OXVA XLIM GO LITE Review: A Great Budget Vape for Beginners

Design & Build Quality

The OXVA XLIM GO LITE uses the standard and very familiar form factor of most modern pod vapes: tall, slim, and flat. At just 113mm tall and 26mm wide, it is very slightly smaller than some of OXVAs recent devices, such as the XLIM Pro 3 and 3 Ultra, but is very comparable overall. I don’t mind quirky vape designs, and having a choice of form factors is good, but this is the one that I find most natural and comfortable to hold.

The body is made entirely from impact-resistant plastic, which is not too surprising in a twelve-dollar vape that is being positioned by OXVA as an easy alternative to disposables. All of the versions of the device that I have seen incorporate a mix of shiny and matte plastic finishes, which provides a bit of interest in the design and helps to ensure it is easy to grip.

It has a small raised bump on the front face where the LED sits, an airflow slider and USB port on the sides, and a bit of OXVA branding, but that’s about it. No screen, no metal edging, no padded faux-leather panels, just a clean, simple, and relatively sleek-looking shell.

The GO LITE is, however, available in a few different colors, most of which include some patterning on one of the faces. The Black Carbon and Light Blue versions that I was sent have a subtle carbon fiber and marble pattern respectively. The remaining options either have marbling or flat colors. Those colors are:

• Light Blue
• Light Pink
• Light Purple
• Mist White
• Mist Blue
• Black Carbon
• Brown
• Black

Pods

You get a single XLIM pod with the kit, and depending on the kit you choose, this will have a 0.4Ω, 0.6Ω, 0.8Ω, or 1.2Ω resistance coil. This marks this device as being quite adaptable in terms of vaping experience, with lower resistances suitable for RDL vaping and the 0.8Ω and 1.2Ω better for MTL. When it is time to buy a replacement pod, you have ample options to ensure you get something that suits your preference.

All of the pods, no matter the kit, use OXVAs newest UniTech 2.0 technology. Indeed, at this point, almost all of the available XLIM pods use this tech. UniTech 2.0, for those who have not encountered it, promises better flavor performance, a more consistent experience over the life of the pod, a longer overall lifespan, and excellent leak resistance.

OXVA pods have long been among my favorites, particularly the XLIM pods. And having used both the older and new versions, I can confirm that UniTech 2.0 is a significant improvement on tech that was already really, really good. They produce great flavor, suffer from very little performance drop-off, and I have regularly been able to use a single pod for over a month before even thinking it was time for a new one.

The pods are top-fill, but this is OXVAs description, not mine. I would describe them as side-fill, as the fill port is most certainly on the side rather than on the top (under a removable drip tip, for example). That said, they are very easy to fill without a mess and remain leak-free, almost without exception. Yes, I am a BIG fan of these pods!

Features

It’s worth, once again, stating that the XLIM GO LITE appears to be positioned as a viable replacement for disposables. As such, it is not surprising that the device isn’t feature-packed. It has an LED, an airflow slider, and that’s it (if we ignore the USB port, which can’t truly be called a feature, can it?)

The LED, which is a simple green/blue/red battery life indicator, sits on a small, smooth bump in the front face of the device. This, according to the OXVA marketing materials, is actually a hidden feature. It can, they say, be used as a stress reliever. The idea is that because it is smooth and shiny, you can run your thumb up and down over it, and this will relieve anxiety. I think that is a bit of a stretch, but who am I to say it doesn’t work? I definitely found myself idly rubbing my thumb across it any time the vape was in my hand, but remained just as neurotic as ever. Maybe the manic level of stress in my brain is just too much for it to handle.

The airflow slider uses the tried and tested design of a single slot that can be closed by increments (better, in my opinion, than the three-holes design some vapes use). It works well, although I feel that there could be a bigger difference in the flow between fully open and fully closed. There definitely is a difference, but it isn’t huge.

Battery Life & Charging

The battery in the XLIM GO LITE isn’t amazingly generous, being only 1000mAh, but it is probably just about acceptable (to me) in what is a relatively low-power device. Finding a smaller battery in a slim device that costs 12 bucks didn’t really surprise me, because big batteries add both bulk and cost to any vape. Still, I would have loved to see a 1300mAh cell here.

