Hi Ecigssa members, In this review i take a look at the Vmate 200W TC Box MOD from Voopoo. The VOOPOO Vmate 200W TC Box MOD was supplied for the purpose of review by Pearl from Cigabuy.
https://www.cigabuy.com/authentic-voopoo...13065.html
Introduction
Putting aside all the issues and fun and games that unfortunately go on in the vaping world when Voopoo is mentioned most people will think Drag, and not because Voopoo are a Drag (my jokes get worse). The Drag when it came out blew people away (in a good way) with the instant ramp up and accuracy of the Gene chipset and then when the resin side versions came out it had the looks to match. But although the performance of the device was so good most people would look beyond that it wasn't ergonomic with the very box shape and un-rounded edges the fact is that was the case as well has being very heavy. Then came the Alpha One which i haven't used but from what i can tell is just an uncool high powered version of the drag i suppose just to get another device in the market place. Then we had the Too which i did like the look of and the way the battery panels slid open to fit your batteries one either side but yet again ergonomics thrown right out the Window. But wait! An ergonomic 200w lightweight device from Voopoo? it's here in the form of the Vmate. The Vmate utilises the updated Gene.fan Chipset and is quite a simple device with a basic screen with just the essential information displayed very similar to the Geekvape Aegis but behind the scenes it actually has all the usual feature suspects on the device, power mode of course, full TC suite (which fires down to 0.05ohm) and both power and temperature curves. The device is ergonomically shaped with it's curved side battery panels and in my opinion looks super sexy! So let's give it a look.
In the Box
Contents:
1x VOOPOO Vmate Mod (no cell)
1x USB Cable
1x User Manual
1x Warranty card
1x Authenticity Gene Chip
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Voopoo Vmate came in quite simple cardboard box packaging, and once opened i saw a very un-Voopoo like Voopoo device, curvy and smaller than the average dual battery device. When i took the device out of the box i wouldn't say it's very light but certainly below average weight, i received the Black Waterfall with Pewter frame version. The Vmate comes in various designs with the choice of two different frames the choices are, Pewter or Silver frame in Wood, Rock Black, Red, Waterfall Black, Surf Blue, Camouflage Green, Camouflage Red or Emerald Green designs. The frame is Zinc alloy while the removable side panels are plastic which have a translucent glossy coating which has a glass look and feel but taping them with your fingernail gives the game away. The device looks very aesthetically appealing and apart from the cheap looking and feeling buttons Voopoo have done a good job of making it aesthetically look high end despite being made out of zinc alloy and plastic. The side panels are curved to the contour of your batteries making the device very ergonomic and the designs look very nice. The front and back have large pill shaped raised panels, on the front we have the middle third section of this panel housing the screen and the micro USB port at the bottom. The back has "VOOPOO" in Silver positioned centrally, on the base we have branding and safety stamps. Moving to the top and to one side is the fire button that gets pushed towards the 510 to fire rather than downwards, the other side has identical but split into two for your navigational buttons. Finally we have a central 510 plate on a raised platform, the 510 connection is Gold plated and spring loaded.
Vmate Specs and Features:
Zinc alloy construction
200W Powerful and lighter TC MOD
Spring-loaded firing button
Compact size and comfortable hand feeling
Upgraded Gene.Fan chip for stable and safe vaping
Lightweight with zinc alloy material
TC Range at 100-315°C/200-600°F
Resistance: 0.05-3.0ohm(Wattage Mode), 0.05-1.5ohm(TC Mode)
Power by 2 x 18650 (sold separately)
Supports 8 security protections & balance charging
510 threading connection
Firmware upgradable
Colours: Pewter or Silver frames in Wood, Rock Black, Red, Waterfall Black, Surf Blue, Camouflage Green, Camouflage Red, Emerald Green
Fitting The Batteries
To fit the 18650 batteries you need to remove the battery panels one either side of the device. They are removed with the help of a notch each side and secured with very strong magnets, we have battery ribbons just the right size to remove your batteries easily. I believe a better glue is now being used to keep the magnets in place on the inside of the panel (unless before they were just pressed fitted), i assume that because mine are absolutely fine but i do know some people have had the magnets getting pulled out the panel and staying on the device so if this happens i would use some strong glue to secure back in the panels. My only issue is poorly marked battery orientation.
