OXVA XLIM C Review: Better Than the Original XLIM?

Design & Build Quality

The XLIM C is almost exactly the same as the XLIM, but there are a few key differences. The most obvious difference is the lack of a screen on the XLIM C. This gives the XLIM C a cleaner appearance as it only has a single button on the device. 

The XLIM C is also slightly taller (3mm) than the XLIM at 114.5mm tall, but it’s still the same 24mm width and 14mm depth. Holding the two devices in my hands, the size is not noticeably different and the XLIM C is still a great size for a pod vape. It also weighs only 40g, so it’s super light too.

For this review, I received the 3rd anniversary edition of the XLIM C, as well as the “regular” version, and the anniversary edition wins in the looks department by a long shot. While the regular XLIM C is plain and discreet, the anniversary edition looks fancy and expensive.

The anniversary edition of the XLIM C comes in one color, a gradient of silver to blue. It has light engravings of what looks to be the inside of a watch, along with the date November 11, 2019, which is OXVA’s anniversary date.

The regular XLIM C is available in 10 colors; 5 gradient colors, 3 solid colors, and 2 camouflage patterns. The gradient and solid colors are rather plain, but the colors are nice. The camouflage patterns aren’t really my style but they add a little something to the look of the device, that’s for sure.

On the side of the XLIM C there’s an airflow control sider, which is the same as the one on the XLIM. It consists of a small, round knob which is used to open or close the airflow, and three individual airflow slots. It’s hard to see but the bottommost airflow slot is only a pinhole, allowing you to really close down the airflow to a tight MTL draw. The airflow control is smooth to adjust and stays where it’s set.

Pod & Coils

The pod for the XLIM C is magnetic and it sits snugly in the battery. Unlike the XLIM which uses pods that have the coils built-in, the XLIM C uses pods that take user replaceable coils. The main advantage of this is the lower cost for packs of coils compared to packs of pods. There’s also an environmental benefit too, with less plastic being thrown out.

The pods & coils for the XLIM C are not compatible with the XLIM, nor are the pods for the XLIM compatible with the XLIM C.

Two coils come included with the XLIM C:

• 1 x XLIM C 0.6Ω Coil (18-22W)
• 1 x XLIM C 0.8Ω Coil (13-17W)

There’s also a 1.2Ω coil (8-12W) that is available to be purchased separately.

Coils push fit into the bottom of the pod and the fit is excellent. There’s a flat side to each coil that you have to line up with the notch on the bottom of the pod, so installing coils is easy and basically foolproof. 

It’s a bit difficult to see into the pod because they are tinted with a dark tint. A good portion of the pod also sits inside of the battery, so you have to remove it in order to check your remaining ejuice. 

The fill port is located on the side of the pod, just under where the pod sits in the battery. It’s a rubber bung that does a good job of sealing the ejuice in, and I haven’t had any instances of leaking from this fill port. The port itself is also large enough for 100ml ejuice bottle tips so filling isn’t an issue either.

Features

The XLIM C is simple and beginner friendly, but it still offers some level of customizability with its three wattage levels and adjustable airflow slider. The maintenance is a little more complicated than the XLIM, due to the XLIM C using user replaceable coils, but overall it’s an easier device to use and vape with. To turn it on or off, press the fire button five times.

You can change between the three wattage levels on the XLIM C by pressing the fire button three times. The LED indicator in the button will blink either red (low), blue (medium), or green (high). Each coil will fire at a different wattage depending on the level that you set it at. We’ve created a handy chart that you can reference:

As you can see from the chart above, the 0.6Ω coil will fire at 18-22W, while the 0.8Ω coil will fire at 13-17W.

There’s no way to check which wattage level the XLIM C is set at, which is frustrating. When you vape or press the button, the LED lights up in the color that indicates your battery life and not your wattage output level. The only way to check your wattage level is by pressing the fire button three times to change the level; for example, if you change it and it’s blue, then you were using the red output. It’s not the most elegant way to check, but it’s the only way to do it.

Either coil can be used for freebase or nicotine salt ejuices, and each coil can be used for MTL vaping depending on how you have the airflow set. The 0.6Ω coil can also do a bit of RDL with the airflow wide open.

You can vape on the XLIM C either by pressing the button, or by simply inhaling on the pod to activate the draw activation. If you’re concerned about it firing in your pocket, you can lock the button firing by pressing the fire button four times. 

OXVA XLIM C Button Combinations

• Turn the device on or off: Press the fire button five times.
• Change the wattage output level: Press the fire button three times.
• Lock/unlock the button activated firing: Press the fire button four times.

