A decent mod that sometimes gets a little confused.
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Another tank kit! In a sea of pod mods, Eleaf has released a new addition to its iconic iStick range. Introducing the brand new Eleaf iStick i80! This 3000mAh internal battery mod can go up to 80watts and features a simple menu and sliding top fill tank. It looks pretty smart with its textured panel and solid colours. So, let’s take a closer look!
Appearance
I think the iStick i80 looks pretty smart. The back and sides of the kit feature a textured panel that feels comfortable to grip. The colours available are solid colour, rather than metallic or garishly bright. The main body of the kit is a matte black, which further accents the coloured panel.
The screen of the kit looks simple, and the face features the fire button, power controls and USB-C charge port.
The new Melo C tank looks smart and is glass, which is a nice change from all of the plastic tanks and pods I’ve been reviewing lately.
Eleaf iStick i80 – Performance
The iStick i80 comes with 2 EC coils. The EC coils range has been going for years and is one of Eleaf’s best coils ranges, in my opinion anyway. The two coils with the kit are an EC2 0.5ohm (30-100w) and an EC 0.3ohm (30-50w).
Choose your coils carefully, as it’s with the resistance that I found the biggest flaw with this kit. When the EC2 0.5ohm coil was fitted (which is supposed to be able to run up to 100W), the mod capped the power setting at 60W. That’s not a problem for me, as I vape at 50W. But, this would be a problem for DL vapers that would like to use the full 80W that this kit can produce. I’m assuming that the mod bases the max wattage on the resistance as a safety feature. Surprisingly though, when I inserted the 0.3ohm coil, it allowed me to go all the way up to 80w even though the coil’s max wattage is 50w.
Aside from the issue with the coil that I found, the mod vapes great. It has a simple display that is customisable. Pressing the up button and fire button at the same time reveals the menu. This allows you to change what is displayed on the screen beside your power setting and also activate stealth mode. The coils give really good flavour and produce a decent amount of cloud. The battery easily lasted me all day and charged quickly with the USB-C input.
Another issue that I found was with the sliding top fill. It’s a great feature that’s convenient for filling on the go. However, I was using Zeus Juice Death By Bunny. When you’re filling with a 100ml bottle, the (non removable) mouthpiece gets in the way of filling.
Ease of Use
The i80 is quite easy to use. The menu is very simplistic and is easy to operate. Also, the kit is USB-C charged, making it pretty quick to charge. The coils are screw in, so are a little more fiddly to change than push fit coils.
Price
The Eleaf iStick i80 is available for £47.99 which i pretty reasonable for a DL kit. Similar kits such as the VOOPOO ARGUS MT are more expensive.
The mod is also available to buy on its own for £37.99, perfect if you already have a tank that you prefer.
The coils are available for £12.99 for a pack of 5. If you’re a DL vaper that prefers a higher wattage then I’d recommend the EC-M coils, which are also £12.99 for a pack of 5.
Target Audience
The iStick i80 is designed for DL vapers, but the coils with the kit will only run up to 60w. If you prefer higher wattage then I’d recommend the EC-M coils which can, apparently, run up to 75W. But, I found no issue running them at the 80W maximum that the kit can use.
This kit could also be used as an MTL vape if you use a suitable 510 connection MTL tank. As an MTL vape, the battery would last a lot longer. Since you can buy the mod separately, this is something to consider.
Eleaf iStick i80 – Final Verdict
This kit is decent. Yes, there is a bit of an issue with the coil that comes with the kit and yes, it is a bit awkward to fill with bigger bottles. But this doesn’t take away from the performance of the mod. It fires quickly and the coils give great flavour and vapour. Plus I love the simple use of colour with the mod and think it looks pretty stylish.
