Not having previously reviewed a Freemax pod, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Straight out of the box though, the Freemax Maxpod looked and felt impressive.
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the limited edition Red and Gold Freemax Maxpod and couldn’t wait to see if this lived up to my expectations.
The Freemax Maxpod is a simple MTL draw activated device with a fixed power output. It comes with a 2ml re-fillable pod and push fit replaceable coils.
An internal 550mAh battery provides a constant 8W when using the 1.5ohm coil and 11W when the 1.0ohm coil is fitted. There are no adjustments to worry about, no display, simply charge, fill and vape.
Freemax have gained a very positive reputation and I was eager to see how the Maxpod performed. Read on and find out!
Quick Note: I’d like to thank the guys at Freemax for sending me the Freemax Maxpod kit. As always this review is completely unbiased and my own honest opinion.
Freemax Maxpod Review
Contents
- Features and Specifications
- What’s in the Box
- Maxpod Design and Appearance
- Maxpod Performance
- Filling the Maxpod
- Changing the Maxpod Coil
- Charging the Maxpod
- Price
- Verdict
Features and Specifications
- Dimensions: 101mm x 22mm x 14mm
- Weight: 56.3 grams
- Construction: PCTG, Steel and Zinc Alloy Frame
- Charging: Micro USB
- Output Wattage: 8-11W (coil dependant)
- E-liquid capacity: 2ml Pod
- Pods: Refillable, Replaceable Coil
- Coil Resistance: NS Mesh 1.0ohm and 1.5ohm
- Battery Specification: 550mAh Internal Battery
- Output Voltage: 3.3V Constant Output
- Display: Single LED
- Firing Mechanism: Draw Activated
What’s In The Box
- Freemax Maxpod
- Freemax Maxpod Pod x 1
- NS Mesh Coil 1.0ohm (pre-installed)
- NS Mesh Coil 1.5ohm x 1
- Lanyard
- Lanyard Ring
- USB Cable
- User Manual
- Warranty Card
Freemax Maxpod Design and Appearance
The dimensions of the Freemax Maxpod are 100.81mm tall, 21.81mm wide and 14mm deep. It’s constructed out of steel and zinc alloy so feels very robust and definitely looks a quality product.
Both side cases are made using ‘In Molding Technology’ (IML) producing vivid colours with a lacquered finish.
The colored side panels have a 3D diamond cube pattern on both sides with the words “Maxpod” printed on them.
On the front of one of the panels is a small LED, housed below the surface of the panel. This lights up when you draw on the pod.
The LED also changes color to indicate the amount of charge left in the battery, from white to blue and finally red.
A micro USB charging port is located on the metal side edge of the Maxpod and there are two small airholes, one each side.
The top of the Freemax Maxpod has a deep recess where the pod is housed. Two strong magnets, either side of the 3 control pins that connect to the coil, hold the pod in place.
The internal 550mAh battery is the powerhouse of the Freemax Maxpod and vaping is draw-activated.
As much as it feels lovely in the hand, there is a supplied lanyard and rubberized band that attaches to the Maxpod housing and can be worn around your neck.
The overall finish is top notch and there are no rough edges at all. This really is a very sturdy, well-built and solid designed pod.
At the time of writing, there are 6 different colors available, not including the limited addition red and gold one, which I received. These are red, blue, yellow, black, green and white.
Freemax Pod Design and Appearance
The Maxpod pod has a capacity of 2ml and is black semi-opaque in color. The lower section of the pod is rectangle and has a side filling port, behind a blue rubber flap, that fits into the recess of the Maxpod.
The top section of the pod that remains visible (the mouthpiece), when inserted into the Maxpod, is a Duckbill shape with a circular 6mm hole in the top.
Because of the semi-opaque design, the e-liquid level is visible if the pod is removed. Alternatively, turning the pod on its side while it’s fitted, will show how much e-liquid you have remaining in the pod. In poor light conditions, you’ll need to place this against a light to see the e-liquid level.
The pod accepts push fit replaceable coils and is held in place with 2 strong magnets located just either side of the coil.
