VAPORESSO ARMOUR G & ARMOUR GS Review

Design & Build Quality

The Armour G and Armour GS are almost identical, design-wise, and as the name should suggest, they are styled to look somewhat armored. This is in the same way that anything you see on Amazon with “tactical” in the title will look vaguely like military gear. The design isn’t horrible, not by any means, but it definitely gives off strong masculine vibes and might not appeal to every vaper.

The GS is 1.3cm taller than the G, but that’s pretty much the only outward difference. Both have lightweight, curved metal bodies (likely aluminum or zinc alloy) with a flat side that houses the large TFT display. Both devices feature panels padded with a pleather-like material (apparently the same material used in some car seats) embedded into the curved side, which helps to increase comfort and grip.

The flat edge containing the TFT display also holds all the control buttons. These include a large burnt-orange fire button, a slider switch for locking/unlocking the device, and a rocker button to adjust on-screen settings like wattage. Below these is the USB-C charge port, meaning both devices can be charged while standing upright.

The burnt Orange color of the fire button is repeated in several other places on each device as an accent color. This includes around the edge of the airflow ring and in two LED strips that light up upon activation. The same applies to all Armour G/GS devices, regardless of base color.

There are seven colors, across the two devices, to choose from: Black, Brown, Silver, Blue, Green, Pink, and Red. For some reason, red is only an option for the Armour G, not the GS.

Pods

I will go out on a limb and say that the G Series pods (and the GTX coils) are the standout feature of these vapes and quite possibly the best pod/coil combination I have ever used. The pods are well-designed, have a respectable 5ml capacity, swappable drip tips, a large top-fill port, and seem to be completely leak-resistant.

As most people who use pod vapes will know, no matter how leak-free a pod is during use, if they are left unused for a few days with e-liquid in them, they almost always leak. This is caused by the airflow channels being at the base of the pod in most cases. If air is not pulled through those channels for an extended period, vape liquid will find a way down them.

The G Series pods solve this problem by moving the airflow to the top of the pod, just below the drip tip. No matter how full the pod is, the liquid will always be below the airflow channels. I left the Armour G unused for a full week while I was testing the Armour GS and, when I went back to use it, the bottom of the pod and the socket were both bone dry.

This airflow position isn’t unique among pod mods, but if you’re coming from the world of small pod vapes, it’s likely to be something you will notice and appreciate.

While the pods are great, I’m also a huge fan of the GTX coils and the COREX technology they use. They are, in my opinion, some of the most reliable, long-lasting, and flavor-enhancing removable coils available right now. Any of VAPORESSO’s GTX coils can be used with both the Armour G and GS, meaning you have a choice of resistances ranging from 0.15Ω to 1.2Ω. The MTL version of the Armour G comes with 0.4 and 0.6Ω coils (0.2 and 0.4Ω with the DTL version) and the Armour GS with 0.15 and 0.3Ω.

The swappable 510 drip tip is another sign that the Armour G and GS are a step up from a standard pod vape and heading toward the adjustment level of a mod. You get a wide-mouth tip with both the Armour GS and the DTL version of the Armour G and a narrower MTL tip with the MTL version. Of course, being swappable and using standard fittings means you can attach almost any third-party 510 drip tip you want.

Features

The Armour G and Armour GS are pretty feature-packed for devices with an RRP of around $40. There’s adjustable airflow, a power lock switch to prevent in-pocket firing, a large TFT display, multiple modes, animations and themes, and direct wattage control buttons.

The TFT display on the Armour G and GS is large, bright, and packed with information. It is also customizable, with the option to change between themes and animations. There are three to choose from, including Racecar, Rim (wheel), and General, and all include unique animated icons, fonts, and styling. Animated screens aren’t a feature I look for in a vape, but if a display that does more than show battery level and puff count floats your boat, these vapes have you covered.

Aside from the animation, the screen displays battery level, mode, wattage, lock status, resistance, and puff count. The settings menu is accessed by pressing the fire button three times and using the wattage rocker button to scroll through the options. There you’ll find everything from LED and animation controls to a wattage lock and mode selection.

There are two main modes available on the Armour G and GS: (Neo) Pulse Mode and Eco Mode. Neo Pulse Mode is designed to enhance the flavor and cloud production of a vape by firing the coil in quick bursts of power. Eco Mode is all about improving battery life by employing power curves and preheat functions to reduce power use.

Both modes work well and there is a noticeable difference when using either. Pulse Mode does improve flavor slightly and the vapor seems thicker and more intense on the throat. During my tests using Eco Mode, it extended battery life by around 15%.

The Armour G and Armour GS also use Smart Mode. This automatically detects the resistance of the coil being used and adjusts the wattage to the recommended level (even if you’ve used the Wattage Lock). This is useful for vapes with a wide wattage range, as it reduces the risk of accidentally running a coil at too high or too low power. However, you can disable Smart Mode in the settings if you don’t like a machine telling you what to do.

