OXVA XLIM PRO 3 & XLIM 3 ULTRA Review: Major Upgrades!

Design & Build Quality

The Pro 3 retains the standard XLIM tall and slim form factor, coming in at just under 120mm tall and 26mm wide. That’s almost identical to the previous Pro model and, for me at least, the perfect size for a comfortable grip. The comfort is enhanced by the nicely rounded edges and corners.

The 3 Ultra is a similar height but a little chunkier overall, measuring 29mm wide and 16.5mm thick. It’s also heavier than the Pro 3, 90g versus a little over 77g. Neither is particularly heavy to hold, but the weight helps to make the Ultra feel a little more solid than the already solid-feeling Pro 3.

As might be expected in devices with names like Pro and Ultra, the main construction material used in the body is metal. Zinc Alloy, to be precise. They also feature impact-resistant plastic components, but these don’t detract from the overall high-quality, solid feel both have.

Both devices have their digital displays and buttons on the front face, the airflow slider on the edge, and the charging port on the base. The 3 Ultra features an additional switch, used to lock the button, on the edge opposite the airflow slider. The magnetic pod socket on the top is the same size and depth in both devices (they are compatible with the same range of pods), and both feel secure. There is a little sideways movement of the pods in the sockets, but not enough to make it feel that they will ever accidentally fall out.

The XLIM Pro 3 is available in nine different colors and finishes, ranging from Black Carbon to Pink Silk, Brown Leather, and Sky Blue (which is actually mostly white with blue highlights). The 3 Ultra comes in eight styles, but as the digital display takes up most of the front face, the coloring and design features are mainly on the sides and back panel. The XLIM 3 Ultra styles range from Metal Gray to Cherry Pink, Mint Green, and Bordeaux Red.

XLIM Pro 3 Styles

• Black Leather
• Brown Leather
• Pro Carbon
• Black Carbon
• Sky Blue
• Race Red
• Pink Silk
• Purple Silk 
• Titanium Silk

XLIM 3 Ultra Styles

• Metal Gray
• Metal Silver
• Cherry Pink
• Mint Green
• Ultra Carbon
• Mocha Brown
• Midnight Black
• Bordeaux Red

Pods

I’ve said it before, and I’ll no doubt say it again, but I’m a big fan of OXVAs XLIM top-fill pods. They are easy to fill, almost totally leak-free under normal conditions, last for weeks, and the mesh coils produce great flavor. The addition of the 3ml capacity versions is very welcome, although some users might still consider 3ml a bit small.

You get two pods with both the XLIM Pro 3 and 3 Ultra kits, varying in resistance between 0.4Ω and 1.2Ω. Both of the kits I got contained a 0.6Ω and a 0.8Ω. Of course, that’s only to get you started, and you can choose any XLIM-series pod to use down the line, all of which are compatible with both of these new devices.

As mentioned, the current XLIM pods are designated as being top-fill. They actually fill through a pleasingly secure and leak-free port on the side, but I guess any pod that doesn’t fill from the base is considered to be top-fill. Either way, filling is easy and can be completed without removing the pod from the device. If you prefer a true top-filled pod, OXVAs EZ cartridge fits the bill and is completely compatible with these vapes.

The pods last really well. During my testing, the pods that came with both the Pro 3 and Ultra have lasted for two weeks of heavy daily use and are still going strong. The flavor is still great, I have experienced no leaking, and the coils still seem to be heating efficiently. I have had OXVA XLIM pods last for over a month in the past, but even at two weeks of life, they represent great value for money.

Features

The feature lists for the Pro 3 and 3 Ultra are pretty similar, but not exactly the same. They both have adjustable airflow, adjustable wattage, the choice between draw and button fire, and use OXVA’s new Pulse System. The main difference is in the digital display, but more on that in a moment.

The adjustable airflow slider on both devices works well, with good resistance and a decent range of flow. When fully closed, the draw feels slightly tighter on the Pro 3 than the 3 Ultra, but not by a huge amount. When both are fully open, the draw is loose enough (assuming you’re using a low-resistance 0.4Ω or 0.6Ω pod) to satisfy users looking for an RDL rather than an MTL vaping experience.

Out of the box, these latest XLIM vapes are draw-activated. However, both can be adjusted to use the physical button to fire the coil. On the Pro 3, this is done from within the settings menu, but on the Ultra, there’s a small slider switch on the side of the device to lock and unlock the fire button. I did notice a slight delay in firing when using the button on the Ultra. It isn’t longer than half a second, but it was noticeable when tested alongside the instant fire you get from the Pro 3 button.

And so let’s look at those digital displays mentioned earlier. The display on the Pro 3 is good but fairly standard HD, measuring just over 1 inch in height. That’s significantly bigger (and also brighter and clearer) than the display on the previous XLIM Pro model, and about average among modern vapes of this size and shape. The display on the Ultra, however, definitely takes things up a notch. It is almost twice the size of the Pro 3 display, at 2.2 inches, and is both HD and touchscreen.

