VOOPOO DRAG X2 & DRAG S2 Pod Mod Review

Design & Build Quality

The DRAG X2 and DRAG S2 are both really nice devices. They each have that distinctive “DRAG” design which is unmistakable, even without close examination. They’re clean and modern, with a large leather grip and a thick metal bezel that spans from the top of the device and around the front and sides. All in all, they’re attractive pieces of kit.

So what’s changed from the original DRAG X and DRAG S? In terms of the design, not all that much so you would be forgiven if you thought that these were the same devices. Even when comparing them side by side, the design changes are subtle and hard to notice.

The main design difference between the originals and the new DRAG X2 and DRAG S2 is the location of the airflow. Where the originals have the airflow built into the device, just below the pod, the DRAG X2 and S2 have the airflow located at the top of the pod.

The second design change is exclusive to the DRAG X2, which takes an external 18650 battery for power. Instead of a hinged battery door like on the original DRAG X, the leather grip on the DRAG X2 is removable, giving you access to the battery compartment.

There are also new colors available. Each color sports a different paint finish for the bezel and a different design on the leather. The options are really quite cool and varied. My Gray Metal DRAG X2 features a series of V’s engraved into the leather for a classy look, while my Pearl White DRAG S2 has an iridescent paint finish and a combination of matte and shiny diamond stitched leather.

The quality and finish of the paint is impeccable, with no imperfections to speak of. The leather grip is similarly perfect and if I didn’t know better, I would say that it’s hand-made. Of course, it’s not, but everything from the embossing to the stitching is really well done.

Both devices feel great in the hand and the placement of the large, circular fire button is perfectly placed for thumb firing. The button is tactile and just firm enough to resist accidental activation while still being easy enough to activate intentionally. The adjustment buttons are identical to the firing button, only smaller.

Since these are pod mods, they’re larger in size than your typical pod vape. But what you get for the increased size is a large 5ml pod tank, more battery capacity, and mid-high wattage outputs. 

Both devices are about the same size as the originals, only a few millimeters taller.  The Drag S2 is 129.8mm tall, 28.6mm wide, and 31.8mm deep. The DRAG S2 is slightly smaller at 122mm tall, 28.6mm wide, and 32.8mm deep. Compared to other options on the market, they’re compact for pod mods but much larger than your average pod vape.

The display and UI are great; nice and bright and in full color. There’s no way to adjust the brightness but I found the level to be adequate as-is.

PnP X Cartridge (DTL)

The DRAG X2 and DRAG S2 come with a new 5ml pod tank called the PnP X Cartridge. This is not to be confused with the PnP-X pod tank that came with the DRAG X & DRAG S PnP-X Kits which were released in late 2021.

I don’t know why VOOPOO chose to name this tank basically the same thing; it’s confusing to say the least. Something like the PnP X Pro tank would have been so much better. In any case, this is a new pod tank for the DRAG X2 and DRAG S2.

This new PnP X tank takes VOOPOO’s new lineup of PnP X coils. There are currently four coils available:

• PnP X 0.15Ω coil
• PnP X 0.2Ω coil
• PnP X 0.3Ω coil
• PnP X 0.6Ω coil

If you’re wondering about cross-compatibility between devices and tanks, I’ll clear that up for you right now; there is none. The PnP X tank is not compatible with regular PnP or TPP coils, nor will these new PnP X coils fit in any of VOOPOO’s older pod tanks. Similarly, the PnP X Tank will not work in the original DRAG X or DRAG S and older pod tanks will not fit in the new DRAG X2 or DRAG S2.

If you’re wondering why specifically it’s because the PnP X coils are larger than their predecessors. The PnP X coils also have flat sides to them that need to slot into the cutouts in the bottom of the PnP X Tank. The older pod tanks do not have this flat cutout. 

In addition, the PnP X coils sit flush with the bottom of the PnP X tank and do not protrude like they did with the older PnP-X pod tank. Because of this, even though the tank fits in the original DRAG X and DRAG S, the coil can’t make contact with the deep pins.

In addition to the new coils there’s also some other changes with this pod tank. Instead of bottom airflow, this new PnP X tank features adjustable top airflow. There are two medium sized airflow slots which can be opened or closed by rotating the top portion of the tank.

The filling method and location have also changed. The fill port is now located on the lower side of the tank so you have to remove the pod to fill. The rubber stopper has been good during my testing and I have not had any leaking from this area. Filling is easy with all sizes of ejuice bottles.

The pod tank is very lightly tinted but it’s still easy to see into. The tank also sits with the pod contents mostly visible above the battery so I didn’t have any trouble tracking my remaining ejuice.

