Today we’re pleased to bring you our latest review on the ever growing Suorin range of pod kits, especially the “Air” series, this one being their Suorin Air Hybrid Pod.
This will now be the fourth device we’ve reviewed in the Suorin Air series over the last year or so. If the 3 previous ones (Suorin Air Mod, Suorin Air Mini and Suorin Air Pro) are anything to go by, we expect this to be as equally good in terms of quality and performance.
Suorin are continuing to expand and excel in the vaping industry and tend to think outside the box in terms of design, but with an underlying emphasis on providing a quality product that the end user will be happy to own and use.
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is different from the more traditional pods and the clue is in the name… “Hybrid”. Pods come with either fixed or replaceable coils, pre-filled or refillable and in almost all cases the pod section of the device is replaceable.
Where the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod differs from the norm is the pod IS refillable, incorporates an integral coil (non-replaceable), BUT the pod does NOT detach from the main body. This in effect makes the Air Hybrid pod a disposable! When the integrated coil no longer works, the whole device is disposed of.
We have come across this type of device before when we reviewed the OXBAR RRD Pod earlier on in the year. These devices do have their place in the vaping market and can be considered an upgrade from the more traditional disposable.
Read on to see what it looks like, what the functionality is and how it performs.
Overview of the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is a non-adjustable, 14W max, Mouth to Lung, (MTL) auto draw activated, refillable pod device. It incorporates an internal 600mAh capacity rechargeable battery and in essence IS a disposable device.
Its appearance follows in the vein of the “Air” series of pods from Suorin; thin and wide with the instantly recognizable wide shaped pod. The overall look of the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is quite stunning and considering it’s a disposable it’s very well made.
Suorin state that the Air Hybrid Pod is good for up to 8 refills before the coil becomes exhausted and you have to dispose of the whole device and purchase a new one. We will put this to the test and see if it exceeds this figure!
Made out of Aluminum Alloy and PCTG, the Suorin Air Mini comes in 7 different colors. We received 3 of these colors; Jade Green, Sunset and the Gradient Purple. Each one has a semi-matte finish with the body on some of the color range being color graded (shaded dark to light) with a color matched clear opaque integrated pod.
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod kit is a refillable (top fill) pod with a 2.8ml e-liquid capacity. The 1.0 ohm Mesh coil is an integral part of the pod meaning it’s not replaceable. The pod is also integrated in to the Air Hybrid Pod body, so it doesn’t detach. When the coil degrades, the pod along with the Air Hybrid body are disposed of and a new one purchased.
There is no adjustable airflow; instead it appears to rely on one small pin hole on the base of the Air Hybrid body. The air hole is located next to the USB Type-C charging port and provides a nice smooth restrictive Mouth to Lung (MTL) draw.
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is very simple and straightforward to use, just like any other disposable, with the added bonus that the pod is refillable. This gives the user complete freedom over the choice of e-liquid they vape.
A small tri-colored LED on the bottom of the Air Hybrid Pod, next to the Type-C charging port and opposite the airflow intake hole, illuminates when you draw on the pod. It will also cycle when the device is being charged and illuminates in a sequence of flashes to indicate the battery needs recharging. Finally the LED also lights up to display several included safety warnings.
Charging the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is carried out using a standard Type-C charging cable. Unfortunately though there isn’t a cable supplied with the device so you’ll have to make use of one you already have. The charging rate is 650mAh so a power source of 1A will fully charge the device in approximately just over 1 hour.
I would like to thank Chilly at Youmeit for sending me the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod for the purpose of this review. As always this review is completely unbiased and is my honest opinion based on my findings while using the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod’s supplied. We may receive a small affiliate fee if you click of any of the buy links but at no extra cost to you.
Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Review
Contents
- Overview of the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod
- Features and Specifications
- What’s in the Box?
- Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Design and Appearance
- Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Functionality
- Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Performance
- Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Battery Performance
- How do I Fill the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod?
- How do I Charge the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod?
- Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Price
- Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Verdict
- Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Summary
Features and Specifications
- Dimensions: 75mm (L) x 32.3mm (W) x 13.7mm (D) See Note 1
- Weight: 35 grams
- Construction: Aluminium Alloy / PCTG
- Charging: Type-C USB 5V/650mAh
- Output Wattage: Max 14W
- E-liquid Capacity: 2.8ml
- Pod Section: Refillable, Non-replaceable, 1.0 ohm Mesh Coil
- Filling Method: Top Fill Port
- Firing Method: Draw Activation
- Battery Specification: Internal 600mAh Rechargeable
- Display: Tri-Color Changing LED
- Airflow: Fixed Bottom Hole Intake
- Vape Cut-Off: 10 Seconds
- 3 Safety Protection Features
- 7 Color Finishes
Note 1: The included user manual specifies the dimensions of the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod are as I’ve detailed above in the specifications. The actual measured size of the Air Hybrid Pod is in fact; 86.6mm tall by 33mm wide by 13.7mm depth. Suorin appear to have copied the dimensions from their “Air Mini”.
What’s in the Box?
- Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Device
- User Manual
Note: There is no included charging cable so you’ll have to use one that you have to hand.
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod comes packaged in a cardboard box with a lift to open top flap. It’s virtually the same size as the device itself, measuring 92.25mm tall by 44mm wide by 18.5mm deep. The front and sides of the box are partially colored to correspond with the color of the device inside.
On the front of the box is a photo of the Air Hybrid Pod in your chosen color, with the name “Air Hybrid Pod” and “Suorin” together with the nicotine warnings.
Each side of the box highlights safety warnings along with a bar code. The reverse side of the box shows the specifications, the company address, an authentication label and additional nicotine warnings.
When opening the box, the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod that’s inside is sealed in a polythene bag. Once that’s removed, the device has two silicone rubber protectors that cover the top mouthpiece and the bottom USB charge port. These can be discarded once you’re ready to use the device.
Prior to use, DO make sure you fill the Air Hybrid Pod with your e-liquid and leave to stand for approximately 10-15 minutes before you first use the device.
Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Design and Appearance
As we’ve already mentioned, even though the device has a refillable pod so you can use the e-liquid of your choice, the pod and coil are not replaceable. Once the coil in the pod section is no longer usable, the whole device has to be thrown away (sensibly and correctly of course) and a new one purchased.
Even though the Air Hybrid Pod doesn’t follow the conventional disposable design, it IS a disposable device. Several times I went to remove the pod before filling with e-liquid before remembering that the pod doesn’t detach from the Air Hybrid body.
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod delivers a fixed power output of 14W (Max) from its 600mAh capacity internal rechargeable battery and is auto draw activated only. Airflow is not variable but has a small air intake pin hole on the base of the device, one side of the USB charging port. This provides a very smooth restricted MTL draw.
Strangely enough, placing your thumb/finger over this air intake hole doesn’t alter the tightness of the draw. Placing your thumb/finger across the Type-C USB charging port shuts the airflow off completely so I do wonder why the second hole is there?
To the other side of the USB charging port is a similar hole which conceals a small tri-color changing LED. This LED illuminates when you draw on the mouthpiece, cycles when it’s placed on charge and shows the different levels of protection:
- Overtime Draw Protection (10 seconds): LED flickers 2 times
- Low Resistance/Over Current: LED flickers 5 times
- Low Battery: LED flickers red 10 times
- Fully Charged: LED remains illuminated
Constructed out of Aluminium Alloy and PCTG, the body/battery is a flattened one piece alloy frame in a concave shape. Each of the sides and bottom are rounded off making it feel very tactile. The mouthpiece (pod section) is attached to the Air Hybrid body and is NOT removable. This is constructed out of colored PCTG material which matches the color of the Air Hybrid body and has a side positioned e-liquid filling port with a 2.8ml e-liquid capacity.
