We were recently asked to write a SMOK Nord 4 review – A big thank you to VapeSourcing for reaching out and sending us the latest release by SMOK.
As a HUGE fan of the original, we jumped at the chance to review the brand new SMOK Nord 4 Kit.
Interestingly, there is no SMOK Nord 3… SMOK jumped from the original Nord, to the Nord 2. Then came the Nord X and now the new Nord 4!
I’ve been using the SMOK Nord 4 as my all-day-vape since it arrived almost 3 weeks ago, and I can’t find a single fault!
With a 2000 mAh battery, adjustable airflow AND wattage up to 80w, refillable 4.5ml capacity pods and both MTL and DTL coil options, the SMOK Nord 4 is definitely one of the best pods on the market today!
So much so, we’ll be updating our guide on the best pod vapes in the near future!
But enough of me rambling, let’s get into the full SMOK Nord 4 review…
Quick Note: I only review and/or recommend products I’ve tried and tested. If this post contains an affiliate link I may receive a small commission on any purchase made at no extra cost to you.
SMOK Nord 4 Pod Review
Contents
- Features & Spec
- What’s In The Box?
- SMOK Nord 4 | Design & Appearance
- SMOK Nord 4 | Performance
- Charging The SMOK Nord 4
- Filling The SMOK Nord 4
- Changing The Pod / Coil
- SMOK Nord 4 | Price & Where To Buy
- Verdict
Features & Specification
- Size (mm) – 33.7 x 24.4 x 104.9
- Net weight – 115g
- Internal 2000mAh battery
- Type-C USB charging port
- Charge time – 1.5 hours
- Variable wattage 5w – 80w
- Input voltage – 3.3V/4.2V
- Button activated
- OLED display screen
- 4.5ml e-juice capacity (2ml TPD)
- Adjustable airflow
- DTL and MTL pod/coil options
- Side fill pods
- All the usual safety features
What’s In The Box?
- SMOK Nord 4 Pod system
- 1 x SMOK Nord 4 RPM 2 Pod (0.16ohm mesh coil)
- 1 x SMOK Nord 4 RPM Pod (0.4ohm coil)
- Type-C charging cable
- User manual
SMOK Nord 4 | Design & Appearance
SMOK pulled out all the stops with the Nord 4 – the design and build quality is fantastic. It’s slightly larger and heavier than the original Nord, weighing in at 115g with dimensions of 33.7mm x 24.4mm x 104.9mm. It’s the heaviest pod I’ve used but it feels sturdy, well built and reliable in the hand.
The SMOK Nord 4 comes in either the standard design or a leather series – which is slightly larger and heavier. VapeSourcing sent us the standard design in the red and white color option.
As you can see from the pictures, it’s a really well designed and aesthetically pleasing pod – definitely something I’m happy to vape out and about!
The Nord 4 is similar in design to the original Nord, with a rectangular shaped zinc alloy body, slightly rounded edging/corners and smooth plastic face panels on either side.
It’s super comfortable to hold and feels like it’s going to survive anything I can throw at it. I’ve dropped the Nord 4 several times already and it’s still working perfectly – not that I recommend dropping your vape!
The body of the Nord 4 has a single firing button and adjustable airflow wheels on both sides. This is a really nice feature and really opens up the draw, especially with the 0.16ohm DTL coil!
In the centre of the firing button is a small LED battery life indicator, which lights up when you fire the Nord. On the side of the device is a OLED display screen, with the current battery life, resistance, wattage and a puff counter.
At the base of the SMOK Nord 4 is the Type-C USB charging port. The 2000mAh battery is a big selling point – even at higher wattage output, the Nord 4 has fantastic battery life!
Overall, I’m really impressed with the design of the Nord 4. The OLED display is super handy, the airflow wheels give you a fully adjustable draw and the Nord 4 looks and feels great!
SMOK Nord 4 Pods | Design
The SMOK Nord 4 pods look identical to the original Nord pods – a clear plastic body with a fixed plastic drip-tip and a removable coil head that slots into the base of the pod.
The beauty of the Nord pod design is that you don’t really need to replace the actual pod. When you need to change the coil, you just remove it and insert a fresh one into the bottom of the pod.
The kit VapeSourcing sent me came with two pods and two coils – the SMOK Nord 4 RPM 2 pod with a 0.16ohm DTL mesh coil and a SMOK Nord 4 RPM pod with a 0.4ohm DTL coil.
