DRAG X3 & DRAG S3 Review: VOOPOO’s Latest Pod Mods Tested

Design & Build Quality

If you’ve read our review on the DRAG X2 and DRAG S2, you’ll know that the design of those devices wasn’t much different from the originals. But that’s not the case with the DRAG X3 and DRAG S3. Putting them side by side with their predecessors, you can easily tell that these are different devices entirely. While they still have that familiar “DRAG” styling, there’s no mistaking them for their older siblings.

The DRAG X3 is radically different from the DRAG X2. Instead of adjustment buttons and a standard display, it has a massive 1.66” touchscreen. It’s a large device at 132.7mm tall, 27.8mm wide, and 34.2mm deep, but it looks and feels ultra premium.

The parts that aren’t nicely painted zinc-alloy are wrapped in high-quality leatherette, complete with real (and well-done) stitching along the edges. The DRAG X3 looks like a device from 2025, and you can easily tell it’s the newer device when it’s placed beside the DRAG X2.

The same can’t be said of the DRAG S3. Placed side-by-side with the DRAG S2, it looks like the DRAG S3 is the older device. That being said, I don’t think it looks bad; it just doesn’t look like it has taken that modern leap forward in design like the DRAG X3. The rectangular plastic buttons and small display are prime reasons why.

The DRAG S3 is similarly fashioned in zinc-alloy and leatherette, both of which are very high-quality. I have to give credit where credit is due; the leatherette on these devices features top-notch craftsmanship. 

The 3000mAh battery in the DRAG S3 is non-removable, and hidden away inside the device. The DRAG X3, on the other hand, takes a single 18650 or 21700 battery to function. The battery door is very neat and unique among vaping devices. There’s a button on the back of the X3. Once pressed, the battery door pop open and slides down and away from the device.

This leaves you with two pieces; a very thin piece that houses the display and pod connection, and the battery housing. Just pop a 21700 battery in, or an 18650 with the included adapter, and you can bring the two-pieces back together. They attach partially magnetically, so aligning them isn’t an issue. Once magnetically attached, just slide the battery portion up until it clicks into place.

PnP X Cartridges & Coils

The DRAG X3 and S3 use the same PnP X pod tank as their predecessors. This tank has a 5ml capacity and is made for direct-lung vaping. It’s compatible with all of VOOPOO’s many PnP X coils, of which there are seven available ranging in resistance from 0.15Ω to 1.0Ω.

But for DL vaping, the 0.6Ω, 0.8Ω, and 1.0Ω coils are not suitable coils, which is why there’s also an MTL PnP X tank available. There are also PnP X tanks with non-removable coils that are available in 0.3Ω (DL), 0.8Ω (MTL), and 1.0Ω (MTL) resistances.

As far as cross-compatibility goes, these PnP X tanks are not compatible with any of VOOPOO’s older PnP or TPP coils, and these new PnP X coils do not fit in any of VOOPOO’s older pod tanks. However, since this is the same tank and coils that come with the DRAG X2 and DRAG S2, you can use them interchangeably with the previous devices.

Both the DL and MTL versions of the PnP X pod tank can hold up to 5ml of ejuice and feature a top airflow design. The MTL version is more restrictive, with six holes for airflow that can be closed off, while the DL version has two wide, large adjustable slots for a more airy draw.

The fill port is on the lower side of the tank, so you have to remove the pod to refill. The rubber stopped is nice and thick, and effectively keeps e-juice where it’s supposed to be, which is inside the tank.

Both pods are slightly tinted, but it’s still easy enough to check how much e-juice is left inside. They also sit with the entire pod contents visible when inserted, so it’s a breeze to know how much e-juice you have remaining with just a quick glance.

The pod connects magnetically to the battery and the connection is strong and secure. There’s virtually no pod movement when it’s inserted, and you have to intentionally try to remove the pod in order to get it out, so it won’t come out accidentally.

Features

The devices themselves have a bunch of really cool features that I want to go over, but first, let’s discuss the special features of the pod tank and coils.

