Mike Huml Picks 2021’s Best Hardware Products

There were numerous innovations introduced in the hardware segment last year.

By Mike Huml

The year is finally over, and 2021 was a rough one. Not just in terms of the vapor industry but for everybody the world over. After a year like that, it’s important to look back and appreciate the successes and accomplishments despite the challenges faced. In particular, the vapor industry has had to bear the burden of federal and state regulations, supply issues, shipping delays and much more. However, even with these new obstacles and the continued plateauing of new vapor technologies, consumers have mostly still been able to access a wide range of quality vaping products thanks to the hard work of advocates and business owners alike.

Now, new opportunities for the future arise. Hurdles and challenges inevitably await, but the vapor industry always weathers the storm. There will always be successes and failures, wins and losses, but at the end of the day, it’s important to reflect upon how far vaping has come in such a short time and remember how human innovation transformed the simplest of circuits—a battery and a resistor—into a life-saving product that changed the world of harm reduction.

Here are my selections for the best vaping products of 2021:

Best Pod System: The Caliburn G2—UWell

The Caliburn series of pod systems from UWell has long been a favorite not only for pod vapers but vapers of all levels. Whether as a daily driver or as a backup or portable alternative, the Caliburn has earned a reputation for being a simple, no-hassle device with easy vapor production, accurate flavor reproduction and a killer analog-accurate throat hit. In 2021, UWell released their follow-up to the popular Caliburn G—the Caliburn G2. The Caliburn G2 features all the things vapers have come to love about the Caliburn G plus a few extras to further improve the experience.

The Caliburn G2 has a larger 750 mAh battery compared to its predecessor’s 690 mAh battery. While this doesn’t provide a huge boost to battery life, any improvement is welcome, especially when it doesn’t translate into a larger device—the Caliburn G2 is virtually the same size as the Caliburn G. Both devices use a USB-C charger for blazing fast charging, and both devices can be charged from empty to full in less than an hour.

The Caliburn G2 also has a larger window for viewing remaining e-liquid, which is ironically made unnecessary due to the innovative haptic feedback system. When a pod runs empty and the user attempts to take a drag, the Caliburn G vibrates to indicate that a fill is needed. Of course, the larger window is still a welcome upgrade that doesn’t detract from any other features. Additionally, each pod now has an airflow adjustment ring on the bottom to allow for a wider range of airflow settings rather than the two fixed options available with the Caliburn G.

The Caliburn G2 continues to use mesh technology in the coils for a quick ramp-up time, more even heating and improved flavor. Many pod systems have trouble wicking too fast or too slow, leading to either weak vapor production or spitback and leaking. The Caliburn G2 does not have these issues whatsoever, and that factors into the user experience in a huge way. Ease of use, excellent performance and new refined features all contribute toward the Caliburn G2’s title as the best pod system of 2021.

Best Starter Kit: Aegis Mini2 and Solo2—Geekvape

These two kits share their accolade of best starter kit because they are virtually identical in terms of what’s included and performance. Aside from a few aesthetic differences, what sets these mods apart from each other are the batteries. The Mini2 features an internal battery while the Solo2 requires an 18650. That being said, with the advent of pod systems and their dominance over the beginner vaping market, the term “starter kit” has evolved to mean a bundle of products that includes all the necessary hardware to get started with a new setup rather than simply a kit for new users.

Geekvape has always provided some of the best value when it comes to the intermediate to advanced market, providing hardy and simple devices with a good range of features at a reasonable price point. The Mini2 and Solo2 kits take Geekvape’s well-loved Aegis aesthetic and apply it to a 100 W mod then add in the Geekvape Z subohm tank for a perfect introduction into subohm vaping and cloud chasing.

These kits naturally come with extra tools and parts as well as a spare replacement coil, but the main attraction of any intermediate kit is the promise that it can provide something that a user can’t find in a pod system. Whether that’s a full day’s battery life, massive clouds of vapor, more customization of the vape experience or an easier way to taper down nicotine levels, many starter kits attempt to provide these features with varying degrees of success.

Geekvape’s Mini2 and Solo2 can provide all these things with minimal hassle and under $60. The mods themselves are water resistant and dustproof with excellent shock protection in case they’re dropped on the ground. While the Solo2 requires an 18650, both devices can be charged with an included USB-C cable. The menu is simple enough to not incur frustration while also serving to introduce users to the common three-button system.

The Geekvape Z tank uses top adjustable airflow, rendering it virtually leak proof. It’s also top-filling and performs almost at the level of any rebuildable worth its salt while providing 5.5 mL of juice capacity. Replacement coils are available in two varieties and are readily available from a multitude of vape shops and online retailers.

There is no single aspect of the Aegis Mini2 or Solo2 that can be singled out as their defining feature. Rather, both kits do everything very well, and that should be the goal of any starter kit. They provide a well-rounded experience that balances features and simplicity, power and size, quality and price point. For anyone wanting to take the next step in vaping, the Aegis Solo2 and Mini2 are the best starter kits of 2021.

Best Rebuildable: Steam Crave Aromamizer Series

Rebuildable atomizers, once the gold standard of vaping quality, have humbly been taking a back seat for the past few years. While simpler and more broadly desired devices have stolen the spotlight, the hobbyist vaper niche market still exists backstage. Any “best of” claim will be disputed by the passionate vaper—each has their own hands-down favorite, and nothing can convince them otherwise. However, when taking everything into account from performance and quality to price and availability, the Aromamizer series of atomizers from Steam Crave stands apart from the rest.

