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The Kanger All-In-One Nebox Review
Vapor Authority – $59.99 Starter Kit Price
Before seeing, even a picture of the actual Kanger Nebox, I thought to myself that the Joyetech eGrip
must have been pretty successful with Kanger taking a stab at the “all-in-one” mid-range vaping instrument. Like the eGrip, the Nebox contains everything you need to start vaping in one handy box mod style device; battery, coil heads, built-in tank, and so on. Seeing the Kanger Nebox in person, holding one, using one, well, I still think it’s based on the eGrip idea but man it is so much better looking…not to mention a more capable device than the eGrip could have wished for.
I didn’t much like the eGrip, but my wife loves them. She loves the convenience of an all-in-one device, and hiding the tank, or burying it inside the device, was a big plus for her. I guess I was used to being able to detach the tank and move it to another device, or maybe I just thought that a vaping instrument needed to look like one, battery, tank, drip tip, all in plain view. Now, I’m not so sure.
The Kanger Nebox is one slick looking device. It’s smaller than it seems from photographs, and its glossy plastic-like body gives the Nebox a sheen that other devices would envy. The Nebox is just damned gorgeous. It also looks like something people might use in the TV show “Minority Report”, right out of the year 2064.
More Than Capable
The Kanger Nebox has a considerable built-in, (or is it in-built?) 10ml tank, more than I’ve ever seen in any device, and can fire up to 60W in variable wattage mode. But it doesn’t stop there. The Nebox features temperature control as well. This is Kanger’s first temperature control device, and we’ll cover that later on in this review. The Nebox uses a new Stainless Steel Vertical Coils for variable wattage mode and a 0.15ohm Ni200 coil for Temperature Control mode. This is one sophisticated device.
6 Presets
The Kanger Nebox allows for up to six preset temperature settings and variable wattage. These are accessed by holding down the + and – buttons. There are four presets for temperatures control and two for variable wattage, making a total of six.
Before I continue on with what I consider important features of the Nebox, here’s the official Feature/Spec list:
Kanger NEBOX Kit Features:
Variable Wattage
Temperature Control
External 18650 Battery
Integrated Clearomizer
Huge 10ml E-Liquid Capacity
Removable Drip Tip
Includes an RBA Deck
Can be Used with Kanger OCC Coils (Subox)
Large and Clear OLED Screen
Immense Vapor Clouds
Phenomenal Flavor Production
Aluminum Frame for Lightweight and Durability
Kanger NEBOX Kit Specifications:
Body Material: Aluminum Alloy – Glossy Painted
Output Wattage: 7W – 60W (in 0.1W Increments)
Maximum Output Voltage: 9V
Temperature Output: 200° F to 600° F (100° C – 300° C)
Battery: External 18650 (Not Included) – Must be Over 20A
E-Liquid Capacity: 10ml
Charging Current: 1A
Length: 2.28 Inches (58mm)
Width: 0.89 Inches (22.8mm)
Height: 3.38 Inches (86mm)
Weight: 5.43 Ounces (154g)
Kanger NEBOX Kit Includes:
1 x Kanger NEBOX
1 x Kanger NEBOX SSOCC Coil (0.15 ohms)
1 x Kanger NEBOX SSOCC Coil (0.5 ohms)
1 x Kanger NEBOX RBA Mini Plus Base
2 x Kanger NEBOX Premade RBA Coils
1 x Kanger NEBOX RBA Desk Accessory
1 x Sheet of Japanese Organic Cotton
1 x Tool Kit (Screwdriver and Screws)
1 x Micro USB Charging Cable
1 x User’s Manual
1 x Kanger NEBOX User Guide
The Big Change
Two features of the Kanger Nebox set it apart from other devices, that whopping 10mL capacity tank and its sub-ohm coil heads, a very different Kanger OCC than we’ve seen in recent Kanger tanks. We’ll look at each one…
Coils Of The Nebox Kind
These new coils for the Nebox are not the usual square, box-like shaped OCC’s found in previous Kanger tanks. The new coils for variable wattage mode come in 0.5-ohm, 1.2-ohm & 1.5-ohm, and are made with Stainless Steel. The TC coils are made with Ni200 wire but are housed in the same Stainless Steel. We will refer to all the coils as SSOCC from here on out. KangerTech is going to move to these coil heads in all future devices.
