Eleaf need no introductions in the vaping world, they’ve been producing some of the most popular and inexpensive vape mods for many years now. When Vapesourcing asked us if we would like to review the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod, we accepted of course, it immediately took me back to the good old days of their Eleaf istick range.
When I started vaping back in 2014, it wasn’t long after that time I got the bug to experiment and expand my vaping collection. The Istick 20W was the hot potato then and I had to get one, I currently still have 5 of them.
That was the start of my journey with Eleaf, moving on to the istick 30W, istick TC40W, istick 50W and istick 100W, all of which were and still are very good devices. Many more came along with the Eleaf ipower and pico mods and the list goes on…
Forgive me for rambling; nostalgia got the better of me. Anyway, fast forward, Eleaf entered into the pod market with devices such as the istick P100 and the isolo air to name but a few, now we have the chance to review the Eleaf Iore Prime pod kit.
Overview
The Eleaf Iore Prime pod kit has an adaptive power level of 15W max, although non-adjustable, the wattage is dependent on the coil resistance of the fitted pod. It’s an auto draw activated Mouth to Lung (MTL) pod device powered by an internal 900mAh re-chargeable battery.
An added benefit of the Eleaf Iore Prime is the side control airflow slider that allows you to fine tune your vaping experience in tweaking the airflow to suit your preferred vaping style.
The pod that’s supplied with the Eleaf Iore Prime has an e-liquid capacity of 2ml and is re-fillable via the top fill port that’s hidden under the duckbill style mouthpiece. It includes an integrated 0.8 ohm mesh coil which means the coil is not replaceable, when the coil degrades the pod is disposed of and a new pod fitted.
An additional 1.2 ohm mesh coil/pod is available but has to be purchased separately if required, it’s not included in the kit.
Charging the Eleaf Iore Prime is carried out using the supplied charging cable that connects to the Type-C USB port on the bottom of the device and is specified as having a charging current of 5V/1A.
There is a concealed tri-color LED towards the bottom of the front panel that illuminates when you draw on the pod, indicates the battery status after each draw, displays the charging status of the battery and highlights the included safety features.
This new Eleaf Iore Prime Pod kit is very well made, feels very robust and is simple to use. It’s made out of zinc alloy and PCTG and comes in 5 different vibrant color designs.
I would like to thank Soraia at Vapesourcing for sending me the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod kit for the purpose of this review. As always this review is completely unbiased and is my honest opinion based on using the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit. We may receive a small affiliate commission if you click on the buy link but at no extra cost to yourself.
Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Review
Contents
- Overview
- Features and Specifications
- What’s in the Box?
- Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Design and Appearance
- – Iore Prime Body
- – Iore Prime Pods
- Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Functionality
- Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Performance
- Eleaf Iore Prime Battery Performance
- How do I Fill the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod?
- When and How do I Change the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod?
- How do I Charge the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit?
- Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Price
- Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Verdict
- Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Summary
Features and Specifications
- Dimensions: 94.6mm x 26.5mm x 16mm
- Weight: 69 grams
- Construction: Zinc Alloy
- Pod Material: PCTG
- Charging: Type-C USB 5V/1A
- Output Wattage: Adaptive 15W max
- E-liquid Capacity: 2.0ml Pod
- Pods: Refillable, Non-replaceable 0.8 ohm Coil
- Coil Material: Kanthal A1 Mesh
- Filling Method: Top Fill Port
- Resistance Range: 0.4 ohm – 3.0 ohm
- Battery Specification: Internal 900mAh
- Display: Tri-color changing LED beneath the front panel
- Airflow: Adjustable Slider Control
- Firing: Auto draw activation
What’s in the box?
- Eleaf Iore Prime Device
- Eleaf Iore Prime Pod – 0.8 ohm Mesh Coil
- Type-C USB Cable
- User Manual
- Warranty Booklet
The packaging is pretty standard; an outer sleeve with a slide out cardboard box with a foam insert securing the device. The front image of the Iore Prime highlights the color of the device although you sharp eyed folk will notice the one we received was the Bright Brush design while the sleeve image shows the Carbon Fiber one.
On the reverse side of the sleeve are the basic specifications of the Iore Prime Pod kit together with the kit contents. The usual authentication security scratch code check is present to verify the product is authentic.
