Sigelei is a trusted brand within the e cig industry and while their website might not be as slick as some of the competing brands they are a company that let their product do the talking.
With the increase in popularity of box mods (mini in-particular) we are taking a closer look at the Sigelei Mini which is a 30W device.
I purchased this device for the purposes of this review.
In the box / Presentation
The Sigelei Mini comes in a small, compact box and includes the following:
- 1 X Sigelei Mini
- 1 X Silicone Skin
- Manual
- USB Charging Cable
Battery/Body/Build
The first thing to note here is that the Sigelei Mini doesn’t come with a battery included as standard so be sure to buy one with the kit if you haven’t got one. It’s powered by a 18650 battery of which there are plenty of good options available.
I was using an Efest battery which I find to give a reliable performance. I did also try the Jacvapour 18650 batteries which have a nipple top and while they do fit and work just fine they are a little on the snug side.
The Mini comes with a silicon cover on it which is easily removed to reveal a nice clean looking box mod design.
This is a boxy design in a similar form to the Innokin MVP’s which the more experienced vapers out there will likely be familiar with. I for one really like this clean boxy design but it does feel like the corners are harder edged when compared to the MVP3.
The big difference of course is that you can replace the battery which is a big advantage.
The Sigelei Mini also makes this super easy to do with a magnetic cover flap on the slim side end of the box.
It is removed and replace with little effort yet still feels solidly set in place, this thing isn’t coming off by it’s own accord.
The cover also has three big venting holes at the bottom which is obviously a good thing for allowing the battery to vent, the silicon cover also caters for these holes.
The only slight issue I had here was the taping that helps to remove the battery can stick out and get in the way a little bit when trying to replace the cover.
The power and selector buttons are solid with minimum rattle. The familiar button setup is there with power button and selector buttons either side of the OLED screen.
The functions are slightly different from many other box mods available in that Sigelei have allowed the Mini to be vaped in PWM (pulse width modulation) that averages the output by pulsing the output up and down and DC-DC which provides a flat power output.
I tried both and the differences are noticeable especially at lower watt settings with the DC-DC providing a heavier hit. These settings would need to be tested by yourself to suit your needs but I personally preferred using the PWM mode.
Functions
- Memory mode (5 settings) – The memory mode allows you to set 5 different ‘M’ settings so you can quickly switch between preferred watt settings. These can be adjusted by using the ‘<‘ ‘>’ buttons and then clicking the power button once to set.
- Change from PWM to DC-DC- This is done by pressing power button and either of the ‘<‘ ‘>’ simultaneously.
- Wattage change – Pressing the bottom selector button then allows you to choose your preferred setting by using the ‘<‘ ‘>’ buttons.
- On/Off – Power button 5 clicks
Safety
- Low voltage protection
- High voltage warning
- Low resistance protection
- Short circuit protection
- Reverse polarity protection
Charging
Charging can be carried out with the battery in the device by way of a micro USB cable. Sigelei state that this shouldn’t be vaped when charging! So no pass though function here.
So plenty to go at there.
Any Things I Didn’t Like?
The functions take a little time to get used to but a bit of practice and you pick it up quickly.
For me, while it is user friendly, it isn’t as straight forward to use as the Eleaf iStick for instance. The only other thing for me would be the actual handle of the device when in the hand.
It just feels very hard edged and not as comfortable to hold especially when compared to the iStick and MVP3. If you choose to use the silicon cover though this not so much of an issue.
Overall
I like the simple design of the Sigelei Mini overall and the fact that the battery can be replaced is a big plus point. The included silicon cover also makes this more comfortable in the hand.
Performance
The Sigelei Mini operates upto 30W and can take tanks with a resistance down to 0.3 Ohms so will work with the majority of the new Sub Ohm tanks that have been hitting the market over the past few months.
I tested out a number of tanks from Sub Ohm to the likes of the Nautilus and found two didn’t fit. First the one that didn’t work out well.
The Aspire Atlantis 2. When I say didn’t work out well, it just wouldn’t screw on top, the threads wouldn’t marry up. I didn’t want to force things and ruin the threading on the Sigelei so let it be.
Not sure why this happened as the Atlantis 2 is fine on other devices? The same thing also happened with the SMOK VCT.
The tanks that I tested and that were fine were the original Aspire Atlantis, Kanger Subtank Plus, Mini and Nano and the Aerotank.
All worked a treat but for me the Subtank Mini sits perfectly on top with the 22mm width. Moving up and down the watts settings on this tank was also handled well by the Sigelei.
Overall – It was disappointing that two of my tanks (Aspire Atlantis 2 & SMOK VCT) wouldn’t fit properly but the other tanks I tried had no problem. Has anyone else found the above tanks to be an issue?
Overall – Final Thoughts
The Sigelei Min 30W is a solid box mod and the replaceable battery will make it an attractive proposition for a lot of vapers.
Did it blow the other mini vape mods I have tried out of the water though? It was certainly up there with them until the two tanks failed to screw on top! That kind of soured the experience which I will summarise below.
Here are the good and not so good that I found:
The Good:
- Replaceable 18650 batteries.
- Easy battery change with magnetic cover.
- Decent build quality.
- Upto 30W, more than enough for my personal needs.
- Compatible with atomisers with a resistance of 0.3 Ohm+
- Built in safety features that you would expect are all there.
- Choice of PWM and DC-DC modes may be useful to some vapers.
The Not So Good:
- I had two tanks (SMOK VCT & Atlantis 2) that just wouldn’t screw in, they work with the other box mods I have tried.
- The harder edges of the design don’t make for the most comfortable device in the hand.
- Cannot lock the display.
- Cannot be used as a pass through device.
Final Verdict:
Very Good: If you don’t use the two tanks above.
