If you’re new to vaporizers…
Box mods can be an intimidating bunch.
The number of features they have, can make anyone’s head spin.
Well, today you will exactly learn what makes a box mod good.
Not only that…
But you will get a list of the 7 best box mods currently on the market…
And the best part:
Based on what type of vaper you are, you’ll exactly know what box mod you should get.
Let’s get started with the first one in our list.
1. Eleaf iStick Pico (Cheapest & Best Mini Box Mod)
Most of you don’t want the ‘best’ vape mod in the literal sense of the word…
You’re probably looking for the best value you can get out of your money.
And if you’re also looking for the smallest box mod…
Well, the Eleaf iStick Pico is the smallest and cheapest box mod in the list…but, this is crazy:
It outperforms many pricier ‘stealth’ mods (also called single-battery mods).
Here’s how:
- It has a removable single-battery design, which means you’ll never run out of battery (just bring extra batteries);
- With the great temperature control you’ll be able to exactly control your vapor output and temperature, so you’ll always be producing vapor that truly satisfies you;
- For a stealth mod it’s very durable: if you treat it well it will easily last you 3+ years.
A stealth mod shouldn’t draw a lot of attention when you’re out…
Well, this device is so small and compact…whichever way you turn it, it will always easily fit inside the palm of your hand. It’s super-easy to hide.
A single battery does bring some downsides with it:
Although the iStick Pico has the potential to power some sub-ohm tanks…
You will have to stay below 55 watts. Because even though the max capacity of this vape mod is 75 watts, you never wan’t to be using a box mod near its max capacity for longer periods of time and here’s why:
- It drains the battery extremely fast, and;
- Reduces the longevity of your device.
This means if you’re a real cloud-chaser, you’re better off with the next box mod in the list.
For a single-battery mod, the battery-life is great:
If you stay below 55 watts, the battery will last up to a full day…
…unless you’re a chain-vaper.
If you’re a chain-vaper, look further down the list for a 2-battery or even a 3-battery mod.
Onto the temperature control…
Although the temperature control is good straight out of the box…
Earlier you read about the ArcticFox firmware: you learned that the Eleaf iStick Pico is compatible with this firmware.
If you’re going to vape in TC, you have to get it.
It makes the TC mode much more consistent and accurate (that’s not the only thing though…it supports customizable power curves as well among other things).
Still not good enough to be up there with the top mods in TC (basically any mod with a DNA or YiHi chip which you can find further down the list) …
But good enough for the average user.
The bottom line is:
If you want a small and discreet device, which brings you better performance than ANY e-cig or vape pen, while staying under $50…
This is, without question, the box mod you should get.
Click to see most recent price in:
US – (DirectVapor / Breazy /MyFreedomSmokes)
Worldwide – (Gearbest / FastTech)
Amazon – (DE / UK)
Now:
If you DO want to be able to power very low-resistance sub-ohm coils and vape at very high wattages, while keeping it compact and pocketable…
Next up we have the…
2. Smoant Cylon (Best Value for Money)
You want to turn a whole room into a steaming hotbox filled with impressive clouds of vapor, and do it quickly?
Operating on 2 batteries, with a maximum wattage of 218W…
The Smoant Cylon, in contrast with the Eleaf iStick Pico…does have enough power to operate watt-hungry sub-ohm tanks.
But that’s not all that it has going for it…
Just like its earlier version: the Smoant Charon, this is probably the most compact and pocketable 2-battery mod that’s on the market.
It’s arguable whether any 2-battery mod is truly pocketable…but if there’s any, the Smoant Cylon definitely is one of them.
Pocketable AND durable is combination some of you definitely will be looking for.
If that’s you, you’ll be happy to know that the Smoant Cylon is crazy durable:
- Drop it: nothing breaks;
- Abuse the buttons: they keep working;
- Vape at very high temps: it stays cool.
Talking about temperatures…it’s temperature control mode is great! Not up there with DNA or YiHi, but better than 90% of the non-DNA / non-YiHi mods.
The main downside with earlier Smoant box mods like the Smoant Charon and Smoant Battlestar, were their battery-life:
The battery-life of these mods were worse than other 2-battery mods. This had to do with the fact that these mods drained your batteries to unacceptable levels when left idle and the battery cutoff started at a relatively high voltage (3.6V).
Well, Smoant definitely stepped their game up here.
They fixed these issues with the Cylon:
- The battery-drainage when left idle is really insignificant, which means longer battery-life, and;
- The battery-cutoff now starts at a very acceptable voltage of 3.0V, which also means more battery-life!
