Geekvape Aegis Solo 3 Review: A Fully-Featured Single/Built-In Battery Mod

Design & Build Quality

The Aegis Solo 3 is much more refined in its design than previous Solo devices. It looks cleaner, feels better built, and is overall a high-quality device. It looks premium and modern but most importantly and it’s very compact, which is exactly what I look for in a single battery device.

The Aegis Solo 3 is 87mm tall, 39mm wide, and 27.8mm deep. These are the measurements of both the built-in battery version that I’ve been using for this review, and the single-battery version of the Solo 3.

The only difference between the single battery version and built-in battery version of the Aegis Solo 3 is the battery. The single battery version has a metal cap that unscrews on the bottom of the device and which gives access to the battery compartment. The built-in battery version does not have this cap. Other than this, the two versions of this device are exactly the same.

The battery cap on the single battery version is a bit of a pain. It never quite seems to thread in flush, which leads to the mod standing lopsided and not fully stable. The threads for the cap aren’t very smooth or easy to work with either. For this reason alone, I preferred using the built-in battery version.

The design shares a lot of similarities with the also recently released Aegis Legend 3. If you put both devices side by side, it’s easy to see that the Aegis Solo 3 is just a smaller, single battery (or built-in battery) version of the Legend 3.

Like its predecessor, the Aegis S100 (Solo 2), there’s not much rubber on the exterior of the device. The body is made up of a metal frame with a leather grip on the back. There’s a rubberized cover for the Type-C port on the top of the mod and a rubberized bottom but otherwise no other rubber.

This is interesting because the Solo 3 still boasts an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. It’s also designated as providing a “higher level of shock resistance”. Higher than what though? The Aegis Solo 2? I’m not entirely sure. 

From my testing, it has survived a few test drops onto asphalt and concrete and it’s still functioning flawlessly. Like the Aegis Legend 3, the lack of rubber makes me uneasy but the Solo 3 seems to be holding up just fine.

The display is the exact same as the one on the Aegis Legend 3. It’s a 0.96 inch screen that is full color and informative. This display shows the battery charge, mode, output wattage, coil resistance, output voltage, and puff count. It’s a clean UI that is as functional as it is beautiful.

The fire button is a rocker style button that is slim and low-profile but still wide and raised enough for comfortable use. The adjustment buttons are located below the screen and are flush with the display. They’re still easy to use though and very responsive.

The top of the Solo 3, where the 510 connector is located, measures 26.25mm across. This means that any tank larger than this will overhang. The 26mm diameter of the Geekvape Z Sub-Ohm Tank 2021, which is what you get with the kit, is a perfect fit for the Solo 3.

The area around the 510 connector features some knurling, which looks great. It doesn’t do much for the practical side of things but it’s a nice detail that amps up the look of the Solo 3 when there isn’t a tank sitting on top of it.

Features & Functions: Aegis Solo 3 Mod

The Aegis Solo 3 has the exact same features and functions as the Aegis Legend 3, so I was already familiar with using this device. However, even if I wasn’t, it’s not hard to figure out how to use it.

The Solo 3 can fire at up to 100W and comes with the following modes: SMART, Power, Boosting , Memory, ECO, and TCR. Boosting mode is what you might be familiar with as “Bypass” mode, which outputs the strongest possible voltage for the coil based on the current battery charge.

Power mode is your basic wattage mode which allows you to adjust the wattage to whatever you like, without any restraints. If you’re a newer vaper, this might not be ideal because you may not know what wattage you should vape at. This is where SMART mode comes in.

SMART mode is also a form of wattage mode. However, when you install a tank, this mode automatically sets the wattage to an ideal level for the coil resistance. It also limits the maximum wattage that you can use with the coil. This mode is best used with Geekvape’s Z series coils but it will also work (although to a less accurate degree) with other tanks and coils.

SMART mode is great for those new to vaping as it keeps you within safe limits to get the best experience and most life out of your coil. You don’t have to worry about burning your coil or running too much power through it, so I highly recommend using this mode if this is your first mod.

For the 0.20Ω coil, the wattage range is from 70 to 80W and defaults to 75W. For the 0.4Ω coil, the wattage range is from 50-60W and defaults to 55W.

TCR mode allows you to set the TCR value for the coil material that you are using and vape in temperature control mode. You can also set the wattage when you select TCR mode. The TCR value can be set from 10 to 5000.

ECO is a battery saving mode that does not allow you to change the wattage and will fire at the lower side of the optimal range for the coil resistance that you are using.

Finally, MEMORY mode allows you to save different wattages for different coil resistances. I didn’t see much use for this mode but maybe I’m just not using it correctly. I just used SMART mode most of the time and I didn’t have any trouble when switching coils, but maybe I’m missing something with this mode.

To switch modes, press the fire button three times, then select ‘Modes’. Pressing the fire button three times is also how you bring up the menu and the options here will let you clear the puff counter, change the locking mode, change the color of the theme, and change the screen brightness.

The single battery version of the Aegis Solo 3 will take an 18650 battery to function, while the built-in battery version comes with a 3000mAh non-removable battery. Both versions of the Solo 3 feature 2A Type-C charging.

Locking Modes

The coolest feature of the Aegis Solo 3 has got to be the touch locking and unlocking. By default the mod is in this mode but this can be changed to other locking modes as well. How it works is when you touch the grip on the back of the mod, the mod unlocks. Once you place the mod down or put it in your pocket, it locks.

