Smok Nord 2 Review – Better than the original
I didn’t like the original Smok Nord. It just didn’t hit the right spot for me (metaphorically as well as actually). The all new Smok Nord 2 on the other hand has casually moved into being one of my favourite devices.
There’s quite a few reasons for that including variable wattage, an OLED screen, an upgraded chipset and a bigger battery, but before I jump into those let’s get some numbers out of the way.
Box Contents
- 1 x SMOK Nord 2 Device
- 1 x RPM Pod (RPM 0.4ohm Coil Preinstalled)
- 1 x Nord 2 Pod (Nord 0.8ohm Coil Preinstalled)
- 1 x USB Cable
- 1 x User Manual
Specifications
- 95mm x 30.5mm x 20mm
- IQ-N Chipset
- 1500mAh Battery
- 4.5ml Pod Capacity
- 0.69” OLED Display
- Variable Wattage
- 40W Max. Output Wattage
- Button Activated Firing
- Micro-USB Charging
Body and Build
On an initial impression you might think that the Nord 2 is very similar to its predecessor but on a closer inspection, it’s quite different and that’s a good thing. The Nord 2 is edgier, slightly taller and thicker but feels great in the hand. I’m guessing the 0.69″ OLED and 1500mAh battery have a lot to do with the increase in size.
I got the ‘7 Colour Oil’ version for myself and it’s a great combination of colors. It’s attractive to look at for sure but the ‘Smok quality’ begins to show when you place it in a bag or a pocket with some keys. A few days of keeping it in my bag with my keys and the screen looks had huge scratches on it. They don’t hinder the view of the display but still I wish Smok would spend a bit more on the protective glass on the size or maybe include a screen protector.
The power button on the device is clickier than its predecessor and has a nice bright light in it which is visible in most scenarios. Both pods in the box fit extremely snug but the fill plug is also extremely tight and i ended up tearing the first one I tried to open. Not saying this is a problem but maybe just be careful if you end up getting one for yourself.
Pods and Battery
Now the Nord 2 comes with two pods. First up is the RPM Pod (0.4 ohm coil) which is for DTL vaping. Even though the RPM is a mesh coil, flavour is good but not as good as I was expecting. That being said, I don’t really care for DTL vaping, so this didn’t really make a big difference to my life. Next up is the Nord Pod (0.8 ohm coil) and it was an absolute pleasure vaping on this pod. Flavour is great and it isn’t a tight hit but thats not an issue for me. The mouthpiece on the pods is extremely comfy too. Its a little ‘sharper’ compared to the pods of the original Smok Nord but are much comfier.
The coils come preinstalled in the pods and need a bit of a pull to be removed. This tight fit and the earlier mentioned tight fill plug lead to almost no leakage. Over two weeks of use, I might have found a few drops of juice only once or twice.
Battery life is spectacular on the Nord 2. The 1500mAh batterys is about 400mAh bigger than the Nord and is a welcome addition. Now I mostly used the Nord Pod and got an easy two+ days from the device with a refill in between too. So that’s about 9ML of juice over 2 days.
Daily Use
In my daily use, I had almost no issues with the Smok Nord 2. The variable wattage is a fantastic addition to the updated version of the device. The single button control wasn’t the best when you have to click a whole load of times to reach your desired wattage but not the biggest issue. I primarily used the Nord pod at about 15W and once I found my sweet spot, I barely had to toggle the button.
Now the diplay also shows your puffs but if you remove the pod without switching off the devices, you lose that puff count. Again not important to me but if you’re a stickler about your puff count, you’ll need to be careful of the same.
On the overall, the Nord 2 is a great pod device and gives performance which would make box vapers question their choices. While it has it’s niggles, they are incomparible to the great vaping experience the Smok Nord 2 provides.