The pod attaches magnetically and the connection is firm and strong. There’s minimal pod wobble when inserted and it takes a fair amount of effort to detach the pod.

In order to prevent leaking, VOOPOO uses a patented 4-layer leakproof design for the PnP X pod tank. The airway, heating zone, air cavity, and tank are separated in different layers to make it very unlikely that ejuice can escape. 

PnP X Coils

According to VOOPOO, these coils are more than just rebranded PnP coils. These new PnP X coils are claimed to provide long-lasting coil life without any flavor fading or burning. They use a combination of thermo-stable cotton (heat-resistant) and a new mesh coil which together allow the coils to go through 100ml of ejuice. VOOPOO says that one pack of five coils can last for an entire season or 90 days. 

Doing the math, that’s 18 days per coil. If each coil can last for 100ml of ejuice, that means you would have to be vaping around 5.5ml per day, or just over one full pod, to reach this 100ml mark in 18 days.

I’ve been using these coils for about a month now and I’ve been comfortably going through about a pod a day. I’ve mainly been using the 0.15Ω coil and I’ve been tracking my refills to test VOOPOO’s claims. By 80ml of ejuice (16 refills) I started noticing a drop off. A bit short of the 100ml that VOOPOO claims but honestly, it’s much longer than I expected the coil to last. Even at this point the coil was still usable, just the flavor was not as fresh as it was at the beginning.

VOOPOO provided me with more in-depth information on how these coils are able to achieve such long life spans and, not surprisingly, the information is rather technical and not all that exciting. However, it’s interesting to hear how they’ve been innovating on an aspect of vapes that many thought had reached their peak.

For the cotton, VOOPOO selected natural, thermal-stable cotton and optimized the thickness and spacing of the fiber to achieve better wicking. A wet wick is the key to preventing burning and so this directly affects the coil lifespan.

As for the coil, they restructured the structure of the mesh to more evenly distribute heat without producing extra heat.

Features

The DRAG X2 and DRAG S2 now use the Gene.TT 2.0 chipset, which is an upgrade from the GENE.TT chipset that the originals used. With this upgraded chipset comes a few changes, the most obvious of which is the UI.

I found the UI on the originals to be attractive but cluttered. Here on the DRAG X2 and S2, the UI is laid out much more nicely and as a result, it’s easier to discern the information that you want with just a quick look.

The UI on the DRAG X2 and S2 are identical. Starting at the top of the screen you have a battery indicator with a percentage readout, the mode, and the wattage in large numbers which takes up the majority of the screen space. Underneath this is the coil resistance, output voltage, a puff counter, and a puff timer.

Thankfully VOOPOO did away with the useless bars that cluttered the screen on the original; all the screen real estate is used for a purpose here.

Both devices come with three modes: SMART, RBA, and ECO. Their functionality is as follows:

Smart mode: This mode automatically adjusts the wattage and sets wattage limits depending on the coil that you use. This makes it impossible to pump too much wattage through a coil and helps to prevent burning and prolongs coil life. This mode is great for new vapers who may not know what wattage they should be vaping at.

RBA mode: This mode is like the regular wattage mode that you would find on any vape mod. You can set your wattage to whatever you like; even if that wattage would be too much for the coil. This mode is best for experienced vapers who have an idea of what wattage they want to vape at for a particular coil resistance.

ECO mode: Eco mode turns on automatically when the battery life is below 40%, although you can switch back to the other modes if you wish. This mode uses less battery and dims the screen to prolong battery life.

Switching modes can be achieved by pressing and holding both adjustment buttons simultaneously. This will bring up a menu that also allows you to reset the puff counter or view device information such as Chip ID and LEVEL code, whatever that means.

The DRAG X2 can fire at up to 80W maximum, while the DRAG S2 can fire at up to 60W maximum. They are both button-activated only, so you have to press and hold the firing button to vape. Although it was a feature of the DRAG S, draw-activation is no longer a feature with the DRAG S2. It didn’t work very well on the DRAG S anyway, so no big loss here.

Drag X2 & Drag S2 Button Combinations

• Power ON/OFF: Click the fire button 5 times.
• Change Modes: Click the fire button three times to bring up the menu. Select the mode menu to change between SMART, ‘RBA, and ECO modes.
• Lock/Unlock the device (including fire button): Hold the up adjustment button and power button.

Performance

Both the DRAG X2 and DRAG S2 are meant to be DTL devices that aim to replace or at least supplement your vaping mods. These aren’t devices that are meant for nic salts, at least not the DTL versions. There is a MTL DRAG S2 that is being sold but it isn’t for the US market. 

