OXVA XLIM SQ PRO Review: The Best XLIM Device?

Design & Build Quality

The XLIM SQ PRO is a stark departure from the simple and classy designs of OXVA’s previous devices. Its predecessor, the XLIM SQ, was just a simple square shape. The SQ PRO is still square but now features more nicely rounded corners, some extra design lines, and an all-around nicer appearance. It looks nothing like any other XLIM devices and, in my opinion, it’s a positive change.

The SQ PRO is available in eight colors. Two feature carbon fiber panels, two feature wood panels, and four feature glossy solid colored panels. I received the ‘Black Carbon’ and ‘Spring White’ colors for review and both are nice in their own way. 

The white panels on my ‘Spring White’ device look like they could be made of ceramic. They’re not and are made of plastic, but I like the appearance. The carbon fiber panels on my ‘Black Carbon’ device certainly have a texture that could be actual carbon fiber, but I don’t think that they actually are.

I didn’t get the chance to test out one of the ‘wood’ designs so I can’t say if those are actual wood panels, but I would bet that they are just plastic as well. 

The XLIM SQ PRO is much larger than the original. It’s 77mm tall, 54.4mm wide, and 20.4mm deep (dimensions of the original XLIM SQ are: 68.5mm x 47mm x 14mm). It’s also much heavier, doubling the XLIM SQ’s weight of 44g to 88g.

Why it’s so heavy compared to the original, I’m not completely sure. It has a larger battery, better quality materials and a screen, but all of that shouldn’t result in a small pod vape that weighs 88g. Regardless of why, the fact remains that it’s a heavy device that rivals the weight of larger pod mods.

The packaging includes a lanyard to attach to the built-in lanyard anchor spot on the top of the device but I didn’t use it at all. The weight is one reason but I’m also just not a lanyard type of guy.

The display is a huge upgrade from OXVA’s other devices. It’s their largest and highest-resolution display yet and it’s among the nicest displays that I’ve seen on a pod vape. It’s very clear, bright, and in full color too.

There’s an airflow adjustment slider on the side of the SQ PRO which features three small slots. The knob can be finely adjusted to set the airflow however you wish. Small micro adjustments are easy to do thanks to the firm resistance of the slider.

One thing that I don’t like about the position of the airflow is that you can’t conceal the SQ PRO in your hand or grip it too tightly when you vape. If you do, you will block the airflow. Positioning the airflow slider on the bottom of the device would have been a better location for it. But this would have probably affected the direct feel of the draw and maybe even the flavor so I can see why they positioned it like they did.

On the other side of the SQ PRO is a button and the USB-C charging port. This button can be used to fire the device or for adjusting the wattage and navigating the menu. 

While I like the new design of the SQ PRO, I don’t like that it has become much heavier. The size is still portable but the weight is going to lose it some marks. On the positive side, the build quality is terrific and the color screen is stunningly nice. As a whole, I think that the design is a net-positive change from the original SQ.

Pods

The XLIM SQ PRO also uses the same ‘Top Fill’ pods that you would get with the XLIM PRO. What makes these different from OXVA’s other pods, like the V2 cartridge, is that these pods have the filling port located on the side of the pod. The fill port stays exposed and does not get hidden when the pod is inserted into the device. Other than the location of the fill port, these pods use the exact same non-removable, built-in coils as the V2 pods.

When it comes to compatibility, the XLIM SQ PRO will work with any of the OXVA’s ‘Top Fill’, V2, or prefilled pods. However, it will not work with the XLIM C cartridge. I tested this myself and the cartridge is too large to fit in the SQ PRO.

XLIM pods are available in four coil resistances: 0.4Ω, 0.6Ω, 0.8Ω, and 1.2Ω. Included with the SQ PRO are one 0.6Ω and one 0.8Ω Top Fill pod.

The recommended wattage range for each pod is as follows: 20-25W for the 0.6ohm pod and 12-16W for the 0.8ohm pod. The pods do seem to perform best in this wattage range, at least for me, so I was perfectly fine with using SMART mode for the majority of the time that I spent testing the XLIM SQ PRO.

The pods attach magnetically by way of two magnets on the bottom of the pod. It’s a secure connection that keeps the pod held strongly in place. There is some front-to-back pod wiggle but it’s very minimal and the pod otherwise sits snugly when inserted.

Like OXVA’s other pods, the pods are tinted but it’s a  very light tint. It’s not a problem to see into the pods to check on where the ejuice level is sitting. 

Features

Just like the XLIM SQ is basically the XLIM in a different body, the XLIM SQ PRO is kind of like the XLIM PRO, only in a different shape. The XLIM SQ PRO brings many of the same features as the XLIM PRO like adjustable wattage, adjustable airflow, a screen, and USB-C charging, only it’s a square shaped device.

