Based on my experience, Touchscreen Vape Mods are usually heavy and bulky. Even our favorites, such as the SMOK G-Priv 2 (reviewed here) or Hcigar Towis (reviewed here), are still substantial devices. This is why we’re so pleasantly surprised by the sleek and lightweight Kanger Pollex 200W Touchscreen Mod.

With a potent 3,500mAh battery, a unique 2.4-inch touch display, and a shockingly svelte frame, the Pollex hits an awful lot of good notes. Is it enough to become a leading contender in the crowding touchscreen vape Mod market? We think so – let’s see why.

Like I mentioned in the preview, the Kanger Pollex is unbelievably lightweight. Though the dimensions (86x48x24mm) indicate a compact, dense device, the Pollex is actually feather-light, and seems almost hollow when removing it from its packaging. And that’s with a 3,500mAh Li-Ion battery built into the device.

The Mod itself is constructed from smooth, brushed aluminum, with a large round fire button that sits flush with the side of the Mod. But, thanks to a cutout of the universal “power” icon on the fire key, it’s easy to locate without having to hunt for it.

Though the Kanger Pollex fire button requires a firm, deliberate press to activate, I found it very easy to get used to, even though clicky fire bars are the flavor of the month these days. It’s not the most responsive fire key we’ve seen, but in the overall scheme of the Pollex, it works well enough.

One concern I had about the Pollex during the preview was the slight lip protrusion around the touchscreen. It never became uncomfortable, but I actually had a few occasions where the lip caught when removing the Mod from my jeans pocket. Thankfully, there were no catastrophic drops, but I was surprised how that ever-so-slight raised surface could snag so easily on denim.

Our other concern going into this review was the slender width of the Kanger Pollex, which seemed a little slight for a Modern Mod. Though there are plenty of atomizers still being released at 24mm or less, a very large percentage are 26mm or higher.

In our testing, our 26mm atomizers looked fine, and didn’t protrude to the point of awkwardness or discomfort, the overhang was noticeable. And again, this DID have an effect on how the Pollex felt inside a snug pocket.

Ending this section on a positive, the Kanger Pollex has a fantastic 510 connection – firm, springy, and accepting of all my test atomizers. The center-positioned connection helped the Pollex seem like a natural match for many of our tanks and RDAs – even the larger ones. Well-designed and highly functional – what else can we ask from an often-overlooked feature?

I’ve always said that touchscreens are only needed on a Vape Mod if they somehow improve the operations or make the experience more accessible for all types of users. Well, the Kanger Pollex might not have the deepest menu trees, or the most powerful options. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a touchscreen Mod that better simplifies the vape experience than this Mod.

Right from the moment you hit five clicks to fire up the Pollex, the bright screen displays three options – Beginner, Intermediate or Expert. And you need to choose one to continue, before ever firing the Mod.

Beginner means the user is limited to wattage-only adjustments, while temperature control, TCR and preheat options are removed from the menu. Intermediate introduces simplified temp control adjustments. Expert opens up the full capabilities of the Pollex, which are fairly extensive.

Yes, technically any user can shift to other Modes before they’re “ready,” but I like the way Kanger does its best to ease users in the right direction before one puff is fired.

Once in the menu systems, users will easily adapt to the clear, simple display. The “digital clock” and “speedometer” effect is a love it or hate it design choice, but I personally found it to be an effective blend of old-school looks and Modern functionality. The colorful screen clearly states vital information and makes it easy to navigate back and forth between sections and options.

On that note, the Kanger Pollex also features a full complement of temperature control options, including support for Ni200, titanium and SS316 coil types, three TCR memory slots, adjustable puff power adjustments, preheat functionality, and a slew of integrated protection features to keep everything safe, including the built-in battery, which never once got hot, even at max wattage.

The battery itself was surprisingly powerful and efficient, which I honestly wasn’t expecting from an internal cell. Though it wasn’t quite as long-lasting as a trusty pair of 18650s, the Pollex offered up a decent 4-5 hours of Moderate vaping on a single charge. And recharging through the 2-amp USB port was pretty darn quick, considering the larger cell capacity.

During the preview, we mentioned that I couldn’t get the preloaded wallpapers to appear onscreen. Well, that sadly didn’t change. I followed the included instructions to a tee, and even turned to YouTube for help, but my test Model was insistent on leaving the default screen in place. I’m glad I liked the stock look, but it might have been nice to have this option functional.

The Kanger Pollex touchscreen itself? Wonderful. The nicely spaced display allowed me to access and operate all available functions (which differ, depending on which experience Mode you’re using), without one misstep. The screen is extremely responsive, but the broad layout allows fumbling fingers like mine to get the job done without much trouble.

Even in 2018, I get skeptical about a dual-18650 device hitting 200 watts. So, pardon me for being skeptical that a 3,500mAh internal battery could do the same. But you know what? I guess crow tastes good, because the Kanger Pollex hit the mark without any errors or firing problems. And it did it steadily.

Now, let’s be clear – the Pollex battery life dwindled RAPIDLY once we aimed for these elevations. And the lightweight Mod became notably hot when doing so. But I was also able to vape with some serious  heat without hiccups. I imagine high-wattage users won’t be turning to the Pollex for steady 200-watt vaping, but once in a while, the Pollex is more than capable of hitting these marks.

Temperature control was also outstanding. Thanks to a user-friendly interface, switching between coil types and temperature settings was as easy as a few screen presses. I found the Pollex to be extremely good with recognizing coil changes, and allowing me to make adjustments on the fly. I also appreciated the lack of jumpiness – which I realize is largely due to the coils I used, but the Mod seemed to want to simplify things.

On the one instance my coil wasn’t seated properly, the Pollex immediately presented a low atomizer warning, and didn’t allow me to go any further. In fact, all of the onboard protection measures were rock-solid, and were sensitive enough to keep newcomers out of trouble, while letting experienced users push the device’s capabilities.

With my settings in place, I enjoyed every tank and RDA I had with the Pollex. Smooth ramp-up and distinct preheat settings allowed me to further customize the experience without over-complicating things. Though I preferred the stock “normal” ramp-up setting, the “Hard” setting gave each draw a nice “punch” without being too strong or overpowering.  “Soft” was also distinct, but might only be necessary when smoothing out puffs at higher wattages.

Kanger Pollex 200W Touchscreen Mod Specs:

• Dimensions: 86x48x24mm
• Integrated 3,500mAh Rechargeable Battery
• Wattage Output Range: 1-20W
• Minimum Atomizer Resistance: 0.1ohm
• Temperature Range: 200-600F
• Versatile Temperature Control Module
• Supports Ni200 Nickel, Titanium, and Stainless Steel Heating Elements
• TCR Adjustments – Three Memory Mode
• Preheat Functionality
• Selectable Modes – Soft, Normal, Hard
• Superior Zinc Alloy Construction
• Large 2.4″ OLED Touchscreen
• User-Friendly Interface
• Oversized Side-Mounted Firing Mechanism
• Low Resistance Protection
• Atomizer Short Protection
• High Temperature Protection
• Low Power Protection
• Over Time Protection
• Micro-USB Port
• Gold-Plated Spring-Loaded 510 Connection

Kanger Pollex 200W Touchscreen Mod contents:

• 1x POLLEX 200W Touchscreen Mod
• 1x Micro-USB Cable
• Instructional Manual