Using the Vmate
The Vmate is the usual 5 clicks to turn on and 5 clicks to turn off the device. Once the device is on the Vmate has quite a basic screen which only displays the important information, the screen is bright enough and wattage or temperature is in large font and battery indication bars are a fair size, the other information is in very small font but due to the way the information is highlighted it can be read perfectly ok. At the top of the display we have the wattage which will be temperature when in temp control, underneath is 2 battery status bars, then we have a large highlighted area which has the other information in Black. First is the resistance, underneath is the voltage which changes to watts when in temp control and finally time vaped. Up and fire locks and unlocks the device, when the device is locked it will not fire. To change modes is 3 clicks of the fire button and with each 3 clicks it takes you to the next mode, the modes are Wattage, Temp SS, Temp Ni and Temp Ti. When in temperature control where it did display the voltage now displays the wattage and 4 clicks of the fire button allows you to adjust the wattage for temp control but you can only adjust between 10w to 80w. There is also a menu that can be accessed by pressing the up and down buttons together, the list that comes up is W, M 1-5, lock resistance, display serial number and display firmware version. No idea why the first option is "W" because it simply takes you back to the main screen and even if you were in temp control it will take you back to the main screen in temp control so it should say "Exit" as it's just to exit the menu. The next option is M 1-5 which gives you 5 memory curve settings for each mode again like when you change mode on the main screen 3 clicks of the fire button takes you to the memory slots for the next mode, when on the memory settings in the menu system pressing the fire button 4 times brings up the 10 part curve graph which you can adjust in the same way you adjust curves on most devices that have the feature. That pretty much covers it apart from the screen goes off after 30 seconds, any button press wakes it up and if vaping it doesn't slow ramp up. Finally when fitting your atty and choosing new coil the device has a smart feature where it automatically changes the wattage to what it thinks is an ideal wattage for resistance. I usually find this feature on devices pretty useless but actually i was using the Horus with a 0.29 build which i have been using at 40w and 45w (still deciding which i prefer) and the Vmate recommended 42w, who am i to argue!
My Experience Using The Vmate
As ever i must say i do not vape in temp control and i don't have access to charts so only review devices as a personal experience. Ramp Up! Ramp Up! Ramp Up! plenty of chips ramp up really quickly (some claim faster) but when using the Gene chip it always seems more impressive unless is it just Placebo? maybe, but if it seems impressive it is impressive as vaping is about personal experience. I love the ergonomics and feel of the device and the fire button although cheap feeling is very nice when actually using to vape. That is once you get use to knowing exactly which way to hold the device in relation to which side is the fire button, i did for a while sometimes press the navigational buttons by mistake but if using this device regularly you would get use to it. All wattage's i vaped at seemed accurate to me and although i can't say for certain if it does the full 200w i would think it's close. Having the 510 plate on a 25mm raised platform does seem a bit of a waste of real estate as without it up to 28mm wouldn't overhang although 26mm will look fine in my opinion. With the efficiency of the chip the battery life is very good and the Vmate is fully firmware upgradeable.
Final Thoughts
Super ergonomic and despite not being made out of high end materials Voopoo have given it an high end look, apart from the buttons that do feel on the cheap side it actually feels good quality as well with the coating on the plastic panels making them feel of much higher quality material. The Gene chip still impresses me and many people like simple displays but there are plenty of chips out there that are getting very close to the Gene so in my opinion Voopoo need to start thinking about moving to a colour screen and having more app style menu system etc, because if they don't when the Gene chip is no longer ahead Voopoo will be behind.
Likes
Aesthetically looks high end (apart from buttons)
very well made and feels good quality
Quite small for dual battery
Quite light
Very Ergonomic
Side panels (one battery fitted each side)
Centre 510
Temp control (not tested)
Power curves
Temp curves
Performance ( Gene chip, enough said)
Simple device to navigate
Smart mode seems better than on most devices
Efficient and good battery life
Firmware upgradeable
Dislikes
Mine is fine but i do know the magnets in the panels come out the sockets and left on the device with some devices, so will need to be glued if you are unlucky
Buttons feel and look quite cheap
Basic style screen
Poor marked battery orientation
Until you get use to it can find yourself accidentally pressing navigational buttons to fire.
Over 25mm atty's will overhang raised platform although 26mm barely and in my opinion look ok.
