Today we are going wayyy back, in vaping terms I am talking centuries (almost a whole year), with a device that to all intents and purposes could have been designed by a child. By saying that, I am not saying it’s a piece of shit, nor am I saying that designing mods is easy, I am simply saying that if someone gave crayons to a child and asked them to draw a picture of ‘one of those adult vaping things’…this is what they would probably draw…despite how inappropriate that request would be…which is probably why it’s been sat at the back of the drawer waiting for me to one day go poking around, stumble across it’s uninspiring packaging, and this time …actually open it…
You see…as a reviewer, you keep your eye out for that ‘latest thing’ …or at least something innovative, a half decent USP that sets it apart from the rest - you have to keep it fresh and at least make the effort to make it interesting for people. But occasionally you come across a piece of treasure, yes it’s old…but damn…it’s really good…and there’s a chance it may have just slipped you by,… So…here I am, thrusting it with complete irrational abandon…back onto the stage, to get down with it’s funky bad self…once again…
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Welcome once more my foggy little funk muffins, back again with what I can only describe as a ‘throwback’ …and I don’t mean I’m about to throw it back in the drawer. Today’s device is one which hit the shelves almost a whole year ago, and although it was reviewed by practically everyone…it has slowly sunk into the oversaturated sea of dual battery box mods, in favour of ‘new and exciting innovation’…not always a good thing as I’m sure you’re aware (cough-LED lights-cough)…I mean who would have thought ‘voice control’ would be a thing…but here we are…SO…what do we have today then?..Well, something which is about as generic as can possibly be…courtesy of my partners in crime Gearbest, I ‘remind’ you…of the Aleader Funky 160 TC Box Mod…
‘If it aint broke…don’t fix it’
The Lowdown
The Aleader Funky 160 is a dual 18650 powered 160w box mod. It is kept in check by Aleader’s own chip that deals with all the witchcraft and fuckery, boasting a full TC suite with settings for all your usual wires etc etc, no curve modes or TCR settings, but like I will keep saying…it’s generic, it does however have 3 ‘hit’ settings with a soft option, normal…or Powerful. It is constructed primarily of highly polished stainless with swirly resin interchangeable panels on each side, held in place by four magnets…well…mine is resin, apparently now they’re stab wood…guess I lucked out on that score…
On the front you will find a beautiful raised but flush fire button…
This I believe is the best of both worlds, the button surround is raised which makes it easy to find with your finger or thumb, yet the button is flush so you won’t be firing it in your pocket…it also has the perfect amount of clickyness…I like this button…
Controls are dealt with via 2 further buttons underneath, in exactly the place you would expect to find them…however…they don’t do exactly…what you would expect them to do…
Navigating your way around the Funky is slightly different to what you will be used to - not in such a way that you will stare at it open mouthed feeling like a newborn baby who has just been given a brand new iPad to play with…
But when I tell you that 3 clicks of the fire button will not put you into the menu…but will instead lock it, and accessing the different modes is done by holding the up and down button together for a couple of seconds…then you get the gist. It’s not complicated, it’s just different, and a quick read of the manual might feel completely alien to the male population amongst you, but you will benefit from it greatly…so…do that…
The interior of the Funky is super clean, nothing exposed at all, just a staggered battery sled with clear labels for positive and negative…I like this battery sled…
And yet again, those magnificent bastards at Cell Mate have provided the power with a pair of Samsung 25R’s…makes a change from my VTC5A’s, but seeing as these are the batteries I was probably using when this mod was originally released…it seems quite fitting, they do the job admirably and currently Cell Mate are selling them for £3.49 ea, case included, and with free express shipping on orders over £20…they are more than worth a gander for a wealth of different batteries, chargers, wraps etc etc, all at very good prices, find these bats here…
Samsung 25R 18650 batteries @ £3.49ea
Around the back we have huuuge vents on either side of the debossed ‘Aleader’ logo…so big in fact, you can clearly see the battery through them…but regardless of how big they are…I like these battery vents…
On the top we have a slightly recessed 510 and catch cup, which will take up to a 25mm top, and whilst the curvature of the body would normally cause a bit of overhang at the front…they have dealt with that by including a lip…nice touch…
