Firstly, the Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Kit is available in two versions, these being the XP version which utilizes the XP range of coils that fit in the XP pod and the RBA version which includes a dedicated RBA pod and an RBA build deck.
Both the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mods are exactly the same across the two versions, the difference between the two is specific to the pod only. For those wishing to use the pre-built XP core coils, you would need to purchase the XP version. Those wishing to build their own coils, you would need to purchase the RBA version.
When I was looking into the different options, I did find that buying the RBA pod with its RBA build deck was difficult to find on its own. It’s easier to buy the RBA version kit then purchase the XP pod on its own. My shinyitis got the better of me as www.ecigone.co.uk were offering both kits at a knockdown price and was too good to pass up, hence buying both full kit versions.
Interestingly, the RBA version comes with both a 510 adaptor plate and a 510 pin adaptor, where the XP version doesn’t come with either. The 510 adaptor plate allows you to remove the pod and fit the 510 adaptor plate in its place enabling the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod to be used with any 510 threaded tank/RTA/RBA. The 510 pin adaptor gives you the facility to connect the RBA deck to the 510 adaptor plate so you can “Dry Burn” your coil before using it.
Alternatively, you can purchase the 510 Adaptor plate separately if you’ve bought the XP version enabling you to use the Artery Cold Steel AIO version with any 510 threaded tank/RTA/RBA making it a true mod.
Anyway, enough of my waffle, let’s get into the finer detail of the two kits in question.
The Artery Cold Steel AIO is a 120W pod mod kit and is powered by a single external 20700/21700 battery or you can use an 18650 battery with the included battery sleeve adaptor. A 1.5A Type-C USB fast charging port is located at the bottom of the pod mod if in-mod charging is your thing.
Control of the Artery Cold Steel AIO is carried out by the upgraded on board chip, providing accurate power levels, ultra-fast firing speed and the usual host of safety features.
The Artery Cold Steel AIO has a 0.96inch OLED colored display screen which has 5 selectable color screen options and the pod mod provides operating modes such as “Variable Power”, “Temperature Control”, “Variable Voltage”, “Bypass” and “Variable Power Curve”. Additional features such as “Power Lock” and “E-Juice Test” are selectable and we will explain these functions later on in the review.
The pods have an e-liquid capacity of 4ml (2ml EU variant) although the RBA pod is limited to 2ml regardless. Both pods are re-fillable via the sliding black rubber top filling port latch and the XP pod accepts the XP range of push fit coils while the RBA pod is a single coil re-buildable post-less deck.
Securing the pods is not by the normal magnetic principle, instead the pod snaps into place and is held very securely by indents in the mod housing that line up with protruding tabs on the pod. A latch and lock/unlock mechanism is then used to hold or release the pod.
Both pods incorporate a removable 510 drip tip and have a very slightly tinted pod case making your e-liquid visible at all times.
Overall, the Artery Cold Steel AIO kit is pretty chunky but that’s not surprising considering it accepts the bigger 21700 sized battery. It’s packed with features, accepts the XP coils or you can use the dedicated RBA pod. It can be turned into a mod using the 510 adaptor plate to accept any tank/RTA/RBA and looks really well built. For the price I paid, this is a very impressive pod mod / mod / RBA kit.
As always this review is completely unbiased and is my honest opinion based on my findings. We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the buy buttons but at no extra cost to you.
Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Kit Review
Contents
- Features and Specifications
- What’s in the Box
- Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Design and Appearance
- Cold Steel AIO XP Pod Design and Appearance
- Cold Steel AIO RBA Pod Design and Appearance
- Cold Steel AIO Functionality
- Cold Steel AIO XP and RBA Performance
- Cold Steel AIO Kit Battery Performance
- How do I Fill the Cold Steel AIO Pod
- How do I Change the Coil in the Cold Steel AIO Pod
- How do I Charge the Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod
- Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Kit Price
- Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Kit Verdict
- Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Kit Summary
Features and Specifications
- Dimensions: 28mm x 39.1mm x 106.5mm
- Weight: 190 grams
- Construction: Zinc Alloy + PCTG
- Charging: Type C USB (5V/1.5A)
- Output Wattage: 5W – 120W
- Output Voltage: 0.5V – 8V
- E-liquid Capacity: 4ml Pod (2ml EU Pod Variant), 2ml RBA Pod
- Pods XP Variant: Refillable and Replaceable Coils inc RBA Coil
- Pods RBA Variant: Dedicated Re-buildable Pod and Deck
- Filling Method: Slide to Open Top Fill
- Resistance Range: 0.1ohm – 3ohm
- Coil Type: XP Push Fit Coils: 0.15ohm, 0.4ohm and XP RBA Coil
- Removable 510 Drip Tip
- Battery Specification: Single 21700/20700/18650 External Battery
- Display: 0.96inch OLED Color Changing Screen
- Firing Mechanism: Fire Button Activated
- Output Modes: VW / VV / TC (Ni, Ti, SS) / TCR / Curve Mode / Bypass
- Temperature: 100-315oC/200-600oF
- Power Lock and E-Liquid Detection
- 510 Adaptor
What’s in the box?
XP Version
- Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod
- Artery Cold Steel AIO XP Pod (0.15 ohm Coil Pre-fitted)
- Spare 0.4 ohm XP Coil
- 18650 Battery Adaptor
- Spare O-Rings
- 4X Airflow Reduction Silicone Bung
- User Manual
- Warranty Card
Note: There is no Type-C USB charging cable included in the kit contents. If you intend to charge your battery in the pod mod you will need to purchase a charging cable.
RBA Version
- Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod
- Artery Cold Steel AIO RBA Pod and RBA Deck
- Artery Cold Steel AIO Mod 510 Adaptor
- Pre-made Coil (Ni80 Triple Fused Clapton)
- 18650 Battery Adaptor
- RBA 510 Adaptor
- Screw Driver
- 2X Hex Screws
- 2X Spare O-Rings
- 4X Airflow Reduction Silicone Bung
- User Manual
- Warranty Card
Note: There is no Type-C USB charging cable included in the kit contents. Either purchase a charging cable, use and existing one or alternatively charge your battery in an external charger (recommended).
For our eagle eye’d viewers, there is an 18650 battery adaptor in the kit but we left it inside the mod when we took the photo.
Artery Cold Steel AIO 120W Mod Design and Appearance
The Artery Cold Steel AIO is a Variable Wattage (5W to 120W) and Temperature Control (100-315oC/200-600oF) pod mod, including modes for Variable Voltage, Variable Power Curve, TCR and Bypass. Additional modes include a “Power Lock” and an “E-Liquid Test” (more on these functions later).
Overall dimensions of the Artery Cold Steel AIO kit are 28mm deep x 39.1mm wide x 105.5mm tall and weighs in at 190g. Removing the pod and attaching the 510 adaptor reduces the overall height of the mod to 94mm and turns it into a full blown mod.
Note: When the 510 adaptor is fitted, the E-Liquid Test function becomes inoperative.
A single external battery powers the pod mod and accepts a 20700 or 21700 sized battery, or alternatively, you can use the provided 18650 battery adaptor and run it from an 18650 battery. Bear in mind, when using the 18650 type battery, the available wattage will be reduced down to a maximum of 80W.
Constructed out of Zinc-Alloy, the Artery Cold Steel AIO is available in 4 different colors; these being Black, Stainless Steel, Copper and Gunmetal. The two variants I purchased were the Stainless Steel color XP version and the Copper color RBA version which can be seen throughout this review in the photos we’ve taken.
At the top of the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod is the recessed opening where the pod is housed. The shape of the opening is such that the pod will only fit one way round. A circular recess in the flat plate has two spring loaded contact pins that locate against the bottom of the coil in the pod housing. An additional spring loaded single pin is the “E-Juice Test” probe that connects to the sensor on the bottom of the pod.
