Voopoo Alpha One Mod Reviewed: Voopoo, I LOVE You! + Video Review

Voopootech purchased the Chinese branch of vape brand, WoodyVapes in 2017, keen to get into the vaping market… and with the help of their exclusive technology, in the form of the GENE chip, they’ve made serious waves.

I think it’s safe to say that if the superficial designs of their high wattage mod releases this year, namely the Voopoo Drag and the Voopoo Alpha One, weren’t quite so polarizing, they may well have taken over the show completely!

By ‘polarizing’ I mean: the aesthetics of their debut high wattage mod , the Drag 157W box mod, simply aren’t everybody’s cup of tea.

Very sharp edged, very rectangular, very minimalist, not necessarily what the younger vaping generation is looking for.

Introduction – The Voopoo Alpha One

The Voopoo Alpha One 222W box mod is even more so, it has the sharpest edges I’ve ever seen on a vape mod but at the same time, it’s unique and beautiful.

Beyond that, the advanced performance of the GENE chip, which is a feature of both mods (also a feature of their debut kit, the 80W Newbie), simply cannot be denied, particularly when it comes to ramp time.

I’ve got a good number of mods on my shelf but still, that 0.025 second RAMP time truly is something to write home about and combined with solid construction and user friendliness, the brand’s second offering is a SUREFIRE winner!

What’s In The Box

• 1 X Alpha 1 222W TC Mod
• 1 X USB Cable
• 1 X Warrantee Card
• 1 X User Manual

Features

• 5-222W power output
• Runs on 2 X 18650 batteries with balanced charge
• Dimensions: 89.5 X 54 X 25 mm
• Output Voltage 0-7.5 V
• Min. resistance in PM 0.05Ohm
• Min. resistance in TCM 0.05Ohm
• Love Mode (High wattage heat pulses)
• TC for SS, NI, TI and NC
• Mechanical Mode with Voltage adjust
• Battery reverse, timeout, temp, current, charge, discharge, short protections

See The Voopoo Alpha One In Action With My Video Review

Build Quality & Design

On opening the beautiful and stylish, red and black slide box packaging, I was blown away. Product photos of the Alpha One mod do it no justice.

I received the all black version (there’s also a silver and a silver and brown) and I’m glad I did!

Now, those of us who remember the 80’s, mostly remember it with special affection. I’ve read a few comments about this looking like an 80’s Sony Walkman and those comments are not unfounded. I dare say that everything down to the big, rectangular, plate style buttons seem to have been deliberately fashioned off an old cassette walkman, though even more minimalist!

I lifted this solid, completely sharp edged rectangular, black block out of the box…think Space Odyssey Monolith and you’ll get the point.

All Zinc Alloy, except for the Aluminum Alloy battery cover, its a rectangle festival and somehow, somehow that’s a good thing.

I’m not going to say that there’s really anything ergonomic about this hard edged design but it is uniquely beautiful and just fills my heart with that 80’s joy, I can hear the Depeche Mode playing in my mind.

The deep, solid and very well machined, spring loaded 510 connection sits on an upraised square atop the device…the only square shape on the device, incidentally.

The magnetic, Aluminum Alloy battery cover takes up 3 quarters of one side and just over a half of the other and the fine washboard textured, sand blasted outer surface of the battery cover is a machining miracle. It’s this detail that adds strength to the door, allowing for an extremely thin cut and light weight, still with superior durability.

The larger side of the battery cover has ‘VAPE IT YOUR WAY’ in tiny white letters along the upper right hand edge and the other side of the cover has a beautiful sandblast style 2 cm long silver inlay with Alpha One in upraised Greek script, close inspection reveals a mirroring of that washboard detail on the upraised letters, only even finer.

The attention to detail is magnificent and very, very sexy. I am in love.

The side of the mod running down from the 510 connection has a sunken recess, rectangular of course, in the bottom left in which the USB port, down and up adjustment buttons, narrow rectangular display and fire button are played out in that order from the bottom up.

The adjustment buttons have little red dots sunk onto their middles and the fire button, a red line. The red finishes the aesthetic off like a million bucks.

The buttons are particularly clicky because they have an extended plate surface, meaning I can stick a piece of paper under the edge of any plate and push it in a good 2 mm, this might make cleaning a little difficult in future but for now, I like it!

The OLED screen is just big enough to fit all your info, wattage, voltage, resistance and battery levels in. Interestingly it has a matt finish which seems resistance to finger prints, so you can always see it, serious attention to detail.

There’s a cross shaped ventilation cut out directly beneath the USB port on the base of the mod.

The battery cover is insulated on the inside and pulling it off reveals one of the snuggest and safest looking battery chambers I’ve seen, finished in high quality grey plastic with nice, big, gold plated connects. 2 x 18650s sit snug as bugs inside and wham…time to fire this baby up.