The SMOK Nord 4 RPM pod is compatible with other RPM coils and the RPM 2 pod is compatible with other RPM 2 coils. Which means if you own the original SMOK Nord and have a bunch of coils lying around, you can put them to good use with the Nord 4!
The pods hold 4.5ml of e-juice (2ml in TPD compliant areas) and are refillable via a red rubber plug on the side of the clear plastic body. The pods are a smoky black transparent color so you can see how much juice you have left. The pods are also really easy to fill and I’ll show you how a bit later…
On the underside of the pods are 4 small magnets to hold it in place when it’s connected to the device – these are a perfect fit and the pods connect with a satisfying snap, with no rattle or wiggle room.
Overall, I’m really impressed with the design of the Nord 4 pods – they’re only slightly different to the pod design with previous Nord releases and as the saying goes – ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.
SMOK Nord 4 | Performance
In terms of performance, let’s break it down into the two pods/coils that came with the kit:
RPM 2 0.16ohm DTL
I’d been rotating the Caliburn, KOKO and SMOK Nfix for the past year, which are all MTL style pod systems. Eager to try the heavy DTL vaping set-up on the SMOK Nord 4, I opted for the RPM 2 0.16ohm pod/coil first.
First things first, the airflow is insane! It’s like vaping on a dripper, and it’s fully adjustable via the airflow wheels on each side of the device. With the airflow wide open, it’s a really airy draw – perfect for cloud chasing.
The vapor and flavor are both excellent – far better than I was expecting from a pod system! Especially with the wattage cranked up! The vapor in particular is amazing – so much so, that you’d be forgiven for wondering whether it’s worth ever getting your RDA and box-mod out again!
The coil life is brilliant – around 3 weeks before I started to get muted flavor and the occasional burnt tasting hit.
I’m super impressed with the RPM 2 0.16ohm and I’ll definitely be buying a few replacement coil heads!
RPM 0.4ohm DTL
The air-flow on the 0.4ohm coil with the airflow wheels half open was the perfect draw for me – something I expected after using the original SMOK Nord. It’s not too tight, but not too loose. Of course, it’s fully adjustable, so you can play around until you find the perfect draw for you.
The flavor and vapor produced by the 0.4ohm pod/coil is also on point. After using the 0.16ohm DTL coil first, the flavor and vapor on the 0.4ohm seemed a little lacklustre in comparison. But after switching back to the KOKO for a few days, I can say the flavor and vapor production is on par, if not slightly better even.
Coil life is excellent – up to around a month before I felt I needed to replace the coil.
Overall, both the RPM 0.4ohm and RPM 2 0.16ohm pod/coil set-ups worked perfectly. Great flavor, great vapor and amazing coil life. I’m really impressed with the SMOK Nord 4 so far – it’s pretty much all you could want in a pod system wrapped up in one device!
SMOK Nord 4 | Battery Performance
The SMOK Nord 4 is powered by a 2000 mAh internal battery, charged via the Type-C USB port on the bottom of the device. This is a pretty large battery compared to other pod systems, and if you’re vaping at low-medium wattage the battery life is amazing!
BUT, the SMOK Nord 4 is adjustable up to 80w, so obviously if you’re vaping at higher wattages you’re going to burn through the battery capacity a lot faster.
For me, the battery life was far better than any other pod system I’ve tried – vaping at around 25w I get at least a full day of fairly heavy vaping before I need to re-charge!
You can see how much battery you have remaining thanks to the OLED display. And while you’re charging, the OLED display will tell you how much time left until the battery is fully charged – a nice little feature.
The Nord 4 also has pass-through capability, which means you can vape while charging. It takes up to 80 minutes to charge the Nord 4, which can be a bit of a pain if it’s your only device.
Charging the SMOK Nord 4
Charging the SMOK Nord 4 is easy – you just plug the charging cable into the Type-C USB port on the base of the device and connect it to a suitable outlet.
Like I said before, expect it to take around 80 minutes for the SMOK Nord 4 to fully charge. A quick glance at the OLED display while charging will tell you how much longer you’ll have to charge until the battery is full.
Filling the SMOK Nord 4 Pods
Both the RPM and the RPM 2 pods are filled in exactly the same way, and it’s really quick and easy. Just pull on the pod to remove it from the Nord 4, flip open the red rubber plug on the side of the pod and you’re good to start filling with your favorite juice!
