One of the most recognisable pod system ranges is the Caliburn series from Uwell and today we’ve got the newest addition to the range – the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite to review!
Since the release of the original Uwell Caliburn the range has grown exponentially. There are a huge number of different Uwell pod kits bearing the Caliburn moniker and they have become a very popular choice indeed.
Uwell (which originates from ‘I wish you well’) are based out of China and were founded in 2015. They prioritise innovation and user experience and pride themselves on manufacturing their products to the highest possible standards with strict quality control systems in place.
They have become a massive name in the industry. Not just for the Caliburn range but also for products such as the Nunchaku, Valyrian and Ironfist. We’ve also recently taken a look at one of their most recent products, the Uwell Caliburn GK3!
So, what does the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite have in store? Let’s find out…
What Can We Expect From The Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite?
Uwell’s Caliburn G3 Lite is marketed as a more compact version of the Uwell Caliburn G3.
However don’t let its ‘compact-ness’ fool you!
This pod system is capable of a maximum output of 25W
It features an even larger battery than the G3, with a 1200mAh built in one here compared to the 900mAh one found inside the G3.
With the increased size of the battery, Uwell say that it is possible to vape for 3 days with one charge! As expected, the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite charges via USB-C.
You’ve got compatibility with the G3 series of refillable pods which take advantage of Uwell’s Pro-FOCS flavour technology.
These offer side filled or top filling options and are available in resistances of 0.6ohm, 0.9ohm and 1.2ohm. So there are options there for both mouth to lung (MTL) and restricted direct to lung (RDL) vapers. We tell you what these terms mean in our Guide To Vape Styles.
The Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite comes bundled with a 0.6ohm G3 pod.
Uwell are also saying that it is ‘great to switch’ with the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite. Now what that means is that not only can you take advantage of the refillable pods you can also use G3 pre-filled pods that offer a wide range of different flavours. We will also be looking at those in today’s review!
There’s a 360 degree viewing window which means it is possible to check the current e-liquid level at a glance, without having to remove the whole pod.
A handy LED light allows you to check your current battery level at a glance.
Many thanks to Uwell for sending the Caliburn G3 Lite and the G3 pre-filled pods in for review! Let’s dive in and have a deeper look, as always views are my own!
You’ve got eight different colour finishes to pick from: Space Black, Basalt Grey, Pearl White, Chili Red, Ice Blue, Pastel Pink, Pale Purple and Mint Green.
Kit Contents
- Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite device
- 0.6ohm G3 pod (side-filling version)
- User manual
Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite Specifications
- 111.4mm x 28.8mm x 16.3mm dimensions
- 46g weight
- PCTG and PC construction
- Auto-draw firing
- Eight different colours available
- 25W maximum power output
- 1200mAh built in battery providing up to 3 days of battery life
- USB Type-C charging
- Compatible with G3 series of pods (0.6ohm G3 pod included)
- Dual airflow system
- 2ml pod capacity (TPD version)/ 2.5ml capacity (non-TPD version)
- Pre-filled pods available
- Side filling or top filling (dependent on pod)
- Pro-FOCS flavour technology
- LED battery indicator
- 360 degree viewing window to check e-liquid level
- Mouth to lung and restricted direct lung hit options
- Built-in safety protections
Design and Build Quality
This isn’t one of the smallest pod systems out there, measuring in at 111.4mm x 28.8mm x 16.3mm. This means that the main body of the device sits in the palm of my hand whilst the top (roughly from the 360 degree viewing window onwards) pokes out of the top.
I must say that it is very comfortable to hold though!
With a weight of 46g, this is quite a lightweight little device too.
It is constructed from PCTG and PC and the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite is quite robustly made. There’s no sharp edges to be found here, just smooth curves all the way around the device.
Also, I was sent all eight G3 Lite colour options whereas they all look pretty great, my personal picks were the Chilli Red and Space Black versions! One aspect to note is that it is very hard to tell which colour option you have selected as the packaging is the same regardless of the colour you have selected. It even just features the Space Black version on every box!
