Augvape Druga Narada Pod System Review

When reviewing vape devices, our experiences usually range from “if they only did _____” to “WTF were they thinking?” But these two exclamations very rarely happen within the same review. Yet, it happened here, with the all-new Augvape Druga Narada pod mod system.

If you’re a no-nonsense, set it and forget it kind of vaper, the Druga Narada (sorry – am I the only one who can’t say that name without singing the song from “The Lion King?”) has a lot to like. And there’s one HUGE development coming down the pike that has me extra excited. But there’s also some quirks and things to improve. Let’s take a look and make sense of it all, starting with the specs.

Official Word

The Augvape Druga NARADA Pod Kit is a minimalist designed vaping pod system. Implementing an 1100mAh rechargeable battery, 2.8mL refillable juice pod capacity, and features that include uniquely designed airflow control option.

The Augvape Druga NARADA presents a sleek and sharp design free of any screens, adjustment buttons, or airflow control rings viewable from the outside.

Combined with an incredibly powerful integrated battery clocking in at 1100mAh, the Druga NARADA Pod Kit can last throughout prolonged vaping sessions with ease as the Druga NARADA is free of features like screens or auxiliary buttons.

Airflow for the Druga NARADA is inlet via a slotted multihole airflow option but can be restricted by installing airflow inserts directly onto the pod based airflow control system. In addition, the Druga NARADA Pod Kit can hold up to 2.8mL of eJuice or nicotine salts within the confines of the refillable pod. Refills are facilitated by a side fill system stoppered by a silicone plug.

A lot of pod mods suffer from being too lightweight and plasticky. Well, there’s no issue with that on the Druga Narada. Though it’s barely larger than a pack of gum, the substantial zinc alloy chassis is about as solid as they come. For once, I actually conducted a controlled drop test on a variety of surfaces, and the only thing that scratched was my linoleum floor. If you regularly worry about durability, this is one pod mod that should be on your short list.

Impressions/Aesthetics of the Augvape Druga Narada

…Otherwise, the Druga Narada assumes the box-like form of so many other recent devices, albeit a little wider and more angular than most. It also features a tiny mouthpiece, reassuring users that — despite the presence of sub-ohm stainless and mesh coils — the Druga Narada is most DEFINITELY a mouth-to-lung (MTL) vape mod.

But, other than a slightly gaudy “Narada” graphic on my test model and a sizable opening for easy pod monitoring, there’s very little to discuss aesthetically. Augvape wanted to keep things simple, and they’ve hit that mark.

The fire button is worth mentioning, since it’s practically flush with the side of the mod. This is great for those worried about pocket mishaps, but it doesn’t offer a reassuring, clicky throw like other devices in this category. I eventually got used to it, but I have no doubt some will find this to be a drawback.

The “easy to refill” pod (there’s only one in the box) might have easy access using the device’s side panel. But it definitely takes some practice the first time out. The attached rubber stopper is fine to remove initially but getting it to stay seated once full is another story entirely. It took me roughly 10 minutes (and about a milliliter of e-liquid) before getting it down pat — something to keep in mind when filling it during a night out.

Vaping the Augvape Druga Narada

The magnetic side panel, which you’ll remove to refill, stays in place nicely, and is probably interchangeable in case you want to dress up your device a little. But the pod itself seems a little too snug for the compartment. While most pod mods have a reassuring, magnetic “snap” when installing the cartridges, this squeezes into place uncomfortably, making me worry about maintaining proper connection, and doing damage to the mod over time.

Once filled, both of the included coils wicked quickly and vaped well within a minute or two of getting started. Because of their diminutive size, there isn’t much to wick, so it’s easy to get going right away. The problem is — will they be around long? Unfortunately, that’s where things went south… much quicker than I had hoped.

Though the mesh coil showed a little more longevity, both included heads gave up the ghost after just five refills a piece — roughly three days of moderate vaping. This is akin to convenience store junk mod longevity, not something we’d expect from a fantastic vape company like Augvape.

What’s worse, the Druga Narada’s 1,100mAh internal battery is decent at best, offering a few solid hours of life before tapping out. Hardly the worst we’ve seen, but no award-winner, either.

While it lasts, the flavor is rich and nuanced, and the vapor production is adequate for the size of the mod. But I barely had a chance to get to know these coils before I was replacing them, which doesn’t hold much water for modern pod systems.

Perhaps the reason for this is my favorite part of the Druga Narada — something I want for every atomizer we review — a rebuildable RBA deck. It wasn’t THAT long ago that companies included them (or sold them separately, like Augvape does here) to allow users to maximize their investments. But in this disposable vaping world, prebuilt coils are the norm — RBA decks may be passe, but they make sense, even for pod devices.

We hope Augvape will send us one of these decks soon, so we can revisit the Druga Narada with a fresh perspective.

Pros:

• Extremely solid and well-built
• Strong flavor and vapor
• RBA deck available

Cons:

• Coil life is practically nonexistent
• Pod is difficult to fill and seal
• Fire button is mushy and too flush with the mod casing

Spinfuel VAPE Recommendation and Score

Oh, if only we were present for the design meetings at Augvape. Because a little nip and tuck (and maybe a longer meeting about coil choices) would have made the Druga Narada a can’t miss prospect for MTL vapers. Its solid construction, strict MTL focus and initial flavor really excited us. But the terrible coil life, middling battery performance and slight difficulty curve keep the Druga Narada from the top of the heap. It’s not a bad purchase, but there are better mods out there for the money.