DOJO iMate X 20K Review: An Ecosystem With Huge Potential

Design & Build Quality

The DOJO iMate X 20K is composed of two parts: a battery (screen) and a pod. The battery is the “brain” of the device, housing a 1.7-inch HD LCD display, and the bulk of the 1300mAh total capacity with its 900mAh battery. The battery is small and slim, measuring only 62.35mm tall, 47mm wide, and 12.8mm thick.

The disposable pod that comes with the iMate X 20K kit houses 15ml of ejuice and a 400mAh battery. This pod portion of the iMate X 20K is much larger than the battery portion, measuring 97.35mm tall, 54mm wide, and 22mm thick.

Neither piece is impressive on its own. The battery (screen) doesn’t house any ejuice, so it isn’t useful without the pod. On the other hand, the pod can be used as a standalone device, but it’s not the complete experience.

But just how do they go together? The battery (screen) attaches magnetically to the pod and docks inside it. Once connected, the battery can be set to one of two positions in the pod: up or down. Sliding the battery upwards connects it to the pod and allows the two pieces to work as one. Sliding the battery down disconnects communication between the two pieces.

The magnetic connection is strong and tightly holds the pod and battery together. Once attached together, the iMate X 20K feels like a single solid device. As a whole, the iMate X 20K is 96.85mm tall, 53.96mm wide, and 32.3mm thick and it weighs around 108g.

It’s fun to fidget with the iMate X 20K, sliding the battery up and down in the pod. But as entertaining as it is to play around with, the gap between the pod and the battery looks admittedly weird.

The 12mm gap looks out of place, and I can’t help but feel like a snug and flush fit would have been better. But while the iMate X 20K might look better if it was a flush fit between the battery and pod, it wouldn’t be as versatile. More on this in the features section.

Depending on what flavor you get, each pod comes in a different color scheme. The pod has either a white or black outer shell, and a colored ribbed inner shell. The colors are all pastel and quite vibrant. However, since most of the color is hidden when the battery is connected, the color doesn’t stand out too much and adds a nice accent to the device.

The back of each pod features a DOJO logo with a mountain backdrop. The flavor is printed underneath.

When the ejuice in the pod is finished, you keep the battery for use with a new pod. While this disposable pod is the first in the series, DOJO plans on releasing refillable pods and 0% nicotine prefilled pods in the future, all of which will be compatible with the reusable battery.

Features

When slid upwards and connected to the pod, the 900mAh battery charges the 400mAh battery in the pod. It also allows you to switch between ECO and POWER modes by pressing the button on the battery twice. Additionally, the HD LCD screen on the battery displays the remaining ejuice level and battery life when connected. 

The battery life percentage displayed in the upper right corner of the display is only the battery life of the 900mAh battery. To see the battery life of the pod, you have to take a draw while the two pieces are connected. An animation will play, followed by individual battery life readouts for the 900mAh battery and 400mAh pod. Following this, the screen displays the remaining ejuice percentage.

If you want to get the most battery life out of the DOJO iMate X 20K, you’ll want to keep the battery slid down and disconnected from the pod while you’re vaping. When you set the device down or put it in your pocket, you can connect the two pieces to allow the battery to charge the pod.

Being able to disconnect the two pieces while leaving them magnetically attached is great as it keeps you from losing the battery. You can also choose to keep the screen turned off for those moments where discreetness is desired. This is the versatility that I was talking about earlier in the Design section of this review. Sure, the design may not look flush, but it’s function over form for DOJO, and I respect it.

The display is so crisp and clear that it almost doesn’t look like a screen. It’s legitimately a high-end cell phone quality display. The screen almost looks like a physical sticker, it’s really unbelievable quality.

Adding to the awesome display are fourteen different themes. Each theme has a different UI, color, and wallpaper background. What I like the most is that DOJO has specifically made the themes to match the color of the devices, so if you’re particular like me, you can pick the right color theme to match your device. I think the last six themes are the nicest, but this all comes down to personal preference.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the TFC (Temperature Flavor Control) technology. Each iMate X 20K has a smart chip that automatically adjusts the power, and thus the temperature, for each flavor.

This results in better flavor, depending on the flavor profile. For instance, a stronger flavor will be allowed to reach a higher temperature to get the most out of it, while a lighter flavor will be restricted to a lower temperature to express those lighter notes. More on this in this review’s “How do they vape?” section.

Unfortunately, despite the other great features, the iMate X 20K does not offer an airflow adjustment. However, vapers who prefer their mouth-to-lung draw a little tighter will appreciate the draw.

Flavors

At launch, the iMate X 20K offers fifteen flavors:

• Baja Splash MTD
• Blue Razz Ice
• Blue Straw Splash
• Hawaii Dream
• Mango Straw
• Miami Mint
• Peachy Smash
• Pink Lemonade
• Sour Apple B-Pop
• Sour Batch Watermelon Peach
• Sour Cranapple
• Sour Gush
• Strawberry Slam Dunk
• Watermelon Ice
• White Grape Ice

I’m going to describe how five of these flavors taste to me and what I think of them. However, keep in mind that just because I like a flavor, that does not mean that you will like it. Similarly, if I don’t like a flavor, this does not mean that you will not like it. This is solely my subjective opinion.

