WOTOFO nexBar 18K Disposables Review: Sleek and Powerful

Design & Build Quality

The nexBar 18K may be a part of the nexBar family, but none of the devices look even remotely related. Just as the nexBar 20k was starkly different in design from the nexBar 16K, the nexBar 18K is an entirely different device from its predecessors, sharing nothing in common aside from the name.

The shape and size of the nexBar 18K is my favorite from Wotofo so far. It’s 101mm tall, 44mm wide, and 26.7mm deep, which is a perfect size for a disposable vape. This size combined with the rounded body makes it just perfect to hold and it’s just overall very practically shaped and portable. 

All of the different flavors are primarily black in color with a candy cane sort of pattern on the top half of the device. The outer shell of the device is clear with the candy cane design as an underlay beneath the shell, so it looks a bit 3D.

What’s nice about this clear shell is that it doesn’t scratch or show wear too easily. That’s always my main issue with clear shells on devices but the underlay and overall darker colors on the nexBar 18K help to disguise any scratches.

NEX BAR is printed in very large writing on both sides of the device, as is a rather large WOTOFO logo. The flavor is printed near the top in the same area as the candy cane underlay.

The mouthpiece on the nexBar 18K is made of silicone. It’s very comfortable but also picks up everything that is in my pockets. Just seeing all the little fluffs and specs on the mouthpiece makes me uncomfortable so I’ve been wiping it down regularly to keep it clean. I like how it feels, it’s just a dust and lint magnet.

The screen is an improvement from the one on the nexBar 20K. It’s small and doesn’t have any flashy graphics, so that already makes it better than the 20K. It’s also brighter and clearer, so reading it is much easier. 

Finally, the bottom of the nexBar 18K has an airflow slider and the mode switch button. There’s not a lot of range with the airflow slider but it’s just enough to fine-tune a tight MTL draw. RDL or even loose MTL vaping is not possible with this device.

The mode switch button is only used for switching between Normal and Turbo modes. It’s recessed into the bottom of the device so accidental mode switches are unlikely.

Features

The nexBar 18K is even more user-friendly than the nexBar 16K and nexBar 20K. It only has two output modes instead of three, Normal and Turbo, so it’s a little more straightforward than its predecessors.

While the lack of the ECO mode like on previous nexBar devices could be seen as a step backwards, I don’t think that it’s needed.

The draw in Normal mode feels like the draw in ECO mode from previous devices and, after doing a bit of research, it turns out that I’m correct; the nexBar 18K outputs 16W in Normal mode and 19W in Turbo mode. The nexBar 20K outputs 15.6W in ECO mode, 19.2W in Normal mode, and 23.1W in Turbo mode.

It’s the same outputs but the nexBar 18K is tiered differently and lacks a 23W output mode.

I rarely used Turbo mode with the nexBar 20K because I found the draw to be too strong, so not having a 23W mode on the nexBar 18K isn’t a big deal for me. I was still able to get an enjoyable experience out of the nexBar 18K without it.

The display is small and neat. There are four bars at the top and four bars on the bottom. The top four bars represent the battery life, while the lower four bars represent the remaining ejuice. Each bar is 25%. It’s not as clear and exact as a percentage readout but it does just fine to give an estimate as to where the device is at.

The display also has the modes, with an arrow indicating which mode you are in. Pressing the button on the bottom of the device switches modes. You can also hold the button to turn the device off.

The nexBar 18K uses 1.2Ω vertical dual nexMesh coils which work independently but simultaneously in both modes. Wotofo’s nexMesh coils are known for their flavor so having two of them in this device is pretty awesome.

Lastly, the nexBar 18K is available in both 20mg/ml and 50mg/ml nicotine strengths so depending on your nicotine requirements, you can get the one that fits your needs.

Flavors

The nexBar 18K launched with 20 flavors available. This is five more flavors than the nexBar 16K and ten more flavors than the nexBar 20K. The available flavors are:

• Blackberry Ice
• Blue Razz Ice
• Blueberry Raspberry
• Caramel Tobacco
• Double Apple
• Energy Ice
• Grape Ice
• Guava Kiwi Passion Fruit
• Lemon Lime
• Mango Ice
• Mint
• Mixed Berries
• Peach Ice
• Peach Mango Watermelon
• Pina Colada
• Raspberry Cherry
• Strawberry Banana
• Strawberry Kiwi
• Watermelon Bubblegum
• Watermelon Ice

Some of these flavors have been carried over from previous nexBar devices but there are also many totally new ones like Caramel Tobacco, Lemon Lime, Energy Ice, and Raspberry Cherry, just to name a few.

