New Vaporesso Target – Best Flavour Yet!
The Vaporesso Target 100 has great looks, great taste and a rich selection of modes. It’s very much suitable for the intermediate and above level vapers, and those who enjoy playing with different settings, although the very advanced vaper might prefer a little bit more customisability with the settings.
The best thing about the kit, which includes the Vaporesso iTank and the brand new Gti coil, though, is the pure taste you get in one particular mode. As with every device, not everything is perfect, and we’ll be exploring the flaws as well.
Let’s dive into the device in a bit more detail…
Look and feel
To me, vape brands always have a character. While it over-generalises, I think of Smok as the wild guys who chuck out dozens of devices and massive, cloud-generating mods, and Innokin as the steady, reliable players (mixed with some serious innovation).
Vaporesso, to me, are the BMW of vaping, providing consistently high-quality devices with a good finish.
The Target 100 is no different. I particularly like the braid finish, which combines looks with an improved grip. The braid also has a little bit of give in it, making it comfortable to hold. The device buttons have just the right amount of resistance – not too clicky, and requiring a little bit of pressure to depress.
I also admired the carbon fibre rings placed inside the tank. I did wonder if there was a function to them, but Vaporesso told me this was purely aesthetic – and, in fact, inspired by the Gti engine design.
The display screen is large and bright. The current version has a larger display than the one sent out with the original samples, and to start with I did think the variable wattage mode had an error, as not all the information is displayed on the screen.
Vaporesso tells me this was in fact deliberate – this is the simplest mode (in fact, their alternative name for it is ‘Simple Mode’), and they decided to reduce the amount of information on the screen so that vapers who use this mode could immerse themselves in the experience without worrying about the data.
The modes
Variable wattage modes
For most vapers choosing a mod with this capability, simple variable wattage will need no explanation. However, via DIY mode in the settings, you can access another variable wattage mode which has three different options. The options are:
·VWS (Variable Wattage Soft)
·VWN (Variable Wattage Normal)
·VWH (Variable Wattage Hard)
S/N/H (soft/normal/hard) refer to the ramp up speed – the speed at which the coil is heated – to allow subtle differences in flavour and vapour.
For example, VWH will mean the coil will reach peak temperature faster, providing more vapour more quickly, and creating a hotter vapour for a longer period of time. Over the course of the inhale, you’ll get more vapour, and you’ll get certain flavour notes that only appear at hotter temperatures, but you’ll miss the nuances of flavours that appear at lower temperatures.
In VWS, the coil will reach the required temperature more slowly. You’ll experience more of the flavours that you get at cooler temperatures, but towards the end of the inhale you’ll get some of the flavour and vapours of the hotter temperature too. As you can imagine, VMN is somewhere in between the two.
F(t) mode
F(t) mode is very much an evolution of pulse mode. Part of it involves the Axon chip calculating and adjusting the temperature of the coil in order to maximise the flavour of the e-liquid. But there’s more to it than that. Different e-liquid types carry flavour notes at different temperatures. By varying the temperature of the Gti coil throughout the vape, the Target 100 allows you to experience all of these different flavour notes.
Do note you can’t customise this setting, it’s all calculated by the chip. If you are an uber-advanced user, this might frustrate you, but there’s one big compensation – Vaporesso gets it spot on. In fact, for pure flavour, this was our favourite mode.
Pulse mode
Pulse mode delivers pulses of power through to the coil to deliver a consistent flavour throughout the inhale.
I’ve always been sceptical about this mode, as all vape batteries deliver pulses of power. However, when our product manager, Will, was using a coil that was at the end of its life (after an impressive two weeks) he did find that pulse mode seemed to bring it back to life. I don’t know if this was a coincidence or not, so it’ll be interesting to see if other vapers have the same experience.
Smart mode
As regular readers of this blog will know, I’m a big fan of smart mode. By setting either the wattage or a wattage range, smart mode can really reduce user error, and lowers the technical knowledge needed to use a device.
