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Vaporesso Guardian One – 2-Piece AIO
Choosing a good all in one tubed mod has become a serious endeavor lately. Leading up to August 8th there was not only a rush of advanced mods and atomizers, it seemed as though all the major manufacturers were pushing out AIO’s as well. Today I’m reviewing the Vaporesso Guardian One ($39.95), an grab and go tubed mod that I can’t seem to put down.
Specifics of the Vaporesso Guardian One
The most annoying thing I can say about the Vaporesso Guardian One is the top-fill system. Touching on this subject first is important, because if you are anything like me, filling it for the first time will be frustrating as hell. Without bringing it to the fore, there is a risk that someone may purchase this device and become so frustrated with filling it could be tossed in the trash, or shoved into the drawer somewhere to sit unused. But you needn’t worry, after a few refills it becomes second nature.
The frustrating method to refilling the Vaporesso Guardian One is in place because of the UK and US regulations. Specifically, the Child Proofing mod-makers must address. While it can be annoying, Vaporesso’s solution is at least innovative and effective. (Maybe too effective).
How to Fill the Vaporesso Guardian One
- Remove Drip Tip
- Turn, counter clock wise, the middle section of the top cap where the Drip Tip is inserted. You’ll want to twist it “Lefty Loose-y, Righty Tight-y”, but doing that will only further tighten that middle piece, making it even more difficult when you learn that you need to turn it into you, counter clock wise, in order to remove it.
- Remove the center piece, set aside the Drip Tip and center piece.
CLICK TO VIEW LARGER IMAGE - Twist off the top cap in the usual way, lefty loose-y. The direct opposite way that you removed the center piece.
- The Ceramic Coil head is much larger than the typical cCell ceramic coil head found in other Vaporesso atomizer. This coil head is not fastened or screwed into the atomizer. It simply sits there. At first you may have to fiddle with it to sit properly.
- Fill the 2ML ‘tank’ and replace the parts, making sure the coil head is properly seated, first fasten the top cap, then the center piece (tighten by turning clock wise, hand tightened is fine, don’t go overboard). Then place the Drip Tip into the center piece.
- Let sit for a few minutes, then take a few deep inhales from the Drip Tip without firing the fire button (you are priming the coil head without needing to drop eliquid into the coil head)
- Press the fire button for 2-3 seconds without inhaling. Do this twice. Then begin vaping, slowly at first to make sure the coil/cotton/ceramic are saturated.
- Enjoy!
Vaporesso Guardian One Battery
Because of the size, the battery capacity is only 1400mAh. For myself, that’s about 2 hours of vaping, at most. The preinstalled 0.5Ω coil is a Direct Lung coil head, the 1.05Ω coil head is for Mouth to Lung vapers. The MTL coil head will extend the battery life by about 50%, use less eliquid, and the tightness of the ‘pull’ is much like a tobacco cigarette.
The Vaporesso Guardian One battery outputs 40 watts. That’s a lot considering the size and capacity of the battery. Because this is a one size fits all output, the 1400 mAh goes quicker than you’ll want it to. For all the official specs and features look below at the end of this review. Instead of listing them off here I’d rather spend my time, and yours, telling you what it’s like to own one and use one.
Vaporesso Guardian One Atomizer
Unlike other “grab and go” devices, the Vaporesso Guardian One has a removable atomizer tank. Sadly, the ejuice capacity of the Guardian tank is a mere 2mL. Because I use the Direct Lung coil head exclusively now (0.5Ω) I’m refilling the tank every 25 minutes or so. This 2mL capacity is a terrible trend in the industry, but one we all need to live with when buying devices like this.
While this Double Child Locking top cap system becomes 2nd nature fairly quick, it doesn’t take but a couple of
minutes to refill. Thing is, having to refill every 25 minutes is ridiculous.
The reason for this 2mL capacity, other than the overall size of the device and ejuice capacity limitations in other countries, is because the size of the actual coil head is a tad bigger than the Target cCell coil head. The size of the coil head is not a true negative though, the flavor from these coil heads make the size worth it. More on that below…
Vaping at 40W with the 0.5Ω coil head through a normal size drip tip produces ‘enough’ vapor clouds, especially for an all-in-one 2-piece device. Of course, the clouds of vapor are nowhere near that of high-end tanks like the TFV8 by SMOK, or the Freemax Starre Pure. Still, the vapor production is satisfying.
