VAPORESSO x DOJO iMate OS Review: A Versatile Pod System

Design & Build Quality

If you’ve used the iMate X 20K or seen our review about it, you’ll notice that the iMate OS is very similarly designed. It’s made of two parts: the removable battery, which also houses the display, and the refillable pod.

The battery is the brain of the device, housing a crisp 1.83-inch display, as well as a 1200mAh battery. The battery attaches magnetically to the pod, making attaching and detaching it a breeze.

The battery is 62.4mm tall, 47mm wide, and 12.8mm thick—very thin and remarkably small for having a full-color display and a 1200mAh capacity battery inside.

Compared to the battery that came with the iMate X 20K, the battery that ships with the iMate OS has been upgraded in more ways than one. It’s a TFT display as opposed to an LCD, and it features a metal bezel that runs around the top, bottom, and sides of the battery, giving it a premium look and feel.

The refillable pod portion of the iMate OS is quite a bit larger than the battery at 84mm tall, 53.25mm wide, and 22mm thick. This makes it smaller than the pre-filled pods offered by DOJO, but it’s still much, much larger than a typical pod vape pod. It holds 6ml of ejuice, though!

Unlike the iMate X 20K disposable pods, which shipped with a 400mAh battery that allowed them to be vaped on without the battery, the refillable pod for the iMate OS is completely battery-free. 

The pod is slightly concave on the front side to allow the battery to sit recessed when attached, so it looks a bit odd on its own. But once the battery is attached, the whole device comes together to make a square and compact pod vape, although some will (understandably) find it to look more similar to a disposable.

Once assembled, the iMate OS looks and feels like a single, solid device. It is 83.80mm tall, 53.25mm wide, 31mm thick, and weighs around 94g. It’s stocky, but it feels great in the hand.

Aside from a single button on the battery/display, there are no other switches or buttons on the iMate OS. This (sadly) means that there’s no adjustable airflow, but this didn’t prevent me from enjoying the device. I’ll go over the airflow later in the performance section of this review.

Features

The battery/display that comes with the iMate OS is nice but simple. The TFT full-color display is crisp and looks gorgeous. It’s legitimately smartphone quality, and it’s so vibrant that it looks almost physical instead of digital; it really doesn’t even look like a display! 

There are ten different themes that can be switched between by holding the power button. Some of these are new to the iMate OS battery and not previously seen on the iMate X battery.

There are also two output modes, POWER and ECO, which can be switched between by pressing the power button twice. POWER delivers a stronger draw, while ECO puts out less power to preserve battery life.

There’s not a lot of information displayed on the screen, but it’s enough to get by with. There’s a puff counter, battery percentage, and the selected mode, but that’s it.

So what advantages does this removable and reusable battery offer over other pod vapes? Isn’t this just like any other pod vape that allows you to continue using the same device and replace the pod? Well, yes and no.

If the iMate OS were the only device in the iMate series, it would just be a new take on pod vapes, complete with a giant pod. But since DOJO also offers the iMate X series along with their pre-filled disposable pods, the design of the iMate OS makes a lot of sense.

Once you have the iMate OS on hand, you can use it as you would any other pod vape, refilling the pod as needed and vaping until you need a new pod. But you can also purchase the pre-filled pods, swap over the battery/display, and switch to a disposable vaping experience on a whim.

Another possibility is to purchase the iMate X 20K or 40K kit. Then you not only have a pre-filled pod, but also another battery/display that can be swapped over when the one you’re using runs out of battery.

Pods

The iMate OS kit comes with a refillable 0.6Ω mesh pod with a 6ml capacity. That’s a larger capacity than most pod vapes, which means more vaping and less time refilling.

In addition to the 0.6Ω pod, there is also a refillable 0.8Ω pod available. Of course, you can also grab some pre-filled pods if you want to switch up the experience, but the focus of this review will be on the refillable pods.

Since the battery docks magnetically into the pod, the pod is much larger than you might expect for a pod vape. It essentially serves as the body of the device, giving you something to hold on to when you vape.

