The OBS Alter 70W Open Pod Kit has impressed me a lot over the past few weeks while testing it out for this review. With the amount of open pod systems being released, it is becoming difficult to stand out from the crowd.
The OBS Alter 70W Pod Kit has a lot going for it, which helps it stand out from the rest. Especially if you like to switch between DTL (Direct To Lung) and MTL (Mouth To Lung) vaping. Here’s a quick run down of what makes the OBS Alter so unique:
Has 2 Different Pods and Coils
DL Pod – For freebase e-liquid
ML Pod – For nicotine salts
Small & Compact
70W Max Output
10W-70W Wattage Range
Built-in 2500mAh Battery
Adjustable Airflow
Full Color LED Display
Type-C USB Charging
What’s in the Box
OBS Alter 70W Device
DL Pod (Pre-installed with 0.15 Ohm Mesh Coil)
ML Pod (Pre-installed with 1.4 Ohm Coil)
Extra 0.3 Ohm Mesh Coil (For DL Pod)
Extra 0.2 Ohm Mesh Coil (For ML Pod)
Type-C USB Cable
User Manual
Features
Zinc Alloy and Resin Construction
Two Types of Pods
Two Types of Coils (Both Mesh & Regular)
Output Wattage: 5-70W
Display: 0.96 inch LED
Built-in 2500mAh Battery
Charging: Type-C Port
Adjustable Airflow
Short-Circuit Protection
Low Voltage Protection
Overcurrent Protection
Puff Monitoring
Temperature Protection
Overtime Protection
Low-Power Alarm
Specifications
Size: 85 x 43 x 24mm
Weight: 147.2g
Material: Zinc Alloy + Resin
Battery: 2500mAh
Output Wattage: 5-70W
Output Voltage: 3.3V-4.2V
Charging Voltage: 5V/1.6A
Resistance Range: 0.15-3.0 Ohm
Pod Capacity: 3.5ml (DL Pod) / 2.0ml (ML Pod)
OBS Alter 70W Open Pod System – First Impressions
Out of the box, the OBS Alter is a very sleek and attractive looking device.
The device feels pretty solid and durable in hand, and it has a nice amount of weight to it without being too heavy. I was very impressed with how small and compact it is for housing a 2500mAh battery.
Everything about this device feels like it’s built with quality. The buttons feel very clicky and don’t rattle at all. The USB Type-C port is at the bottom of the device, which is the only real con I have about the build quality.
I’m not a fan of bottom charging, as you have to lay the device down to charge it. So, if you’re leaving your device unattended while charging, you’ll have to make sure the pod isn’t leaking. Even if it is a little bit, it could cause issues with the device down the road.
The Look and Feel
The OBS Alter is a good looking device. It has a resin panel that goes down the backside of the device. This resin panel helps it stand out, giving it a classy look.
The buttons are all on the front of the device. There is a large fire button, an up adjustment button, and a down adjustment button. The 0.96 inch LED screen is in the middle of these buttons.
At the top of the OBS Alter is where you will find the pod. The pod goes in with a nice friction fit and stays in place very well. The mouthpiece is also a proprietary drip tip, so you won’t be able to use your own here.
At the bottom of the device is the USB Type-C charging port.
The Pods and Coils
The OBS Alter comes with two different pods. The DL Pod, which is designed for freebase e-liquids, and the ML Pod, which is designed for nicotine salts. Each pod has a different capacity. The DL Pod has a 3.5ml capacity, while the ML Pod has a 2.0ml capacity. Both pods attach to the device via a nice friction fit.
With the DL Pod you get two coil options. You get a pre-installed 0.15 ohm mesh coil, and an extra 0.3 ohm mesh coil. With the ML Pod, you also get two coil options. You get a pre-installed 1.4 ohm coil, and an extra 1.2 ohm mesh coil.
I love that both pods are fillable from the top, which makes filling them super easy and mess free. This is a huge pro in my opinion, as you don’t have to take the pod off the device to fill it.
