VooPoo Argus Air Review – Choice Of Pods and Plenty Of Coils

I have been super lucky enough to receive the VooPoo Argus Air pod kit and I’m so happy, I mean, like really excited.

VooPoo is a US vape company have been around since 2010 but they didn’t really enter the vaping industry until 2016 when they acquired Woody Vapes (A US e-cigarette brand).

Manufactured in China, VooPoo boast its products are sold in over 200 countries and regions across the world.

It’s had a huge success in the industry, thanks to their partnership with Gene Co, the DRAG mods are pretty iconic.

Truth be told I thought they were / are a bit over rated, but that’s because VooPoo has a great brand loyalty.

For me, it’s this year (2020) that VooPoo have just blown ‘it’ out of the water.

I was lucky enough to be the first people to get my hands on the DRAG X and the DRAG S pod mods and boy was I impressed. From the way they look and feel to the vapour and flavour production, pure excellence.

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After that, I had the Argus GT and that was just simply amazing.

What makes VooPoo so great? If you ask 10 people, you would probably get 10 answers. Personally, I believe the biggest pro about the recent devices are the PnP Coils.

If you haven’t guessed, I’m a huge fan of VooPoos latest products, and with that in mind, I’m going to be as brutal as I possibly can.

Lets see what the Voopoo Argus Air can do!

What To Expect From The VooPoo Argus Air

In regards to power the VooPoo Argus Air has a 900mAh battery, now that’s not a huge battery for a pod system, but with the system having variable wattage from 5w to 25w, we’re going to have to see what it can do, because 900mAh isn’t necessarily small.

It has dual airflow system. What that means is, it has 2 airflow options; like the Vinci pod mods, but better.

It has both button activation and ‘pneumatic’ activation, that’s just a fancy way of saying draw activation.

I’m super happy to say that the kit uses PnP Coils, however VooPoo has gone a step further.

With the Argus Air you can choose the pod that takes the PnP coils or the pod that has an internal coil. It’s OK if you’re not sure which pod you want because VooPoo has very kindly added both.

Thanks to the Gene.AI chip, the VooPoo Air has the iconic power suggestion feature and it goes a bit further than that.

Inside The Box

• 1 x Argus Air Device
• 1 x Pod With PnP Coil
• 1 x Pod
• 1 x PnP- TM1 0.6 ohm coil
• 1 x USB-C Cable
• 1 x User Manual

There are 3 different types of box contents: TPD, US and Standard.

I have the standard version. As far as I can tell the US boxing and Standard boxing are the same.

The TPD is the same with the exception of the pod capacity (2ml).

Argus Air Specs

• Size: 95.3 x 31.4 x 19.3 mm
• Battery Capacity: 900mAh (Built In)
• Resistance Range: 0.6-3ohms
• Power Output: 5-25W
• Voltage Output: 3.2-4.2V
• Charging: USB-C 5V/1A
• Material: Zinc Alloy + PCTG
• Pod Capacity: 3.8ml (2ml -TPD)
• Chip: Gene.AI

Argus Air Features

• Button and Draw Activation
• Variable Wattage
• 2 Option Airflow
• Short-Circuit Protection
• Overtime Protection(10s)
• Overcharge Protection
• Max Power Protection
• Output Over Current Protection
• Over Discharge Protection
• Over Temperature Protection
• Built In Or Interchange (PnP) Coils

Design And Build Quality

I really like the VooPoo Argus Air, it looks smart, elegant and durable.

The Zinc is always the same colour but the leather comes in 7 different styles.

Argus Air Battery / Body

The shape of the device is very reminiscent of a pebble.

The leather has a nice grippy feeling to it, while the zinc has a satin line smooth finish.

The branding has been kept to a minimum. VooPoo is stamped into one side of the leather and Argus on the other side.

I don’t think that will be an issue for anybody because it doesn’t stand out and it adds to the grip. The only branding that is easy to see is the Gene logo on the front of the device just above the button and even that is fairly small.

