There is a lot to say about the SMOK MAG Grip Starter Kit that, and as much as I tried, I just couldn’t find much in my final review worthy of being trimmed out. So, I ask you to bear with me, because before you spend your hard-earned cash on the MAG Grip starter kit, with the SMOK TFV8 Baby V2, you should to read all of what I have to say.

The SMOK MAG Grip Starter Kit is packaged in what is probably SMOK’s largest box to date. The reason for this is that the MAG Grip is larger than you might think. It’s also on the heavy side. Included in the box is the mod, the TFV8 Baby V2 with the 0.15ohm Baby V2 S1 Mesh Coil preinstalled, USB cable, a spare 0.15ohm Baby V2 S2 Quad Coil, a spare straight glass tube, a bag of spare parts, and the manual.

I expected the MAG Grip to be more of a SMOK MAG V2, but in the reality it is anything but. Yes, the SMOK MAG Grip tries to pay homage to the 220W Dual-18650 vape mod that is very much designed to look like a pistol grip, but in the end the MAG Grip turns out to be a whole lot more, and a whole lot less. And I’ll explain why further down this review.

First though, you should know that SMOKTech (SMOK for short) have a very successful formula for their production cycles and product development. When a vape mod or sub-ohm tank becomes successful, like the 220W MAG, it will extend its product life cycle by releasing the device in many more colors and patterns. This breathes new life in the product, and many people who vape as a hobby (as I do), will buy more than one.

My brother, for instance, purchased one of the first MAG Starter Kits, in Red/Black, a SMOK standard color combination. To this day he still uses the MAG as his primary vape mod, but instead of the Red/Black, he owns 7 different colors and patterns of the MAG. His latest is the Red Skull model, and he interchanges them pretty much at random. You never know which one he’ll have with him when you see him.

I tell you this because, on release, the SMOK MAG Grip has 4 color combinations; the Red/Black signature colors, the reverse, a Black/Red, a Prism Blue, and a Prism Chrome. (see photo) If the MAG Grip becomes as successful as I think it will, you can expect to see many more color and pattern options coming within the next couple of months.

Okay, so anyway, my initial impressions of this very different SMOK vape mod, were…

• The “grip” is extremely comfortable to hold, and very well-built.
• The MAG Grip is larger than expected, making the Baby V2 look slightly overwhelmed.
• It’s top-mounted 0.66” OLED display has bare-boned white screen elements against a black background but is more than sufficient for the tasks its equipped to handle.
• While it has an adapter sleeve for the 18650 battery, the Mag Grip is really made for the 21700 battery. (not included unfortunately.) The Grip does 85W with an 18650 inside, and the 100W is strictly for 20700/21700 cells.

Most importantly, after fully charging an iJoy 21700 cell, priming the TFV8 Baby V2, I couldn’t put it down for days. The Starter Kit is under $70 upon release, yet I didn’t bother to use my primary device, the Lost Vape Triade DNA250C and Augvape Skynet Sub-Ohm. The MAG Grip was just way too easy to use, to enjoy, and to vape with.

The SMOK MAG Grip 100W TC Starter Kit is a single cell mod, using an 18650, 20700, or a 21700 battery. The Grip uses SMOK’s latest intelligent chipset, which provides accurate wattage, temperature control, (if you need it), but unfortunately lacks in battery efficiency.

Vaping the Baby V2 with its Mesh Coil at 66W I got no more than 2 hours of vape time before draining the 18650 battery. Switching to the iJoy 21700 offered perhaps another 45 minutes. As large as the MAG Grip is, the user will always be aware that it is a single cell vape mod because it cannot match the vape time of a dual cell mod. Fortunately, that’s the only “con” I can muster up about this device.

The quick-release “magazine-type” battery chamber is a lot like the SMOK Mag. Pressing the release button on the side of the mod sends the battery holder ‘magazine’ shooting out of the grip, while replacing the battery magazine is very much like reloading a semi-automatic pistol.

