Usonicig Zip Pod System Review – A ‘Coil Free’ Ultrasonic Vape

The Usonicig Zip certainly brings innovation to the vape world.

To vaporise e-liquid, we’ve become accustomed to the practice of working with coils, generally made from Kanthal or stainless steel. And of course using cotton or similar to soak the e-liquid before being vaporised by the coils.
But Usonicig had other ideas when they came out with the Rhythm kit, an unusual looking device which used high frequency vibrations at 2.4MHz to vaporise the liquid, instead of the cotton & coils we all know and enjoy.

It was an innovation that won awards, but the Rhythm kit received mixed reviews across the board. So Usonicig went back to the drawing board, ramped the frequency up to 3.0MHz and have come out with the ‘Zip’ Pod system.

What Can We Expect From The Zip by Usonicig?

This fairly neat looking chunky lil’ pod system features a nicely sized 1200mAh, push-fit magnetic pods which hold a 2ml capacity and have a very clever re-filling style.

Usonicig also say the pods can last for up to 5000 puffs. Which if I look at my general pod usage, means this kit would last me around a month!

Now I’m not the most intense Pod user but nonetheless it’s an impressive number.

Let’s see if this pod system can match your standard pod kits..

This device was sent for the purposes of review. As always, my views are my own.

See The Usonicig Zip In Action

What’s in the Box:

• 1 x Zip Device
• 1 x Pod (2 x in additional box)
• 1 x USB Cable
• 1 x User Manual
• 1 x Warranty Card

Specs and Features

• Device Size: 94x34x20mm
• Pod Size – 39x34x20mm
• Weight: 68g (Including 2ml of e-liquid)
• Battery: 1200mAh Internal Battery
• E-Liquid Capacity: 2.0ml
• Charging: Via USB
• Ultrasonic Frequency: 3MHz
• Available Colours: Black | Pink | Silver | Orange | Blue

Design and Build Quality

I received the Orange version of the Usonicig Zip Pod Kit.

The Device

The battery section of the Usonicig Zip is really nice, made from what feels like Aluminium, but has a really nice paint smooth finish which is also very durable.

The terminals at the top of the device that connect it to the Pod itself are nice and chunky and the magnets are massive – You really feel the strength of the magnets when you click in the pod.

Theres a slightly protruding centre fire button on one side which clicks nicely, and the device also has a Micro-USB port on the side.

At the base of the Zip is a slightly curved plastic cap, which can make the device fall over if not on a perfectly flat surface, but there are also 5 small holes for ventilation.

In general it does look like a lot of other Pod systems to hit the market that basically look like giant USB sticks.

The Pod/Cartridge

The Pod itself is BIG – At 39mm high its almost half the height of the device, I assume its made from PCGT or similar – But its nice and thick and feels well made.

It’s very heavily smoked though, like very dark tinted windows. Which means it can be a little tricky to check your e-liquid levels when not in good lighting.

Of course there is no coil replacement to worry about as the device uses Ultrasonic wizardry so you don’t have to worry about stocking up on coils. But it might be worth having a spare Pod in a drawer for when this pod dies out.

It holds 2ml of vape juice, which is decent, and has 2 nice silicon covered filling slots which make it leak-free if you happen to knock it over.

I always like when they have the silicon covered ports. They’ve probably saved over 1million litres of e-liquid from being wasted by consumers across the world.

In the Hand

The Usonicig Zip has a nice weight to it, its not too heavy at all but its not light either.

It’s nicely balanced in general and I found it fairly comfortable for thumb firing however the button is a little low for my hands. But looking at the device, it can’t really go any higher otherwise it’ll be located on the pod itself!

I really like the finish of this pod mod, yes its a little slippy but in the hand its really nice to hold. Even if it is a little square.

On The Mouth

The mouthpiece on the pod is absolutely spot on, perfectly sized and perfectly shaped for a nice Mouth-To-Lung vape.

As the Zip uses frequency rather than a coil, you also get less heat, which means the mouthpiece doesn’t get hot. In my time with the Zip, the mouthpiece got only slightly warm generally.

How To Fill The Usonicig Zip Pod

I really like the filling system on the Zip. It’s very simple but also a little but fun and also has the added bonus of not having to remove the pod from the device.

• Squeeze the 2 buttons at the centre on other side of the pod with thumb & finger and twist the top section 90 degrees anti-clockwise

• Fill the pod with your desired e-liquid via either of the 2 silicon covered filling slots

• Turn the top section 90 degrees clockwise until it clicks back into place

How to Operate

To turn on the device, click the fire button 5 times and the LED ring will flash red, blue, white, red, blue, white.

Upon pressing the fire button, the ring will light up white, unless the battery capacity is below 20%, at which point it will be red.

Theres no option to change the power/Ultrasonic Frequency so with regards to settings, there is barely anything to worry about.

Lastly make sure you leave any new pod for at least 10 minutes in my experience.

This pod really needs some time to start working, otherwise you get a flashing light error which I experienced when I first filled the pod up. So let it rest for a while.