The coils also attach from the bottom of each pod by simply pushing them into place. It’s also very easy to adjust the airflow on each pod. On the DL pod, you just turn the airflow ring to adjust it. On the ML Pod, there is a small lever that you slide to open or close the airflow.
Both airflow options work flawlessly. It’s very easy to either get a nice direct lung draw or a satisfying mouth to lung draw.
Performance
Nicotine Salts Performance
For the nicotine salts side of things, I used the ML Pod with both coil options, the 1.4 ohm and 1.2 ohm mesh coil. Both coils give a super satisfying MTL vape, but my favorite out of the two was the 1.2 ohm mesh coil.
The 1.2 ohm mesh coil gave me a bit more flavor and a slightly warmer vape. I had this coil at around 20-25W and the vapor production was pretty decent for a MTL vape.
The 1.4 ohm coil also gave great flavor, but it was just a little less intense than the mesh coil. I ran this coil at around 15-20W. Overall, the nicotine salts performance was superb. I experienced zero leaking with either coil and they both lasted me well over a week.
Freebase E-Liquid Performance
For the freebase e-liquid side of things, I used the DL Pod with both coil options, the 0.15 ohm mesh coil and 0.3 ohm mesh coil. Both coils were great, but once again my favorite was the lower resistance mesh coil, the 0.15 ohm.
With the 0.15 ohm mesh coil, I ran it at 60-70W. The flavor was excellent and the vapor production was impressive. It’s a nice direct lung draw that isn’t too restricted, but it isn’t too airy either. This coil worked great for 70VG/30PG and 80VG/20PG e-liquids.
The 0.3 ohm mesh coil worked great for 50-60W. The flavor was also excellent with this coil, but the vapor production was a bit less. This coil worked well with both 70VG/30PG and 80VG/20PG e-liquids.
Just like the nicotine salts coils, I experienced zero leaking with both of these coils, and they both lasted well over a week of heavy use. Overall, the performance with both nicotine salts and freebase e-liquid was fantastic.
The Display and Wattage Control
The OBS Alter has a full-color LED display screen that is bright and easy to read. It displays your current wattage, coil resistance, voltage, puff counter, and battery life. It’s easy to navigate and change your wattage up and down with the adjustment buttons.
There are no different modes on the OBS Alter, which is a bit of a con, but it’s a pod system. So, I wasn’t expecting any to begin with. It’s a basic wattage adjustment device, and it does that very well.
Battery Life and Charging
The OBS Alter has a built-in 2500mAh battery. The battery life is great, and it can definitely last you all day, especially if you’re using it with the nicotine salts coils. Even with the freebase e-liquid coils, it still lasted me a good amount of time, about 6-8 hours of heavy use.
The OBS Alter does utilize Type-C USB charging, which is awesome. It charges at 5V/1.6A, so it can charge up pretty quickly. From a completely dead battery, it took me about an hour and a half to get it fully charged.
Pros
Superb Build Quality
Excellent Flavor Production
Fantastic Vapor Production (DL Pod)
Comfortable In Hand
Small & Compact
Built-in 2500mAh Battery
Two Types of Pods & Coils
DL & MTL Vaping Options
Top Fill Design
Adjustable Airflow (Both Pods)
Full Color LED Display
Type-C USB Charging
No Leaking
Long Lasting Coils
Cons
Bottom Charging
Proprietary Drip Tip
No Different Modes
Overall Thoughts
The OBS Alter 70W Pod Kit has been a great performing device for me. It’s a very versatile open pod system that excels in both MTL and DTL vaping. The build quality is great, and it feels very comfortable in hand.
It has a super satisfying MTL vape when using the 1.2 ohm mesh coil, and a full and flavorful DTL vape when using the 0.15 ohm mesh coil. If you’re in the market for a new open pod system that can give you both MTL and DTL vaping, then I highly recommend checking out the OBS Alter. It’s a great little device!