Sour Apple B-Pop

This is a really good sour apple flavor because of the combination with blow-pop flavors. The sour apple flavor is mildly tart; not too sour but just sour enough while still being equally sweet. The blow-pop flavor comes in on the exhale, adding a nice light gum taste.

Watermelon Ice

The taste is what I expect from a flavor called Watermelon Ice: watermelon and some cooling. The ice is decent, but maybe not as strong as die-hard ice vapers will want. The watermelon flavor is good as well, accurate and sweet.

Pink Lemonade

The lemonade flavor is done incredibly well here. The lemon taste is great, and the fruity strawberry flavor complements it nicely. It’s a light and refreshing vape with a bit of lemonade tang–perfect for summer!

Hawaii Dream

This flavor is a medley of mango, orange, pineapple, and honeydew. The tropical fruit flavors are blended together, so it’s hard to pick them out individually, but as a whole, this flavor has an excellent taste. If you like any of the above fruits, I would highly suggest trying this flavor.

Blue Razz Ice

The ice in the flavor is heavier than Watermelon Ice, so it’s likely more at an appropriate level for a hardcore ice vaper. The blueberry and raspberry flavors are also complemented by strawberry, which gives it a unique taste. It’s quite sweet, more so than any of the other flavors that I tried, but I enjoy it very much.

How long do they last?

The iMate 20K is not an ultra-high-puff-count disposable, with a puff rating of 20,000 puffs. However, you can still get decent mileage from these pods, especially if you exclusively use ECO mode. The draw is not as powerful as POWER mode, but this may be a bonus for some, as these are only available in 50mg/ml strength.

I easily managed two to three days of use from a charge, and that’s with a lot of playing around with the screen, swapping different themes, and checking the pod and battery charge.

Since the pod and battery portions of the iMate 20K each have their own battery, it’s interesting to see how they interact with each other.

I noticed that the pod only gets to 100% charge when the battery is connected in the upright position and plugged into a wall charger. After this, the battery (screen) maintains the pod at 80-85% and keeps the rest of the charge for itself.

While you use the iMate 20K, and this is if you keep the two pieces connected with the battery in the up position, the battery (screen) will drain down to 5-10%, and then start using the battery from the pod.

It’s clever because this arrangement means that the battery (screen portion) always keeps enough charge to be able to turn on. I haven’t ever had the battery (screen) die on me. When the pod and battery (screen) each reach 1% battery, the screen alerts you that the battery is low and it’s time to charge.

It’s even better when you have multiple batteries (screens). You can just swap one onto your pod and continue vaping as usual. This separate battery (screen) and pod can be used in a multitude of ways to maximize vaping time and minimize downtime, which is very cool stuff.

When the battery (screen) and pod are both depleted of a charge, it takes one hour to get them both back up to 100%. You’ll just want to remember to keep the screen in the up, connected position while it charges to charge both pieces.

How do they vape?

Even though these might look like the disposable vapes of the future, they vape very much like what I expected from a disposable vape of today. That’s not a bad thing either. They’re satisfying, have a nice mouth-to-lung draw that is on the tighter side, and the flavors are fruity, familiar, and tasty.

These disposables are powered by VAPORESSO, so it’s no surprise that they have some pretty nifty technology and excellent performance behind them. The most surprising feature for me has been the TFC (Temperature Flavor Control) technology. I’m always skeptical of new “technologies” that vaping companies develop because, half the time, they don’t seem to do much at all.

But in this case, I noticed a difference between the Pink Lemonade flavor, which has lighter notes, and the Hawaii Dream flavor, which has heavier notes.

Pink Lemonade feels like the vapor is cooler, allowing for the nuances of the lemonade and strawberry to come through. On the other hand, Hawaii Dream feels hotter, allowing all those mixed fruit flavors to pop. I noticed the difference, and you will too if you compare the flavors yourself.

Keeping on the topic of flavor, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. The flavors are constant and consistent, not changing between charges. It’s not like a typical sub-ohm tank where flavor starts dropping off after a few days; no, it’s the same even after days and hundreds of puffs.

Verdict

When I reviewed DOJO’s Sphere X disposables, I was already impressed by the quality of their devices. Now, after reviewing the iMate X 20K, I’m utterly convinced that DOJO is the real deal. 

As you would expect from a device powered by VAPORESSO, the iMate X 20K is thoughtfully designed, practical, and a great performer. The interaction between the battery (screen) and pod has been carefully designed to make for a flawless experience when connected, but it isn’t necessary to do so at all times.

You can slide the battery up to check battery life, ejuice levels, and to change modes. Then, you can quickly and easily slide the battery down to preserve battery life and increase discreetness. Even if you don’t do this and keep the battery and pod connected at all times, the battery is smart enough to keep enough charge for itself so that it doesn’t die before the pod does.

I’m seeing the iMate X 20K kit (battery + pod) for $16, which is not bad at all. Replacement pods, which you’ll reuse the battery with, are $11. Again, not bad pricing and you can do your part for the environment at the same time with less battery waste.

The iMate X 20K is a very impressive device, and I’ll be keeping my eye on the iMate series for refillable pods and 0% nicotine prefilled pods that are coming out soon.

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