What is really a case of forward thinking for Kanger is that you can use the old square coils in the Nebox, and the new SSOCC coils in the Kanger Subtanks. If you pick up an inexpensive Nebox and like the coils you will be able to buy these new coils and use them in any of the Subtanks you might already have. I suppose they will soon begin to wind down the manufacturing of the old-style OCC’s.
The Kanger Nebox’s 0.15ohm Ni200 coil head works well in temperature control mode. As I’ve said before, I am not a big fan of temperature control systems… yet, and still prefer to vape with Kanthal. It could very well be my imagination, but Nickel (Ni200) wire gives off a vey slight metallic taste in “light” flavored e-liquids. Stainless Steel wire is better, but its kind of like comparing 180g vinyl to digital or CD music.
As for the performance of the Stainless Steel and Nickel wire in the Nebox, it’s not that big a deal for me, I enjoyed vaping with both coil types in both modes, and I hope at some point down the road I’ll adapt to either, or both, metals for my coils. I’m almost sure it’s only because I used Kanthal for several years and it’s 
what I am used to.
That Sidebar Tank & Battery Cap
Like the eGrip, the tank takes up one side of the box mod. The Nebox has a larger window so you can keep an accurate view of the e-liquid remaining in the tank. Getting to the coil head, and filling the tank, is done by unscrewing one of the circular caps on the bottom. The other circular cap next to it is for the battery. Getting the cap off fresh from the factory was, well, not difficult, but it didn’t just easily unscrew either.
A couple of friends in this business were sent the Nebox while it was still in beta and from what I understand the tank cap was thick, with notches on the side so you can get a decent grip on it with your fingers. The earlier betas had the tank cap sit well above the battery cap, protruding up enough that standing the Nebox up would prevent it from sitting flat. The actual shipping, or retail Nebox have both caps sitting flush, and both caps can be removed using a coin.
I’m no engineer, but when I hold the Nebox in my hand I have to wonder what would have prevented Kanger from turning the battery cap into a battery cover, so that the side of the Nebox would contain one magnetic battery door instead of having to use a bottom cap. Using my WISMEC Presa I can switch out a battery and get back to vaping in under 5 seconds. With the Nebox we’re talking 60 seconds or more…for me, about 90 seconds.
Colors
We ordered several of the Nebox starter kits for the staff and for family so I can speak to all the colors… and they are rich colors indeed. Not only is the packaging a real “Kanger” package, it is remarkably easy to tell which color Nebox you’re buying because the package box matches the color. No need to search for the list of colors and a checkmark next to the color you think you’re buying.
Julia and Kiera both grabbed White Nebox’s, Tom and Jason took the black ones, and my wife grabbed a powder blue one. Mine came from Vapor Authority, and it was a Red one, a deep, rich red very much like a [ProductRed]™ product. The black Nebox’s are ink-black with glossy feel and look, and the white ones are a true white, reminiscent of the white MacBook. The least attractive one to me was the ugly powder blue, or Baby Blue as some are calling it, but my wife digs the color, so what do I know?
What I Don’t Like – What’s Missing
Before I get to some things about the Nebox that I believe were cost-cutting measures, I do want to mention that a Nebox Starter Kit is only $59.99 at Vapor Authority
So, for the money, you’re getting a “fair deal”. I’ve seen this Nebox kit at other vendors for up to $80, which I feel is too much. What makes the $59.99 a fair deal instead of a “great” deal is some of the things I believe are lacking in the Nebox. Not many, but enough to warrant a few minutes of caution before hitting the “Buy Now” button.