6 airflow holes (3 each side) are punched (cut out) into the top outer casing that are aligned with the coil when the pod is fitted. There are 5 cutouts each side but the two outer ones are internally blocked off. Restricting the airflow is carried out by using the provided silicone bungs to block off the airflow cut-outs in the casing.
There is no adjustable airflow control as such on the XP version, just the silicone airflow restrictors that block off the 6 airflow holes as needed. Good luck with these as I found it virtually impossible trying to fit them. Further airflow control on the RBA version is achieved by the fully adjustable control ring on the bottom of the build deck.
With the airflow fully open, the draw is definitely a Direct to Lung (DTL) vape. Restricting the airflow using these silicone bungs is very crude and in my opinion a bad design. After trying to get these to fit, which was near impossible, I gave up . Such a shame as this really does let the vaping experience down. I found it easier to just block off the air holes with my finger if I wanted to achieve a tighter draw.
Indents at the front inside of the pod mod housing allow the tags on the pod to locate into them while the semi-oval cutout at the back of the pod mod housing is the recess for the lock mechanism on the pod.
On the front of the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod is a slightly recessed black panel that houses the square contoured fire button towards the top of that panel and a smaller +/- rocker control button towards the bottom. These buttons are color matched to the finished color of the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod and have a light positive “click” feel to them with no noticeable button rattle.
Between the fire button and the +/- control rocker button is the 0.96inch OLED colored display screen. All the parameter information is visible, even though it’s pretty small. Changing the background colors is straight-forward enough between the 5 different colors available, these being White, Orange, Purple, Blue and Green.
The included information on the display is as follows:
- Function Mode: Power / Voltage / Temperature / Curve Mode / Bypass
- Battery level indicator
- Lock / Unlock
- Coil resistance reading
- Puff counter
- Vaping time reading
- Mode selected
- E-Juice test On/Off
On the bottom of the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod is the Type-C USB charging port specified as 5V/1.5A and the threaded battery cap. This battery cap has a finger recess to enable you to unscrew the battery cap giving access to the battery compartment. Two battery venting holes are located in the center of the battery cap for any possible venting issues.
The underside of the battery cap identifies the negative position with two black minus signs either side of the center contact, depicting the positive terminal of the battery is inserted into the pod mod.
One observation we found was when a battery is inserted into the pod mod and the battery cap screwed in place, unless the battery cap is screwed right in, the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod doesn’t sit totally upright when rested on a flat surface.
Branding is limited to the words “Cold Steel AIO” and “Designed by Artery” branded into the Zinc Alloy casing on the left hand side of the mod.
Aseptically, the mod casing looks very well machined with contoured and angled sides with multiple small indents running along both sides of the mod. These indents, even though they look good, also serve as an anti-slip grip when held in the hand.
The advanced chipset in the Artery Cold Steel AIO provides the necessary protection and will display the following notifications on the OLED display screen:
- Time Out (8s)
- No Atomizer (no resistance detected)
- High Temperature Protection (85 oC)
- Low Battery (3V)
- Atomizer Short
- New/Old Atomizer Detected
Overall, I’m impressed with the design and appearance of the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod but do feel the lack of airflow control lets it down. The build quality is very good, the metal finish looks like it will last a long time and despite its weight and size, still feels comfortable in the hand.
Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Design and Appearance
As we mentioned in the introduction, there are two types of pods that fit the Artery Cold Steel AIO, the XP version that accepts the XP push fit coils and an RBA version that has a dedicated RBA deck. Even though the two versions look and fit identical, the XP coils won’t fit in the RBA version pod and the RBA deck won’t fit in the XP version pod.
The diameter of the metal inner chamber is bigger to accept the increased size RBA deck. Make sure you align the two flat indents on the metal plate of the RBA so they fit flush with the PCTG housing.