Users can hold the MAG Grip with their left or right hand with ease. It was designed to work for both lefties and righties while offering the same orientation and feel. The front trigger button has a nicely curved design for either index finger. It feels solid, responsive, and I have no doubt it will outlast any other fire button on any vape mod, it’s that solid.

The SMOK MAG Grip is a 5-click on/off, 3-click to the menu device. The intelligent design includes placing two adjustment buttons directly beneath the .66” display, and once inside the menu, navigation is a cinch.

We’ve reviewed the TFV8 Baby V2, gave it a score of an “A”, and yet in this case I believe SMOK made a mistake of pairing the MAG Grip with this particular sub-ohm. Even if SMOK had decided to throw in the Baby Prince I’d feel the same way. The MAG Grip deserves the Prince Cobra.

The size of the MAG Grip is 91.5mm by 67mm by 38mm, and the Baby V2 looks awkwardly small sitting atop this thick, tall mod. The Baby V2 is only 25.4mm in width, and while it is an excellent sub-ohm in its own right, a larger sub-ohm would tie the mod and tank together nicely.

Nevertheless, the SMOK TVF8 Baby V2 features 5mL maximum eJuice capacity using its default bubble glass, the same rotary top-fill of other SMOK TFV’s, plus large dual bottom airflow slots, and the new, and high performing, TFV8 V2 Coil System. Its 0.15ohm Baby V2 S1 Single Mesh Coil has a wattage range of 40-80, and an optimal range of 60-70 watts. This coil head is unbelievable.

This Kanthal Mesh Coil delivers absolutely incredible flavor, and huge clouds of vapor at well under its 85W or 100W maximum output of the MAG Grip. As I said above, my optimal wattage for this coil, as well as the spare, is in the mid-60’s. Sorta makes 220W mods seems like overkill these days.

The NEW SMOK Coil System finally delivers the goods in ALL areas now. For years Vapers, including me, have complained about the awesome, but short-lived, performance of SMOK Coils. SMOK Coils are not cheap, it’s not uncommon to pay up to $16 for a 3-pack of Kanthal Coils for the SMOK Prince. We want to think that vaping is less expensive than smoking cigarettes, but with short-lived coils that cost this much, it’s almost par with smoking (in cost anyway).

SMOK finally developed a Coil System that lasts much, much longer than the old average of 3 or 4 days. I’ve had the TFV8 Baby V2 for several weeks, probably have more than 200 hours of vaping with them, and I can attest to a coil life of more than 8 to 10 days, depending of course on which coil exactly, the blend of the eliquid, and the wattage used. But any way you slice it, these new coils are at the very least capable of lasting 3 or 4 times that of the older SMOK Coils.

Despite the fact that the ‘powers that be’ at SMOKTech chose the wrong sub-ohm to include in the MAG Grip Starter Kit (IMHO), that doesn’t mean I don’t recommend the starter kit. For one, I’m not sure the MAG Grip is sold without the Baby V2 yet, and even if it was, I would still recommend the Kit. Here’s why…

The MAG Grip Mod is beautiful, well-made, fantastic to grip, and seems to be as accurate as any I’ve ever used. I love using it, gripping it with either hand, squeezing the trigger fire button, and everything else that goes into vaping a good mod.

The TFV8 Baby V2 sub-ohm is a fantastic sub-ohm tank. These new coils from SMOK are the best they’ve ever made. The flavor is sublime, the vapor is thick and aromatic. The high-grade stainless-steel construction is instantly recognizable, and the bubble glass section is thick, optically clear, and can withstand several drops to the (carpeted) floor.

Even if you decide later that the Baby V2 is too small sitting atop the MAG Grip, you can always replace it with a Prince or Prince Cobra, or any other sub-ohm tank that uses mesh coils and needs less than 100W for an optimal vape (which is just about every tank and coil on the market right now).

Despite SMOK’s mistake of including the Baby V2 instead of a larger, higher capacity sub-ohm, and despite its disappointing battery life (because this mod is as large and as hefty as any dual-cell mod),  when it comes to deciding a “score” for this starter kit, it’s just too good not to give it a solid;

A