Unfortunately, the MTL version is only available in Italy, France and Germany. Since I didn’t receive the MTL version to test, I can’t give any details on its performance so this performance section (as well as the rest of this review) only pertains to the DTL versions.

All that said, you’re going to want to use freebase nicotine eliquids with a VG content of 50-70%. This is what VOOPOO recommends for these coils and it’s also what I used for my testing. I used both a 50/50 and a 70VG ejuice during my time with the DRAG X2 and S2 and I tested these ejuices with three of the four available coils, the PnP X 0.15Ω coil, PnP X 0.2Ω coil, and PnP X 0.3Ω coil.

Compared with the PnP coils for the DRAG X & DRAG S PnP-X Kits, the flavor and draw are very similar. That’s a good thing too because I found that those coils provided really good flavor. It’s the same case here with good performance from all three coils.

The 0.15Ω coil is the best one of the three that I tried. The performance reminds me of a really good sub ohm tank, which is saying something for a pod mod. By default the wattage is set to 65W, however I found it to perform best with the wattage turned up slightly higher to 70W. It’s an airy draw and leaving the airflow just slightly restricted provides a great vape.

The 0.20Ω coil is similar to the 0.15Ω coil but provides a slightly less airy draw and slightly cooler vapor. The cooler vapor is expected because this coil works at lower wattages but it’s still a warm vape. The recommended wattage range of 40-60W gives plenty of room to experiment, even in SMART mode, and I again liked this coil at a slightly higher wattage than the default wattage of 50W. Set to 55W this coil is great, and although the flavor is not as full and warm as the 0.15Ω coil it’s still a dream to vape with.

If you want a more restricted draw (although not by much), the 0.3Ω coil is the one to use. It’s still by far a DTL experience and it’s a good vape at 35W. Although my least favorite coil of the three, I suggest trying it out for yourself to determine if you like the flavor, vapor, and draw that it offers.

While the flavor output of these coils is not much different than the original PnP coils, the big advantage that they offer is longevity. I mentioned earlier that I was able to go through 80ml of ejuice with the 0.15Ω coil and that’s a huge deal for a mid to high wattage coil. The flavor from these coils remained consistent for 15+ refills, although the way that you vape and the wattage that you vape at may affect these numbers so keep that in mind.

Another improvement over the PnP-X kits is leak resistance. While I didn’t experience any major leaking with the original DRAG X and DRAG S, I still had some. On the other hand, I have not had any ejuice leak out of these pods. Seriously, if you took a look at the pod connection area of the battery you would think that these were unused devices.

I’m also glad to report that I had no technical issues with either device.

Verdict

The DRAG X2 and DRAG S2 really impressed me with their excellent performance and long coil life. This, of course, all comes down to the new PnP X tank and coils. The devices themselves (the mod portion) are really not all that different from the originals. Yes, there are new colorways and slight changes, but the devices themself are basically identical to the original DRAG X and DRAG S.

Since the new PnP X tank and coils that come with the DRAG X2 and DRAG S2 are not backwards compatible with older devices, the only way that you can get the improved coil life, leak resistance, and top airflow control is going to by purchasing the DRAG X2 or DRAG S2. Although the devices aren’t too different from the originals, the new PnP X tank and coils deliver so many benefits that it makes it worth upgrading for. 

Whether you currently own the original DRAG X or DRAG S, or you’re a vaper looking to get a new pod mod for DTL vaping, the new DRAG X2 and DRAG S2 kits are some of the best pod mods out right now. But between the two of them, which one should you choose?

The DRAG X2 is going to be better if you want to vape at higher wattages as it allows you to vape at up to 80W. It also allows you to have minimal downtime with the device if you have two 18650 batteries. When the device dies, you can swap the battery out for a fresh one and charge the other with an external battery charger. The other benefit of an external 18650 battery is that you can get a 3000mAh capacity battery, giving you more capacity than the 2500mAh built-in battery on the DRAG S2.

The DRAG S2 is better if you’re a beginner and you don’t want to worry about external batteries at all. When the battery dies you can simply plug it into a charger and that’s that. The tradeoff is that you’re restricted to a maximum output of 60W, which isn’t enough to get the most out of the 0.15Ω coil. The 2500mAh battery capacity is also lower than what you can get from a good 18650 battery.

Personally, I would choose the DRAG X2 over the S2, simply because it can go up to the 70W needed to get the best out of the 0.15Ω coil (which is also the most flavorful PnP X coil).

Highly recommended.

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Get the DRAG S2 for $23.99
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