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Alpha XF – Simple, Powerful Pen-Style Vaporizer
Alpha XF
Vethos Design In Samoa
$39.90 MSRP
Overview
While we don’t review cig-a-like products anymore (Halo’s G6, Blu Cigs, Eversmoke, South Beach, et al) we do on occasion like to look at the next small step up for Vapers that still enjoy a pen-type vaporizer. And the thing is, these pen style vaporizers are getting better and better at what and who they are designed for. Vapers who enjoy vaping by way of mouth-to-lung inhaling, pen-style devices serve their purpose quite nicely.
The Alpha XF reminds me of a Joyetech product, maybe the eMode or the Joy510cc, although some of the design elements are definitely different. Still, the spit and polish of a Joyetech device, or even an Apple product when you think about it, the Alpha XF is designed and packaged as if it were a product for the high-end shopper, without the high end price.
The Alpha XF is a Vethos Design vaporizer that sells for $39.90 (MSRP) for a complete starter kit. The Alpha XF is compatible with the Joyetech eGo ONE CL coilheads… however, the coilhead that comes with the XF is a Vethos Design coilhead, a dual coil 1.2-ohm coilhead with a tight draw, making it ideal for the mouth-to-lung Vaper or smokers.
Airflow Design
The airflow control ring placed directly under the connector for the tank/battery has 4 small holes that can be open or closed by moving the band around the vaporizer. Even with all 4 four holes exposed the draw is till tight, and closing them off one by one the tightness gets stiffer and stiffer until its impossible to draw on it.
Features
The pen-style Alpha XF has a coating of rubberized paint. The battery is rated at 900mAh. Battery life is equivalent to other 900mAh vaporizer batteries, no breakthroughs here…providing about 3 hours of steady use. That said; to get the maximum battery life from the 900 milliamps it needs to be used moderately. Heavy usage, which is the way I used it the first day, gives about 2 hours of steady use. The Alpha XF isn’t designed for constant tugging on by a heavy Vaper trying to maximize vapor production. That reminds me, the drip tip, a black thick plastic drip tip handles heat throw off really well. Constant vaping heats the tank quite a bit, but none of that heat is transferred to the drip tip. It didn’t take me long to notice because I accidently grabbed the tank right after a long, hard pull and the tip of two of my fingers felt a great deal of heat.
Filling The Tank
The biggest downside to the Alpha XF is how you feel the tank. I’m sure there is a reason for designing it like this, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why.
You start by placing the Alpha XF in an upright position with the battery at the top, the tank on the bottom. Once in this position you unscrew the tank from the battery, being careful not to tilt the tank so that the eliquid inside spills out.
Lifting the battery up and away you expose the coilhead because the coilhead screws into the battery, 
not the tank. If done properly you have a battery with attached coilhead pointing down, and the tank (without a cap) point up. If you are not used to this position the act of filling the tank is counter-intuitive.
Once you’ve filled the tank with 2mL of eliquid you keep it in the upright position lest it spill its contents, bring the battery/coilhead directly overhead and screw it back together. It’s annoying at first, but that doesn’t last very long. The first time you fill the Alpha XF you’ll need to apply 3 or 4 drops of eliquid into the coilhead as well, then screw the two pieces back together. Give it about 5 full minutes to saturate, press the firing button for a couple of seconds for a pre-burn, and you’re ready to begin vaping.
Specs & Features
• Atomizer Tank Capacity: 2 ml
• Pass-Through Battery Capacity: 900 mAh
• Resistance: 1.2 Ω (Dual Coils)
• Max Wattage: 15W
• Max Voltage: 4.2V
• Color: Black
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Airflow System: Variable Airflow Tank
• Length: 138 mm
• Diameter: 13.5 mm
Length: 138mm
Diameter: 13.5mm
Capacity: 2ml
Resistance: 1.2ohm(dual coil)
Max Wattage: 15W
Max Voltage: 4.2V
Color: Black (blue accents)
Material: Stainless steel with Rubberized Paint
What’s In The Box?
Alpha XF Atomizer (tank)
Alpha XF Battery
Alpha XF Atomizer head – 1.2-ohm dual coil
USB Cable
Drip Tip
Warranty – No information, look to the selling vendor for their warranty.
Impressions
As a longtime mouth-to-lung Vaper I switched to strictly lung-hit vaping when I began using high wattage devices with low ohm atomizers. I had forgotten how different mouth-to-lung vaping could be.
But the thing is, after about a day of using the Alpha XF exclusively it began to feel normal again, and I enjoyed that. It’s nice to be able to vape with short drags instead of 3-6 second pulls all the time. It didn’t take me long to decide to use both types of vaping in the future.
The Alpha XF is a very high quality vaporizer and it feels good in my hand. While I am finally used to filling the tank in the motions described above, it’s a different approach and not one I would have chosen for it, but what the hell, why not?
Good looks, very good performance for both flavor and vapor production (for a mouth-to-lung device) the Alpha XF would make a fine gift to a new Vaper, or a small investment by a new Vaper. I decided to keep the Alpha XF for myself and I plan on using it a few times a week, and will definitely use in the evening since my wife has banned the use of subohm vaping in the bedroom.
Grade: B+ – Why a B+? – Because the quality is terrific, it is a fine mouth-to-lung vaporizer and because it is compatible with Joyetech eGo ONE coilheads. The Alpha XF is priced ‘fair’, and although filling the tank takes some getting used to, I think it would be a good solution for new Vapers or Vapers that need a break from high-wattage-low-ohm-lung-hit vaping. Having said all that, I can’t quite bring myself to giving the Alpha XF a grade of “A” because I believe that there is a way to build the coilhead into the tank, allowing the Vaper to remove and refill like 99.99% of vaporizers and atomizers.
John Manzione