The addition of a screen is a nice change from the original XLIM SQ. The 0.96” TFT display is in full color and comes with three different UI’s to choose from. The default green theme is the nicest. It’s clean, attractive, and neatly displays all of the information that you want/need. All three UI’s show your mode, wattage output, coil resistance, puff counter, and battery life. However, they all display it in a different fashion and with different ways of showing your battery life.

The green theme shows your battery life as ten little bubbles, with each bubble representing 10% battery life. The purple theme shows your battery life as a percentage, and the rocket theme shows your battery life as a small battery icon without a percentage indicator. Of the three, the purple theme has the best battery life display but I’m not particularly sold on the appearance of the theme overall.

The rocket theme is the most unique of the three, displaying a rocket ship blasting off each time that you take a draw. It’s fun but not quite for me.

The XLIM SQ PRO can fire at up to 30W. The wattage can be changed by pressing the button three times. This unlocks the wattage and allows you to press or hold the button to change the wattage to your liking. If you’re in SMART mode, which is the default mode, the XLIM SQ PRO sets a maximum wattage limit for each coil: 18W for the 0.8ohm pod and 25W for the 0.6ohm pod.

However, if you do want to push the limits and set the pods higher than the above listed max wattage limits, you can get rid of the restriction by changing to POWER mode. This will allow you to set the wattage for each pod all the way up to the maximum output of 30W.

You can change the mode by pressing the button twice to bring up the settings menu. From here, long press the button to select an option. You can also change the theme from this menu and reset the puff counter.

Adjustable Airflow

The adjustable airflow slider on the XLIM SQ PRO is great. It’s firm enough that it allows you to make tiny micro adjustments to the draw, easily allowing you to get the draw to just how you want it. The range of airflow goes from a loose MTL draw to a tight MTL draw depending on the pod you use and how you set the airflow slider. The airflow is smooth and quiet. It also feels very direct due to the airflow location being directly next to where the pod sits.

Battery Life & Charging

The XLIM SQ PRO packs a 1200mAh battery which is a 33% increase in battery capacity over the original. That doesn’t seem all that much better on paper but in reality it leads to noticeably increased usage times. This is actually one of the longest lasting devices that I’ve used so it’s a perfect companion for extended trips away from the house where you may not have access to a charger. Even for staying at home, it’s great to vape for extended periods of time without having to worry about charging.

The 0.8ohm pod at 18W lasted for over three full pods of vaping for me. The 0.6ohm pod delivered understandably shorter usage times due to me using it at a higher wattage of 22W but I still achieved over two full pods of use before having to recharge.

I can reasonably see the average vaper getting at least two days of use before having to recharge. That’s really great battery life. But how long you actually get from a charge will depend on which pod you use and at what wattage you use it at.

The 2A USB-C charging is a great feature and this charging speed meant that I had minimal downtime with the XLIM SQ PRO. I timed a few charges and all of them came out to one hour for a full charge when plugged into a wall outlet. This device also features pass-thru charging so if you’re really wanting to use it while it charges, you can.

Performance

Although a lot has changed with the design and the functions of the XLIM SQ PRO, it’s still a XLIM device that uses the same pods as before. Because of this, the performance is basically identical to other XLIM series devices. Even the airflow is basically the same as the original XLIM SQ which is good news for MTL vapers.

Both pods are great for nicotine salts but the 0.6ohm pod delivers a draw that is a bit more powerful than the 0.8ohm pod. If you’re using nicotine salt ejuices like I did, I recommend using the 0.6ohm pod for lower strength salts (<35mg) and the 0.8ohm pod for higher strength nicotine salt ejuices (35mg+). This isn’t a hard and fast rule but merely my recommendation. You can definitely use either pod for nicotine salts of all strengths but it all depends on your tolerance and how strong you want the draw to be.

Both pods deliver great flavor and both are perfectly suited for MTL vapers. Whether you’re after a loose MTL draw or a tight MTL draw, both pods can be set to your preference. For a strong, warm draw, I used the 0.8ohm pod at 18W and the 0.6ohm pod at 22W. However, both pods seem to perform well throughout their entire recommended wattage range so you might want to play around and see where the pods perform best for your liking.

Verdict

The XLIM SQ PRO is easily OXVA’s best pod vape yet. It’s a huge improvement over the original, both with its design and its features. The only downside to this otherwise great pod vape is that it’s unreasonably heavy. I don’t understand why it weighs double the original, rivaling larger pod mods with its 88g weight. But if you can live with the heft, it’s otherwise a really great device.

The XLIM SQ PRO has solid build quality, an awesome screen, and great MTL performance. It brings compatibility with all of OXVA’s great pods (aside from the XLIM C pod and coils) and excellent flavor that is hard to beat. The battery life is also very, very good, providing days of use on a single charge and charging times of only an hour. I can’t find much to say about the XLIM SQ PRO that isn’t positive so this device gets a great score from me.

Have you used the XLIM SQ PRO? Thinking of getting one? Leave me a comment down below!

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