SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Sub-Ohm Tank: A Comprehensive Review and Analysis”

The SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Sub-Ohm Tank is the latest major upgrade for the “Baby” line of sub-ohm tanks. It was an inevitable progression I suppose. Despite it being getting harder and harder to follow the thinking of Chinese manufacturers of vape gear, I try to remember how my boss describes the vape hardware industry; that it is like a shark, it cannot stop moving forward or it will drown. While this Review is about the Sub-Ohm Tank itself, I’ll spend a lot of time talking about Coils. The Coils for the Baby V2 are vital to its performance. It should be noted that the Baby V2 is compatible only with the new SMOK A1, A2, and A3 Kanthal Coils.

The sheer number of different products sitting on the shelves of the best vape gear vendors is staggering. And can you imagine the job the “Buyer” of a vendor site has? The stress? New products every single day, which ones should the vendor stock, how many of each piece of hardware should that vendor stock? Will this or that piece of hardware has “legs”, or will it be a flash in the pan? Take the WISMEC Active (reviewed here); the large box mod with a 2100mAh integrated battery delivering just 80W of power, but… equipped with Bluetooth Speakers that sound like AM radio… Deciding to stock the WISMEC Active is only half the problem, the other half is “how many” to stock. Being a Buyer for an online vendor has to be a horrible job, and a tenuous one at that. Anyway….

I bring this up because after having used the SMOK TFV12 Baby Prince for a while now, the introduction of the V8 Baby V2 just doesn’t make sense. Just briefly, let’s take a quick look as some of the basic specs of both sub-ohm tanks.

SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Basic Specs:

• 25.4mm Base Diameter
• 30mm At Widest Point
• 5mL Maximum Juice Capacity – Convex Glass Extension
• Superior Stainless-Steel Construction
• High-Grade Glass Reinforcement
• High-Temperature Resistant – Explosion Proof
• Convenient Top-Fill Rotary Design – Lock Button Mechanism
• Massive Triple Adjustable Airflow Control at Base
• Performance-Grade TFV8 Baby V2 Coil System

SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Basic Specs:

• 23mm Base Diameter
• 26mm Diameter at Widest Point
• 4.5mL Maximum Juice Capacity
• Superior Stainless-Steel Construction
• Bulb Glass Pyrex Glass – Food-Grade
• High-Grade Glass Reinforcement
• High-Temperature Resistant – Explosion Proof
• Convenient Top-Fill Rotary Design – Lock Button Mechanism
• Massive Dual Adjustable Airflow Control at Base

Our first review of the SMOK TFV12 Baby Prince was way back in early March of this year. As you can clearly see by the specs, and the photos in this review, there isn’t a lot of difference between the two sub-ohm tanks. It’s my opinion that the V12 Baby Prince is more attractive of the two, and as we publish this review, the Baby Prince is also $10 less. So why introduce this new tank? For no other reason than vape gear makers must continue to make new products, and big vendors bear the brunt of the mistakes (and successes) for all these new and unnecessary products.

Is the SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Really Unnecessary?

Yes, it is; but do not mistake unnecessary for a lousy product. Far from it. The SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 is a solid performer. It’s a damn good tank, however, the V12 Baby Prince is as well. I’ve used both extensively and I have no qualms in saying that the Baby Prince is far more attractive than the Baby V2, and with the recent introductions of the V8 Baby Mesh and V8 Baby Strip Core, the quality of the vape experience is every bit as good as the newer V8 Baby V2 and its still-newer “performance grade”. (See below)

SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Replacement Coils Features: A1, A2, & A3

• Performance-Grade TFV8 Baby V2 Coil System
• 0.17ohm Baby V2 A1 Single Coil
  • rated for 90-140W, recommended 110-130W
• 0.2ohm Baby V2 A2 Dual Coil
  • rated for 50-80W, recommended 65W-75W
• 0.15ohm Baby V2 A3 Triple Coil
  • rated for 60-100W, recommended 80W-90W
• Coils Are Available in Gold and Rainbow Colorway

Getting back to the better V12 Baby Prince, the following Coils can all be used with the Baby Prince, but not the V8 Baby V2:

SMOK TFV8 Baby (V1) Turbo Engine Coils Types:

V8 Baby-Q2 Dual Core

• Dual Coil Design
• 0.4ohm rated for 40-80W, recommended 55-65W
• 0.6ohm rated for 20-50W, recommended 30-40W

V8 Baby-M2 Dual Core

• Dual Coil Design
• Compatible with 3.7V Mechanical Mod
• 0.3ohm rated for 25-45W, recommended 35W

V8 Baby-X4 Quadruple Core

• Quad Coil Design
• 0.15ohm rated for 30-70W, recommended 45-60W

V8 Baby-T6 Sextuple Core

• Sextuple Coil Design
• 0.2ohm rated 40-130W, recommended 70-90W

V8 Baby-T8 Octuple Core

• Octuple Coil Design
• 0.15ohm rated for 50-110W, recommended 60-80W

V8 Baby-T12 Duodecuple Core

• Duodecuple Core
• 0.15ohm rated for 50-90W, recommended 60-80W

V8 Baby-T12 Duodecuple Core – Light-Up Series

• Duodecuple Core
• LED Lights – Red, Green, Orange
• 0.15ohm rated for 50-90W, recommended 60-80W

V8 Baby Mesh

• Mesh Core – Faster Heating Process
• 0.15ohm rated for 40-80W, recommended 60-70W

V8 Baby RBA Head

• Two-Post Design – 0.3ohm Clapton
• Fe-Cr and Nickel-Nichromium Heating Material
• Includes TFV8 Baby Beast RBA Glass Tube, Screwdriver, and Spare Parts

V8 Baby Strip

• 0.15ohm rated for 40-100W, recommended 60-80W

The SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Sub-Ohm Tank big push is in the new Mesh Coils, which are truly extraordinary coils and its features and structural elements are certainly geared toward power vaping.