The overall dimensions of the Air Hybrid Pod measures 86.6mm tall, 33mm wide by 13.7mm deep and it weighs in at only 35 grams making this very compact and very lightweight. It feels solid and looks well built, having a completely smooth surface with a really nice paint finish.
Charging the Air Hybrid Pod is carried out via the Type-C USB port on the bottom of the body, specified as 5V/650mAh. Charging the 600mAh battery from a standard 1A power source will take approximately 70 minutes to fully charge. It does have pass-through meaning you can vape while it’s being charged.
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is auto draw activated so there is no fire button or on/off control. It outputs a fixed wattage (14W) so there are no adjustable wattage buttons either. It’s as simple as they come.
Safety features are maintained by the on-board control, such as:
- Overtime Protection (10 seconds)
- Low Battery Voltage Protection
- Open Circuit Protection
- Over Charge Protection
- Short Circuit Protection
There are 7 different body colors available in the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod range:
- Obsidian Black
- Denim Blue
- Viva Magenta
- Very Peri
- Gradient Purple
- Jade Green
- Sunset
The colors we received to test for this review were Jade Green, Sunset and a Gradient Purple. Each of these colors are semi-matte with a very striking, somewhat metallic surface finish. The transparent pod part is also color matched to the Air Hybrid body resulting in a really nice overall colored finish.
Branding is reasonably prominent with “Suorin” and “Air Hybrid Pod” screen printed in white lettering on one side of the Air Hybrid pod casing. The other side of the casing has in smaller lettering the Suorin “Logo”, “Suorin” name and the usual “CE” markings below that.
The base of the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is curved on its outer edges with a small flat part where the USB charging port is. This limits the flat surface area so although it will stand upright it is not very stable. I would recommend laying this down on its side when not in use so it doesn’t topple over.
Now even though it’s a disposable, the pod section is refillable. Having an e-liquid capacity of 2.8ml with an integral non-replaceable 1.0 ohm mesh coil, the pod is fixed to the battery/body. Once the coil is finished with you throw the entire device away.
Manufactured out of color tinted PCTG material, it’s transparent so you can clearly see your e-liquid through it. The mouthpiece is a duck bill shape with a tapered oval opening at the top of the pod with a circular 3mm opening leading directly into the top of the coil. This provides the tight MTL draw.
The Air Hybrid Pod is a side filling design with the opening concealed behind a semi-flush fitting clear silicone rubber plug which is always visible because the pod is not removable. This plug doesn’t have any arrow indent on it to show which end is opened, but the top half of the plug is the part that lifts out/open.
When the plug is opened, the other end of the silicone rubber flap will remain attached to the pod so it won’t get lost. This plug can be rotated out of the way when you’re filling. The fill port hole is semi-oval in shape and a pretty decent size (4.5mm), allowing for most e-liquid tip bottles to be used.
I would recommend tilting the device on its side edge when filling so you can get the maximum amount of e-liquid inside. Once filled, make sure you resecure the rubber fill bung so e-liquid doesn’t escape.
Suorin state that the pod/coil is good for up to 8 refills so this equates to approximately 20ml of e-liquid before the coil will start to show signs of degrading. Depending on the PG/VG ratio and sweetness of your e-liquid, you may well achieve more than the stated 8 refills.
Once the pod has been filled with e-liquid, reinsert the silicone rubber flap ensuring that the fill port opening is completely sealed.
There is a “Min” e-liquid level printed on one side of the pod section so do ensure your e-liquid is ALWAYS above this level otherwise you will destroy the coil and the whole device will have to be thrown away.
Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Functionality
Using the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is very simple and straightforward. There are no menu options, no wattage adjustment, no airflow to fiddle with and no on/off button. You simply draw on the pod and enjoy your vaping experience. Do ensure your Air Hybrid is charged and the pod is filled with e-liquid first.
The only indication on the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is the small tri-colored LED on the base of the device body. This will light up when you draw on the device, flash to indicate any safety prompts and cycle when the device is on charge.
