentage and as an icon. When fully charged the screen will turn off.
I have not yet managed to time a full charge (keep forgetting as it is charging!). I will update the review with the charging time!
How To Fill the Pod
If using a new pod leave to stand for 10 minutes after the first fill to allow the coil to saturate with e-liquid.
- You don’t need to remove the pod from the mod.
- Lift up the fill port cover.
- Tilt the device and pod so that e-liquid entering the pod is aimed towards the mouthpiece area on the 5ml pods. This will help to prevent an airlock.
- Add e-liquid and watch the level through the side of the pod.
- Replace the fill port cover firmly.
How Does The OXVA VPrime Perform?
As there are 2 different types of pod on here, I will use different e-liquid to suit.
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
0.2ohm VPrime Pod
For this pod I used a higher VG e-liquid as this is a low resistance / high power pod. I chose the Choppa Vapes Blue Slush which has a 64%VG and 36%PG mix ratio. There is no nicotine added as I like the flavour to be stronger and nic shots will dilute it.
The suggested power limits are 45 to 60W and the mod automatically selected 55W for me – so I thought that would be a good place to start!
Wow the flavour is epic! It is clear and the power shift from mainly MTL vaping to this sub ohm beast has taken me aback!
It feels mega powerful and the amount of vapour is very surprising too!
I am reluctant to increase the power any more as I am quite shocked how ferocious this feels at only 55W!
If there are no leaks and the coil life is decent – this is well on its way to getting 10/10!
0.6ohm VPrime Pod
For this pod I used a 50/50 VG/PG e-liquid as this is a kind of crossover coil resistance between MTL and RDL.
The e-liquid I chose is the Vapoholic Ferocious Sour Cherry Sweets with nicotine salt added to around 6mg strength.
On the base of the pod the suggested power settings are between 20 to 25W. The device automatically set itself to 22W. As OXVA devices generally set the output accurately to the best setting I trusted this and started at 22W!
At 22W I can taste the beautiful cherry notes of my e-liquid and there is a decent amount of vapour too!
At 25W I felt it was slightly too warm but 23W was just perfect.
The rich flavour this pod produces reminds me of the excellent Xlim range, but there is slightly more airflow available which produces slightly more dense vapour.
So far after 8 refills (approximately 40ml of e-liquid) the flavour is still excellent!
Airflow
One slight issue I found is that the auto draw activation can be a bit hit and miss with the airflow fully open. It doesn’t always fire instantly and can be a bit stuttery if you reduce your inhalation power.
I use a rating system for airflow – 0= fully closed and 10= like breathing unrestricted fresh air!
With the 0.6ohm pod there feels like a huge range of adjustment for the airflow. Fully closed the airflow is identical to the Xlim Pro 2 with a rating of around 1. There is enough airflow to get it to trigger the auto draw firing but not enough for a decent vape.
Fully open, the 0.6ohm pod is very airy at around 6.5 to 7! My happy place being a MTL vaper was with the airflow just over half closed.
This pod is ideal for MTL, RDL and even DTL vaping styles! Very versatile!
When it comes to the 0.2ohm pod airflow, in fully closed you can still get a vape which i would rate around 3. At fully open you are looking at a very unrestricted airflow of around 7. But the fully open airflow is again causing the auto draw to stutter.
This is perfect for DTL vaping and you might find RDL is possible as well.
Leaks?
So far so good! No leaks!
Mod Performance
There have been a couple of issues for me with the mod.
Firstly as I have mentioned a lot – the auto draw does not like the airflow open wide.
Secondly there is a bit of a power drop off as the battery discharges. This is usual when the battery is down to about 10% – a lot of devices suffer from it. But here I felt it when the battery was just under 40%.
This was at 23W and the 0.6ohm pod. The power seemed to drop just after 40% and by 10% I was getting e-liquid coming through the mouthpiece which is a sign that it is not being vaporised fully. Under 10% I can forgive but above that is a bit unusual.
Otherwise I like the mod, the display is excellent and the battery life has been great.
Battery Life
This will always rely on your own vaping habits and the pod selected. I am a very heavy vaper so this must be considered.
For the 0.6ohm pod I got around 8 hours of vaping and roughly 500 puffs per charge.
I will update this review for the battery life with the 0.2ohm pod.
Pros
- Lovely styling
- Very comfortable to hold in your hand
- Easy to fill
- Wide range of airflow with both pods
- Excellent battery life
- Great flavour
- Easy to see the full e-liquid level when pod installed on the mod
- Mod and pod feel super sturdy and well made
Cons
- Some issues with auto draw when airflow is fully open
- Two different pods may confuse people as there would be 2 different types of e-liquid required. Newer vapers may not realise this and use high nicotine, high PG e-liquid in the 0.2ohm pod which will be mega harsh.
- Instructions are a bit brief
- Power output seemed to reduce when the battery was just under 40% charge
- 5ml pod had quite a few airlocks when filling, meaning I could not fully fill the pod
Final Review Verdict
I am not 100% sold on this kit to be honest.
I love OXVA and still use various Xlim devices daily so I perhaps have high expectations!
Firstly I am not sure who this kit is tailored to? A beginner might get mixed up and use the 0.2ohm pod thinking it is ideal for some strong nicotine. Someone buying it for the low resistance pod might not like the 0.6ohm pod?
The main issue for me was the auto draw sensor. It is perfectly fine at 50% airflow restricted or below. But start opening that airflow more and the auto draw struggles and is a bit unreliable. Of course this is quite minor as you can also use the fire button – but it is an issue.
A drop in the output seemed to be apparent when the charge was below 40%. By 10% charge left it was sending un-vaporised e-liquid through the mouthpiece which shows how weak the output was at that point. I have not tried the 0.2ohm pod yet – I suspect this power drop might be worse at a higher output. I will of course report back when I have finished using that pod.
The instructions are a bit brief but they do tell you the majority of what you need to know.
I love the flavour and battery life and the screen is really bright and vibrant. It would be great if OXVA could offer downloadable screen themes to customise the display more.
The VPrime has not taken over from my Xlim’s that I use daily, but I would be very happy to take it if I was away from a charger for a long period as the 5ml capacity and that big battery mean you can vape away for very long periods. It also feels very well made and chunky.
For us in TPD regulated areas the pod capacity will be reduced to 2ml and with the 0.2ohm pod you will feel like you are constantly filling it. This of course is not OXVA’s fault!
Have you tried the OXVA VPrime? Let us know in the comments below!
