OXVA XLIM SQ Review: Same Vape, Different Shape

The OXVA XLIM SQ is one of four devices in the XLIM family. Unlike its siblings, the XLIM SQ is a square shaped device but it still shares a lot of similarities with the original XLIM. It uses the same V2 pods as the XLIM and also features a similar airflow control slider. These pods come with the coils built into them and they will hold up to 2ml of ejuice.

We reviewed the original XLIM near the beginning of last year and it impressed us with its flavor, performance, and pod longevity. We liked it so much in fact that it even earned a place on our list of best nicotine salt vapes 2022.

OXVA is a lesser known vaping brand that saw rapid growth and huge success in 2022. Appearing from out of nowhere, they’ve already produced a number of great products such as the XLIM, XLIM C, and Arbiter 2 RTA. 

Is the XLIM SQ another great pod device from OXVA? Let’s dive in and find out.

This device was sent to me by OXVA for the purpose of this review.

Box Contents

• 1 x OXVA XLIM SQ Device
• 1 x XLIM V2 Cartridge (0.6Ω)
• 1 x XLIM V2 Cartridge (0.8Ω)
• 1 x Type-C Cable
• 1 x Lanyard
• 1 x User Manual

Specifications

• Size: 68.5mm x 47mm x 14mm
• Weight: 44g
• Pod Capacity: 2ml
• Uses XLIM V2 Pods (Built-in Coils)
• Draw activated
• MTL to Tight MTL draw
• Battery Size: 900mAh
• Max Wattage 25W
• Charging: 1A Type-C

Design & Build Quality

The XLIM SQ is a small, cute, and sleek pod device. It’s available in nine colors: five solid colors and four gradient colors. I’ve been using the “Purple Black” color which changes from dark purple near the top, to black towards the bottom. It’s a really nice paint job that is matte with a little bit of metallic sheen.

The XLIM SQ is not a tall pen shape like other XLIM devices. Instead, it’s a square shape which makes perfect sense — it is the XLIM SQuare after all. The sides of the XLIM SQ are rounded, as are the edges. Even with my small hands, I can easily conceal the device in one hand. It’s not possible to vape it like this though because the airflow control slider is located on the side of the device and gets blocked when holding it too tightly. But regardless, it’s a very small device and it only weighs 44g, so it’s light too.

The top corner of the XLIM SQ has a spot for a lanyard and you get one in the box. The included lanyard is a chain-style lanyard that I’m not too crazy about, but I had another lanyard lying around so I used that instead. It’s a nice weight to wear around my neck, not too heavy, and it keeps the XLIM SQ secure and always within reach.

There’s an OXVA logo on one side and XLIM SQ printed on the other. Next to the OXVA logo there is a small round LED. This LED lights up upon inhaling and it will be green, blue, or red depending on your battery level. The XLIM SQ does not have adjustable wattage and instead outputs a different set wattage for each pod.

On the top of the device, next to where the pod sits, there’s a black plastic piece with a carbon-fiber-esque pattern. I’m not completely sure what this does (it doesn’t appear to do anything really), but it’s a little accent piece that I thought I would mention.

Finally, on the side of the XLIM SQ is where you’ll find the airflow control slider. It’s just like the one on the XLIM and XLIM C. It has three airflow slots, each one getting smaller towards the bottom of the slider. The slider is firm and stays where it is set. It’s also well built. You can push the slider up to reduce the airflow or push it down to open the airflow up. 

Pods

The XLIM SQ uses the same XLIM V2 pods as their XLIM and XLIM SE devices. Because these pods have the coils built into them, they are not compatible with the XLIM C (which uses pods that take replaceable coils). The XLIM SQ is also not compatible with pods for the XLIM C.

Included with the XLIM SQ are two pods: one XLIM V2 Cartridge (0.6Ω) and one XLIM V2 Cartridge (0.8Ω). The XLIM SQ will output 22W with the 0.6Ω pod and 16W with the 0.8Ω pod. There’s also a 1.2Ω pod available that is sold separately.

Pods attach to the XLIM SQ nicely and stay held to the device by two powerful magnets. I’ve never had the pod fall out of the device while it was in my pocket or purse, but I have dropped the XLIM SQ and the pod has popped out every time. 

