OXVA XLIM SQ Pro 2 Review: A Feature-Packed Upgrade

Design & Build Quality

As the “SQ” in its name suggests, the SQ Pro 2 adopts a squared-off form factor rather than the more traditional tall and slim design that most pod vapes adhere to. While it is clearly part of OXVA’s XLIM SQ family, this latest addition is taller and slimmer than both of its older siblings. At 93mm tall, it’s only about 15mm taller than its predecessor, but in my opinion, it makes it much nicer to hold as it fits more naturally in the palm of your hand.

Taking up a large part of the front face of the device is the huge HD display, which shows information about the vape (more on that in a moment) and doubles up as a clock when the button is pressed and left for a second or two. The aforementioned button, which sits in a slightly raised panel on the side of the vape, reminds me of the button on the side of an Apple Watch, although it is just a button and not a dial.

Opposite the activation button, on the other side of the SQ Pro 2, you’ll find the adjustable airflow slider. This, along with the USB Type-C port below it, sits in a shallow groove. This seemingly simple design choice is likely to prevent the slider knob getting hooked on threads in your pocket or bag. Or it could just be an arbitrary design feature.

There’s a bit of branding on both the front and back faces of the device, but it’s pretty subtle and does little to detract from the generally premium-looking styling. There is also a metal loop for attaching the supplied lanyard, if hanging a 115g lump of metal and plastic around your neck is something you aspire to doing.

There are ten different designs to choose from. And I say designs rather than colors because there is more variation between them than simply different hues. Some, like the Black Leather and Brown Leather, have a (you guessed it) soft leather-effect finish. Others, such as the Celadon Marble and Blue Shadow, have shiny and patterned finishes. And Gunmetal Wood and Brown Wood feature wood-effect textures. The full style list includes:

• Frost marble
• Celadon Marble
• Dream Pink
• Dream Purple
• Blue Shadow
• Brown Leather
• Black Leather
• Gunmetal Wood
• Brown Wood
• Black Carbon

Pods

You get two pods with the SQ Pro kit, one 0.8Ω and one 0.6Ω version. The pods for the SQ Pro 2 are the same XLIM pods that are available for the other XLIM devices. If you have used any of OXVA’s XLIM vapes before, you will know that this means that they have a 2ml e-liquid capacity. As far as I know, this is the same everywhere, not just in countries such as the UK, where 2ml is the volume limit.

They are classed by OXVA as top fill, but the fill port is actually on the side of the pod. So, while they aren’t true bottom fill pods, they also aren’t true top fill either. This does mean that they can be refilled without removing the pod from the device, which differentiates them from OXVA’s V2 pods, which have a fill port on the section below the lip of the pod slot on the vapes. Any of OXVA’s other XLIM pods can be used with the SQ Pro 2, including those previously mentioned V2 pods. This gives you resistance options that range from 0.4Ω to 1.2Ω.

As almost all pods do these days, they attach to the pod slot using magnets. These feel strong and secure, and while there is a bit of side-to-side movement of the pod in the slot, it doesn’t ever feel like it will come loose accidentally.

The shape of the pods, specifically the tip of the mouthpiece, suits me perfectly. They use the now almost universal flattened form-factor, sometimes known as duck-bill style, but with a tip that is about as narrow and slim as you will find on any pod. This should please recent ex-smokers, who might want an experience that feels at least something like drawing on a cigarette.

Features

Although the SQ Pro 2 has all the features pod vapers have come to expect, the most noteworthy is the 248×240 60Hz HD touch screen that sits squarely (or roundly) in the middle of the front face. While not the first touch screen to appear on a vape, it is the first for an OXVA vape.

The screen is activated by pressing the button on the side of the device. You then slide a finger or thumb along the bottom of the screen, from left to right, to unlock it. The circular display has five sections, displaying wattage, battery level, puff counter, puff timer, and resistance level. Where these are positioned on the screen depends on the theme you choose to use. As previously mentioned, if you wake the screen but don’t unlock it, it displays the time before it deactivates.

With the screen unlocked, sliding your finger in from the top, bottom, left, or right opens either an expanded information screen or a settings menu. The main settings are accessed by sliding from the top, and it is there that you can find the Eco Mode control, as well as things like language, reset, and a few tools like a stopwatch and flashlight (this just makes the screen white and, being honest, is pretty pointless).

Sliding up from the bottom gives you access to screen theme and puff animation settings. This will be a joy for anyone who likes to customise the look of their device on a whim, as there are four quite varied animated themes. There are also four puff animations to choose from, which appear on screen when you draw on the vape. These can be disabled completely if you prefer a discreet vape or want to save a bit of battery power.

The puff counter is very detailed and gives a bunch of in-depth information on your usage habits. This is really useful if you’re trying to keep close tabs on how much you’re vaping, as it lets you see exactly how many puffs you’ve taken per day, per week, and per month.

