Galex & Galex Nano by Freemax
Review by Jen_Turista
Freemax Galex and Galex Nano: Freemax Does MTL!
Freemax has been steady with its new kit releases in 2022. They don’t seem to be flooding the market with new kits every two weeks or so; and when they do release kits, the new products appear to be measured and cognizant of market needs. And I really like that about Freemax: they are more about quality than quantity!
Most of their recent releases seem to be geared towards the DL and RDL markets. That doesn’t mean Freemax forgot about MTL vapers though – enter the Galex series of kits, a new line from Freemax specialised for MTL vaping!
Freemax has launched the Galex and Galex Nano, in this new MTL series. Indeed, we shall be looking at these kits, sent to me for review purposes by Freemax (my biggest thanks!).
As always, I will review this kit as an average vaper, as most of us in the community are.
Packaging and Contents
I received sample packaging of both the Galex and Galex Nano kits, that contained:
Galex:
- Galex device with 800 mAh battery.
- A pod having a 2mL capacity.
- 1 x 0.8-ohm GX mesh coil.
- 1 x 1.0-ohm GX mesh coil.
- Paperwork including warranty card, and warning card.
Galex Nano:
- Galex Nano device with 800 mAh battery.
- A pod having a 2mL capacity.
- 1 x 0.8-ohm GX mesh coil.
- 1 x 1.0-ohm GX mesh coil.
- Paperwork including warranty card, and warning card.
Salient Features include:
Galex:
- The Galex device with a voltage output of 3.3-3.5 V, and a wattage of 11-16 W. Output power/voltage is not adjustable.
- Dimensions at 24 x 17 x 107 mm with the pod installed. Its shape is of a typical elongated pod kit, albeit a bit thicker than most in the market, owing to the materials used and light effects feature. Speaking of…
- Has a panel with LED lights in a pattern. These LED lights should display lighting effects, and can also be turned off if that’s not your thing (plug in the pod 2x in 3 seconds to change LED effect modes or turn the feature completely off). Unfortunately, this feature in the sample I received didn’t work, but that is the nature of the samples for review as these are pre-production units. I’m sure the retail units will have the LED feature working just fine.
Galex Nano:
- Galex Nano device with a voltage output of 3.3-4.2 V, the wattage of 11-22 W. Here, we do have adjustable power in 3 steps, and 3 presses of the button cycles through the power modes (green/high/4.2 V, blue/middle/3.5 V, red/low/3.3 V).
- Dimensions at 53 x 19 x 77 mm with the pod installed. This one has a squarish form factor and easily fits the palm of your hand.
- The device has a transparent panel that exposes some of its circuitry. This panel also contains the LEDs for the lighting effects feature of the device. There is a button to control the feature: press twice to change lighting modes or turn it completely off.
In both kits, the coils are made from SS904L mesh, cotton and tea fibre, whereby Freemax claims that the use of the latter extends coil life. And the pod paired with both devices (same pod, so you can use it in either device) has what Freemax calls a “maze chimney”, which basically alters/prolongs the path for excess e-liquid to travel, helping to prevent leakage issues.
Impressions and Experience
Even if these are sample packaging, both kits came in colourful boxes that are in keeping with the LED theme Freemax has got going on! On both packaging sleeves, there is a coloured photo of the device and information about kit contents, features, manufacturer, and warnings. The kits sit on compartmentalised foam trays, with kit accessories tidily boxed.
The packaging is compact and colourful, which are pros for me as that means less excess bulk, and also it makes these stand out amongst other pod kits in the market.
A. Galex Pod and GX Mesh Coils
The clear pod has strong magnets at the bottom to secure it on the devices. The coils are pushed in from the bottom. To refill, just pop the drip tip cover up or down to reveal the fill port, which is secured from leaks by a silicone cover and is large enough to accommodate most e-liquid bottles in the market. When refilling is complete, simply push the drip tip cover down until it clicks into place. You have to make sure that you hear/feel this click, though, to preserve the vacuum environment of the pod (without this, your pod may leak).
The duck-bill-shaped drip tip is very comfortable to use. Overall, I didn’t have any issues with this pod at all. No leaking or even condensation, which is quite a feat since it is well-known that pod devices will have some condensation at some point. Well done by Freemax here!