Any tank up to 25mm will sit flush atop the device with no overhang. I loved the look with the iJoy Combo 2, the AtomVapes Apocalypse and Adrian Lo Dejavu’s DJV, all RDTA’s but I had to do some low, low builds so that I could get the most out of the soon to be infamous LOVE MODE…hehe.

How Does The Voodoo Alpha One Perform?

Okay, this device can do everything, from per second curve functions in both TCM and PM to Voltage adjustment in mechanical mode.

The full scope of TCM and PM functions available on this device kinda makes me wish I had a freakin touch screen to play on but alas, that would not be in keeping with this mod’s minimalist design.

The first thing I have to say is that the GENE chip doesn’t disappoint, the RAMP time is unbeatable and the power I feel I’m getting is true and impressive.

The addition of LOVE mode, which can be toggled on or off through the function menu and which automatically kicks in at 160W, is a stroke of genus.

It pulses the power in higher wattages, maximizing flavor and cloud with no nasty burning of your vape juice and a gentleness I think any coil build will truly appreciate. This is of course for those of us who’re too lazy or technically challenged to set power curves ourselves, which, with the help of the devices custom mode settings, are relatively easy to do.

The device boasts absolute accuracy and lightning speed response when it comes to detecting new atomizers.

Once you press Y for new coil, the device will set to a recommended wattage well below the atomizers preferred range, this is just one of a thorough and much appreciated host of safety features which are sadly lacking on many popular devices, hopefully that will change.

I tested TC modes for SS and Ni and found complete accuracy, impressive responsiveness and just a level of performance that you really can’t help but be impressed by.

I experienced no excessive heating when vaping for extended periods at above 160W levels, thanks to LOVE mode no doubt, which I feel no need to toggle off.

I think the LOVE mode name has something to do with the pulsing factor, just saying, naughty…naughty Voopoo.

To be honest with you, the gene chip provides such a killer vape quality, you probably won’t need to venture into those higher wattages, 80W here is like 100W on most devices, without the overheating, without the battery drainage. I love this chip and I love the Voopoo Alpha One, all day!

How To Operate the Menu System

• 5 clicks on fire-on or off
• 3 clicks on fire to swap modes
• Hold down + and – to enter the Function menu
• When in TC Celsius Mode will roll over into Fahrenheit
• When scrolling through temps, press and hold will engage autoscroll
• From TC, press fire 4 X to enter wattage control
• Toggle Love mode from the Function Menu
• Switch to Voltage/Mechanical mode from the Function Menu
• Long press fire and down for PM to flip the screen
• Long press fire and plus to lock screen
• Enter custom mode from Function menu, then you can set curves in PM or TCM over each second of draw, there are 5 memory settings

How To Replace The batteries

• Simply pull of the magnetic battery cover and snap in your batteries according to the terminal markers

Battery Life

The super bright screen dims to a very pleasant turquoise blue when you stop firing and shortly after that, 30 seconds after firing, the screen sleeps…3 minutes later the device enters sleep mode.

This means that the already very power efficient Alpha One needn’t even be switched off to keep a charge all day and beyond. I find myself charging it at the end of every second day, with a pair of Samsung 25s and I’m not even sure how that’s possible but it happens, super long battery life!

What I Liked

I like everything about this device, from the GENE chip’s phenomenal RAMP time and performance to the eccentric, minimalist looks and sharp edges of the device. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing not to like.

What I Dislike

Some may favor a more rounded, ergonomic aesthetic and hand feel but one thing I know is that even if you dislike the looks (which I don’t) you will not be disappointed by the performance of this device.

Final Review Verdict

Now, extended and happy use of Voopoo’s Drag has proved to me the reliability of their incredible GENE chip.

I’m so pleased to see that the GENE chip is a feature of the Alpha One mod and even more pleased that I now get to really make the most of it with power curves, mechanical mode and advanced TC.

This is an outstanding device, performance wise…whether or not you choose it for yourself depends on what you think of its eccentric, sharp edges and complete neglect of smooth, round edged ergonomics.

Very polarizing surface features, once again, from Voopoo but I have to say, performance bar none…at a very good price, as is custom from the brand, it seems. To top it off, whether you like the looks or not, every element of this mod is very, very well made and it’s not often that I see this type of attention to detail on a mod.

I’m Impressed, what more can I say?

And..

Would I buy the Voopoo Alpha One if I lost/broke the device? Absolutely.

Pros

• Advanced TC and customization functions
• Incredible responsiveness and outstanding performance from the GENE chip
• Brilliant battery life
• Seriously enjoy the LOVE mode
• Quality construction and superior machining with remarkable attention to detail

Cons

• Polarizing, sharp edged aesthetic that’s not comfortable in the hand