To check the colour, you need to look for the barcode sticker on the top of the box, which tells you the colour option inside. Uwell could at least make the packaging relevant to the selected colour option!
On the body of the device there is a small LED light, which enables you to check the current battery level at a glance, though you’ll need to take a puff first to do so!
On the side of the device is the USB-C charging port and just above that is the fixed airflow hole.
A dual airflow system is used on the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite, which means that you do have some control over the airflow, but it is limited to two basic options.
On the base of each G3 pod are two different airflow holes.
Basically, the one that is closest to the fixed airflow hole on the device is the one that gets used and the other airflow hole on the pod is blocked off.
So, you can pick from an airier or a tighter draw, but you don’t have the option of really fine tuning the airflow like you do on some other pod systems out there.
A nifty little design feature is the 360 degree viewing window at the top of the device. This allows you to see just how much e-liquid is remaining in your pod, without the need to remove the pod itself.
And this does work really well in practice. I’ve never felt the need to remove the pod to check how much e-liquid is left in it, which is a minor irk that I have with other pod systems!
The pods themselves connect securely via a magnetic connection in the top of the device. These are held firmly in place with no wobble and you can install and remove them very easily.
Of course, you can also use the G3 pre-filled pods if you don’t want the hassle of filling your own. These are available in packs of two. Though the 360 degree viewing window is negated when using one of these! The pods themselves are completely Black and you can’t check the e-liquid level inside them, which is a poor design choice in my opinion!
Quick Start Guide
How To Fill The Caliburn G3 Lite Pod
Obviously, this section only pertains to the G3 refillable pods, as you can’t refill the pre-filled ones!
The kit I received had the side filling pods.
- You need to remove the pod from the device, locate the silicone filling port cover at the side, then push this to one side to reveal the filling port.
- Once the filling port is revealed, pop your bottle nozzle in and fill it up. Taking care not to overfill the pod otherwise e-liquid will leak back out of it.
- If using a top filled G3 pod, snap the black mouthpiece off on top of the pod to reveal the filling port and fill away from there.
For a brand new pod make sure to let the pod stand for five minutes after filling before using it for the first time. This allows the cotton in the coil to properly soak up the e-liquid and eliminate the chance of a nasty burnt hit the first time you have a puff on it.
Also, it is recommended to use e-liquids with a 50/50 VG/PG mix ratio (so nicotine salts are a great choice!) but I have also used 60/40 and even 70/30 mix ratios without any issue.
Operation
Not too much to say here, the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite has no buttons and an auto draw system, so simply take a puff to get going!
An LED light on the device displays the current battery level when you take a puff on the device. With Green meaning that you have 60-100% battery life remaining, Blue meaning that there is 30-60% remaining and Red is…basically get to a charger, because there’s only 0-30% left!
The LED light will also flash Green twice when inserting a pod and Blue twice when removing one.
Safety features are built into the device and you’ve got short-circuit, low voltage, 8 second cut off and open-circuit protections for your peace of mind.
Charging
As with the vast majority of pod systems on the market, the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite features USB Type-C charging.
The charging port is located on the side of the device, meaning you need to lay it flat when charging.
And it charges from flat to full in under an hour, which isn’t too bad!
How Does The Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite Perform?
The fixed FeCrAl meshed coil inside the 0.6ohm G3 pod really does provide a lovely, flavoursome vape and is right up there with some of the best pods that I’ve tried. You can really taste the nuances in your e-liquids and get the best out of them with one of these pods!
It outputs up to a maximum of 25 watts, which is decided by the mod according to the resistance of the coil and the amount of battery charge left.
At full charge with a 0.6ohm pod, this doesn’t feel too overpowered to me, but just right for a long and smooth draw on the device and a good RDL hit.
