Innokin Oceanus 110W Starter Kit Review

Are we seeing the beginning of a new Innokin? The company responsible for so many memories from veteran vapers seems to be undergoing a stylistic shift toward simplicity and ease-of-use. Its latest flagship, the new Innokin Oceanus (DirectVapor – $79.99) 110-watt box mod, is a no-nonsense, user-friendly box aimed at new vapers, but with more than enough power to keep high-wattage users at bay.

But in doing so, Innokin may have left more than a few vapers out in the cold. Let’s dive down and see why.

Before you even open the packaging, you know change is afoot with Innokin. Combining the spartan, white outer design made famous by Apple products, and a stylish, slide-out gatefold inner box, the Oceanus makes a striking first impression.

After opening, the box folds into two sections, with well-organized sections for the device, the companion Scion tank, Velocity-styled RBA deck and coils, accessories, instructions, warranty cards, extra parts and all the other goodies we’ve come to expect in our kits.

But perhaps the best inclusion is the pair of 20700 batteries and silicone sleeves – that’s right, two fresh batteries, even though the Oceanus only uses one!

Overall, the presentation is strong, and helps make the Innokin Oceanus mod seem like a higher-end device than the price indicates.

Though it fits in line with Innokin’s recent design schemes, there’s something sleeker and more refined about the Oceanus box mod. The device is tall and narrow – 88.4 x 44.3 x 24.6mm, to be exact. Yet, even with the room necessary to accommodate the 20700 battery, it still feels compact in the hand.

That said, the deceptive 24.6mm width allows most tanks and RBAs to sit nicely without overhang, and those that do have a little extra girth don’t look terribly out of place. But, as a side note, if you plan on using a taller tank on the Oceanus, the combination becomes a little unwieldy, and the small footprint makes it very prone to tipping. Have those vape bands ready.

On that note, I used the Oceanus box mod with several RTAs and tanks, and the spring-loaded, gold-plated 510 connector allowed all to sit flush with no noticeable gaps or severe overhang.

The Oceanus’ side-mounted fire button is on par with Innokin’s Cool Fire series, and has a nice shallow throw requiring JUST enough pressure to engage, without being a pocket-fire concern. Both the fire and up/down adjustment buttons have a little more wiggle than I’m comfortable with, but amazingly there is no noticeable rattle, even when rapidly shaking the device.

Happily, the Oceanus mod fire button DOES retain Innokin’s traditional color LED lighting to warn of remaining battery life. I had this feature on my first iTaste, and it was nice to see it here, even with Innokin’s shifting design aesthetic.

The rear-mounted magnetic battery door stays firmly in place, but is perhaps a little too easy to remove. With time, I imagine Oceanus owners will start seeing these doors start coming off in pockets and purses. Let’s mark this as a “wait and see” concern, for now.

One significant concern I noticed right away is how the Oceanus box mod has virtually no texture on its body, making it extremely slippery to hold for extended periods. In just one day of testing, I nearly dropped it twice, simply by relaxing my grip. Perhaps the kit should have included a silicone sleeve for the Oceanus as well as its batteries.

Firing up the Oceanus box mod is reassuringly familiar. Innokin’s menu and display system wasn’t broken, and the company seemingly saw no reason to change it. Again, simplicity is the name of the game here, and Innokin’s straightforward series of clicks and holds works as well as ever.

In turn, the standard narrow LED screen clearly displays the standard items – wattage/voltage/bypass mode, coil resistance, battery life, and puff duration. There is also the option to switch between “ModN” standard power output, and “ModP,” which is an enhanced power boost that amplifies the first two seconds of a puff to heat more complicated coils.

It’s all simple and easy to navigate, as we’ve come to expect from one of the oldest names in vaping.

But – and you knew there would be one – perhaps Innokin made the Oceanus a little too simple. Based on the company’s own research about trends in vaping habits, Innokin made the decision to remove temperature control options from the Oceanus. Entirely.

Instead, the Innokin Oceanus is a wattage-only device that goes to 110 watts on a single 20700 battery. Yes, there is a bypass mode and the afore-mentioned power boost option, but by-and-large, this is a singularly focused mod with little in the way of customization. I may not use temperature control very often, but I like to know it’s there. I imagine many vapers will feel the same way.

After a few hours of steady use, the Innokin Oceanus proved to be a worthwhile performer, with smooth, steady puffs all the way to its advertised 110-watt limit. Though the mod got a LITTLE warm above 90 watts, it never felt as if it was being pushed beyond its capabilities.

Using a range of RTAs and tanks, with the most use going to the included Scion sub-ohm tank, the Oceanus never faltered. I even managed to get a build down to 0.1 ohm – lower than I ever vape – and the Oceanus responded with the same quality performance. Resistance readings are perfectly accurate, as is the built-in protection, which wouldn’t let me go one hair lower than 0.1 ohm. Well done, Innokin.