XP Pod Version
The Artery Cold Steel AIO pod is rectangular in shape, semi-curved at one end following the radius of the coil and two 450 angles at the other end. It has an e-liquid capacity of 4ml (2ml EU variant) and is lightly tinted black semi-opaque in color. The tint is pretty much transparent so the e-liquid is clearly visible through it.
Manufactured out of PCTG material, it’s a top fill design with a slide to open/close black rigid plastic cover and has a raised removable 510 mouth-piece. This drip tip incorporates 2 silicone O-Rings that do a really good job of securing the mouthpiece into the pod.
The fill port cover has a small arrow showing the direction of travel and five raised parallel lines to provide grip to slide open and close. This fill port cover doesn’t detach from the pod, it simply slides within a channel on the pod. Once open, the oval fill port is visible but quite a bit lower than the top of the cover. Also, there is not a great deal of room between the raised 510 drip tip and the fill port cover for a bottle and drip tip to fit.
Below the fill port cover on the edge of the pod is a black rigid latch that locates into the edge of the pod mod housing. There are 9 raised pimples on the latch with the words “Push” above. Once it’s latched in place you simply press the pimples on the edge of the latch, push the edge of the pod upwards and it will release enabling the pod to be removed.
On the underside of the pod you will notice straight away there are no magnets to hold the pod in place. The design of the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod relies on the protruding tag on the semi-circle side of the pod that fits into a recess on the pod mod housing. Once located into the pod mod, the black latch will lock the pod into place.
Also incorporated into the base of the pod is the E-Liquid sensor contact with the probe going into the e-liquid reservoir in the pod. This is a really great concept and does work. When the e-liquid level in the pod drops below the level of the sensor, the pod mod will stop firing and indicate that the pod needs to be filled with e-liquid.
The pod will accept the XP range of push fit replaceable coils and are simply pushed into place into the circular opening from the bottom of the pod.
Inserting the pod is straight-forward, simply place the pod to the Artery Cold Steel AIO body opening. Locate the protruding tag on the base edge of the coil end into the pod mod and latch the pod in place. Removing the pod is carried out by pressing in the latch and lifting the pod away from the pod mod body.
When the pod is attached to the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod, if the pod mod is set to “Power Lock” mode, the coil will be automatically recognized and the maximum wattage will be set on the device for that particular coil.
RBA Pod Version
The design and appearance of the RBA pod is exactly the same as the XP pod but with one MAJOR difference. The RBA pod doesn’t accept the range of XP coils; instead it has a dedicated RBA build deck.
We won’t repeat the detail on the pod but will focus on the RBA deck. If you want to know about its general design and appearance, please read the XP version above.
First appearance of the deck is really impressive. It’s a single coil post-less design with massive airflow and it definitely is NOT small. This thing resembles a full blown single coil RTA deck.
Irrespective of how you build your coils, the deck has two positive and two negative fixing points to accommodate any direction of coil. Because the coil locates into a semi-circle cut-out, airflow is forced under and around the coil.
Included with the kit is a 510 adaptor to allow you to mount the RBA deck onto a build tab to build and check the resistance of your coil. Also included is a 510 flat plate adaptor so not only can you turn the pod mod into a full blown mod, you can also dry burn the coil to get it just right before inserting into the pod.
At the base of the RBA deck is a fully adjustable twin slot airflow control ring. The only downside to this design is the pod has to be removed from the Artery Cold Steel AIO body to adjust.
The size and positioning of the RBA build deck really does make it a pleasure to build on and it far out performs any other pod RBA we’ve come across.
Lastly, once you’ve installed your coil, wicked and primed, insert the RBA deck into the base of the pod ensuring the two flat sides of the deck base line up with the two flat indents on the pod housing.
Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Functionality
The Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod uses a 0.96inch colored display to show all of the set parameters and changes to these are carried out by sequential presses of the fire button and the +/- rocker button.