Do bare in mind that the two holes on the base of the Air Hybrid pod do look identical. With the Air Hybrid Pod branding facing you, the tri-colored LED is the hole on the right hand side of the base as shown in the photo below.
When you place the Air Hybrid on charge, the small tri-color LED will illuminate and slowly cycle on and off. The color of the LED depends on the amount of charge that’s in the battery. From fully discharged to fully charged, I monitored the length of time the charging process took as follows:
- Cycling Red: – 5 minutes
- Cycling Blue: – A further 40 minutes
- Cycling Green: – A further 25 minutes
- Total Charge Time: – 1hr 10 minutes
The internal controls of the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod maintain a constant output throughout the discharge cycle of the battery, providing a responsive draw activated vape. This chip also controls the included safety features providing a visual indication via the Illuminated LED as follows:
- Charging – LED cycles on and off (red, blue or green)
- Full charge – LED remains constant green
- Low battery – LED flashes red 10 times
- Low resistance – LED flashes 5 times
- Overtime protection (10s) – LED flashes 2 times
Pass-through vaping is a feature on the Air Hybrid Pod so you can vape while it’s being charged.
Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Performance
As with most MTL vape pods, freebase or nicotine salts with a PG/VG ratio of 50/50 are recommended because of the smaller wicking ports and lower power. Using a high VG based e-liquid could potentially clog up the wicking ports in the coil leading to dry hits which in turn would destroy the coil.
When first using a new Air Hybrid Pod, I would recommend filling the pod with e-liquid and leaving 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 device before it needs replacing.
Because we received 3 of the Suorin Air Hybrid Pods, I run one device with Blueberry Ice at 50PG/50VG 6mg freebase nicotine and another one with Double Mango at 30PG/70VG 6mg freebase nicotine. I could then do a comparison between the two to see if the thicker e-liquid would cause any issues with the wicking ports.
Both the Air Hybrid Pods produced a crisp and clean flavor, although it did take around 10-20 or so draws for the flavor to come through fully. The coil gave a pretty decent throat hit and the amount of vapor was more than I expected. I would say using nicotine salts at a higher milligram strength would improve the throat hit if freebase nicotine isn’t quite hitting the spot.
The lack of any variable airflow was not a problem; the draw on the pod with the single airflow intake pinhole provided a restrictive (tight) MTL draw. As I mentioned earlier on in the review, restricting the air intake didn’t make any difference and placing your thumb/finger across the USB charging port did in fact make vaping the device impossible.
Auto draw worked every time, it was very responsive, even the slightest draw activated the Air Hybrid Pod. I was expecting the pod filled with 30PG/70VG to struggle with dry hits but in all honesty it kept up really well. I also observed that the e-liquid between fills lasted a long time so that’s good on both points.
Suorin mention in the product information that the Air Hybrid is good for up to 8 refills. While testing and writing this review, I’ve filled one of the devices 9 times and another 12 times and so far the performance in terms of flavor and vapor is still pretty good.
Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Battery Performance
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is powered by an internal 600mAh capacity rechargeable battery. This is about average considering it IS a disposable device. What is impressive though is the length of vape time you have from a fully charged battery.
On average I was achieving around 1.5 days of vaping from a fully charged battery. During this time I refilled with e-liquid nearly 4 times so you can gauge the amount I was vaping the Air Hybrid. This time will vary depending on your vaping style i.e. duration and frequency of your draw.
During normal use, when you draw on the mouthpiece, the small tri-colored LED on the bottom of the Air Hybrid will illuminate green. This tri-color LED doesn’t change color and remains green until the low voltage battery cut-off is reached and it flashes red 10 times.
Once the LED flashes red 10 times, you will no longer be able to vape and will have to recharge the battery. The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod does have pass-through so you are able to vape while it’s being charged.
I didn’t notice any change in vape performance as the battery approached its low voltage cut-off so remained constant throughout the battery discharge cycle.
