Vaporesso Target PM30 Review: Flavorful but Flawed

The Target PM30 is an all-in-one, pod-style vape by none other than Vaporesso. It’s a thinner and more portable version of Vaporesso’s PM80, a device that I reviewed a couple of months back. 

While the PM80 works well and delivers on flavor, it’s a bigger and bulkier device than some people would like, thus Vaporesso have released the PM30 as a solution. If you liked the PM80 but wanted something more pocketable, the PM30 is made for you.

It has a 3.5ml pod, a 1200mAh battery, and three different power levels. The PM30 comes with a coil for direct lung vaping, as well as a coil for MTL vaping.

This device was sent to me directly from Vaporesso for this review.

Box Contents

• 1 x Target PM30 Device
• 2 x Target PM30 Pods
• 1 x GTX 0.6ohm Mesh Coil
• 1 x GTX 1.2ohm Regular Coil
• 1 x Type-C Cable
• 1 x User Manual
• 1 x Warranty Card
• 1 x Reminder Card

Specifications

• 117.1mm x 22mm x 26.7mm
• Weighs 80g
• 3.5ml Pod
• 30W Max Output
• Three Power Levels
• Compatible with GTX Coils
• Type-C Charging
• 1200mAh Battery
• Button-Activated Firing

Design & Build Quality

The Target PM30 looks like a cross between Vaporesso’s PM80 and Podstick. But even though it’s a part of the “PM” family of devices, it looks more like a bigger Podstick rather than a smaller PM80. The PM30 has the same general shape, the same style firing button, a very similar push to fill pod, and three power levels — just like the Podstick. Maybe this should have been called the Vaporesso Podstick 2!

The PM30 is just slightly taller than the Podstick and much taller than the PM80 at 117.1mm. It’s wider and deeper than the Podstick, but thinner and smaller than the PM80. Basically the PM30 is comfortably sized right in between these two devices. It also weighs only 80g; not exactly light but not too heavy either.

Despite being taller, the Target PM30 is much more pocketable than the PM80 is. The smaller width and depth fit way easier into my pockets and purse and it’s less noticeable too. The Podstick is still the most portable/pocketable out of the three though.

The body is made out of zinc-alloy and my unit has a gun metal finish. The front side of the device has an indent where my fingers naturally grip the device. Index firing the PM30 is just as comfortable as thumb-firing.

The back of the PM30 has a fabric-like panel that is just like the one on the Vaporesso Xtra. It has a silky feel and it adds a bit of grip, although not much. I have the green version and the pattern looks floral/psychedelic. This panel seems to be self-healing to an extent; if I dent it with my fingernail the mark disappears after a few minutes.

The fire button is located front and center on the PM30 and it’s a round button with a dot in the middle (just like the Podstick). There’s a nice amount of travel when I press the button and it feels just fine. There’s an LED ring around the button that lights up to indicate your power level as well as your battery level (I’ll get into the power levels in the next section).

The pod fits snugly into the battery. It’s held in place by three magnets that do a good job of keeping the pod attached. To access the fill port, the top of the pod slides back. This push to fill cap is a little easier to open than I would like, but I haven’t had it accidentally open on me yet. It clicks closed and that makes me feel better but it’s not completely assuring.

Aside from the push to fill cap, I can’t complain about the build quality. This is a very well made device and that’s evident when I hold it. 

How to Use the PM30

The PM30 is very easy to use and this makes it perfect for a beginner vaper. To turn the device on or off, quickly press the fire button 5 times. 

There are three power levels on the Target PM30: green, blue, and red. Pressing the fire button three times will cycle through the modes. The LED ring around the fire button will light up in the corresponding color of the mode that you’ve selected. The LED will also light up every time you take a draw but the color of the LED is your battery level and not your power level. 

Each power mode will output a different wattage depending on the coil that you’re using. Here is a helpful chart that I got from Vaporesso’s website:

As you can see from the above chart, the 0.6ohm coil will fire at 25W, 22W, or 20W. The 1.2ohm coil will fire at 12W, 10W, or 8W. 