These pods have a light tint to them, so holding them up to the light makes it easier to see how much ejuice is left inside of them. They have a nice mouthpiece that is rounded and sloped, which makes them comfortable to use.

The pods will hold up to 2ml of ejuice and they are side filled through a port on the side of the pod. The fill port is located towards the bottom of the pod, so you have to remove the pod from the device in order to fill it. The rubber plug is easy enough to remove but secure enough to keep all of the ejuice inside. I had no trouble filling with either large 100ml bottles or small 30ml bottles.

Overall, nothing new with these pods. They’re the same XLIM V2 pods that came with the XLIM and they’re still just as great.

Battery & Charging

The XLIM SQ may be smaller and more compact than the rest of the XLIM family but it still comes with the same 900mAh battery. That’s a good battery size for the size of the device. A single charge is going to last you for a few days of vaping if you don’t vape too heavily. If you’re constantly hauling on the SQ then you’ll probably need to charge it every day to be safe. Personally, I vaped closer to three full pods with the 0.8Ω pod and two pods with the 0.6Ω pod.

The XLIM SQ uses Type-C charging with a 1A charging speed. The charging port is on the bottom of the XLIM SQ so you have to lay it down to charge it. It takes 45 minutes for a full charge with a dead battery, but the XLIM charges back into the green battery LED range (65%+) in less than 30 mins. So if you really need it charged, less than half an hour will get you enough battery life for at least a few hours of vaping.

Battery LED color:

• Red: Less than 30%
• Blue: 30-65%
• Green: More than 65%

Performance

The XLIM SQ is like a square version of the XLIM, just without the screen and adjustable wattage. As such, it was no surprise to me that it performs almost exactly the same. Although you can’t set the wattage for each pod, the XLIM SQ outputs the wattage that I thought was best for each pod when I used the XLIM, so to me it’s perfect!

For the 0.6Ω pod I tested a 6mg freebase ejuice in 70VG and a 30mg salt in 60VG. This pod outputs 22W and it’s just a great vape with both ejuices. The draw is strong and really has an “oomph” with the salts. The draw isn’t as punchy with a freebase ejuice due to the lower nicotine content but still it delivers a nice vape with a bit of a kick. Flavor from this pod is full and strong, leaving me with nothing to complain about.

If you leave the airflow slider open then you’ll get a very loose MTL draw with this pod. Closing the airflow down makes the draw tighter and tighter until it gets to a tight MTL draw when it’s almost fully closed. I wouldn’t suggest closing it down so much, even with freebase juices, as it feels much too restricted and delivers a really hot draw that just makes me cough.

The 0.8Ω pod is very similar to the other pod. This pod functions at 16W, which again is a perfect output. Flavor is good, although slightly less flavorful than the other pod, and the amount of vapor is surprisingly a lot for the resistance and wattage. This pod also delivers a loose MTL draw with the airflow open and a tighter MTL draw as you close the airflow down.

Pod life is great with both pods and you can refill these many, many times before they start losing any flavor. These are some of the longest lasting pods that I’ve used. After refilling each of them more than 10 times they are still performing like new without any noticeable drop in flavor. 

Verdict

The XLIM SQ is another excellent pod vape by OXVA. It’s so similar to the XLIM, an excellent device, that I would have been surprised if it performed much differently.

The XLIM SQ is really just a differently shaped device that uses the same V2 pods. It’s also easier to use due to there being no adjustable wattage. You just pop in a pod and vape. Flavor from both pods is excellent and they last a very long time; what more could you want from a pod vape?

If you’re deciding between the XLIM and the XLIM SQ, you can’t go wrong either way. The XLIM SQ is more beginner friendly and easier to operate, while the XLIM gives you more fine-tuned control over the wattage that you want to vape at.

Otherwise, the flavor and airflow from the SQ are the same. Personally, if given the choice between the two, I would choose the XLIM SQ because I think it has a nicer design and I like the square shape better.

Have you used the XLIM or the XLIM SQ? What do you think of them? Leave a comment with your thoughts down below!

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