The final feature worth talking about is the Pulse System that OXVA has introduced in both of the new vapes. This is not a selectable mode like the Pulse Mode found on some other brands’ devices. Instead, the Pulse System, which modulates the power during each draw to provide consistent output and flavor, is always active. Even if you select Eco Mode from the 3 Ultra settings, the Pulse System will still be working in the background.

Battery & Charging

The battery is another area where the Pro 3 and Ultra are matched. Both feature a 1500mAh cell, which OXVA suggests can provide between 4 and 5 days of use. The estimated lifespan for the battery in the Ultra is the lower of the two, presumably due to the large touchscreen. I would guess that this upper estimate is only going to be achieved by relatively light vapers, using higher-resistance pods at low wattage.

During my testing, a full charge of the Pro 3 lasted well over two days when running the 0.8 pod at 18W, but significantly less when using the 0.6 at 22W. Even considering the smaller display on the Pro 3, this timeframe could probably be extended slightly by disabling the themes and screen animations. After the first few days (when I had stopped fiddling with the touchscreen constantly), the battery in the Ultra lasted a similar length of time. Once again, the best result, around two days, was achieved when using the higher-resistance pod at a lower wattage, which is obviously to be expected.

Recharging these devices is a quick task. Both feature 2A-rated full fast charge USB Type-C ports, and assuming you’re using the correct cable (ideally, the cables that are supplied with the devices), you don’t have to wait too long for the battery to refill, even from empty. In my tests, they both took an average of 35 minutes to fully recharge. A partial charge of 30% took as little as 10 minutes.

As is often the case with devices with digital displays, there are no battery indicator LEDs to be seen on the Pro 3 or the 3 Ultra. Battery life and remaining recharge time are displayed on the screen, and the counters seem very accurate on both.

Performance

Both the XLIM Pro 3 and 3 Ultra are MTL/RDL devices. The relatively wide range of available coil resistances (from 0.4 to 1.2) and the airflow range both vapes offer means it is easy to go from a tight to a pretty loose draw. The draw on the Ultra feels, to me at least, a bit looser than on the Pro 3, but not by a huge amount. While some devices are billed as RDL when they really only suit MTL vaping, that is not true here. I’m an RDL vaper, and I really enjoyed using both of these latest XLIM models for that style.

You also have the option of using whichever type of e-liquid you desire, with both nic salt and freebase equally suitable (with the appropriate configuration). I tested both vapes with a variety of liquids, using both of the pods that came with my kits, and flavor, vapor production, and throat hit were great every time. The lower-resistance pod, running at 22-24W, with freebase e-liquid, was the sweet spot for my RDL needs, but I do not doubt that MTL vapers will find the Pro 3 and 3 Ultra satisfying to use.

The Pulse System keeps flavor consistent, even when the battery is low, and the coil is well past its prime. The OXVA XLIM pods/coils have never really had problems in this area. However, it’s still nice to see the company adding features designed to improve the vaping experience, rather than just adding bigger screens or flashy designs.

The XLIM pods are as brilliant as always, being easy to fill, leak-free, and long-lasting. I vape pretty heavily when testing out a new vape, but after two weeks of such vaping and testing out an unnaturally wide variety of settings and configs, none of the pods that came with the Pro 3 or 3 Ultra kits are showing any signs of giving up the ghost. I fully expect to get another week of use out of them, and wouldn’t be surprised if they last a month each.

Verdict

While some device updates feel like little more than a few tweaks, the same can’t be said about the latest offerings in the XLIM family.

The Pro 3, when compared to its predecessor, has a bigger battery, a bigger and brighter screen, comes with bigger pods, and introduces the Pulse System for better power management and flavor consistency. If that isn’t enough for you, there’s the 3 Ultra, which features all of the above AND that impressive 2.2-inch touchscreen display.

The latest XLIM pods are great, particularly the 3ml versions, and I have no qualms in saying that they are my personal favorites to use. They are easy to fill, don’t leak, and last as well or better than any comparable pod on the market. I also particularly like the slim and slightly rounded shape of the mouthpiece, which makes it extremely comfortable to use.

Both devices feel reassuringly solid, comfortable to hold, and are available in a good range of colors and styles. I particularly like the Pro Carbon design, but would not be unhappy with almost any of the available designs in my hand. I could live without the screen animations and themes, but these sorts of features are almost expected nowadays, and I have no real problem with their inclusion in a device. Besides, the animations can easily be disabled if, like me, you don’t see the point.

Despite the “Pro” and “Ultra” names, I would be happy to recommend either of these devices to anyone, from complete beginners to seasoned pod vapers. OXVA has a well-earned reputation for making thoughtfully designed and reliable vapes, and these latest additions to the XLIM family are no different.