OXVA XLIM Pro 2 Review: A Truly Pro Device & Experience

Design & Build Quality

The shape of the OXVA XLIM Pro 2 is nothing we haven’t seen before. The tall and slim design has become the norm for MTL pod vapes, and OXVA hasn’t strayed far from this popular and convenient form factor. What does stand out about the design is the quality of the materials and the instant feeling of “solidity” that hits you as soon as the XLIM Pro 2 is out of its box.

At just 67g, this is not a heavy device. Still, it feels more substantial than almost any of the similarly designed vapes I have tried recently, including the Innokin Trine, Vaporesso XROS 4, and several other tall, slim pod vapes.

This could be somewhat due to the materials used. Of the eight variations available, four feature a mix of Zinc Alloy and artificial leather, including the Green Python version I’ve been using. The matte, slightly soft, slightly textured surface of the leather, combined with heavily rounded edges, certainly softens the exterior and perhaps feeds into the high-quality overall feel.

I have to say that I also love the color combination of the Green Python version. Dark green leather against the soft brass color of the exposed Zinc Alloy really works for me. Of the others, the Black Carbon also stands out, with a carbon fiber effect instead of leather and gold-colored zinc sections. The other color choices, which include something for all tastes, are:

• Silver Carbon
• Dream Purple
• Platinum Gray
• Coral Pink
• Brown Python
• Blue Python

The only other design features are the large and slightly raised HD display screen on the front, an airflow slider on one side, and a control button on the other, all of which I’ll look at in more detail later.

Pods

The XLIM pods have been a favorite of mine since I first used the original XLIM device a couple of years ago. They are generally pretty leak-free, last well unless you really punish them with heavy vaping, and have a flat and slim mouthpiece style I find very comfortable to use.

I’m not a huge fan of flat or duckbill-style mouthpieces but have gotten used to them as few pod vapes feature cylindrical ones any more. XLIM pods also have a flat mouthpiece, but one that is significantly closer to cylindrical than many others. It is also nicely tapered at the tip, with rounded edges that should be mandatory for every pod (in my opinion).

The pods that come with the device are the newer XLIM top-fill version, but you can also use the older V2 pods. The term “top-fill” might have you assuming they are filled by snapping off the drip tip and injecting e-liquid through a hole hidden beneath, but that’s not the case here. The pods have a more traditional removable silicone bung, on the side and near the top of the mouthpiece, meaning you can fill them without removing the pod from the battery.

The bung is a little fiddly to open because it’s recessed into the side of the pod so you don’t feel it on your lips. However, it seems to work well and I have encountered zero leaking, either from the bung or the bottom of the pod, in the two weeks or so that I have been testing them.

OXVA is one of the few vape brands that has kept the pod fitting the same across each of its currently available devices in a particular range. This means the pack of pods you bought to use with the XLIM Go will work just as well in the XLIM Pro 2. The top-fill pods are available with coil resistances of 0.4Ω, 0.6Ω, 0.8Ω, and 1.2Ω, so there is something for both MTL and RDL vapers.

Features

The XLIM Pro 2 is a pretty simple device, despite its name. As such, it doesn’t have a huge list of features to get to grips with. However, the features it does have all work really well and are easy to use.

Starting with the display which, at 0.56in, is reasonably large for this type of pod device and an upgrade from the 0.42in screen on the XLIM Pro. It is HD and color this time around, beating the Pro on clarity and how easy it is to see the different bits of information. This information includes battery level, wattage, resistance, and a puff counter which can go up to five figures. Just below the screen is an LED that provides an at-a-glance indication of the battery level.

The screen is bright, crisp, and very easy to read unless in bright sunlight. But that’s true of almost every vape display. I do tend to worry that the bigger the display, the more it will drain the battery. That concern is even greater when the display animates. Yes, the OXVA XLIM Pro 2 display has animations (fireworks or a swirling vortex) that activate each time you puff, although these can be turned off.

The button on the XLIM Pro 2 is just for changing settings, not firing the atomizer. A double click cycles through the animations, three clicks allow you to adjust wattage, five turn the device on/off, and seven clicks reset the puff counter. If you forget, you can press and hold the button to see operating instructions.

The adjustable airflow slider on the side has three holes, allowing for three different airflow levels, from loose to very tight. The slider is smooth and has enough resistance that it won’t easily be moved while the vape is in your pocket or bag.

Battery Life & Charging

The battery inside the XLIM Pro 2 is another upgrade on the XLIM Pro, jumping from 1000mAh in the previous version to a welcome 1300mAh. There aren’t many similar-sized vapes around that offer a bigger battery, and few that go even as high as 1300mAh.

OXVA suggests that a full charge will provide four days of use. But while that might be true if you’re a light user and are vaping at below 10W with a 1.2Ω pod, I doubt most people will get away with only charging the device bi-weekly. I tested it at 18-20W with a 0.6Ω pod (with the animations off, just in case) and two days between charges was easily achievable.

Aside from the battery level readout on the screen, which seems pretty accurate, the LED changes color to show how much vaping time you have at a glance.  

• Green – Above 70% remaining
• Blue – 70%-50% remaining 
• Orange – 50%-30% remaining
• Red – Under 30% remaining

The only time the LED doesn’t work this way is when you have the screen animations disabled. If that’s the case, the LED lights up in a rainbow of colors and the display activates for a few seconds so you can check the battery readout there.

The XLIM Pro 2 incorporates full 2A fast charging, so you’ll never have to wait long when the battery does run out. OXVA says that it will recharge 85% in 25 minutes, and I found that statement to be just about right with a full charge from dead taking 30-35 minutes on average.

Performance

As with many small pod vapes nowadays, the XLIM Pro 2 is aimed at both MTL and RDL vapers thanks to its adjustable wattage and pod range between 0.4Ω and 1.2Ω. I occasionally vape MTL, but RDL is more my style right now, and this little device hit all the right spots.

I tested it equally with 8mg/ml freebase and 18mg/ml nic salt liquids (low resistance/high wattage for freebase, and higher resistance/low wattage for salts) and encountered no problems. Flavor production was great across the board and the Pro 2 admirably handled every vaping style I threw at it. With it set at 25W and 0.6Ω, with the airflow open, you get a satisfying throat hit and a surprising amount of vapor for such a compact pod vape.

Over more than two weeks of testing both the 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω pods side-by-side, I refilled each around eight to ten times. At the end of that time, both were still going strong, with no noticeable drop in flavor, very little wicking, and no leaks. OXVA suggests a lifespan of 15 days for their XLIM pods, and based on this performance, I imagine that’s likely to be a minimum.

Verdict

The OXVA XLIM Pro 2 is a well-made, easy-to-use, and extremely satisfying pod vape. If you’re looking for an upgrade to any of the previous XLIM devices, including the original XLIM Pro, this will be $35 well-spent.

It feels built to last, all the designs look great and it has a battery that will run for as long or longer than any comparable device. If you are a light or low-power/high-resistance vaper, you will have no problem getting three to four days out of a single charge.

OXVA’s XLIM pods have long been some of the best around and are among my personal favorites. The new top-fill version is great, although it could be slightly fiddly opening the filling port if you have massive hands and short fingernails.

I’m not 100% convinced that the animations add much to the overall package, but as long as they aren’t contributing too much to battery drain (and I have no evidence that they do), I don’t see a problem with adding a bit of flair to vape design. Besides, you can easily turn them off and enjoy the rainbow LED if popping fireworks and swirling vortexes aren’t your thing.

SAVE 12%
CODE: VERSED