Battery & Charging

The XLIM C has a 900mAh battery that recharges with 2A Type-C charging. The time that you get out of the device will greatly depend on which coil you use and the wattage that you vape at. But from my testing with it, the battery life is really good. 

I consistently got two days of vaping, or more, out of each charge, so it’s a good device to have with you for trips. I think I averaged 2-3 refills per charge, and that’s with using the coils on either the low or medium output.

Each time that you vape or press the button, the LED will glow to indicate your battery charge level. The colors and corresponding battery life percentages are:

• Red: 0-30%
• Blue: 30-65%
• Green: 65-100%

Thanks to the 2A charge speed, the XLIM C goes from dead to full battery very quickly. Once plugged in, the battery life indicator will breathe to indicate the battery life, the same as the above. Once fully charged, the green light will remain solidly illuminated and then turn off completely. It takes only 30 minutes to charge the XLIM C from dead to 80%, and only ~35 minutes total for a full charge.

Performance

The XLIM C is a handy little pod vape as it’s versatile and can be used to suit a number of vapers preferences. Want a MTL vape with nicotine salts? Use the 0.8Ω coil and adjust the airflow to your liking. Like vaping freebase ejuices instead and prefer a looser draw? Use the 0.6Ω coil and keep the airflow wide open. 

You can even get a RDL draw by keeping your lips loose around the pod with the 0.6Ω pod. It’s not the best RDL vaping experience, but the option is there.

I used a 25mg nicotine salt ejuice with a 60VG ratio for both coils. I also used a 6mg freebase nicotine ejuice with the 0.6Ω coil. Both coils can provide a MTL vape, but it’s all about how you set the airflow. The draw is looser with the 0.6Ω coil and slightly tighter with the 0.8Ω coil. 

You can get a nice tight MTL draw from the 0.8Ω, but it’s very warm if you use it on the green (17W) output. Using it on the low or medium output is great though, and this was definitely the way that I liked vaping on this coil the best. Even keeping two of the airflow slots open is still a nice MTL draw. The flavor is all around pretty swell with this coil, although there is a little bit of muting with the airflow fully closed. 

The 0.6Ω coil is similarly good on the low or medium output settings with nicotine salt ejuices. The draw is strong, but not overwhelming with a 25mg nicotine salt ejuice. Flavor is better than the 0.8Ω coil but at the expense of a looser draw. This is also the coil that I would use if you vape on freebase nicotine ejuices. You can crank the wattage output level up to the high level and get a nice vape with a 6mg ejuice. 

Although the flavor, draw, and general performance are good, coil life is an area that needs improvement with the XLIM C. Both coils started to taste off and started losing flavor after only a few refills. I used a few different coils too, and all of them suffered from the same issue. The ejuices that I used weren’t even particularly thick either at 60VG and 70VG, so wicking shouldn’t have been an issue.

Apart from the coil life, the XLIM C worked as intended and functioned flawlessly during my review testing. The draw activated firing never gave any trouble, and the device never malfunctioned in any way. 

Verdict

The XLIM C is the replaceable coil version of the XLIM, and that doesn’t necessarily make it any better or any worse, but it is definitely better in some ways and worse in others. 

To start off with the positives, the XLIM C is user-friendly and easier to use than the XLIM thanks to its use of three adjustable wattage levels. You can easily change between a low, medium, or high output by pressing the fire button three times, and this makes it easier to use overall. It takes the guesswork out of whether you’re vaping the coil at too low or too high of a wattage, which is nice for vapers who are just starting out.

The lack of a screen is also a positive for me, as it keeps the device looking clean. The screen on the XLIM looked a bit outdated anyhow, so I’m not sad to see it gone on the XLIM C.

As for the negatives, they aren’t too major but they are worth mentioning. For one, the user replaceable coils is a bit more of a hassle than just replacing the pod, but I can’t count this as a true con. Something that I can count as a con is the coil life. After only a few refills my coils were tasting off, and that’s a rather short lifespan for a coil.

The flavor is good from both coils, the MTL draw that you get is great, and you can vape either freebase or nicotine salt ejuices comfortably with either coil. Add to these positives that the battery life is excellent, as is the charging time, and the XLIM C still looks like an attractive buy. Overall, the XLIM C is good , but I think that the the XLIM is still better.

I’m hoping that I just received a bad batch of coils, because aside from the coil life the XLIM C is a good device. Have you used the XLIM C? How did you find the coil life? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.

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