That said, smart mode is limited with this device. Turn smart mode on, and it will set the ideal wattage – but it doesn’t stop you from then increasing the wattage to the maximum. Fortunately, after setting smart mode, you can choose to lock the wattage, which effectively functions the same as a stricter smart mode.
There is a major bonus to the way smart mode is set up on this device. Usually smart mode is a mode on it’s own, and if you use it you cannot use the other modes. However, with the Target 100 smart mode is also compatible with F(t), pulse and VW modes.
DIY mode
Finally, the device also comes with DIY mode.
We’ve already covered the variable wattage options in DIY mode. DIY mode also includes Variable Voltage and Bypass. Bypass effectively makes the device behave like a mechanical mod. This is primarily for use with self-built coils, but can be used with regular coils as well.
DIY mode is theoretically aimed at advanced users, but I’d encourage anyone to play with the WMS/WMN and VWH options, as once you’ve got your head round the menu,it’s not hard to use.
What we like about the device
There’s a lot to like about the device. The build quality is excellent, there’s plenty of choice provided by the different modes available, and I do like the fact that the battery compartment is super easy-to-open. The device also gives you the choice of using 18650 batteries (with the provided sleeve) or 21700 batteries for a longer battery life. It’s not the only device to have this, but it’s still an excellent feature that gives you a choice between a lighter weight or a longer-lasting battery.
The Target 100 also provides thick, dense vapour which will satisfy most cloud chasers, but where it really comes into its own is the flavour. Particularly in F(t) mode, the device produces a clean, pure flavour that is one of the best we’ve experienced.
What we don’t like about the device
As you can tell, I like the device a lot. However, I do find the filling annoying. Yes, the top cap swings open easily, but the drip tip gets in the way with bigger (50ml and 100ml) bottles. This means you need to remove the drip tip – which is pretty stiff to start with. (It does loosen up over time.) I also find you need to fill the device slowly and carefully, in order to avoid e-liquid bubbling out of the top.
Who is it for?
The Target 100 is not a particularly difficult device to use, but the lack of a stricter smart mode does raise the bar a smidgeon, and you do need to be comfortable with navigating menus to get the most out of it. Still, most intermediate users with a bit of experience with open, variable wattage devices should be fine with this device.
Cloud chasers will be happy with the thick dense vapour this device can provide, but the biggest benefit is the clean, pure flavour you get with F(t) mode, making it a great choice for flavour chasers.
Do note that DIY vapers and those who like to push things to the extreme might prefer the Vaporesso Target 200. A further fixed-battery alternative is the Target 80.
How to use the device
I did need to play around with this device a little before I got the hang of it, so it might be helpful if I share some instructions!
Changing the mode
Cycling through the modes is easy enough. Long press the menu button, the mode on the screen flashes, then use up-down buttons to cycle through the options. Press the menu button when you have found the mode you want. You can also access the modes by pressing the menu button three times.
Locking the wattage
Press the fire button three times to lock the wattage. You can still fire the device, but you can’t accidentally increase or decrease the wattage or change the mode.
Smart mode
Smart mode is not immediately visible from the menu. To set smart mode, click the bottom button three times to enter the menu. Use the up-down buttons to navigate through the menu. When you get to System Set, use the menu buttons to navigate to Smart VW, and click the menu button to select ON. If you have already selected smart mode, and then adjust the wattage, you can reapply it by turning it on and off or by removing and replacing the tank.
How to use VMS/VMN/VWH modes
Press the menu button three times to enter the menu. Use the up/down buttons to cycle through the options. When you get to DIY mode, press the menu button to select. Click again to select WV mode. Use the up/down buttons to cycle through the options, and the menu button to select the mode you want.
Wrapping up
Vaporesso have put forward a number of quality devices over the years, but this is the best yet. Yes, it’s a little awkward to fill, but the pros vastly outweigh the cons – with the flavour produced in F(t) mode being the most outstanding feature of an already excellent device. I highly recommend the device.