I like this 510…
As far as performance goes, for me personally it’s perfect. I don’t use TC - apparently it works really well (shrugs) …but for straight wattage shooters such as myself, INSTANT firing, and with the Funky claiming to only push 160w from it’s dual 18650’s…I have absolutely no reason to doubt that claim, it’s more than enough for 95% of vapers…it’s almost…‘sensible’…That being said…if TC is your thing and you need to know the ins and outs of its capabilities, then I highly recommend you take a gander at the wealth of Youtube reviewers who have already had their technologically capable hands on one…Up, Down and Fire…is pretty much all I need…although I would be happy to see the back of .1 increments if I’m honest…
The display is a larger than average OLED affair, and it is almost greedy with information. Everything is on there, but try as I might to take a picture of it for you…it just kept lining out (I was using my phone)…so I pilfered this pic instead…
I think whoever took that pic…needs to sort their batteries out…just sayin…but you get the idea…I still like this display…
The side panels are made exceptionally well, the fit and finish is really superb. It also has a really soft feel to it - not polished like some, which almost feel rubbery - only adding to the hand feel of the Funky. The choice of replacement panels is extraordinary should you manage to find a place that still sells them - I did look on Aleader’s website, but for reasons unknown the website was acting all…Funky. I can tell you that they normally go for about $10 a pair, which seems about right to me…
The Specs
Power Output: 5W-160W
Battery: 2 x 18650 Batteries (Not Included)
Dimensions: 54mm x 26.7mm x 88mm
Resistance Range in Wattage Mode: 0.1 - 3.0 Ohms
Resistance Range in Temperature Control Mode: 0.05-1.0Ohms
Temperature Control Range: 200°F-600°F (93°C-315°C)
I like this specs list…
Final Thoughts
My final thought on the Aleader Funky 160 box mod would be…
I like this box mod.
I could just leave it there…but that would be shit. Truth is…there is nothing I do not like about it, the thing is utterly generic in every way, and there are mods which have come since that do exactly the same, look similar, do more…yet…for me, this is enough. The build quality is…well…there’s nothing wrong with that either - I can’t find a flaw, nothing rattles, everything fits as it should…what else is there to say about that?..It’s built really really well.
Performance wise…yeah…same, if you’re a wattage vaper you will be nothing but impressed with the speed it fires at or its power claims. Something I haven’t mentioned yet…is its frankly unfathomable battery life - I think it surpasses every other dual battery mod I own in that respect…TC vapers won’t be disappointed either though (apparently)…it’s not that I don’t care, I try and force the ‘care’ into my tiny tech retarded skull…but my ‘wattage only’ brainpan just rejects the notion…every time…
I think what it boils down to is this…if you’re looking for a solid, well performing, dual battery box mod with resin or stab wood accents…I can see no reason why you wouldn’t consider the Aleader Funky 160. It does exactly what it says on the tin, yet does it really…really well…they didn’t reinvent the wheel with the Funky, they just gave us exactly what we asked for…and on that basis, I can highly recommend this device to practically everyone…I mean even the price is completely generic…
The Price
Now…I see this as a pretty good indicator to the quality of the product. Bear in mind that this has been on the market for around 9 or 10 months…yet the price…hasn’t dropped, like…at all…so what would you expect to pay for a device like this?..If someone asked me that question without knowing anything about it, I would probably say between £60 and £70…well it’s slightly less than that…
At time of writing, Gearbest, a company not known for high prices…currently have the stab wood version of the Funky on sale for £49.31 / $67.95 …I think for what you get…that is bang on the nail…find that deal here…
Aleader Funky 160 Stab Wood TC Box Mod
I like this price…and I like the stab wood options…
Like I said at the beginning of the review…‘if it aint broke…don’t fix it’ …and I think this has never rung more true than with the Aleader Funky. It’s a tried and true formula that has been done to an amazing standard…and one that won’t break the bank either…it’s just…really nice to use.
Enjoy your little revisit to the spotlight you little funky freak…you absolutely deserve it.
As ever, the doors over at Steampugs are always open should you wish to see how this funky little device scored against other bits of awesome vapeology, and while you’re there you will also find a plethora of reviews from the steam team as well as a shop choc full of highly discounted vape gear.
Until next time
Pugs.
…Thats off Aleaders site too lol…
much appreciated 🖒
