Vaptio C-Flat Pod Mod Kit Review. –  I’ve always liked the idea of pod mods. Bridging the convenience of traditional cig-a-likes with the flavor and satisfaction of advanced vape devices is – in my opinion – the best way to transition smokers to a better alternative. But what I don’t like about most pod systems is how it effectively locks buyers into a specific brand of cartridges and e-liquid.

Vaptio’s new C-Flat pod mod system brings the all-in-one pod setup to modern vapers with a unique, “love it or hate it” design, a fair amount of power, and a refillable cartridge system that might help distinguish the C-Flat on crowded shelves. Does it do the trick? For the most part, yes – but anyone considering a pod mod system like this should read on.

Much like the name implies, the C-Flat is an elongated pen-style vaporizer, flat on the top and bottom, which brings to mind a whistle or pipe more than it does a vape device. But, despite the odd shape and hard angles, the C-Flat feels surprisingly good in the hands, and the mouth.

When opening the box, the C-Flat comes in pieces, to help new users see how to take it apart, fill it, and ultimately clean the device. In three snaps, the C-Flat is ready to go, charged right out of the box. All you need is the e-liquid – which, unlike most pod systems – are refillable with your own juice!

The cartridges are small and translucent, and stay comfortably out of the way when installed. However, I would have appreciated a much clearer view of e-liquid levels, since 1.5mL doesn’t go very far when used in the C-Flat’s direct lung mode.

Yes, that’s right, this pod mod wants to vape with the big boys. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but in an effort to broaden the C-Flat’s target audience, Vaptio added an adjustable airflow setting that lets users choose between MTL and direct lung hits.

But this isn’t a switch, kids. After an hour of trying to adjust the buttons and mouthpiece, I realized the cryptic instructions were telling me to physically turn over the C-Flat mod, which somehow is supposed to change how air flows through the device body. (Want a “tl;dr?” – it doesn’t.)

Incidentally, the instructions also imply that pressing the small fire key upwards or downwards would affect MTL vs. direct lung hits. (tl;dr – it doesn’t.)

Finally, there’s a top- (or bottom-) positioned USB charge port with 5V power, which boasts a complete charge of the onboard 350mAh battery in roughly an hour. (tl;dr – it DOES!)

After snapping together the individual parts, I attempted to fill the diminutive cartridge through its tiny fill port. If you have slender tips for your liquid bottles, this is where you want to use them. Do you remember the days of filling tanks and cartomizers with syringes?

If so, you’re about to have a VERY nostalgic trip down memory lane, because even today’s standard unicorn tips proved problematic when topping off the cartridges.

Once filled, the cartridge snaps right into place. No priming, soaking or waiting – it’s ready to vape. In fact, that’s the vibe for the C-Flat as a whole. There’s no menus, no upgrades, no ridiculous finger gymnastics. It’s a simple plug and play setup, with output up to 15 watts, 1.0-ohm resistance for the coils, and a green LED indicator that (unfortunately) doesn’t seem to change colors when battery life depletes. In the grand scheme of modern vaping technology, are yellow and red LEDs really a hold up? I have old eGo pens that nailed down these space-age features – why can’t the C-Flat?

Instead, when battery life dwindles (which it will quite often, with only 350mAh capacity), the C-Flat simply turns itself off – sometimes mid-puff!

That aside, outside of a disposable e-cigarette, there are few vape devices that are easier to use. Press. Puff. Enjoy. Repeat.

The C-Flat provides a surprisingly potent vape experience. Surprising, because I wasn’t expecting such a rush of flavor and vapor from a tiny pod mod. It’s not going to replace my Uwell Valyrian/SMOK ProColor pairing, but in a pinch, the C-Flat can give you a quick cloud fix.

That said, let’s be real – the C-Flat is best-suited for MTL vapers. For starters, the cartridges work better with thinner, PG-heavy e-liquids. While I did use some max VG liquid for testing the cartridges and coils – and it DID perform adequately. But the goodwill ended quickly, after having to refill juice every 10 puffs.

Instead, I recommend higher nicotine concentrations, and lower consumption through a MTL style of vaping. Though the instructions indicate there are two “modes” depending on which way you hold the C-Flat device, all this does is redirect airflow. It’s certainly looser in “direct lung” mode, but it’s not exactly appropriate for a direct lung vape.

In either position, I found the C-Flat to offer a strong, punchy MTL throat hit, with no discernible difference in vape quality over the course of testing. The flavor was extremely concentrated, regardless of VG or PG composition, and rarely wavered until the battery life became too weak to produce decent flavor.

One major positive for the C-Flat is how comfortable it is to use. The slender “whistle” design fits great in the hand, and is ultra-lightweight and sturdy. And the smooth mouthpiece (in either “configuration”) never spits hot liquid your way, even on repeated hits.

Unfortunately, this will happen a lot. The 350mAh battery (and 1ml cartridge capacity) is simply too small to make the C-Flat an all-day device. Under regular use, vapers will spend most of their days either filling or charging.

Though the Vaptio C-Flat is small, it’s also somewhat hollow feeling, making me wonder if Vaptio could have gotten a little more ambitious with its battery selection. I could swear I had a cig-a-like with 500mAh, more than four years ago.

And, in an annoying decision, the C-Flat has passthrough capability, but doesn’t indicate if the mod can be used any modern USB cable, rather than the stupidly short, useless one that comes in the box. What’s the point of having a passthrough if you have to bend over to vape it, even from a foot away?

In short, the vape quality is pretty darn good. The functionality and capacity? Well, it needs work.

I’m admittedly late to the pod mod party, but I feel like the Vaptio C-Flat is the product of too many ideas and not enough execution. It offers good flavor, and has the wonderful option to use your own e-liquid. Heck, it can even handle thicker, VG-heavy juices in certain capacities.

Honestly, based on the specs, I should have loved the C-Flat more. But after constantly charging and refilling the system – even after conservative use – I found it to be more of a nuisance than enjoyable.  Casual vapers, transitioning smokers, and those who enjoy pod systems should definitely give the Vaptio C-Flat a try. But avid vapers accustomed to better performance and longevity will likely have the same results as me.

Score: B-