Does the TC40's spiritual successor live up to the hype?
The spiritual successor to the TC40; the Eleaf iStick T80, arrives at a time when the vape mod market has seen significant changes.
I’ve put Eleaf’s latest effort through its paces to find out whether it can live up to the hype, or if it falls short of greatness.
iStick T80 Specifications
- Battery capacity – 3000mAh
- Output modes – VW
- Wattage range – 1-80W
- Dimensions – 78mm x 36mm x 28mm
- Assembled weight exc. packaging (approx.) – 186g
Kit Contents
- 1 x iStick T80 battery mod
- 1 x USB-C cable
- 1 x User manual
Appearance
Compared with later iStick releases, the T80 chooses to stay true to the original design of earlier models, which is actually a breath of fresh air.
The lightweight aluminium casing feels just like picking up the old iStick 20W units from 2014, only bigger. The chrome top and bottom plates help to finish off the styling nicely, and it’s all the better for it.
The front of the mod sports a set of rounded buttons with a smoked OLED screen; very similar to the TC40. The addition of a USB-C charging port helps to round off the entire design whilst still subtly hinting that it’s moved forward with the times.
It’s also great to see the classic colours making a return, with the usual black, blue, grey, silver and red all present. The addition of rose gold adds a touch of class to the series, as seen in the iStick MELO and Trim.
Performance
We all know that the iStick range is dependable, but how well does the T80 actually perform? The short answer; amazingly.
Although the T80 doesn’t feature multiple vaping modes like the TC40, it’s wattage setting is absolutely spot on. The chip delivers power almost instantly to the coil, and the reduced ramp-up time really does improve the vaping experience.
There were no noticeable dips in power during usage, and the battery kept up with the pace with no issues at all.
Recharging the T80 also highlighted just how far batteries have come in the last couple of years. In just over 1hr 30mins we were able to charge the unit back up to full power and keep on vaping, which is very convenient if you need to get back up and running as quickly as possible.
On average, a full charge with fairly heavy usage gave roughly 6 hours usage time. This should easily last a day if you aren’t constantly using it though like I did.
Overall I was very impressed with just how well the T80 performed. It is a very unassuming e-cig, but when it mattered, it absolutely stepped up to the plate.
Ease Of Use
There are a lot of mods out there now that try too hard to add in features and settings that vapers just don’t really need. The T80 escapes this trap, and becomes one of the easiest mods to use in the process.
There are no actual modes to cycle through, so all you need to be aware of is the main power button, which you click 5 times to switch on / off, and the two smaller + and – buttons to adjust the wattage.
You can easily view the remaining battery life thanks to the clear screen, and recharging with the supplied USB-C cable is a breeze as you can insert this any way round unlike Micro USB cables.
Attaching a tank is easy, and the battery can accommodate tanks up to 28mm in diameter, which is pretty impressive!
All in all, I think the T80 is one of the easiest mods around to use. Eleaf’s decision to strip things back and go for the ‘less is more’ approach has worked wonders for usability.
Price
The iStick T80 is priced at a very reasonable £36.99. When you consider what you get for this, it really is an accessible piece of kit for a variety of budgets.
There probably aren’t many mods out there that offer the quality, reliability and affordability that the T80 provides.
Target Audience
Eleaf has never really been one to release niche products. The iStick range has always catered to virtually anyone who vapes, or wants to vape, and the T80 follows this trend.
The T80 is well suited to vapers, and new vapers who just want an easy to use mod for daily use. Whether you prefer sub-ohm, MTL or RDA’s, all vaping styles are welcomed on this e-cig.
Verdict
The iStick T80 was a joy to use. It can handle virtually any vaping task with ease and I love the stripped back approach Eleaf has taken here.
This e-cig is easy to use, accessible, and deceivingly powerful. The large battery will last a long time before charging, and only takes 1hr 30mins when it does.
The price point is great as well, which means almost any vaper will be able to get their hands on one. It happens to be a good thing too, because I think that everyone needs to check this e-cig out!
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