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Good god is the SMOK Scar Mini adorable. Maybe not Baby Yoda-levels of “awwww”, but it’s at least as adorable as a compact vape mod can look these days. With its curvy, soft-coated alloy exterior, ridiculously small dimensions and simplified display, this is about as simple as adjustable vaping can be.
But is it enough for new vapers just entering the fray? Maybe, depending on your needs. Read on to see if it’s right for you, starting with the specs.
Officially Speaking
Shop the SMOK SCAR-Mini 80W Starter Kit, featuring a 1-80W range, IP67 rating against shock and dust intrusion, and comes with the SMOK TFV9 Mini Tank. Featuring a diminutive compact form factor, the SCAR-Mini Kit offers a portable solution to larger box mods. Constructed from durable zinc-alloy, the chassis of the SCAR-Mini is well-crafted from durable materials and is rated IP67 to protect against intrusion from dust, water, and is shockproof. Outfitted with the SMOK TFV9 Mini Sub-Ohm Tank, the SCAR Mini Kit uses coils from the TFV9 Coil Series, adopting the mesh coil for greater vapor and flavor production that is unmatched in such a small form.cSMOK Scar-Mini 80W Box Mod Features:
- Single High Amp 18650 Battery – Not Included
- Wattage Output Range: 1-80W
- Zinc-Alloy Chassis Construction
- IP67 Rating – Shock, Dust, Waterproofing
- Single Firing Button
- Display Screen
- Two Adjustment Buttons
- 8 Seconds Cut-Off
- Short Circuit Protection
- Overheating Protection
- Low-Battery Warning
- Threaded 510 Connection
- Available in Black, Fluid Black White, Fluid Blue, Red Stabilizing Wood, Green Stabilizing Wood, Fluid Red, Fluid 7-Color, Fluid Gold
SMOK TFV9 Mini Tank Features:
- 3mL Refillable Tank Capacity
- Pyrex Glass Reinforcement
- Superior Stainless Steel Tank Construction
- SMOK TFV9 Coil Series
- 15ohm V9 Meshed Coils – rated for
- Threaded Coil Installation
- Dual Slotted Bottom Airflow Control Ring
- Threaded 510 Connection
- Available in Black, Blue, Red, Green, Red, Rainbow, Gold
SMOK Scar-Mini 80W Box Mod Includes:
- SCAR-Mini Mod
- 3mL TFV9 Mini Tank
- 2 0.15ohm V9 Meshed Coils
- Replacement Glass Tube
- Type-C Cable
- User Manual
Aesthetics of the SMOK Scar-Mini 80W Box Mod
I immediately noticed that the size and form factor present some limitations. For starters, the included 22mm TFV9 Mini sub-ohm tank is as big as you can go on this device. Even if the 80-watt maximum output makes you want to try other tanks, don’t bother unless they’re 22mm or smaller – the cramped 510 connection won’t accommodate anything larger. And I don’t mean “there will be overhang.” Thanks to the top-positioned battery cap, there’s literally no more real estate to play with.
The same lack of real estate presents a concern on the adjustment side of things. Because the requisite 0.96-inch monochrome OLED display and oversized fire key dominate the side panel, the up/down adjustment keys are relegated to a small portion on the bottom third of the device.
Micro’s?
This has never been a good way to operate a mod, but we’ve always forgiven it for “micro-sized” devices. Here? It seems like a silly design decision that made it unnecessarily annoying to control.
Despite these setbacks, the Scar Mini does feel really good in the hand, and the mod is surprisingly durable for such a lightweight form factor. I know, because this tiny box mod slipped out of my hands several times. Not the fault of the design, just the guy operating it. But the good news is that the Scar Mini never even stuttered, even after one bad drop to a concrete sidewalk – a slight scuff is all I had to show for the near-disaster, but the vape quality never suffered.
Vaping the SMOK Scar Mini
Included in this kit is a 22mm sub-ohm tank that brings decent flavor and vapor production for its size. The entire TFV9 series has been pretty average in terms of performance, and that doesn’t change here. On the surface, the rotating top cap, wide fill port and solid construction make for a pleasant experience. But the coil system is just too average to spend much time exploring this tank.
What do we mean? While the tank and coil were certainly capable of fogging a room, the flavor was pretty washed out at mid-range (40-60W) wattages. It was “there,” but it was flat, and lacked a lot of punch. The narrow-ish drip tip should have helped concentrate the flavor, but it wasn’t ideal.
TFV9 Mini
With the airflow closed down a bit, the TFV9 Mini made for a serviceable MTL/restricted lung standby, but this experience still paled in comparison to more-focused MTL atomizers.
As much as I wanted to crank this thing to its miniature max, stuttering and misfires abounded above 60 watts. And even that’s being generous, since anything over 50 diminished battery life to near-unusable levels.
The Scar Mini is a single-18650 device, so anyone looking for all-day power is fooling themselves. But am I wrong for wanting to vape a 80-watt mod at 55 watts for more than an hour? No, I’m not… and this was disappointing.
On the positive side, the Scar Mini has a welcome coil protection setup that automatically identifies the coil and reduces the wattage, to ensure you don’t fry your atomizer right out of the gate. It’s not perfect, and yeah, it’s a little annoying to readjust the settings … but it’s not nearly as annoying as popping coils because I wasn’t paying attention. These are the types of mistakes beginners make, so kudos to SMOK for keeping its target audience in mind.
Pros:
- Comfortable, durable, compact exterior
- Great fire key
- Easy enough to navigate the menus
Cons:
- Small max diameter
- Terrible battery life
- Not a true 80-watt mod
Bottom Line of the SMOK Scar-Mini 80W Box Mod
To be honest, the SMOK Scar Mini should be rebranded for smokers and new vapers as a better first step than a pod mod. Maybe a nice MTL tank, with an RBA deck for beginning builders would help position this device as a newcomer’s dream device. My recommendation? Pass, unless you have to own every SMOK mod that hits the street.
