The SMOK Stick V9 Max kit is from a company that really needs no introduction.
With something new on the market (what feels like) every single week and, being one of the biggest companies in vaping, it seems every vaper has at least heard of SMOK.
What Can We Expect From The Stick V9 Max by SMOK
The latest offering that I’ve been taking a look at is the Stick V9 Max Kit. A high powered sub ohm vape pen.
Boasting the biggest battery power I’ve ever seen from a Smok Stick and certainly the largest diameter battery and tank of any stick kit out there at the moment, you expect big things.
Being the predecessor to the popular V8 Stick, I’m sure a lot of people will have their eye on this kit!
Did I get maximum enjoyment from the Smok Stick V9 Max Kit? Let’s find out!
This kit was sent to me for the purposes of this review and, as always, any and all opinions expressed are my own from my own experience through testing.
In The Box
- 1 x Stick V9 Max Battery
- 1 x Stick V9 Max Tank
- 1 x Baby V2 S1 0.15ohm Single Mesh Coil (Pre-installed)
- 1 x Baby V2 S2 0.15ohm Quadruple Coil
- 1 x USB Cable
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Spare Parts
Specs and Features
Stick V9 Max Battery
- Size: 87.8 x 28mm
- Weight: 133.5g
- Battery Capacity: 4000mAh
- Voltage Range: 3.3V – 4.2V
- Output Voltage: 2.5V – 4.1V
- Output Power: 60W (Coil Resistance – 0.15ohm)
- Resistance Range: 0.13ohm – 2.5ohm
- Charger Output: DC 5V 1A
- Charging Voltage: 5V
- Charging Current: 0.66A
- Fire Button
- LED Indicator Light for Battery Percentage
Stick V9 Max Tank
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Size: 35 x 54mm
- Weight: 88.5g
- Capacity: 8.5ml
- Thread: 510
- Locking top fill
- Sliding top fill
- Adjustable bottom airflow
Both are available in 6 colours – 7 Colour, Red, Blue, Black Plating, Gold and Stainless Steel
Key Features
The biggest feature of this kit, for me, is the massive 4000mAh battery. This will last many of us most of the day and power pretty much anything you want to put on top.
The easy to use sliding top fill is super easy to open but has a handy locking feature to stop it springing open in your pocket.
There’s no screen, settings or menus to mess around with, just charge it up, stick on the tank, five clicks and you vape away.
Also worth an honourable mention is the massive 8.5ml juice capacity, although with this tank, you need it! Of course this is only in non-tpd countries.
Stand out feature here really is the simplicity of it. Easy to set up and use, simple enough even for newer vapers.
Design and Build Quality
Overall, I’ve been pretty happy with the quality of the SMOK Stick V9 Max, however, some aspects of the design have left me scratching my head.
The threading is clean and buttery smooth as well as the o-ring tolerances being perfect.
The airflow ring on the tank also has an excellent resistance when turning and has a stopper.
The charge port is high on the back of the mod and makes it pretty easy to leave it standing whilst charging. You can also vape it whilst it’s on charge. Handy!
The fire button is nicely placed on the mod and has a satisfying ‘clicky’ feeling. Two clicks will also show you the battery percentage –
- Green above 70%
- Orange 30-70%
- Red 30% or below.
It also has a good all round feel in the hand and is pretty comfortable. Maybe not as pocket friendly as some smaller stick kits but still fits onto a jacket or handbag easily.
Now onto the niggly points…
The bubble glass, although great capacity, is a bit of an eyesore. Instead of going for a taller tank, Smok have gone wide! The tank itself is a massive 28mm in diameter but add in the bubble glass and you’re looking at a 35mm width, just at the glass.
Functionally this also affects the kit. Smok have tried to combat any stability issues by slightly flaring the base of the battery but unfortunately it hasn’t quite worked out. 
One slight knock and it topples over quite dramatically, striking fear into your heart as you only receive one glass in the box. Plus with the huge width of the glass tank sticking out by 7mm, the glass takes the brunt of the fall.
The battery itself is also incredibly light which has it’s good points but certainly doesn’t help me feel more confident resting it down on a table.
