Boxpods are all the rage lately and nearly every company out there at this point has released a pod system that follows a similar design. One of the top devices in this category for quite some time has been the Lostvape Orion or now the Orion Plus an Evolv DNA powered device that has both a premium feel and price tag associated with it. Until recently they were the only ones putting a DNA Go chip into a pod system, a chip which is synonymous with accuracy and performance. Queue Wismec with the release of the Preva DNA a new and direct competitor to the Lostvape Orion series and their first pod system to also use a DNA Go chip. I was quite surprised to see another boxpod with a DNA chip in it but it’s always nice to see a little healthy competition in the market. I picked mine up from Vapesourcing, an awesome retailer our of China with a focus on vape related products. Here are my honest thoughts on the Preva DNA from Wismec.

Package contents:

1 x Preva DNA 1 x Preva SS316 Dual 0.25ohm Cartridge(Pre-installed) 1 x Preva KTR 0.5ohm Cartridge 1 x Micro USB cable 1 x User manual 1 x Warranty card 1 x Warning card

Listed features and specs:

Dimensions: 43 x 18.6 x 96mm Weight: 136g E-liquid capacity: 3ml Battery capacity: 1050mAh Max charge current: 1A Output wattage range: 10-20W

Packaging and contents:

The kit comes packed in a smoked plastic crystal case that let’s you see the device inside while on the back you can see a list of the contents as well as some basic company info and an authenticity check sticker. In the kit you get the Wismec Preva DNA, a Preva SS316 Dual 0.25ohm cartridge(pre-installed), a Preva KTR 0.5ohm cartridge, a micro USB cable, a user manual, a warranty card and a warning card. Pretty standard stuff in the kit but it’s really nice to see it come with two pods out of the box as opposed to none at all.

The mod:

In hand the Preva feels solid. At 93mm tall, 43mm wide and 18.6mm thick it’s a bit taller, wider and thicker than the Orion devices but still manages to feel just as premium and maybe just a bit more robust. Built with an all metal frame it’s also a bit heavier(136g) with some nice metal accents on either side along with some embedded carbon fiber inlay panels. Some say it resembles Geekvapes line of Aegis devices and I can’t really disagree. I got the black version which has some very modest black on black Preva DNA branding along the bottom edge with the Evolv logo on the opposite side. On the back of the device is has Wismec stamped into the metal which is fairly subtle and on the working face there’s some texture stamped in with a series of chevrons pointing up towards the fire button. The fire button has a polygon sort of shape almost like a bow tie but standing upright. It just barely juts out from the device but is still easy to find and fire with either the thumb or index. Also on the working face towards the bottom of the device and sort of hidden amongst the chevron pattern are an LED indicator and the mode select button which are also both in the shape of chevrons.

At the top of the device much like other pod systems it holds a smoked plastic pod or cartridge as Wismec refers to it. It’s held in place with a series of magnets that do a pretty good job of keeping it in place but often when reaching into a pocket I’ll come out with just the pod in my hand since it’s not locked into the device in any way. On the very bottom of the Preva there’s a micro USB port for charging and for firmware updates on the DNA Go chip that runs it. It charges at a rate of 5V/1A and with a 1050mAh it generally lasts me through a typical workday and takes about an hour or so to fully charge.

Of course one of the biggest benefits of the Preva is the fact that it uses a DNA Go chip. A well proven board at this point and the same board that powers the Orion series of devices, so if you’ve ever used one before you’ll already be familiar with it. It has a max output of 20W and uses the usual five clicks to turn it on and off. With the mode select button you can change between three different power levels. You can also customize the levels by plugging it into a PC and using the Escribe software to set the three levels to your preference. It’s also got separate settings for both the 0.25Ohm and the 0.5ohm coils and when you attach a new pod it will automatically recognize it based on resistance. DNA Go chips also include a feature called ‘Replay’ which is supposed to let you ‘Replay’ the perfect puff but to be completely honest I’ve never really found the feature all that useful so beyond trying it out I don’t use the Replay feature myself.

The Pods and coils:

The Preva comes with two different pods, one has stainless steel dual coils and is rated 0.25ohm while the other comes with a single kanthal coil rated 0.5ohm. The pods looks incredibly similar to the pods that go with the Orion DNA Go with a built-in coil, drip tip and airflow control system. Like the original Orion pods they both have built-in coils so once they burn out you’ll have to replace the whole pod. I’d prefer to see replaceable coils instead of disposable pods like the newer Orion Plus pods if not for anything but to save the environment. One awesome feature unlike the Orion pods, it actually uses standard 510 drip tips so users can finally use the tips of their choice. Very few others do this which may seem like a small feature but it’s one that most vapers have wanted for some time. The tips that come equipped with the kit are both fairly wide bore so if you’re into MTL you’ll probably want to change it.





As mentioned the pods are made of a smoked plastic so like most pod devices out there you have to hold them up to the light to see the remaining liquid. They hold 3ml of liquid, 2 if you’re in a TPD region and have one of the most convenient fill methods I’ve ever used on a device. It’s basically a little sliding door on the top of the pod that you can just slide open with your thumb. It makes top ups supremely simple and pretty much completely mess free unless you overfill it. Right next to the fill port is the adjustable airflow ring which is nearly identical to that on the Orion with dual air holes and a sliding ring. I find because of the dual holes a really tight mouth to lung hit is nearly impossible and I tend to use it more for direct lung than I do mouth to lung.





Flavour and vapour production from either pod was actually quite similar to the pods from the original Orion DNA Go with the 0.25ohm dual coil coming out a bit fuller and a bit warmer. Of course you’re limited to the 20W the device is capable of outputting so performance can also be a bit limited. Flavour from these pods at least for me was on par with the pods from Lostvape and I found with both coils that break in time was considerable. It’s most likely from all the cotton they’re stuffed with but after about half a tank the flavour started to come through much better. Though it’s a new release I almost feel like the pods could use an update like maybe a mesh version and I would love to see one come with a single airflow hole for a proper MTL experience. As it stands you can still get a mouth to lung hit from this thing it’s just on the looser side on account of the dual airflow.

Overall:

Much like the Orion series the Preva is well made and I’ve got very little to actually complain about. It uses a proven and accurate chip, it’s solidly built, it comes with two pods, is regulated and easy to use. Personally I wouldn’t mind seeing some improvements on the pods and maybe a dedicated mouth to lung style pod as well but for now these ones will do. I really appreciate the fact that it ships with two pods and when looking around it appears to be selling for just a bit less than the newer Orion Plus which might make it a decent alternative for some. I’d say this one is well suited to nearly anyone looking for an easy to manage, compact and solidly performing pod device with the power and accuracy of a DNA chip.