The airflow, adjusted by twisting the ring on top of the pod, is accurate and has a wide range. There are three airflow holes in parallel on each side, meaning you can have 6 open, 4 open, 2 open, or all closed. This takes the draw from pretty loose to very tight, allowing you to easily adjust it to the vaping style you prefer.

Battery Life & Charging

VAPORESSO has incorporated its “MEGA Batt” cell in the Armour G. This compact 3000mAh battery is said to be up to 30% smaller than many other batteries with the same capacity, allowing for a more compact device overall. The Armour G is certainly pretty small for an 80W, 3000mAh, 5ml pod mod vape.

In terms of battery life, the 3000mAh internal cell performs well overall. There is a lot of adjustability in mode, coil resistance, and wattage, so it will obviously vary between users, but I averaged close to two days between charges at 0.6Ω and the recommended 24W, and just over a day and a half at 0.4Ω and 32W, both in Pulse Mode. Using Eco mode will likely extend battery life for a few extra hours.

The Armour GS uses a removable 18650 battery (not included in the kit). Removable batteries provide several advantages, such as the option to carry spares and swap them out as needed, and increasing the overall lifespan of the device. However, it might require you to learn a bit more about battery safety than you would with an internal cell. Buying a decent 3000mAh 18650 battery will also add around $10-$15 to the cost of the vape.

Just as there is variation in mode, coil resistance, and wattage, there is also variation among 18650 batteries, both in quality and capacity. I tested the GS using a new 2800mAh 25A battery and (considering the low coil resistance and high wattage) the results were about what I expected. I averaged just under a day of use at 0.15Ω and 70W, and slightly over a day at 0.3Ω and 45W. Higher capacity 18650 batteries are available, so there is certainly room to improve those timings.

Both devices support 2A fast charging through the USB Type-C port (the 18560 battery in the GS can obviously also be removed and charged in an external charger if you have one) so recharge times are good. On average, a full charge of either device took about 45 minutes.

Performance

While I’ve been talking about the pods, features, and design of the Armour G and Armour GS interchangeably throughout this review, I have reviewed their performance separately. I received the MTL version of the G, so I used it mainly as an MTL/RDL vape. In contrast, the GS is clearly aimed at DTL vaping, so I used it as such.

Armour G Performance

I tested the Armour G with my standard 50/50 ratio freebase vape juice, both as an MTL vape (0.6Ω and 24W) and RDL (0.4Ω and 32W), varying the airflow accordingly. No matter the configuration, the flavors were excellent and the throat hit was satisfying. My go-to vape juice is a fairly complex mix of flavors including aniseed, dark berry, and mint, and the COREX coil and Pulse Mode really made the most of them.

Even at the (relatively) high resistance/low power setting, there was none of the flooding, spit back, or popping associated with less capable coils and devices. The 0.6Ω coil lasted for over a week of fairly heavy use before I noticed any loss of flavor or efficiency. Not bad at all!

Armour GS Performance

The Armour GS was tested with both a 50/50 e-liquid and a 70VG/30PG mix. I also tested it at a variety of power levels within the recommended range for the 0.15 and 0.3Ω coils. In all combinations, the GS performed superbly. Flavor and clouds were unsurprisingly better with the 70/30 liquid and the 0.15Ω coil at high power (68W was the sweet spot for my tastes), but still very impressive with the 0.3Ω/45W setup.

Again, I experienced no flooding or popping, and the pod remained leak-free throughout. The coil lifespan was significantly shorter at the higher power settings, with each lasting an average of 4-5 days of reasonably heavy use, but that also isn’t unsurprising and, I would suggest, about average for this style of more intense vaping.

Verdict

VAPORESSO has been on a bit of a winning streak over the last year or so, launching excellent devices like the LUXE X Pro, XROS 4, and XROS 4 Nano in the space of a few months. And that streak looks set to be extended by the Armour G and Armour GS.

Indeed it has been hard to find fault with either device during my time putting them through their paces. They combine robust and comfortable design, reliable coils, ample power, useful features, and decent battery life. Most importantly, they both deliver flavors rich and satisfying enough to place them among the top pod mod kits available today.

They also offer versatility and can easily be adjusted to suit MTL, RDL, and DTL vaping styles. On the flip side, while the devices offer plenty of customization options, you don’t have to tinker with settings unless you want to. Simply pop a coil into the pod, add your e-liquid, press the button to vape, and let the AXON chip take care of the details.

Either the Armour G or GS would be a great choice for anyone wanting to step up from pod or pen-style devices to something more adaptable. They might even appeal to long-time mod users who want a bit more simplicity without sacrificing clouds and flavor too much. All in all, these are excellent additions to VAPORESSO’s current pod mod lineup and I would heartily recommend trying out either model.

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