Note: While I understand Eleaf want to keep the costs to a minimum, it would have been nice if a second pod was included in the kit, especially the 1.2 ohm pod.
Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Design and Appearance
The Iore Prime Body
The Eleaf Iore Prime is a small, compact and very robust auto draw activated vape pod constructed out of zinc alloy. Its shape is a slim rectangular design with curved edges measuring 72mm tall (94.6mm including the pod), 26.5mm wide by 16mm deep and weighs in at 69 grams.
Despite its size, the weight is fairly heavy making this feel very robust. First impressions come across as being very well made and designed and looks like it will take a fair bit of abuse.
There are no menu controls or variable wattage adjustments, except the airflow slider adjustment; instead the Eleaf Iore Prime has a fixed 15W max adaptive power which is derived from the coil resistance of the selected pod that’s fitted.
The Eleaf Iore Prime incorporates an internal 900mAh internal battery and is charged, using the supplied charging cable, via the Type-C USB port on the bottom of the Iore Prime body, specified as 5V/1A. Charging time will take approximately 1 hour to fully charge the internal battery while the LED concealed under the front panel indicates the battery charge status.
Fast draw activation is achieved by the on-board chip set, which also ensure the multitude of safety features are maintained, such as:
- Overtime Protection
- Output Over Current Protection
- Low Battery Protection
- Over Discharge Protection
- Over Temperature Protection
- Over Charge Protection
- Atomizer Short-Circuit Protection
There are 5 color designs available in the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit range:
- Carbon Fiber
- Dark Brush
- Purple Aurora
- Bright Brush
- Golden Aurora
The color surface finishes on the different Iore Prime bodies look superb with these designs being limited to the inlaid front and back side panels that incorporate IML (In Mould Labelling) surface treatment technology. This is something we’ve seen on the Vinci Pod kit before which provides a striking appearance as well as being wear and finger print proof.
Two different casing are available, a black semi-matte finish on the Carbon Fiber, Dark Brush and Purple Aurora while the bright gold colored finish can be seen on the Bright Brush and Golden Aurora designs.
Each colored front and back side panel are inlaid and sit flush to the outer casing and really do stand out and look impressive. These are a reflective color grading on the Purple and Golden Aurora variants, stealth option with the Carbon Fiber version, or vibrant detailed designs with the Dark and Bright Brush versions.
Branding is very discrete and printed at the top of the front and back body casing. On the front casing are the words “ELEAF” and on the back casing are the words “IORE PRIME”.
A tri-color changing LED is concealed towards the bottom of the front panel that illuminates (3 different colors) when you draw on the pod indicating the battery status, charge the Iore Prime or if it’s displaying the different levels of protection.
Further details of the status of the different colors on the tri-color LED are described in the Functionality section of this review.
Airflow control is carried out by a side located slider lever that operates from fully closed to open allowing approximately a 0-3mm airflow inlet providing the optimum MTL draw. This airflow slider level is pretty restrictive and has a positive feel to it so won’t inadvertently change on its own accord.
On the base of the Eleaf Iore Prime body are the usual printed CE and do not dispose markings together with the Type-C charging port. The bottom of the Iore Prime is contoured with a small flat surface around the charging port meaning it’ll stand upright on a flat surface.
The top of the Iore Prime has a deep (14mm) recessed opening for the pod to be located in which houses two gold plated spring loaded coil contact pins, an airflow ingress port and the auto draw sensor. There are no magnets that secure the pod to the device; instead the pod is secured by a push snap fit design which does hold the pod in place securely.
The pod recess opening is symmetrical so the pod can be inserted either way round.
The Iore Prime Pod
When you first unpack the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod kit, the pod comes with a removable sticky paper protector covering the pod coil connecting pins. Ensure once you’re ready to use the pod, remove the protector so the pod makes contact with the Iore Prime body.
The Eleaf Iore Prime pod is re-fillable with a 2ml e-liquid capacity and has an integrated 0.8 ohm mesh coil. The coil is sealed into the pod and is not replaceable so once the coil degrades the whole pod will need replacing.
Manufactured out of opaque PCTG material, you can clearly see the level of e-liquid through it. The pod has a removable duck bill type mouthpiece which tapers down to an oval opening with a circular 3.5mm centre section leading down onto the coil. This provides the ideal MTL style vape.
