Without a doubt, if it is permissible to use the word “handsome” to describe a vape mod, then the Vaporesso Armour Pro Starter Kit is about as handsome as a modern starter kit can get. This thing is the height of sophistication, and its near-flawless operation and many, many features (including the decision to use the Cascade Baby Sub-Ohm)  that are executed so damn well, I’m left with the only ‘Spinfuel Vape Score’ I can give it; an “A+”. It’s not perfect-perfect mind you, there are a couple of things I would have done differently, but it’s still one of my favorites, if not my very favorite, single cell starter kit ever made. Vaporesso deserves a lot of credit for producing such a marvelous starter kit.

The Vaporesso Armour Pro Kit is, by all accounts, an extraordinary single battery mod and sub-ohm tank combo to come out in 2018. Possessing all the modern features you would expect from Vaporesso’s OMNI 4 chipset, plus the pure pleasure of vaping the Cascade Baby sub-ohm tank, this 2X700/18650 mod should be an inspiration to other manufacturers looking to create a worthy vape mod that is every bit as comfortable in the hands of a newbie as it is in the hands of an experienced Vaper.

Let’s see why this Reviewer is so enamored with the Armour Pro Starter Kit

The Vaporesso Armour Pro 100W TC Starter Kit is, at its core, the Vaporesso OMNI Board 4.0 Chip. The OMNI 4 allows for some serious power with your choice of 2X700 cell, and a fast ramp up speed. (more on the OMNI 4 Board below)

Although I had my choice of using a single 18650/20700/21700 battery to power the mod I chose to use the iJoy 20700 and the included Aspire 21700 cell (not included in the kit) for the first half, and then compared performance notes after spending the second half of the review period with an 18650, 3100mAh Nitecore cell. For the first time ever there is a noticeable increase in battery life with the 4000mAh 21700 Aspire battery when compared to the 3100mAh Nitecore. Naturally, the 900 additional milliamp hours has a little to do with that, but the OMNI 4 Board’s battery management makes a difference as well.

All three cells powered the Armour Pro nicely, but as with all multi-platform devices, the 20700/21700 gives the user an extra 20 watts of maximum output. 100W with the 2×700 cells, and 80W with the 18650. Since the Cascade Baby was powered by the 0.18-ohm GT Mesh Coil, with a power range of 50-90W, and the remarkable 0.3-ohm GT CCell (ceramic) Coil rated at 35-40W, all three battery types allow for an optimal vape. Though, I should mention that the Cascade Baby is a thirsty little beast.

In addition to the form fitting contours of the elegant aluminum alloy chassis that feels just perfect in the hand, it’s the 0.96-inch full color display that is embedded into the opaque fire panel on the front of the mod that really sets the Armour Pro apart of the competition. (Well, one of the things that sets it apart)

All the recent single cell mods and starter kits that are flooding into the office, including the recently reviewed Aspire Puxos and its huge crystal-clear OLED display, or the Eleaf iStick PICO S 100W Kit, are just variations on a theme, while the Armour Pro is something truly innovative. Check out the photos in this review for a detailed look at the ingenious way Vaporesso embedded the full-color display.

The Vaporesso Armour Pro is a 5-click off/on vape mod. It is also a 3-button mod, with a responsive Mode button directly below the plus/minus adjustment buttons. To enter the Menu the user presses and holds the Mode button for about 3 seconds, or until the Menu display appears on the screen. Using the adjustment buttons, the user navigates to the “mode” the user wants to vape in.

The Armour Pro and Armour Pro Starter Kit has an excellent, detailed manual that will easily guide the user on how to set the various modes and make the needed adjustments.

The newly updated OMNI board 4.0 has added full temperature control and Insta-fire function – with the fastest firing speed of 0.001 seconds. It is also PCBA Water resistant, has a 2.5A quick charge system, plus multi-protections and deeper optimization designed for specifically for the GT Mesh coil.

VW – An advanced Variable Wattage mode with 3 power levels: VW-H(High); VW-N (Normal); VW-S(Soft). The default setting is Normal. In VW mode, the device will automatically adjust the voltage to support the wattage you selected. If you want to switch between different ohms resistance, you don’t need to change your wattage setting, your mod will automatically select the adequate average wattage for your atomizer.

CCW – Users can customize their own “curve of wattage” line using the plus and minus buttons (Ramp-up time and consequent performance); then move on to the next bar with a quick press of the fire button When all modifications are done the user simply presses the mode button to save and exit.

SP – In SP mode, the mod has broader resistance range, 0.03Ω-5Ω, and is adaptive even to mainstream RDAs.

VV – Variable Voltage mode works by adjusting the voltage up or down to match the user’s perfect heat level. The user can change voltage for different tanks that have different resistances. If the user is using a tank with a higher resistance, just increase the voltage, and vice versa.

