Artery PAL II Pod Mod Kit Review

ARTERY X TONY B. PAL 2 AIO POD STARTER KIT REVIEW – Recently, someone who was learning about vaping asked me, “Should I get a pod mod or an all-in-one mod?” And I had no idea what to say to him. Even days later, staring at a blank document titled “Artery Vapor PAL II Pod Mod Review” I don’t really know what the line is between pod mod, AIO mod, or any other sub-genre we discuss on these pages.  (Don’t worry, for the sake of readership, we’ll just go with “pod mod.”)

Let’s take a closer look at this diminutive powerhouse.

The name of the game here is stealth and portability. The PAL II is a simple rectangular shape, barely taller than most sub-ohm tanks, with some nifty groove patterns built into the frame, so it’s more comfortable and tactile than most miniature pod devices. Even with its ultra-light weight, this isn’t a mod you’re going to forget about in your pocket.

Where the confusion comes in about “pod” vs. “AIO” device is in how the replaceable coils basically make this a standard mod with a replaceable tank section, rather than a true, completely disposable pod device. I understand SEO needs and all, but in my opinion, it’s tomato-tomahto. A coil heats e-liquid and vapor is produced. And the PAL II does it better than most, so let’s move along.

Features and Highlights

The concealed cartridge/coil combination sits well inside the stainless-like alloy exterior, right above the potent 1,000 mAh battery. I was thrilled to see the PAL II comes with both mouth-to-lung and direct-lung coils, which help the device reach a wider audience.

What’s more important is that both of the coils perform extremely well. Neither of the included mesh offerings are going to make you forget your Augvape Skynet coils. But when compared to similar pod mod/AIO devices, the coil flavor, vapor production, and (best of all) longevity, are top-tier. More than two weeks later, I’m still rocking both of the original coil heads, without any drop in performance or enjoyment.

I should mention that the tank section is a respectable 3mL, with a 2mL arrangement to meet EU requirements, as well. This might not seem like much in a world with ever-expanding tank devices. But using nic salt e-liquids, this 33% boost in capacity resulted in a notably longer running time between fills. I can see casual vapers getting some serious life from this arrangement.

Another highlight is the mouthpiece – that’s right, the mouthpiece. I can’t recall the last time I spent more than a nanosecond debating the virtues of a mouthpiece, but in terms of comfort and enjoyment, I’ve never used a better one. Warm, but not hot. Wide, but suitable for MTL use. It’s just a winner – take my word for it.

Perhaps my only complaint about the PAL II is the positioning and format of the fire key. I could never find a comfortable grip that allowed me to naturally fire. Plus, the button on my test model was a little recessed. While it was adequately clicky and responsive, I can see it starting to stick after a few months of use.

Observations While Vaping

The Artery PAL II is an absolute powerhouse pod mod. While the 1.2-ohm MTL head is flavor-heavy, the 0.6-ohm companion coil is just as rich and nuanced, with much denser vapor production. It’s not quite a true sub-ohm contender, but it’s a lot closer than any pod device has a right to be.

The downside to this is that the sub-ohm head requires a lot more power from the 1,000mAh cell, resulting in lesser overall performance than with the higher-resistance coil. Is it a deal breaker? Not even close, but I strongly recommend newcomers stick with the 1.2-ohm head, if for longevity alone. On one charge, I managed a full day of steady vaping, creeping into the following morning. I DEFY most other pods to make the same claims.

Flavor performance is outstanding with either coil. Even my most-layered flavors managed to come through, with nic salt liquids performing better in the PAL II than pretty much any pod still hanging around in my collection.

Bottom Line

For those taking notes, you’ll see my only complaint was about a fire button that MIGHT stick someday off in the future. In other words, I really couldn’t find anything to complain about, like I usually do with pod mods and AIO devices. The tank has a good capacity. The coils last a lifetime. The battery is top-flight. And the vapor/flavor is amongst the best we’ve seen in any device of this type, much less at this price point.

Spinfuel Recommendation: Must Buy for anyone seeking portable, potent power. A new benchmark for vape mods in this category.