Coolfire 4 Written Review

Innokin Coolfire 4 – A New Attitude

When I had heard that the Innokin Coolfire 4 was headed our way for review purposes the first thing to come to mind was the hand grenade vaporizer we had here in the office for months back in 2013. You might remember it as the Coolfire 2, a hand grenade replica really, with the heart of a vaporizer. Yea, it was ‘cool’ looking as a novelty item, but no one I knew would actually use it. And you can forget about taking that thing with you on a plane, or even in public, because you ran the risk of being mistaken as someone with violence on his or her mind. I don’t know, I expected the Coolfire 4 to be an update of that weaponized vaporizer. Boy was I wrong!

On the day the package arrived containing the Coolfire 4 I had not yet seen any images of the device, nor any of the the specs… It was a complete unknown some days back. So when I opened the package and saw that Innokin had abandoned the hand grenade design in favor of a super sleek and sexy box mod vaporizer I, seriously now, applauded. “Now this is something I could get behind!” I said, and I immediately went about charging it up, getting the Innokin iSub G set up, and I read up on the specs, which I’ll get too in a bit.

The all-new Innokin Coolfire 4 is definitely a quality device. It fits in the palm of your hands, and is in fact, smaller than the iStick 50w. Features run the gamut of what you would expect in a modern day vaporizer, and some you don’t expect, like an on/off switch on the bottom. Other features like Variable Voltage, Variable Wattage, and a spring-loading pin, and more, makes the Coolfire 4 fit nicely with other 2015 vaporizers that we’ve come to expect from the ‘better’ brands.

Wattage range is a nice 6w to 40w, voltage runs 3v to 7v, so most subohm tanks and certainly any tank or glassomizer above the subohm range is going to have more than enough power to provide an outstanding vape. Although you might run into a bit of trouble trying to max out performance in a 0.2-ohm coil head tank, anything 0.04-ohm and above will be fine.

Safety features, always a big thing with Innokin, includes such modern features like Low Voltage Warning, Short Circuit/Atomizer Protection, Pass Through, and Over Discharge Protection. Going a step beyond the norm, this time Innokin has included a feature that remembers your last voltage and wattage settings, so you don’t need to start all over to find that important sweet spot. The Coolfire 4 even offers a puff counter, not that any of us actually use that feature in any vaporizer, but it is there.

The Coolfire 4’s flush 510-connection features a spring-loaded positive pin so just about every device will fit flush to the vaporizer with a clean connection. The threading in the connector is all stainless steel, and of course, it even includes the ego-thread adapter.

The Coolfire 4’s voltage range of 3.0v to 7.5v can be increased and decreased in 0.1-volt increments and the variable wattage range of 6.0w to 40.0w is adjustable in 0.5-watt increments. These days’ features like those above are expected, but it’s still nice to point them out.

The Coolfire 4 uses VRMS DC current for increased accuracy, with a power deviation of just 0.1 watt. The full 40 watts is maintained precisely between 0.3 to 2.5 ohms. The Coolfire 4 doesn’t waste power and the exacting accuracy means you are always vaping at the power level that you choose.

Okay, now the specs…

The Specs

  • Dimensions: 3-3/8″L x 1-5/8″W x 1″D
  • Spring Loaded/Stainless Steel 510 Thread
  • On/Off Switch on the base
  • 3 Click lock/ unlock Feature
  • OLED Display
  • Vrms Power Regulation
  • Micro USB Charging Port “Vape while Charging”
  • Heat Dissipation Vents
  • Battery Level Indicator
  • Flip OLED Orientation
  • 15 Second Cutoff Timer
  • Lanyard Hole
  • Operating Voltage: 3.0V – 7.5V
  • Operating Wattage: 6.0W – 40.0W
  • Built In 2000mAh Battery
  • Standby current: 100uA max
  • Maximum output Wattage: 40W
  • Maximum output Current：12A
  • Maximum output Voltage: 7.5V
  • Clearomizer Resistance: 0.3 Ohm (minimum)
  • Charging: Micro USB DC 5V/1A
  • Down to 0.3-ohm Coils

Real World Usage Report

First, I have to admit that I use a vaporizer as my primary vaporizer that far exceeds 40w, so the Coolfire 4 is not going to be my main vaporizer. I still build coils, though not as much as I used to, and when I do they are down in 0.15-0.2-ohm range, and 40w is not going to do it for me. That said, when using certain tanks, like the iSub G, the Coolfire 4 is ideal.