The Iore Prime pod is a top filling design with the opening concealed under the duck bill type mouthpiece. To gain access to the fill port, the mouthpiece has to be removed from the pod body. Simply grasp the mouthpiece while holding the pod body, lever the mouthpiece to one side and it will release from its locking lugs.
When the mouthpiece is removed there are two circular holes in the top of the pod body. The centre hole is the top of the coil, do NOT put e-liquid down this hole. The filling port is the second hole located to one side with the red silicone rubber membrane.
The filling hole is only about 4mm in diameter so take care when using short stubby e-liquid tips, we found a needle tip easier to use. When filling with e-liquid, lightly press the bottle tip against the red silicone rubber membrane. It will slightly flex and the e-liquid will enter the pod. Once the pod has been filled with your e-liquid, replace the duck bill style mouthpiece ensuring it snaps in place.
On the underside of the pod are the two gold plated coil contacts with a small air intake hole between them. There is also a centre channel slot that runs the length of the pod. The pod can be fitted either way round and simply slides into the recessed opening of the Iore Prime body and is secured with a push snap fit and held in place against the two lugs on the front and reverse sides of the pod.
Once the pod is located into the recess, the tri-color LED will illuminate for 2 seconds to let you know the pod has made contact with the body and is ready for use. Removing the pod will again illuminate the tri-color LED for 2 seconds.
Identification of the coil resistance is written on the side of the pod, in this case “0.8 ohm mesh”. As we’ve already mentioned, Eleaf have an additional pod that incorporates a 1.2 ohm coil but it’s not included in the kit, you will have to purchase this separately.
During the time I’ve been using the Iore Prime pod kit there were NO leaks but just very slight condensation on the base of the pod and under the duckbill style mouthpiece. The pod also fits securely and doesn’t rattle or wobble. Considering it’s a disposable pod and is replaced once the coil degrades, it really is made very well.
Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Functionality
The Eleaf Iore Prime Pod kit is very simple and straightforward to use. Quite simply, all you have to worry about is charging the device, make sure you keep the pod topped up with your favourite e-liquid, settle on your desired airflow setting and enjoy your vaping experience.
A visual indication on the Iore Prime is provided by the tri-colored LED concealed behind the front panel which lights up when the pod is inserted, lights up when you draw on the device, illuminates when the Iore Prime is on charge and highlights any safety prompts.
The tri-color changing LED will highlight the status of the battery while you draw on the pod with three colors as shown below:
When the battery becomes fully discharged, the LED will flash red 20 times. At this point, you will no longer be able to vape and the battery will require charging.
The Iore Prime does have pass-through so you can vape on the pod while it’s being charged.
The on-board chip that controls the Eleaf Iore Prime maintains a constant output power throughout the discharge cycle of the battery, providing a fast responsive draw activated vape. This chip also controls the included safety features and prompts providing the visual indication via the tri color LED as follows:
- Charging – LED cycles red on an off
- Full charge – LED extinguished
- Current battery status – LED will illuminate in either green, blue or red while drawing
- Pod inserted – LED illuminates for 2 seconds
- Pod removed – LED illuminates for 2 seconds
- Low battery (<3.3V) – LED flashes red 20 times
- No Pod – LED flashes 10 times
- Short circuit – LED flashes 5 times
- Short circuit while vaping – LED flashes 3 times
- Overtime protection (10S) – LED flashes 5 times
Airflow
The Iore Prime Pod kit incorporates adjustable airflow via a slider control lever on the side of the device. The level of adjustment is limited to about 4mm but does allow control for a tight MTL or less restricted MTL vape experience.
Sliding the lever downwards will open the airflow for a less restricted vape. Sliding the lever upwards will close the airflow off giving a tight MTL vape.
Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Performance
As with most MTL vape pods, freebase or nicotine salts with a PG/VG ratio of 50/50 is recommended because of the smaller wicking ports and lower power. Using high VG e-liquid is likely to clog up the wicking ports in the coil leading to dry hits which will destroy the coil.
When first using a new pod, I would recommend filling the pod with your e-liquid and leave it to stand for 10-15 minutes to allow the e-liquid to saturate into the wick before vaping. This will improve the longevity of the pod before it needs replacing.
Having filled the 0.8 ohm pod with 20mg Mango Ice nic salts, my first draw on the pod was pleasantly surprising. The flavor came through straight away with a very decent throat hit and the vapor was more dense than I expected.
