VAPORESSO LUXE QS Review: Big Flavor and Performance

The Luxe QS is a new pod vape from VAPORESSO and it’s the successor to their Luxe Q that came out just around a year and a half ago, in early 2021. The Luxe QS is similar in some ways to the Luxe Q, but in true VAPORESSO fashion, it has been refined and redesigned which should hopefully make it even better.

VAPORESSO is one of the largest and most popular vaping brands around. Their products cover nearly every category of vaping products and they offer subohm tanks, box mods, pod vapes, and pod mods. Some of their products that we have reviewed recently include the Luxe X, OSMALL 2, GEN PT60 & PT80S, and X MINI.

The Luxe QS delivers a MTL or loose MTL draw and comes with two pods in the box. It’s also compatible with pods from the original Luxe Q. The new pods that come with the Luxe QS use VAPORESSO’s patented COREX Heating Tech, which they state delivers better flavor accuracy, more consistent performance, and longer pod life.

Specifications

• Dimensions: 91.9mm x 26mm x 16.5mm
• 1000mAh Built-in Battery
• Comes with 0.6Ω & 1.0Ω MESH Pods
• Adjustable Airflow
• Top Filled Pods
• COREX Heating Tech
• 2ml Pod Capacity
• SSS Leak-Resistant Technology
• 1A Type-C Charging

Design & Build Quality

The Luxe QS has been given a makeover and it now has a completely different design from the original Luxe Q. It’s still the same shape and size, so it’s still compact and portable, but it looks much, much better. I wasn’t a big fan of the “crocodile leather” panels on the original, and thankfully VAPORESSO has implemented new panels on the Luxe QS.

The Luxe QS features textured panels made with an in-mold labeling process. There are a series of raised vertical lines that run down the front panel of the Luxe QS. This gives it texture and grip. This front panel is holographic and the colors dance and change in the light. It’s a really cool and fancy looking panel and it makes the device look so much better than the Luxe Q.

This holographic panel comes in one of six colors: black, silver, blue, lime green, sunset violet, and flame red. I’m using the sunset violet for this review and the way that the colors change and dance is very neat looking.

Instead of a cutout for an LED, the LED is integrated underneath the front panel of the Luxe QS. When you take a draw, a VAPORESSO logo shines through and becomes visible within the holographic panel. Until you take a draw, you wouldn’t even know that it’s there. Super cool!

As I mentioned, the Luxe QS is the same size and shape as the original Luxe Q. It’s 91.9mm tall, 26mm wide, and 16.5mm deep. It’s on the smaller end of pod vapes, so I didn’t have any issues putting in in my pocket or taking it out of the house with me.

The metal bezel that makes up the frame of the Luxe QS is identical to the Luxe Q, but it has a matte finish as opposed to the shiny finish that was present on the Luxe Q. The Luxe QS also does not have a back panel. Instead, the metal bezel is one large piece with the metal back of the device.

The back of the Luxe QS has a subtle, wavy texture that, just like the ridges in the front panel, also adds grip. At the bottom there is an embossed VAPORESSO logo, as well as a Type-C charging port.

On one side of the Luxe QS, there is a single small slot for airflow. This airflow slot feeds air into the bottom of the pod. You can adjust the airflow on the Luxe QS by rotating the pod 180° for a slightly tighter or looser draw. 

The pod clicks into the battery and sits securely. It’s much harder to remove the pod on the Luxe QS than on the Luxe Q, so the security has been improved. There’s also no pod wiggle on the Luxe QS, which is another improvement over the original.

When you insert a pod, there is a small transparent strip that remains visible above the battery. If the pod is more than half-full, you’ll be able to see your ejuice without removing the pod. If you can’t see your ejuice, then you’re probably getting low and it’s time to refill the pod. It’s not the best ejuice window as you can’t see your exact ejuice level if it’s below the halfway point, but it’s usable to a certain degree.

The overall design, build quality, and finish of the Luxe QS are definite upgrades over the original. This looks like a more refined, classier, and nicer device. Small changes like the improved pod fitment and added grip also make the Luxe QS feel better and make it nicer to use. As I mentioned, it’s still the same size, shape, and general design as the Luxe Q, but the small changes add up to make a big difference in the look and feel.

Pods

The Luxe QS comes with two new and improved pods, which use VAPORESSO patented COREX Heating Technology:

• 1 x 0.6Ω Mesh Pod
• 1 x 1.0Ω Mesh Pod

VAPORESSO explains that COREX Heating Technology uses cumulus cotton which has been formed in a complex, microfiber structure. According to VAPORESSO, this fluffier cotton results in better flavor accuracy, more consistent performance, and longer pod life. If you’re curious to learn more, check out VAPORESSO press release on their COREX Heating Technology.