Battery – The battery is 2000mAh, and as such it is not going to last someone that vapes moderately more than a handful of hours. And although it will require a recharge a couple of times a day with heavy vaping, it will charge up in just a couple of hours. I would suggest that anyone using the Coolfire 4 as a primary device might do well to use the pass-through feature and vape while sitting at the computer. Funnily enough, that 2000mAh battery is about the only negative feature.

While I used it for review purposes I actually began to feel as though I would add it to my current rotation of vaporizes for times when I need something small and sleek, but can still power up my various subohm tanks with 0.5 to 1.2-ohm coils.

The Coolfire 4 is very comfortable to hold, the firing button is easy to get to, and changing the settings is a cinch. At the end of the review I continued to use it, so it is indeed now a part of my vaping regime.

I don’t much use variable voltage these days, but I did mount an older Aspire Nautilus and ran the vaporizer in VV mode for a while. Really nice vape experience with the Nautilus, and I remembered why we were all so enthusiastic about it last year.

Where I spent the most time was in variable wattage mode because that is where I feel most at home now. While I certainly got a great vape with Innokin’s iSub G, I also used a variety of tanks, including the Kanger Subtank Mini, Arctic tank, Matrix, Vision MK, and a new one we just got in, the Youde Zephyrus, a tank that features a coil head that takes my breath away. I hope to have a review of that tank soon.

As many of us here at Spinfuel has said over and over again, the biggest factor for a great vape is the tank we use, followed by the eliquid, and then, at last, the actual vaporizer. Throw the right amount of power to a great tank and you’re going to have a great vape, but that doesn’t mean the vaporizer isn’t an important part of experience. I say this because what comes next is the absolute truth about most of the modern day vaporizers we use.

If you were to go on a shopping spree and buy 8-10 box mods, all of which came to market in 2015, the biggest difference you’ll find would be the aesthetics and price. That’s the truth. Most of the features in the Coolfire 4 are found in most other devices, so it’s the little things, and the design aesthetic that earns your respect and your money.

Even after seeing how much the Coolfire 4 has changed since the militarized version 2, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. At about $40, this is one helluva device. Crystal clear display, easy to use settings and buttons, the perfect shape for a palm-held device, and plenty of power for ‘most’ tanks and glassomizers, the Coolfire 4 has certainly earned my respect.

I understand that the Coolfire 4 is not going to appeal to every vaper, no device will appeal to everyone, so if you’re looking for sheer power to vape DIY RDA’s at 0.1-ohm you know this is not the droids you’re looking for. But for anyone else, I truly think the Coolfire 4 just might be the best deal going right now in the box mod category.

‘Kudos’ to Innokin for a complete revamp of the Coolfire vaporizer series. I think the missing the Coolfire 3 is an intentional move on Innokin’s part because they too realize just how far removed version 4 is from version 2, so why not jump a number to emphasis it.

Would I Replace The Coolfire 4 Is I Lost It?

Yes, definitely. I mean, come on, it’s a $40 vaporizer with all the modern day features you want and need, comfortable to hold, easy to use, and vapes down (comfortably) to 0.4-ohms, what more could you want from such a device? I may not use it everyday, but I do use it quite a bit. The Coolfire 4 is the most surprising box mod release this year, and certainly head and tails over the slightly more expensive, yet disappointedly surprising Aspire ESP 30.

 Definitely recommended as a high quality, affordable box mod for any vaper looking for the best buy at 40w.

Tom McBride