What’s up vapefam!
SirRisc here with another gear review!
Sometimes when you get a device, it just clicks. It just works. It just feels right.
You suddenly have everything you want in that one mod, and you’re sure you will never need another mod again. (Who are you kidding? You’ll be ordering another mod in a week.)
I had the same idea when I first got hold of the IPV D2. It’s lovely.
This IPV D2 was sent to me for the purpose of this review by Gearbest.com!
Premise.
A good while back I decided it was time for me to start hiking again, enjoying the peace of being away from the city.
I love going hiking, getting lost and just enjoying the moment but a good vape is part of that experience now, and considering I do enjoy a more powerful vape I used to carry around my Sigelei 100W+ a lot of the time.
However carrying around a dual 18650 mod was becoming a hassle, especially because it fairly heavy and very bulky.
So I set out to find another mod that would give me at least 60W or more, on a single 18650, something that was easy to pocket.
Enter the IPV D2… a tiny single 18650 powered mod, capable of 75W and temperature control.
Specifications.
- YiHi SX130H chip
- Single 18650 battery
- 1V to 8V or 7W to 75W, or in TC mode 5J to 50J
- 1A to 25A output current
- 1.3A to 30A input current
- 0.2ohm to 3ohm in power mode, 0.05ohm to 0.3ohm in TC mode
- Supports both Ni200 and Ti01 wire in TC mode!
- Temperature range: 200 to 580 °F or 100 to 300 °C
- Sliding batterycover
- Comes with a silicone sleeve
Packaging.
The packaging is simple and fairly plain, which doesn’t mean the box isn’t stocked with all the good stuff.
In fact, inside the box you won’t just find the mod. It also has a special charging cable which you can use to connect to USB, and the other end using a 3.5mm barrel connector to the mod.
There’s also a silicone sleeve for the mod included, in plain matte black. The silicone sleeve feels very grippy and has a velvetlike touch to it.
A very comprehensive user manual and a warranty card are also included underneath the foam insert that holds the mod.
A couple of photos…
Performance.
The IPV series have been very popular in the past, and the IPV D2 will continue that heritage without problem in my opinion.
Though it’s small and doesn’t look like much, the IPV D2 can provide you with a whopping 75W in powermode, or temperature control mode with either Ni200 or Ti01 wire and a max of 50 Joules of power.
And all of that in such a tiny little mod… Holy shit.
Now before you go off in a tangent about batterylife, the IPV D2 has been really impressive in that regard.
I’ve found that the mod really shines in TC mode when it comes to batterylife, and that a single Samsung 25R could last me the entire day and then some.
In powermode and max power (75W) it lasted me about 20 hours, which is impressive enough comparing it to its older brother (sister?), the IPV Mini II.
Let’s dig a little deeper, shall we?
The mod turns on with 5 clicks of the powerbutton and shows you the P4U logo and then IPV D2 on the screen.
On the next screen you’ll see the poweroutput, the batterystatus, the resistance of your atomiser and if in TC mode the temperature at which it will limit.
Switching between powermode and TC mode is as easy as clicking the powerbutton 5 times again, which will take you into the menu.
The menu is built as follows: System Off, Joule Mode/Power Mode, Unit C° / Unit F°, Temp, Coil Ni200 / Coil Ti01, Exit On
To select an option, you simply press the UP button and then confirm by pressing the powerbutton.
It takes a bit of getting used to, but it does work very well.
As I mentioned, the IPV D2 has a TC mode, also known as Joule Mode, which works with both Ni200 and Ti01 wire.
This means you can use temperature control without having to resort to the pain in the ass that is known as Ni200.
Ti01, titanium, works more like Kanthal A1 does in terms of building, and will have less of an odd taste to it.
I’ve been using the same Ti01 build for 3 weeks now and it’s still looking pristine (I avoid coilgunking juices), and has survived at least 3 rewicking sessions.
With Ni200 builds, once the wick was gone so was the coil. It was less than desireable.
In powermode, where you can use wattage to set your power as well as Joule, the mod performs quite alright too.
It’s not because the mod only sports a single 18650 that the power has to suffer.
One thing to keep in mind is that the IPV D2 does not have stepdown in power mode, which is a problem if you use low resistances.
For example if you have a 0.2ohm coil and want to vape it at 30W, the mod should be putting out 2.45V according to Ohms Law.
However due to the lack of stepdown it will output 3.4V which is equal to nearly 58W… quite a difference with the 30W you’ve set.
Obi’s Dampfer Sofa, a German version of PBusardo, has made this painfully obvious in his video which included this chart.
Chart.
Something I’ve heard say often already is that the mod does have a bit of a “helicoptering” effect in TC mode, which is unfortunately true though very minimal.
In the 4 builds I’ve had on this mod I have only experienced the effect once, which was when my battery started running low.
Aesthetics.
In terms of form and size, the IPV D2 will be very hard to beat in my opinion.
It’s so damn small that I almost lose it in my pocket sometimes.
Regardless of its size though, the mod is very ergonomically shaped.
Along the back there’s a slight indentation that fits your hand perfectly, and the buttons have been placed so that they’re easy to reach whether you’re firing with your thumb or your indexfinger.
The mod comes in a matte black finish that is slightly too fragile for such an easily pocketable mod. I’ve heard and seen complaints about the paint chipping off, though I haven’t experienced this myself.
The silicone sleeve may be a solution there, I tend to use it constantly to keep the mod protected.
A few more photos…
Pros and Cons.
Pro.
- Small, tiny, little, not big, …
- Powerful
- YiHi chip performs like a beast
- Good batterylife
- Ni200 and Ti01 support
- Joule mode
- Silicone sleeve
- Springloaded 510
Con.
- Paint chips off with some people
- Resistance lock needs to be reset sometimes
- Batterycover can get a bit loose, need to “clamshell” it
- Silicone sleeve is hard to put on/take off
- Display is hard to read when dimmed in sunlight
In conclusion.
The IPV D2 is the more than worthy successor to the IPV Mini II, and it’s probably the best upgrade I’ve seen so far.
It’s small formfactor makes it very easy to carry around, and the 75W of power is plenty to run modern tanks, RTAs and even drippers.
The mod looks great, feels great and performs great, despite being a single 18650 powered mod.
The batterylife isn’t spectacular when you’re running it at full power, but at somewhat lower power it lasts for the entire day.
The IPV D2 has been my favorite mod to take along when I’m out and about in the woods, and it has yet to dissapoint.
In my humble opinion one of the better, if not best, mods of 2015!
In closing I would like to thank Gearbest.com for sending me the IPV D2 for review!
And of course all of you who read my reviews, thank you very much!
I’m always looking for more opportunities to review! Do you think your stuff has what it takes? Get in touch!
I can be reached on my website, via DM on Instagram, on the Facebook page, via DM on Reddit, or via DM on ELR.
#staycloudy !
SirRisc disappears in a cloud of pear scented vapor