This means the battery-life of this box mod is great now: as good as most other 2-battery box mods and miles above any single-battery mod or vape pen.
If you’re looking for a powerful mod that can create extremely impressive clouds and want full control over your vapor production with amazing temperature control, without breaking the bank…
The Smoant Cylon is currently the best value for money box mod that you can get.
Click to see most recent price in:
Next up we have real beauty with the best battery life out of the budget mods in the list…
3. Tesla Punk 220W (Best Outer-Design & Battery Life)
Hate it or love it…
But the design of the Tesla Punk definitely is something special.
Looking like a mechanical device coming straight out of the Victorian era…most of you will love its beautifully embossed patterning design.
But there’s more to its design…
This mod fits perfectly into the trend of vape mods being built like indestructible tanks.
The build-quality simply is amazing…but it comes at a price:
This is probably the heaviest mod that you’ll ever hold.
With the earlier version of this mod: the Tesla Steampunk, Teslacigs did take its ‘ancient Victorian’ design a bit too seriously: it had no USB port so there was no possibility for on-board charging or software/firmware upgrades.
Luckily they got smart and added a USB port the Punk 220W.
2-battery mods generally have decent battery life…
But the Tesla Punk has the best battery-life of any 2-battery mod, that isn’t DNA or YiHi.
If you stay well under its max-wattage…it almost behaves as a 3-battery mod. It’s actually one of the few 2-battery mods which can support chain-vaping for a full day at 100+ watts.
But there’s something else, that makes the Tesla Punk truly special…
And that’s its power, specifically, its performance in wattage-mode.
In wattage-mode, this beast of a mod will go from zero to hero (max watts) in a matter of seconds. It has an extremely fast power delivery speed. If you’re the impatient type (like me) you will highly appreciate this.
PLUS it’s extremely accurate in wattage-mode, the most you’ll see it off is by 2 watts. This is amazing for a consistent performance, keep the watts the same and your vapor production will be exactly the same 99% of the time (as long as you keep everything else in your setup the same).
Its temperature control sucks though: it isn’t very accurate and mainly lacks consistency.
The bottom line is:
The Tesla Punk is a beautiful and durable device, that scores way above average in terms of performance in power-mode and battery-life. You just have to accept its heavy weight and bad performance in temperature control.
Click to see most recent price in:
- US – (DirectVapor / Breazy)
- Amazon – (DE / UK)
We’ve now covered 3 mods in the list which have ‘decent’ or ‘good’ temperature control capabilities.
For anyone looking to vape in variable wattage mode or voltage mode or anyone looking for a regular TC experience, this will be good enough.
But if you’re looking for the absolute best in temperature control…
You’re going to need something different:
A mod with a DNA or YiHi chip.
Next up we have a 2-battery DNA powerhouse, the…
4. Lost Vape Therion/Paranormal DNA166 (Best Temp Control & Safety Features)
Some say:
You haven’t really tried temperature-control-mode vaping, until you’ve tried a DNA mod.
The accuracy, consistency and control you get over your vapor production with a DNA mod is…out of this world.
Let me explain.
You can control the temperature in 1-degree increments…and the best part is:
It actually is accurate within 1-degree increments. You won’t find this accuracy in mods with other than DNA or YiHi chips.
In fact, other chips sometimes are off by 10-20 degrees and can fluctuate within even larger ranges!
Why does this matter?
With a DNA or YiHi mod, finding your sweet-spot in terms of:
- Temperature of vapor;
- Flavor, and;
- Vapor production…
is like a walk in the park.
Not only that…
But your experience will stay consistent, no matter what:
- No occasional weak hits;
- No occasional extremely hot ‘wtf-happened-to-my-temp-limit’ hits…
Just accurate and consistent until the last bit of electricity is drained out of your battery.
Then there’s the flexibility that comes with DNA mods…
You can literally control ANYTHING that’s related to the operation of your mod AND related to the user interface (with the Escribe software).
For example:
- Preheat settings: do you want your mod to reach your pre-set maximum wattage/temperature instantly (instant vapor) or take it slowly (which is better for battery-life and less in your face);
- Power limits based on wire type (amazing safety feature as you’ll never go above the max-wattage of any specific wire type);
- ANYTHING that’s related to the user interface like: messages, colors, what to show where.
And COUNTLESS of other customizations.
You might be wondering:
Great…but why would I want all of this flexibility?
Well, you can EXACTLY create your most satisfying vaping experience with this box mod, and because of its accuracy and consistency, KEEP this experience without any effort (just keep all the variables the same).
