Here’s a look at a new kit from the folks over at Coilart and I believe it’s also their first foray into the world of pod mods. It’s a rather slick little device that’s sure to catch the eye with it’s smooth lines and attractive design. It’s called the Mino and here’s what I think of it so far.

Package contents:

1 X MINO POD BATTERY

1 X EXTRA POD CARTRIDGE

1 X USB CABLE

Listed features and specs:

All in One System

Draw Activated Firing

13W Maximum Output

Refillable MINO Pod System

2ml Capacity

1.8ohm Atomizer Resistance

Proprietary Connection

Gold Plated Proprietary Connection

Pod Acts as Tip

320 mAh Built In Battery

LED Battery Life Indicator

USB Charging Port

Red, green, blue, black

Packaging and contents:

It comes in a very clean looking white box with nice foil printed branding. All the details of the kit and some warnings on the back, it also sports a couple stickers on the side, one to distinguish the colour of the kit and an authenticity check label. Inside the kit you get the Mino Pod battery, a Mino Pod/cartridge and a braided micro USB cable. I believe the kit I received was a pre-release sample which also included a small unicorn bottle and a QA card but what the final version will included may vary slightly. It’s a well presented kit but the one I got only came with one pod which I think is a shame.

The mod:

The little Mino mod is a super slick little device with dimensions about the same as a Bic lighter but with the tip making it about a cm taller. It’s got a 320mAh internal battery, is mostly made of metal and feels really robust in the hand compared to so many plastic pod devices I’ve held. On either side it’s sandwiched by what look like resin panels that are colourful with varying designs depending on which colour option you chose. The finish on the exposed metal parts is like chrome very shiny and smooth to the touch. Just a subtle bit of branding graces the bottom of the device with the name Mino printed just above the micro USB port which is located on the very bottom the device. Just above the name Mino there is a small LED indicator which lights up to show when it’s firing or when it’s charging. The light will shine white when the battery is above 40%, yellow between 21-40% and red if it’s below 20%. When charging it will flash white and will stay lit when fully charged.

It’s a direct output device meaning whatever the battery has left is what it’s outputting so the experience does start to decline when the battery begins to drop. It’s more noticeable as the battery declines but you can still get a decent pull from it though it may require a primer pull if it’s really low. For safety features it has the usual things we’d expect to see like low battery protection, an 8 second cutoff, open circuit protection and short circuit protection. I know some will find the 8 second cutoff a bit short but for the majority it should be more than enough.

The pod:

The pod that comes with the device is made of plastic holds 2ml of liquid and as mentioned is rated at 1.8ohms. Both the pod and the device have nice gold plated connections and are held together with a couple of rather strong magnets. Unlike many other pod systems I’ve seen the Mino doesn’t rely on any friction or clips to hold it in place just the strength of the magnets and at first I was a bit leery but in my time with the device I’ve not once had it come out accidentally save one time when pulling it out of my pocket while sitting down and I happened to grab it by the pod end. It does leave a slight bit of wiggle between the pod and the device but I don’t tend to notice it unless I’m pushing on the pod.







The pod has a little door on the bottom side that flips open to reveal two holes. One can be used to fill while the other will act as a vent. Though I’ve only had the one pod to really test it with I’ve been using it for over a week steady and haven’t had any issues as of yet.

Usage and Performance:

The device has a really nice right mouth to lung draw, not super crazy tight but tighter than a lot of the other pod devices I’ve come by which for me is a real treat. I find so many pod devices don’t quite offer that tight mouth to lung draw a lot of former smokers crave but the Mino delivers, at least for me. As I’ve said I’ve been using it for over a week steady and I’ve filled it at least a half dozen times with no sign of it giving up yet. Flavour is crisp and full though it does give a fairly modest hit so it’ll probably do better with the higher strength and more flavourful liquids. I’ve been using a 45mg liquid in it and it’s been perfect for my tastes. Spitback has been minimal if any though I have gotten a tiny bit of condensation buildup which you kind of expect with devices like this. If I’m using it as a secondary I tend to get a full day out of it but if I’m using it as a primary driver I’ll usually need to top up before the end of the day.

Overall:

While I’ve got to admit there’s nothing particularly ground breaking about the Mino it’s somehow managed to become one of my new favorite pod devices. There’s something about it’s fit and finish that just makes it extremely satisfying to grip and hold. I’ve literally been taking it with me everywhere since it arrived, now if I can just find some pods for it…