When you’ve finished filling the pod, push the rubber plug back into place and make sure it’s nice and tight. Pop your pod back into the body of the Nord 4 and be sure to give it a few minutes to stand alone before you fire – this gives the wick time to fully saturate and helps you avoid a dry hit!
Changing the SMOK Nord 4 Pod/Coil
Replacing the coil is also super easy – just remove the pod from the Nord 4 and get a fingernail under the rim of the coil at the base of the pod. You’ll need to give it a good tug as it’s a pretty secure fit!
Once you’ve removed the coil, just pop a fresh coil head in and you’re good to go! Just remember to give the new coil a few minutes after you’ve filled the pod with e-juice… If you fire it before the wick has fully saturated you run the risk of a dry hit.
SMOK Nord 4 | Price
At the time of writing, the SMOK Nord 4 will set you back roughly £/$30 – not a bad price considering it’s a MTL and DTL pod system all in one!
The replacement RPM/RPM 2 pods and new coil heads are a little on the pricey side, which is a shame. BUT to be fair you do get really decent coil life out of the two coils included in the kit.
Verdict
Pros
- Fantastic design & build quality
- Super comfortable to hold
- Amazing vapor production
- Excellent flavor
- Long battery life
- MTL AND DTL coil heads
- 4.5ml e-juice capacity
- Easy to use and re-fill
Cons
- Replacement coils are expensive
- That’s about it!
Overall, I’m really impressed with the SMOK Nord 4 – fantastic vapor, excellent flavor and MTL or DTL coil options with adjustable airflow – what’s not to like!
If I had to pick, I’d say I prefer the Nord 4 as a DTL pod system – the huge cloud of vapor is really impressive and the flavor is definitely on point!
I hope you enjoyed this SMOK Nord 4 review. Please feel free to share or leave a comment below!
Comments 31
I’ve gone through 2 of these in a few weeks. I’m onto my 3rd now and its having issues. all three miss firing, not firing, leaking, slow to fire, display issues, liquid in mouth, not displaying correct info on the display. about to give up on this device entirely. on the plus side the people that sold it to me have a 3 month warranty and I’ve had excellent customer service who replaced them stright away, but my adivce is to avoid this device! I think the leaking issue is the problem. the liquid leaks through the air hole then finds its way into the device through the button?
Hi Greg, sorry to hear of your issues with the Nord 4. We know several people, including us that have this device and on the whole it performs very well.
Sounds strange that you’ve had 3 within a couple of weeks showing the same problems. It sounds like its the leaking that’s causing the issues. A few things spring to mind.
Have you checked the authenticity of each device? The RPM2 pod/coils do suffer from seepage more. Filling the pod to full capacity can have an effect on leaking. Leaving eliquid in the pod without using for over a day can oversaturate the wick and cause leaking. Also ensuring the coils are seated in the pod firmly.
I’ve been using mine for over a year now, admittantly not all the time and it’s still performing well.
Good luck and hope you can get a replacement or another pod device that works better for you.
Hello, I bought the 4, using the 0.16 coil, have it set for 1 airflow wheel closed and the other just opened a little at 15W. Still kinda testing that all out but what I have noticed is that the 4 (compared to the 2) goes through juice real fast. I filled up the pod 3 times and my bottle was gone and that was in about 4 days. Is this normal? Or am I missing something or better settings to make the juice stretch for a longer amount of time?? Thanks!
Hi Grace, thanks for your comment. Was that 10ml of e-juice in 4 days? If so, that’s probably about right for a 0.16ohm DTL coil at 15W. You could try swapping to the 0.4ohm coil and closing the airflow slightly to see if that helps. You don’t mention in your comment if you’re using store bought e-juice, but if so I would recommend switching to mixing your own e-juice as it’s significantly cheaper! Let us know how you get on!
Hey, just bought this device and I’ll be smoking freebase 3mg mostly. Should I stick with one of the coil ohms or it doesn’t matter? I’ll be using two juices; one fruit based like Vgod mango bomb, and the other tobacco-based like cubano silver.
Hi Sam, thanks for your question.
It doesnt matter. We’ve tried most of the coil options and have not been disappointed with any of them. Personally I would try a few different coil options and see which one suits your style of vaping.