After a couple of pod refills, I switched my e-liquid to my DIY 50/50 Watermelon flavor with 6mg freebase nicotine and the results were equally as impressive. The flavor and throat hit was just as good and again the vapor produced exceeded my expectations.
Eager to see if the coil would stand up to a 70/30 VG/PG mix, I went through a pod full without any problems and with no dry hits.
The performance from the 0.8 ohm pod/coil was very good, flavor was sharp and crisp. The integrated 0.8 ohm coil didn’t excessively drink e-liquid; I found I was achieving about 1.5-2 hours of medium vaping before it required topping up.
A very slight e-liquid seepage was evident on the pod coil contact pins and slight condensation under the mouthpiece when that was removed. It wasn’t excessive but nevertheless it was there. I would recommend every time you fill the pod to check and just wipe away any e-liquid if it’s present to keep your Iore Prime in tip top condition.
At the time of writing this review, I’ve cycled approximately 40ml of e-liquid through the pod and the coil is showing no signs of faltering and no loss of flavor.
Auto Draw
The auto draw activation was faultless and worked every time. When the airflow is closed, even the slightest of draws on the pod activates the auto draw. When the airflow is fully open you do have to draw on the pod more for it to activate.
Airflow
With the airflow fully closed, the draw is pretty tight providing a nice restricted MTL vape style. Airflow fully open provides an airy MTL vape. At times I found I was switching to a Direct to Lung (DTL) style vape which really produced a Restricted to Lung (RDL) vape style.
My preferred airflow setting was with the airflow slider lever just shy of closed which for me seemed to be the perfect MTL draw, restrictive but not too tight.
Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Battery Performance
The Eleaf Iore Prime Pod kit is powered by an internal 900mAh battery. Charging time is pretty impressive, taking approximately 60 minutes to fully charge via the on board 1 amp Type-C USB charger/cable.
I was achieving a good 7 plus hours vaping from a fully charged battery. This is dependent on your vaping style i.e. length and frequency of your draw.
The tri-color LED provides a visual indication of the remaining battery charge so you can keep an eye on what the battery is doing. While drawing on the pod, the LED will illuminate and highlight one of three conditions:
- Green – Full charge – 60% of charge
- Blue – 59% of charge – 20% of charge
- Red – < 20% of charge
This tri-colored LED will illuminate throughout your draw and then slowly fade out within 2 seconds.
Once the LED flashes red 20 times (low battery cut-off), you will no longer be able to vape and will have to re-charge the battery. I did observe that once the red LED flashed 20 times the Iore Prime cut off and the LED would no longer flash even if you draw on the pod.
The Iore Prime does have pass-through so you can vape while it’s being charged.
I did an experiment to gauge the length of time the tri colored LED took to change to each color level. The times before switching to each color were on average repeatable and I have listed the times below:
- Green – Blue – 5 hours
- Blue – Red – 90 minutes
- Red – Flashing (discharged) – 30 minutes
One big plus for me is Eleaf have got the remaining battery level tri-color LED changing status right. Once the LED turns blue you know you have a couple of hours before it needs re-charging. When it turns red, you have approximately half hour left. Well done Eleaf!
Too often we see on other pod kits that once the status LED indicates below 20% you only get a few more draws before it cuts-off.
How Do I Fill The Iore Prime Pod?
The Eleaf Iore Prime pod is a concealed top fill design. You’ll have to remove the duck bill styled mouthpiece from the top of the pod in order to fill with e-liquid. Simply hold the pod body with one hand and grasp the mouthpiece with your other hand, prize the mouthpiece to one side and it will release from the pod body.
The fill port is located on the top of the pod. There are two holes; the center hole is the coil/chimney, do NOT fill this hole with e-liquid. The fill port is the other off center hole marked with the red silicone membrane.
Gently press your e-liquid bottle tip against this membrane and fill the pod up with your e-liquid. I at first thought that the bottle tip would pass through this red membrane but it doesn’t, it simply flexes allowing the e-liquid to pass through.
Do NOT overfill the pod. Once filled, replace the duck bill styled mouthpiece ensuring it snaps into place and is securely fitted.
Quick Tip: If you are filling the pod for the first time, once filled, 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 the coil/pod.