A general overview of the basic functions has been listed below, with a more detailed description to follow after.
- Fire button pressed 5 times turns the device on or off
- Fire button pressed 3 times will enter the operating modes
- + button will increment the wattage/voltage in 0.1W steps
- – button will decrease the wattage/voltage in 0.1W steps
- Fire button and + button will switch between the 5 color themes
- Fire button and – button will Lock/Unlock the mod
- +and- buttons together will Lock/Unlock the +/- rocker button (still fires)
- Fire button and +/- buttons resets the Puff Counter
Included on the 0.96inch colored display is all of the read-out information as follows:
- Function Mode: Power / Voltage / Temperature / Curve Mode / Bypass
- Battery level indicator
- Lock / Unlock
- Coil resistance reading
- Puff counter
- Vaping time reading
- Mode selected
- E-Juice test On/Off
Also the safety read-outs for the protection of the Artery Cold Steel AIO are:
- Time Out (8s)
- No Atomizer (no resistance detected)
- High Temperature Protection (85 oC)
- Low Battery (3V)
- Atomizer Short Circuit
- New/Old Atomizer Detected
Additional protection functions are:
- Over Current Protection
- Reverse Battery Protection
- Battery Overcharge Protection
Top Level Menu’s
Accessing the top level menu setting is carried out by pressing the fire button three times in quick succession. Once pressed, the top level menu shows “Power Mode”. Each press of the – button will scroll through the other available menu options:
- Power Mode
- Temp Mode
- Voltage Mode
- Bypass Mode
- Curve Mode
- Power Lock/Unlock
- E-Juice Test On/Off
Sub Level Menu’s
When the Power Mode, Temp Mode or Curve mode are selected, press the fire button and the following sub menus will be displayed:
- Power Mode: Soft, Normal, Strong
- Temp Mode: Nickel, Stainless Steel, Titanium, TCR
- Curve Mode: PMGA, PMGB, PMGC
When TCR is selected, press the fire button and the display will show “Limited Power” with the wattage underneath. This wattage is selectable from min to max wattage. Press the fire button again and the next menu displays the TCR value. This value is selectable from 001 – 999.
Unfortunately, the user manual doesn’t really tell you much about the different setting and what they do. To give a little insight to what the different options mean and do, we’ve included a brief description below:
Power
Standard wattage mode. Wattage is variable between 5W through to 120W and adjusted by the + or – button. Pressing the button once each time will increment or decrease the wattage in 0.1W steps. Pressing and holding the + or – button down will increment or decrease the wattage in 1W steps. Holding the fire button down will cycle through the wattage much quicker.
The display will do a round robin, meaning if the display shows 120W, the next press of the + button will switch the display back to 5W.
3 different settings are available, Soft, Normal and Strong. These determine the strength of the pre-heat function when the fire button is pressed.
When you’re in Power Mode, the alphabetical lettering to the left of the battery icon on the top level display screen will be “PM”.
Variable Temperature Control (TC)
Select either Stainless Steel 316L (SS), Titanium (Ti), Nickel 200 (Ni) or Temperature Coefficient Resistance (TCR). The 3 pre-set wires have fixed pre-programmed values, whereas TCR allows you to set both the maximum wattage and the TCR value when using other temperature heating wires.
The variable range for TCR is 001 to 999.
When you’re in Temperature Mode, the alphabetical lettering to the left of the battery icon on the top level display screen will show the lettering for the type of wire you’ve selected; Ni, Ti, SS or TCR.
Voltage
Similar to Power mode but instead of increasing the wattage applied to the coil, you vary the voltage. The adjustable voltage range is from 0.5V – 8V.
When you’re in Voltage Mode, the alphabetical lettering to the left of the battery icon on the top level display screen will display “VM”.
Power Curve
This function allows you to select 3 different pre-set curves. Each pre-set curve can easily be re-configured and saved to your preference. 20 individual set points can be set over a time period of 2 seconds and saved and re-called at any time.