A DNA mod does have a learning curve, and if you you’re not going to use TC-mode, getting a DNA mod definitely is overkill…
…unless safety is one of your top priorities.
The built-in safety features of DNA 250 chip are insane:
- It has the most accurate battery monitoring in the industry: ALWAYS be on top of any battery irregularities, before it’s too late;
- It supports balanced charging (to prevent overcharging a single battery and destroying it or even worse: destroying the device), and;
- Comes with reverse polarity protection, in case you accidentally insert your batteries wrongly.
It’s literally one of the safest and foolproof box mods you can get.
But these are all benefits that you get with ANY mod that operates with the DNA 250 chip…
The question is:
What makes the Lost Vape Therion / Paranormal DNA166 so special?
For starters, this is one of the sturdier DNA box mods you can get.
Its construction and build quality, including the build quality of the battery door, which often is a weak point with box mods…are so good, once you’ve hold the Lost Vape Therion /Paranormal DNA166 in your hand, you will truly understand what a premium mod is.
And if you thought 2-battery mods are always bulky…
Think again.
The Lost Vape Therion/Paranormal DNA166 is compact, lightweight and feels very comfortable in your hand.
The bottom line is:
If you’re looking for a vape mod which will allow you to fine-tune your vaping experience by adjusting over 10+ variables, and then gives you the most consistent and safe vaping experience by keeping these variables EXACTLY the same, any time you turn on your vaporizer…
The Lost Vape Therion/Paranormal DNA166 will keep you extremely happy.
Click to see most recent price in:
- US – (ElementVape / DirectVapor / VaporDNA)
Worldwide – (Gearbest / FastTech)- Amazon – (DE / UK)
Added bonus: DNA chips come with a 1-year warranty!
The next mod operates with a chip from the other top dog in temperature control chips (YiHi)…
5. YiHi SXMini G Class SX550J 200W (Best 2-Battery Mod Overall)
If you want FULL control over your vaping experience, with extremely accurate and consistent temperature control…
But want to be able to customize everything ON the device itself (instead of on a PC or laptop) …
YiHi mods are the go-to devices.
And the SXMini G Class is a YiHi mod that excels not only in temperature control mode, but literally on EVERYTHING that box mod can be rated on:
- It’s a 2-battery mod with an INSANE build-quality, in fact: this mod has the best build-quality in the list. Holding this device in your hand, will feel like holding an extremely sophisticated piece of machinery from the future.
- You get amazing safety features for the safest vaping experience possible (keep battery dangers at bay and toxins out of your vapor).
You might be wondering:
A top-tier DNA mod like the Lost Vape Paranormal DNA166 and a top-tier YiHi mod like the SXMini G Class, sound very similar…
What exactly is the difference between these?
And you’re right, they are very similar..
But there are a few noteworthy differences.
Probably the biggest difference is that while with the Lost Vape Therion DNA166 you need a Windows or Mac device to customize everything about your mod…with the SXMini G Class, you can customize almost everything ON the device itself or with the very user-friendly Bluetooth app from your phone.
Each and every time connecting your box mod to your laptop, macbook or PC for a small little customization, can get burdensome after a while…
This convenience alone will be enough reason for some of you to choose this mod over any DNA mod (although DNA chips with the same feature are starting to come out: the DNA 75C chip, but this chip is of a less quality overall than the DNA 250 chip).
Then there are some differences between the operation of the device and the user interface.
With the biggest difference being:
- You control the SXMini G Class with a joystick.
Some will hate it, some will love it…but there are actually no buttons on this mod, you control everything with the joystick.
Now, the truth is:
It does take a little time to figure out…but once you do, chances are, you will find it even more convenient than button-control.
This mod is also a true powerhouse. It’s the most heavy-duty 2-battery mod in the list. This beauty can support monster tanks: up to 30mm…without any hangover! The 510 connection is HUGE.
The bottom line is, if you want:
- To operate huge tanks that never seem to empty;
- Full control over your vapor production with extremely accurate and consistent temperature control, and;
- Massive customization options for control over your full vaping experience…
Do yourself a favor and get this BEAST of a mod.
Click to see most recent price in:
- US – (DirectVapor / 3FVape)
- Amazon – (DE / UK)
Next up…
6. Modefined Prism (Best Value for Money 3-Battery Mod)
If you know you’re the type of vaper that forgets to charge his/her battery often…
Triple battery box mods will come as a blessing for you.
