The vape industry is filled with trends. From touchscreens to lightshows to Flappy Bird, it seems like Mods have gone through some rapid-fire changes over the years. But the WISMEC Luxotic Squonk Box Kit might have two of my favorites – Resin and Squonking.

It’s no secret that these two trends are becoming more popular, and I think the Luxotic will only continue that trend. Because, while this diminutive, unregulated (well, “semi-regulated”) bottom-feed Vape Mod has some drawbacks for newcomers, the flavor and performance simply can’t be denied.

Let’s take a closer look at the WISMEC Luxotic to see if it warrants your attention.

Gorgeous. Simply [EXPLETIVE] gorgeous. Resin (or Resin-like) materials are popular for a reason, and this is on full display with the Luxotic. The hypnotic honeycomb pattern on my test Model grabbed my attention from the moment I opened the low-key packaging.

Of course, these types of materials are usually “one of a kind” so you should probably do your homework before laying down the cash. But we’re also confident that WISMEC is dedicated to offering customers equally beautiful devices, so we wouldn’t stress too hard about buying a Luxotic online, either. Especially since the Resin plates are interchangeable, and available for purchase.

The rest of the body is made of well-machined aluminum, creating a nice contrast between the bold colors and the understated side sections. Overall, this contrast made for an extremely attractive little device.

After you’re done surveying the eye candy, the next thing that will jump at you is how compact and tiny this mechanical Box really is. At just under 77mm tall and 43mm wide, the Luxotic Squonk Box is shockingly small and palm-friendly. I’ve seen compact Squonkers before, but never one this portable.

Even the included Tobhino bottom-feeding RDA is extremely shallow, even though it still has decent juice capacity and build deck space. In fact, despite its compact size, the Luxotic Squonk Box still has a solid 25.2mm of depth, so most Modern BF-RDAs will fit without overhang.

Removing the Tobhino reveals a standard, spring-loaded 510 connection that is pretty solid-looking, and didn’t present any issues during testing, regardless of which RDA I had attached.

One notable design choice is the inclusion of a separate magnetic door to contain the 7.5mL Squonk bottle. While you can also access the bottle via the removable back panel/battery door, the convenient “trap door” is effective for frequent refills. I only wish the door was attached by a hinge, because I’m pretty sure I’ll drop and lose this tiny piece within the next two weeks.

Finally, the back panel/battery door is also magnetic, and holds itself in place well, even when pocketed.

As a (mostly) Mechanical Mod, the Luxotic doesn’t have much of a story to tell here. The Mod has a maximum output of 100 watts, driven entirely off the power from a single 18650 battery. Depending on the resistance of your build, the Mod will generate the necessary power to heat and vape your coils.

The Luxotic has protection measures in place – similar to devices like the Noisy Cricket – meaning beginners can approach this Squonk Box Kit with relative confidence. But, with no displays, LED lights or other measures in place, the Luxotic (and any mechanical vape Mod, for that matter) is probably best left to more advanced users.

[NOTE: In the Luxotic Kit preview, I erroneously wrote that an LED light ring surrounded the fire button. This is not the case, however. Protection measures are built into the circuitry, but no warnings will be provided in case of problems.]

Other than that, most of the Luxotic’s operations come from the physical parts. The clicky, aluminum fire key has a nice throw to it, and responds well to firm presses, but is stiff enough to pocket without much worry of firing inadvertently.

Likewise, both of the included Squonk bottles are a bit stiff as well. But they broke in quickly, allowing users to refill their decks with ease. I felt my preferred trigger grip was probably the best way to use the Luxotic, with my ring finger sliding naturally into the front-positioned bottle opening.

All in all, the simplicity was refreshing, even if the nervous guy in me wanted a little more reassurance that the Luxotic was operating safely.

Just like I wrote in the preview, the included Tobhino RDA is tiny. Really tiny. It’s expectedly shallow, so expect to refill your juice wells quite often. And it’s oddly shaped, with a strange “tiered” structure that narrows as it gets closer to the mouthpiece.

I’m used to deeper juice wells in our standard BF-RDAs and wasn’t used to squeezing as frequently as I did here. But I quickly found it became second nature, since the Squonk action was so effortless.

The one drawback to having such a shallow RDA is that there is a very small distance between your lips and the coils, meaning any excess liquid or uneven coil builds can result in scorching spitback right in your mouth. I was extra careful to build and wick appropriately, to avoid this problem, but there was definitely some close calls with fresh cotton.

The primary BENEFIT to this shallow format is that the flavor is about as vibrant and intense as any device out there. Whereas some cloud-chucking RDAs offer plenty of gap to ensure massive vapor production, the Tobhino RDA is all about flavor. The clouds are still there, and they’re awesome – but make no mistake, this is a flavor-focused Squonk setup, and it works famously.

In fact, I found myself revisiting lots of my older juices – liquids I had abandoned a while back in favor of bolder flavors. And I was floored by how nuanced and deep some of those forgotten liquids really were.

As a mech Mod, there isn’t much to report here. There are no settings, no controls, no temperature control functionalities, and no warnings. Save for the Squonk functionality, the Luxotic is about as stripped down a device as we’ve seen in a while.

But maybe that’s the point. As devices become more elaborate, and require advanced engineering degrees to operate, there is a romantic charm in filling, firing and enjoying the Luxotic Kit. The “quick release” bottle access makes it simple to refill and reset the Mod for more use.

That is, if you’re getting decent battery life. If you tend to build low resistance coils, the Luxotic becomes MUCH more power-hungry, and the single-18650 setup simply can’t keep up for very long. Using a relatively low 0.15-ohm build, I barely eked out an hour of Moderate vaping before there was a noticeable loss in power. And before long, the Luxotic simply stopped firing.

Using a more conservative 0.75-ohm setup, I immediately noticed the Luxotic lowered its output accordingly, and the resulting vape had a little less punch, but the battery life improved significantly.

Also keep in mind that the Luxotic does not have any USB port for onboard charging. So if you plan to take it out for the evening, make sure you either have extra batteries, or a higher-resistance coil that requires less power per puff.

But, regardless of build, the Luxotic continued to offer fast ramping draws and near-flawless flavor, thanks to the Tobhino RDA. Even the stiff Squonk bottles – a concern of mine in the preview – softened enough to allow for easy one-handed operation, and created a nice vacuum action that allowed the shallow deck to fill quickly.

At the end of the day, I wish the Luxotic Kit was SOME kind of readout for this semi-mechanical gem, just to reassure my nerves. But the device never once gave me any cause for concern. It simply worked as intended, with no excessive heat, no leaks, no misfires and no issues. As a mech, I can’t recommend it for newcomers, but advanced vapers seeking flavorful simplicity will find an awful lot to like about the WISMEC Luxotic Resin Squonk Box Kit.

Luxotic Mod score: A-

Tobhino RDA score: A

Kit score: A

WISMEC Luxotic Resin Squonk Box specs:

• Comes in honeycomb Resin, swirled Resin and lumo green honeycomb Resin, interchangeable panels
• Wattage max: 100W
• Temp max: 145c on charge and 60c in use
• Dimensions: 43.2 x 25.1 x 76.7 mm
• 5 ml Squonk capacity
• Spring loaded 510
• Runs on a high rate 18650
• Mod base, convenient bottle change panel
• weighs 124.6 g

WISMEC Luxotic Resin Squonk Box contents:

• WISMEC Luxotic Squonk Box Mod
• WISMEC Tobhino BF RDA
• 2 x 0.18-ohm Clapton coils
• Extra 7.5 ml BF bottle
• 810 drip-tip
• Spares and optional decorative ring
• User manuals