How Do I Fill The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod?
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is a side fill design with the fill port concealed behind the clear silicone rubber bung/plug. The end that is removable is the slightly narrower part of the rubber bung that points towards the top of the pod mouthpiece.
This silicone rubber flap is attached to the pod by a small rubber peg so there’s no chance of it getting lost. Pull open the flap and insert your e-liquid drip tip into the opening. The rubber bung can be swivelled around if required to give easier access to the fill port hole.
Tilt the pod on its side to aid filling and to get the maximum amount of e-liquid into the pod. Once filled, reinsert the silicon rubber flap making sure the fill port is securely sealed.
Always make sure the e-liquid level is above the “Min” line printed on the pod section. Vaping when the e-liquid level is below this line will damage the coil and the device will become useless and have to be thrown away.
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/device.
How Do I Charge the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod?
When you first receive your Suorin Air Hybrid Pod it does come with a nominal charge. Before using for the first time we recommend fully charging the device.
During use, once the tri-colored LED starts flashing red 10 times to highlight the battery has reached its low battery cut-off, you will need to place the Air Hybrid Pod on charge.
Using a suitable charging cable, plug the cable into the Type-C USB port on the bottom of the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod body. Connect the other end into a power source (typically 5V/1A).
When the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is first placed on charge the LED will glow red and cycle on and off. As the charge increases the LED will change color to blue and continue to glow and cycle on and off. As the charge time further increases, the LED will change color to green and cycle on and off.
Once fully charged, the green LED will turn static and remain constantly illuminated indicating the charge cycle has been completed. At this point, remove the power source and you’re ready to vape again with a fully charged battery.
Charging time takes approximately 70 minutes to fully charge the battery when using a 1A power source. Do note the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod does have a ‘pass-through” facility therefore you will be able to charge and vape at the same time but the charging time will increase.
I did observe that while the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod was on charge, the case remained cool to the touch. I would however advise to always charge this, and any other device for that matter, on a non-flammable surface.
As always, NEVER leave your vape device unattended while on charge.
Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Kit Price
Even though the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is a disposable, because you use your own e-liquid, the cost of using this type of device means it is far cheaper than a traditional disposable. Having the ability to recharge the battery and refill with e-liquid up to approximately 8 times before the coil/device is no longer usable is comparable to roughly 10 standard disposables.
I’ve seen the Air Hybrid Pods on some websites for as low as £6/$8 each. This price is incredibly cheap and well worth the money, especially when comparing it against the price of a standard disposable.
Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Kit Verdict
Pros
- Great design and build quality
- Small, slim and extremely stylish
- Very lightweight yet robust
- Good flavor and vapor
- Draw activation responsive
- Impressive in-built 1.0 ohm coil
- Good coil/device life
- Very good battery performance
- Refillable top-fill design
- 2.8ml E-liquid capacity
- Pass-through function
Cons
- No battery status during vaping
- Limited device life
Suorin Air Hybrid Pod Kit Summary
The Suorin Air Hybrid Pod has left me in two minds. It’s a little strange in that it looks like a pod, performs like a pod, IS refillable yet it’s a disposable. It just seems too good to throw away once the coil has degraded. I do wonder if this would appeal to either a pod or disposable user as it doesn’t seem to fit in either camp.
Everything about it looks good and works very well. The flavor and vapor compares to most small pods in the market and the battery life is very good. Coil life is impressive and does exceed the recommended refill count. Auto draw was faultless and the wicking ports handled the higher VG e-liquid with no problems at all.
Compare this against any disposable and the Suorin Air Hybrid Pod is untouchable because of its versatility. The fact it’s refillable and can use any e-liquid you desire makes this device really quite unique. This means you’re not limited to the few flavors that a disposable has to offer.
Hope you enjoyed this review and found it useful. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave us a comment below. Good and bad comments are always welcome.
If you do decide to purchase one, please let us know how you’re getting on with it.