I’ve had a lot of ups and downs with Sigelei’s KAOS series over the last few years. But I’m sensing some serious promise after spending some time with the new Sigelei KAOS Vapsoon 208W TC Starter Kit. Funny name (and operations) aside, the Vapsoon surprised me with its strong, fast-ramping performance, with a fantastic display to boot.

Purists might balk at the unique operation interface – and admittedly, I thought it was another meaningless vape gimmick – but with the Vapsoon, the positives far outweigh any quirks. Let’s take a quick look at this kit to see if it fits your needs.

Right from the outset, you’ll notice that the Vapsoon is a compact, palm-friendly mod. It’s not TINY by any means, but with so much power under the hood, and a dual-18650 format, it’s amazing how much gumption the Vapsoon punches out from within this diminutive frame.

More importantly, the Vapsoon is comfortable to hold and use. For starters, the premium leather side grips. For once, we’ll attest to the quality of the material here – this isn’t that rock-hard “pleather” that curls the instant it meets your pocket lining. Instead, this leather is soft, pliable and supple, and only gets better with steady use.

Plus, in a rare occurrence (ED: You’re lying) the cushion actually helped prevent some serious damage. I won’t go into all the details, but the Vapsoon took a nasty fall on to a pile of rusty tools, and the leather helped absorb a huge chunk of the damage. Was the mod in PERFECT shape after the disaster? Nope – but a standard alloy frame would have likely taken a much larger ding, so I was grateful.

Another visual standout is the 1.3-inch display, which rivals SMOK’s recent screen offerings in all the best possible ways. Crystal clear, legible, bright and attractive, the Vapsoon presents itself simply, but beautifully, with a variety of color options to help match things to a tee.

More importantly, behind this display is a wonderfully simple and easy-to-use menu system that represents the upper echelon of traditional vape menus. Newcomers will quickly adapt and learn the trees and will have the Vapsoon performing as intended in minutes, if not quicker.

And it’s important that the Vapsoon’s menu setup was accessible, given the odd but effective control scheme. We’ll get to that right about… now.

While we were impressed by almost every aspect of the Vapsoon, most of its features and design choices are pretty standard issue stuff. Except for the primary focal point, the unified rotating wheel and fire button mechanism that adorns the center of the device. Instead of using a standard two or three button control layout, the Vapsoon’s wheel is a clicky, rotating dial, similar to what you’d find on the dashboard of a new car, rather than the front of a vape mod.

And I have to say, the wheel works really well. Thanks to the preset “click points” setting and maintaining your settings is surprisingly easy. I rarely, if ever, had to make more adjustments after keeping the Vapsoon in my pocket, yet the wheel is operable with one hand, thanks to the compact form factor.

In the middle of this clickwheel is the slightly recessed fire key. At first, I had some reservations, given my spotty track record with similar designs in the past. But the Vapsoon proved to be a pleasure to operate, thanks to a firm, satisfying clicky feel, and some of the fastest ramping we’ve seen, especially with the companion 24mm KAOS 120 tank.

I know we mention fast ramping a lot, but the preheat on the Vapsoon is wonderful, delivering near-instant, cloud-pumping draws that never flutter or waver in power output. I’m glad the industry has made this the standard, and the Vapsoon sits comfortably among the best out there.

The KAOS tank is a fair, adequate inclusion in this kit. On its own, it’s a basic sub-ohm tank offering – fully compatible with Sigelei’s MS coil series. And to be fair, it produced its share of flavorful, abundant clouds. It performed really well with the Vapsoon attached, but slightly less with similar devices. Why? I couldn’t possibly tell you, but I know what I experienced.

Three years ago, the KAOS 120 tank would have been a world-beater. But the industry has evolved considerably, and today’s best sub-ohm tanks are offering pristine experiences, with near-dripper flavor, better longevity, and mostly leak-free performance. The KAOS 120 is adequate, and that just isn’t enough to make it stand out these days. If you get one in the kit, by all means enjoy the above-average flavor and vapor. But don’t seek it out on its own.

Sigelei KAOS VAPSOON Kit Includes:

• 1 VAPSOON 208W Box Mod
• 1 KAOS120 Tank
• 1 Spare Glass
• 1 0.25 MS Coil
• 1 0.2ohm MS-H Coil
• 1 QC USB Cable
• 1 Warranty Card
• 1 Instruction Manual

While testing a new control interface can make it seem like a winner, the proof really comes weeks later, after a ton of steady, non-critical use. And that’s what surprised me the most. After reviewing hundreds of standard-button vape mods, along with an array of touchscreen devices, I wasn’t 100% convinced the world needed a combination dial/fire button scheme. I might be wrong.

Now, before we fall into a flood of hyperbole, know that the clickwheel control scheme isn’t necessarily ADDING anything to the system. In other words, don’t expect the clickwheel to take over the industry anytime soon. But after using the Vapsoon for a while, the mechanism became second nature, and didn’t feel weird or out of place.

Believe me, after testing a litany of “new and improved” control setups, they rarely prove themselves viable. This one did, which is an accomplishment, even if the design isn’t going to change the way we vape.

That aside, the Vapsoon just flat out works. Power mode? Smooth, stutter-free and capable of hitting a legitimate 200 watts (let’s discount those last eight, since that’s a ridiculous thing anyway). In temp control, I was able to adjust, set and forget a wide range of variables. The Vapsoon isn’t going to challenge YiHi levels of control anytime soon, but the device produces an accurate, effortless TC experience, which is far too rare, even in 2018.

Were there any criticisms? Very few – one of them minimal, the other one just personal preference. For one, the hinged battery door on my test model was a little stiff and difficult to maneuver. And even after several weeks of use, I never quite felt the door was 100% engaged, leading to worries about the door popping open at an inopportune time.

The other complaint? There are legitimately no buttons. I know the whole idea was to produce a clean, clutter-free interface. But the clickwheel is a physical item, and prone to a lot of wear. I’d like the option to use traditional buttons, should the Vapsoon get damaged, or simply worn out. Maybe the face would look a little more cumbersome, but anyone who dings the wheel runs the risk of having a useless box mod.

Look, I like the Vapsoon a lot, and see it appealing to a wide range of users, from newcomers looking for an easy mod to learn on, to advanced users seeking something different. While the interface is unique, it’s wholly accessible and high-performing. Coupled with a gorgeous screen, wonderful leather grips, and a dummy-proof menu system, the Sigelei KAOS Vapsoon has reinvigorated my interest in the brand and comes highly recommended.

Score: A-