VOOPOO Doric Galaxy Review: The Perfect Quit-Smoking Device

Design & Build Quality

Now this is something cool! While pod vapes are a dime a dozen, pod vapes with a power bank are not. It’s a really cool, not to mention convenient, idea that is meant to reduce the amount of time you have to spend charging the device. Of course, there are usually some drawbacks to a power-bank setup like increased size and weight (as seen with VAPORESSO’s COSS device), but VOOPOO has done a really great job of keeping the Doric Galaxy slender and light.

For an 1800mAh power bank and a 500mAh pen, the entire thing is actually surprisingly lightweight. As a whole (power bank and pen) the Doric Galaxy weighs only 97g. For comparison, a light pod vape like VOOPOO’s Argus P1s weighs 43g. You’ll notice the weight but it’s not going to feel like a bag of rocks is in your pocket.

If you leave the power bank behind and only carry the Doric Galaxy Pen then you won’t notice the weight in your pocket at all. The pen portion of this device only weighs 29g and that’s with ejuice in the tank.

The size is also surprisingly compact. The power bank is 108mm tall, 22mm wide, and 38mm deep. The pen docks magnetically into the power bank so it doesn’t really increase the size, unless you count the drip tip which sticks out a bit at the top of the power bank. The pen by itself is 111mm tall and 15mm in diameter so it’s very slim and slender.

This power bank + pen design gives you a few options for how to use the device. You can keep the pen and power bank together with you, or carry around just the pen and leave the power bank behind. There’s also a hybrid option, where you can keep the power bank close (like at your desk in the office) and use the pen by itself, docking it into the power bank for charging when convenient.

The power bank can also charge other devices, not just the Galaxy Pen. If you have a Type-C to Type-C cable (like the type that comes with some phones), you can plug that cable into the power bank and also into your phone to charge your phone up.

The front face of the power bank is reflective silver on my ‘Silver White’ unit and it features a touch button with 3 LED’s to control charging. The touch button is really responsive and works well but I still would have liked a physical button instead. Call me old-fashioned but it’s just my preference.

The magnetic docking connection is really strong and securely pulls and holds the pen into the power bank for charging. Located in the power bank, just behind where the pen sits, is a spot for the drip tip. You can either remove the drip tip and place it here when you’re putting the whole thing in your pocket or bag, or you can carry around the plastic drip tip and one of the filter drip tips (one in the filter holder and one inserted in the pod tank).

Pod tank & Filters

The pod tank for the Doric Galaxy houses a 1.2Ω built-in coil. You only get one pod included in the package, which is a bit of a disappointment. Due to the high resistance, this pod does really well with high-strength nicotine salts but it can also be used with freebase ejuices.

There’s no adjustable airflow on this device but I get a nice, tight MTL draw. This draw, combined with the included filters, make the Doric Galaxy a really great beginner device for those transitioning to vaping from smoking.

What filters, you may ask? Well the Doric Galaxy comes with three filters that are just like the ones on the end of a cigarette. You can insert these filters into the pod to act as the drip tip and this, along with the tight draw, does a really good job of replicating the physical feeling of smoking. Although I don’t miss smoking at all, I really liked using the filter drip tip for a bit of a nostalgic feeling.

If you’re using the filter drip tip, I suggest storing it in the designated spot before putting the device in your pocket. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a really nasty and dirty filter because dirt from your pocket will get lodged in the soft foam.

The pod is quite tall and when inserted, a lot of it sits inside of the device. The top portion of the pod, which remains visible when the pod is seated, is tinted quite dark. However, once the pod is removed, the lower portion is frosted but nearly tint-free. It’s easy to see how much ejuice you have left in the pod, but you have to remove the pod to do so.

The fill port is located on the side of the pod which sits inside of the device. Once the pod is removed you can easily access the fill port which is plugged by a thick rubber bung. The pod will hold up to 2ml of ejuice and as mentioned earlier, you can use either nicotine salts or freebase ejuices. I used 50/50, 60VG, and 70VG ejuices with the Doric Galaxy and didn’t have any issues so it’s also quite versatile with what ejuice ratios you can use.

How to use the Doric Galaxy

The Doric Galaxy as a whole is straightforward and simple to use. To charge the Doric Galaxy pen you simply insert it into the power bank and it will automatically begin charging. You can still vape on the pen while it’s docked too. You can also charge the Doric Galaxy pen without the power bank by using the Type-C charging port on the bottom of the pen.

When docked and charging, the LED indicator on the front of the Doric Galaxy pen will slowly blink in one of three colors: green, blue, or red. This LED will also light up when you draw on the device to vape. These colors indicate the battery life of the pen:

• Green: 60-100%
• Blue: 30-60%
• Red: 0-30%

There are also three LED’s on the power bank, which only light up white. These LED’s tell you the battery status of the power bank itself:

• Three LEDs: 60-100%
• Two LEDs: 30-60%
• One LED: 20-30%
• One LED flashing slowly: 10-20%
• One LED flashing quickly: 0-10%
• No LED: 0%

You can also check the battery status of the power bank by pressing the touch button once. You can also stop or restart charging of the Doric Galaxy pen by pressing the touch button five times. 

You can charge both the pen and power bank at the same time by docking the pen into the power bank and charging with a Type-C cable. 

Performance

I mentioned earlier that the 1.2Ω pod that comes with this device can be used for nicotine salts or freebase nicotine ejuices. It’s also able to be used with varying ejuice mixes like 50/50, 60VG, and even 70VG.

This versatility is one of the best parts about the Doric Galaxy because as a beginner device, this ejuice compatibility means that you don’t have to worry about which ejuice you can use or if it’s going to work. With this device, whatever ejuice you want to use will probably work.

Another great quality that the Doric Galaxy has going for it is the draw and overall feel of vaping with it. The filter tips and tight draw really make it feel like puffing on a smoke. The vapor tastes a lot better though! No matter what I used with this pod, strawberry kiwi or pink lemonade ejuice, they all tasted great. Flavor output from the Doric Galaxy is definitely good and will be up to par for most beginner vapers.

The convenience of the power bank can’t be ignored either. I used it in a lot of different ways; sometimes I would take the whole thing, power bank and pen, with me out of the house. Other times, for short trips out, I would leave the power bank behind and just take the pen. At home or when working I would usually just dock the pen every once in a while to ensure that it remained charged. 

Any way that you do it, it’s really convenient and ensures that you always have a charged device. You can charge the power bank while using the pen for pretty close to 100% uptime. Once it’s fully charged the first time, you’re pretty much never going to be without your vape if you stay on top of the charging.

Speaking of charging, you won’t have to do that too often. Between the 500mAh battery in the pen and the 1800mAh battery in the power bank, I was able to vape for nearly 5 days from a single charge. During this time, I didn’t charge the power bank or the pen (except for charging the pen in the power bank). Afterwards, I topped up the power bank here and there to keep everything charged up and ready to go at all times.

Verdict

For smokers looking to get into vaping, there aren’t many devices that are going to be better than the Doric Galaxy. It just has a lot going for it that a new vaper will appreciate; filter drip tips, a tight draw, good ejuice compatibility, and the convenience of the power bank.

This is a device that you can vape with for days at a time, and even potentially weeks without having any downtime, as long as you charge the power bank every so often while you use the pen.

The entire device being so lightweight is another clear pro for the Doric Galaxy. It may not be a feature-filled device with adjustable wattage or adjustable airflow but the simplicity and resulting portability are both really important factors for an excellent beginner device.

If you like the idea of a simple pod vape with filter drip tips, the Doric Galaxy delivers all this and more. Highly recommended for smokers looking to get into vaping.