Table of Contents
Lost Vape Triade DNA250 TC Box Mod
The Lost Vape Triade DNA250 TC Box Mod ($149.95 at Element Vape) is the first and most notable representation of Evolv’s new DNA250 chipset. Not only is the previous Triade DNA200 Box Mod among my most used and favorite devices of 2016, but Lost Vape has gone above and beyond improving areas that were nit-picked about the first iteration. If you didn’t have the pleasure of owning the first generation Triade, now you have even more incentive to pick one up; a more precise, accurate and 50 more watts of power equates to one awesome device to end 2016!
The Lost Vape Triade DNA250 TC Box Mod was designed in the USA and manufactured by Lost Vape, adding to the wide range of high-end products Lost Vape currently offers. The Triade DNA250 Box Mod holds the trophy (in my book) for combining luxury and craftsmanship with the patented Evolv DNA technology creating the flagship device for the DNA250 currently (and Lost Vape respectively). Made of premium die-cast Zinc-Alloy, Stainless Steel and genuine Leather, holding the triangular shape in the hand has become second nature to me. Ever since I got my Triade DNA200 mod a few months back, it hasn’t been replaced in my daily routine even with brand new devices competing for the pole position. There’s something about real leather (which can be cleaned and conditioned), paramount construction and the smooth engagement of the Stainless Steel buttons that makes the Triade more enjoyable to vape than similar triple 18650 poly-angular devices. If you’ve owned a Triade, or any of Lost Vapes products for that matter, you’ll recognize the attention to detail I’m referencing to with the Triade DNA250 Box Mod.
Expect the same elegant Leather packaging with a magnetized flap which really presents the device properly for the price point. The Triade DNA250 is available in Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Elephant Black (the one I’ve been using), Pearl Coffee, Red and Yellow Leather (plus Red or Purple Ostrich and Carbon Fiber). In other words, there’s a ton of colors and variations to pick from. The battery door of the Triade DNA200 is cross-compatible with the new DNA250 edition. So if you enjoy the patina of your older Triade door or want to freshen up your wore out DNA200 battery door, you can swap them as you please. If the smell of Leather bothers you, I didn’t get such a strong scent like I did with my first Triade and the little that was there went away in a day or two. I’ve spilt eJuice on my battery door several times (I’m an over-dripper) and after wiping it off, the stain will fade with time.
While the actual dimensions and design structure remains the same (besides different color/material options and a small change in the battery compartment), the real noticeable difference is under the hood so to speak. Aesthetics aside, the Triade DNA250 is an impressively powerful machine that can put down 250W of power, 50W more than the previous Triade (review here), with the utmost sense of urgency and minimal delay. I do love the visual appearance of the Lost Vape Triade but changing up the battery vents or something (other than the battery door) to differentiate the look from the older version would’ve really put the DNA250 Triade into perfection territory. (If you haven’t read our excellently written review by Tom of the DNA200-DNA250 review, click here and tell us what you think in the comments section) CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE
The Evolv DNA200 is a great reliable chipset that has been used in many devices for good reason. But with the newly released DNA250 chip that is only in a couple devices as we speak, Lost Vape was definitely proactive by installing the new chip and releasing the newest Triade right away. Why the board itself made some minor visual adjustments (which can’t be seen anyway), the most improved area was in the performance category. The first and most noticeable upgrade is the 50W increase in power output. The highest I personally vape is right around 200W (on occasion) so the extra 50W isn’t the most important advancement. On the other hand, having 2A charging is a major selling point! Vapor Shark had exclusive rights to 2A rapid charging with their DNA200 devices so now with the release of the DNA250, every device will come equipped with 2A charging capabilities (with the correct adapter and the included USB cable or course). If you use a 2A adapter without the correct USB cord, you will not be charging at the full 2A; use the short Lost Vape cable that comes in the box. Mine jumped between 1.92-1.96A each time I charged it.
A few other areas Evolv made slight changes to was an output voltage jump from 9.0 to 9.3V; not substantial but still an increase nonetheless. Both continuous and peak current raised 5A to 55W and 60W. They were able to boost efficiency to 97% (versus the DNA75 chipsets 85%) giving you longer battery life by discharging more power from your batteries. Evolv also implemented a larger fuse so potentially blowing the fuse is a lot less likely to happen. While some of these upgrades are unrecognizable on a daily vape session, Evolv really put out an amazing chipset addressing the needs and wants of a lot of vapers. The rumor of most DNA200 devices being replaced by the DNA250 is a very high probability if you ask me! CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE
The DNA250 has all the programmed presets you’ll need right out of the box (including Wattage Mode). While the Temperature Control Suite of wire options changes slightly, Evolv did improve the accuracy of SS316L (I couldn’t tell a drastic change from the DNA75 or DNA200), which is my preferable TC wire. The Triade DNA250 can fire down to 0.2Ω in VW Mode (I fired a 0.07Ω build in VW Mode and it handled every watt flawlessly) and 0.1Ω in TC Modes. With over 93 customizable options and the ability to input any TCR you can muster up, personalizing your DNA250 is more advanced than ever before. Firmware upgrades are also done through Escribe but remember it’s only available for PC with no estimated release date on Mac-compatible software.
