At the time of this writing, I JUST finished writing a review of the iJOY Avenger, which looked like Iron Man, and had questionable voice control features. (“Jarvis” it was not…) So, when thinking about testing a mod designed like a flippin’ BAT, I was hesitant. But the Vaptio Super BAT Mod Kit surprised me.

It’s not perfect and does lack a bit in the innovation department, but other than the illuminated Batman eyes the Super BAT is a solid, no-nonsense, 220-watt vape mod that’s worth some consideration if you’re in the market for a new mid-wattage setup. And if you already own a Spider-Man themed Wallcrawler, you can work closer to completing your Vaptio superhero mod collection.

(MAN, I’m getting tired of superhero references)

At first glance, the Super BAT looks like most every vape mod you’ve seen over the last few years. A large, full-color TFT screen draws the most attention, even though it employs the now-tired “speedometer” look and feel. But it’s bright, easily legible, and displays an abundance of information about your rig without having to hunt for it.

I get the speedometer thing when it comes to race-inspired vape mods. But what is the point of having it here? The themes don’t line up, the speedometer doesn’t actually move/work, and a standard display would have been more appropriate considering the rest of the device looks like the Dark Knight.

My silver and black test model was smooth, solid and well-machined, with no rough edges or imperfections to be found throughout the body. I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer heft of the Super BAT – it’s not unwieldy, but it does inspire a little more confidence than most mods this size. With batteries installed, it’s even heftier – but the rickety battery door might take away that confidence a bit. I didn’t have any issues during testing, but it’s worth watching.

The offset 510 connection is recessed and well-done, but I would have loved to see a little more bounce in the 510 pin, which made it difficult to attach several of my larger tanks and RDAs.

Finally, I don’t normally spend much time discussing button quality, but the fire key and operation buttons on the 220-watt Super BAT are superb – some of the best I’ve seen in a good while. Clicky, responsive and confident, these buttons should last a lot longer than most we’ve seen on newer mods of late. That said, I would have killed for a third button functionality here, but the included firmware is straightforward and easy enough to use.

Let’s talk a little more about the operating system. Thanks to the gorgeous full color screen, it’s pretty easy to click into the menus and navigate your way around. A third button interface would have made it light years easier, but the responsive fire key makes it easier than most.

The only thing that might trip up newcomers is the system’s reliance on the “Back” option in every menu screen, rather than having a click do it for you. Several times I found myself accidentally changing settings, rather than going where I needed to.

But these are minor gripes. Most newcomers and veterans alike will find the menu system attractive and intuitive, easing the Super BAT’s learning curve quite a bit.

Since the Super BAT is so straightforward, the only other notable inclusion in this kit is the Frogman XL tank, which is one of the most polarizing atomizers I’ve ever used. Let me explain.

Using the stock coil system (two of which are included in the kit) the Frogman XL offers tremendous vapor production, but some of the foulest, most sour flavor I’ve ever gotten from a vape device. I have no idea what happened here – it certainly wasn’t burnt or misused – but the Frogman XL simply sucked, no matter how many times I tried to get things right.

However, I learned from other reviewers that the Frogman XL is cross-compatible with several major coil types, including the SMOK Baby Beast coils. (And I have a lot of those lying around.) So I washed out the funk, attached a Baby Beast, juiced it up, and let it rip.

And you know what? It might be the best these SMOK coils have ever tasted. The Frogman XL managed to get flavor for days from these heads, with rich, nuanced tones that I never experienced, even when using them in SMOK’s own tanks. This was a tremendous surprise, and completely changed my view of the Frogman XL overall.

I’ve used the term “straightforward” a few times tonight, but that’s really the best way to describe how the Vaptio Super BAT vapes. Predictability isn’t a good quality in every industry, but vaping is definitely one where reliable performance trumps flash every time.

My only mild concern is that the Super BAT struggled a bit to hit that 220-watt mark using 18650 cells. It wasn’t terribly far off, nor did it get hot, throw a ton of warnings or shut down. It simply lost steam as I climbed the ladder to 220 watts. Draws became limper, vapor was reduced, and it just seemed like it was tapping out once I hit 200. I’d recommend Vaptio reassesses how they market the Super BAT, since it’s not a “true” 220-watt device.

That said, at more moderate wattages, the Super BAT screams! Fast ramping, smooth draws and outstanding power efficiency make this a very strong performer in this category. It’s not going to win any of the superlative awards – “best X” “fastest Y” – but it works consistently well, and doesn’t hurt the experience with quirks or surprises.

The Super BAT also has a standard temperature control suite, which I only dabbled with a little, since the offerings were fairly stock. But I managed to perform all the usual TC functions without much fuss, though the two-button operations made it more fiddly than it probably should be. I don’t know if TC enthusiasts are going to be hot for the Super BAT, but they won’t struggle from using one either.

With the Super BAT, Vaptio has created a smooth, potent, pocket-friendly mod that meets all the standard requirements for a modern vape device. And I think that’s all the company ever set out to do. This isn’t a high-end vape mod. It’s not a true beginner device, either. It simply does what it needs to, with no muss, no fuss, and no extraneous nonsense to get in the way of a solid experience.

Now if we could only lose the Batman design and light-up eyes… until then, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the inevitable Super BAT 2.

Score: B+

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