The V8 Baby V2 measures 25.4mm at the base, slightly wider at 30mm with its thick bubble glass tube and includes a 16mm Baby V2 exclusive Delrin Wide Bore drip tip.

The TFV8 Baby V2 has a maximum eLiquid capacity of 5 mL, just .5mL more than the V12 Baby Prince, and like the Prince, the Baby V2 uses the same rotary hinged top-fill method with a locking mechanism. Now, all available sub-ohm tanks by SMOK use this lock button, a definite improvement across the line.

Without a superior Coil Head any sub-ohm tank can fail, so for SMOK, the success of the V8 Baby V2 will hang on its achievement with the new hyper engines of the TFV8 V2 Coil Family.

The Baby V2 is driven by three new Coils, all Kanthal, and named A1, A2, and A3.  Airflow enters the tank structure through three large air slots at the bottom base, and they are fully adjustable for maximum power as well as excellent cooling properties.

SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 REPLACEMENT COILS

The SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Replacement Coils are made for dense flavors and massive cloud production. SMOK utilizes a line-up of mesh cores.

These TFV2 Baby V2 Coils are optimized for the mid-wattage to high-wattage vaping environments. Multiple mesh designs accommodate a wide range of vape experiences.

The 0.17ohm Baby V2 A1 Single Coil comes with a large piece of mesh covering the cotton to create a large heating area with a rating range of 90W to 140W.

The 0.2ohm Baby V2 A2 Dual Coil uses a Cobra Mesh Design along with two heating “cores” and a wattage setting of 50W to 80W.

The 0.15ohm Baby V2 A3 Coil has three separate heating cores and a range of 60W to 100W.

SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Replacement Coils Features:

• Performance-Grade TFV8 Baby V2 Coil System
• 17ohm Baby V2 A1 Single Coil
  • rated for 90-140W, recommended 110-130W
• 2ohm Baby V2 A2 Dual Coil
  • rated for 50-80W, recommended 65W-75W
• 15ohm Baby V2 A3 Triple Coil
  • rated for 60-100W, recommended 80W-90W
• Coils Are Available in Gold and Rainbow Colors

SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Sub-Ohm Tank Features:

• 4mm Base Diameter
• 30mm At Widest Point
• 5mL Maximum Juice Capacity – Convex Glass Extension
• Superior Stainless-Steel Construction
• High-Grade Glass Reinforcement
• High-Temperature Resistant – Explosion Proof
• Convenient Top-Fill Rotary Design – Lock Button Mechanism
• Massive Triple Adjustable Airflow Control at Base
• Performance-Grade TFV8 Baby V2 Coil System
• 17ohm Baby V2 A1 Single Coil – rated for 90-140W
• 2ohm Baby V2 A2 Dual Coil – rated for 50-80W
• Antibacterial Medical Cotton
• 16mm Wide Delrin Wide Bore Drip Tip – Exclusive Fitment
• Gold-Plated 510 Connection
• Available in White, Stainless, Black, Blue Prism, Green, Red, Rainbow, Gold

SMOK TFV8 Baby V2 Tank Kit Includes:

• 1 TFV8 Baby 2 Tank
• 1 0.17ohm Baby V2 A1 Single Core
• 1 0.2ohm Baby V2 A2 Dual Core
• 1 Spare Glass Tube
• 1 Spare Parts
• Instructional Manual

Do not mistake the V8 Baby V2 as a “lesser” tank than the V12 Prince Line, or even the Cloud Beast Line. The Baby V2 is a high-power, fierce sub-ohm tank that means business. Making its debut entrance atop the SMOK Species (reviewed here) makes sense in one way, and it doesn’t in another. I’ll explain…

The SMOK Species is a problematic Starter Kit. I liken it to SMOK building a mean, lean mod and then throwing a touchscreen on it because their newest touchscreen technology was ready to go. Then, to make matters worse, SMOK chooses the fierce V8 Baby V2 as the sub-ohm for this Starter Kit.

I think that was a mistake.  A touchscreen belongs on the G-PRIV, (reviewed here) not the Species. The Baby V2 is a very high-performance, high-wattage sub-ohm, and would have been a better fit on a different SMOK Mod, without a touchscreen GUI.

What is the Audience for the SMOK TFV8 Baby V2?

It took a couple of weeks to bring the V8 Baby V2 to market after the release of the Species Starter Kit. The reason, I believe, someone would want to buy the V8 Baby V2 is the incredible coils. Coils that do not work with other TFV8 Tanks, nor any Prince variations. Vapers that want to return to the high-wattage Coils are the Baby V2 target audience.

With battery life and eJuice consumption becoming important factors in 2018, I believed SMOK was on the right track with their V12 Prince Tanks. Prince Coils require less power and consume less eJuice than the Beast series and the V8 Baby V2, so who do I recommend this tank to?

Well, to muck things up even more, I have to say that these 3 new Coils from SMOK, the A1, A2, and A3 Mesh Coils have a much longer coil life than most, if not all, the other SMOK Coils. In the end, the less money you’ll spend on changing out Coils every 5-7 days as you would with other SMOK Coils you’ll break even as you consume more eJuice. Battery life isn’t really a cost factor, just keep a few 18650’s charged up all the time and you’ll not suffer any down time.

The SMOK V8 Baby V2 isn’t the prettiest sub-ohm SMOK makes, but it does seem to be a throwback to high-wattage, high-performance vaping. It is an excellent performer, but I’ll stick with the Prince every time.

SCORE: A