Inserting the pod is straightforward, simply line up the pod to the opening and it will slide into the recess and be locked in place by the magnets.
There are no orientations on the pod or housing, therefore the pod can be inserted either way round.
Removing the pod is carried out by applying pressure to the mouthpiece and pulling upwards. When the pod is attached to the Maxpod, the small LED on the side panel will light briefly to indicate the pod is fitted and ready for operation.
Freemax Maxpod Performance
NS Mesh 1.0ohm Coil (Blue Seals)
The composition of this coil is 66.66% flax and 33.34% organic cotton. Freemax recommend using 20-30mg Nic Salts or 3-12mg freebase nicotine.
Having filled with my usual e-liquid (6mg freebase Thug Juice), I was blown away at just how incredible the flavor was. I didn’t expect this from the onset. After working my way through the first pod full of juice, the flavor was amazing and the cloud production was really good.
Definitely a very airy light mouth-to-lung (MTL) draw and suited to 2 or 3 quick draws in succession.
At times, I found myself drawing on the Maxpod direct-to-lung (DTL) style and found this to be equally as satisfying.
I discovered by placing my thumb over one of the air intake holes, the draw tightened slightly and gave me a perfect MTL style vape.
After a couple of pod fills, I was finding that although the flavor and vapor was really good, the throat hit and my nicotine craving wasn’t being satisfied.
I switched to 20mg Nic Salts (Mango Ice) and oh my word, the flavor and throat hit was soooooo good.
I’m loving the vape experience I’m getting from this coil. I have noticed that, even though the pod is only 2ml capacity, the e-liquid is lasting much longer between re-fills.
NS Mesh 1.5ohm Coil (Red Seals)
The composition of this coil is 44.44% flax and 55.56% organic cotton. Freemax recommend using 30-50mg Nic Salts or 12-24mg freebase nicotine.
I used the same e-liquid, both freebase and Nic Salts as I did in the 1.0ohm coil to get a direct comparison between the two coils.
The flavor and vapor production was as impressive as I found on the 1.0ohm coil. The only noticeable difference being the draw using this coil was tighter.
Also, battery life improved when using the 1.5ohm coil. This is due to the fixed output being a lower wattage (8W) with this coil.
Summary
Both coils are very impressive, not much to choose between the two except for the tightness of the draw. Flavor and vapor are spot on, in fact, far better than I was expecting. Having cycled 50/50 PG/VG and 75VG through them, neither coil struggled to keep up.
The auto-draw activation was faultless every time and I never had a dry hit with either coil.
There was only one downside I found when using freebase nicotine; the hit was not enough. I only mix at 6mg strength max which normally satisfies my craving. When switching to Nic Salts however the hit was spot on.
One very big plus point for me was never having any signs of e-liquid seeping from the coils in the Maxpod housing recess.
I’ve been vaping the Maxpod for around 4 weeks now, swapping the two coils in and out and they’re both still performing very well.
Freemax Maxpod Battery Performance
The Maxpod has an internal 550mAh battery. While not being the biggest capacity on a pod of this size, it did last for a good 8 hours of vaping. Obviously, this is subjective, depending on your vaping style and the coil type you’re using.
A small LED on the Maxpod side panel illuminates when you draw and gives you a visual indication of the remaining battery level. This is achieved by indicating either, white, blue or red as highlighted below:
- White light indicates 65% – 100% battery power level.
- Blue light indicates 30% – 65% battery power level.
- Red light indicates 0% – 30% battery power level.
While this is a handy feature, giving you a visible battery status, don’t take these figures as being accurate. In reality, once the LED light indicates RED, you’ll only get about a half dozen or so draws before it shuts down.
How do I Fill the Freemax Maxpod?
Simply grasp the pods mouthpiece and pull upwards away from the Maxpod.
Once removed, you’ll see the little blue rubber flap on the side of the pod, gently pull this flap open.
Tilt the pod on its side to make filling easier. Place your e-liquid bottle tip into this opening and squeeze the bottle. You’ll see the e-liquid start to fill in the pod.