CCV – Like CCW, the user can customize his or her own “curve of voltage” using the plus and minus buttons (Ramp-up time and consequent performance); then move on to the next bar with a quick press of the fire button. When all modifications are complete, the user presses the mode button to save and exit.

AUTO VT – When the Armour Pro mod is in VT-NI/ TI/ SS mode (with Auto Function enabled), the mod can separately support Nickel 200, Titanium, and 316 Stainless Steel coils intelligently, In Auto VT, the Armour Pro’s OMNI 4 will intelligently adjust temperature control parameters based on the heating wire’s resistance, and the user can also change the startup wattage.

M1/M2 – The User can choose his or her own Manual setting and set the TCR at different values when within the proper range.

BP – Bypass Mode – Direct output voltage system is used when in Bypass mode. The higher the battery charge, the higher the output voltage. When set in this mode, the device can support a coil whose resistance is within the range of 0.05-5ohm.

SMART On/Off (NEW) – When in Advanced Variable Wattage mode, the user can turn on the Smart function and it can change the intensity according to the specific coil resistance levels within a safe limit in VW-H/N/S mode. – To enable SMART: System Menu > SET > SMART ON/OFF

AUTO On/Off (New) – The new Auto function removes any operation difficulties when switching between VW-H and VW-N or between VT-H and VT-N. – How to enable it: System Menu > SET > AUTO ON/OFF

DEFAULT – The User can reset the Armour Pro Mod to default setting by entering Default in the menu system and pressing YES.

Auto Atomizer Recognition – For an accurate temperature control system, the mod will ask the user if the newatomizer is attached. ” OLD LOAD: -, NEW LOAD: + ” will appear on the display. If a new atomizer is attached, the user will press ” + “, the mod will read and calibrate a new resistance; if not, press ” – “, the mod will read at locked resistance.

The Vaporesso Armour Pro’s OMNI 4.0 board features the new “Insta-Fire”, as mentioned above… this feature allows for a ramp up of an unbelievable 0.001 second firing speed, and is the first feature highlight worth a mention. The very second the user presses the full panel fire button the Cascade Baby sub-ohm begins to generate vapor. There is simply no lag, and while not the only mod to have this kind of ramp up, to find it on such an affordable, and sophisticated mod is something special.

If you’re a fan of temperature control, you’ll find that the OMNI board provides one of the most accurate TC systems out there. In addition, the OMNI 4 supports Smart Variable Wattage, using a Soft, Hard, or Normal power mode, TCR, CCT, CCW, and Bypass modes as well. It’s the SMART mode that I found especially impressive.

With a minimum resistance of 0.03-ohm, the Armour Pro can handle just about any sub-ohm tank and coil combination you can throw at it, including Rebuildables. The wattage range, 5W to 100W (80W with the 18650 cell), is the only restriction you’ll need to worry about when choosing the right tank and coil to use, though in my mind, the Cascade Baby is only tank you’ll need, or want. I have no doubt the engineers and designers at Vaporesso built the Armour Pro FOR the Cascade Baby.

Unlike the original Vaporesso Cascade, the Cascade Baby is definitely an all-day-every-day sub-ohm. With its three airflow ports at the base of tank, and it’s wide bore Delrin drip tip, and high quality 5mL glass tube, the Cascade Baby outputs pure flavor and overly generous amounts of vapor at the slightest pull. As with the original, the Cascade Baby is built using the Isolation Structure Design which separates the e-juice from the coil chamber, pulling e-juice to coil as needed.

This ISD method has proved to extend coil life and provide true flavor fidelity no matter what e-juice is used, though higher VG provides thicker, denser clouds with either coil (but that’s true of most sub-ohm tanks). The Vaporesso GT Coils for both NRG Sub-Ohm Tank and the Cascade One Kit uses traditional organic cotton and Vaporesso’s signature CCell Ceramic in its coil head structure.

There are seven options for the GT Coil replacements, and the Cascade Baby and Armour Pro can utilize all seven, even the flagship GT 8 Core, rated for 50-110W. For my vape needs nothing beats the 0.18-ohm GT Mesh Coil with the Armour Pro and Cascade Baby.

Lastly, the Cascade Baby has a 24.5mm width, 5mL juice capacity, stainless-steel construction, quality glass tube, Delrin wide bore drip tip, and three airflow slots.

While I did spend a couple of days vaping with the 0.3-ohm CCell and found it to be one of the best low wattage coils available, most of the time was spent with 0.18-ohm GT Mesh, vaping at 64W, and enjoyed every pull from the drip tip. Vaporesso has achieved the perfect combination of elegance, performance, and price point. Highly recommended for all Vapers, new and old. Oh, and as I mentioned in the first paragraph, I suppose if I could do a couple of things differently when devising the Armour Pro, I would have included a second, dual 2×700 model, and maybe a few more color options. Other than that, the Armour Pro Starter Kit is sublime.

Score: A+