Overall, the screen is very responsive and feels just like using a smartphone display. It responds immediately to touch, so there’s no frustrating experience of tapping multiple times just to get it to respond—good job by OXVA here.

The airflow slider offers some adjustment, but not as much as can be found on other devices. There is a significant difference in airflow when it is open compared to closed, but having the airflow half open doesn’t create a vastly different draw experience from those other two options. The slider itself offers good resistance, so it is at least unlikely to get accidentally moved while the vape is in your pocket or bag.

Battery Life & Charging

The 1600mAh battery in the newest model in the SQ range is a welcome upgrade from its predecessor’s 1200mAh cell. But then, that huge display has got to be more of a power drain than a tiny 0.9-inch display typical of modern devices. Despite the large display, I actually found the battery life of this vape to be very good.

I tested the SQ Pro 2 for a week with the 0.8Ω pod at 16W, and then for a week with the 0.6Ω pod at 22-24W. On the lower power setting, a full charge lasted around two and a half days if I didn’t mess around with the screen too much. At the higher wattage and lower resistance, battery life dropped by about a day. I could always get over a full day’s use, and occasionally closer to two days.

I also tested Eco Mode for a couple of days. Now, I have to admit, I’m not entirely sure what activating Eco Mode actually does. I assume it lowers the power output and perhaps adjusts the resistance, but the displayed wattage and resistance remain the same, no matter if Eco Mode is on or off.

It does, however, manage to extend the battery life a bit. Oxva suggests that Eco Mode will offer a week of use from a single charge. While this might be true for very light vapers using a 1.2Ω pod, I would guess it would be closer to four days for the average vaper who likes a lower resistance. What I do know is that it saved me from running out of battery a couple of times when I was out and away from any power outlets.

The SQ Pro 2 supports 2A full fast charging (assuming you have a 2A cable, as none is supplied), so you won’t have to wait too long for a puff if the battery is drained. In my testing, it took around 15 minutes to recharge 25%, and a little less than 50 minutes to fully charge the device from dead.

Performance

The OXVA SQ Pro 2 is an MTL device and doesn’t pretend to be anything else. Potentially a loose MTL, to be sure, but MTL nevertheless. I did use it for RDL vaping as I happened to have a 0.4Ω pod hanging around, but even at this lower resistance, there really isn’t the power or airflow available for a truly satisfying RDL experience.

I tested each of the supplied pods with both freebase and nic salts liquids. As might be expected, the lower-resistance pod is better suited to freebase, while the 0.8 is better for nic salts. That said, both pods produced really good flavor and a decent throat hit, no matter the e-liquid being used. The setup that worked best for me (primarily an RDL vaper) was the 0.6Ω pod filled with freebase, running at 24W, with the airflow fully open.

With the airflow closed, the draw is quite tight, and I found that it was quite hard to get a satisfying mouthful of vapor, even at the highest wattage level for each of the pods. If you want to use the SQ Pro 2 as a pure MTL vape, you’ll almost certainly want to open the airflow a bit, and probably fully.

The impressively leak-free pods last pretty well, and I would not be surprised if two weeks of life were the average. Previous XLIM pods I have used in OXVA devices have certainly lasted this long or even longer with a bit of care.

Both of the pods I got with my kit were used pretty heavily for a little over a week each, and neither shows any sign of giving up the ghost. Even better, there is little to no loss of flavor or vapor production from the fixed coils in that time. I would certainly expect the 0.6Ω to die first, and the 0.4Ω version even sooner, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the higher-resistance versions last well into a third week.

Verdict

I truly enjoyed using the OXVA XLIM SQ Pro 2, even though it does not wholly suit my preferred RDL vaping style. Battery life is good, the excellent XLIM pods produce good flavors and last well compared to similar cartridges found elsewhere, and the touch screen is a useful, if slightly frivolous, addition.

I very much doubt I would use the screen tools, such as the stopwatch or flashlight, or change the theme or animations after the initial novelty wears off, but if you are someone who likes to change up how your vape looks day to day, you have all the options needed to do so.

One thing to consider is that the only real “upgrades” from the previous SQ Pro are the bigger battery and that huge circular touch screen, which might not be enough to tempt you to switch if you are happy with the older model SQ Pro. But if you are looking for a new device as a first-time vaper or want to switch from another brand and like the square form factor, the overall package is very solid.

The device is well-built, feels solid in your hand, and comes in a range of really nice designs. Oxva has built a great reputation for creating pod vapes that are well thought out and work almost exactly as vapers expect. The SQ Pro 2 is no exception and makes a worthy addition to the XLIM family.

If you want a palm-sized, reliable, no-nonsense MTL (or very tight RDL) vape, this device is well worth considering.