Gen 200 Kit by Vaporesso
Review by Jen_Turista
Vaporesso Gen 200 Kit – Is This New Gen Worth It?
Greetings, vapefam! 2022 is almost halfway over and we’ve seen several new releases over the past few weeks. Amongst these is the latest and greatest from Vaporesso, the Gen 200 Kit!
This kit was kindly provided by Vaporesso (thanks, Milo!) for the purposes of a review.
Vaporesso has been knocking it out of the park lately with their recent kits. The Target 200 is a good example of this, which I also reviewed in the blog with a Yay! stamp of approval.
Today, we shall be looking at one of two new box mod releases from Vaporesso: The Gen 200 Kit. The Gen itself is not a new line from Vaporesso. In fact, they have released a few iterations of the very successful Gen including the Gen S and Gen X, in the last couple of years which were received very well in the vaping community. With the Gen 200, the Gen line gets another variation that has marked changes from the previous versions, the most significant of which in my eyes has got to be the chipset – and more on this in the course of this review!
As always, I will be sharing my experience with you all like an average vaper, as most of us in the community are.
Packaging and Contents
I was sent the Sunset Glow design of the Vaporesso Gen 200 Kit in retail packaging, which contained:
- Gen 200 mod, that uses 2 x 18650 batteries that are not included in the kit.
- iTank, has an 8mL capacity with the bubble glass.
- GTi mesh coils which we’ve seen before as released with the Target 200 Kit: 1 x 0.2 ohms and 1 x 0.4 ohms.
- Spare 5mL glass.
- Spare o-rings.
- A USB-C charging cable.
- Paperwork including warranty card, user manual.
Salient Features:
- Despite the name, the mod can actually go from 5 to 220W in power. I suppose Gen “200” rolls off the tongue a little better than Gen “220”? Hmm, not quite sure…
- Dimensions at 138.5 x 44 x 29 mm, that is from top of the drip tip and all the way to the mod base. Your 28mm atomisers or less will sit very comfortably on the mod.
- The mod is significantly smaller than previous Gen mods, and indeed, most dual 18650 mods in the market! It’s only around 85mm tall, which is tiny considering it houses 2 x 18650 cells.
- Aside from being small, the mod is also crazy lightweight at 76g!
- Mod modes via its Axon chip include pulse, Ft, variable wattage, and DIY in variable wattage, variable voltage, and bypass. It is basically the same chipset used in the Target 200 I reviewed a few months ago.
- 0.96 TFT Screen on the mod with adjustment and mode buttons.
- Capable of 2A fast charging via its USB-C port.
- Leakproof and easy to use tank, and I can say this about the tank ever since my Target 200 review which has gotten fairly regular use.
Impressions and Experience
Vaporesso is changing it up with a new style of kit packaging, and indeed a new logo! The Gen 200 kit came in a white cardboard box that has a coloured photo of the device in front as well as its key features displayed. Manufacturer information, kit contents, and kit specifications are printed around the outer sleeve. The mod, tank, and all kit accessories sit neatly in a compartmentalised plastic tray with minimal wasted space. I really like this layout as it’s not over-padded: the packaging used is exactly what was needed.
It seems like the days of black boxes and sleeves are gone for Vaporesso, as this new style of packaging is brighter and I suppose more in line with modernisation as their logo tries to imply. Does anyone else think “Avengers” when they first saw the new logo? Hmmm…
A. iTank and GTi Coils
I had reviewed the iTank and its stock coils in detail in my Vaporesso Target 200 Kit Review, so please do refer to that review for further information on the iTank and GTi coils including flavour ratings. But if you’re after some bottom-line information:
- The iTank still looks sleek and gorgeous. There are no changes to the design, looks, or materials used.
- The finish is exquisite, especially in the colour sent to me. I’m sure the colour wasn’t easy to match with the mod but my word did Vaporesso do it beautifully with this iTank! It looks like it belongs nowhere else but atop the Gen 200 mod.
- It still performed solidly (is that even a word?) without any leaks from the push-to-fit coil system.
- Having said these, I still stand by what I said in my previous review that the drip tip is on the tall side. I still wish they used a standard 810 drip tip instead.
One new thing specific to the iTank I received was that the top cap was hard to slide in and out when I first handled the atomiser. It did loosen up by just a hair with use and as e-liquid got on it inevitably, but it is still worth mentioning. As before, the airflow control ring moved perfectly and stayed in place, and the base screws/unscrews from the rest of the atomiser flawlessly.
As this iTank came with the same coils as in the Target 200, these coils performed the same as the ones I reviewed before. The 0.2-ohm coil (60-75W, best 70W) is still my preferred coil of the two, and I still got amazing flavour from it. The 0.4-ohm coil (50-60W, best 55W) also performed the same, but as I prefer a warm DL vape, I tend to favour the 0.2-ohm coil over the 0.4-ohm coil.
Now, there are a couple of things I wanted to add about the GTi coils I’ve used since I have been using them for months. Mind, normally we test devices for a couple of weeks or so before we write reviews, so I figured that this Gen 200 review is a perfect opportunity for me to add some more information about these coils after extended use:
- The coil life has been extremely good! I was able to get around 3000 puffs or so from a single-coil, and that is quite a feat for a stock sub-ohm coil. Of course, coil life will be affected by the quality and type of e-liquid used plus the level of heat applied to the coils (wattage); you could get a little more or a little less. In my use, I vaped DIY e-liquids (commercial e-liquids tend to have a lot of sweeteners) the majority of the time with these coils although I did switch flavours at least 5 times. So, in theory, I could have gotten more than 3000 puffs I suppose.
