The Vaporesso Swag 2 was sent to me for review from Vaporesso (check it out here). This new 2019 version of the Swag is the upgraded model of the original Swag device from 2017. The original had some really good reviews, so I would expect that the Swag 2 will be even better.
Table of Contents
The Swag 2
Design
The general shape of the Swag II is a lot like the original Swag, but with a different aesthetic. It’s still a tiny palm-sized device that takes a 18650 battery and has an extended cap to cover the battery since the battery is taller than the device itself.
And if you’re familiar with the Vaporesso Gen, this body will look very familiar to you because it has the same outer material. Which is awesome. I absolutely loved the material on the Gen. So there are four layers of material on this body, which make it fingerprint and scratch-resistant. And this rubber coating also feels really soft and nice in the hands.
There’s a curve in the body too, which is designed to make the Swag 2 more ergonomic. I think it works. It feels really comfortable to grip.
The size of the device is nice too. It stands at 108mm tall with the tank attached, which is about 4.2 inches. Without the tank, it’s about 2.4 inches up to the top of the device or 3 inches to the top of the battery cap. The body is 50mm or 2 inches wide and its 25mm or 1 inch thick.
Atomizer Size Compatibility
The top of the Swag 2 has been given more room too, so now you can use 25mm sized atomizers on here. And that’s a big plus because, with devices like this where the battery cap comes off the top, the cap restricts the atomizer size you can use.
That was one of the big problems with the original Swag or similar devices like the iStick Pico. It’s not just a matter of overhang, but you can’t actually fit anything bigger than 22mm on them. And today, with most atomizers being 25mm or bigger, the device needs to be able to support them.
But with that in mind, just remember that while you can fit 25mm atomizers on here, you can’t fit anything bigger. Although if you really wanted to, what some people used to do with iStick Picos was to grind down the side of the battery cap to give it a couple of extra millimeters of room. So you could do that too if you really wanted to.
It Has Pulse Mode
I mentioned this in my Vaporesso Gen review and I’ll mention it again. I’m not really sure why Vaporesso uses pulse mode for firing the Swag 2. It’s an older feature that was needed in devices years ago because the chips couldn’t keep a constant wattage during the entire hit. But as chips got better, pulse was no longer needed.
But yeah, Vaporesso has it. They say that it will give you a continuous good hit by pulsing every 0.02 seconds. Whether or not it’s needed, it does seem to work very well. The hits are good all the way through.
The Menu System is Easy for Beginners
Vaporesso designed the menu system in the Swag 2 to cater to beginners, which is awesome. But you also have advanced features as well.
On the side of the body is the up and down setting buttons and on the front panel is the power or firing button, an OLED screen, and a mode button.
To get into the menu, press the settings button three times fast or hold it for three seconds.
Some devices can be extremely confusing for beginners but Vaporesso wanted to make this one easy for everyone so they simplified the menu system.
In the main menu, you’ll have four main modes
- Powered Eco
- DIY Mod
- Pulse Mode
- Smart TC
Pulse Mode – This is like your regular wattage mode. You can set your wattage anywhere between 5 watts and up to the max of 80 watts.
Smart TC – This is temperature control mode, so if you’re using a temperature control coil, like NI200 or Stainless Steel, the device will automatically recognize it and choose the best settings. From there you can fine-tune the temperature you want.
Powered ECO – This mode optimizes the device to extend the battery life. I don’t know the details behind how it works, but it kicks in once you get to 40% of your battery life.
DIY Mode – All of the previous modes are designed to make the device simple and easy to use. But if you’re an advanced user and you want all of the bells and whistles, you’ll find it in the DIY menu. Here you’ll find modes for Variable Wattage, Variable Temperature, Variable Voltage, Custom Curves, Bypass, and Super Player Mode. And if you’re not familiar with Super Player mode, that just lets you use a wider range of atomizer builds, so from 0.03 to 5.0ohm.
There are a couple of shortcuts too; If you click the fire button three times while the device is on, you’ll lock the device settings but you can still fire it. If you hold the fire button and middle button, you’ll see the firmware version you’re running.
Battery and Charging
The Swag II takes a single 18650 battery and the plus and negative symbols are clearly visible inside the device and on the battery cap. You can charge the battery directly in the device and you can also vape while it’s charging.
The NRG PE Tank
The Swag II kit comes with the NRG PE Tank. This is your basic sub-ohm tank and it holds 3.5ml of liquid.
Drip Tip and Top Cap
At the top is a basic removable drip tip and a sliding top cap to fill up the tank with e-liquid.
The top cap slides nicely and I haven’t any issues with it opening up on its own.
There is a single fill port and it’s a nice size that makes it easy to fill.
Coils
The NRG PE tank is compatible with two types of coils; the GT4 Meshed Coil or the GT CCELL coil.
GT4 Meshed Coil
This is a Kanthal coil designed to handle between 50-75 watts, but Vaporesso says it’s best between 60-70 watts. It’s a mesh coil, so it has a very good flavor.
GT CCELL Coil
The GT CCELL coil is made of SS316 stainless steel, so this is the coil you would use if you want to take advantage of temperature control. It’s built at 0.5 ohms and handles between 25-35 watts (or whatever temperature you prefer). This coil doesn’t deliver as much flavor as the Meshed coil, but it’s close. It’s a great performing coil.
Airflow
The airflow control is at the base of the tank. There are two airflow slots, one on each side of the base. With the airflow slots wide open, you can get some pretty good airflow coming through here, so you get some big hits. And of course, you can close it down as much as you want.
Final Thoughts on the Swag II
The Swag II is tiny, supports 25mm atomizers, it looks awesome, feels great, and it’s super lightweight. The tank is pretty nice too. I really don’t have any complaints about the device or the tank.
Specs
SWAG II Kit ($59.90 MSRP)
- 0.91″ screen
- Resistance: 0.03 to 5.0 ohm
- Power: 5-80 watts
- Micro USB charger
- Requires one 18650 battery
- Max tank size: 25mm diameter
NRG PE Tank ($25.90 MSRP)
- Sliding Top Cap
- Mesh Coils or CCell Coils
- 25mm diameter
- 3.5ml capacity
The Swag II was sent to me for review from Vaporesso. You can get the whole kit from them for around $59.90.