The V9 Max tank comes fitted with a proprietary drip tip which is a little bit annoying as it’s plain black and completely boring. I really think Smok should look at 810 fittings in all their tanks as replacements and customisations are so much easier to come by in this size.
How Does the Smok Stick V9 Max Perform?
For this review I’ve been using Vanilla Fudge by Stickler Vapes, a super sweet dessert vape from a company I’ve only just discovered. It is 70/30 VG/PG and 1.5mg of nicotine.
Firstly, we’ll quickly go over how to fill and change your coils.
How to Fill
- Hold the tank firmly and push the locking button
- Move the top cap out counter clockwise
- Fill with e-liquid through the small kidney shaped hole
- Close the top cap and push until the locking button clicks into place
How to Change Coil
- Screw the top cap off the tank
- Unscrew the old coil
- Screw in the new coil in a clockwise direction until it’s firmly in place
- Prime your coil by placing a few drop of e-liquid onto all exposed cotton
- Screw the top cap back on
- Fill with e-liquid and leave the tank to stand for several minutes or until the cotton is thoroughly saturated.
Flavour
Mini V2 S1 Coil
I started out with this coil as it came pre-installed in the tank. With one massive mesh coil, it certainly provides you with plenty airflow.
However, I feel that the amount of airflow massively impacts the flavour. I found it performed at its absolute best on a fully charged battery with the airflow closed about ⅔ of the way. As for coil life? Surprisingly, this one lasted me 4-5 days. Which let’s face it, isn’t bad for a Smok stock coil.
Mini V2 S2 Coil
Next up I tried the S2 coil. With two narrower airflow channels inside and quadruple coils, I found this a much more pleasant vape experience. You get a more restricted draw which gives you a warmer more flavourful vape. It also allows you to have a little more control over just how much airflow you let into the tank. The V2 coil is also still going strong after 5 days so no complaints there.
Both coils read 0.15ohms and have been custom made for the stick series so work better at the maximum output of the battery.
Flavour was ok across both coils but definitely better for me on the S2 coil. I do believe however, with a slightly more restrictive airflow system or possibly some more wattage, that the S1 coil could really shine.
Both coils also consume juice at quite an alarming rate considering you aren’t exactly getting mind blowing flavour. It’s definitely the thirstiest tank I’ve tried recently.
Cloud production is excellent overall and you can easily vape out a room in minutes with this kit.
Battery Performance
Overall battery life from the mod is really good. I can get about half a day’s use out of the kit before I need to charge it. Plus it only takes about 1-2 hours to charge from almost dead back to about 70%.
One thing worth mentioning is battery sag. Once you get into the Orange – 70-30% region the you’ll really notice the power to the tank start to drop off. It doesn’t massively affect the use of the kit but it is noticeable enough to point out.
Safety Features
- 8 Second cut off
- Low voltage protection
- Lithium Battery Protection
- Short Circuit Protection
Pros
- Great sized battery
- Easy to use
- Good build quality
- Feels nice in the hand
- Large e-liquid capacity
- Easy top fill
- Smooth airflow control
Cons
- Bubble glass is far too wide
- Mod is unstable when sat down on a flat surface
- Noticeable drop in voltage >70% battery
- Too much airflow
- No spare glass
- Very thirsty tank
Final Review Verdict
The Smok Stick V9 Max Kit will provide you with a relatively reliable, ok vaping experience but it just didn’t blow me away.
The general design is nice but the bubble glass is butt ugly and makes the mods unsteady on its ‘feet’.
Even with the massive battery, I found the drop in voltage after a little while made me want to charge it much quicker than I really had to. Just to get back that full powered vaping experience you get when it’s at 100-70%.
Clouds are good but almost at the expense of what could be some really good flavour.
It may have maximum size but for me it was lacking in maximum satisfaction.
very thorough and detailed. i still use a smok mod never had a lot of problems with their mods but couldn’t go back to a smok tank, hated them so much.
I’ve been a big fan of what Smok have been doing lately. Totally agree though, we need to some innovation with their stock coil tanks
Nice one