It’s a really cool feature and it works without having to press any buttons or flip a locking switch. If you’re forgetful like I am then it’s a really nice feature to have. I’ve burned so many coils by forgetting to lock my device that this is kind of a god-send.

There’s only one issue that I came across with this touch lock/unlock and that’s when I’m wearing shorts. Some of my shorts pockets are really thin and this trips the sensor into thinking that I’m holding it, which then unlocks the device in my pocket and changes the wattage. The buttons being recessed has made this a pretty rare occurrence though.

After that last statement, you might be worried that it could also fire in your pocket, right? Well worry not because pocket-firing is pretty much impossible. The Solo 3 has a two-part locking system which requires skin contact on the fire button as well so it’s very difficult for it to fire accidentally.

The other locking modes are button and unlocked. Button lock allows you to lock just the adjustment buttons while leaving the fire button accessible. This is great if you find yourself changing the wattage accidentally because you can still vape and keep the wattage at whatever you set it to. 

Unlocked mode is no lock at all and allows you to use either the adjustment or fire buttons.

Geekvape Z Sub-Ohm Tank 2021

The Aegis Solo 3 kit comes with the Geekvape Z Sub-Ohm Tank 2021. This is a tank that Geekvape has been producing for quite some time now and there’s a reason why it’s still being included even with their latest devices – it’s really good. 

The kit comes with two bubble glasses which each give the tank a 5.5ml ejuice capacity. The Geekvape Z is a top airflow tank, so it’s pretty well leak-proof, but the flavor is still very good because the top airflow directs air to the bottom of the tank.

The Geekvape Z uses Geekvape’s Z series of coils and there are six coils available:

• Z0.15Ω Coil (80-90W)
• Z0.15Ω XM Coil (70-85W)
• Z0.20Ω Coil (70-80W)
• Z0.25Ω Coil (45-57W)
• Z0.4Ω Coil (50-60W)
• Z0.4Ω XM Coil (50-60W)

Two coils come included with the kit: a Z0.20Ω Coil (70-80W) and a Z0.4Ω Coil (50-60W). These coils are plug and play and simply push into the bottom of the tank. There are a pair of notches on the coil that have to be lined up correctly in order to fully seat the coil, but otherwise it’s straightforward to install these.

Removing the coils is also straightforward but can be painful if you don’t use the coil tool that comes in the box. It’s very difficult to pull the coils out of the tank without it, but not impossible.

The top cap comes off with a quarter turn and this is how you access the fill ports. The fill ports are recessed into the top of the tank to prevent leaking, and the top cap has a silicone o-ring that creates a good seal when it is on the tank.

Airflow comes into the tank through two wide airflow slots which are located just below the top cap. Airflow can be adjusted by rotating the airflow control ring, which works on a stopper. Airflow adjustment is smooth and precise, which is nice for really dialing in your draw.

Performance

The Aegis Solo 3 has been nothing but good to me during my review. I’ve been using it for about two weeks now with the Geekvape Z subohm tank 2021 and the flavor and performance are just amazing. I would say that I’m more of a dual battery mod sort of guy because I like the extra battery for longevity, but the Aegis Solo 3 built-in version lasts for a couple of days on a charge thanks to the 3000mAh battery.

The single battery version can be just as good with a high-capacity 18650. The single battery version also has the added bonus of being able to swap batteries in an instant, giving you a fully charged device again. 

Both versions have their uses but due to the crunchy/lopsided battery cap on the single battery version and just the overall convenience of the built-in version, I’ve chosen to stick with using the built-in battery version for this review.

Both coils that come with the kit are great for direct lung vaping and produce great, great flavor. The 0.4Ω coil is just right at 55W, which is the default for the coil in SMART mode. The 0.2Ω coil is also good at the default of 75W. Both coils performed similarly but the 0.2Ω coil is a warmer vape and delivers flavor that tastes a little more ‘full’. 

No matter which coil I used, they both exceeded my expectations and I had no qualms using them interchangeably. I can’t say that I preferred one coil over the other, which can only be a good thing.

Verdict

There aren’t too many new single battery vape mods being released in 2024 and Geekvape has really delivered with the Aegis Solo 3. If we’re only considering the device by itself, it’s most certainly one of the best single battery mods out right now. The touch lock/unlock is extremely convenient and makes using the device a worry-free experience. It also has all of the modes that one could want from a mod, including TCR.

The kit is also a good buy if you’re looking for a new tank to go with the mod. There’s a reason that Geekvape continues to include the Geekvape Z Sub-ohm Tank 2021 with their newer mods and that reason is performance. While it’s not as flavorful as a bottom airflow tank, the flavor and performance are more than good enough to satisfy even a seasoned vaper like myself.

The choice between the single battery version and built-in battery version of the Aegis Solo 3 will come down to what you prefer in a mod. If you aren’t going to be carrying spare batteries around and/or you don’t have an external battery charger, you will probably want to go with the built-in battery version for convenience. 

If you want minimal downtime though and will be carrying spare 18650 batteries around with you (or just keeping a few ready at home to swap), then the external battery version of the Aegis Solo 3 might be the better fit for you.

Regardless of which version you choose, the Aegis Solo 3 is a solid mod for those looking for a compact device that delivers big performance. 

Very highly recommended.

SAVE 12%
CODE: VERSED