Hi Ecigssa members, In this review i take a look at the GEM Pod Starter Kit from Kangertech. The GEM Pod Starter Kit was supplied for the purpose of this review by Sunny from Kangertech.
https://www.kangertech.com/gem-kit
Introduction
A while back Kangertech led the way along with Aspire and Innokin when it came to vaping products manufactured in China but in recent times although still producing products have seemed to of falling back while other manufacturers have come into the vaping industry and moved vaping on. They keep going though and the odd product they release is still competitive and their seems to be a real effort to work their way back towards the top but the school report say's must try harder. Here we have their latest pod device which is much more like it giving a really nice draw activated vape and a consistent 3.7V output. The Gem looks the part but with only the inclusion of 1 pod and a 500mAh battery is it an opportunity missed?
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In The Box
Contents:
1x GEM Battery Device
1x GEM Refillable Pod
1x USB Charging Cable
1x Manual
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Gem comes in cardboard packaging and for me does shine aesthetically and is also a very comfortable device both in the hand and between the lips. I received the Silver version, the colour refers to the metallic side accents with the central section on all versions being Black. The colour options are Black, Hot Pink (looks a really nice Purple to me), Blue, Rainbow, Green and Silver, so plenty of options and as already mentioned i personally find the device aesthetically pleasing. The pod is a duckbill shape and is tinted Black to match the central section of the device and the metallic sides, top and bottom rim gives a good contrast to the central Black section. On the front we have "GEM" towards the top then a vertical row of 4 LED indication lights, the top three for battery status and the bottom light is for operation status so lights up when vaping but also flashes various times to indicate safety protections if they kick in. The back of the device has the same Black central section with Kangertech branding towards the bottom, finally on the bottom of the device we have the micro USB port.
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Gem Specs and Features:
Size: 32 x 14 x 80mm
Battery Capacity: Built-in 500mAh
Pod Capacity: 2ml
Coil: Ceramic 1.2ohm
Flavor-oriented pod system with exquisite design
500mAh Built-in battery with easy USB charging
Advanced ceramic coil for original and purer flavor
2ml Refillable pod with easy bottom filling
Convenient no button design
Three battery status LED indicator lights
Colours: Black, Hot Pink, Blue, Rainbow, Green, Silver
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The Pod
The pod has a duckbill style mouthpiece which is a tried and tested form to give comfort when vaping and has a metallic base section, the rest of the pod has Black tinting which i am not a fan of simply because of the practical issue of being able to easily see your juice level. The pod holds 2ml of juice so is TPD compliant and houses a 1.2ohm Ceramic coil. You only receive one pod which is a massive con, it should come with at least 2 especially as the coils can't be replaced. As far as i am aware the only pod option for the Gem is the included 1.2ohm ceramic but of course other options may become available in the future. The base of the pod has your 2 central contacts and to one side a little tab which when lifting reveals a good sized filling port which i found worked well. The port seals well and i had no issues with escaping e-liquid so overall a good job!
___________________________________________________________________
Fitting The Pod
Looking into the device the bay for the pod is neat and tidy, we see the central Gold plated, spring loaded contacts and to either side openings leading to the membrane switch, we then have a magnetic surround to keep the pod in place when fitted. The openings to the switch are raised so if their is moisture build up or leakage from the pod, liquid shouldn't get into the internals. You can insert the pod either way and as the bottom of the pod approaches the base of the bay you can feel the pull given by the magnetic surround as it snaps in place. When the pod is fitted their is quite a bit of play when giving it a wiggle the your fingers but it's fine while vaping and not loose, personally i just don't want movement when vaping and don't like pods that fit that tight they are difficult to remove so perfectly happy!
___________________________________________________________________
Using The Gem
The Gem is a simple draw activated device with no physical button so simply take a draw and vape, the device gives a constant output of 3.7V giving a reliable and consistent vape. When you insert the pod the operation status light flashes 3 times before the battery status lights come on giving the status of the battery. 3 lights means the battery life is over 65%, 2 lights means the life is between 30% and 65% and finally 1 light means the battery life is below 30%. Whenever the battery indication lights come on they keep lit for 10 seconds although they go out whenever you take a vape and the operation light comes on instead. After every vape the operation light goes out and the battery status indication lights come back on for 10 seconds. When charging the Gem the battery status lights flash and once fully charged they stay lit. The device as you would expect has multiple safety features which if they kick in are indicated by various flashes of the operational status LED.
