Geekvape Aegis Nano 2 (AN2) Review

Design & Build Quality

As the name suggests, the Nano 2 is a small device. Very small in fact. At just over 8cm tall, it’s far smaller than I’d imagined after glancing at a few images. It has the same rugged, chunky, semi-industrial style found in all the devices in the Aegis range and, in overall body shape, resembles a Geekvape B100 that has been shrunk down to two-thirds of the size.

The AN2 is labeled as Tri-proof, which refers to its extra water, dust, and shock resistance. It certainly feels sturdy, and everything from the bolted metal body to the silicone bumper on the base shouts its robustness. The design has a certain appeal and very much fits with the idea of a device that can withstand more punishment than usual. 

Along with all the metal body sections, there’s a padded section covered in a leather-like synthetic material. This, based on the position of the fire button, is apparently designed to sit against your palm or the base of your thumb. It could be there for comfort or perhaps as part of the shock-absorbing features, I’m not 100% sure.  

A lanyard attachment point, the narrow but adequate LED screen, and a USB charging port sit on the only vaguely flat edge. Next to this, on the side of the front face, is the firing button. This is positioned as conveniently as possible on such a small device, but I struggled to find the sweet spot between having a natural grip on the vape and my digits being near the button.

In the end, I settled for holding the vape fully in my closed right fist, leaving my pointing finger wrapping around the body and resting on the button, which is perhaps how it is designed to be held. I could forgive the slight awkwardness if the AN2 was also draw-activated, but it isn’t. As it is, it feels like a bit of a design flaw. 

There are six color options to choose from, slightly less than the eight the original Nano had. Colors range from Midnight Dark (black) to Sunset Yellow (orange, strangely) and all versions have a camouflage effect on the padded section. It doesn’t look terrible, and I’m guessing it’s to go with the whole rugged, outdoor vibe, but it might not be to everyone’s tastes. 

The previously mentioned lanyard attachment point means the vape can be hung around your neck. Geekvape supplies a chain for this purpose (yes, a chain) which, I suppose, suits the design of the AN2. Sadly, it isn’t the most pleasant thing to wear, especially if you have more than a single hair on the back of your neck.

Pods

You get two N cartridges with the AN2 kit, with coil resistances of 0.6Ω and 1.2Ω. That seems to be quite common these days, particularly with this sort of MTL/RDL crossover device. Those are the only two coil resistances available for the Nano right now, but given the power settings this vape has available (more on that later,) it wouldn’t be surprising if others were added later. 

The cartridges use a top-fill design for better leak prevention and can be refilled without removing them from the vape. The whole drip-tip snaps off to reveal the fill hole with its silicone bung, but due to the shallow but wide socket the cartridge sits within, removing the tip without first removing the cartridge is actually pretty tricky. The magnets that hold it in place are strong, but not as strong as the clip that holds the drip-tip.

Between the opaque black drip tip and the edge of the cartridge socket is a sliver of clear tank wall that lets you keep an eye on the e-liquid fill level. Because the bottom of the juice reservoir is practically level with the top edge of the socket, seeing when you’re running low is very easy, despite this small viewing window. 

The drip-tip is shaped nicely to fit your mouth. It’s designed in the wide, narrow duck-bill style, but tapered on each side to give a more natural seal for pursed lips. It’s a comfortable shape that works well for both MTL and the looser RDL styles of vaping. 

Features

The Aegis Nano 2 has all the features you would expect to see in an MTL/RDL pod vape, including adjustable airflow, variable wattage, a digital display, and smart power settings. 

The LED screen, protected behind a strip of hard plastic on the side of the vape, isn’t the biggest you’ll ever see, but shows a decent amount of information. That information, which is stacked vertically due to the tall and narrow design of the display, includes battery level, current wattage, coil resistance, voltage draw, and puff count. Firing time is also displayed when the button is pressed. 

Smart power settings are increasingly common in pod vapes, but I have to admit that I’m slightly confused by how they work on this device. The power range on the AN2 is 5-30W, but the two available cartridges limit that range to between 9-14W if using the 1.2Ω and 20-25W if using the 0.6Ω. The only time you can set the power to 5-8W or 26-30W is when there is no cartridge installed. As soon as a cartridge is inserted, the wattage is reset to within its working limits. 