No one likes leaking, and so VOOPOO has used a patented 4-layer leakproof design for the PnP X pod tanks. The airway, heating zone, air cavity, and tank are separated in different layers, making it very unlikely that ejuice can escape. In my experience with these tanks, I haven’t had any leaking yet, so this seems to be working as intended.

As for the coils, they use a combination of heat-resistant cotton and a special mesh coil, which allows them to go through 100ml of ejuice. While I haven’t gotten anywhere near that with these coils since I’ve been using four of them interchangeably, Robert tested out these coils in his review on the DRAG X2 and DRAG S2. He managed to go through 80ml of ejuice before noticing any type of performance drop off, which is short of the 100ml claim, but still very good coil life.

Circling back to the devices, the DRAG X3 and DRAG S2 both have a really cool, new feature: capacitive unlocking. This isn’t the first time that I’ve seen this on a device (Geekvape’s AEGIS LEGEND 3 has something similar), but I have to say that it works very well here.

Here’s how it works. When you touch the firing button with your skin, the device unlocks. It will only unlock from conductive touch, so things like keys or clothing won’t unlock the device. This makes using these devices very convenient, as you don’t have to worry about manually locking them when you put them in your pocket. Just put it in your pocket, and when you pull it out to vape, just press your finger on the button as you would with any other device. It’s like magic.

If you prefer ”traditional” locking and unlocking, you can do that on the DRAG S3. It features three different unlocking modes: touch unlocking, button unlocking, or unlocked.

Button unlocking allows you to lock or unlock the firing button by pressing the button twice quickly. There’s also a completely unlocked mode. Both of these modes are useful if, for example, you’re wearing gloves or if you just prefer the ‘old-school’ method of locking and unlocking your device.

Intuitively, I thought that the “Button unlock” on the X3 would work as it does on the S3, but I was wrong; the DRAG X3 doesn’t have a way to disable the touch unlocking. It also has three unlocking modes: button, screen, and unlocked. Button locks does not work like it does on the DRAG S3, and it prevents the button from firing completely. Screen lock prevents the wattage from being changed, but otherwise does not lock the touchscreen. Unlocked similarly does not allow for firing with anything other than your finger.

It’s weird that the capacitive unlocking can be turned off on the DRAG S3 but not on the DRAG X3. This will definitely be frustrating if you’re trying to use the X3 in a cold climate with gloves on.

Both devices come with three modes: SMART, RBA, and ECO. SMART automatically adjusts the wattage and limits the maximum wattage for the coil that you’re using. This keeps you within safe limits for the coil, and prevents any accidental burning. SMART mode is great for new vapers, as it takes the guesswork out of setting the wattage. You can vape anywhere in the wattage range in SMART mode, and know that you’re good.

RBA mode is like regular wattage mode with no limitations. You can set the wattage to whatever you like, but be warned that unless you’re experienced, you risk setting the wattage too high and burning the coil out prematurely.

ECO mode is there to preserve battery life and outputs less voltage, which is useful if your battery is running low and you don’t have easy access to a charger.

On the DRAG X3, you can switch modes by swiping up to unlock the touchscreen, then pulling down for the top of the screen to bring up the menu. From here, click mode, and select the mode that you want.

On the DRAG S3, press the fire button three times to bring up the menu. Use the adjustment buttons to navigate to “MODE” and then use the adjustment buttons and fire button to select the mode you want.

Changing the wattage is also simple. On the DRAG X3, press and hold the wattage on the screen, and then scroll through the wattage until you’re at the output you desire. Then, just swipe right to select. On the DRAG S3, just use the adjustment buttons to select your wattage.

As far as the other features go, the DRAG X3 and S3 are identical, just with the X3 having a touchscreen and the S3 using adjustment buttons to navigate the menu. Both have three themes and an animation that plays during/after vaping. The animation can be turned off if desired.

Performance

For the last few weeks, I’ve been using the DRAG X3 and S3 in a variety of configurations. I’ve been using all three available PnP X tanks (DL, MTL, and tank with built-in 1.0Ω coil), as well as four different PnP X coils (0.15Ω, 0.3Ω, 0.6Ω, and 0.8Ω). I’ve also been using freebase nicotine e-juices in 6mg/ml strength, as well as nicotine salts in 20mg/ml strength.