There’s a lot of different categories of flavors here with many ice flavors, lots of fruit flavors, a tobacco flavor, and even a few drink flavors.

I’m going to describe how five of these flavors taste to me and what I think of them. However, keep in mind that just because I like a flavor that does not mean that you will like it. Similarly, if I don’t like a flavor this does not mean that you will not like it. This is solely my subjective opinion.

Strawberry Kiwi

This has been one of Wotofo’s best flavors throughout their nexBar range and it’s still just as good here. The balance is right on between the strawberry and kiwi flavors. Both fruit flavors come in and out during the inhale and exhale so I taste strawberry strongly, then kiwi, and it goes back and forth. Neither flavor overpowers the other so I get really nice, clear bursts of each fruit flavor.

Blueberry Raspberry

This flavor is one that I have a hard time putting down. It’s a perfect blue razz flavor that is of medium sweetness, with just the right amount of candy flavor blended in with a natural taste. The blueberry notes are sharp, with some tartness from the raspberry to complement it. 

Grape Ice

This is a bold and full grape flavor that tastes like a sweetened glass of grape juice. It’s a very dense grape flavor that fills my mouth with flavor from the beginning of the draw. There’s medium-heavy cooling here as well, which adds a lot to the depth of the flavor.

Watermelon Bubblegum

The watermelon notes are great in this flavor but the bubble gum flavor could be better. It tastes like bubblegum that has been chewed for a bit too long. It’s a really subtle flavor that, while it tastes like bubblegum, would be better if it was stronger.

Blue Razz Ice

This flavor is similar to blueberry raspberry, just more subtle in flavor. It’s not as sweet or as bold, just a more mellow blue razz flavor with medium ice. If you want a sweeter blue razz flavor then go with Blueberry Raspberry. For a more subtle flavor, go with blue razz ice.

How do they vape?

The nexBar 18K is Wotofo’s first disposable to use vertical dual nexMesh coils and they 100% feel like an upgrade over the dual nexMesh coils in the nexBar 20k. Even as the battery dies, the flavor remains strong. It’s so consistent that you can vape these down to 0% battery and only notice the smallest drop off in draw strength.

In 20mg/ml nicotine strength, the draw is powerful and satisfying even in normal mode. It’s not too strong in Turbo mode either, which I like. Turbo mode on the nexBar 20K is something that I barely used because it felt too overpowering, but that isn’t the case with the nexBar 18k.

These disposable put out the type of consistent flavor that you want from a device that you’re going to be using day in and day out. The flavors are good enough that I don’t get bored of them, and they don’t drop off in flavor as the ejuice runs out and the puff count runs up.

The draw is tighter than the nexBar 20K so a tight mouth to lung draw is what you’re restricted to with these vapes. You can adjust the tightness by using the airflow slider, but only to make it tighter. It’s not as wide of a range as I like for a mouth to lung vape but you’ll like it if you prefer a really tight draw.

The 750mAH battery is slightly larger than the 630mAh battery in the nexBar 16K and 250mAh smaller than the 1000mAh battery in the nexBar 20K. Expect to get two days of heavy vaping per charge, with each charge using about one of the four bars of ejuice capacity.

Verdict

The nexBar 18K is more than just a middle-ground device between the 16K and 20K. In many ways it is, with a puff count, battery, and size that fall somewhere in the middle of those other two devices. But it’s also better in certain aspects like the amount of flavors, the design, and the simplicity of having only two modes.

The flavor from the dual, vertical nexMesh coils can’t be understated. They allow the nexBar 18K to deliver extremely good flavor that is consistent even as the battery dies and the ejuice runs low. I’m a huge fan of the flavors that this device has to offer and the dual nexMesh coils make the best of them.

There are a few downsides to the nexBar 18K, these being the lint-attracting mouthpiece, less-than-stellar battery life, and very tight MTL draw that can’t be opened up. But if you like a very tight draw and can live with frequent charges, the nexBar 18K could be a great companion for your day to day.