When and How Do I Change The Iore Prime Pod?
Because the Iore Prime pod has a fixed 0.8 ohm coil and is NOT replaceable, when the coil starts to degrade after a couple of weeks use, the pod will need to be discarded and a new pod fitted.
An indication of the coil degrading will show by either a loss of flavor or a lack of vapor. At this stage, discard the pod and fit a new one. Equally, if the Iore Prime displays “No Pod” or “Short Circuit” as highlighted by the LED flashing sequence described in the Functionality section of this review, a new pod will need to be fitted.
Pull the pod away from the Iore Prime body, discard and fit a new pod. Unfortunately if you still have e-liquid in the pod, this will have to be discarded as well.
When fitting a new pod, follow the procedure for How Do I Fill The Pod. As you insert the pod into the Iore Prime body, the LED will illuminate for 2 seconds to identify the pod has been fitted.
How Do I Charge The Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit?
Using the supplied Type-C USB charging cable, plug the cable into the USB port on the bottom of the Iore Prime body. Connect the other end into a suitable power source (typically 5V/1A).
Whilst charging, the LED will illuminate red and cycle on and off identifying that the device is on charge.
Once fully charged, the red LED will extinguish indicating the charge cycle has completed.
Charging time takes approximately 60 minutes to fully charge the battery using the supplied charging cable and an appropriate charging source.
The Iore Prime pod kit does have a ‘pass-through” facility therefore you can vape while it’s being charged.
One plus point worth mentioning is the device while on charge remained cool to the touch. However, we always recommend charging your device on a non-flammable surface.
As always, NEVER leave your vape device unattended while on charge.
Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Price
If you’re after a no fuss hassle free pod kit and you’re not interested in replaceable coils but want the benefit of being able to re-fill the pods with your own e-liquid, the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod kit ticks all the boxes.
At the time of writing, Vapesourcing are selling the Eleaf Iore Prime Pod kit at a discounted price of £16.80 ($22.44). You can also get a further 12% off (site-wide) using the promo code VAPES12. Be sure to click on the buy button below to check it out.
Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Verdict
Pros
- Great design and build quality
- Simple to use
- Very good flavor and vapor
- Re-fillable
- Clear pod so e-liquid is visible
- Auto draw activation
- Impressive in-built coil
- Airflow control
- Very good battery performance
- Quick 1 hour charge (Type-C)
- Pass through function
- Accurate LED status indication
Cons
- Shame 1.2 ohm pod isn’t included in the kit
- Slight condensation on coil pins
Eleaf Iore Prime Pod Kit Summary
The Eleaf Iore Prime Pod kit is a very well built device. It looks impressive and feels solid yet comfortable and tactile in the hand. The color design I received was the Bright Brush variant; the gold colored outer casing against the front and back inlaid panels looked really good.
Its 900mAh internal battery is a pretty decent for the size of the pod kit and did last a lot longer than I expected. Charging time was good at 1 hour from the Type-C charging port while the full charge lasted around 7-8 hours. Also the tri-color LED battery status indication was very accurate with the added advantage of pass-thru so you can vape while it’s being charged.
Flavor and vapor from the re-fillable 0.8 ohm pod was very good as was the top fill pod design. Having an adjustable airflow was a benefit allowing fine tuning of your vaping style and the auto draw was responsive.
Because of its simplicity in terms of fixed wattage and non-replaceable coils, the Iore Prime Pod kit is aimed more as a new user’s vape pod kit or someone looking at switching from smoking. Saying this, I would be more than happy taking this out with me for an evening or vaping it throughout the day.
I feel Eleaf have done a very good job with this Iore Prime Pod kit, a simply no fuss hassle free pod kit that works and performs very well. Eleaf’s presence in the vaping market for producing cost effective and reliable mods and pods is well known and can be relied upon.
I would definitely recommend this kit by Eleaf’s name alone and is backed up by the performance we observed while using the Iore Prime Pod.
Hope you enjoyed this review and found it useful and helpful. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave us a comment below.
If you do purchase one, please do drop us a comment with your thoughts of what you liked or disliked about it.
Comments 2
Best kit I have bought so far here in the UK
Hi David,
Glad you like the Iore Prime Pod Kit. For a pretty small pod it’s a cracking little device with good performance.
Happy vaping!