Oddly, there’s a 15-second puff cutoff, which is far too lengthy for this type of mod. While the Oceanus isn’t designed for competition power, giving less-responsible users the opportunity to push the device beyond reasonable limits is concerning.

Another concern is the battery life using the included Ampking 3000mAh, 30A batteries. Though I used the device steadily throughout testing, I rarely pushed it beyond 75 watts, and did not chain vape. Yet neither of the freshly charged 20700s barely made it beyond four hours of low-impact use.

I would normally chalk this up to a bum set of cells, but this is the second 20700 device I’ve reviewed for Spinfuel, and both of them have proven to be power-hungry and inefficient. Without an included 18650 sleeve adapter, Oceanus users are forced to use the new battery format, even if they don’t show any marked improvement in duration.

Thankfully, if power gets low too quickly, the Oceanus features onboard charging and a passthrough vaping option, which isn’t ideal, but better than no power at all.

The Innokin Scion tank isn’t quite new, but it seems like it was designed specifically for the Oceanus mod. This compact and deceptively roomy 3.5mL tank is a highlight of the kit, with performance and flavor that far exceeds its pedestrian looks.

Though it’s a standard top-full, bottom-airflow design, the Scion has proven to be leak-free and relatively frugal on e-liquid consumption. It may not be a looker, but it fits the Oceanus design to a tee, providing ample juice capacity and a stout design that doesn’t make the combination feel too tall for comfortable use.

The included 0.5-ohm Kanthal coil works extremely well, having gone through 4-5 refills of various juices, and a few days of regular use. There is pure, distinct flavor, even with more layered e-liquids, and vapor production is on par with the best prebuilt options on the market.

Even better, instead of throwing in a second coil, Innokin included a spacious, well-built Velocity-style RBA deck with the Oceanus kit, alongside cotton, grub screws, screwdriver and the rest. Using the RBA section only improved the flavor and vapor production, elevating the Scion to fairly elite status in my ever-growing collection of tanks.

A little gushing? Perhaps. But I’ve spent so much time discussing tank and mod disappointments, that it’s great to finally stumble across a pleasant surprise. Since I feel obligated to complain about SOMETHING with the Scion, be careful to not over-tighten the top-fill cap, as it becomes stuck very easily.

It’s difficult to knock the Innokin Oceanus box mod kit. It works as advertised, looks sleek and compact, and offers a boatload of value for the price. But it remains unclear as to who would most benefit from this device.

On one hand, the 110-watt power is impressive for a single-battery mod, but is likely underwhelming for vapers more accustomed to dual-battery rigs capable of 200+ watts or more. In turn, new vapers just entering the fold will likely find the Oceanus kit a little too complicated as a first purchase.

Plus, without any temperature control options and oddly weak battery life (verified by others on the staff), the Oceanus falls deeper into a weird “gray area” of obscurity, when there are so many other options for either end of the vaper spectrum.

In the end, the Innokin Oceanus box mod is a great, compact, straightforward device, that offers fantastic flavor and vapor with the companion Scion tank. I will continue to enjoy it at my desk and in the car. But when it’s time for more power and customization options, I’ll have to put it down in favor of something more robust.

Oceanus mod score: B-

Scion tank score: A

Oceanus kit score: B+

Innokin Oceanus box mod kit contents:

• Oceanus mod
• 2 x 20700 batteries in silicon sleeves
• Scion tank
• 1 x 0.5 ohm triple Kanthal coil
• 1 x Scion RBA section
• Spare bulb glass tank
• Micro USB cable
• Quickstart guide
• Warning and safety information
• Battery safety card
• Warranty card

Innokin Oceanus box mod kit specifications:

• Size: 88.4 x 41.3 x 24.6 mm
• Material: Zinc alloy
• Weight: 152 g | 212 g (with battery)
• Powered by a single 20700 battery (2 x included)
• Aethon chipset
• Wattage range: 6 – 110 W
• Voltage range: 3.0 – 7.5 V
• Minimum resistance: 0.1 ohm
• Maximum working current: 31.5 A
• OLED display screen
• Pass-thru vaping
• Micro USB charging: 5 V / 2 A
• 510 threaded

Innokin Scion sub-ohm tank specifications:

• Dimensions: 49 mm x 24 mm
• Capacity: 3.5 mL (with glass bulb almost 6 mL)
• Top fill design
• Dual bottom airflow
• Wide bore Delrin drip tip
• Compatible with Innokin Scion Kanthal BVC coils
• Recommended wattage range: 0.28 ohm (100 – 200 W) / 0.5 ohm (70 – 110 W)
• Velocity-style RBA deck