___________________________________________________________________
Protections
Overuse Protection (10s)
Short Circuit Protection
Low Voltage Protection
Overcharging Protection
___________________________________________________________________
My Experience Using The Gem
As i have already stated i do like the look and build quality of the Gem but also it's performance i found to be good. The draw is not super tight but very definitely MTL and in my opinion similar to a cigarette pull, i found the switch to be responsive and had no misfires making it an enjoyable vaping experience. I do prefer the consistency of constant output which is a big pro and after about a pods worth of juice to fully break in the coil the flavour was comfortably above average for a pod device. If you prefer very airy pod devices and plenty of vapor then the Gem possibly isn't for you as the power output feels moderate but a lot of pod users will like this for the cigarette like draw and flavour. I refilled the pod 8 times before i started to get some drop off in flavour but feel the flavour is still good enough for at least another couple of refills so in my view longevity is fine, i only used the pod with 65VG DIY 6mg liquid so didn't try the Gem with nic salts. The battery life i found to be fair and battery status indication perfectly adequate but feel an opportunity was missed as comparing the size of the device to other pod systems feel the Gem could comfortably of housed a bigger battery. It does state on the Kangertech website the device will last all day and charges within an hour, obviously how long one charge will last will be down to how much you vape and the average charge time i found to be 1.25 hours so slightly slow for the size of battery and claimed charge time. The only other complaints i have is the obvious that only one pod is included and that the pod is tinted although in most light i could see the juice level perfectly ok, i had no issues with wicking or leaking so my conclusion is the Gem overall is a good pod device.
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Aesthetically pleasing
Good build quality
Plenty of Colour options
Cigarette type draw
Responsive switch
Good flavour
Pod lasted well
No issues filling
No leaking issues
Draw activated
Battery status indication
Constant 3.7V output
1.2ohm Ceramic coil
2ml Capacity
Fair battery life
Multiple protections
Feels ergonomic in hand and comfortable in the mouth
Cons
Only one pod included
Could of accommodated bigger battery
Charging slightly on the slow side
Tinted pod (although juice level can be seen in most types of light)
Device has no physical button (can't be turned off)
I would once again like to thank Sunny from Kangertech for supplying the GEM Pod Starter Kit 500mAh for the purpose of this review.
https://www.kangertech.com/gem-kit
___________________________________________________________________
https://www.kangertech.com/gem-kit
Introduction
A while back Kangertech led the way along with Aspire and Innokin when it came to vaping products manufactured in China but in recent times although still producing products have seemed to of falling back while other manufacturers have come into the vaping industry and moved vaping on. They keep going though and the odd product they release is still competitive and their seems to be a real effort to work their way back towards the top but the school report say's must try harder. Here we have their latest pod device which is much more like it giving a really nice draw activated vape and a consistent 3.7V output. The Gem looks the part but with only the inclusion of 1 pod and a 500mAh battery is it an opportunity missed?
___________________________________________________________________
In The Box
Contents:
1x GEM Battery Device
1x GEM Refillable Pod
1x USB Charging Cable
1x Manual
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Gem comes in cardboard packaging and for me does shine aesthetically and is also a very comfortable device both in the hand and between the lips. I received the Silver version, the colour refers to the metallic side accents with the central section on all versions being Black. The colour options are Black, Hot Pink (looks a really nice Purple to me), Blue, Rainbow, Green and Silver, so plenty of options and as already mentioned i personally find the device aesthetically pleasing. The pod is a duckbill shape and is tinted Black to match the central section of the device and the metallic sides, top and bottom rim gives a good contrast to the central Black section. On the front we have "GEM" towards the top then a vertical row of 4 LED indication lights, the top three for battery status and the bottom light is for operation status so lights up when vaping but also flashes various times to indicate safety protections if they kick in. The back of the device has the same Black central section with Kangertech branding towards the bottom, finally on the bottom of the device we have the micro USB port.
