VOOPOO ARGUS Matrix Review: A Bright Choice for MTL & RDL Vaping

Design & Build Quality

Believe it or not, the ARGUS Matrix is actually a bit larger than the ARGUS G3, despite having fewer features and functions. The Matrix is the same 120mm tall, but it’s 1.5mm wider (27.9mm) and 1.4mm thicker (16.5mm) than the ARGUS G3. It’s not a big difference, but the Matrix definitely feels chunkier when I hold it in my hand.

That being said, the Matrix is still a good size for a pod vape. It’s a bit tall, sure, but otherwise it’s still slim enough to easily fit into my pockets. It’s also light at 64g, so it’s easy to forget it’s on you. 

The front and back panels are unassuming and rather plain until you start vaping or press the power button. Then, the “Dynamic Cyber-Futuristic Lighting” comes to life, illuminating the ARGUS Matrix with a circuit-board-like animation that runs up the front and sides of the device.

This lighting also extends to the small display, which sits raised inside the device. When lit up, the display looks like a chip, which just adds to the futuristic theme that VOOPOO is going for.

While I’m usually not a fan of animations and fancy lights on my vapes, the way that it’s done on the Matrix is pretty cool and overall rather reserved. The lighting and animation can also be turned off completely by pressing the power button twice, so you’re not forced to have this on if you don’t like it.

I’m using a Lake Green color for this review, which is a nice color, but there are four other colors available, including Iris Blue, Navy Blue, Astral Silver, and Carbon Black. While they all look good, I have two small issues: the panels pick up fingerprints like crazy, and they scratch quite easily, too. 

On one side of the ARGUS Matrix is a tall, slim button. The button feels solid and has no wiggle or rattle at all. This button is used to power the device on or off and adjust the settings, but cannot be used for button-firing. The Matrix is a draw-activated-only device.

On the other side is where the adjustable airflow slider is located. This slider has three small slots when open, and one small pinhole when closed. It can be slid upward to restrict airflow or downward to open it up. The slider has the perfect amount of resistance–enough to stay where it is set, but easy to adjust with minimal force.

Pods

The pods that come with the ARGUS Matrix are the same pods that you get with the ARGUS G3. These are VOOPOO’s latest Top-Fill V2 Cartridges, and they’re equipped with VOOPOO’s ICOSM CODE 2.0 technology. They’ve been engineered to provide longer-lasting and more consistent flavor than their previous pods, and they’re also made to be leak-proof for up to 30 days.

A nice feature of these pods is that they have a 3ml pod capacity as standard, unless of course you’re in a country with TPD regulations. Two pods come with the Matrix: a 0.4Ω cartridge and a 0.7Ω cartridge. There is also a 1.0Ω pod available, which is sold separately. The Matrix isn’t limited to just the new Top Fill V2 Cartridges, though, and is compatible with all previously released Argus Pods.

Although these are called “Top-Fill” cartridges, they are filled via a port on the side of the pod. This fill port is accessible even when the pod is inserted, so it can be filled without removing the pod from the device, which is convenient.

Circling back to the ICOSM CODE 2.0 and how these are newer Top-Fill V2 Cartridges, these pods have a few differences from the older Argus pods. First off, the pods have what VOOPOO calls a “Liquid-Seal Shield” in the center of the pod. It’s a metal cylinder that surrounds the cotton, which helps coat the cotton and prevent leaking.

Another neat spec is that the cotton inside these pods is “Golden Cotton,” which VOOPOO says instantly saturates and provides a consistent flow of ejuice to the coil, improving flavor consistency and preventing burning.

This is all great, but when filling the pods, I encountered a problem: the metal cylinder in the center of the pod prevented the e-juice from filling the pod completely. This is because the center cylinder essentially splits the pod into two compartments, which isn’t great.

To combat this, I had to fill slowly and tilt the pod back and forth to get the pod filled up. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s frustrating to deal with every time the pod needs to be refilled.

Features

As I mentioned in the introduction of this review, the ARGUS Matrix is between the G3 and G3 Mini in terms of adjustability and features. It doesn’t have the themes and settings menu that the ARGUS G3 has, but it does have adjustable wattage, adjustable airflow, and a simple display—three features that the ARGUS G3 Mini lacks.

The display is small and simple. It shows a two-digit readout for the wattage, and that’s pretty much it. When you insert a pod, it shows two digits for the coil resistance (04 for the 0.4Ω cartridge and 07 for the 0.7Ω cartridge), and when you vape, it shows a readout for puff time. But that’s the extent of the display functionality.

The wattage can be set from 5-30W on the ARGUS Matrix. However, the maximum wattage is restricted by the pod that is inserted. For example, the 0.7Ω pod can only be set at up to 18W, but the 0.4Ω pod can reach the full maximum output of 30W.

Pressing the button three times unlocks the wattage. Pressing or holding the button will scroll the wattage up. Once you reach the wattage you want, just wait a few seconds to confirm it.

Battery Life & Charging

The ARGUS Matrix has a pretty cool battery life indicator. It’s integrated with the LED circuit board display and lights up when the button is pressed or when vaping. There are five bars for battery life, with each one representing 20% charge, so it’s easy to know how much battery you have left.

The 1350mAh battery in the ARGUS Matrix is the same capacity as the battery in the G3 Mini, but smaller than the 1500mAh capacity of the ARGUS G3. If you’re a heavy vaper, expect to recharge every other day, or every 2-3 days if you vape less frequently.

The Matrix supports 2A fast charging, and recharging takes only 35 minutes. It also supports pass-through charging and can be used while recharging.

Performance

Just like the ARGUS G3, the ARGUS Matrix is excellent for both MTL and RDL vaping. It’s hard to call which one it does better, as it can do both so well. I’m generally a MTL vaper, but I found myself switching to the RDL pod often and really enjoyed using it as well.

The 0.7Ω pod is the one that is specifically made for MTL vaping. The airflow can be set for loose to tight MTL vaping, so it’s a full range of MTL airflow. I used this pod with a mid-strength nic salt e-juice (20mg/ml) as well as a higher strength one (35mg/ml) and both gave me a good draw with a nice throat hit.

For RDL vapers, the 0.4Ω pod is the one that you’ll want to use. It can go from a loose RDL with the airflow open, down to a tighter RDL draw with the airflow more closed, and it can even be used for MTL by closing the airflow most of the way.

Flavor from both of the pods is great, which is what I was expecting since I reviewed the ARGUS G3 and G3 Mini, which use the same pods. I got the best flavor from the 0.4Ω pod at 28-30W. For the 0.7Ω pod, it performed best at 16-18W.

I previously tested the leak-resistance of these pods with the ARGUS G3 and G3 Mini, but I gave them another round of testing with the ARGUS Matrix. Just as previously, these pods have lasted nearly three weeks of use with 10+ refills each, and have not lost flavor or leaked on me yet.

Verdict

The ARGUS Matrix is undoubtedly another great pod vape from VOOPOO, but it doesn’t bring anything new in terms of performance. It performs identically to the ARGUS G3, just with fancier LED lighting and less complex operation.

So who is the ARGUS Matrix for? If you want a device that is easier to use than the ARGUS G3, but which offers more adjustability than the very simple G3 Mini, the ARGUS Matrix will suit you perfectly. It’s not complicated to use, but offers just enough adjustability to dial in the draw to your liking.

Compared to other pod vapes on the market, the new Top Fill V2 Cartridges are some of the best out there, so you really can’t go wrong. Whether you’re a MTL vaper or a RDL vaper, you’ll get good use and a good vaping experience out of this device.

Recommended.