Uwell is known mainly for their success with sub-ohm tanks, but they’re really expanding their horizon with the Caliburn Pod System, a vaporizer that some are calling the latest and greatest in ultra-portable vape technology. How does it stack up against the rest of the pod systems out there?
We’ll discuss exactly that full review of the Uwell Caliburn Pod System, and by the end, you’ll know whether or not this is the ultra-portable vape for you. Without further ado, let’s jump into this review.
The Uwell Caliburn’s Design
The Uwell Caliburn features a very premium design that will be appealing to a lot of people. It’s just over four inches tall with its pod attached. For reference, that makes it only a fraction of an inch taller than the Juul, and what it offers in terms of power and features definitely makes up for that difference.
The Caliburn utilizes an advanced atomizer pod that will do a lot of favors for its vapor’s flavor and volume, and it’s packing a battery that’ll provide more than enough power for a day’s worth of use. Your experience could vary as the battery life depends largely on how often you vape.
Build Quality
First of all, the Caliburn is built extremely well, utilizing aluminum construction. Aluminum is a go-to for a lot of the premium devices out there, and there’s a good reason for that. It offers a durability to weight ratio that’s hard to beat. It isn’t as durable as something like stainless steel, but it’s significantly lighter.
Aluminum’s durability is more than sufficient for a unit like this, so a heavier material would add weight without providing a meaningful advantage. In my opinion, it was the perfect choice for this particular unit.
Portability
This unit is larger than a lot of the ultra-portables out there, but its power output and features make up for it. If you want more features and a powerful battery, there will usually be a trade-off in terms of either the unit’s size or weight.
Still, most people will barely even notice this vape while it’s in their pocket. That being said, the extra space that it occupies isn’t significant enough to be a real drawback. Overall, I’d say that this unit’s portability is more than acceptable for what if offers.
Ease of Use
Using the Uwell Caliburn is a very straightforward yet versatile experience. It features a fire button as well as draw-activation. You don’t see both in one system very often, but I’m very glad to see someone do this. Each draw method offers its own unique advantages.
Draw activation makes the entire user experience seem a lot more fluid and seamless, but the fire button adds some extra functionality. For instance, you can fire the atomizer a fraction of a second before you actually take a draw with a fire button, which can ramp up your vapor production. It also changes the flavor a little bit, and you might prefer the way that it tastes.
Either way, this pod system gives you options, which is a big plus. The pod is easy to fill, but removing it can be somewhat difficult. It isn’t necessarily going to be stressful, but compared to other pod systems, the fit seems to be a little tight. This a very small drawback in what is otherwise a very user-friendly experience.
Look and Feel
The aluminum construction is great for the unit’s durability, but it does a lot for its overall aesthetic as well. It looks great, and it’s cool to the touch. The ridges on the side of the unit make it look well-machined and high-quality, and it offers a bit of extra grip as well. It comes in a variety of finishes, so before moving onto the specifications, let’s go over those.
·Black
·Purple/Pink
·Red
·Blue
·Grey
·Pink
Every color and its corresponding finish look very nice, and there’s pretty much something for everyone here. Now that we’ve talked about the Uwell Caliburn’s general design and functionality, let’s dive into the specifics.
The Uwell Caliburn’s Specifications
There’s a lot to love about the Uwell Caliburn. It occupies a somewhat underutilized space in the ultra-portable market. You get a little more power with this unit than you do with a lot of ultra-portable, and the resulting size difference isn’t enough of a disadvantage to repel most vapers.
The extra size is due in large part to the battery’s capacity and output. However, the extra power isn’t the only reason for its stature, so let’s take a closer look at a few of the highlights under the hood. We’ll also go into more detail regarding the reason for its size when we talk about the unit’s vapor quality.
·The Caliburn is 110mm x 21.2mm x 11.6mm.
·It features a removable 520mAh battery.
·That battery provides an 11-Watt, 3.2 – 4.0 Volt power output.
·Utilizes Direct Voltage Based Output
·Its pod’s resistance ranges from 1.2 – 1.5 Ohms.
·The pod features a dual-firing mechanism for better flavor.
·It has an LED battery life indicator.
·Made with an aluminum alloy
·The pod utilizes a top fill system with two 3.5mm fill ports.
·It has a gold-plated, magnetic charging port.
·Features a low power alert and a 10-second automatic cut-off for safety.
