The Wotofo Manik pod mod review and for a manufacturer that’s been in the vaping industry since 2012 it seems hard to believe this is its first pod based system.
They’re certainly well established and well known for their range of RDA’s and RTA’s. The Wotofo Profile, Recurve Dual and Elder Dragon are a few drippers that spring to mind.
Then there’s the Wotofo Serpent Elevate, Cog and more recently nexMesh Pro sub ohm tank featuring a separate rebuildable section.
These have all helped to establish the company as favourites among RTA enthusiasts.
What Can We Expect From the Wotofo Manik Pod Mod?
The Wotofo Manik pod mod comes with the newly developed nexChip which allows the mod to fire in 0.001 seconds. (Just how can they be so precise? lol).
All the usual suspects are included when it comes to battery safety. These include low voltage, short circuit and low resistance protections.
The Wotofo Manik pod kit uses a single 18650 external battery to increase usage time and the coils are designed to bring out a wide variety of flavours.
All made possible by the use of four separate mesh coils. Not only that, they’re cross compatible with Vaporesso and Voopoo devices using GTX or PnP coils.
The best of three vaping worlds. Whatever Nex?
I’ve got to say that’s very pleasing news and bodes well for the future.
Nice one, Wotofo!
..and what a way of introducing yourself to the pod market by simultaneously releasing an RBA section!
Inside the Box
If there’s one thing I’d like to see Wotofo change it’s their outer packaging.
The plastic sleeve is incredibly hard to remove and the mod itself is difficult to budge from the one inch thick foam inlay.
Then again, patience has never been my strongest virtue! lol
- Manik Pod Mod including empty pod cartridge
- User manual
- Pod installation guide card
- Charging cable
- D14 A1 conical mesh coil
- D15 Clapton mesh coil (Pre installed)
Key features
The included pod is capable of holding 4.5ml (non TPD) of E liquid through the top mounted fill port, reducing the need for frequent top ups.
A total of four mesh coils are available for the pod (two included). Each provide a different but flavoursome vaping experience, ranging from rich and warm to delicate and sweet.
Apart from the 2ml pod capacity the TPD version is identical to the standard edition and the same mesh coils are included.
The Wotofo Manik pod kit has been designed with comfort in mind being slim, lightweight and easy to operate via the large colour TFT screen.
Pass through charging has been incorporated and the mod powers up to a maximum of 80W.
It comes in four colour schemes. Nano Black, Nano Chrome (under review), Prism Gunmetal and Nano Gunmetal.
Specifications
- Dimensions 126 x 33 x 27mm (with pod installed)
- Weight 115g
- Material Zinc Alloy
- Display 0.96in TFT colour screen
- Battery type single 18650 (not included)
- Output power 5-80W
- Output voltage 0.5-4.2V
- Charging Port Micro USB
- Charging current DC 5V/1.5A
Design and Build quality
Wotofo Manik Mod Section – Top
The mod section feels extremely lightweight without an 18650 battery.
The edges around the top where the pod slips in also feel a little sharp but the zinc alloy framework is very tough and doesn’t bend.
On either side there are two sizeable cycloptic airflow slots that coincide with the airflow entry at the base of the coils.
It looks suspiciously like I’ll be getting an airy or restrictive direct lung vape from the Wotofo Manik pod kit.
Mod Section – Bottom
Turning my attention to the rear of the mod, a hinged door mechanism has been used.
An arrow denotes which way to slide the door and it opens hassle free.
The door itself is quite thin so this makes opening and closing a walk in the park. There is a minor amount of side to side play but nothing to stress over.
Place the 18650 battery positive end up when installing. There’s a red and white cross inside the mod to remind scatter brains like myself!
When installed there’s no battery rattle and the mod assumes a reassuring amount of weight.
Mod Section – Side and Front
The chrome zinc alloy frame isn’t a finger print magnet on the Nano Chrome version but it is with other colour schemes – you’ve been warned lol.
The review version has a pleasing smooth finish that can be put down to Wotofo’s proprietary Nano coating.
