Voopoo Drag Max Review: A Good Dual Battery Mod Pod

Voopoo’s Drag series of mods are a staple in the vaping world. It all started with the original Drag that could fire at up to 157W. It was loved for its good looks, reliable output, and full set of modes. Next came the Drag 2 and Drag Mini mods, followed by the Drag Nano pod vape. 

Most recently, Voopoo released a set of pod mods under the “Drag” name, the Drag X and Drag S, and these have proven to be a huge hit. However, the Drag X & Drag S had their limitations; one takes a single 18650 battery, while the other has a built-in battery. As such, they can only fire at up to 80W & 60W respectively.

The Drag Max solves this issue. It’s a dual 18650 battery pod mod that can fire at up to 177W and it takes the same pods and PnP coils as the Drag X & Drag S. The Drag Max’s shape and design is similar to the Drag 2 but it uses Voopoo’s new GENE.FAN 2.0 chipset. It features a Type-C fast charging port and two UI interfaces.

I was sent the “Special Edition” of the Drag Max for this review. This includes the retail version of the Drag Max Kit, 3 PnP Pod Tanks (MTL, Standard, and RBA pods), and 8 PnP coils.

Let’s take a look at the Drag Max.

These devices were sent to me directly from Voopoo for the purpose of this review.

Box Contents

Standard Retail Version Box Contents

• 1 x Drag Max Device
• 1 x PnP Pod (4.5ml)
• 1 x PnP VM6 0.15ohm Coil
• 1 x PnP VM5 0.20ohm Coil
• 1 x Type-C Cable
• 1 x User Manual

Special Edition Box Contents

• 1 x Drag Max Standard Retail Version (Includes everything listed above)
• 1 x Extra PnP Pod (4.5ml)
• 1 x MTL PnP Pod (2ml)
• 1 x RBA PnP Pod (2ml)
• 1 x PnP TR1 1.2ohm
• 1 x PnP TM2 0.8ohm
• 1 x PnP VM4 0.6ohm
• 1 x PnP VM3 0.45ohm
• 1 x PnP VM6 0.15ohm
• 1 x PnP VM5 0.20ohm
• 1 x PnP VM1 0.3ohm
• 1 x PnP RBA

Specifications

• Leather + Zinc Alloy Construction
• GENE.FAN 2.0 Chipset
• Takes Dual 18650 Batteries
• 177W Max Output
• Color Display
• 4.5ml Pod Capacity
• PnP Coil Family
• Airflow Adjustment

Design & Build Quality

The Drag Max is a very sleek looking pod mod. The shape is reminiscent of the Drag 2, as are the buttons. Including the 4.5ml PnP Tank, the Drag Max is 122mm tall, 50.25mm deep, and 25mm wide; a good size for a dual battery mod. It feels comfortable to hold and sits nicely in my hand.

The Drag Max is quite light for a dual battery mod and that’s definitely a plus. This lightweight, combined with your fingers wrapping and sitting comfortably on the leather make this mod a pleasure to use. However, it’s still a dual battery mod and it doesn’t fit into your pocket as easily as a smaller, traditional pod vape does. 

Regardless of which color you get, the frame of the device will have a matte black finish. The buttons have a chrome accent ring but are also finished in the same matte black paint. The leather grip is cushiony, soft, and feels to be of high-quality. The leather grip is stamped with a large “DRAG” on one side, and a medium-sized Voopoo logo on the other.

Running vertically alongside the leather grip is a metal band. I like the accent that this band gives to the mod. On one side the band reads “GENE CHIP INSIDE” so that you won’t forget what’s powering this bad boy. The other band reads “Spark Your Life”, Voopoo’s ambiguous but pleasant slogan.

The top connection is what makes the Drag Max a dual battery pod mod instead of a dual battery mod. It has the same connection pad as the one on the Drag S and Drag X, which is to say that out of the box it’s only compatible with Voopoo PnP Pod tanks. I believe that the 510 adapter for the Drag X will work with the Drag Max, but I don’t have one on hand to confirm.

Just below the top connection there’s an airflow adjustment knob, and two airflow slots (one on each side of the top connection). This is the same airflow adjustment system as seen on the Drag S and Drag X. Sliding the knob all the way to the right opens up the airflow. Sliding the knob to the left will restrict the airflow down. There’s a bit of resistance to adjusting the airflow knob, which I like. The knob feels solid and well-constructed. It’s by no means a traditional way of adjusting airflow, but it’s easy to use and works well.