Thanks to the pebble shape, with a little help from the leather it feels pretty good in hand.

On the ‘bottom’ the USB-C port is perfectly centered. The entire system feels pretty study and durable. It’s held together by 6 Screws. There are 2 Philips screws inside the connection port then there are 2 Tri-Wing screws on the back and another 2 on the bottom – I think it’s very strange that VooPoo have decided to use Tri-Wing screws rather than the usual Torx Screws.

VooPoo Argus Air Pods

The pods are, what I class as, traditional proper pods.

It fits into the connection pod and it forms up into a mouth piece. I know that people will have a different idea of what a ‘traditional proper pod’ is but for me, this is as proper as it gets for an interchangeable, refillable pod.

The mouth piece fits the mouth quite nicely, at it’s thinnest point the mouth piece is 7mm thick and about 20mm wide.

The pod with interchangeable coils and the interchangeable pod, are both exactly the same, on the outside, with the exception of the fill hole plug colour, The PnP pod has a black plug and the interchangeable pod has a blue plug.

I think it’s a great idea to give people the option between built in and interchangeable coil, that being said I personally think VooPoo could have and should have gone a bit further to make the 2 more noticeable.

Okay, there’s a different colour fill hole plug, but during the 2 weeks that I’ve been using the system, I kept forgetting which colour was which. And to the untrained eye there’s no other way of knowing because the built in coils can also pull out (they’re a different shape inside).

Maybe a different shape or even just making the lip thicker, so it is harder to get out, even a symbol on the bottom of the coil would have helped.

Argus Air Pod Connection

The Pod Connects by 4 small round magnets.

It holds in pretty strong but it’s not super strong, unlike the Pods that come with the Argus GT, DRAG X and DRAG S.

However that strength isn’t necessarily needed because of the shape and depth, the pod can’t be knocked off from the mod- it is very sufficient at holding the pod in place.

Inside the port is the 2 spring loaded connection pins, which are obviously off center (as the coil is in the center), 2 small Philips screws and a raised hole, which is there for the draw activation sensor.

The Button and Screen

The Argus Air only has 1 multifunctional button which is just above the 7” x 11” OLED Screen.

The button is square with a silver chamfered edge and a circular indent in the middle.

Although those little details seem to be little irrelevant details, it’s more often than not, that the little details combine to make a big difference.

The screen is as simple as it needs to be. The battery level indicator is at the top spanning the full width of the screen making it nice and easy to see.

Below that is the Variable Wattage setting which is also relatively big and easy.

Slightly below is the ‘W’ for the watts and just to the left of that is the current setting A (auto) or a padlock to signify the device is locked.

A horizontal line then separates the resistance and puff count/ puff timer.

Argus Air Airflow

On the front of the device there are 3 slots, all of which are filled in apart from a small hole.

On the back is another 3 slots, again the middle slot is filled except from a small hole but the slot at either side is hollow.

It’s this that is the “dual airflow” options or adjustable airflow. The pod only lets airflow down one side, so which ever way you place the pod into the port determines on which airflow you are using.

The coils also have different size airflow holes.

Voopoo Argus Air Quick Start Guide

Filling The Argus Air Pod

Both pods fill in the same way in the same place.

• Remove the pod from the system
• Locate the silicone plug – either black or blue on the side of the pod on the bottom
• Pour e-liquid into the hole
• Reinsert plug

After filling a pod for the first time (or after changing a coil) Leave the pod upright for 4-5 minutes to allow the liquid to soak into the coil.

VooPoo Argus Air Change The PnP Coils

There are 2 types of pods that come with the system, only one has interchangeable coils; the one with the black fill hole plug.

• Remove (or get) the Correct pod – the one with the black fill hole plug
• Holding the pod upside down, pull and remove the coil from the center
• Insert a new coil into the pod, pressing firmly to ensure it is in correctly.
• Fill with E-liquid and leak to soak for 4-5 minutes

There is a very small juice reservoir when the oil is removed, so to minimize leaking and liquid waste, try to change the coil when the pod is empty.