Although not quite the flawless mirror finish it’s claimed to be, it is designed to protect against wear, tear and corrosion.
The premium stitched leather inlay sticker isn’t quite perfectly placed either and falls a little short on one side.
I think the textured finish is likely to attract grease and dirt over time but Wotofo assures us it is washable.
In all honesty it doesn’t quite live up to the high standards of other manufacturers using the same ergonomic ideas.
It doesn’t include any padding to aid with comfort when holding for extended periods of time, however it does assist with grip so still serves a purpose.
Bear in mind these are minor Negative Neil’s but it’s my job to inform. You wouldn’t be reading this otherwise lol!
The raised fire button is sensibly placed and there’s little chance of missing it with the thumb. Yet when compared with the two smaller menu buttons it sounds quite noisy.
Tactile, responsive but a bit noisy nonetheless.
Speaking of menu buttons, let’s take a look at the mod functions.
- To lock/unlock the mod press the fire button three times
- Clear the puff counter by pressing the fire button and – together
- To change the colour theme hold the fire and + together
- Hold the + and – together to lock/unlock wattage
The display is relatively bright but suffers in direct sunlight. The colour schemes also look a little washed out and the text could be sharper and clearer.
The battery strength is shown as an icon as well as a percentage which is good. The current wattage is displayed big and bold incorporating a lock/unlock icon.
Voltage readings are only available while vaping. The coil resistance is constantly visible and the puff counter shows how much chain vaping has been going on.
The bottom of the display shows vaping time in seconds. I think it takes up too much real estate that could’ve been used to improve the text quality.
Finally, underneath the menu select buttons there’s a micro USB charging port. That’s right. There’s no fast type C charging with the Wotofo Manik pod kit.
Then again, I’d only suggest using the USB port for firmware updates.
I don’t endorse the use of any type of USB port to charge an 18650 battery. Dedicated, external chargers are the best and only option but that’s just my opinion.
The Pod
The pod is made from a tough PCTG material and includes a non removable small bore mouth piece.
It’s been designed to slip into the mod at a slight angle with a fastening clip to snap it into place on the front.
This means there’s absolutely no movement or play when it’s attached. Personally, there’s some great design work involved.
Pod meets mod. Seamlessly!
To release the pod simply press the serrated button on the front then push up.
The viewing window is slightly tinted but it’s still easy to gauge remaining juice levels.
A silicone fill plug is top mounted on the pod and I had the usual frustrations when trying to open it. It doesn’t help matters when the mouth piece is in the way.
I had to resort to tweezers every time I needed a refill which was annoying. Of course, those with long enough nails won’t have this issue at all.
The fill port itself is large enough and I had no problems using any size bottle nozzles.
How To Fill the Wotofo Manik
The coils are plug and play with one already installed so there’s no need to remove pod from mod when using for the first time.
Lift the silicone plug from the pod, tilt and gently squeeze E liquid into the chamber. Avoid overfilling then replace the plug back into the pod.
Remember to leave the e-liquid to soak into the cotton for around five minutes before vaping.
How does the Wotofo Manik Pod Mod Perform?
The Wotofo Manik pod kit makes use of four proprietary coils.
There are a further two that don’t come bundled with the kit and these are:
- #D11 Net mesh coil rated 0.2ohm best between 45-55W for a denser flavour.
- #D13 A1 nexMesh coil rated 0.2ohm best between 37-43W for a finer flavour.
As a matter of interest, all four coils have the same resistance value of 0.2ohm.
#D15 Clapton mesh coil 0.2ohm (rated 45-55W)
I used Lil Lemon Felon by Riot Squad to test out the Clapton mesh coil. It’s a dessert based profile with a liquid ratio of 70VG/30PG.
It’s patently obvious from the first vape that what we have here is a marginally restrictive direct lung vape.
The intensely diffused vapour production gives that away from the get go.
I was pleasantly shocked by the cloud production if I’m honest and it produced quite a nice fullness at the back of the throat.
It’s not the quietest of vapes thanks to those large cyclops airflow ports but there’s no turbulence either.
