The Syiko Galax Pod system is up for review today and, if you’re wondering who the heck Syiko are…welcome to the club.
This may just be the most obscure brand I’ve ever reviewed a product from, since they only have three pod devices on the market and that’s it! In order of release, those devices are the Alita pod, their SE Pod, which was a touchscreen and, now, the Galax.
The Galax is a really good looking little 25W pod, far more elegant than their previous offerings, with a 1200mAh onboard battery and adjustable airflow.
It’s designed for both mouth to lung (MTL) and Direct to Lung (DTL) and includes a coil for either vape style.
Expecting little from a brand who’s only two other offerings certainly didn’t receive the best reviews, I am writing this review with happiness in my heart because there is one feature on this pod that caught me completely by surprise. Read on to find out more…
In The Box
- Galax device
- 1 x Mesh coil 0.6 Ohm
- 1 x Regular coil 1.2 Ohm
- 1 x Cartridge
- 1 x USB Cable
- 1 x User Manual
Key Features
- Adjustable airflow
- Replaceable coil
- 1200 mAh battery
- 115g Weight
- 2ml Capacity
- Output power 8.5-25W
- Low, medium and high power modes
Available in black and coral, black and porcelain, silver and rainbow, silver and placer, silver and star, gunmetal and volcano
Design and Build Quality
On opening up the neat, white seiko box packaging, the first thing that strikes me is the gorgeous vacuum plated colour decal.
I received both the Silver + Placer version and the Silver + Rainbow.
I have to tell you, both are utterly gorgeous, with a beautiful scratch resistant shine and colour that’s even better than in the brand photos on their site.
Length and height wise, this little stainless steel pod system has pretty much the same dimensions as a credit card.
The chassis is 15mm thick at its sides but tapers out, ergonomically to a 18mm thickness.
One colourful side has the Syiko logo at the bottom and two elongated airflow openings at the top. These airflow openings are a channel through to the actual adjustable airflow on the cartridge, which is only accessible through removal of the cartridge from the battery.
These features fall directly underneath an 18mmx10mm mouthpiece or fixed drip tip, protruding from the top and centre of the device.
The airflow openings are framed in brushed SS, which also runs round all the narrower sides in one continuous, soft cornered band, save only for the space on top where the cartridge protrudes from the mod.
The cartridge is rounded at the upper side edges, and seamlessly fits into the battery section.
The other coloured side has the galaxy logo and safety stamps at the bottom.
The base is smooth brushed SS.
Charge Port, Indicators and Controls
One SS side features a micro-USB port at the bottom, above which is a small battery level indicator LED which glows in 3 different colours.Above that is the mode change button, which is small, round and clicky.
Above that are three LED holes, which are mode indicators, each is a different colour.
Above that is the fire button, which is a bigger version of the mode button. Both buttons are stainless steel.
Removing the cartridge
An easy upward pull on the mouthpiece will release the magnets that connect the pod and cartridge so you can slide it up and out, to reveal the juice tank / cartridge with it’s replaceable coil.
Coil Change and Airflow Adjust
The coil is accessed by unscrewing the coil base which sits in the centre on the underside of the cartridge and also doubles as an adjustable airflow ring.
Fill Port and Capacity
The fill port sits on one side of the base, with a silicon stopper that is fixed in place on the other side of the coil base, it has a hole in the centre to accommodate the coil base.
The cartridge can hold 2 ml juice and, while partially visible through the airflow openings on the chassis, the juice levels can only really be checked by lifting out the cartridge.
Luckily, once lifted out, the tinted plastic of the cartridge is very easy to see through.
How Does The Syiko Galax Pod System Perform?
Okay, let me start with negatives…
I actually received 2 Galax pods, one arrived but the cartridge had been tampered with during transit so I didn’t use. Then a replacement came.
The issue is not with the tampering, as that is likely no fault of the brand. The issue is that while the cartridge on the first pod fits perfectly in that pod but when I tried to use the replacement device’s cartridge on the first pod, I found that the magnets repel.
Likewise, obviously, if I try to place the first pod’s cartridge in the second pod.
What I’m concerned about is, might this happen when someone buys an extra cartridge for the device? Surely all cartridges and pods from the same model should be intercompatible.
That said, the fact that my initial package had been opened and used at least once during transit (hence the replacement) means that this really could be a fluke, somehow or other.
The 2nd Con
Whenever I remove the cartridge to refill, I find quite a lot of liquid inside the cavity where the cartridge fits and on the outside of the cartridge.
It’s unclear whether this is somehow seeping out from the fill port, with its odd stopper design, or actually leaking slightly out of the airflow.
The upside of that complaint is that when the cartridge is in place, none of this liquid is able to make its way to the outside of the device, to your bag, etc. This is not enough leakage to drain the cartridge, just enough to make fill time a messy business where I always need a paper towel to wipe down the cartridge and cavity.
The 3rd Con
This is something that has only happened on two occasions, both instances during chain vaping sessions.
On these occasions the fire function continued even when the button was released, trying to switch of the device with the fire button wouldn’t work (in spite of the button clicking perfectly) and I was forced to release the cartridge to avert an accident.
Once the cartridge was removed on both occasions, I was able to use the fire button to shutdown the device with no problem. I don’t have an explanation for this but it has only happened twice and I have chain vaped on the device many, many times without incident.
Now onto the Positives
The mode button is convenient and effective, it only needs to be pressed once to change modes. The indicator LEDS for both mode and battery are bright enough and convenient too.
The device is ergonomic, sleek and beautiful.
The cartridge separates so easily from the device, it’s really simple to use.
The mouthpiece is comfy for both MTL and super restricted DL.
Airflow is effective for anything from very restricted MTL to restricted DL, with a smooth, satisfying draw.
The greatest positives, which make me keep on picking this pod up again and again, in spite of all its minor niggles, are in the coils…
Flavour and Cloud
0.6 Ohm Mesh DL coil Ohm GSE Coil
Holy crap. The flavour on this coil is utterly delicious and really took me by surprise. With coils like these, this brand could make a name for themselves in pods, for sure.
Rich flavour, outstanding vapour production and great endurance from this coil. I’ve used it for both DTL and MTL, just by changing airflow settings, though it’s definitely a little airy for a true MTL vape.
My favourite setting is a DTL vape with full open airflow on a setting of either medium or full.
1.2 Ohm DL Coil
In spite of the fact that this isn’t a mesh coil, the flavour is totally on point!
Once again, awesome richness, vapour production and endurance from this excellent little MTL coil.
I’ve also used this coil for DTL and MTL and once again, it does what it says it does better, MTL. Great at a medium or high setting with half airflow for me.
If using a high nic juice or salt nic, I advise the low setting.
Battery Life
Battery life varies depending on your mode setting but at a medium setting, the battery lasts about 8-10 hours, if you’re using the device quite regularly. It charges in less than an hour.
Pros
- Nice smooth airflow
- Good looks
- Ergonomic
- Top notch flavor on both coils
- Great vapour production
- Good battery life
Cons
- Cartridges from my two devices are not interchangeable, though this could be an isolated incident
- Fire has gotten stuck on two occasions
- Seeping from the cartridge makes fill time a bit messy
Final Review Verdict
The Syiko Galax Pod is beautiful, convenient and offers rich, warm DTL and MTL vaping with excellent vapour production and good battery life.
There where a few technical issues along the way but these could be isolated incidents (hopefully) and the fact that I can’t stop vaping on this pod puts it well up in my recommended list.
I recommend this for beginners and experienced vapers alike, who’re after an elegant, slightly fancy looking pod that really cuts it on the coil front.
Have you tried the Syiko Galax pod system? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
