Joyetech Ultex T80 Review – Judgement Day
Review: Joyetech Ultex T80
Manufacturing Quality
While Joyetech never really was the kind of brand to produce top of the line, ultra-premium devices, they’re not exactly the type to cheap out on their mods either, something which is exceedingly evident with the Ultex T80.
Crafted out of a solid aluminum chassis, the Ultex T80 offers a soft yet sturdy feel when held in hand. The intricate lines carved on the exterior gives off a strong lightsaber motif, especially with the grooves located near the power/fire button located close to the base of the tank.
Despite its tube-like aesthetic, the Ultex T80 doesn’t share the fixed output mentality that most tube or mechanical mods often exhibit, something which becomes glaringly obvious upon spotting the up/down button wattage buttons as well as the tiny and non-descript OLED screen located close to the bottom of the device.
While we’re normally quick to hark on devices that make use of a smaller than average screen, we can’t really complain in the case of the Ultex T80 as the small screen is the perfect fit for preserving the clean tube aesthetic that many fans of mechanical devices are sure to appreciate.
Another characteristic that really surprised us about the Ultex T80 is the battery cap located at the bottom indicating that the device does operate with a removable 18650 battery instead of an integrated cell. The battery cap doesn’t do anything fancy, but it threads on well and holds the battery in place well enough for us to feel confident that the battery isn’t going anywhere we don’t want it to. People who use 510 cartridges tend to prefer the Linx Hermes 3.
Flavor Quality
Here’s where things get a little wonky, and to be honest we feel that its to be a bit expected considering that Joyetech is basically pioneering an all-new design for a heating element. While Joyetech advertises the Ultex T80 as a coil-less device, the actual truth is that it still uses a kanthal heating element to vaporize the e-liquid.
The main difference is that the kanthal isn’t wrapped in a coil and is instead laid out in a flat sheet or film and pressed against organic cotton which acts as a wicking agent. It’s a slightly different approach that doesn’t differ much from mesh coil designs, but the mechanics of how the Ultex T80 vaporizes e-liquid doesn’t really differ at all from every modern device available right now in the market.
Considering Joyetech took some creative liberties with this sort of coil-less design, its to be expected that there will be some sort of trade-off. This definitely holds through in the airflow department as vaping on the Ultex T80 does produce some significant turbulence to the point that each inhale feels a bit whistle-y which can get a bit annoying for more particular vapers.
Occasional spit back is also another issue we experienced with the Ultex T80, and we’re almost 100% certain the spit back is caused by the less than optimal airflow design causing heat to be trapped in the coil, subsequently boiling or popping the e-liquid to the point you can physically feel the flavor hit your lips in liquid form instead of vapor.
In terms of flavor or vapor production though, the device does just fine although it doesn’t really wow us in any way. In fact, it sort of reminds us of how first-generation mesh coils performed back when they were first released so hopefully, we’ll be seeing some improvement in this regard should Joyetech decide to follow up on it. Users who are interested in 510 thread cartridges for oil often prefer the Smok Micare.
Power Flexibility
Perhaps one of the most unexpected but welcome features of the Ultex T80 is its capability for variable wattage which is rarely seen in the tube form factor category. The device fires up to a maximum of 80 watts but we stuck to Joyetech’s recommendation of vaping around the 40-watt range as anything significantly had the potential to overload the coil and produce an unsatisfying burnt taste.
In the future, we’d be eager to see more variations of this coil-less design released in tandem with compatibility for larger battery cells such as 20700 or 21700 batteries.
For those wondering, the Ultex does support temperature control out of the box although there’s currently no option to use it with the included tank as there aren’t any TC variants of this coil-less design being made for it yet. You’ll definitely need to vape with a 3rd party or alternative atomizer if you want to enjoy temperature control on this device.
Ease of Use
Setting up the Ultex T80 doesn’t differ much from any standard variable wattage device with a sub-ohm tank with exception to the coil-less mechanism found on the base of the tank wherein you’ll need a small Phillips head screwdriver to screw in the NCFilm kanthal heating element.
As for the wick, any organic cotton will work, you’ll just need to cut it to size in order for it to fit underneath the NCFIlm. After threading everything together, simply push the top cap sideways, sliding it open in order to access the fill ports where your e-liquid of choice goes in.
Hit the power button 5 times and the Ultex T80 should jump straight into variable wattage mode. Hold the fire button down while inhaling and you’re pretty much good to go!
Portability
With dimensions measuring out to 28mm* 138.5mm, the Ultex T80 does sport a bit more girth than your average tube-style device which is understandable as its holding not only a complete chipset that enables VW and TC modes but an entire 18650 cell as well.
The kit in its entirety is relatively lightweight with about 200 grams if including the weight of the battery making it a solid choice for those looking for an easy to carry all day vape.
As for battery life, we tested the Ultex T80 with a 3000mAh LG cell and found it to handle power delivery efficiently enough, allowing us to go for a full day of use moderate use before the voltage on the battery dropped to a point where it required recharging.
The device supports 2A charging and includes a micro USB cable to facilitate that as well so downtime in between charging cycles although we strongly recommend getting a dedicated charger and a few spare 18650 batteries to take full advantage of the device’s ability to easily swap batteries at a moments notice.
Overall Experience
When all’s said and done, we have to say that while we do like the Ultex T80 as a whole, the NCFilm made us feel like we were vaping with an unfinished prototype. While beginners might not find a lot to complain about the inconsistent airflow and rampant spit back on these devices, those familiar with vaping on well-designed tanks or atomizers will definitely feel the lack of polish in the way the Ultex T80 vapes.