Puremax by SXmini

Back with another review today for a pod kit that has become hugely popular on its recent release. This is the Puremax by Sxmini. This little thing was first showcased here in the UK at last year’s Vaper Expo and created a lot of hype! On its retail release early last month, many stores online had been selling out fast! So we’ll dive into the Puremax today and see how it lives up to the hype it has generated within the vape community!

SXmini has released many devices over the years including the excellent dual battery mods, the G class and G class V2 (reviewed here a few years ago), and over the last year or so, has turned its attention to the smaller pod market in the Vi series, and now the Puremax. So let’s jump into the Puremax kit and see how she runs!

Packaging & Contents

The Puremax by SXmini comes in a small rectangular cardboard box with an outer card sleeve. Pictured on top of the sleeve is the Puremax device sitting in front of a background. The SXmini title is printed in the top corner with Puremax titled under the device image. At the bottom is a printed large Nicotine warning to adhere to the TPD ruling in the EU and UK. On each side of the outer sleeve is a small graphic with a ‘Pure mode’ title. Pure mode is how the device and pod run (more about that soon).

On the bottom of the outer sleeve are the printed box contents and 3 key features of the Puremax. There is a printed indication that there is a 6-month warranty on the device. Warnings and contact info for SXmini are also printed on the bottom sleeve as well as the barcode label and another large Nicotine warning printed at the bottom.

There is a label on each side of the main inner box. One includes the printed production date of the Puremax inside and the colour of the device, and the other label again shows the colour and the resistance of the pod it comes with. The outer sleeve slides off revealing the box contents packed inside, which are:

• 1 x SXmini Puremax Device.
• 1 x PX25 0.6Ω Cartridge pod.
• 1 x Drip tip (510 size).
• 1 x Type-C USB Charge cable.
• User manual, Warranty & 2 x info cards.

Puremax Design & Spec

The Puremax is a portable stick-style device with a size more resembling a disposable vape form factor, as opposed to the longer thinner Caliburn/XLIM-sized stick. The device measures 94mm in height, width of 26mm, and depth of 19mm. It runs a maximum wattage of 25W and an output of 3-6V. The Puremax uses an internal battery of 1050mAh and runs on the Yihi SX303J chipset.

It is a simple plug-and-play pod system without any display screen or fire button. The device uses an auto-draw to vape. On one side of the main device body is a small airflow control which you slide up and down to control the amount of airflow to the pod. Below the airflow is a series of 4 LEDs which are above a small power preset/main power button.

At the top of the Puremax is where the pod slots in and sits flush with the unit. On top of the pod is the drip tip in 510 size so you can change the supplied drip tip easily if you prefer to use another. The Puremax has two cutouts on each side at the top so you can see the liquid level with the pod inserted. At the bottom of the Puremax, all around the main body is a smoked design panel showing some of the workings inside. At the very bottom underneath is the Type-C charge port.

To switch the power on or off, press the side button 3 times. To switch between 4 power modes, hold the side button down and press again to scroll through the power presets using the LED indicator. One LED is the lowest power and four is the highest. You might want to alter the power mode to make the vape smoother if it’s a higher nic level or to conserve some battery power throughout the day.

The 4 LED sequence is also an indicator while the Puremax is charging. One LED is 0-25%, Two LED’s is 25-50%, Three LED’s is 50-75%, and for full 75-100% battery life is four LED’s. The light sequence also shows other indicators; the bottom LED will flash 8 times to signal low battery or exhausted pod and four LEDs will flash for ‘Anti-dry-hit’ (more about that soon).

The Puremax uses the Yihi SX303J chip which offers the usual safety protections you would expect on a regulated device.

At the time of writing, the Puremax by SXmini is available in 10 colours/designs; Black, Gunmetal, Silver, Green, Purple, Blue, Fuchsia, Quantum Black, Quantum Gunmetal and Neko Witch design.

SXmini Puremax Pods

The Puremax runs solely on SXmini’s range of Puremax pods. The pods have a sealed coil inside the smoked PCTG material. At the front, there is a generous-sized fill port that is secured by sliding up/down the door (as pictured). Due to this, you can refill it while it is still inserted into the Puremax device, so there are no rubber bungs to fish out.

At the top of the pod is a removable 510 drip tip space in the centre. The bottom has 4 holes, 2 for airflow to the pod via the device and 2 holes to connect the pod to the device, which sits snugly in when fitted. The opposite side of the slide refill door has a ‘min’ level printed on the pod, so you can see when the pod needs a refill. The liquid capacity of the Puremax pod is 2ml.

The Puremax pods come in 3 resistance levels (at the time of writing) on the sealed coil inside. The is the PX12 which is rated at 1.2Ω, the PX20 rated at 0.8Ω and the PX25 rated at 0.6Ω. One PX25 is supplied in the kit to get you started. Each coil is Mesh and built with SS316L material and claims to be anti-leak. You can buy the replacement pods in either resistances for around £8-10 and 2 are supplied in a pack.

The ‘PURE MODE’ magic in the Puremax

So, further to all the above, the Puremax paired with the Puremax pods adds a bit of magic to your vape! First seen on the SXmini Vi pods, the Puremax has an anti-dry hit protector, so the device will just shut off when the pod is empty instead of dry burning the coil and wick.

The Yihi SX 303J chipset on the Puremax will also intelligently control the vape by using a combination of wattage, temperature and curves making sure it delivers the best flavour and vape on every puff.

My Thoughts

I first bought the Puremax by SXmini on its official UK release back at the start of January and then was subsequently sent the device from SXmini, so I’ve had good use over the last couple of months with it. They did have a pre-release at the UK Expo last year where the hype started to whip up. Back on that release, the pods were known to leak somewhat so SXmini went back to the drawing board and revised the pods, so it wouldn’t have the same issue for its official retail release. So firstly to clarify while on the subject, I have had zero leaking from any of the three pods on each resistance. There had just been some minimal condensation on the bottom of the pod after prolonged vaping as you would expect.

So what do I think? I think the Puremax is probably the best pod system currently on the market. SXmini has now set the bar high with its innovation that makes it all so easy for any adult vaper using the device, including adults looking to switch over from disposables or looking to quit analogue smokes.

The vape from the Puremax is perfect with superb flavour across the board with any flavour profile. I have found some smaller pod systems that can struggle to bring out different notes in dessert flavours but the Puremax flavour doesn’t have any problems at all and would pit its flavour production against an RDA. It’s that good!

On the first device I bought last month, I struggled a little with using the 0.6Ω pod, due to being mostly an MTL vaper, it wasn’t until I switched to the 0.8Ω pod that it came into its own. Of course, you can MTL the 0.6Ω, but in my opinion, I would keep that pod for RDTL and if you want to truly MTL and get the full benefit, definitely opt for the 0.8Ω or 1.2Ω pods. The pods seem to last a good while so far. While I have quite a few pods in rotation, I haven’t had to throw away any yet. The airflow control is small but does work well giving the perfect airflow on how you set it for your vape.

The battery life is good enough and lasts about the same time as most other pod devices, with about a full day of use with moderate vaping. Charge time from a flat battery to full is around 45-50 minutes.

If you haven’t tried the Puremax, you need to buy one now, get some more replacement pods and you really won’t look back. It’s pretty much all you need at the moment in the way of a pod kit and has knocked a few of my devices aside in my daily rotations. A truly brilliant vape!

To check out more about the Puremax or order directly, head over to the SXmini website here! Or, you can find the Puremax at many popular vape stores online in the UK and beyond. Thanks for reading!