This is a pretty impressive feature set for an ultra-portable, and maybe you’re already starting to see why this unit needs to take up a little more space than your average pod system. A system’s design and feature set directly translate to its performance, so let’s talk about the vapor quality that all of this technology makes possible.
The Uwell Caliburn’s Vapor Quality
Overall, the vapor that you get from the Uwell Caliburn is pretty great for its size. It owes its quality both to its 11-Watt battery and its flavor-enhancing features. The biggest factor to consider here is the Uwell Caliburn’s proprietary dual-firing mechanism that’s built into the unit’s pod. If you look at the bottom of the pod, you’ll notice that it has two power connections.
It has two connections because there are two individual coils within this pod, and each is powered respectively via its corresponding connection. This benefits the unit’s overall vapor production as well as the vapor’s flavor.
Vapor Production
The vapor production isn’t mind-blowing if you’re used to using larger vaporizers, but it’s very good for an ultra-portable system. Its battery offers 11 Watts of output, which is enough power for the Caliburn to outperform the majority of its competitors.
The Caliburn utilizes a dual-firing mechanism that naturally takes up more space than the single-firing mechanisms that you find in the aforementioned Juul and other pod systems like it. Contrary to popular belief, having twice as many coils won’t give you twice the vapor production.
It will, however, significantly increase your vapor production thanks to the increased coil surface area. When your coil heats up, the e-liquid that’s contacting its surface is turned into vapor. Naturally, having two coils and twice the surface area does benefit the overall vapor production.
Despite having twice the surface area, each individual coil shares the same battery, so they take longer to reach a given temperature than a single coil would. To double the vapor production, you’d need a battery with twice as much power in addition to having two coils.
An extra coil and a pod system that takes advantage of it naturally add to the unit’s size, but if the flavor and vapor production are worth it to you, it’s a worthwhile trade-off. Again, the extra vapor quality that Uwell manages to provide with this slight increase in size is pretty impressive.
Flavor Quality
First of all, having two coils with a little space in between is a lot better than having one big coil. The individual coils have their own individual airflow systems, so the vapor comes out cooler than it would otherwise.
Basically, you get as much vapor as you would with one massive coil, but dividing it into two coils with their own individual airflow systems spreads out the heat that would otherwise be accumulating in the same area. This cooler draw drastically benefits the unit’s flavor quality.
Additionally, the pod is just extremely well-made, and it provides just the right amount of air to keep your vapor flavorful without negatively impacting its vapor production. Uwell struck a very nice balance, and I’d assume that the development of this pod required a lot of tweaking to get it just right.
The flavor and the vapor production both benefit greatly from this awesome little dual-firing pod. It’s a great overall package that I could easily recommend to most vapers. Specifically, this will be great for you if you’re looking for an ultra-portable that provides a little more kick than the average pod system.
Best E-liquid for the Uwell Caliburn Pod System
A lot of people are deterred from ultra-portables because they don’t think that they can provide a satisfactory amount of vapor. Moreso, they believe that an ultra-portable can’t provide a satisfactory amount of nicotine. If clouds are what you’re worried about, an ultra-portable isn’t the way to go.
On the other hand, if the apprehension is due to nicotine content, you shouldn’t be worried. In 2019, pod systems can provide you with just as much nicotine as a mod, and that concentration of nicotine won’t necessarily impact the quality of your vapor’s flavor.
Most users fill their pods with e-liquid that utilizes nicotine salt. Nicotine salt e-liquids can provide more than double the nicotine that you’d find in a regular e-liquid, and the vapor that it provides is still flavorful and smooth.
So if you want your fix without carrying a massive a battery in your pocket, you can definitely do that. Due to the amount of power the Uwell Caliburn is working with, nicotine salt is going to be the best option for most Caliburn users. Any nicotine salt e-liquid will do the trick. Just find a flavor that you like and give it a world.
Most major e-liquid brands now offer their own respective lines of nicotine salt e-liquids. Visiting your favorite e-liquid brand’s website and browsing their nic salt selection is a good place to start.
The Uwell Caliburn: A Power-Oriented Ultra-Portable
If you’ve been thinking about getting an ultra-portable pod system, the Uwell Caliburn is a great option. It’ll be ideal if you’re looking for something with more power than the majority of the pod systems out there. If it seems like a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to give it a try.