Today I’m taking a look at the brand new Uwell Crown M pod kit.
Technical exploration is the name of the game with Uwell, made possible with an insistence on honest end user feedback, innovation and experience.
That’s how this Shenzhen based manufacturer has been creating new and innovative ideas since 2015.
Take their 2015 release, the Uwell Crown sub ohm tank. It became a scorching hot best seller, with the Valyrian sub ohm tank following suit in 2017.
With the advent of pod kits and their immediate popularity, the Caliburn series rolled out from 2019 onwards. Again – a massive success falling into the hands of over 20,000 distributors across 65 countries.
So it’s good to know that Uwell hasn’t overlooked their primary reason for such global success.
Their latest pod kit offering is most certainly a nod to such heritage if only in name.
What Can We Expect From the Uwell Crown M Pod Kit?
I’ve already mentioned innovative ideas and the Uwell Crown M pod kit is no exception.
I’ve never come across a pod kit that’s able to change coil resistance at the turn of a wheel but that’s exactly what this one’s capable of.
The Uwell Crown M comes with replaceable, removable coils.
A standard 0.6ohm mesh coil designed for RDL (Restrictive Direct Lung vaping) is supplied alongside a dual purpose coil for both Mouth To Lung (MTL) and Direct To Lung (DTL) vaping. (We tell you what all these terms mean in our Guide To Vape Styles.)
Power is either directed to one part of the coil (0.8ohm) or both parts (0.4ohm). In turn, this affects maximum power output achievable.
.. If that’s not innovative I don’t know what is!
Adjustable airflow is built into the side of the battery section by way of a sliding dial.
So there’s no need to remove or spin the pod to make adjustments to airflow.
Filling is just as easy since you only need to remove the top cap to gain access to the fill port.
The device doesn’t rely on menu buttons for functionality, instead opting for a simple rotary, spinning wheel mechanic.
There’s no auto draw and the Uwell Crown M pod kit relies entirely on a side mounted fire button.
It’s powered by a 1000mAh integrated battery complete with fast type C USB for charging.
Uwell’s upgraded PRO FOCS tech is built into the pod designed to create a rich, full flavour while the self-cleaning system ensures no leakage by re-vaporising condensation.
Product transparency seems to be quite literally the order of the day with pod kits and the Uwell Crown M pod kit continues to reflect current trends.
There are four colours to pick from: Orange, Blue, Brown or Black.
I’m reviewing the 2ml TPD version but it’s also available for purchase with a 4ml pod for those outside the UK and EU.
Thank you to Vape Club for supplying this and my opinions are based on my own experience with the kit provided.
Inside the Box
- Crown M device
- Crown M cartridge/pod
- Meshed H 0.8ohm/0.4ohm Crown M twin coil (installed)
- Meshed H 0.6ohm Crown M coil
- Type C USB charging cable
- User manual
Specifications
- Material: PC, PCTG
- Output: 5-35W
- User modes: VW
- Dimensions: 82.3 x 52.6 x 26.8mm
- Net Weight: 73.6g
- Battery capacity: 1000mAh
- Charging: Type C USB – 2A fast charging
- Display: 0.42in OLED Monochrome
- Resistance range: 0.3 – 3.0ohm
- E-liquid capacity: 2ml (TPD) / 4ml (Standard)
- Filling: Top fill port
- Activation: Fire button
- Airflow: Adjustable
Design and Build Quality
Crown M Pod
The Crown M pod is made from the usual toughened PCTG plastic and clear enough to see a silicone bung, restricting pod capacity to 2ml.
Boooo!
The stem of the pod is lengthened to accommodate both coil and its “plug and play” housing.
The coils push into the pod one way and so does the pod when attaching to the battery section. The pod snaps into place and doesn’t rely on magnets.
It is a very solid and secure connection, refusing to separate despite multiple drop tests.
The top cap/mouthpiece is very easy to remove. Too easy, in fact. No threaded or bayonet connection this time. Simply pull it on or off.
How that’s going to fare in the presence of E-liquid only time can tell.