I would once again like to thank Pearl from Cigabuy for supplying the VOOPOO Vmate 200W TC Box MOD for the purpose of this review.
https://www.cigabuy.com/authentic-voopoo...13065.html
https://www.cigabuy.com/authentic-voopoo...13065.html
Introduction
Putting aside all the issues and fun and games that unfortunately go on in the vaping world when Voopoo is mentioned most people will think Drag, and not because Voopoo are a Drag (my jokes get worse). The Drag when it came out blew people away (in a good way) with the instant ramp up and accuracy of the Gene chipset and then when the resin side versions came out it had the looks to match. But although the performance of the device was so good most people would look beyond that it wasn't ergonomic with the very box shape and un-rounded edges the fact is that was the case as well has being very heavy. Then came the Alpha One which i haven't used but from what i can tell is just an uncool high powered version of the drag i suppose just to get another device in the market place. Then we had the Too which i did like the look of and the way the battery panels slid open to fit your batteries one either side but yet again ergonomics thrown right out the Window. But wait! An ergonomic 200w lightweight device from Voopoo? it's here in the form of the Vmate. The Vmate utilises the updated Gene.fan Chipset and is quite a simple device with a basic screen with just the essential information displayed very similar to the Geekvape Aegis but behind the scenes it actually has all the usual feature suspects on the device, power mode of course, full TC suite (which fires down to 0.05ohm) and both power and temperature curves. The device is ergonomically shaped with it's curved side battery panels and in my opinion looks super sexy! So let's give it a look.
In the Box
Contents:
1x VOOPOO Vmate Mod (no cell)
1x USB Cable
1x User Manual
1x Warranty card
1x Authenticity Gene Chip
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Voopoo Vmate came in quite simple cardboard box packaging, and once opened i saw a very un-Voopoo like Voopoo device, curvy and smaller than the average dual battery device. When i took the device out of the box i wouldn't say it's very light but certainly below average weight, i received the Black Waterfall with Pewter frame version. The Vmate comes in various designs with the choice of two different frames the choices are, Pewter or Silver frame in Wood, Rock Black, Red, Waterfall Black, Surf Blue, Camouflage Green, Camouflage Red or Emerald Green designs. The frame is Zinc alloy while the removable side panels are plastic which have a translucent glossy coating which has a glass look and feel but taping them with your fingernail gives the game away. The device looks very aesthetically appealing and apart from the cheap looking and feeling buttons Voopoo have done a good job of making it aesthetically look high end despite being made out of zinc alloy and plastic. The side panels are curved to the contour of your batteries making the device very ergonomic and the designs look very nice. The front and back have large pill shaped raised panels, on the front we have the middle third section of this panel housing the screen and the micro USB port at the bottom. The back has "VOOPOO" in Silver positioned centrally, on the base we have branding and safety stamps. Moving to the top and to one side is the fire button that gets pushed towards the 510 to fire rather than downwards, the other side has identical but split into two for your navigational buttons. Finally we have a central 510 plate on a raised platform, the 510 connection is Gold plated and spring loaded.
Vmate Specs and Features:
Zinc alloy construction
200W Powerful and lighter TC MOD
Spring-loaded firing button
Compact size and comfortable hand feeling
Upgraded Gene.Fan chip for stable and safe vaping
Lightweight with zinc alloy material
TC Range at 100-315°C/200-600°F
Resistance: 0.05-3.0ohm(Wattage Mode), 0.05-1.5ohm(TC Mode)
Power by 2 x 18650 (sold separately)
Supports 8 security protections & balance charging
510 threading connection
Firmware upgradable
Colours: Pewter or Silver frames in Wood, Rock Black, Red, Waterfall Black, Surf Blue, Camouflage Green, Camouflage Red, Emerald Green
Fitting The Batteries
To fit the 18650 batteries you need to remove the battery panels one either side of the device. They are removed with the help of a notch each side and secured with very strong magnets, we have battery ribbons just the right size to remove your batteries easily. I believe a better glue is now being used to keep the magnets in place on the inside of the panel (unless before they were just pressed fitted), i assume that because mine are absolutely fine but i do know some people have had the magnets getting pulled out the panel and staying on the device so if this happens i would use some strong glue to secure back in the panels. My only issue is poorly marked battery orientation.
