Aspire Zelos X Kit Review: Featuring the Nautilus 3 MTL Tank

Aspire has released their latest MTL kit, the Aspire Zelos X Kit. The Zelos X is a small kit that uses one 18650 battery and can fire at up to 80W. It uses the Smart ASP Chipset and features wattage, voltage, bypass, temperature control and CPS modes. 

The kit includes the Nautilus 3 tank, the latest in Aspire’s popular Nautilus series. It has a 22mm base diameter and will hold up to 3ml of ejuice. It features a unique bottom adjustable airflow design that is tailored for MTL vapers. This tank is compatible with all Nautilus series coils. This tank also features an interesting system that closes the wicking ports when you change the coil, allowing you to swap your coil even with a full tank of ejuice. 

Aspire is a vaping company that is known for their pod devices, with their most popular being their ‘Breeze’ pod vapes. This includes the original Aspire Breeze, Aspire Breeze 2, and Aspire Breeze NXT. But Aspire also produced a number of popular tanks, mods, and starter kits. The fact is that they have been in the vape game since the get-go and have been consistently producing genuinely great products.

Let’s find out if the Zelos X Kit makes the cut.

Box Contents

• 1 x Zelos X Mod
• 1 x Nautilus 3 Tank
• 1 x Nautilus Mesh 0.3Ω Coil
• 1 x Nautilus Mesh 1.0Ω Coil
• 1 x Spare Drip Tip
• 1 x O-rings Pack
• 1 x Manual
• 1 x Type-C Cable

Specifications

Aspire Zelos X Mod

• 83mm(height) x 37.5mm(depth) x 24.5mm(width)
• Takes One 18650 Battery
• 80W Maximum Output
• Output Voltage: 0.5-8.4V
• Smart ASP Chipset
• Watt, Voltage, Bypass, TC, CPS
• 0.96” TFT Color Screen

Nautilus 3 Tank

• 22mm Base Diameter
• 3ml Eliquid Capacity
• Bottom Adjustable Airflow
• Compatible with all Nautilus Series Coils
• Plug N Play Installation
• Self-closing Wicking Ports

Design & Build Quality

The Zelos X is a small mod with a height of 83mm, a depth of 37.5mm and a width of 24.5mm. It fits perfectly in my palm and even allows my small hands to wrap firmly around it. The Zelos series mods are known for their compact and ergonomic design and this device is no different.

The Zelos X is made of zinc aluminum alloy and feels very solid. You can tell right away that this device is made of high quality materials and made to last. For this review I have the Zelos X in the gun metal color which pairs well with the silver strips that run along the top and bottom of the device.

This device comes in 8 different colors; or rather color combinations because they all feature a silver band along the top and bottom of the device, except for the all black option. The Zelos X comes in the following colors: All Black, Black & Silver, Gunmetal, Metallic Silver, Red, Pink, Aqua Blue and Blue. I have to admit, the silver band does pair nicely with the Nautilus 3 tank that comes with the kit. 

At the top of the mod you will find a standard 510 connector plate. The plate is barely raised and allows the tank to sit pretty much flush on the mod. I think it’s safe to say even the most picky person wouldn’t notice it (mainly because I didn’t).

The display on the Zelos X is a nice update from the Zelos 3. The Zelos X has a cleaner display screen and the buttons have been squared off. The 0.96” TFT color display screen looks much more crisp and bright. You can also adjust the brightness to your liking. 

The fire button is above the screen and is firm with little to no rattle. The adjustment buttons (they are actually just one button) are just under the screen and are square as well. They feel firm with no rattle. I think that the build quality of the Zelos X is on par with Aspire’s other devices and definitely does not disappoint.

Finally, at the bottom of the Aspire Zelos X, you will find the battery door. The battery door is a threaded cap which I was able to remove with my fingers. Someone with larger hands may find it difficult to remove, but in this case you can use a coin to remove it as it does have a slot. I didn’t have any issues opening or closing the cap. The battery compartment is snug and my 18650 battery goes in nicely without any snagging. 

Alongside the battery door, on the bottom of the device, you will find the USB-C charging port. As we always mention, I strongly suggest that you use a dedicated vape battery charger to charge your batteries. However, if you are stuck without your charger it can be used to charge your battery while on the go. Just remember that using a battery charger will more evenly charge the battery as well as prolong its lifetime. 

Zelos X Features & Functions

The Zelos X uses a single 18650 battery which allows you the option of replacing the battery instead of waiting for the device to charge. Just like its predecessor, the Zelos 3, the Zelos X fires up to 80W. The Zelos X uses the Smart ASP chipset and has the following modes: wattage, voltage, bypass, temperature control and CPS. There does not seem to be a TCR mode or a way to change the TCR value. 

The 0.96” TFT color display shows orange and white font on black and makes it very clear to read. The display features the battery, lock symbol, wattage, voltage, amperage, resistance, and the puff counter. 

The Zelos X is a simple device and does not have a menu. You can change the brightness though, just simply hold down the power and bottom adjustment button and you will see a sunshine symbol pop up with the brightness bar below. Just use your adjustment buttons to increase or decrease the brightness. To exit, simply press the power button.  

To change the wattage you just use your adjustment buttons. You don’t have to go into a special menu for this, so I would suggest locking the device so you don’t accidentally increase or decrease your wattage while your device is in your bag or pockets. To lock or unlock the device press the power button three times. To power on/off your device, press the button 5 times. 