Side Note: If you own the Triade DNA200 and feel an upgrade is necessary without having to spend the full $150 it takes to pick one up, you could always purchase a DNA250 board with detachable screen (available on Evolv’s website for $80) and do the swap yourself (does take some technical skills to complete). The dimensions, wire placement, button locations and functionality are all the same. The screen and USB port are identical as well to the DNA200 board which makes swapping it out less difficult. There are plenty of videos showing you how to do it which takes some knowledge of a soldering iron and a little DIY know-how.
The Lost Vape Triade DNA250 TC Box Mod runs on triple 18650 batteries (not included). With the same four battery ventilation ports on each side, which definitely add to the visual cleanliness with Black mesh behind them, dissipate heat well. The device can get warm running super low-ohm builds but never once was the temperature raised to uncomfortable levels. Directly out of the box, the battery door had a noticeable amount of back and forth play and felt like it was constantly shifting around. The original Triade did not have this same issue. After squeezing the door together and trying to close the gaps, it now installs much cleaner without any wiggle.
The Onboard Reverse Battery Protection that the previous DNA200 board never had for dual or triple 18650 configurations gave Lost Vape a reason to get rid of the small cups surrounding the bottom battery contacts. If you’ve owned a first generation Triade, because of the small inserts that surrounded the contacts, it made installing and removing batteries a pain; now they slide in and out with a lot less effort. I’ve also read that compatibility with smaller 18650 batteries has improved but I only use Sony and LG batteries so I couldn’t verify that. Cell-by-cell battery monitoring makes charging your 18650 batteries via USB safe. The DNA250 chipset does have Pass-through functionality but with 2A charging available, the charge speeds increase substantially. And the last feature I noticed Evolv included was Onboard Reverse Voltage Protection. With systems that support USB connectivity or USB charging, they are more likely to have reverse polarity issues than other systems. So any potential harm that could result from a faulty USB cable or charger can be avoided thanks to this feature.
There’s a finesse about the way the Stainless Steel fire and regulatory buttons click (the same size buttons used on the previous Triade) that gives Lost Vapes Triade a huge advantage over similar devices. The high-definition 0.91inch OLED screen retains the same bright White text that’s easy to read as the DNA200 chipsets had. The only issue that came up for me was hesitation when tightening Atomizers onto the 510 connection. Despite all the tanks I attached sit flush and are held tightly in place, the consistent restriction does make me wonder if I got a faulty 510 connector. I’ve never had any issues with any of Lost Vapes 510 connections but this one makes me work to get my tanks on. I doubt the 510 housing is different from the original but I didn’t have this same issue with the DNA200 version. This is not a huge deal but is the only thing that came up more than once so it needed to be included. The spring-loaded Nickel-plated Brass center pin kept a solid connection and never had an issue with connectivity.
Final Grade – A+
“It doesn’t get any better than this! Lost Vape did an amazing job making the already close-to-perfect Triade DNA200 and supercharging it with Evolv Vapors DNA250 chipset! For a couple dollars more than the original Triade, this is definitely one of those devices I would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys the art of vaping. Best high-powered Box Mod of the year? I think so!”
Team Spinfuel
Lost Vape Triade DNA 250 250W TC Box Mod Features:
- Triple 18650 Battery Platform – Batteries Not Included
- Wattage Output Range: 1-250 Watts
- Voltage Output Range: 0.5-9.3 Volts
- Temperature Range: 200-600F
- Min Kanthal Resistance: 0.2ohm
- Min Temperature Resistance: 0.1ohm
- Patented Evolv DNA250 Chip
- Intuitive 0.91 Inch OLED Display
- Sleek Poly-Angular Frame
- Premium Genuine Leather
- Magnetized Battery Cover
- Multiple Ventilation Stripes
- Revolutionary Triple 18650 Platform
- Reverse Protection System
- Upgradeable Escribe Software
- 97% Output Efficiency
- Cell-by-Cell Monitoring
- Cell Balancer
- Atomizer Protection
- Low Resistance Protection
- Short Circuit Protection
- Overheat Protection
- Low Voltage Step Down Protection
- 510 Connection