VooPoo Argus Air Button Operations

Please note: To lock or turn off the device is only an option in the menu, see below for more information.

• Turn On = Press fire button 5 times quickly
• Enter Menu= While on, press fire button 5 times quickly
• Navigate the menu = Press the fire button to move down the menu
• Select Menu Item = Navigate to item then press and hold the fire button for 2 seconds
• Change Power Settings = Press fire button 3 times quickly (The ‘w’ should now flash), press the fire button to go up in power and loop back down to 5w. Press and hold for 2 seconds to save setting

How Does The VooPoo Argus Air Perform?

VooPoo Argus Air Pod Cartridge – Built In 1.2ohm Coil

I’m not sure what wattage this coil is recommended to be used at but the system will only let you go up to 18w.

I’m using it with the Got Salts Peachy Promise at 50VG-50PG.

Way down low, at the lowest possible setting (5w) the flavour production is quite low, but you can still taste the peach and the vapour production is small but present, a 2.5 second puff provides a little less vapour than the smoke from a cigarette.

At 12w greatness starts to come, the flavour is prominent although it doesn’t really flood the mouth and the vapour production is decent but still a little bit less than the smoke from a cigarette.

18W is full power for this pod/coil. It’s here where you get everything you desire, the vapour is smooth and about the same amount as you would get from a cigarette, if not a little bit more.

The flavour at 18w is great at Mouth To Lung, a really prominent whole mouth flavour.

I also used this coil with high VG (70/30, Strawberry Mango Crush, 0mg) and the coil handled it without an issue, providing a nice small cloud and great flavour, between 14-18w.

The airflow built into the coils (including this pod) is different sizes. Direct To Lung vaping can be achieved with this coil but it is super restrictive.

The above achieve a similar result irregardless of airflow setting.

VooPoo PnP TM1 0.6ohm Coil

I expected this coil to be better… but maybe not…

This coil is recommended to be used at 20-25w and the system recommends 22w. Again I’m using it with the Got Salts Peachy Promise at 50VG-50PG.

Lets start down low at 18W. With the airflow set to small (MTL) you get a hint of flavour at the back of the mouth and a very small vapour production. However with the airflow set to big you get a faint but pleasant peach taste than spans across the back of the mouth

There isn’t a great deal of difference at 20w.

At 25w there still isn’t a great deal of improvement, the taste is upped a little bit but it’s still not prominent and the flavour production still isn’t up to much either.

With DTL you get a nice small cloud but there still isn’t a great deal of flavour.

The flavour isn’t terrible, it’s just prominent as I expected it to be at such high power.

This coil is certainly better for Direct To Lung than it is Mouth To Lung, but I’m not impressed either way.

VooPoo PnP VM4 0.6ohm Coil

This coil doesn’t come with the kit, but VooPoo sent me some, so lets take a look.

It’s recommended to be used at 20-28w. Again I’m using it with the Got Salts Peachy Promise at 50VG-50PG.

20w puts us off at a good start, the flavour isn’t huge but it is certainly prominent for both Mouth To Lung and Direct To Lung. Using the system mouth to lung provides provides a little bit less vapour than smoke from a cigarette, while Direct To Lung provides a small thin cloud.

Mid way at 25w, the flavour is upped, providing a nice MTL flavour at the back of the mouth, it is satisfactorily prominent and almost full mouth. It is good although it is using 7w more power than the first pod we tried and I still think that had a slightly better flavour production.

Direct to lung with the higher airflow option allows a good Direct To Lung, providing a small cloud with a flavour production that is ample for 25w vaping, the flavour isn’t huge but it is prominent.

VooPoo Argus Air Coil Summary

Despite my expectations I prefer the pod with the built in coil. At 15w you get a brilliant flavour production and you’re only using 15w, rather than the 20w that the other 2 coils require.