Select Curve Mode; then selecting one of the pre-set curves will display the graphical timeline. Use the +/- button to adjust the first set point. Press the fire button to move to the next timeline. Use the +/- button to adjust the second set point. Repeat this procedure for all 20 set points. Once complete, press and hold the fire button. The power curve is now set and saved.
When you’re in Curve Mode, the alphabetical lettering to the left of the battery icon on the top level display screen will be “PA” for curve A, “PB” for curve B and “PC” for curve C.
Bypass Mode
Provides a direct output voltage from the battery, simulating the feel and style of a Mech mod but with the added protection of all the included safety features provided by the on-board chip.
In this mode, as the battery voltage decreases, the intensity of the vape will also decrease.
When you’re in Bypass Mode, the alphabetical lettering to the left of the battery icon on the top level display screen will display “BP”.
Power Lock/Unlock
When you select the Power Lock function, the Artery Cold Steel AIO will automatically select the recommended wattage for the type and resistance of coil you have fitted. It will also “Lock” the maximum wattage allowed for that particular coil.
Increasing the wattage beyond this max limit will NOT work and “Maximum Coil Power” will be displayed. Switching the Power Lock function to “OFF” will allow you to use the maximum power of the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod.
E-Juice Test
I’ve not come across this function before but after fiddling with it for a while it really does work albeit a little temperamental at times.
It’s basically a method of monitoring the e-liquid level in the pod. When the E-Juice Test is switched to ON, if the level of e-liquid in the pod falls below the sensor level, the power will be cut-off. This in effect should stop dry burning the coil.
When the e-liquid level in the pod becomes low, the juice drop icon on the display will turn dark as an indication to fill the pod back up with e-liquid.
Note: When the 510 flat adaptor plate is fitted, the E-Juice Test is disabled.
Color Screen
By pressing the fire button and the + button together, you can switch through the 5 different color screen options to further cusomize your screen layout. The available colors are White, Orange, Purple, Blue and Green.
Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Kit Performance
XP 0.15 ohm Coil (60W-80W)
Primed, filled and left to settle for 15 minutes and I was good to go. Attached the pod and the new coil detection was spot on at 0.15 ohms.
As always, I start at really low wattage to bed the coil in. At 15W, very little was happening. A few draws then onto 20W. Things were starting to happen but it wasn’t until 25W that the flavor started to come through and a reasonable amount of vapor was being produced.
What surprised me was how quite the draw was.
Increasing the wattage in 5W increments, I found my sweet spot kicked in at 45W, producing clean crisp flavor and plenty of dense vapor. Taking the wattage up to 60W and beyond was too intense for me so kept it at 45W. I had a few draws at the maximum recommended 80W and it nearly took my head off.
I’ve cycled 4 different juices through the pod with this coil, two at 50/50 and two and 70/30 ratio’s and the coil didn’t falter.
I was very impressed with the results.
XP 0.4 ohm Coil (20W-35W)
Again the new coil detection was accurate and read 0.4 ohm.
After the usual priming and bedding in, the flavor on this coil came through at 12W and was producing really nice results at 18W. Increasing beyond 20W did increase the intensity but again I found my ideal sweet spot to be 18W.
Again, I couldn’t fault the performance from this coil.
RBA Ni80 Triple Fused Clapton
The supplied coil was well made and easy to install and wick. Dry burning the coil was easy using the 510 pin and 510 plate adaptor. Once primed, filled and left to stand for a few minutes, the flavor and vapor kicked in for me around 40W.
Irrespective of the e-liquid PG/VG ratio I used, the pod worked every time and gave a satisfying vape. The performance in terms of flavor and vapor was good, producing dense vapor and nice flavor.
Because of the massive honeycomb airflow holes in the deck, the vape is an airy DTL and is quite noisy. Reducing the airflow control on the base of the deck did restrict the draw a little giving a RDL style of vaping.