No Airflow Control
Totally missing from the Nebox is any sort of airflow system. The airflow comes from a single place, the bottom of the box and is not adjustable. However, Kanger set up the Nebox and the SSOCC’s for a similar draw found on the Subtank Mini’s. Not as tight as the Subtank when set to wide open airflow, but almost. Lung Hitters will be pleased, but Mouth-To-Lung vapers probably won’t be.
For myself, and the rest of the staff (including my wife), this Lung Hit airflow setting is definitely nice. With the right e-liquid and the right coil I’ve been getting huge lung hits with ease. I think, but I’m not absolutely positive, that Kanger’s people listened to the US/UK marketplace and tailor made the “draw” on the Nebox to be the same as the majority of Subtank users were using. That’s a good thing, for a device that lacks airflow control.
I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, or try to put words in anyone’s mouth, but if you are currently using a “major” sub-ohm tank like the Aspire Triton Turbo, Horizon Arctic Pro, or even the Playboy Vixen, you might find the airflow a little tight. But honestly, if that is the type of vaping you’re doing then the Kanger Nebox is not a device you would use in any serious measure.
That Tank
There is a couple of issues with the tank that I find I like even less than the tank cap, and that’s the fact that the tank is plastic (Boo Wendy, Boo!), and because it takes up the entire height/length of the Nebox it is a bitch to clean. Luckily the coil head comes off easily with the battery cap and can be replaced easily, but it’s a bitch to clean the very top of the integrated tank. And plastic? What is this, 2013? Lastly, there are recent additions to my eliquid rotation that have higher than normal levels of spice, and cinnamon in particular, and I don’t know if 3 months down the road the plastic will have absorbed any of the chemicals. Probably not, but glass would have been preferred.
Honorable Mentions
Like the Kanger Subtank Mini and Plus the Nebox comes with a decent RTA, a pack of organic cotton and a preinstalled 0.5-ohm coil. Unless you’re really into building custom coils, like a Clapton, I’m don’t believe many people would find the RTA a valuable piece of vape gear for Nebox.
OLED Display
The OLED display is pretty much the same display you see on most vaping instruments. It’s bright and sharp, world’s better than the crappy display in the vPark V-50, but nothing you don’t see is a hundred other devices.
Showing the battery level as an icon, the wattage, voltage, ohms, and if you in TC mode or VW mode, the display does the job and you really shouldn’t ask for more in a $60 device.
510 Removable Drip Tip
Made of Delphin, the drip tip does a great job with heat dissipation. While the Nebox itself can get warm at 50W and up to 60W, the drip tip stayed nice and cool throughout. My only trepidation is that if you want to slip the Nebox into your pants pocket the drip tip could fall off or break, thought that has not happened to me yet. Removing the drip tip gives the Nebox a nice, even aesthetic, but once the drip tip goes back on it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb. Certainly no big deal though.
Last Word: Versatile
I was in no hurry to review the Kanger Nebox. It gets tiresome to constantly review new vape gear and with the Chinese Planned Obsolesce in full swing, if you decide not to review one version just wait a couple of months and review the next one. Even though the Nebox is a brand new v1 device it was, to me, 
just a derivative of the Subtank and the K-Box with a little Subox throw in. But, when the Nebox hit the market we picked up some for the staff and I decided to wait and see what the others had to say. Then Vapor Authority sent a red one our way, and I opened the package and saw that deep blood red color and put it to use. I liked it, and found it to be quite versatile.
Had the performance not been good enough for me to use daily I would have passed on the review, regardless of the color. However, because it does perform really well, and it holds a full 10mL of e-liquid and vapes in the low resistance territory I changed my mind. I think this is a product that many vapers would find really useful.
Consider the fact that with the Kanger Nebox you get excellent flavor from your chosen e-liquid, and vapor production with a high Vg e-liquid is on par with a Kanger Subtank, the replaceable 18650 (high-amp) battery and the huge capacity tank, all for $60, then not only is it worth a review, it’s worth a purchase.
The Kanger Nebox offers semi-pro-level performance at an entry level price tag. And best of all, the ease-of-use is the best I’ve seen in a long time.
John Manzione
