Review of the iJoy Capo 100W TC Starter Kit – Available At Element Vape – The word is out – iJOY does not want you to use 18650 batteries any longer. Oh sure, they’ll ALLOW it, if you refuse to reform. But the company clearly sees larger battery formats as the future of vaping. First, it was the longer, wider 20700 cells, which were purported to have considerable performance improvements over their 18650 counterparts.

Now, with the 100-watt iJOY Capo box mod, the veteran vape company is claiming one 21700 battery will give users the same duration as a pair of 18650 cells, allowing for more compact, but still powerful devices.

Hey, we’re all for trying new batteries. But all of this hype is for naught if the companion mod doesn’t vape well. Thankfully, with the Capo kit, iJOY has finally gotten the proof point it needs to push this battery technology to a wider audience. And it has delivered in a big way.

After opening the fairly standard box and inserts, your first look at the Capo device will likely remind you of the eLeaf Pico series of mods, mostly due to the compact height and top-loading single battery slot. But a closer inspection reveals the Capo as a denser, thicker mod, with more of the full-sized features seen on iJOY’s Captain line of devices.

In fact, once you pick up the Capo, you’ll quickly realize this is where the Pico comparisons end. Though it’s compact, the Capo is by no means a “small” mod, and the dense heft (even without a battery installed) makes this feel much more substantial.

The absolutely fantastic oversized firing key makes a triumphant return on the Capo, and might actually be better than before. It’s a firm, taut fire button that offers just the right amount of throw, and a wonderful tactile “click” with every press.

Likewise, the information-packed, front-facing OLED screen returns here, as well. It seems a touch smaller than the Captain mods’ displays, but still manages to provide all the information a vaper needs to monitor the experience.

More notable here is the framing of the display, which is a stylistic departure from its recent designs. Here, the angular, asymmetric layout gives the Capo a little character of its own, while remaining connected to iJOY’s flagship devices.

My black test model had just enough contrast between the sections to create an attractive look, but iJOY hasn’t forgotten its wider audience, and includes bright yellow and iridescent rainbow options among the standard stainless, black and gunmetal schemes. My test mod also had a nice graphical flourish on the back, similar to an ornate dreamcatcher or tattoo design.

The kit also includes the 22.5mm Captain Mini tank, which is a perfectly scaled-down version of the Captain series of tanks and RTAs. Design-wise, it is a natural complement to the Capo, even with the more jarring design differences employed on the mod.

Finally, the Capo 100W kit includes a branded 21700 battery in the box, ensuring customers will get to experience the Capo as the designers intended. But, in a nice touch, the mod is also compatible with 20700 and 18650 cells, the latter via adapter sleeve, which is not included.

Thanks to my extensive experience with recent iJOY products, the IWEPAL-powered device is a pleasure to operate. But make no mistake, this is a user-friendly operating system which requires a simple but logical series of button presses to navigate the straightforward menu trees.

Like most modern mods, learning the click-driven button sequences takes a little practice for newcomers, but experienced vapers will have no issues working their way through the device options. And once there, they will easily access the available modes, including power/wattage, a standard TC suite for Ni200, SS316 and titanium coils, alongside customizable TCR options for more-advanced users.

In setting up the Capo for its inaugural runthrough, I appreciated how the stout, 30mm wide device allowed for tanks up to 26mm to fit without a drop of overhang. However, any vapers looking to buck style and use larger tanks are out of luck here. Thanks to the placement of the top-mounted battery cap, anything wider simply won’t fit, even with the extra 4mm of space available.

This was a necessary design decision, I’m sure. But I would have liked to see iJOY buck the trend further, making it possible for tanks up to 30mm to sit comfortably.

Once the setup was complete, operation was extremely responsive and comfortable. The weightiness of the mod was reassuring in the hand, and the zinc alloy frame felt thick and durable, in case of a random drop. Best of all, the Capo performs equally well using a trigger or thumb press, as I experienced no slips or misfires at any point during testing.

While we had some trouble with the initial Captain sub-ohm tank, the sliding-top-fill Captain S was a fantastic rebound for iJOY. I’m happy to report the Captain Mini follows the path of the S, with a snug, easily operable top-fill cap, a 3.2 mL capacity, and a secure, threadless coil design that vapes well and staved off leaking.

Given the narrow 22.5mm width of the Captain Mini, the top-fill port is a bit narrow, making refilling difficult with anything other than a thin, unicorn-tipped bottle. Though I was able to fill it using wider bottles, the resulting spillage was hardly worth the trouble.

