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Last Updated on August 14, 2018 by Team Spinfuel
SMOK Alien Starter Kit Review
SMOK has been on fire this year. Product after product, SMOKTech has introduced some of the very best vape gear we’ve seen yet. With each new product we reviewed the excitement at Spinfuel HQ became palatable. Today, we review the best SMOK box mod yet; the delightful SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit. At $59.95 at Element Vape, this is the kit I recommend for every Vaper, even if they already enjoy what they use now. As a primary device, or backup device, the Alien mod, or better yet, the Alien Starter Kit that includes a TFV8 Baby Beast, is a tremendous value.
Maxing out at 220W with just two 18650 batteries, the fully equipped Alien box mod is a sight to behold. Sleek, modern, and even a little sexy, this gorgeous box mod offers every bit of technology that has been advanced by SMOK so far, in a chassis that you’ll love to hold, love to show off, and love to use. I’m crazy about the SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit, and I know you will be too.
SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit Feature Highlights
As I mentioned above, the SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit has a maximum output of 220W running off just two 18650 batteries. The technology includes full temperature control, with a stable, high performance chipset. The Alien 220W TC Box Mod measures 85mm by 44mm by 30mm. The chassis has an elegant soft contoured body made with a zinc alloy and painted jet black and integrating a fabulous colorful inlay strip, making it one of the best looking mods I own. On one side of the device sits a large, comfortable carbon fiber ‘pad’ giving off an almost 3D look, with the SMOK logo at the top and the mod’s name running along the bottom.
The colorful inlays come in red, blue, gold, and a sophisticated gray. Venting along both sides of the SMOK Alien box mod makes sure the device stays room temperature, evening when pushing 140+ watts (I have not had the Alien mod past 140W at the time of this review.) Using the iJoy Limitless XL just to judge the body heat, I was able to vape at 140W with the mod staying nice and cool, though the XL tank got mighty hot. Once I was satisfied I returned the TFV8 Baby Beast to the Alien box mod for the remainder of this review.
The Fire Button is hidden behind a full length Firing Panel, the two adjustable buttons sit under the large, information rich display, just above the micro-USB port (for charging and firmware updates). The batteries are accessed at the bottom of the SMOK Alien Box Mod with a hinged battery door. The batteries rest in their own separate compartments.
The Best SMOK Display Yet
The if the SMOK chipset is the brain of this mod, then the new enormous OLED display is face (or interface anyway). This large display provides extensive information in an easy-to-read, and well organized readout. As you can see by the photos that accompany this review, the display lists the following information on horizontal lines;
- Wattage or Temperature
- Normal Operations Indicator
- Wattage or TC Mode
- Dual Battery Meters
- Volts – Ohms – Amp Readouts
- Mode – PCB – Puff Count
- Puff Length Indicator Bar (in seconds)
The SMOK Alien chipset highly intelligent, specifying a wattage range of 6 to 220W, a minimum atomizer resistance of 0.06ohm, and full temperature control suite with support for Ni200 (Pure Nickel), Ti (Titanium), and SS (Stainless Steel) heating elements. In addition, the user can set the wattage while in TC mode, as well as the initial ‘burst’ in both TC and Power mode.
Safety features abound, including battery “series” connection. A plethora of safety measure that make the SMOK Alien one of the safest 220W devices yet.
The Misfire Issue
If you are one of the first Vapers to get ahold of the SMOK Alien Start Kit you’ll undoubtedly notice that the device has way too many misfires. A misfire is when you press the firing panel and nothing happens. It’s quite common on many box mods, especially the ones with a firing panel instead of a firing button. I experienced the occasional misfire from the very first day. This was the singular issue to the SMOK Alien box mod.
You have to give kudos for SMOK for not only recognizing this issue, but in taking swift action to fix it. With their latest firmware upgrade, v1.2.2, the misfire issue has all but disappeared. Yes, I’ll agree that the SMOK Alien box mod should not have shipped with this issue in the first place, but because of the FDA, SMOK had to get this device out the door by a date certain. I don’t like it any more than you do, but in this case I feel the fault lies to the FDA rather than SMOK. Fortunately, the misfire issue is the only issue I’ve seen. I suspect that any SMOK Alien box mods and starter kits shipping out after September 30th will have the latest firmware. That said, if you notice the mod misfiring then all you need to do is update the firmware.
SMOK TFV8 Baby Beast
In a separate review we looked at the incredible SMOK Baby Beast in detail. I won’t repeat ourselves in this review, not much anyway, but there is some information worth repeating.
The SMOK TFV8 Baby Beast Tank is the is a smaller version of the unbelievable TFV8 Cloud Beast Tank. The Baby Beast has a 3mL capacity for ejuice, an accurate and plentiful airflow control slots along the base of the tank, and of course SMOK’s unique hinged top-fill system you find in both TFV8 models. The TFV8 Baby Beast features the SMOK Turbo Engines coil structure as well. Flavor, and vapor production in the TFV8 line are extraordinary. The TFV8 Baby Beast is easily one of the finest all-day-tanks, giving vapers the performance of the larger TFV8 Cloud Beast in a smaller, more manageable size.
Check out the TFV8 Baby Replacement Coils at Element Vape here.
SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit -Basic Operation
If you own another SMOK mod, you’ll be familiar with the GUI. The biggest difference, the one difference that might throw you off a little, is the size of the icons on the screen. The icons are very large when you’re setting up or changing the setting. I recommend rolling through the various modes and settings for a couple of hours, with the manual in hand, just so you’ll be ready to change things up on the fly.
The SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit uses the ubiquitous button clicks to get around. To turn the Alien 220W TC mod on, click the Fire Panel 5 times in under 2 seconds. Getting into the menu is a 3-click affair.