Perhaps there is a technical reason for this that I don’t understand, or maybe Geekvape has plans to add other cartridges to the “N” range that will make use of the low and high power settings. As it is, it doesn’t affect how well the vape works, but certainly got me scratching my head. 

And so, on to the stepless adjustable airflow, which does make sense and is excellent. It feels firm but smooth when adjusted and you’re left in no doubt that it will stay wherever you set it, no matter how much the vape gets bumped around in your pocket or bag. There is a very distinct difference between fully open and fully closed, as you would expect, but even incremental changes alter the draw noticeably. 

Battery Life & Charging

Sitting inside the tiny, rugged AN2 body is a battery with a very respectable capacity of 1100mAh. Geekvape suggests that you can get two full days of use from a full charge, and my experience backs that claim up, partly at least. It very much depends on how you’re using the device. 

With the 1.2Ω cartridge installed, running at 11-12W, and with adjustable airflow fully or mostly closed, two full days is possible. You might even stretch it a little longer. But switch over to the 0.6Ω cartridge, running at 25 watts of power, and a full charge lasts a little over a day. 

Considering I’ve used 30W vapes that have needed to be recharged twice in a single day, I’m still pretty impressed with the longevity of the Nano 2. In terms of pods per charge, I clocked it at three full pods with the 0.6Ω coil and just under four pods at 1.2Ω. 

Charging through the Type-C USB port on the side of the vape is pretty fast so that daily or bi-daily top-up shouldn’t impact your use time too much. Although the documentation doesn’t state the rating of the port and cable, it seems likely it supports at least 1.5A, which is close to true Fast Charging. In my tests, using the cable provided with the kit, a full recharge from dead took around 40 minutes. That’s not bad at all for an 1100mAh cell. 

Performance

Although it isn’t stated on the packaging or Geekvape website, I would class the AN2 as an MTL/RDL crossover device. The low power, high resistance configuration works well for MTL, while the low resistance cartridge combined with more power suits the RDL style. 

Both cartridges handled my 50/50 PG/VG freebase liquid really well, producing a decent throat hit and excellent flavors, even at the low temperatures at the bottom end of the power range. This setup also worked well for higher-strength nic salt liquid. For me, however, the best experience with 50/50 liquid was had with the 0.6Ω coil running at 25W. 

This configuration produced flavor notes from my favorite e-juice that I had previously barely noticed, along with a very satisfying vapor cloud. The amount of adjustment in the airflow means you can further tailor each style to your liking, from a very tight MTL draw to something that is at the loose end of RDL. 

The N cartridges are excellent, and once you figure out the best way to snap off the mouthpiece (pressing from the side worked best for me) filling is easy and mess-free. In nearly two weeks of testing daily, I experienced absolutely no leaking. 

As mentioned above, I found the placement of the firing button a little awkward at first, but got used to it soon enough. You might find the AN2 a bit fiddly if you have huge hands, but I guess someone with massive mitts wouldn’t be thinking about buying a “Nano” device. I would have liked to see auto-draw as an option, being honest, but maybe that’s just what I’m used to. 

Verdict

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the Aegis Nano 2 performed, both in terms of battery life and the overall vape experience. I wasn’t expecting it to be terrible because I have several Geekvape devices and they are generally excellent. But I was slightly concerned that its small size would mean some things were lacking. Thankfully, aside from the missing auto-draw feature, that isn’t the case. 

The N cartridges are nicely designed, last well, and leaking doesn’t seem like it will be a problem. They might not sit as securely as in a vape with a deeper socket, but the magnets are strong and there’s a satisfying “clonk” sound when you attach one. 

I’m not 100% convinced it needs the camouflage pattern, but the rest of the device looks and feels great. It’s well made and, unless dropped directly onto the cartridge, seems capable of withstanding some pretty rough handling. 

There are possibly better vapes out there if you’re only interested in MTL. But if you’re looking for a small and well-built vape with more vaping flexibility, decent battery life, and which feels built to last, the AN2 is a superb option.

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