___________________________________________________________________
Gem Specs and Features:
Size: 32 x 14 x 80mm
Battery Capacity: Built-in 500mAh
Pod Capacity: 2ml
Coil: Ceramic 1.2ohm
Flavor-oriented pod system with exquisite design
500mAh Built-in battery with easy USB charging
Advanced ceramic coil for original and purer flavor
2ml Refillable pod with easy bottom filling
Convenient no button design
Three battery status LED indicator lights
Colours: Black, Hot Pink, Blue, Rainbow, Green, Silver
___________________________________________________________________
The Pod
The pod has a duckbill style mouthpiece which is a tried and tested form to give comfort when vaping and has a metallic base section, the rest of the pod has Black tinting which i am not a fan of simply because of the practical issue of being able to easily see your juice level. The pod holds 2ml of juice so is TPD compliant and houses a 1.2ohm Ceramic coil. You only receive one pod which is a massive con, it should come with at least 2 especially as the coils can't be replaced. As far as i am aware the only pod option for the Gem is the included 1.2ohm ceramic but of course other options may become available in the future. The base of the pod has your 2 central contacts and to one side a little tab which when lifting reveals a good sized filling port which i found worked well. The port seals well and i had no issues with escaping e-liquid so overall a good job!
___________________________________________________________________
Fitting The Pod
Looking into the device the bay for the pod is neat and tidy, we see the central Gold plated, spring loaded contacts and to either side openings leading to the membrane switch, we then have a magnetic surround to keep the pod in place when fitted. The openings to the switch are raised so if their is moisture build up or leakage from the pod, liquid shouldn't get into the internals. You can insert the pod either way and as the bottom of the pod approaches the base of the bay you can feel the pull given by the magnetic surround as it snaps in place. When the pod is fitted their is quite a bit of play when giving it a wiggle the your fingers but it's fine while vaping and not loose, personally i just don't want movement when vaping and don't like pods that fit that tight they are difficult to remove so perfectly happy!
___________________________________________________________________
Using The Gem
The Gem is a simple draw activated device with no physical button so simply take a draw and vape, the device gives a constant output of 3.7V giving a reliable and consistent vape. When you insert the pod the operation status light flashes 3 times before the battery status lights come on giving the status of the battery. 3 lights means the battery life is over 65%, 2 lights means the life is between 30% and 65% and finally 1 light means the battery life is below 30%. Whenever the battery indication lights come on they keep lit for 10 seconds although they go out whenever you take a vape and the operation light comes on instead. After every vape the operation light goes out and the battery status indication lights come back on for 10 seconds. When charging the Gem the battery status lights flash and once fully charged they stay lit. The device as you would expect has multiple safety features which if they kick in are indicated by various flashes of the operational status LED.
___________________________________________________________________
Protections
Overuse Protection (10s)
Short Circuit Protection
Low Voltage Protection
Overcharging Protection
___________________________________________________________________
My Experience Using The Gem
As i have already stated i do like the look and build quality of the Gem but also it's performance i found to be good. The draw is not super tight but very definitely MTL and in my opinion similar to a cigarette pull, i found the switch to be responsive and had no misfires making it an enjoyable vaping experience. I do prefer the consistency of constant output which is a big pro and after about a pods worth of juice to fully break in the coil the flavour was comfortably above average for a pod device. If you prefer very airy pod devices and plenty of vapor then the Gem possibly isn't for you as the power output feels moderate but a lot of pod users will like this for the cigarette like draw and flavour. I refilled the pod 8 times before i started to get some drop off in flavour but feel the flavour is still good enough for at least another couple of refills so in my view longevity is fine, i only used the pod with 65VG DIY 6mg liquid so didn't try the Gem with nic salts. The battery life i found to be fair and battery status indication perfectly adequate but feel an opportunity was missed as comparing the size of the device to other pod systems feel the Gem could comfortably of housed a bigger battery. It does state on the Kangertech website the device will last all day and charges within an hour, obviously how long one charge will last will be down to how much you vape and the average charge time i found to be 1.25 hours so slightly slow for the size of battery and claimed charge time. The only other complaints i have is the obvious that only one pod is included and that the pod is tinted although in most light i could see the juice level perfectly ok, i had no issues with wicking or leaking so my conclusion is the Gem overall is a good pod device.
___________________________________________________________________
Likes
Aesthetically pleasing
Good build quality
Plenty of Colour options
Cigarette type draw
Responsive switch
Good flavour
Pod lasted well
No issues filling
No leaking issues
Draw activated
Battery status indication
Constant 3.7V output
1.2ohm Ceramic coil
2ml Capacity
Fair battery life
Multiple protections
Feels ergonomic in hand and comfortable in the mouth
Cons
Only one pod included
Could of accommodated bigger battery
Charging slightly on the slow side
Tinted pod (although juice level can be seen in most types of light)
Device has no physical button (can't be turned off)
I would once again like to thank Sunny from Kangertech for supplying the GEM Pod Starter Kit 500mAh for the purpose of this review.
https://www.kangertech.com/gem-kit
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