Welcome to yet another Suorin product review, this time we’re taking a look at the Suorin Shine pod device.
Deviating somewhat from their Air series and Ace series designs, which can be seen in our other Suorin reviews, the Suorin Shine follows the more traditional pen shape and style.
What we can expect though, if our previous Suorin product reviews are anything to go by, is a well-made good quality product with a performance to match.
Saying this, the Suorin Shine has been around for a couple of years now so we’ll put it to the test and see if it has stood the test of time. Will it “Shine” through or is this one for the bottom draw? Do carry on reading and see what we thought?
We would like to hear from you guys and girls of your first hand experiences if you’ve owned or are using one.
Overview
The Suorin Shine is a non-adjustable 15W max Mouth to Lung (MTL) dual activated pod device having both auto draw and fire button control and incorporates an internal 700mAh capacity rechargeable battery.
Something we’ve not come across before is Suorin state the auto draw provides a “constant” but lower output power throughout the vape cycle. Whereas the fire button provides a “full” power wattage output but diminishes as the battery drains. We will test for this and give more detail on this later on in the review.
Made out of Zinc Alloy and PC, the dimensions of the Suorin Shine are 104mm high x 24mm wide x 14mm deep and weighs in at 47 grams. It comes in a range of 8 different colors and the one we received for the purpose of this review was the Diamond Blue color.
Included with the Suorin Shine kit are two re-fillable (side fill) pods with a 2.0ml e-liquid capacity and having a duckbill style mouthpiece. These pods are cross compatible with the pods for the Suorin Ace which we have just reviewed. The 1.0 ohm Mesh coil is an integral part of the pod therefore it’s not replaceable. When the coil degrades, the pod is disposed of and a new pod fitted.
There is no adjustable airflow but it does have two rectangular fixed airflow intake holes; one on either side of the Suorin Shine body just below the pod recess. The Suorin Shine produces a smooth semi-restrictive (loose) Mouth to Lung (MTL) draw but as I mentioned in the Ace review, a restricted direct to lung vape style is also possible.
The front fitted rectangular button, which also turns the Suorin Shine on/off, provides the option of fire button operation while the lower bottom of the device provides the UI with a tri-colored LED that illuminates when you draw on the pod indicating the remaining battery status, when the battery is being charged and displays the included safety/protection features.
Charging the Suorin Shine is carried out using the supplied charging cable that connects to the Micro USB port on the bottom of the device. This charging port is specified as 700mA and achieves a pretty fast charge in around 40 minutes.
I would like to thank Chilly at Youmeit for sending me the Suorin Shine kit 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 Shine kit 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 Shine Pod Kit Review
Contents
- Overview
- Features and Specifications
- What’s In The Box?
- Suorin Shine Design and Appearance
- Suorin Shine Body
- Suorin Shine Pod
- Suorin Shine Functionality
- Suorin Shine Performance
- Suorin Shine Battery Performance
- How Do I Fill The Suorin Shine Pod?
- When and How Do I Change The Suorin Shine Pod?
- How Do I Charge The Suorin Shine?
- Suorin Shine Kit Price
- Suorin Shine Kit Verdict
- Suorin Shine Kit Summary
Features and Specifications
- Dimensions: 104mm x 24mm x 14mm
- Weight: 47 grams (including pod)
- Construction: Zinc Alloy + PC
- Pod Material: Black Tinted PCTG
- Mouthpiece: Duckbill Style
- Charging: Micro USB (0.7Amps)
- Output Wattage: Max 15W
- Output Current: Max 5A
- Working Voltage: 3.3V-4.2V
- E-liquid Capacity: 2.0ml Pod
- Pods: Refillable, Non-replaceable 1.0 ohm Mesh Coil
- Filling Method: Side Fill Port
- Firing Method: Push Button and Auto Draw Activation
- Resistance Range: Not specified
- Battery Specification: Internal 700mAh
- Display: Tri-Color Changing LED
- Airflow: Fixed (non-adjustable)
- 6 Safety Protection Features
What’s in the box?
- Suorin Shine Device
- 2 x Suorin Shine Pods – 1.0 ohm Mesh Coil
- Micro USB Charging Cable
- User Manual
The Suorin Shine comes in a rigid matt white cardboard box with a pull out draw. On the front of the box is a photo of the Suorin Shine with the usual nicotine warning. I believe the photo of the Shine is generic as it doesn’t depict the color of the device inside.
On the reverse side of the box includes the package contents with all the usual safety measures etc., an authentication sticker and the included color of the device.
It’s good to see there’s a spare pod included in the package kit. Sadly the kit I received didn’t include a user manual but fortunately Youmeit do have user manuals for all the products listed on their website.
Going off track slightly, the nicotine warning did make me smile. “This product is design to be used with nicotine”. I’m not so sure this is the case! Surely it’s only if you choose to use nicotine e-liquid. It’s no different from everyone else’s though so rant over.
Suorin Shine Design and Appearance
The Suorin Shine Body
The Suorin Shine delivers a two function power output of 15W max from its 700mAh capacity internal battery and is a dual activation device; being both auto draw and fire button activated. There is no airflow control; other than 2 rectangular air intake holes on the sides of the Shine casing which are not adjustable.
When using auto draw activation, the power output (wattage) is reduced but remains constant throughout the discharge cycle of the battery. When using the fire button, the power output is at maximum but will reduce as the battery starts to drain. This is quite a novel concept and something we’ve not observed on a pod before. I can only summarize that auto draw is regulated in that the output power is constant, yet fire button is more like an unregulated mechanical mod.