Another noteworthy feature of these pods is that they are built with VAPORESSO’s “SSS Leak-Resistant Technology”. The bottom of the pods feature two layers to prevent any eliquid from leaking out and so far, it has done its job. I have not had any ejuice pooling inside of the battery, nor any condensation, and I’ve been using both pods for a couple of weeks now. 

The Luxe QS is compatible with pods from the original Luxe Q, so if you have any of those laying around then you can put them to use with this device. The pods that come with the Luxe QS can also be used in the Luxe Q.

The mouthpiece on the pod is nicely shaped to be comfortable to vape on. It also serves as the fill cap. With the pod still inserted, you can push the mouthpiece forwards or backwards to pop it off the pod. 

From here, you can insert your bottle nozzle into the large fill hole on one side of the pod (not the hole in the middle) and easily fill it up. The fill hole has a seal with an X cut into it that opens up when you insert your nozzle and self-closes when you remove it. It works well and doesn’t allow any ejuice to escape from the fill hole. The pods for the Luxe QS hold up to 2ml of ejuice.

Battery Life & Charging

Just like the original, the Luxe QS has a 1000mAh built-in battery, which is rather large for the small size of the device. You can expect to vape just over 2 pods when using the 1.0Ω pod, and about one and a half pods if you’re using the 0.6Ω pod. 

This battery life is similar to the original Luxe Q, so not a huge change here. However, it’s worth stating that these pods are lower resistance than the original and still deliver similar usage times, so battery efficiency has been improved. I imagine that you would get even longer usage times if you used the 0.8Ω and 1.2Ω pods that came with the Luxe Q.

The LED that is hidden under the holographic front panel will light up each time that you take a draw. The color of the VAPORESSO logo indicates your battery charge level as follows:

• Green Logo: 70%-100%
• Blue Logo: 30%-70%
• Red Logo: 0-30%

The Luxe QS charges at 1A using a Type-C cable and charging times are average and what you would expect. It takes an hour and ten minutes for a full recharge. You can also vape while it recharges.

Performance

I tested the Luxe QS using the two included pods and I used both regular nicotine ejuices, as well as nicotine salts. I used a 6mg regular nicotine ejuice with a 70VG ratio, and a 30mg nicotine salt ejuice with a 60VG ratio.

Flavor from both pods is really good and I can’t help but feel like VAPORESSO’s Corex has something to do with it. The vapor tastes full and rich, and I can taste all of the nuanced and subtle flavors in my ejuices. 

The 1.0Ω pod gets me a nice MTL draw no matter how I have the pod oriented, but it’s a MTL draw when I rotate the pod to the tighter setting, and a looser MTL draw when I have the pod rotated to the loose setting. The 0.6Ω pod provides a little bit of a looser draw all around. It’s a looser MTL draw on the tighter setting and a RDL draw when I rotate the pod to the looser setting.

VAPORESSO markets this as “the most compact pod system that supports RDTL”. While it’s true that you can get a restricted direct lung vape with the 0.6Ω pod on the looser setting, it’s not my ideal way to get a RDL vape and the Luxe QS is overall more suited to MTL vaping. If you’re purchasing this with RDL vaping in mind then you will likely be disappointed.

The draw from both pods is great, and I also liked the warm vapor that I get. Due to the 0.6Ω pod being a looser draw, the warmth of the vapor from both pods is similar and just warm enough without being too hot. 

I’ve ran through 20ml+ of ejuice through each pod and the performance is still no different than when I started using them. Again, I think that the cumulus cotton that VAPORESSO uses for these pods has a lot to do with this longevity and it’s definitely doing what it’s meant to do.

Another positive of the Luxe QS is the draw activation. Even on the loosest possible setting with the 0.6Ω pod, it works great and activates without having to strain myself to get a draw.

Verdict

VAPORESSO has been hitting it out of the park lately with their devices, and the Luxe QS is another home run. The new pods deliver flavor that is even better than the original Luxe Q, and I think that it’s up there with the top pod vapes that are on the market today. 

If you already own the original Luxe Q, then you have a choice to make. The Luxe QS has a nicer design (in my opinion), and the build quality is also improved. You can either purchase the Luxe QS if you want a brand new device that looks and feel better, or you can simply purchase the new pods to use with your current Luxe Q.

Now, if you don’t own the Luxe Q, the Luxe QS is high on my list of pod devices that you should buy. It’s ultra portable, delivers great performance and flavor, and the battery life and charging times are pretty good too. Add to all of this that it doesn’t leak and the pods last a long time, and I don’t think you will regret picking one of these up.

Although this is marketed as being a small device for RDL vaping, I didn’t find that to be the case. It’s best suited for MTL vapers and those looking for a RDL vaping experience will likely be disappointed due to the fact that you can only get a barely RDL vape from the loosest airflow setting with the 0.6Ω pod.

Have you used the Luxe QS? What are your thoughts on it? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.

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