My only observation would be if you want a pretty good throat/nicotine hit using 3mg freebase you may be better off trying the lower ohm coil options as these will give you a slightly better hit .
I have just bought this system and have the exact issue that DAWN M Woodbeck posted. My wife bought the one too and my tank keeps cracking and hers does not. We use the same juice. Seems like there are a few devices being sold that are faulty. Very disappointing.
Hi Marcus,
Thank you for your comment. Under normal conditions the pods shouldn’t crack. Apart from Citrus e-liquid causing the problem, the only time I’ve come across this happening is under sever cold conditions where the pod becomes brittle.
It could be possible that the pods are not genuine. Did they have the authentication code on the packet?
I can only say we’ve been using the Nord 4 for quite a while now with no issues.
Can you take the Nord 4 back to the place you purchased it from to get a replacement?
Hi sir Richard can i ask if I can use rpm rba in my smok nord 4? Thanks
Hi Bryan,
Yes the RPM RBA coil will fit in the RPM pod in the Nord 4. It’s not compatible with the RPM 2 pod.
Hi there,
I just bought my Nord 4. It’s leaking into the space under the magnetic tank. I don’t see a full line so I’m curious to know how much do I put in? Also the shop where I bought it, she told me that I can use non salt bs only salt. Please what should I do?
Thanks so much
Shannon M.
Hi Shannon, thanks for your questions.
The pod shouldn’t normally leak although you will get residue e-liquid in the pod recess at times, especially if the Nord 4 is not used for a day or two. Make sure the coil is securely fitted as this may cause leaking.
I don’t fill the pod completely, I leave a little airspace to help with the vacuum so normally just over 3/4 full.
You can use either Salt or Freebase E-liquids in the Nord 4. Using nic salts will give you a stronger throat hit/nicotine hit as they are normally 18mg nicotine. Freebase nicotine tends to be either 3mg or 6mg. The choice really is up to you.
Hope this answers all your questions.
Hello, can you tell if your liquid is low without taking out the pod to look on a smok nord 4?
Hi Thomas, thanks for your comment. The Smok Nord 4 pods are a smokey black color, but it is possible to see how much e-juice you have left. Especially if you hold the pod up to the light! In terms of whether or not you can see how much e-juice you have left WITHOUT removing the pod from the Smok Nord 4, yes you can. I just tilt the device slightly to the left or right and you can clearly see how much e-juice is left in the pod. Obviously as your e-juice gets lower, you may need to remove the pod to check it. But as a general rule, if you can’t see any e-juice when you tilt the device, it’s a good idea to refill. Hope that helps!
One of the magnets popped up so the pods do not sit flush. How do I get the magnet back down?
Hi Bobby, thanks for your question.
This is not something we’ve observed before on the Smok Nord 4 but to resolve your’re problem it will be one of two options.
1. The magnet is a tight push fit into the Nord 4 housing so a gentle but firm push on the magnet should re-locate it so it sits flush.
2. The magnet will be glued in. The glue may have come unstuck slightly and its raised the magnet. If you can’t push it back down, gently prize the magnet away, clean both the back of the magnet and where it sits, dab a small bit of superglue in the recess where the magnet should go and replace the magnet.
Make sure it’s sitting flush and there is no excess glue. let it dry for a couple of hours before re-attaching the pod.
Hope that helps.
Is it possible to change the oled display brightness? We purchased two (one for me and one for mother in law) and somehow, the brightness display on MIL’s nord has dropped drastically, almost to the point where we cannot see it at all. Is there a way to fix this? We have searched the websites, manuals, etc. and cannot locate any information on this.
Hi James,
Thank you for your question and sorry to hear you’ve got problems with the display on one of your Nord 4 Pods.
Unfortunately there is no option to adjust the screen brightness on the Nord 4, it’s a fixed brightness level set during the design of the pod.
We’ve searched for any know problems on the screen brightness of this pod and come up with a blank.
I can only assume something has effected the display, possibly e-liquid seeping into the pod or maybe it was knocked.
Sorry we can’t help on this one James. Hopefully it may just rectify itself on its own otherwise you may have to purchase a new one.
Saying this, how long have you had it? If its not too old, you could try contacting the place you bought it from and see if they would fix or replace it.
Hope you can resolve the problem. Good luck.