Once complete, replace the blue rubber flap and re-insert the pod back into the Maxpod.
Quick Tip: If you’re 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.
If you want to know more about prolonging the life of your coil, or filling a coil for the first time, please read our guide here.
Changing the coil in the Freemax Maxpod
Remove the pod, as you would for filling, by grasping the mouthpiece and pulling away from the Maxpod.
Because the coils are just a push fit type, simply pull the old coil out from the bottom of the pod and replace with a new one.
Ensure when inserting your new coil into the pod, it’s fully pushed in.
As always, when replacing a new coil, follow the same steps as you would for filling the pod.
How do I Charge the Freemax Maxpod?
Using the supplied charging cable, plug the mini USB cable into the charging port on the side of the Maxpod. Plug the other end into an appropriate power outlet, typically a 1A source.
The LED on the Maxpod will light “Red” to indicate that it’s charging. Once it’s completely charged, the red LED will extinguish.
Charge time from discharged to full charge will take approx. 45 minutes.
As always, never leave your device unattended when on charge. Always charge the Maxpod on a non-flammable surface. Remove the charging cable and source when charging is completed.
Freemax Maxpod Price
At the time of writing expect to pay in the region of £20 in the UK or $25 in the USA for the Maxpod kit.
Replacement coils are also reasonably priced. You can expect to pay around £12 in the UK and $15 in the USA for a pack of 5 coils.
Considering the very good quality and performance of the Freemax Maxpod kit, together with the longevity of the coils, these prices really are too good to miss.
Freemax Maxpod Verdict
Having used the Freemax Maxpod non-stop now for over four weeks, I simply cannot fault it. The design and build quality is superb. The operation is flawless. The flavor and vapor is amazing when I use my Nic Salts. Not once has it given me a dry burn or a miss-fire.
Pros
- Excellent build quality
- Sleek and stylish
- Great flavor and vapor production
- Pretty quick charging cycle
- No leaks from the pod
- Coils don’t drink e-liquid
- Good coil life
Cons
- LED battery status not accurate
- Filling of the pod is not the easiest if using bigger bottle tips
- Pods fairly dark tinted
What really surprised me, there are NO signs of any leaking at all. Every time the pod was removed to fill, the Maxpod housing recess was totally dry.
For a simple device at a relatively small cost, Freemax have certainly produced a winner. Would I recommend this? Most definitely. Will I buy another one? Yes. Buy one, you’ll not be disappointed.
Hope you enjoyed this review and hopefully found it useful. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave us a comment below.
Comments 6
Hello, I would like to know how I can buy the replacement coils.
Hi Karla,
We are an information website, we don’t sell product. A quick google search for maxpod replacement coils will bring up lots of vape websites that sell these coils either locally to you or ones that will ship to your country.
I’ve been buying this product for a couple years i was all ways happy till I bought to green ones both have bad charging ports the store sad they tried the rest of the green ones and the hole batch in there store was bad but no ones replaced them. Now what do I do.
Hi John,
Thanks for your comment.
As you’ve only just bought the two Maxpods and they were both faulty and as the store that you purchased them from have said the remaining ones in the store are also faulty, you should be able to get your money back from them or direct replacements, especially as the store has confirmed that they are faulty.
You’ve been sold faulty goods that are not fit for purpose. You have consumer rights. You need to contact the store and get your money back.
Hope you manage to resolve the issue with them.
Ive bought 2 of the green kits witch don’t charge I have one receipt both of them never took a charge cost me over 100 dollars can’t seem to be get smoke city to replace I’m very disappointed in both places I got ripped off.
Hi Jennifer,
It sounds like the two kits you’ve bought are faulty. I’m assuming you’ve only just bought them so the store should replace the two kits under warranty. The product you’ve been sold is NOT fit for purpose as they are faulty. You have rights as a consumer. You need to pursue this further with Smoke City and get your money back or working replacements.
Also 100 dollars seems expensive for two Maxpods?