The time limit for a pull on the drip tip is 12 seconds.
Locking the device is also a 5-click in under 2-seconds operation.
Press Firing Panel + Down button to choose between Power and TC modes.
Pressing the Fire Panel and the UP button sets the initial burst; in Power mode the user can choose between Normal, Soft, and Hard. In TC Mode the user can choose the wattage for TC mode between 15-220W, giving the user more flexibility than ever before to tailor their own unique vaping style. In TC mode the user presses the Up or Down button to set the desired temperature.
To turn the device off, hold the Firing Panel down for 5 seconds and choose “off”.
Hints – All the settings will be saved automatically. Once the user has the settings he or she wants, press the Fire Panel until the choices are set. Getting around the menu when in ‘menu mode’ the user can use the Up or Down buttons to move through all the options available.
All in all, operating the SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit is just as easy as any other advanced mod, especially if you’ve owned other SMOK devices. The biggest difference here is the size of the icons on the display; they are large, easy to see icons that will make the job of choosing the settings even easier than before.
The Real World Report
I learned of the upcoming SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit weeks ago and I was excitingly awaiting its’ arrival. Although there is no way to know how the actual device is going to feel, or the quality of the build, or for that matter, how it will ultimately operate, I had high hopes based on the success of previous SMOK products this year. I was not disappointed when our shipment arrived. I chose the Red model for my own, and later added a Gold one.
The SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit is hefty for its size, even with the dual batteries removed. More importantly though, the SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit feels like quality. It fits the hand perfectly, the controls are within easy reach, and that OLED display keeps you informed every second. The TFV8 Baby Beast fits perfectly… not too small, not too big. It looks made for the Alien 220W TC.
Since unboxing the starter kit and dropping in a pair of married batteries into the mod and getting the TFV8 Baby Beast primed and filled with KILO eLiquid’s Honey Crème, I haven’t bothered to pick up another mod. In fact, while reviewing the KILO eliquid for our next Spinfuel eLiquid Team Review, I used the SMOK Alien exclusively, with a few TFV8 Baby Beast tanks. I really and truly love this mod and tank and I have an urge to purchase the other available colors, just to have the complete set.
For all this praise for the SMOK Alien 200W TC Starter Kit, I’m not saying I won’t pick up my other devices, I’m sure I will, but for now the SMOK Alien 220W TC with the TFV8 Baby Beast are my go-to-mod/tank.,.
Lastly, I almost pre-ordered this device over at smoktech.com a few weeks back, but held off because SMOK wanted a whopping $119.99 for the kit version, plus 15-30 days shipping from China. Knowing Element Vape like I do, I knew that they would have this starter kit at least a few days before all the other vendors. Element Vape carries just about every SMOK product, and they buy in large enough volume that I was positive they would get it before I could. And I knew that EV would offer it for far less.
$59.95 for the SMOK Alien 220W TC is an astonishing price for this excellent starter kit that includes the Alien mod and the TFV8 Baby Beast tank. When you consider that the SMOK TFV8 Baby Beast is selling for around $20, that equates to this high-quality, high-performance, Alien 200W TC equipped box mod is $39.95 when purchased as the Starter Kit.
The SMOK Alien 220W TC Starter Kit comes with 2x coil heads, the .15Ω and the .4Ω coil heads, a USB Cable and an extra glass tank, as well as spare parts..
I fully expect the SMOK Alien 220W TC Starter Kit to be a huge seller for SMOK, and Element Vape. Even if you don’t ever approach more than 100W when you vape, I would still recommend this truly fantastic Starter Kit. SMOK hit this one out of the park.
Available Now At Element Vape – $59.95
Julia Hartley-Barnes
Final Grade: A+
“The perfect size, the perfect sub-ohm tank, lots of power, built to last, and a gorgeous finish, this sexy mod and awesome tank are a match made in heaven. At $59.95 this is a no-brainer. It doesn’t matter how many mods or tanks you have now, if you purchase the SMOK Alien 220W TC Starter Kit there will be a huge smile on your face for weeks. It is that good.”
Alien 220 Mod Specifications:
- Dimensions: 44*30*85mm
- Wattage Range: 6W – 220W
- Temperature Range: 200°F – 600°F / 100°C – 315°C
- Voltage Range: 0.35V – 8V
- Resistance Range:
- 1Ω – 3.0Ω (VW Mode)
- 06Ω – 3.0Ω (TC Modes)
- Compatible TC Wires: Ni200, Titanium, Stainless Steel
- Large OLED Display
- Individual Battery Level Display
- Micro USB Port (Charging & Upgrading)
- Ergonomic Design
- Lateral Fire Trigger
- Spring Loaded 510 Pin
- Requires (2) 18650 Batteries(Batteries Sold Separately)
- Sliding Battery Door
- Firmware Upgradeable
TFV8 Baby Specifications:
- Dimensions: 53*22mm
- 0mL Tank Capacity
- Stainless Steel Construction
- Glass Tank Section
- Dual Cyclops Adjustable Airflow
- Top Fill System
- Wide Bore Delrin Drip Tip
- Swivel Action Top Fill
Full Starter Kit Package Contents:
- 1 x Alien 220W Mod
- 1 x TFV8 Baby Tank
- 1 x V8 Baby-Q2 Coil (0.4Ω)
- 1 x V8 Baby-T8 Coil (0.15Ω Pre-Installed)
- 1 x Replacement Glass Tube
- 1 x Micro USB Cable
- 1 x Sealing Pad
- 2 x Smok Silicone Vapor Bands
- 5 x Spare O-Rings
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Warranty Card
- 1 x Qualified Battery Card
Mod Kit Package Contents:
- 1 x Alien 220W Mod
- 1 x Micro USB Cable
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Warranty Card