If you would like to change your mode hold down the power button and the top adjustment button until the mode starts flashing then use the adjustment buttons to scroll through wattage, voltage, bypass, temperature control nickel, temperature control titanium, temperature control, stainless steel, and cps. Once you are in the mode you would like to use, press and hold the power button for two seconds to select. To change the wattage while using temperature control, press and hold the power and top adjustment button, then use the power button to scroll to the wattage, then use the adjustment buttons to select the wattage. Then press and hold the power button and top adjustment button to set the wattage.  

Nautilus 3 Tank

The Nautilus 3 is the latest of Aspire’s Nautilus series. It has a 22mm diameter and holds up to 3ml of ejuice. It’s a great looking tank and is tailored for MTL vapers. The design is simple, but the tank has a few small details that give it an attractive appearance. The top cap has a series of circular indentations that run along its edge. The airflow control ring also has two strips of knurling that look good, while also adding some grip for adjusting the airflow.

The Nautilus 3 has a super cool feature that allows you to swap your coil even after you just filled up your tank. The wicking ports in the tank close when you remove your coil and this prevents eliquid from spilling out. Whether you have only a little bit of ejuice in the tank or it’s filled up, it doesn’t matter — you can still swap out your coil.

I cannot express how much I love this feature. In my opinion all vapes should have this. There is nothing worse than filling up your tank only to find that your coil has run its course. However, once while I was removing the bottom part of the tank to access the coil, the coil did get stuck to the bottom of the tank and because of this the wicking ports did not close quickly. 

I did not have a full tank of ejuice at this time so I didn’t have too much of an issue with leakage. I would suggest keeping the tank upside down until you remove the bottom part. If you are in the clear and it does not get stuck, it’s super easy to pull the coil out and the wicking ports close immediately. Installing the new coil was just as easy, just place it in the chamber area and screw the bottom part of the tank back on. 

As this tank is catered to MTL vapers, it comes with a standard 510 drip tip. It also comes with a smaller bore MTL drip tip that will provide a tighter draw.

To fill the tank you just slide the top cap back (there is a red arrow showing you where to slide) and fill. The fill port is lined with silicone under the top cap to prevent any leaking. I will say I have not had any leaking in that area.

As I mentioned previously, the tank holds up to 3ml of ejuice. This device did not come with any replacement glass to increase or decrease the tank size.

This kit comes with two nautilus coils: one Nautilus Mesh 0.3Ω Coil (rated for 23-28W) and one Nautilus Mesh 1.0Ω Coil (rated for 13-15W). However, if you’re looking for more variety in your coil options, the Nautilus 3 tank is compatible with all Nautilus series coils. 

The Nautilus series of coils includes 8 different coil options: 

• Nautilus Mesh Coil 0.3Ω (rated for 23-28W)
• Nautilus 2S Coil 0.4Ω (rated for 23-28W)
• Nautilus 2S Mesh Coil 0.7Ω (rated for 20-25W)
• Nautilus 2 Coil 0.7Ω (rated for 18-23W)
• Nautilus Mesh Coil 1.0Ω (rated for 13-15W)
• Nautilus BVC Coil 1.6Ω (rated for 7-11W)
• Nautilus BVC Coil 1.8Ω (rated for 10-14W)

Another cool feature of the Nautilus 3 tank is its unique airflow system. It features 7 different sized air-flow holes ranging in diameter from 0.8mm for a super tight MTL draw, up to 3mm for a loose MTL draw. 

The size of the airflow holes are:

• 0.8mm
• 1.0mm
• 1.2mm
• 1.5mm
• 1.8mm
• 2.5mm
• 3.0mm

The air-flow control ring is easy to adjust, with just the right amount of resistance. It is also on a stopper and will stop just after the smallest airflow hole so you can completely close off the airflow.

Performance

I am a huge fan of the Nautilus 0.3Ω mesh coil and paired with my Dollar Ejuice Club Strawberry Cheesecake, it was the perfect match. I liked this coil best when vaping at 28W while using the largest airflow hole (3mm). It’s a nice loose MTL draw. For this coil I preferred using either of the 2 largest airflow holes: 2.5mm and 3.0mm. The others were all too tight of a draw for me but you may find your preferences to be different. 

I used the Nautilus 1.0Ω mesh coil around 15W. With the airflow set to the largest hole it’s a medium MTL draw. Cutting the airflow down makes the draw progressively tighter until you reach a very, very tight MTL draw on the smallest airflow hole. It’s almost impossible to pull here so I’m not sure who would use this airflow hole. But if you like to struggle to draw then this is the perfect airflow for you.

The ejuice I used was a 70VG/30PG ratio. I didn’t notice any issues with wicking and I did not have any dry hits, however I did leave the vape alone for a few hours while I was out and I did notice some leakage through the air flow holes. It did, however, only happen that one time. 

Verdict

The Aspire Zelos X Kit is a solid kit for MTL vapers but it isn’t without its flaws. The Zelos X mod is small, lightweight, and simple to operate which makes it ideal for beginning and new vapers. While it doesn’t have TCR mode or an in-depth menu, the modes that it does offer (wattage, bypass, voltage, TC) and the performance in these modes will be more than good enough for the average vaper.

The Nautilus 3 tank is a tank that is good enough to be purchased separately so it’s awesome that it comes with this kit. MTL vapers will like that the airflow setup and available coils give you the ability to achieve any type of MTL draw that you’re after. The self-closing wicking port is a nice feature too — when it works. The coil sticking to the bottom portion of the tank when you remove it kind of defeats the point of this feature and means that you’ll sometimes still end up spilling ejuice if you try to change the coil with a full tank of ejuice. 

If you’re a MTL vaper then you’ll be happy with the Zelos X kit. Just don’t count on the self-closing wicking ports on the Nautilus 3 to save you from an ejuice disaster.

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