Where the Vaporesso Guardian One shines is in Flavor Fidelity. I am more than impressed with the flavor from the Guardian. In fact, despite having dozens and dozens of ‘better’ mods and tanks all around me, I seek out the Guardian One more often than not. And that’s pretty strange; I consider myself a flavor chaser and a vapor chaser, yet I continue to put up with refilling every 25 minutes as well as reduced vapor output compared to my current favorite tank, the Freemax Starre Pure, just for the flavor output.
Ceramic coil heads last way longer than non-ceramic coil heads. As an example of this, consider that I have been using the Vaporesso Guardian One for 3 weeks and I’ve yet to detect any flavor or vapor changes.
Owners of the Vaporesso Guardian One can pick up 5-packs of coil replacements for right around $18-$19. 5x coil heads should last the user in excess of 3.5 months when used properly.
The USB cable is a super-premium cable with a flex-mesh metal cable and a matte silver end pieces. It looks like something Apple would design. I’d love to swap out all the USB cables I have for this type.
Real World Report
In the 3 weeks that I’ve been using the Vaporesso Guardian One I’ve experienced zero spitting, leaking, dry hits, or anything other than pure flavor and good vapor. Using the device has been nothing but enjoyable. In fact, a few days ago I put a 2nd Guardian One to work so that I can enjoy two of my favorite eliquids in the Guardian One environment. At just $39.95 for this two-piece device it’s affordable for most vapers. As for value, that’s a no-brainer for flavor chasers.
The Guardian One comes in a gorgeous matte black and a silver color. To avoid confusion, I’m now using one of each. I hope that Vaporesso will consider adding some colorful choices down the road. That said, it should be noted that the silver, or stainless steel model gets warm to the touch with a few minutes of direct lung vaping. The matte black finish on the other must have pretty terrific heat dissipation properties.
If I had to include a couple of negatives about the Guardian One I would complain about the 1400-mAh battery, the 2mL capacity, and the airflow is just this side of restrictive.
I imagine with more airflow, users could produce a lot more vapor, but the cost in eliquid consumption and battery life would suffer. Here’s hoping Vaporesso releases a Guardian Two at some point, with more battery capacity and a larger tank… if it’s even possible to do, what with these ridiculous FDA regulations in the US.
The Vaporesso Guardian One would make an excellent device for eLiquid reviewers. Because the Vaporesso company has nailed the flavor producing ceramic coil heads, this is the device a reviewer could use to truly discover the flavor fidelity of any eliquid under review.
Recommendation – An excellent choice for new vapers, and a great choice for advanced vapers that sometimes would love to have the opportunity to pick up a device and just vape. Element Vape offers the device at $39.95, it’s available now, and if you’ve enjoyed reading this review then you would definitely enjoy the Guardian One.
Note* Vaporesso shows a device on their website called the Guardian AIO. The specs are the same as the Guardian One, and from the photos the only difference I can see is the shape of the glass opening (circular) on the atomizer, and, I believe, the tank is a part of the battery and not removable.
Grade: A+
“Keeping in mind that the Vaporesso Guardian One is a grab n go vaping instrument with limited battery life and a small eliquid reservoir, I would challenge any AIO device to produce better flavor than this one.”
John Manzione
Vaporesso Guardian One Mod Features:
- 22mm Diameter
- Integrated 1400mAh Battery Capacity
- Fixed Wattage Output: 40W
- Zinc Alloy and Stainless Steel Construction
- Single Button Operation
- Short-Circuit Protection
- Low Wattage Protection
- Over Vaping Protection
- Over Charging Protection
- Over Discharge Protection
- Low Battery Indication
- MicroUSB Charging Port
- 510 Connection
Vaporesso Guardian Sub-Ohm TC Tank:
- 22mm Diameter
- 2mL Juice Capacity
- Superior Stainless Steel Construction
- Glass Reinforcement
- Two-in-One Tank – DTL & MTL Settings
- Adjustable Dual Top Airflow
- Dual Child-Lock Mechanism
- Convenient Threaded Top-Fill System
- Coil Replaced From Outside of Chamber
- cCell-GD Stainless Steel Ceramic Coil System
- Ceramic Cylinder Structure
- 510 Connection
In The Box:
- 1 Vaporesso Guardian One Kit
- 1 Preinstalled 0.5ohm cCell-GD SS Coil
- 1 0.5ohm cCell-GD SS Coil
- 1 MicroUSB Cable
- Instruction Manual