The screen is large and full color with a nice UI. The display is bright and clear, and more than good enough for day to day use. Above the screen is a large round fire button. Below the screen are two small adjustment buttons. All of the buttons feel good and work nicely.

The battery compartment on the Drag Max slides out to release, and then opens up. It feels a little fragile but so far it’s been functional and has worked without an issue. I’m a little worried about the long term durability of this battery door but so far I can’t complain.

Overall, the Drag Max is a solidly built device. The fit and finish are perfect and it looks quite handsome, too. Including a 510 adapter in the box would have been ideal, but I suppose that Voopoo wants you to use the PnP tanks with the Drag Max. PMTA concerns could also be a reason why they didn’t include the adapter in the box. 

Features & Functions

The Drag Max uses Voopoo’s GENE.FAN 2.0 chipset. While this is their newest chipset, the Drag Max has limited modes and features. This may be a drawback to the device for experienced vapers who expect a bunch of modes and options. But for new vapers, the Drag Max and its elegant simplicity will be perfect.

An interesting feature is that you can select from two different UI setups: Core (landscape) or Iron (portrait). They both look similar but the landscape UI looks a little more futuristic. Personally I preferred using the portrait UI.

There are only two modes on the Drag Max: Smart Mode and RBA Mode. The Drag Max can fire at up to 177W, but in Smart Mode the wattage will be limited by the max wattage of whichever PnP coil that you use. Smart Mode will also automatically set the ideal wattage for your coil when you insert the pod. Both of these features are great for new vapers. 

Automatically setting the wattage will prevent you from burning your coil when you switch to a lower resistance coil from a higher resistance coil, and the wattage limit prevents you setting the wattage higher than the coil can handle without dry hits/burning.

However, if you prefer not to be nannied by software, you can press the fire button three times to switch into RBA mode. Here you can set the wattage to whatever you desire, but the device will still automatically set the wattage when you insert the coil.

There are no other modes on the Drag Max. No temperature control mode, no bypass mode, no voltage mode. Smart Mode and RBA mode are all you get.

Drag Max Button Combinations

• Power On or Off: Press the fire button 5 times.
• Switch Modes: Press the fire button 3 times.
• Change UI: Hold both adjustment buttons to bring up the UI menu. Then use the adjustment buttons to select the UI you desire. Hold the fire button to confirm.
• Lock/Unlock All Buttons (Including the Fire Button): Hold the fire button and top adjustment button together.
• Reset Puff Counter: Hold the fire button and bottom adjustment button together.

Pods

I received the “Special Edition” Drag Max Kit which includes three different pods, so I’m going to be going over each of them. The standard retail Drag Max Kit will only include one 4.5ml pod but you can purchase these other pods separately.

The 4.5ml pod is the same PnP Pod Tank that comes with the Drag S and Drag X. It’s called a “Pod Tank” for a reason; it looks more like a tank than a traditional pod. It’s round and has a dome shape that ends at a large round mouthpiece. It’s not a coincidence that this looks like a tank though; Voopoo just released a 510 adapter for this pod that allows you to use it on any 510 box mod. This Pod Tank is best used with the lower resistance PnP coils for DL vaping, due to its wide mouthpiece.

The 2ml MTL Pod Tank has a more narrow, MTL drip tip attached to it. This Pod Tank is best used with the higher resistance PnP coils for MTL vaping.

These pods are very lightly tinted which makes seeing your ejuice level a non-issue. The magnets that hold the pods in the battery are super strong and there’s no wiggle whatsoever with the pods inserted.

The fill plug on the pods is thick and sturdy. It’s situated on the bottom of the pods and it plugs the fill port securely and effectively. It’s easy to fill up the pods thanks to the large port and out of the way location.

These pods are each compatible with any of Voopoo’s PnP coils. There’s also a PnP RBA coil that you can purchase, but I would suggest the RBA Pod instead. The deck is much larger so it’s much easier to build on.

RBA Pod

The RBA Pod Tank is a bit different from the other two. It has a 2ml ejuice capacity and it’s clear rather than tinted. It has a two post deck meant for single coils. Your coil legs have to be facing opposite directions in order to be installed on this deck. In the center of the deck, directly under where your coil will be, is where airflow will enter the deck.

The RBA deck is simple to build on. Unscrew the two posts and insert your coil legs. Secure your coils with the small allen head screws, ensuring that the coil is centered over the airflow hole and the wicking ports.