How Does the Usonicig Zip Pod Mod Perform?

Generally I was vaping on Blackcurrant Menthol by Pod Salt. Its a 20mg 50VG/50PG e-liquid which has a nice sweet blackcurrant with a cool hit on the inhale. Nice and refreshing.

I did try using a 80VG/20PG mix of Darkstar’s Code Red e-liquid with my preferred 3mg nicotine content, but in all honesty, the Zip just didn’t like using the higher VG e-liquids and gave me nothing but spit back.

If you look at the packaging though it clearly states its designed for Nic-Salts and CBD vape juice so if you’re looking for a pod system for your favourite high VG e-liquid, I would avoid this one.

I should also mention I vaped on this device Mouth-To-Lung in general, its a little too tight for Direct-To Lung in my experience.

• Read more about direct to lung and mouth to lung vaping here

The Usonicig Zip was sent to me with one pod in the kit, and also another box with two spare pods.

But if I’m honest I’m still using the first pod, after 10 days of use, and it doesn’t feel like its giving up any time soon. (With one pod wasted due to using high VG juice)

Flavour

Considering blackcurrant menthol is a fairly punchy mix, the flavour I got from the Zip was what I could only describe as boring.

I’ve tried my best to give the Zip a few ‘Priming puffs‘ to get that frequency up to speed before taking a pull but all it intensified was the throat hit, which I would say was intense, but not satisfying.

Certainly not the experience I’m looking for from a pod system which is clearly aiming for the Nic-Salt, High Nicotine content users. So basically people looking to cut the cigarettes.

Although I had very bad spit back with the 80VG/20PG e-liquid I tried, I also got spit back from the Nic-Salts quite often too. And there’s almost nothing worse than half-vaporised boiling hot e-liquid landing of your tongue to ruin the experience.

I should also mention if you like a warm vape, or even Luke-warm vape, then this device isn’t for you. Regardless of the fact I used a menthol e-liquid, the vapour itself is pretty much cool.

Clouds

Its not really worth commenting on the vapour production, in general the vapour was similar to what you get from a cigarette, however with the 4 or 5 priming puffs you have to take prior to finally taking a drag, its almost like an exhale of relief to be putting it down again for a minute.

The other technique I used was simply by taking really long pulls, 4-6 seconds.

This does produce a nice little cloud, but the throat hit was unbearable – It wasn’t that Nic-Salt type of throat hit, but rather a drying throat hit. Not burnt, just dry. And certainly not nice.

Airflow

There are 3 small holes on either side of the pod, which you could close off with your fingers if you want a slightly, and I do mean slightly tighter draw.

I quite enjoyed the restriction on the Zip, its about right if not slightly too loose for that nice cigarette like experience you’re looking for.

Battery Life

1200mAh has been more that enough to last even the longest of my days. But if I’m completely honest, the device has been such a let down, that on some days I struggled to bring myself to vape on it.

During the early days of testing when I was blaming myself as opposed to the device for its poor performance, I found the Zip managed a day’s worth of vaping quite easily with room to spare.

I’d suggest sticking it on charge at some point during the evening as it only takes an hour to charge. That way you know it’ll be ready for the next day.

Pros:

• High quality build
• Nice paint finish
• Very clever pod fill system
• Battery life is very good
• Nice MTL airflow
• Barely uses e-liquid
• No need to remove Pod to re-fill
• Harsh throat hit, no flavour, dries mouth.

Cons:

• Poor flavour
• Poor vapour
• Terrible Spit-back from high VG e-liquids
• Fairly terrible Spit-back from 50/50 e-liquids
• Generally an unsatisfactory vape
• E-liquid level hard to see

Final Verdict

If you don’t know me, then you should know I’m an electrician by trade. So I’m all about electricity and frequency. I’m also a massive fan of innovation and technology, especially in the E-cigarette industry.

My main goal as a reviewer for Ecigclick is to try and explain the experience I get from a product, how it performs day to day and of course try my best to explain what you get in the package and how everything works and fits together.

But the experience is what I’m all about.

A device could be made by pixies on the top of Mount Everest, but if the vape isn’t right I won’t be recommending it to others.

And as much as I wanted this kit to succeed, it just doesn’t on so many levels.

The build quality is absolutely where it needs to be, and the Pod’s may be a little dark, but they’re very well made and have a top notch filling system.

There’s a number of features that I look at when trying out a device, and for something to score highly, it needs to meet certain demands.

‘Would this device be long lasting and still work 3, 6 or even 12 months from now?’

The pods will last an age and the battery capacity is excellent so I could see this device lasting a year no problem. I’d say a pod should last an average user a month. But that all depends on how much you vape of course.

Does this device deliver the flavour, vapour and general experience I require, in order to be enjoyed?

I cant answer this question with any other word than no.

Is this device versatile to suit a new vaper, and an experienced one alike?

Unfortunately there isn’t much versatility to this device. I’ve really ran out fo words to describe this system.

Have you picked up the Usonicg Zip Pod System? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!