All in all, I’m very pleased with the results and very impressed with the RBA build deck and pod. Definitely performs better than some of my dedicated RTA’s.
Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Battery Performance
The Artery Cold Steel AIO is powered by either an external 20700 battery, a 21700 battery or when using the included battery adaptor, an 18650 battery.
Battery performance is always subjective and depends on the type and size of battery you use, the power you vape at and your vaping style, also not forgetting either the condition and age of your battery.
While I was vaping using the XP version on the 0.4 ohm coil at around 25W, I opted to use my Sony 18650 VTC5A battery, having a CDR value of 25A with a 2500mAh capacity. I was achieving around 6hrs vaping from the fully charged battery. Using my Molicel P42A battery (30A/4200mAh), I was getting a good day’s vaping before I needed to re-charge.
When using the RBA version of pod, my vaping time between charges did reduce slightly but I was vaping at an increased wattage of 40W so that was to be expected.
If you want to try different batteries, you can use our Battery Amp Drain Calculator to determine the most suitable batteries for your vaping requirements.
How do I Fill the Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod?
Both the XP and RBA versions of pod are filled in exactly the same way. They are a top fill design so there is no need to remove the pod from the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod body.
The E-liquid filling port is concealed behind the black rigid sliding fill port cover on the top of the pod just behind the drip tip. This cover has raised lines to enable a fingernail or aid grip to slide the cover open. The fill port cover doesn’t detach completely but sufficient enough to gain access to the oval fill port.
Place your e-liquid bottle tip into this opening and squeeze the bottle until the pod is nearly full. Once complete, slide the filling port cover back into position ensuring the cover is fully closed.
Because the fill port opening is recessed behind the cover, short stubby E-Liquid bottle tips are a bit tricky to get in as there is not a lot of room.
Quick Tip: If you are filling the pod for the first time, drip a few drops of e liquid onto the wick of the coil first. Push the coil into the pod then fill the pod and leave to stand for approx. 10-15 minutes before you start to vape. This will help saturate the wick fully in e-liquid and help prolong the life of your coil.
How do I Change the Coil in the Artery Cold Steel AIO XP Pod?
Remove the pod from the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod body by pressing the lock/unlock black plastic latch on the reverse side of the mod/pod. This will release the locking tab enabling you to pull the pod out of the latch and detach from the pod mod.
Because the coils are a push fit type, simply pull the old coil out from the bottom of the pod and replace with a new one. Equally the same method is used when removing the RBA deck, just ensure the flat indents are positioned correctly when replacing the RBA deck into the pod.
Do note that if the pod has e-liquid in it while your remove the coil, e-liquid will spill from the pod. The best method to avoid this or to keep e-liquid spillage to a minimum is to hold the pod upside down (drip tip pointing downwards), place your finger tightly over the opening of the drip tip and then remove the coil.
Replace with a new coil while still holding your finger over the drip tip. Turn the pod the right way up and take your finger off the drip tip.
Alternatively, if the pod only has a small amount of e-liquid in it, tilt the pod on its end so the e-liquid is not covering the coil and this stop any e-liquid coming out of the pod as you remove the coil.
As always, when replacing a new coil, prime the coil first, put the coil in the pod and fill with your e-liquid and leave to stand for approximately 0-15 minutes before using. Start vaping at a low wattage for a few draws, then slowly increase the wattage in increments each time you draw until you reach your desired wattage. This will slowly bed your coil in ensuring you get the maximum life out of your coil before it needs replacing.
How do I Charge the Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod?
As with most external battery mods, there are 2 ways which you can charge the battery. Either in the mod itself or using an external charger (recommended).
If you do wish to charge your battery in the mod, the Artery Cold Steel AIO has a bottom located Type-C USB port. However, neither the XP nor the RBA versions come supplied with a Type-C charging cable.