Dry fire your coil to check for any hot spots, and then wick. I cut my wicks to the edge of the RBA and they were the perfect length.

The RBA Pod is a good performer for being a single coil deck. The flavor is comparable with other single coil RTAs and definitely good enough to be worth picking up. If you want some more versatility with the Drag Max, the RBA Pod is worth getting.

Coils

The Special Edition Drag Max Kit that I received comes with 7 different coils and an RBA coil, so this is going to be a bit lengthy. The standard edition comes with two different coils.

As a quick summary, there’s essentially a coil for every type of vaper in Voopoo’s PnP line.

PnP TR1 1.2ohm

This coil is best used with the MTL pod, and I would suggest exclusively using nic salts because regular nicotine ejuices will likely be too weak. This coil is good at 15W and delivers an okay MTL draw with the airflow halfway open or less. However, the flavor is average. Nothing to write home about with this coil but it’s decent.

PnP TM2 0.8ohm

This coil is another great one to use with the MTL pod. I used a 35mg nicotine salt ejuice and it’s like using a pod vape; only with the battery life of two 18650 batteries. 15W is perfect for this coil and it delivers smooth vapor, good flavor, and a nice throat hit. I set the airflow almost completely closed for this coil. It feels weird using what is essentially a box mod to vape nic salts, but it works very well!

PnP VM1 0.3ohm

The 0.3ohm coil is a familiar one for me and if you’ve used the Drag S or Drag X then you’ve vaped on it before. It’s a very nice vape at 40W. It’s warm and pleasant and the flavor is definitely up there. I used the 4.5ml pod and kept the airflow about a third of the way closed for an airy direct lung draw. This coil struggles with high VG ejuices but anything lower keeps up without an issue.

PnP VM3 0.45ohm

This coil is a warm and pleasant vape at 30W. 6mg ejuices vape like I’m using a sub ohm tank which is to say that it’s flavorful and dense vapor. Leaving the airflow open on the 4.5ml pod makes this feel like I’m vaping a regular sub ohm tank.

PnP VM4 0.6ohm

This coil can be used with either pod. I used it with the 4.5ml standard pod. Maxed out at 28W it still feels like it could go higher but it’s a nice draw. A 6mg regular nicotine ejuice is just fine and the flavor is good. I get a restricted DL draw with this coil that I really like. 

PnP VM5 0.2ohm (Comes with Retail Kit)

The 0.2ohm coil is a lot like the VM1 0.3ohm coil. Really good flavor and it’s an even warmer vape at 50W than the 0.3ohm coil. Using the 4.5ml pod and setting the airflow at a third of the way closed is a really nice vape, although I even closed the airflow halfway or more at times to enhance the flavor. This also makes the vapor noticeably hotter so if you like a very warm vape, this is likely where you’ll want the airflow to be set for this coil.

PnP VM6 0.15ohm (Comes with Retail Kit)

The flavor is impressive.. Although this coil is rated for 60-80W, I found that it performed best in the 50-60W range and I usually vaped it from 50-55W. I kept the airflow either fully open or only slightly closed and the vapor is still very, very warm. It’s a hot vape that really delivers on flavor and clouds.

Performance

Voopoo usually get their mod performance right and the Drag Max is no different. There’s no lag from the time that I press the fire button; just instant power. Quick firing is something that Voopoo’s mods have never had trouble with so this isn’t surprising.

As for reliability, this hasn’t been an issue either. The Drag Max hasn’t glitched, fired on its own, or acted weird. Every time I picked it up, it was ready to go.

Speaking specifically to the Pod Tanks, they’ve been good to me. Other than a little bit of condensation I haven’t had any leaks or mishaps. These Pod Tanks are really solid.

Verdict

A dual battery pod mod isn’t something that gets released all the time but Voopoo did a great job with the Drag Max. Although out of the box it’s contained to Voopoo’s own ecosystem of Pod Tanks and PnP coils, this isn’t too much of a negative. 

The MTL pod tank gives a good MTL vape with the TM2 0.8ohm coil, and the 4.5ml pod is very versatile as it can be used to vape anywhere from DL to restricted DL depending on the coil and how you set the airflow. The RBA pod adds even more personalization options to the Drag Max for those who want to use their own builds.

If you’re looking for a vape mod that has a bunch of modes and features, look elsewhere. But if you’re after a simple, fool-proof vaping set up, the Drag Max gets the job done.

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