It’s embarrassing to note after 13 years of vaping, but, due to a basic user error, my first experience of this new Geekvape vape kit was a mouthful of e-liquid.
The Geekvape Aegis Solo/S100 kit is designed for high VG e-liquid. I often say that when it comes to cloud-chasing tanks, but in reality you can often use high powered devices with VG:PG 50:50 e-liquids. It’s not ideal, but it will do in a crunch.
However, when I first got my sample, I was in the unusual position of not having a shortfill e-liquid (following a major clean up in my house!) I was also super keen to try the S100, so I put in some regular VG:PG 50:50 e-liquid - only to get a mouthful of e-liquid. I even tried it at several different wattages, but still ended up spitting out e-liquid into the sink.
I had to take the device apart, wash it, dry it and wait for the warehouse to send me some shortfills before I could try it again. I added a VG:PG 70:30 Cotton and Cable shortfill, and the device then worked perfectly.
That’s enough about me and my foolish newbie error, though. Let’s get into the meat of this device...
Update:
Above and below Geekvape S100 kit pictured with the Z Sub-ohm 2021 5ml tank
Look and feel
My kit was a sample device that came with the Geekvape Z Sub-ohm 2021 5ml tank, which is unfortunately not legal for sale in the UK due to the larger tank capacity.
While the design of the Z Sub-ohm 2021 looks great, the size of it is unbalanced with the mod - I really think that this tank needs to be on a bigger device for a more balanced look. Fortunately, the standard kit comes with the 2ml Geekvape Zeus tank, with the only difference being the capacity. This is considered to be one of the best tanks for sub-ohm vaping (although we think the Horizon Falcon II is a match for it) and I personally feel the S100 mod looks a lot better with the 2ml Zeus tank.
Other than that, the design is sleek and sophisticated with a tight fitting battery door. The faux stitched leather seems to be appearing on more and more devices at the moment, but it looks nice and is comfortable to hold.
Rich in features and function - but no fast filling
The Geekvape S100 comes packed with advanced modes.
However, I’ve been spoiled with previous devices. With the Zeus tank, you need to unscrew the tank to fill it up with e-liquid. While it only takes a few seconds to unscrew the top cap and insert an e-liquid bottle, I do prefer a slide-to-fill tank.
On the other hand, I appreciate the side button on the mod. It both looks great and allows you to quickly lock the device - which is important as when you have a 100 watt device, you really don’t want to pocket press it.
For the advanced vaper the choice of modes is great. You have simple power mode, bypass mode and VPC (variable power curve) mode. VPC mode allows you to select the output wattage for each of the first five seconds of each inhale.
For example, if you like a slow start followed by a more intense vape, you might set the 1st second to 50 watts, the 2nd second to 60 watts and the 3rd second to 70 watts. Or if you like a strong initial hit followed by a more gentle vape, you might do this in reverse.
You also get temperature control (TC), which are becoming rarer these days, with a choice of modes - NI, TI or SS, depending on the coil you use, or TCR. Fewer people seem to use temperature control these days, but they do carry the same advantages as before - longer lasting coils and a more consistent flavour.
The device will automatically recognise this resistance of the coil - and you can also choose to lock the resistance (for use in TC mode). What you don’t get is smart mode (which automatically selects the best wattage for the device). Smart mode takes the guesswork out of selecting the best wattage, lowering the difficulty of using the device, and the lack of this again means this device is very much for the advanced user.
The S100 is IP68 waterproof, dustproof and shockproof - so great for people who spend a lot of time outdoors. (I could have done with that on Saturday when I clogged up a simple vape device I’ve been testing with sand and mud while fishing :( )
Performance
Geekvape Z tanks are a superb option for cloud chasers, so it’s no surprise that when paired with a solid mod it performs really well. You don’t need to push the wattage to the max to get thick, dense, smooth clouds of vapour, and I found the rich sweet notes of Cotton and Cable Custard Tart really came through with this device.
What we don’t like
It’s probably already clear from this review that the main areas I’ve pointed out relate to ease of use. But this is a product very much designed for the advanced user. The lack of a sliding top fill is an annoyance, but a few seconds removing the top cap is no big deal.
A pet peeve of mine is the lack of a clear name. Is this the S100 or the Aegis Solo 2? The device seems to be called both in different places - it seems like Geekvape want to call it the S100 but also to capitalise on the success of the original Aegis Solo. (You can find the same with the tank too, as Geekvape can’t decide if it’s a Zeus or a Z tank.) But let’s face it, that’s not going to impact the performance.
One minor annoyance, although not one limited to the S100, is switching between modes or turning the device on or off. To switch between modes, you need to click the fire button three times. That means you end up firing the device three times, although only for a very short period of time.
The same goes for turning the device on or off (click five times). It may be a minor thing, and it’s something I have come across with a lot of other mods, but I’d love to see Geekvape’s engineers come up with a different solution for future iterations. That’s another reason I do like the lock button, as it means you don’t need to press the fire button.
Who’s it for?
It’s probably clear from this review now that this is a device for advanced users, or for experienced users aiming to notch their vaping up a level. The maximum wattage level of 100 can be beaten by other devices, but in reality there’s no need to go above this level unless you are building your own coils.
Do note that if you prefer inbuilt batteries, you might want to have a look at the Geekvape M100 kit. The mod in this kit is pretty much exactly the same except for an internal 2500mAh battery, but comes with the Z Nano 2 Tank instead of the Zeus tank.
Wrapping up
The Geekvape S100 is a solid device with enough features to satisfy advanced vapers who like to customise their vape. There’s certainly room for some improvements (and it would be nice to have the option of a 21700 battery) but at the end of the day it delivers excellent performance and great taste - and that’s what it’s all about.
Before you make a choice, though, do check out our round-up of the best vape mods available in the UK!
Tips and tricks
How do you use VPC mode on the Geekvape Aegis Solo 2?
This took me a while to work out, even with the manual in front of me. If you’re not already on VPC mode, click the fire button three times and then use the arrow keys to scroll through the menu until you get to VPC.
You then use the fire button to scroll through the five options - P1 through to P5. (The P stands for power, while the number equates to how many seconds you are through the inhale.) When any of the five options are selected, you can use the plus and minus buttons to increase or decrease the wattage in that option.
When you’ve finished playing with your settings (and yes, it’s fun to mess around with!) you can either long press the fire button to exit settings, or simply leave it for a couple of seconds so that it automatically comes back into fire mode.