I was happily vaping away with 5 – 6 second pulls with no problems and the wicking kept up with the extra demands of the juice.
As for flavour? Also extremely impressive.
The citrus notes were more prominent, sharp and zesty when vaping at higher wattage recommendations but there was always a warmth regardless of power.
The lemon blended well with the buttery tones and again any dairy content was enriched the higher up the wattage I went.
The D15 Clapton mesh coil does take around an hour to “bed in” so that’s something to keep in mind. After that it gives an extremely impressive and consistent performance.
#D14 A1 conical nexMesh coil 0.2ohm (rated 35-40W)
I opted for another 70VG/30PG blend with this conical mesh coil. It’s Fruity Festive Mince Pie by Juice Sauz and I was already very familiar with the taste having previously used an RDA.
The vapour production was once again very satisfying for the VG thickness.
Maybe a tad less than the Clapton mesh coil but for flavour there was little to separate the two.
The coil didn’t appear to need any break in time either.
All the subtle back notes were present and almost replicated the experience from my RDA!
The mulled orange stole the show as it should do and the pastry elements were buttery smooth.
It all came together on the exhale and nothing was lost or muted along the way. Another impressive coil to be honest.
As before, I didn’t notice any turbulence during inhale and the conical mesh coil was more than capable of handling extended draws without dry hitting.
Even during periods of extensive chain vaping the coil remained in its comfort zone.
I’d recommend juice ratios of between 70VG/30PG – 80VG/20PG when using either coil.
They’re not really designed for thinner liquid but then again, I never tested any…they might be OK.
Pros
- Superb flavour and cloud production from both coils
- Light, slim and highly ergonomic
- The NexM chip handles the external 18650 battery very efficiently
- Fast firing time
- Menu buttons are very responsive
Cons
- Both coils prone to leaking
- The silicone plug can be fiddly to open (subjective)
- The display is hard to read in direct sunlight
- May be too airy for some (no adjustable airflow option)
- It’s a bit of a juice guzzler! (subjective)
Wotofo Manik Pod Kit Final Review Verdict
As much as there’s more chance of winning the lottery than getting a MTL vape from the Wotofo Manik pod kit, I have to say a flawless balance has been struck between a semi restrictive direct lung vape versus flavour and cloud production.
I think the wattage parameters are also on par. Sensibly set against the capabilities of a single 18650 battery.
At higher power settings a warm vape can be achieved, ideal for more dessert type E liquid profiles.
Lower down, menthol, fruit and beverage categories get a chance to shine.
So despite a fixed airflow arrangement both coils still manage to perform to the best of their ability. Clever stuff, in my opinion.
Without sounding too Negative Neil (for once! lol) the draw is a tad airy for my liking but that’s because I prefer further restriction with a direct lung vape. As stated, I don’t think that’s at the sacrifice of flavour or vapour production.
The NexM chip also performs like a trooper in getting the very best out of the 18650 battery right up to the final pull. Why do I say this?
Because I didn’t notice much change in performance between a fully charged and almost spent battery. Flavour and vapour production remained consistently good at all stages of drain.
Furthermore, I was impressed to get around eight hours from the 18650 battery. The resistances and wattage restraints also contribute to extending the vaping period between charging.
Yup! I really do like this chipset a lot..
Who Would I recommend the Wotofo Manik Pod Kit To?
There’s no MTL option so I wouldn’t recommend the Wotofo Manik pod kit to a new vaper.
With it being a very airy draw I would suggest it to someone that’s already used to sub ohm vaping.
In fact the Wotofo Manik pod kit is a sub ohm pod kit.
A sub ohm pod kit that’s up there with any decent sub ohm tank if I’m honest. There’s much less of a difference here. Wotofo has really blurred the lines between two device categories.
So for those wishing to delve into pod vaping without sacrificing power, vapour or flavour quality usually confined to sub ohm tank set ups, they really need look no further than the Wotofo Manik pod kit.
Worth going Manik over? I would say so. Highly recommended.
Is this a pod kit you;re interested in buying or already have one?
Let me know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below…