The fill port is located near the top of the pod. The majority of the pod is finished with black plastic, but the fill area that holds the e-juice is clear with a light tint. This allows for a view of how much e-juice is in there at all times.

The fill port is a large hole that is plugged by a rubber stopper strip. This strip is rather thin and feels flimsy, but the bung that plugs the fill port is thick and prevents any leaking. The way that it’s anchored into the pod could be better, as I’ve had the entire rubber bung/strip pop out when removing it to fill the pod, but it’s easily pushed back in.

Battery & Charging

The iMate OS battery/display is the entire powerhouse of the device; there’s no battery in the pod to allow you to use it by itself.

That being said, it’s impressive that VAPORESSO and DOJO managed to fit a 1200mAh battery inside of what is a very thin and small hub. When I first used the iMate X 20K, which had a 900mAh battery in a hub of the same size, I was already impressed, so the larger capacity is a pleasant and welcome surprise.

I mainly used the iMate OS in POWER mode to get the best performance and flavor from the pods, and averaged around 300 puffs per charge when switching between the 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω pods. This was about 2-3 days of use, or just under half a pod of e-juice with each pod (~5ml of e-juice total). That’s good battery life for a pod vape.

Charging is equally good. I was able to get a 22% charge in just five minutes. Charging to 80% takes forty minutes, and a full charge takes ten minutes longer, at 50 minutes. The battery percentage is shown while charging and increases in real-time on the display, although there’s no display of estimated time to finish charging. There’s a notch cutout on the pod that lets you charge the battery without removing it, which is nice and shows that VAPORESSO and DOJO put some real thought and testing into this device.

Performance

The pod options for the iMate OS are currently limited to 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω resistances. I expect more resistance options in the future, but for now, these are the available choices. I tested both pods with 20mg/ml nicotine salt e-juices in 50/50 VG/PG ratios.

There’s no adjustable airflow control on the iMate OS, so the pod that you choose wholly determines the airflow. The included 0.6Ω pod provides a medium MTL draw, but it allows enough airflow for long draws and enough vapor without the vapor getting too hot. I can also get a passable RDL draw by keeping my lips loose around the mouthpiece. Plenty of flavor here, too.

The 0.8Ω pod delivers a tighter MTL draw than the 0.6Ω pod. I’d say that this pod is a bit less flavorful than the other, but it’s still a performer. It scratches that itch for a tight MTL vape and I can easily tell the airflow difference between the two pods.

The above results are with POWER mode. ECO mode makes the draw less intense, with slightly cooler vapor and a smoother throat hit. For my 20mg/ml nic salts, POWER mode delivered a great draw and vape, but depending on your nicotine tolerance, and for higher strength nicotine salt e-juices, ECO mode might be a better experience.

Verdict

The iMate OS is a unique and innovative device that elevates the iMate series beyond just disposables. By offering a high-quality battery/display that works interchangeably with both refillable pods and prefilled pods, Vaporesso and DOJO have created an ecosystem that is practical and versatile, opening up the possibilities for how vapers use their device. 

If you want to use your own e-juice, just fill up a refillable pod. Feel like a disposable experience? There are plenty of flavors to choose from, and you can switch to a prefilled pod in seconds. 

The iMate OS’s build quality is excellent, with a crisp TFT display, nice metal bezel, and a solid, compact form factor that makes it feel more premium than most pod vapes. The upgraded 1200mAh battery also delivers impressive longevity for its size.

Performance from both the 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω pods is solid, with good flavor, satisfying draws, and the convenience of a large 6ml capacity that reduces the need for constant refills.

Of course, the iMate OS isn’t without flaws. Pod options are currently limited to just two resistances, but I’m hopeful for more resistance options in the future. The lack of adjustable airflow means that the airflow is entirely dependent on the pod you use, which may not suit everyone. The pods themselves are also bulkier than typical pod vape pods, and while functional, the rubber strip that secures the fill port feels flimsy. 

Overall, the iMate OS is best suited for vapers who want the flexibility to switch between using their own e-juice with refillable pods and the convenience of disposable pods, all without compromising on the vaping experience.

Recommended.