Battery Section
Other than the built in 1000mAh battery, everything is exposed! Circuit boards are clearly visible on both front and back of the battery.
It doesn’t feel the most comfortable of devices in the hand but the fire button is instantly accessible at least.
However the fire button rattles within its housing and feels quite loose fitting.
So that does cheapen the device to an extent.
The adjustable airflow slider has a silky smooth tolerance which makes fine tuning a doddle but as is the case with many of this design – there’s not a lot to play around with.
Situated opposite the pod is the mode select wheel. It couldn’t be any easier to operate.
Spin the wheel left to enter ‘A coil’ mode or right for ‘Dual coils’ mode. This option is only available when using the twin coil.
A heavily recessed Type C USB charging port is built into one side of the battery section and its placement means the device should stand freely under the weight of the cable.
Finally, Uwell have supplied battery venting on the underside of the Crown M. We don’t always see this crucial safety measure so full kudos given.
Quick Start Guide
How To Fill the Pod
The pod comes with the twin mesh coil already installed. Remember to remove the protective sticker on the base of the coil prior to using.
With the pod attached to the battery section:
- Lift the top cap/mouthpiece out of the pod
- Lift the silicone fill tab at the end with the arrow marking
- With the fill opening exposed, gently squeeze E-liquid into the fill chamber
Push the silicone stopper back into place ensuring a firm seal- Push the top cap/mouthpiece back onto the pod
Push the silicone stopper back into place ensuring a firm sealAllow E-liquid to soak into the cotton ports for around five minutes before vaping.
NB: Remember to refill the pod when E-liquid falls below the minimum fill level.
How To Operate the Uwell Crown M Pod Kit
- Press the fire button rapidly five times to turn the device on or off
- Push the adjustable wheel to the left to enter ‘A coil’ mode. The coil has a resistance of 0.8ohm (only applies while using the twin mesh coil)
- Push the adjustable wheel to the right to enter ‘Dual coils’ mode. The coil has a resistance of 0.4ohm (only applies while using the twin mesh coil)
- Press the fire button three times to adjust the current power setting.
- Push the adjustable wheel to the left to decrease wattage and push right to increase wattage
- Wait a few seconds or press the fire button to set appropriate wattage
The screen will power down after eight seconds of inactivity to preserve battery life.
Press the fire button or turn the adjustable wheel to re activate.
The Uwell Crown M pod kit has various safety settings built in. One of these is designed to prevent the coils from being vaped above their intended limits.
Others include:
- “No atomizer” – No pod installed
- “Atomizer short” – Indicates a low pod resistance
- “Low battery” – The device needs recharging
- “Over 10s!” – When vaping exceeds ten seconds the device stops functioning
- “Locked +/-” – Only applies when using the 0.6ohm Crown M coil
How To Charge the Uwell Crown M Pod Kit
Always charge with a certified high quality adaptor from a reputable company. Use the supplied type C cable or any suitable with a charging current of 5V/2A.
Plug the Type A USB end of the cable into a suitable wall adaptor and the Type C USB into the side of the device.
The device will automatically enter charging mode. The battery icon bars gradually fill up over the course of time until complete. The process takes around an hour.
Once charged the device will power down to prevent over charging.
Don’t worry if you grow impatient for a toot. It’s still possible to vape while charging.
How Does the Uwell Crown M Pod Kit Perform?
Crown M Twin Coil (Rated 15 – 35W)
I began by testing the installed Crown M twin coil with IVG Vanilla Biscuit. It’s a 50VG/50PG blend with 3mg freebase nicotine included.
Running in ‘A coil’ mode (0.8ohm) at 17W and with the airflow slider wide open I got surprisingly good flavour replication. All the dairy notes of the E-liquid were intact and the Vanilla was a consistent presence throughout exhale.
The inhale was smooth and turbulence free, if a little on the noisy side but the airflow restriction was spot on in terms of a semi restrictive lung vape.
Just how I like it.
Ok, this level of power was never going to produce a warm vape but it was still flavoursome, nonetheless.