Needless to say, I’ve been doing a lot of vaping with these devices and I’ve been very impressed with the versatility that they offer. What’s really neat is how the vaping experience can completely change with the right pod tank and coil. Which device you use isn’t as important, especially if you’re MTL vaping. However, if you want a powerful DL vape, the DRAG X3 is the better device to use because of its higher maximum wattage output of 80W.

Since I received the ‘Standard’ version of the DRAG S3, which comes with 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω coils instead of the ‘American’ version that comes with 0.2Ω and 0.3Ω coils, I didn’t get a chance to test those coils out. However, since these are the same pod tanks and coils that came with the DRAG X2 and DRAG S2, you can check out the performance section of that review if you’re interested in how they perform.

If you’re after a DL vape, the 0.15Ω or 0.3Ω coils can be used with the DL PnP X pod tank. The 0.15Ω coil can be set at up to 80W in SMART mode, but the recommended wattage range is 65-80W. This coil and tank setup give a very airy DL draw, which can be fine tuned with the airflow control on the tank. I preferred this coil with the airflow wide open and at 80W for maximum clouds.

The 0.3Ω coil is airy as well and can definitely be used for DL vaping with the DL pod tank, but it can also be used for RDL by closing down the airflow. This coil works really well from 35-40W, and closing down the airflow nearly completely makes for a flavorful and powerful RDL hit. 

If you’re a MTL vaper, well, these devices can do that too. It really doesn’t matter which one you use, the DRAG X3 or the DRAG S3, because both have enough power for the MTL coils. Using the MTL PnP X pod tank, which has a thin rubberized MTL drip tip and three small holes for MTL airflow, you can get a great MTL draw with the 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω coils.

You can go from loose MTL vaping down to tight MTL vaping, which is possible because the airflow can be adjusted to leave either the largest hole open, or the smallest hole open, depending on how you rotate the control ring. I liked vaping at 21W with the 0.6Ω coil, and at 16W (the maximum) with the 0.8Ω coil.

The 1.0Ω PnP X MTL pod with built-in coil works great, too. There’s no adjustable airflow like the PnP X MTL pod, though, so the airflow that it provides is what you get. It’s a loose-to-regular MTL draw, which is perfectly fine for me, but if you like a tighter draw, you’re best to get the MTL PnP X pod tank with replaceable coils and its adjustable airflow. 

I used nicotine salts with the MTL pod and coils, and freebase nicotine e-juices with the DL pod tank and coils. However, there’s nothing stopping you from using freebase e-juices with the MTL tank and coils. I wouldn’t suggest using nicotine salts with the DTL pod and coils, though, because you’ll get a powerful draw with too much nicotine for it to be enjoyable or satisfying. Stick to freebase ejuices with the low-resistance DL coils.

VOOPOO DRAG X3 vs DRAG S3

The DRAG X3 and DRAG S3 share some similarities, but there are also some significant differences between them. To make the differences more easily understandable and comparable, we’ve created this easy reference chart for you below:

Verdict

The DRAG X3 and DRAG S3 are solid upgrades to VOOPOO’s popular pod mod lineup, with each device catering to different types of vapers.

The DRAG X3 is even better than the X2 thanks to its 21700 compatibility, slick touchscreen, and premium design, making it a powerful option for DL vapers who want both performance and modern styling.

The DRAG S3, while not as visually striking, has a high-capacity 3000mAh built-in battery and a smaller form factor, offering dependable performance for vapers who don’t need the whole 80W output that the X3 can provide.

Both devices deliver excellent versatility with the different PnP X pod tanks and PnP X coils, allowing for both MTL and DL vaping depending on the combination that you choose.

While the inability to disable capacitive unlocking on the X3 could be frustrating in some situations, and the S3’s design feels dated compared to its sibling, these drawbacks don’t overshadow the strong performance and overall quality of these devices.

If you’re coming from older DRAG devices, both the X3 and S3 are worthy upgrades — just pick the one that better fits your control preferences (touch or physical) and style of vaping. Since they’re both about the same price (around $35 USD), you really can’t go wrong with either.