The power that 3 batteries bring, means that even if you forget to charge your box mod for 1-2 days, you will still be able to keep going for at least a day…
Making the total up-time of 3-battery box mods at least 2-3 days, and that is at higher wattage settings (100+ watts)!
And if you’re looking for a triple-battery box mod, but aren’t prepared to pay the premium price for a DNA chip…
The Modefined Prism is the best option for a ‘budget’ 3-battery box mod.
Even though it doesn’t come with a DNA chip…
Modefined is the daughter-company of Lost Vape (a company specialized in premium DNA mods), which means you can be sure that you’re getting amazing quality, especially in terms of:
- Build quality, and;
- Temperature control.
Let me explain.
This box mod is built and designed so well, that any atomizer up to 30mm will fit on the 510 pin without any overhang. And the battery door, which is often one of the weak points in the build quality of budget box mods, fits nice and tight.
And with regards to its temperature control: even though it doesn’t have an as precise and accurate temperature control as a DNA mod, or the same customization capabilities that come with a DNA mod…
The temperature control of this box mod is above average, it’s very consistent and accurate…while it’s price doesn’t reflect that:
This is one of the cheapest triple-battery box mods you can get.
The value you for your money you’re getting here is insane.
Now:
If portability is your highest priority, I wouldn’t recommend a 3-battery mod…
But the Modefined Prism is rather compact for a 3-battery mod…it might even be pocketable for some of you larger folks out there.
The bottom line is:
Currently this is the best value for money triple-battery box mod out there. The performance, build quality and reliability you get for the price is unmatched.
Click to see most recent price in:
Next up…
7. Lost Vape Triade DNA 250 (Best 3-Battery Mod Overall)
If you’re looking for a true premium 3-battery box mod…
The Lost Vape Triade DNA 250 is a triple-battery box mod, that operates on the tried and tested DNA 250 chip that you’ll absolutely love…
Which also means it operates extremely efficiently with your batteries.
Which in turn means the battery life of this box mod is even better than other 3-battery box mods. It really doesn’t get better than this in terms of battery life.
Of course you also get all the benefits that come with the DNA 250 chip (also found in our number 4 mod: the Lost Vape Therion DNA166):
- Extremely precise and accurate temperature control for full control vapor production, flavor and safety (the lower your temp, the less toxins in your vapor);
- Amazing safety features, so you’ll never have to worry about battery failures, batteries blowing up, or overheating a specific wire type (which can result in toxic vapor). This peace of mind is priceless really;
- Endless customizations to your mod, to really refine your vaping experience.
Just realize the following when you’re going for any triple-battery mod:
It’s going to be bulky and not very pocket-friendly.
On the bright side:
The Lost Vape Triade DNA 250 is designed in a very ergonomic way and will fit good in an average-sized hand.
The bottom line is:
If you’re looking for the best battery life that’s available, want the highest quality temperature control with it, and a build quality that makes your mod last for years to come…
The Lost Vape Triade DNA 250, is your best and only option.
Click to see most recent price in:
- US – (DirectVapor / VaporDNA)
Next up…
Box Mods and Temperature Control
In the past few years, temperature control vaping has become more and more popular.
And with good reason.
After you get through the short learning curve, temperature control (TC) vaping has many benefits to offer compared to fixed wattage (FW), variable voltage (VV) and variable wattage (VW):
- Your temperature will always stay below a fixed point. This is not only an amazing safety feature because: the higher your temperature with vaping, the more you’ll risk producing and inhaling toxins…but it will also give the smoothest possible experience in terms of how your vapor feels and tastes.
- You will avoid the dreaded dry hits;
- You’ll have full control over your hits and will always be producing consistent hits in terms of temperature, flavor, feeling and cloud size, independent of how long and/or how hard you draw;
- Your battery will last a good 20-30% longer.
After reading all these benefits of TC vaping…
You’ll understand why the quality of TC has become extremely important in rating a box mod.
How do we rate temperature control?
Mostly on accuracy and consistency, and to a lesser extent the ability to customize your TC-mode.
Quick-Guide on Batteries
The most important piece of advice you can get for batteries is the following:
ALWAYS carry any extra batteries in some sort of case where they can’t come into contact with anything metal like keys or spare change. You don’t want to be creating any fire in your pocket.
Conclusion
Today, you’ve learned:
- What makes a box mod good;
- The 7 best box mods currently on the market, and;
- Which box mod you should get, based on your vaping preferences.
Ok, so you’ve got your box mod…
If you’re still looking for a vape tank to attach to your box mod, check out our vape tank guide:
And if you’re looking for a high-quality e-juice, check out our vape juice guide: