APUS X 50K Review: A Disposable That Gets the Important Things Right

Design & Build Quality

The APUS X 50K is a fairly standard size and shape for this type of big-puff disposable, measuring approximately 90mm in height, 50mm in width, and 28mm in depth. That’s palm-sized for most people, and the oblong shape, combined with its smoothly rounded corners and edges, makes it very comfortable to hold.

The body is 100% plastic, as expected for a disposable, which makes the whole thing very light. However, it feels like very solid plastic, which gives the whole thing a nicely robust feel. Hardly the most important consideration in a vape that will be discarded when it is empty, but I tend to feel that any brand willing to use high-quality materials on the outside is more likely to use quality components (such as the coil and battery) on the inside.

The most unique design feature of this vape is the transparent e-liquid tank. While not unusual to see in refillable vapes, disposables more commonly hide their vape juice behind their plastic facade. This is a really nice quality-of-life feature of the APUS X, making it so much easier to know when you’re getting close to empty and it’s nearly time to order a new one. Another nice thing about the tank is that it isn’t initially connected to the rest of the system, but more about that later.

The mouthpiece, which is nicely sculpted from the top of the e-liquid tank, uses the duck-bill format. It is relatively small and slim, making it very comfortable to use and very easy to form a proper seal with your lips.

Features

Being a disposable, the APUS X is hardly what I would consider to be a feature-rich vape. But it certainly has a few worth talking about, and the one you will need to immediately interact with when taking the device out of the box is the disconnected tank I mentioned earlier. The tank comes attached to the battery, but not actually connected. It is essentially a sealed unit, which means that the e-liquid inside has been shielded from contact with oxygen. The thought process behind this is that the shelf-life of the APUS will be improved, and that the end-user (you) will get e-liquid that is as fresh as possible.

Pressing the tank firmly down onto the body pierces the seal on the tank and connects the heating element to the battery. Once clicked into the proper position, the tank feels like a fixed part of the device and very secure. I didn’t have any concerns that it might come loose and leak vape juice in my pocket.

Another feature worth talking about, which goes back to my earlier comment about quality outside often equating to quality inside, is the 0.6Ω ceramic coil that has been used in the APUS X. Ceramic is often considered to be one of the best materials for coils, as they heat more evenly than metal coils, which provides a more consistent and flavorful draw. Ceramic coils also tend to last and retain the optimum performance for longer than other types of coils. This is why premium and pro vapes tend to have them, and it is great to find one inside a disposable.

Yet another feature that not all disposable vapes include is adjustable airflow. Many will have a simple airflow hole that can be covered with your finger for a tighter draw, but a proper airflow slider is more unusual to see. As you might have worked out from that introductory sentence, the APUS X has an airflow slider, stashed away on the base of the device. And this is not just some afterthought to bump up the feature list. The slider has several holes, allowing airflow to be adjusted in increments, and really makes a difference to the draw.

Finally, let’s talk about the battery. This device contains an impressive 1200mAh cell, which is more than enough for multi-day vaping on a single charge if you aren’t hitting it too hard. In my tests, two days of use was the average before I felt the need to plug it in, but even then, there was still life left in it. To help you decide if it’s time to recharge, there are LED battery indicator lights on the base.

• 3 LEDs: Above 70% battery remaining
• 2 LEDs: Between 30% and 70% battery remaining
• 1 LED: Under 30% battery remaining

Recharging is done via the USB Type-C port, also located on the base. No cable is supplied with the device, but that’s hardly unusual in a disposable (in fact, getting a cable would be pretty unique). I’m not entirely sure if it is rated 1A or 2A, but charging that 1200mAh battery seemed pretty quick. The average during my tests was about 45 minutes from dead, and as little as 15 minutes to charge from 70% (approximately) remaining.

Flavors

The APUS X 50K is available in 15 different flavors, which is about standard for an individual range of disposables. The available flavors include: Apricot Watermelon, Arctic Mint, Blue Razz Ice, Mexico Mango, Nectar Bliss, Sour Apple Ice, Sour Fcuking Fab, Summer Mist, Strawberry Kiwi, and White Gummy Ice. While I wasn’t lucky enough to test every flavor, I have had the chance to savor a handful. Here’s my take on each.

Arctic Mint

A classic menthol taste with a bit of extra sweetness. There’s a bit of “Ice” effect on the throat, but not too much, which results in a pleasant and fairly mild draw. The thing this flavor most reminded me of was one of my favorite mint candies, Mentos.

Mexico Mango

Intensely fruity, but also quite sweet. I was almost expecting a hint of chilli or something else a little spicy, but I can’t say this was evident. I’m not a huge fan of mango as a vape flavor, nor am I a fan of sweet juices, so this wasn’t for me. But if you like the sweet fruit flavors, you’ll love this.

Blue Razz Ice

There are few vape flavor ranges that don’t include Blue Razz or Blue Razz Ice, and that is just fine by me. It might not be the most exciting or unique flavor profile, but I have rarely found one I didn’t enjoy. A nice mix of fruitiness, some sweetness, and a strong Ice kick. I could vape this all day.

Watermelon Ice

Another classic flavor, likely due to its continuing popularity among vapers. I sometimes find the Watermelon overshadows the Ice in this flavor mix, but that isn’t the case here. It is fruity, refreshing, and has a nice Ice kick that hits the back of the throat at the end of the draw.

Sour Fcuking Fab

Undoubtedly, my favorite APUS X flavor among those I tried. This is a complex mix of raspberry, mint, ice, and other fruits that never failed to please me when I took a draw. It is pretty sweet, which would normally put me off a bit, but the mint and ice flavors help to dampen down that sweetness.

How do they vape?

As might be expected, the APUS X is an MTL vape, even with that larger airflow. It just doesn’t have the wattage and low coil resistance to be anything else, and that’s fine. MTL is what users expect from disposables, and that it what you’ve got here.

With the airflow fully closed, the draw is very tight. You can still get some vapor, but it isn’t likely to be very satisfying for most vapers. I tended to enjoy it best with the airflow halfway open as this kept the draw tight enough for an enjoyable MTL experience, but allowed me to get a decent lungful of vapor. When I needed a bigger hit, running it with the airflow fully open provided it.

The flavor and vapor production are generally pretty consistent, thanks to that ceramic coil, but I did notice a slight drop-off in both when the battery was very low. That’s to be expected, and it didn’t feel like it was as steep a drop-off as I have experienced with other similar disposables. These devices are currently only available in 5% (50mg/ml) strength, which might be a bit much for some users, but there was none of the harshness that you sometimes get with strong e-liquids, at least in the flavors I tested.

Verdict

All in all, the vaping experience is great. The battery lasts well, the airflow allows a greater degree of adjustment than many disposables, and the battery indicator lights help alert you to when a recharge is needed. The coil fires quickly and efficiently, and I experienced no spitback or flooding.

The available flavors are varied and interesting, even among the handful I got to try. When you take into account the other 10 that are in the range, there is almost certainly going to be something for everyone. I particularly liked the Blue Razz Ice and Sour Fcuking Fab, but would also be very interested in trying Nectar Bliss, Sour Apple Ice, and White Gummy Ice.

I can’t really tell if the disconnected tank setup keeps the e-liquid in better condition than in a tank that is already connected, but the flavors all certainly seemed rich and deep to me. The idea undoubtedly makes sense, and even if the advantages are minimal, it’s a nice feature. The transparent e-liquid tank is also a nice touch, making it easy to plan when you need to buy a fresh APUS X. It isn’t going to change your life, but it’s another QoL feature missing from so many other disposables.

If you are looking for a sensibly-sized big-puff vape that will last for a couple of weeks (or even longer), with a great selection of flavors, multi-day battery life, and adjustable airflow, the APUS X 50K should definitely be on your shopping list. It provides a lot of high-quality vaping for its $15 price tag, and I doubt many disposable fans will be disappointed.