When switching to ‘Dual coils’ mode (0.4ohm) things took a dramatic turn. A warmth was introduced to the vape and it definitely felt like the coil was amplifying those flavour properties.
Long inhales were still possible and vapour production produced a pleasant ‘throat thump’ prior to exhale. Yet it didn’t take long to evaporate so don’t expect to turn your living space into a sauna.
MTL Vaping
So the Crown M twin coil is also described as being suitable for a MTL (Mouth To Lung) vape. How does it fare for the newbie?
The best setting for a MTL vape is ‘A coil’ mode with the airflow slider practically closed off. However, even then it’s far from the classic restriction I was hoping for.
That’s because it’s still too loose to replicate the experience of inhaling a cigarette so for me, doesn’t quite cut the mustard.
Despite those concerns the flavour quality remained extremely impressive. Highly concentrated and delivering consistently throughout use.
I would suggest 50VG/50PG E-liquid ratios and salt nicotine while using ‘A coil’ mode. 70VG/30PG ratios will be more suited to ‘Dual coils’ mode.
0.6ohm Crown M Coil (Rated 20 – 23W)
I used Pacha Mama Blueberry Crumble to sample the 0.6ohm mesh coil. It’s a 70VG/30PG ratio with 3mg freebase nicotine included.
The chip sets the coil to 20W by default but I ramped up to the maximum to test this dessert flavour.
With the airflow slider wide open there’s definitely restriction. Enough to suggest a RDL vape. The inhale remains silky smooth and slightly less noisy than the twin coil.
Again, there’s nothing in the way of turbulence and the flavour is bloody amazing!
The pastry notes display all their crusty, baked like qualities and the Blueberry is almost as sumptuous as vaping from a half decent sub ohm tank.
Highly impressive from a coil generating so little warmth.
Vapour production is more than satisfactory although again, does evaporate quite rapidly.
You should be able to use 50VG/50PG up to 70VG/30PG ratios while using this coil.
Battery Performance
This will be dependent on the power settings you use.
I used the twin coil in ‘dual coils’ mode most of the time. As a result I got around 5 hours from a single charge. Chances are, you can add at least another hour if constantly using ‘A coil’ mode.
I got 8 hours with the 0.6ohm mesh coil, vaping continuously at 23W. Factor in a few chain vaping sessions and that’s not too shabby.
I did notice slight flavour degradation as the battery dropped to one bar but that’s really nothing unusual for a standard pod kit.
Both coils perform remarkably well. To the point of guzzling up that E-liquid. I was topping the 2ml pod up every hour or so.
Pros
- Fantastic flavour from either coil
- Decent semi restrictive / restrictive direct lung vape
- Display is visible in direct sunlight
- Battery venting
Cons
- 0.8ohm / 0.4ohm twin mesh coil prone to leaking
- No threading on the top cap
- Pod overhangs battery section (subjective)
- Unable to lock the device
- Ineffective as a MTL vape
- No puff counter (subjective)
Final Review Verdict
I’ve found over the years that pod kits claiming to offer both MTL and DTL vaping rarely deliver the goods. They’re either good for one or the other – not both. The Uwell Crown M pod kit does little to alter my opinion.
I wouldn’t class the Crown M twin coil as being particularly suitable for a direct lung vape. There’s too much restriction for that, even with the airflow slider fully open. It feels much better suited to a semi restrictive lung hit.
Neither is it ideally suited to a MTL vape. It just feels too loose to be classed as such regardless of the airflow setting. The whole experience just feels artificial in comparison to dedicated MTL products.
The 0.6ohm mesh coil works perfectly as a RDL vape with the airflow slider wide open.
The twin coil tech does work.
It offers a more convenient method of changing power settings than having to deal with convoluted menu screens.
Fruits, drinks and menthol based flavours will benefit from the lower power demands of ‘A coil’ mode while desserts and bakery profiles seem to favour ‘Dual coils’ mode.
The Uwell Crown M pod kit does have some design and aesthetical issues and may come across to some as a bit gimmicky but rest assured – the flavour quality more than makes up for any of the shortcomings.
Uwell are indeed transforming power and ruling flavour with this one.