Pod & Coils

The Target PM30 comes with not one, but two pods! This means that you can use one coil in each pod and freely switch flavors and from DL to MTL vaping. Most devices that use replaceable coils don’t include two pods so shoutout to Vaporesso here! The pods hold 3.5ml of eliquid.

The pods have a dark tint on the portion that remains visible when the pod is inserted into the battery. Removing the pod exposes the portion of the pod that is nearly transparent. All this to say that it’s hard to see your ejuice level when the pod is inserted but removing the pod makes it easy to see.

Sliding back the top of the pod is how you access the fill port. It’s a push-to-fill port (which has  kind of become Vaporesso’s signature fill port) and it’s easy to fill, provided you’re using a pointy-tip bottle. 

To fill the pod  you have to push down on the spring-loaded port with the tip of your ejuice bottle. This opens up the valve inside of the pod and allows you to fill up. When you stop pressing on the port, the valve closes and seals shut to prevent any ejuice leaking out. The port works fine but if you aren’t using a pointy-tip bottle it’s going to be nearly impossible to fill.

The 0.6ohm mesh coil is made for direct lung vaping. It gives a nice direct lung draw with little to no restriction. 50/50 up to 70VG ejuices wicked easily. This is a versatile coil that works best with lower strength nicotine salts or regular nicotine ejuices.

The 1.2ohm regular coil is made for MTL but it’s an underwhelming draw. It gives a loose MTL draw that honestly could be tighter. This coil also works well with 50/50 up to 70VG ejuices but I had some leaking when I used anything 60VG or less. Not a crazy amount of leaking but enough ejuice pooled under the pod for me to notice. This coil works best with mid to high strength nicotine ejuices.

The retail version of the PM30 will also include a third 1.2ohm mesh coil. This is a sample version that I’m reviewing so this third coil was not included, but that’s pretty awesome. Buying a device and getting two pods and three coils is pretty sweet.

In addition to the included coils, the Target PM30 is also compatible with two other GTX coils. You can get either a 1.2ohm mesh coil (which will come included in the retail version) or a 0.8ohm mesh coil which is sold separately.

Battery & Charging

The PM30 uses a 1200mAh battery that is built into the device. It charges using a Type-C cable. Micro-USB is slowly becoming a thing of the past and good riddance to those slower charge times!

The vaping time I got out of a full charge is respectable. The 1.2ohm coil on the green power level averaged close to two full pods (two day of moderate to heavy use). The 0.6ohm coil lasted me 1 & ⅓ of a pod when I went between the red and blue power levels.

For having Type-C charging and only a 1200mAh battery, I expected better charge times. An hour is what I timed for a full charge, which to be honest, is a little lengthy considering the small battery.

Performance

So how is the flavor from the PM30? Like a lot of other pod systems, that depends on which coil you use. For regular nicotine ejuices or low strength nicotine salts the 0.6ohm coil is the way to go. For higher strength nic salts, the 1.2ohm coil is suitable.

Starting off with the 0.6ohm mesh coil, the flavor is good. It’s best at the medium (blue) power level which is 22W. The vapor is warm and the draw is a direct lung draw with little restriction. Turning the power level to the highest setting makes the vapor a bit warmer although it’s still not hot.

The 1.2ohm regular coil delivers a loose MTL draw.  Even on the green setting the vapor is warm, verging on cool, and not as warm as I would like. Definitely could be a warmer vape and the draw could be tighter for MTL use. I just don’t see many MTL vapers loving this draw as it’s not nearly tight enough. Although, flavor is very good from this coil and gives me the full flavor profile from my ejuices. 

Verdict

The design of the Target PM30 is certainly on point. It has good looks, a sleek design, and it’s convenient to slip into a pocket and take on the go. However, the lack of warmth from the coils and loose MTL vape with the 1.2ohm coil makes recommending this device a hard choice. The flavor from the coils are quite good, but I’m not sure if this is enough to make up for the lack of performance in the warmth and airflow aspects. If you want a tight MTL draw, pass on the PM30. However, if you prefer a looser MTL draw or you’re a direct lung vaper, you might enjoy this device.

CHECK PRICE