Using an appropriate charging cable, connect the cable into the USB port on the bottom of the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod and the other end into a suitable USB power source. The specified charging circuit of the pod mod is 5V/1.5A.
When the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod is charging, the display will indicate the battery icon with a cycling bar scale together with the numerical percentage of the battery charge together with the words “Charging”.
It’s nice to see that the scrolling battery icon remains lit until the charging cycle is complete indicating a 100% charge. The last few mods we’ve reviewed this hasn’t been the case, the display blanks after approximately 5 minutes. Well done Artery!
A Pass-Through function is included allowing you to charge and vape at the same time.
Charging time from full discharge to fully charged will take approximately 3 hours when using a 5V/1.5A source. This will vary depending on the capacity of the battery you’re using.
As with any vape device, NEVER leave your mod unattended whilst charging.
If you prefer to charge your battery externally and I really would recommend doing this, please see our guide on the Best 18650 Battery Chargers.
Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Kit Price
As I’ve already mentioned, Ecigone were doing a really good price on the two separate versions of the Artery Cold Steel AIO . Hopefully at the time you’re reading this and you decide to treat yourself, the offers are still on for these kits.
I paid £20 for the XP version and £25 for the RBA version.
If this offer is no longer available, Newvaping are always a good place to try, they have good customer service and very competitive pricing.
Even though there are a couple of minor issues with the kit (airflow and filling), the build quality is very good and the functionality is impressive. The RBA version is really good, one of the best, if not the best RBA build deck we’ve come across on a pod before.
Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Kit Verdict
Pros
- Good build quality
- Accepts 20700/21700/18650 battery
- Impressive functionality
- Temp control / TCR / Bypass / Curve mode
- RBA build deck/pod is excellent
- 510 Adaptor
- Sleek and stylish
- Good flavour and vapour production
- Re-fillable and replaceable coils
- Coil recognition / Power lock
- E-Juice detection
- Pass-Through option
- Removable 510 drip tip
- Straight-forward to use user interface
Cons
- Airflow control very limited
- Filling port very tricky to fill
- Mod doesn’t sit upright if battery cap not fully screwed in
I will be honest and say we had difficulty in ranking the design of the Artery Cold Steel AIO kits. The design of the RBA version is really good, the RBA deck is superb. The functionality of the Cold Steel mod is very good with lots of user interface options. Everything about it seemed very positive apart from the lack of airflow control.
It really is a shame Artery didn’t design a better airflow system as it would of made this a star performer.
Artery Cold Steel AIO Pod Mod Kit Summary
The Artery Cold Steel AIO is an advanced full function, high powered and versatile pod mod kit. The build quality appears very good and feels very solid in the hand. Having the ability to use the larger 20700/21700 batteries as well as an 18650 battery is a real bonus.
The level of vaping options such a Temp Control, Power Curve, Bypass etc, coupled with the quirky E-Juice Test and Power Lock make this an impressive pod mod.
Yes there are a couple of issues, such as the fill port design and limited airflow adjustment when using the XP version pod, but in my opinion the pros far outweigh the cons.
Even though the Artery Cold Steel AIO is available in two versions, XP and RBA, buying either one and purchasing the other pod separately make this such a very versatile piece of kit. Not only that, having the 510 plate adaptor to convert from a pod mod to a 510 threaded mod makes the possibilities endless.
The RBA pod and build deck is exceptional and will compete with the majority of RTA’s in the market today.
Even though I bought both the XP and RBA versions at a knock down price, having used these for a few weeks now, I would gladly of paid the full price for them.
I would definately recommend the Artery Cold Steel AIO pod mod kit to new and seasoned vapers alike. Given the choice I would opt for the RBA version as it comes with the 510 adaptor and purchase the XP pod and XP coils seperately if you want to use it as a stock coil device.
Hope you enjoyed this review on the Artery Cold Steel AIO XP and RBA versions of pod mod kits and found it useful. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave us a comment below.