- These coils seemed to be at their best with dessert E-liquids. Not that they were bad with other flavour profiles because they aren’t, it’s just that these coils really amplify the different ingredients in dessert e-liquids the best.
And that’s it! I remain a fan of the GTi coils and have been so since their release as they are reliable and give me an excellent DL vaping experience as far as stock sub-ohm mesh coils are concerned.
B. Gen 200 Mod
The first thing that struck me about the Gen 200 mod is how tiny it is! If you put it side by side against common/mainstream dual 18650 mods in the market, you’d struggle to find one close to its size. Coupled with its minute size is the fact that it is so damn light, owing to its plastic body and frame.
We’ve seen Vaporesso use plastic in mods before in the Gen and Gen S, and that did bring up some concerns over durability over time. There were two main pain points raised with the Gen and Gen S: 1) vapers fed back that the 510 plate atop the mod snapped a little too easily, and 2) that the rubberised coating on the mod exterior wears over time. With the Gen 200, Vaporesso says that they have made the mod finish wear-proof by having “4 times metal spray”. And, as for the 510 plate issue, this is now screwed onto the mod instead of being glued on. But… since the mod is made almost entirely of plastic, the plate is most likely screwed onto plastic as well. Time will tell if these changes improve the mod’s durability, but I for one would have certainly liked to see the 510 plate screwed onto something harder than plastic.
The mod is compact and very comfortable to hold and grip, owing to the rubberised exterior. Branding on the mod is also relatively minimal, and where there is branding, it is debossed so that it looks classy and stealthy. I like how Vaporesso kept the mod unmistakably theirs without the need for screaming colours and fonts!
The mod can accommodate up to 28mm atomisers without any overhang, which is of course a major pro for most DL vapers. The fire button is located on one side, so one can fire the mod comfortably whichever way they want. The battery door is a panel that attaches to the mod using strong magnets, and when it is on the mod, there is hardly any play at all and stays put. Talk about precision! There is a lip at the bottom of the mod to help one detach the battery door from the mod.
Opening up the mod to reveal the battery compartment, is how one will be able to appreciate how Vaporesso kept the mod so small. I mean, the mod is just a few millimetres larger than two 18650 cells placed side by side! To fit in all the technology that comes with this mod in such a small space is no small feat by any means.
Battery polarities are marked but they are not highlighted, so a vaper who has poor eyesight might struggle a little bit and have to hold the compartment against the light to see these. Apart from this, there is also no ribbon to use to pull the batteries out. As it stands, one would have to use their nails to get the batteries out. Now, a makeshift ribbon isn’t exactly hard to make, but the point is it should have been there in the first place for convenience.
The front of the mod has the adjustment buttons, mode/menu button, as well as the USB-C port. It also has the screen displaying pertinent vaping data depending on the mode selected, including wattage level, puffs, ohm load, and battery levels. The screen is bright and engaging and very easy to see even in the sun.
As the Gen 200 mod comes with the same chipset as the Target 200, I please advise you to check out that review for further information on the mod’s functions and operation. But again, bottom-lining it for this review:
- Five clicks of the fire button = on/off.
- Three clicks of the fire button = locks/unlock adjustment buttons.
- A long press of the mode button = quick access to different modes (Ft, Pulse, VW). Use adjustment buttons to cycle through these options, and then press the mode or fire button to confirm the selection.
- Three clicks of the mod button bring up the full menu.
As with my previous review of this chipset, I still wish for a stealth mode that will be useful for the kind of vaper that I am. The mod still doesn’t have TC, which again is neither here nor there for me but it is of course a con for TC vapers.
The mod still performed extremely well in my testing:
- Fires quickly and hits hard.
- The menu is really easy and uncomplicated to navigate. Changing modes on the fly will not be a problem.
- With the Axon chip, the Gen 200 mod manages battery life very efficiently. And I can say that amongst the dual 18650 box mods I own, Vaporesso Axon-chipped mods have the best battery management I’ve seen.
- The mod still displays the time remaining to achieve full charge per battery.
Lastly and as I mentioned in my Target 200 review, I preferred using the Pulse mode of this device when vaping with the iTank as it gave me just the right kind of vape I like.
Overall: Yay or Nay?
The Gen 200 Kit gets a thumbs up from yours truly! The combination of the iTank and this mod is perfect, and the design and finishing are just done with the utmost class. Although it’s a (proper) sub-ohm kit, its size and weight make it perfect to be carried around, even in pockets.
It’s a great starter sub-ohm kit or even a backup kit for experienced DL vapers. It is very easy to use – just add your favourite E-liquid and you are good to go!
Just remember that the mod is made of plastic and treat it with a little care, though.
I can see myself carrying on using this kit far beyond this review. I would actually replace this kit if I ever lose it, and I can’t say that about all the kits that have come across for review. High praise for the Vaporesso Gen 200 Kit indeed!
To pick up the kit directly from Vaporesso, check out the links at the start of the review. Once again, my biggest thanks to Vaporesso for sending this kit for my review!
This review was written by jen_turista who is very active within the vape community. You can go give her a follow on Instagram and Twitter.