The bottom AFC ring is well-machined and spins easily, even when secured to a mod. I did not experience any leaking, however there was some condensation that began to appear around the AFC when restricting the airflow. Though it wasn’t a significant problem, I did notice small beads around the base of the tank as a result, so it’s worth mentioning here.

The included CA-M2 coils – “M” presumably representing “Mini” – were solid performers all around, with the 0.3-ohm coil narrowly surpassing the performance of the 0.2, based on duration. While the 0.3-ohm version outlasted the 0.2 by two days, both worked well-beyond a week of heavy use, offering thick vapor and top-notch flavor until the very ends of their lifespans.

I can’t say these are the best coils I’ve used, but you could do far worse than iJOY’s offerings if you’re planning to use this kit as the company intended.

After countless Captains and a random Genie, iJOY has finally found the best format in which to employ this operating system, because the Capo is simply a great mod. The others in the series all had bright spots, but in terms of providing a complete package, the iJOY Capo is the best by a country mile.

A bold statement, to be sure. But one I stand behind due to one key element – delivery on promises. Both the Captain PD270 and the Captain PD1865 struggled mightily in hitting their advertised wattage limits, while the PD1865 couldn’t handle consistent temperature control. They did plenty of things right, but some of those misgivings were just too large to ignore.

With the Capo, iJOY has seemingly found a sweet spot for this chipset, as the mod easily reaches its advertised 100 watts, with no signs of struggle, even after long rounds of heavy vaping. There were no bouts of pulsing or temporary dips in output, just smooth, accurate power throughout.

Better yet, the Capo pairs brilliantly with the included 21700 battery, and I enjoyed hours of steady use on one charge, supporting the company’s claims. I also enjoyed similar performance with a single 20700 cell, though battery levels did drain a bit quicker when staying consistently higher than 90 watts.

(The available 18650 adapter was not included for review. But if I obtain one, I’ll certainly update this post accordingly.)

Switching to temperature control, I found the suite to be a BIT finicky with nickel, but ultimately, I used the custom TCR settings to find a configuration that worked well for my Ni200 test coils. Comparatively, my SS316 and titanium test coils were easy to set up within the system menus, and all offered a similarly smooth, rewarding vape.

I did manage to trigger a few warnings from the Capo, most of which were related to some small jumps in coil resistance. But these were nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a few turns of a hex key, and some minor adjustments in the menu.

While I don’t believe TC vaping is going to be a selling point for the iJOY Capo, this is by far the best demonstration of the chipset’s TC abilities to date, and I look forward to seeing how this board evolves over the next year or so.

Instead, I think the Capo is best used as a moderately powered, highly pocketable mod that allows a wide range of vapers to enjoy a full-bodied vape, without needing to pack a large device, or a slew of spare batteries.

We started this review discussing batteries, but we’re going to end it on a much higher note – the iJOY Capo kit is a winner. The mod’s performance is strong, the 21700 battery life is outstanding, and the included Captain Mini tank and coils deliver solid flavor and vapor production.

With the Capo 100W kit, iJOY has created a low-cost, high-value package that currently doesn’t have much competition in the compact mod marketplace. If you’ve held off on iJOY’s recent products, you can safely head to the shop – the Capo was worth the wait.

Score:

IJOY Capo Mod: A+

iJOY Captain Mini Tank: B

Overall Kit: A

iJOY Capo Mod Specs:

• Max Wattage: 100 W
• Size: 78.2 * 52.3 * 30 mm
• Oversized fire button
• Top battery slot
• No overhang with 26 mm tanks
• Battery type: 18650 batteries (2200 mAh) with adapter | high-rate 20700 battery (3000 mAh) | high-rate 21700 battery (3750 mAh)
• Personalized design, with a unique experience
• Ni /Ti / SS temperature control
• TCR function
• Unique Custom User Mode
• Resistance Range: 0.05 ~ 3.0 Ohm
• USB port charging support
• Firmware Upgradeable

Captain Mini Tank Specs:

• Capacity: 3.2 mL / 2 mL
• Diameter 22.5 mm
• Sliding top fill
• Thread-Less Coil Head Design
• Delrin Wide Bore Drip Tip
• Unique Groove Chassis – Reduce Heat Transmission

iJOY Capo Kit Vontents:

• 1x iJOY Capo 100w mod
• 1x iJOY 21700 battery
• 1x Captain Mini Tank (3.2 mL / 2mL)
• 1x CA-M2 0.3-ohm coil
• 1x CA-M2 0.5-ohm coil
• 1x Warranty card
• 1x USB cable
• 1x Manual