The VM4 coil provides a decent MTL vapour, and an okay DTL flavour, but truth be told I don’t think it is all that good for DTL vaping, It’s primarily a MTL Device, in my opinion.

VooPoo Argus Air Battery

The Argus Air is carrying a 900mAh battery, which isn’t huge.

If we look at other popular pod systems, like the Smok Nord for example, that uses a 1100mAh battery, have no screen and uses 10-15.

That being said there are smaller pod batteries out there, so the question is, is it big enough?

If you prefer the PnP coils, you’re probably going to be using the system at 25w. The battery can handle 25w for 8 minutes, although that doesn’t sound like a lot, that will provide you a 2 second long puff every other minute for 7-8 hours.

That’s a fair battery life, I mostly used the system at 15w with the integrated coil/pod. At 15w you’re going to get a 2 second puff every other minute for about 13 hours.

I personally usually got a day to a day and a half out of the battery, when using the system at 15w.

So, is it big enough? I suppose it goes to personal opinion, but I’d expect it’s plenty of battery for the majority of people.

Charging the VooPoo Argus Air

If the battery size isn’t big enough, the charging is quite important.

Although the Argus Air only take a 1A charge, the system will still be fully charged within 1 hour, again it isn’t huge but it’s big enough.

Not much changes while charging the device other than the battery status bar ‘loads’ to indicate the system is charging.

The Voopoo Argus Air does not support pass through, meaning you can’t use it while it charges. I have mixed feeling about that, like I said it only takes one hour to fully charge, but for someone just starting out and trying to get off the cigarettes 1 hour can be a long time to go without. Although with the battery life, it might not be such a problem.

VooPoo Argus Air Airflow

I think the airflow is decent. It is capable of providing a fairly restrictive Mouth To Lung draw, a fairly loose Direct To Lung Draw (for a 25w kit) and everything in between.

The System and Operation

It is a very basic system that is easy to use, though having said that, I do like being able to quick and easily turn a system off (usually by 5 clicks of the fire button).

With the Argus Air it isn’t that quick and simple, okay it’s not particularly hard but it’s certainly not as quick as 5 fast presses.

The same applies to locking the system.

Firing the VooPoo Argus Air

First of all, I’d like to point out that the button fire is rapid in responding.

Following on from that if you prefer to use draw activation, you’re not as lucky. I’ve found the draw activation isn’t as sensitive as I’d like.

This comes down to what airflow you’re using (coil/pod and airflow setting). The lower the airflow is, the softer you have to suck but even with the airflow right down I still don’t think it’s sensitive enough.

Does the VooPoo Argus Air Leak?

Pods, Pods, Pods…

In my experience very few pods are leak proof, even the ones that say they are.

However more often than not, leaking from pod systems is usually a build up of condensation.

There has been liquid in the connection port after about a week of using, but not a lot, so I wouldn’t say it has a ‘leaking issue’.

Pros

• Capable of great flavour
• Good MTL Flavour and vapour
• Good battery
• 1 hour charging
• Looks good
• Durable
• Feels good in hand
• Popular PnP coils

Cons

• No so good for DTL
• No pass through charging
• No Turn off shortcut (5 press)

Final Review Verdict

It was a great idea for VooPoo to bring out 2 different pods for this kit, vaping is a personal thing and therefore everyone has a different opinion.

It’s my opinion that the ‘built in’ coil or the ‘pod cartridge’ as VooPoo call it, is superior for the Argus Air. There is a completely different experience between that pod and the PnP pod.

It’s a simple device that misses simple and common shortcuts like power off, but it is still easy to use and operate.

It’s not perfect but it’s still a good pod system for anyone looking for a smart, nice to hold MTL Vape with a battery that can with stand a days usage.

Is this a pod kit your’e using?

Are you planning to buy one?

Any questions at all let me know in the comments below.

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