First, the Aromamizer series consists of four different atomizers that range in size from 25 mm to 41 mm in diameter. This means the majority of vapers will be able to find an Aromamizer that perfectly suits their favorite mod. Many varieties are capable of sharing spare parts and build decks, which makes it easy to try new builds without the need for multiple RBAs. Additionally, each Aromamizer can function as either a tank or a dripper. The level of customization is unprecedented.

Next, the Aromamizer is built to the highest quality standards and performs as well as, if not better than, atomizers at twice the price. Steam Crave is the only notable manufacturer that bridges the gap between the notorious $20 clone and the $200 authentic. Depending on which Aromamizer is chosen, the price hovers between $40 for the 25 mm Supreme V3 and $75 for the 41 mm Titan V2. The Aromamizer design is original to Steam Crave and packs all sorts of features into a single package.

In addition to interchangeable build decks, the Aromamizers are top-filling with juice flow control and a wide range of airflow options. Being an RDTA, each deck is built like an RDA rather than many dedicated RTAs that wick completely differently than RDAs and therefore are designed with more restrictive decks.

The latest series of Aromamizers have undergone years of refinement and it definitely shows. Quality and performance aren’t even a question for these RDTAs. But the icing on the cake is price and availability. Many high-end rebuildables are produced at a small scale and can be prohibitively expensive, and because of this, few vendors are willing to risk carrying large quantities of these atomizers for a niche market. It’s too much risk for not enough return, and that can make finding quality rebuildables difficult, even if a vaper is willing to pay a premium.

So, with that in mind, the Aromamizer series is the best rebuildable of 2021 due to its high quality, perfect performance, level of customization, price point and general availability.

Best Mod: Hyperion DNA 100C—Lost Vape

Lost Vape is another longstanding company that breaks from the norm. In a nutshell, this manufacturer is responsible for getting the most mods utilizing Evolv’s DNA boards into the hands of vapers for years. While other companies were copying Evolv’s technology—whether it be variable wattage, regulated subohm vaping or temperature control—Lost Vape simply went to the source and put DNA boards into high-quality mods at reasonable prices. The Hyperion DNA 100C continues this trend, and as a result, Lost Vape has produced the best all-around mod to date.

The list of features provided by a DNA board is extensive and too long to reproduce here. Evolv has been at the forefront of vaping technology for over a decade, so in general, it’s safe to assume that any feature found on a mod today was pioneered by Evolv. They did it first and probably did it best. Consequently, the Hyperion is a full-featured device with variable wattage, temperature control and the entire gamut of DNA features. That plays a huge role, but it’s not the whole story.

To put it too simply, the Hyperion is a Geekvape Aegis Solo with the quality bumped up a notch and the inclusion of a DNA board. The C-frame design is hugely popular and functional, allowing for a great asymmetric aesthetic that’s comfortable to hold and allows an infinite number of customization options for the “soft” side. The Hyperion is available with different colors and materials, including carbon fiber, leather and vinyl.

The Hyperion is also extremely durable, being water resistant, dustproof and shock resistant. It can be powered by a single 18650, 20700 or 21700 battery for maximum battery life and can output up to 100 W of power—more than enough for the general vaping population. The battery can be swapped and charged or charged internally via the USB-C port, which is also used to connect to a PC for firmware updates or to play around with Evolv’s EScribe software.

Sure, other mods can fire up to 200 W or higher, but for someone looking for a top-of-the-line device that can do it all—and do it modestly—the Hyperion can’t be beaten. It’s the result of years of refinement by Lost Vape that takes a popular and functional design that’s crafted to the highest quality standards and couples it with the best internals on the market in the form of the DNA 100C for a final product that’s a modest size with respectable power that could very well last a lifetime. The Hyperion DNA 100C from Lost Vape is the best overall mod of 2021.

Best Advanced Mod: Hadron Pro—Steam Crave

At some point, everybody wants to splurge. Every human eventually wants something out of the ordinary, something bombastic that could very well be overkill, price and practicality be damned. That mid-life crisis of a vaping device is the Hadron Pro from Steam Crave.

This device certainly has its negatives, from a certain perspective. It’s huge, it’s plain and some assembly is required. However, it uses a DNA 250C board with a 4C LiPo for maximum battery life and a potential 400 W of power. It’s huge for a reason, and that’s the battery that can last for a long while when used at reasonable power levels. Coincidentally, it also gives an excuse to purchase the 35 mm Aromamizer Ragnar, which pairs perfectly with the Hadron Pro.

Most of what makes the Hadron Pro so great is admittedly the DNA 250C. And while the design is plain, plain can be a good thing when the asking price is approaching $200—the last thing a device that expensive needs is an extreme, polarizing aesthetic. And that large battery previously mentioned? The reason it needs to be installed by the end user is that it is replaceable. Again, a great feature when it comes to an expensive device, as a dead battery isn’t the end of the line for the Hadron Pro. While using four 21700 batteries might seem a better idea to achieve the same effect, the size of such a mod would not only be impractical but unusable.

None of this is to say that the Hadron Pro is gimmicky—far from it. Every feature provided by the DNA 250C is here, and although the size is a bit unwieldy, it makes for a perfect coffee table mod, and there’s technically nothing that keeps a vaper from bringing the Hadron Pro out and about, provided they have big enough pockets and don’t mind the extra weight.

For advanced vapers where the pros always outweigh the cons, and impracticality always yields to superior performance, there is no better option: The Hadron Pro is the best advanced mod of 2021.