VAPORESSO ARMOUR OCTA Review: The Ultimate Rugged Box Mod?

Design & Build Quality

If you’re at all familiar with any of VAPORESSO’s previous ARMOUR mods, you’ll instantly recognize the ARMOUR OCTA as belonging to the same family. There’s the signature orange button, patterned TPU faceplate, and strong metal bezel. The styling is so unique: distinctly rugged, yet classy and high-end at the same time.

It’s not just looks either, as the ARMOUR OCTA is IP69K + IP68 rated for waterjet and water/dust resistance. It’s also rated as drop-resistant. This, of course, applies only to the mod, not the tank, but the package includes a TPU protector for the tank that should help protect it against breakage.

The sides of the ARMOUR OCTA feature what VAPORESSO calls an “Anti-Collision Pad” to absorb impacts and reduce damage to the mod. It feels great in the hand as it has a bit of squish to it, and it will no doubt help cushion a drop as well.

Size-wise, the OCTA feels pretty compact for a dual battery mod. It’s pretty slender and slim for holding two 18650 batteries, and the aforementioned grip is comfortable to hold.

The battery door is rubberized and located on the bottom of the device. The sliding lock that secures it is quite stiff, so it’s unlikely to open in your pocket or from a drop. Opening it up reveals a battery compartment that will fit two 18650 batteries. It’s snug, but not too tight, and batteries go in or out easily. There’s no battery rattle at all when using the device, and even shaking it vigorously produces no sound.

The front of the OCTA is where you’ll find the firing button, display, adjustment buttons, and the Type-C charging port (which is protected by a TPU cover). All of the buttons feel good and responsive, and the display is nice too. However, some elements on the display are in very small font, which can make it hard to read, even for someone like me who is (relatively) young.

The side of the OCTA has a physical locking switch, which locks the entire device. It’s convenient to have, as it only takes half a second to lock it before throwing it into my pocket or bag. 

If style is your main concern with a box mod, the OCTA has plenty of that too. There are six finishes available, with four differently styled grips between them:

• Dark Black
• Titanium Grey
• Vintage Green
• Rally Blue
• Rust Bronze
• Aero White

Features & Functions

The ARMOUR OCTA is VAPORESSO’s latest flagship box mod, and as such, it packs all of the bells and whistles that you might expect from an advanced device. But what’s nice about the OCTA is that the menu is easy to navigate and the settings are straightforward in what they do, so it’s simple to use and get the hang of.

Starting with the specs, the OCTA can fire up to 220W, which should be more than enough wattage output for 99% of vapers. Like most high-wattage mods, it takes two 18650 batteries but unfortunately doesn’t accommodate 21700 batteries like its predecessor, the ARMOUR MAX. 

For output modes, there are six to choose from: Boost, Pulse, Eco, TC-SS, TC-NI, and TC-TI. If you’ve never heard of Boost or Pulse, they’re basically wattage mode, but with a twist.

Boost mode delivers a denser draw for more vapor, while Pulse mode can bring out the flavor of your e-juice by pulsing power through the coil every 0.2 seconds. This pulsing isn’t noticeable, but you might notice the increased flavor. Lastly, Eco is a more mellow and less intense draw that conserves battery life; ideal if your batteries are running low and you’re without a charger.

I’d recommend starting with Pulse mode as the baseline experience, as it’s most similar to regular wattage mode on other vape mods.

Additionally, the OCTA features a “SMART” mode toggle in the settings, which I recommend turning on for beginners or anyone new to vaping. When toggled on, SMART mode automatically sets the wattage to an ideal output based on the coil that you’re using. For example, the 0.4Ω coil defaults to 55W, while the 0.2Ω coil defaults to 65W.

My 0.2Ω coil actually kept reading as 0.25Ω and defaulting to 70W, which seemed to be a consistent issue across both of my devices, so the OCTA doesn’t always read the resistance accurately. But even with minor variation in the detected resistance, SMART mode is still useful for giving beginners an idea of what wattage they should be vaping at.

Accessing the menu and settings is done by pressing the fire button three times, then using the adjustment buttons to navigate the menu. There are a few themes, the modes, smart mode toggle, a wattage lock, and a further settings menu. In here you’ll find a puff counter reset, screen brightness, the option to turn on percentage readings for the batteries, as well as a few other settings.

As I mentioned, it’s pretty straightforward to use the OCTA, and there are no convoluted button combinations or ambiguous menu options.

iTank T Tank

The iTank T is a solid tank. This is the same tank that came included with the ARMOUR ULTRA, and I’m happy to see it make its return with the ARMOUR OCTA. The tank will hold up to 6ml of e-juice, and it’s compatible with all of VAPORESSO’s many and excellent GTi coils, including their latest dual-mesh ones.