OXVA suggests that the 1000mAh can provide up to two days of use from a single charge. That could be true for a light vaper using the 1.2Ω pod, but likely a stretch for anyone using one of the other resistances. During my testing with the 0.8Ω pod, the best I observed was a day and a half, and usually closer to a day. Surprisingly, when I switched to the 0.6Ω pod, battery life remained about the same. I can only assume that the 0.4Ω pod will be under a day, as this will be when the automatic variable wattage will be at its highest level.

I generally stop vaping and put my device on charge an hour or so before I hit the hay each night, so a lack of multi-day battery is rarely an issue for me. But if you want or need something that can more easily go two days between charges, it’s worth considering.

The USB Type-C port is only rated for 1A, so you also shouldn’t expect true fast charging. 1A isn’t terrible for a relatively small 1000mAh battery, and the average charging time I experienced also wasn’t terrible. Expect about 40 minutes from fully dead, and less than 30 if plugged in as soon as the LED turns red. The three LED colors represent the following battery levels:

• Green LED – 100-65%
• Blue LED – 65-30%
• Red LED – 30-0%

Performance

Despite being low-cost and relatively basic, the XLIM GO LITE is perfectly capable of providing either an MTL or an RDL vaping experience. This will very much depend on the pod you are using, because aside from the resistance, this also decides how much power it draws. I am very much an RDL vaper, so I was drawn more to the 0.6Ω pod (with airflow open) than the 0.8Ω.

In this configuration, this simple little device provides a very enjoyable RDL experience. It isn’t capable of producing any huge clouds, but I was able to get a decent lungful when I needed it. I would almost certainly switch to the 0.4Ω if this was going to become my daily vape, but using the 0.6Ω was satisfying and perfectly acceptable.

The 0.8Ω pod in this device is a slightly odd proposition. Because the airflow isn’t as tight as it could be, even when fully closed, the 0.8Ω resistance alone isn’t quite enough to provide the tight draw MTL fans often enjoy. Covering the airflow hole with your thumb as you draw is also an option, but an imperfect solution at best. And because the power is automatically limited by the pod, it doesn’t quite have enough to provide a satisfying RDL draw either. It sits somewhere between MTL and RDL, and doesn’t quite hit either. If you like a tight MTL draw, you will almost certainly want to choose the 1.2Ω pod.

All of the UniTech 2.0 pods can be used with either freebase or nic salts, so I tested the device with both e-liquid types, in a few different strengths and flavors, over the course of two weeks. In general, the coils produce great flavor and ample vapor, no matter the juice being used. The device doesn’t have quite enough power to highlight more subtle flavors, as some much more expensive and powerful devices can, but it’s great for the sort of bright, fruity, sweet flavors many disposable users seem to enjoy the most.

Verdict

There is much to like about the OXVA XLIM GO LITE, but it isn’t going to appeal to every vaper looking for a pod device. While I would hesitate to call it basic, this is certainly a simple and feature-light addition to the XLIM family.

The performance is very good for the price, and even when compared to several more expensive devices. The pods produce good flavor, last well, and are generally hassle-free and leak-free. It can handle RDL vaping with ease, and it would likely be possible to get a decent MTL draw out of it with the correct setup.

Despite not allowing manual wattage adjustment, it’s a pretty versatile little vape. However, the relatively small battery is a bit of a letdown, and the airflow is likely a little loose to provide a truly tight MTL draw. These might not be deal-breakers if you consider that it seems positioned to appeal to users of disposables, which rarely have massive batteries or airflow with super-fine adjustment.

If you are someone who is looking to make a relatively painless switch from single-use disposable vapes to something more sustainable, or are simply a new vaper looking for a hassle-free and cost-effective first device, the XLIM GO LITE could be a good option. If you want more adjustability or something that will potentially meet your changing vape needs for longer, there are many better options available, including several of the other devices in the XLIM range.