Using the Vmate
The Vmate is the usual 5 clicks to turn on and 5 clicks to turn off the device. Once the device is on the Vmate has quite a basic screen which only displays the important information, the screen is bright enough and wattage or temperature is in large font and battery indication bars are a fair size, the other information is in very small font but due to the way the information is highlighted it can be read perfectly ok. At the top of the display we have the wattage which will be temperature when in temp control, underneath is 2 battery status bars, then we have a large highlighted area which has the other information in Black. First is the resistance, underneath is the voltage which changes to watts when in temp control and finally time vaped. Up and fire locks and unlocks the device, when the device is locked it will not fire. To change modes is 3 clicks of the fire button and with each 3 clicks it takes you to the next mode, the modes are Wattage, Temp SS, Temp Ni and Temp Ti. When in temperature control where it did display the voltage now displays the wattage and 4 clicks of the fire button allows you to adjust the wattage for temp control but you can only adjust between 10w to 80w. There is also a menu that can be accessed by pressing the up and down buttons together, the list that comes up is W, M 1-5, lock resistance, display serial number and display firmware version. No idea why the first option is "W" because it simply takes you back to the main screen and even if you were in temp control it will take you back to the main screen in temp control so it should say "Exit" as it's just to exit the menu. The next option is M 1-5 which gives you 5 memory curve settings for each mode again like when you change mode on the main screen 3 clicks of the fire button takes you to the memory slots for the next mode, when on the memory settings in the menu system pressing the fire button 4 times brings up the 10 part curve graph which you can adjust in the same way you adjust curves on most devices that have the feature. That pretty much covers it apart from the screen goes off after 30 seconds, any button press wakes it up and if vaping it doesn't slow ramp up. Finally when fitting your atty and choosing new coil the device has a smart feature where it automatically changes the wattage to what it thinks is an ideal wattage for resistance. I usually find this feature on devices pretty useless but actually i was using the Horus with a 0.29 build which i have been using at 40w and 45w (still deciding which i prefer) and the Vmate recommended 42w, who am i to argue!
My Experience Using The Vmate
As ever i must say i do not vape in temp control and i don't have access to charts so only review devices as a personal experience. Ramp Up! Ramp Up! Ramp Up! plenty of chips ramp up really quickly (some claim faster) but when using the Gene chip it always seems more impressive unless is it just Placebo? maybe, but if it seems impressive it is impressive as vaping is about personal experience. I love the ergonomics and feel of the device and the fire button although cheap feeling is very nice when actually using to vape. That is once you get use to knowing exactly which way to hold the device in relation to which side is the fire button, i did for a while sometimes press the navigational buttons by mistake but if using this device regularly you would get use to it. All wattage's i vaped at seemed accurate to me and although i can't say for certain if it does the full 200w i would think it's close. Having the 510 plate on a 25mm raised platform does seem a bit of a waste of real estate as without it up to 28mm wouldn't overhang although 26mm will look fine in my opinion. With the efficiency of the chip the battery life is very good and the Vmate is fully firmware upgradeable.
Final Thoughts
Super ergonomic and despite not being made out of high end materials Voopoo have given it an high end look, apart from the buttons that do feel on the cheap side it actually feels good quality as well with the coating on the plastic panels making them feel of much higher quality material. The Gene chip still impresses me and many people like simple displays but there are plenty of chips out there that are getting very close to the Gene so in my opinion Voopoo need to start thinking about moving to a colour screen and having more app style menu system etc, because if they don't when the Gene chip is no longer ahead Voopoo will be behind.
Likes
Aesthetically looks high end (apart from buttons)
very well made and feels good quality
Quite small for dual battery
Quite light
Very Ergonomic
Side panels (one battery fitted each side)
Centre 510
Temp control (not tested)
Power curves
Temp curves
Performance ( Gene chip, enough said)
Simple device to navigate
Smart mode seems better than on most devices
Efficient and good battery life
Firmware upgradeable
Dislikes
Mine is fine but i do know the magnets in the panels come out the sockets and left on the device with some devices, so will need to be glued if you are unlucky
Buttons feel and look quite cheap
Basic style screen
Poor marked battery orientation
Until you get use to it can find yourself accidentally pressing navigational buttons to fire.
Over 25mm atty's will overhang raised platform although 26mm barely and in my opinion look ok.
I would once again like to thank Pearl from Cigabuy for supplying the VOOPOO Vmate 200W TC Box MOD for the purpose of this review.
https://www.cigabuy.com/authentic-voopoo...13065.html