Coils are easy to install or remove. Unscrew the bottom cap on the tank, then pull out the old coil and push in the new one. Simple.

The iTank T is both top-filled and top-airflow. A red arrow on the cap shows where to push, and it slides back to reveal the fill port. A small self-sealing fill port lets you insert your bottle nozzle, and once you’re done filling, just slide the cap back into place. The cap doesn’t open easily and requires some force, so I was never worried it would open accidentally.

The airflow slider is located just below the top cap and features two wide airflow slots. The airflow can be fully adjusted between entirely open or completely closed, allowing for a lot or very little airflow, depending on how you set it. There are also numbers on the airflow control ring so you can take note of where you liked the airflow and adjust it back if needed.

Included with the OCTA kit are 0.2Ω and 0.4Ω dual-mesh GTi coils. However, there are 5 other coils available, all of which can be used with the iTank T:

• 0.15Ω Dual Mesh
• 0.15Ω Mesh
• 0.2Ω Mesh
• 0.4Ω Mesh
• 0.5Ω Mesh

Performance

If you’re thinking of picking up a box mod and tank, then you’re probably a vaper who uses regular nicotine e-juices, likes big draws, and enjoys a warmer vape. That’s exactly the type of experience that the ARMOUR OCTA and iTank T provide, and it’s a direct-lung vape through and through.

Sure, there is a 0.5Ω Mesh coil available, but you still won’t get anywhere close to a tight mouth-to-lung draw with this setup. As long as your expectations are set correctly (that is for big clouds and a strong draw), the ARMOUR OCTA is going to meet or exceed your expectations.

I tested three coils during the course of my review: 0.15Ω dual mesh (sold separately), 0.2Ω dual mesh (included in the box), and the 0.4Ω dual mesh (included in the box) GTi coils. While each one vapes pretty similarly, in that they all provide a powerful direct-lung draw, the best wattage for each one, as well as their flavor production, are a bit different (at least in my experience).

I’ll start with the two coils that come included with the kit. The 0.2Ω dual mesh coil is an absolute monster for clouds and flavor.  As I mentioned earlier, my coil kept reading as 0.25Ω and defaulting to 70W with SMART mode turned on, but I reduced the wattage down to the recommended 65W for the coil.

I really liked it here, and in Pulse mode it’s pretty close to a perfect DL draw. Lots of vapor, plenty of flavor, and even the throat hit is impressively good with a 6mg/ml freebase e-juice. It’s a warm, verging on hot draw, especially as you close down the airflow.

The 0.4Ω coil is a bit milder, but still very much direct lung vaping. 55W was the sweet spot for me, and again I preferred to use Pulse mode. It’s not nearly as warm or as punchy a vape as the 0.2Ω coil, but still produces a lot of vapor and really good flavor.

The 0.15Ω dual mesh coil, which is sold separately, takes things to the extreme for DL vaping. It’s recommended to use at 85W, but I reduced this down to 80W. It’s even more punchy than the 0.2Ω coil, with a hot draw and very dense vapor, but very similar in flavor. For cloud chasers, you could even take this coil up to 90-100W, and you’ll look like a dragon exhaling the crazy amounts of vapor that this coil can provide.

Verdict

VAPORESSO doesn’t seem to miss with their releases, and the ARMOUR OCTA seems to be another hit. It’s a great box mod that looks great, feels just as great, and offers excellent performance. It’s surprisingly compact and comfortable to use for a dual-battery mod, too. Add in the water, dust, and shock resistance, and the OCTA seems built to outlast even your vaping habit.

That being said, the OCTA is a fine mod on its own, but it pairs especially well with the iTank T and GTi coils. If you’re a direct lung vaper (and I assume you would be if you’re looking at this mod), the kit is worth picking up. Paired together, the iTank T and ARMOUR OCTA deliver outstanding flavor, a crazy amount of vapor, and just an overall straightforward and impressive direct lung vaping experience.

My only real complaints are minor: the lack of 21700 battery support like we had with the ARMOUR MAX, the small display text, and the occasionally inaccurate coil resistance readings. None of these would make me pass on the OCTA, but they’re worth mentioning.

Overall, the ARMOUR OCTA is an outstanding box mod and tank kit. If you’re a direct-lung vaper looking for a powerful and reliable device that is built to last, this is one that I can easily recommend.