Aspire PockeX review, a direct output pen read closely

The Aspire PockeX is still sold as a slim tube under 12 cm long, described almost everywhere as an easy kit to start with. Retailer listings look alike, and many repeat the same 18 to 23 W range. That figure is odd on a device with no screen and no dial. The real question is where a power figure nobody can set comes from, and what it says about the kit.

Aspire PockeX, what this all-in-one pen is still worth

The Aspire PockeX remains a coherent all-in-one kit for mouth-to-lung or restricted direct-to-lung vaping, with a 2 ml tank, a built-in 1500 mAh battery and U-Tech coils that are still stocked. Its strength is simplicity, one button and nothing to adjust.

Its weakness comes from the same choice. The kit runs on direct output, so the power follows the battery’s state of charge, and the retail listings mix several revisions. This review is not based on hands-on use. It sets Aspire’s own listing against French and UK retailer pages.

Aspire’s listing, the basis of this review

The manufacturer publishes a short spec sheet, which retailers partly copy and sometimes extend. It is the one that carries weight, and every other page has to be read against it, one point at a time.

Size, battery and tank

Aspire lists a height of 117.7 mm, a diameter of 19.7 mm and a weight of 86 g, a built-in 1500 mAh battery and a 2 ml tank made of stainless steel and glass. Filling is from the top once the top cap is unscrewed, and the drip tip is Delrin, an acetal resin.

That 2 ml figure sits exactly at the limit set by the UK’s Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 for refillable tanks, which also cap nicotine e-liquid at 20 mg/ml in bottles of no more than 10 ml. No reduced glass is needed for the kit to be sold in the UK.

One button, five clicks and the protections

The kit runs on a single button. Five presses switch it on or off, then you simply hold the button while drawing, with nothing else to set.

The chipset Aspire describes covers over-long puffs, short circuits, overheating, low voltage, overcharging and over-discharge. With no screen, none of these safeguards is spelt out on the device, yet the logic is the one described in our analysis of the coil shorted message.

The Aspire PockeX on direct output, power you cannot set

Aspire lists the output as “Bypass”, which one retailer translates as direct output voltage with no adjustment. That technical detail changes how every power figure on the listings should be read.

What the 18 to 23 W really means

On direct output, the battery sends its own voltage to the coil. The power then follows Ohm’s law, voltage squared divided by resistance, rather than any setting chosen by the user. For the 0.6 ohm coil, 18 W corresponds to about 3.3 V and 23 W to about 3.7 V.

A typical lithium-ion cell reads around 4.2 V when fully charged. If the Aspire PockeX battery follows that standard, the same coil can receive up to 29.4 W straight after charging, before circuit losses. The 18 to 23 W range therefore mostly describes a part-used battery, and the vape logically runs warmer fresh off the charger than near the end of a charge.

The 1.2 ohm coil, a range nobody quotes the same way

The same sum sheds light on the 1.2 ohm coil, designed for a tighter draw. It receives about 11.4 W at 3.7 V and about 14.7 W at 4.2 V.

Coil listings disagree on its range. One gives 4 to 12 W, another 10 to 14 W. Only the second fits the physics of direct output, since 4 W would require about 2.2 V, far below what a working lithium battery delivers. Our piece on the coil calculator explains this kind of check in more detail.

U-Tech coils, the real consumable of the Aspire PockeX

An all-in-one kit lasts as long as its consumable. For the Aspire PockeX, that is the U-Tech coil, offered in two values that the manufacturer’s listing separates by alloy.

The 0.6 ohm coil is 316L stainless steel, the 1.2 ohm coil is Kanthal, and both run on direct output here. Choosing one or the other decides the draw on its own, since the kit offers no other control.

The first fill needs a little patience. Aspire advises letting the cotton soak for two to three minutes before the first puff, as a dry wick that gets heated quickly tastes burnt.

Where the Aspire PockeX listings disagree

Comparing the pages turns up several gaps. Most of them come from successive revisions of the kit, which retailers have not all carried over to their listings.

Micro-USB or Type-C

Aspire’s listing mentions Type-C charging and labels micro-USB as an older version. Several retailers still list micro-USB, and one UK listing describes Type-C charging in its features while its box contents include a micro-USB cable.

The port matters, because it decides which cable you keep to hand. Before buying, a photo of the charging port or written confirmation from the seller remains the safest way to know which version will ship.

Box contents and the indicator light

Most listings include one 0.6 ohm coil and one 1.2 ohm coil. Others list two 0.6 ohm coils, which leaves anyone looking for a tight draw without the right coil from day one.

The indicator follows the same pattern. Aspire describes a blue light above 30% battery and a red one below, while one retailer mentions pink below 30%, red during charging and green once the battery is full.

FAQ

Five questions the PockeX listings often leave without a clear answer.

Where can I find the user manual?

Most of the retailer listings consulted include a user manual in the box, alongside the cable and coils. It remains the reference for the version you receive, especially for the charging port and the indicator colours.

Can the tank glass be replaced?

Yes. Replacement glass tubes sold for the PockeX are available separately from French and UK shops. A cracked glass can therefore be swapped without replacing the whole kit.

Is the airflow adjustable?

Probably not. Aspire places it at the top of the tube without mentioning any adjustment, and several retailers describe it as non-adjustable, although one listing mentions a ring you can turn. The draw is therefore changed mainly through the coil, more open with the 0.6 ohm, tighter with the 1.2 ohm.

How full should the tank be?

A maximum fill mark sits next to the tank window. One retailer warns that filling beyond that line can push liquid up through the drip tip.

Do Nautilus X coils fit the PockeX?

Yes, according to several retailers, which present the PockeX U-Tech coils as compatible with the Nautilus X and Nautilus XS tanks. The resistance value still needs checking, since the power the coil receives depends on the battery voltage.

Aspire PockeX, our verdict on a pen worth reading closely

The Aspire PockeX keeps solid arguments, a compact format, a 2 ml tank within UK rules, a single button and coils that are still on sale. It is judged, though, on its direct output, which makes power vary with charge, and on listings that mix several revisions.

Three checks come before anything else, the charging port version, the coil values in the box and the real range quoted for the 1.2 ohm coil. A kit with no settings is not a kit without engineering, and the Aspire PockeX makes that point better than much of the hardware examined on this site.