I only used mine once before the display became so dim you have to be in a fairly dark room to see it. Fortunately for me, it’s a back-up device I keep at work in case I forget my main rig.
No liquid has seeped into the device and it’s never been dropped. Clearly, some of these devices have this defect.
Hi Michael, thanks for your comment. Sorry to hear your Smok Nord 4 has display issues. We’ve only heard this once before about the display being dim. A google search for this didn’t reveal any know or reported issues.
You mentioned you only used it once then it happened. It sounds like you received a faulty device. As it was new, did you return it to the supplier for an exchange or repair? Hopefully you did and got a fully working replacement.
.
Bro, 0,4 ohm is not MTL, it is Sub-ohm. MTL means “smoking as tight as cigarette”
Also, MTL vaping should be smoken with 0,8 ohm or higher ohm capacity coils with salt nics.
if you smoke salt nics with less than 0,8 ohm, you gonna be get sick from overnicotine
( i am user of nord 4, and i bought MTL 1.0 ohm coil for MTL vaping )
Good spot my man! I have no idea why I assumed the 0.4ohm coil was MTL! Too many months reviewing devices that come with both DTL and MTL coil options maybe! I actually prefer MTL vaping – out of interest, what did you think of the 1.0ohm MTL coil for the SMOK Nord 4?
Wich adapter i need best for charging my new monster nord 4,how many amperes and voltage, thanks
Hi Dacko,
The Nord 4 has a Type-C USB charging port and it’s specified as 5V/1.4A. The supplied charging cable can be inserted into any suitable charging port. Most mobile phone/tablet chargers will be fine. Some chargers will only operate at 1Amp which will be fine but will take longer to charge. Same if your using the USB port on a computor as these are specified as 0.5Amps. Any charger that is higher than 1.4A will still work as the circuity in the Nord 4 wont pull any more current than its designed for.
Hope this helps.
Hi,
Hope you’re well
Im fairly new to vaping
I have been using the Smok Novo X for about 5/6 months and its been great
I have been using Salt nics of about 20MG – I find this better for killing the crave of Cigarettes
On the Smok Nord 4
What e-liquid would you recommend that will give me the same type of hit, if not, maybe a bit stronger?
Also what coil would you partner the liquid with for the same?
Hi NK, thanks for your question.
The Novo X is a pretty good device but is limited to the coil option. The coil in the pod is fixed and is a 0.8 ohm MTL coil.
The Nord 4 is a much more versatile device, giving you lots of different coil options with the RPM and RPM2 pods. If you prefer MTL style vaping then I would opt for either the RPM 0.4 ohm or RPM 0.8 ohm coil. There are quite a few coils that fit the Nord 4 so would suggest trying them to see which ones you like best. The RPM2 pod and coils are more for DTL style.
As for e-liquid, I would stick with 20mg nic salts for those coils. If you decide to try the lower resistance coils, these are more suited for DTL vaping at a higher wattage. For those coils I would lower your nic strength to about 6mg and maybe use freebase nic.
Hope this helps.
Hey there I want to know wheather can max VG freebase… If can which coil is suitable? Thanks
Hi Adam, thanks for your question.
Unlike a lot of pods in the market today, the Nord 4 can handle max VG e-liquids. In our opinion, the RPM2 0.16 ohm coil is the best one to use.
A lot of max VG e-liquids are around 80% VG which will work fine with this coil.
If you’re mixing your own juice and aiming for 100% VG, the coil will struggle due to the thickness of the VG. I would suggest thinning the VG down by 10% with distilled water. Alternatively use AVG as your base e-liquid which is pre mixed with VG and distilled water.
Hope this helps.
Thanks Richard for the reply it helps alot… Have a good day mate!
I just bought the nord 4 and the pod keeps cracking. I was using the 0.16 and running on 40wts then tired the .6 running 20 wts and it still cracked. So not happy with this. If your going to make a mod that can run up to 80 wts then make sure the pod can handle it.
Hi Dawn,
Sorry to hear about your problem with the pod cracking.
It could be one of two things causing this issue. It’s either the pods were faulty or it’s the type of juice you’re using. It’s not being caused by the wattage your setting your Nord 4 at.
Some citrus juices are known to cause cracking of plastic pods and tanks. Try changing your juice flavour.
We’ve been using our Nord 4 pods for months now with no issues.
Hope this helps.