My preference is to use the slightly larger airflow hole for an airier airflow, but turning the pod around to the smaller airflow hole will give a tighter mouth to lung draw. Some fairly decent vapour production with the larger airflow hole too!
Battery Life
Battery life is excellent. The 1200mAh built in battery really does the job here.
I actually took this away camping with me recently and used it as my main vaping device. The battery lasted me well into my second day before I needed to get my powerbank out and charge it.
I vape pretty frequently so if you are a less frequent vaper, I could definitely see this seeing through three days or so!
G3 Pre-filled Pods
As I’ve already mentioned, not only do you have the option of using the refillable G3 pods, but you can also use G3 pre-filled 2ml capacity pods in the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite and Uwell kindly sent some for us to try out.
They come in the following flavours and have a 0.9ohm coil inside:
- Blueberry Sour Raspberry – a sweet and tangy Blueberry Sour Raspberry flavour, definitely one if you have a sweet tooth!
- Blue Razz Lemonade – a delicious mix of Blueberry, Raspberry and a punchy citrus Lemonade undertone.
- Lemon & Lime – tasted like a Lemon and Lime Ice Lolly to me, very refreshing!
- Cherry Cola – a great take on a Cherry Cola flavour, this one absolutely hit the spot and reminded me of Cherry Cola sweets!
- Cherry Ice – a rich Red Cherry flavour with a nice cooling note to it.
- Watermelon Ice – an artificial Watermelon flavour with a chill at the end.
- Watermelon Strawberry Gum – I felt that both the Watermelon and Strawberry notes tasted a bit artificial, but not unpleasant and there’s a note of Bubblegum in there too!
- Pink Lemonade – a pretty solid but unspectacular take on Pink Lemonade, could do with being a bit stronger flavoured!
- Pineapple Ice – a solid Pineapple Ice flavour that features an almost candy like Pineapple flavour mixed with a nice nip of koolada.
- Strawberry Ice – I felt the Strawberry tasted a bit more like the fruit here and the cooling sensation blends in well making for a tasty little vape.
So, you’ve got some of the most popular disposable flavours on the market available in the pre-filled G3 pod range. Making them a great option as an alternative to throwaway disposable vapes.
All in all these are pretty solid flavours, I didn’t really have an issue with any of them and they each provided an enjoyable vape.
They aren’t over-flavoured and the mixing balance is quite spot on with them. Particular highlights were the Cherry Cola, Blue Razz Lemonade and Strawberry Ice flavours and my wife quite enjoyed the Lemon and Lime one!
My only issue with these is that the pods are completely Black so there’s no way that you can see how much e-liquid is left inside them. My only warning that one was about to run out was the hints of a dry hit creeping in with each puff!
Pros
- G3 pods provide a great vape
- Excellent battery life
- Easy pick up and play option
- Competitively priced
- Compatible with refillable and pre-filled pods
- Mouth to lung and restricted direct lung hit options (dependent on pod)
Cons
- Identical packaging regardless of colour option selected
- Very limited airflow options
- Only one pod included in the kit
- No way of checking e-liquid levels in the pre-filled pods
Final Verdict
If you are in the market for a budget-friendly, easy to use pod system then you can’t really go wrong with the Uwell Caliburn G3 Lite!
This will be available in the UK at a sub £15 price point, which I think offers real value for money. You are getting a solidly designed device, with great battery life and excellent flavour from the G3 pods.
Plus, having the option to purchase pre-filled pods makes this a very good option as an alternative to single use disposable vapes. As you can just chuck one of the pre-filled pods in and vape away. Better for the environment, better for your wallet and you get a better vape than you would get from a disposable!
Battery life is a big plus with this device. The built in 1200mAh battery just seems to go on and on and it has definitely outperformed similar pod systems that I have used this year on that front.
It gets the thumbs up from me!
Many thanks go to Uwell for sending the Caliburn G3 Lite and G3 pre-filled pods in for review, this is available in the UK very soon!