And because, when installed, the pod sits on the device with around half of it visible, it makes it very easy to see e-liquid levels when vaping.
As for the coils, the GX mesh coils performed wonderfully as MTL coils. Freemax states to have increased the tea fibre component of the wick by 50%; and in my experience of using Freemax coils in general, tea fibre does actually make a slight difference in flavour clarity and crispness.
The GX 1.0 ohm mesh coil gave a decent, medium MTL draw with an ample sense of warmth. Neither the pod nor the devices have airflow control built-in, so the combination of this coil with the pair of pinholes for airflow on either device was a good combination for this style of draw. Flavour was satisfactory (6.5/10), and in my testing, more so for fruit-flavoured nicotine salts.
The GX 0.8 ohm mesh coil gave a similar vape in terms of flavour and warmth. The draw was only a tinge looser, and with the auto draw engaging rapidly, you’ll hardly notice it when taking a puff.
The flavour on this was good too, just a touch better for me (7.0/10) and that’s primarily because of my style of vaping (preference for warmer draws). Overall, I am very satisfied with the GX mesh coils for MTL vaping.
B. Galex and Galex Nano Devices
The Galex is made primarily of metal, with the LED panel having some plastic components to make the LED effects visible. The USB-C port at the bottom is connected to the main body via a plastic panel as well. But even then, it still feels lightweight and very good in the hand, and its classic “pen style” shape makes it easy to use and pocket as one goes about their daily life.
Branding on the device was also quite minimal. Indeed, the black Galex device I received looked very smart and solid, with “Galex” just appearing on the LED panel and nowhere else. I am indeed a fan of more subtle branding!
It’s a very simple device, with no buttons at all for control or to think about. Simply install the pod and vape via its auto-draw function! Apart from the LED lights, there is also a solitary light towards the bottom of the device that activates when removing the pod and when charging. This light also turns on when the device is in operation.
Next up is the Galex Nano, which has a similar material made up to the Galex of mostly metal and plastic for the LEDs and pod cradle. Now, unless I’m wrong, the metal casing seems to be one continuous piece of metal, as I cannot make out joints or places where metal panels get fused. And I think this is a good thing because this means fewer points of weakness; this device should be solid enough to withstand everyday knocks.
There are a lot of things that differentiate the Galex Nano from the Galex. The most obvious ones are the squarish form factor, and the presence of a control button on one side (the use of which is described earlier in this review).
Another one is the Galex Nano’s lanyard attachment feature, which when combined with its relatively light(ish) weight, is a decent idea for convenient vaping.
The device’s branding design was also nicely done, with “Freemax” appearing just above the translucent panel for the LEDs, and “Galex Nano” over the lanyard hooking points. The blue finish I received was really pleasing to the eye, and its matte finish makes it fingerprint-proof!
The Galex Nano does feature a 3-step power adjustment, and the drop/increase in power as you cycle through these stages is indeed noticeable. For me, I preferred vaping it at full power as this is where I find the maximum flavour from the GX coils.
The LED panel lights up every time the pod is installed and when vaping with the device. How it lights up, or whether it lights up at all, is completely up to the vaper (as noted in the Salient Features section of this review). There are 2 LED effect patterns to choose from:
- LED lights with colours changing in a circular (?) pattern. It’s a very nice effect, almost calming!
- LED lights flashing and alternating solid colours.
The USB-C charging port is at the bottom of the device, the same as with the Galex.
Performance-wise, and strictly about how good the vape is, I’ve had no issues and was quite happy with both the Galex and Galex Nano. For both kits, there was no lag at all when taking a puff, the flavour was good, the draw was true MTL, and the battery lasted me all day.
Overall: Yay or Nay?
These are MTL vaper starter kits, no question, and as such, the Freemax Galex and Galex Nano get full marks from yours truly! For the reasons cited above, and anticipated RRP (at least from what I’ve seen here in the U.K.), they are very reasonable choices for someone wanting to switch to vaping. Therefore, both kits come highly recommended!
Sure, my Galex sample device had an aesthetic issue, but that’s just it, it didn’t affect the quality of the vape I derived from the device at all. I still enjoy using both with nic salts to this day!
Once again, my biggest thanks to Freemax for sending these kits for my review! To see more of the kits or to purchase, head over to the Freemax site via the links at the start of the 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.
