Eleaf iStick Rim with Melo 5 Tank
The new iStick Rim and Melo 5 Tank is the latest kit from Eleaf. A quick rundown on the device is that it is an 80W Max Output, with the newer EC-S and EC-M coil heads as well as Quick Charge, USB 3.0. It has an internal 3000mAh battery. The display is comparable to the older iStick models, such as the 30W as well as the Joyetech Espion Silk. It’s a pretty basic display type, nothing fancy, but one that has definitely worked for years now as far as usability. This kit was provided to my by Eleaf for the purpose of this review.
Kit Contents:
1* iStick Rim Battery
1* MELO 5 Atomizer
1* EC-S 0.6ohm Head
1* EC-M 0.15ohm Head
1* QC3.0 USB Cable
2* User Manuals
Spare Parts
Aesthetics
The very first thing that hits you with the Rim is the gloss. It’s like watermelon roller-ball gloss status. It’s deliciously shiny due to the new IML (In Molding Label) which was also used in the iStick Mix, quite beautifully I might add. I know that the IML does a stellar job at physically protecting the outer layers of the mod itself, but on the Rim, it seems like my fingerprints are somewhat…exacerbated. I left some prints on there strictly for effect. It’s not as visible on the metallic accents as the IML black sides. The screen is the basic 0.69" OLED that we have to come to see in other Eleaf devices.
One thing I like that they have kept to some degree is those metallic/chrome looking accent pieces. My firing button on my iStick 30W is still going strong, not a scrape or scratch to the firing button at all. While the older 30W models boasted a square, small, quite frankly odd firing button, the Rim has a larger oval shaped firing button. Exploiting the ergonomics, I love it. It’s comfy, it really is, but not as clicky as I would have hoped. I can’t be the only one getting some really strange satisfaction out of a super-clicky firing button, it’s like ‘oh yeah, this will click pretty much forever’. The firing button here just doesn’t quite depress that way, it utilizes the top portion of the firing button and makes no use of the bottom half. It ends up feeling almost sticky, although it isn’t.
Branding on the iStick models are always pretty similar, with the same Eleaf logo, as well as the model iStick displayed, pretty subtle as they usually do. Some pretty noticeable differences on the Rim are the 510 connector plate, which is similar in design to older models with the four grooves, but the circular inlay that encompasses the 510 connector is a little different. For the Melo 5 Tank specifically, it looks fantastic. On the other hand, using a 24mm RDA makes it pretty noticeable that there is a heavy gap. The gap occurs due to the inlay changing to a protruding circular design that goes around the top rim of the mod. Beyond a 24mm Atomizer is pushing the limits of what would look acceptable on the Rim if not using the Melo 5 Tank.
The bottom of the mod is the same metallic finish with 12 vent holes, 6 on each side along with the Type C Connector port. I am much more of a fan of the side-port connectors as the bottom ones force you to remove the Atomizer unless you can finagle it between things to stand it upright, without putting any stress on the cord or connector itself.
Spec-a-roos
Size: 30.336.0133.0mm
Weight: 187.4g
E-liquid Capacity: 4ml/2ml
Battery Capacity: 3000mAh
Output Wattage: 80W max
Resistance Range: 0.05-3.0Ω
Colors: Rainbow, Wildness, Macaron, E-Green, Darkness, Maze
Melo 5 Tank
The Melo 5 is just the latest in a long line of Melo’s. Remember Lemo’s? I sure do. The Lemo Drop was a fantastic single (tiny) coil RTA with a long drip tip that played with fruit and menthol flavors so well. The Melo 5 is an updated version of the Melo series that utilizes the Silicone wraps to protect the bubble glass portion of the tank. Some new features of the Melo 5 are the AFC, which has the option to change from a long inlet to several small holes, similar in shape and size to what a Subtank could offer. You can really close the AFC down when using the EC-S 0.6ohm coils for a flavorful session, or open it wide and airy for use with the EC-M 0.15ohm coil heads. The tank itself is a top-fill, and uses a small silicone stopper to push the e-liquid through. The older Eleaf models used a silicone top-fill, but with a hole in which to insert the e-liquid. The newest top-fill uses a slit in the silicone, preventing any unnecessary bubble-ups or spill-overs.
The Atomizer base of the Melo 5 can be carefully unscrewed to hold the E-liquid in the bubble glass itself, while closing off the wicking holes that only fully open up once the glass is screwed onto the base and tightened down. This makes it so that you can change out the coil without losing your entire tank of E-liquid, or at least don’t have to turn the glass and top portion upside down to unscrew. One thing that needs to be said with this tank is that to fully open the wicking holes, the base needs to be attached firmly and tightened as much as possible without enough force to physically break any part of it. That way, the wicking holes are fully opened. The Drip Tip of the Melo 5 is the 510 size, probably in order to not overwhelm the design as it is a bit slimmer in style.
Specs:
Diameter: 28mm(4ml)/26.5mm(2ml)
Height:57.3mm
Weight: 65.5g
E-liquid capacity: 4ml/2ml
Colors: Black, Silver
Drip Tip: 510
EC-S 0.6ohm Coil:
The EC-S is a SS316L coil head which is rated for about 15-30W, and can use the Dry-Burn protection feature on the mod, even though the Rim doesn’t really have a TC option, it has a ‘sort of’ option when using this specific coil type. The Dry-Burn protection only works below 30W, and will engage if the tank is below 10% filled.
I found this coil was best used at around 33-35W, maintaining a steady ramp up and considerable flavor output. The airflow needs to be a little restrictive using this coil, or the flavor seems to get lost on a wider airflow. The cotton is thicker in the EC-S and definetly seems to puff up more when primed than the EC-M coil. It was certainly the more flavorful coil out the options that came with the Melo 5 Tank, and it outperformed the EC-M coil quite a bit.
EC-M 0.15ohm Coil:
This coil is the more basic mesh type coil packed into a small coil body. The cotton on this coil is extremely thin, much thinner than on the EC-S, my guess is so that it can handle the quicker ramp up without singeing the cotton. The new porous cotton wicks really well, sucking in juice as soon as it is primed, but this cotton went dry well before it could really wick in the tank. The EC-M is rated for30-75W, but it fell short of that 75W rather quickly. This coil did provide a really nice, warm vape up until about 56-59W, and then it was simply trying to keep up with wicking. You could hear the e-liquid just fizzling out with the mesh, and not enough cotton to keep that thirsty coil saturated. The EC-S was the clear winner out of the two in terms of straight up flavor and performance.
Notable Features:
Atomizer Protection (10 Second Cutoff)
Short Circuit Protection
Low Voltage Protection (device powers off at 3.3V)
Dry Burn Protection (under 30W and using EC-S coil head)
Final Thought
The iStick Rim is a pretty great no-frills device. It makes use of some great Tank features as well as Type C Charging, which will give a full charge in under 40 minutes, 30 minutes if you’re me and don’t let that battery get too low. It doesn’t have TC, but can still offer the protection regarding Dry Burn when using the SS316L EC-S coils. It still boasts all of the protections we have come to be used to on most regulated devices, in a compact little device. The weight is a little odd for me personally, it seems more top heavy, and ready to topple although it’s only happened once. The real winner with the Rim is the EC-S coils, full of flavor and a nice thick wicking to accommodate. Is it the best iStick model? Ask me in a couple years. The best model is the one that lasts. As for right now, I am pretty darn satisfied. The 3000mAh battery gives me about a day with my normal wattage and a different atomizer. The battery life will certainly be a plus for anyone utilizing this mod under 60W.