Marketed as a MTL device, I found that the draw was quite loose (airy) and although pleasant, I tended to favor a more restrictive direct to lung style draw.
Constructed out of Zinc Alloy and measuring 90mm tall (104mm including the pod) by 24mm wide and 14mm thick, this is a standard rectangular pen style device weighing in at 47 grams. The front and back colored inlaid panels are concave so have a nice oval shape to them.
Charging the Suorin Shine is carried out via the Micro USB port on the bottom of the body. This is quite old school now but considering its been out for a few years now it’s as expected so not a problem. The micro USB port is specified as 0.7 amp and will charge the Suorin Shine in around 40 minutes The added bonus is the Shine does have pass-thru so you can vape while it’s being charged.
Safety features are maintained by the on-board control, such as:
- Overtime Protection (5 seconds)
- Low Battery Voltage Protection
- Open Circuit Protection
- Over Charge Protection
- Over Current Protection
- Short Circuit Protection
A visual display of each safety feature is identified by different flashing sequences of the tri-colored LED on the lower bottom of the Shine body which we’ve detailed in the Functionality section of this review.
There are 8 different body colors available in the Suorin Shine range:
- Black
- Mint Green
- Red
- Diamond Blue
- Gold
- Space Grey
- Teal Blue
- Silver
The color I received to test for this review was the Diamond Blue variant with the surface being a semi-matt finish so no unsightly finger marks. Each of the different colors in the range cover the full length front and back inlaid panels with the sides and bottom of the Shine body being gloss black which matches the mouthpiece.
Branding is very discrete with the words “Suorin Shine” screen printed on the front face panel in small black lettering and on the back face panel is “Suorin” and their “Logo” in the same color and font.
On the front face of the Suorin Shine just over half way up is a slightly raised matt black oblong on/off/fire button measuring 3.8mm by 9.5mm. This button has a positive click feel, is responsive and doesn’t suffer from any button rattles.
A tri-color changing LED, located towards the bottom of the Shine on the front face illuminates when you draw on the pod in the color that corresponds to the level of charge left in the internal battery. This LED will also illuminate when the Suorin Shine is being charged or it’s displaying any notifications of the different levels of protection.
Both of the outer frame edges of the Suorin Shine are flat but unfortunately the base is curved (concave) which means you can’t stand the Suorin Shine upright.
At the top of the Suorin Shine is a deep oval shaped recessed opening where the pod locates. Two circular magnets sit either end of this recess with two gold plated spring loaded coil contact pins that sit within an inner black recess. There is a third black pin next to the coil pins which is the auto draw sensor.
The Shine pod can be fitted either way round and simply slots into the Shine body recess. The small magnets will pull the pod into position and do a pretty good job of securing the pod in place. Removing the pod is carried out by simply grasping the mouthpiece and pulling upwards away from the Shine body.
The Suorin Shine Pod
The Suorin Shine pod is re-fillable with a 2ml e-liquid capacity and has an integrated 1.0 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.
Both the Suorin Shine and Suorin Ace pods are cross compatible so can be swapped between the two different devices. The pod measures 35mm tall by 24mm wide and 13mm deep.
Unlike the Suorin Ace pod, this Shine pod is manufactured out of black tinted PCTG material so you can’t see the level of your e-liquid through it unless you hold it up against a light. In order to see the level of e-liquid remaining you do have to remove it from the Shine body.
The mouthpiece of the pod is a duck bill style and is semi-opaque tinted black and is the only part of the pod that remains visible when the pod is fitted. The duckbill mouthpiece tapers down to a 9mm rectangular opening with a circular 3mm centre chimney section leading down into the coil. This provides the semi-restricted MTL vape style.
The Suorin Shine pod is a side fill design with the opening concealed behind a flush fitting black silicone rubber plug. To gain access to the fill port, the pod has to be removed from the Suorin Shine body. This plug is a pretty secure fit and is removed by easing the top (just below the black side edge of the mouthpiece) of the rubber bung out from the fill port opening.
When the plug is opened the other end of the black 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 are filling. The fill port opening is a pretty decent size (4.5mm) allowing for most e-liquid tip bottles.
On the underside of the pod are two gold plated coil contacts and In between these is an air intake hole that leads directly through the coil to the 3mm circular opening in the mouthpiece.
Either side of the two coil contacts are two small circular magnets that locate against the magnets in the Suorin Shine body. The pod can be fitted either way round and simply slides into the recessed opening of the Shine body and is secured with the magnetic contacts.
Branding on the pod is only visible when the pod is removed. “SUORIN” is etched on one side and “2ml Cartridge”, “1.0 ohm” and “9W-15W” is etched on the other side.
The Suorin Shine pod is quite long in length and does fit approximately 22mm into the Shine body. To check your e-liquid level while the pod is attached, tilt the Suorin Shine on its side and the e-liquid will be visible in the mouthpiece section when held against a light.
During the time I’ve been using the Suorin Shine, each time I’ve removed the pod to fill with e-liquid, there were no signs of leaks just slight signs of condensation on the base of the pod. I will say if you leave e-liquid to stand in the pod without using for any length of time, remove the pod from the Shine body as e-liquid seepage will occur.
Suorin Shine Functionality
The Suorin Shine is very simple and straightforward to use. There are no menu options, no wattage adjustment, no airflow to fiddle with, just the on/off/fire button. You simply turn the Suorin Shine on (5 clicks) then either draw on the pod or use the fire button and enjoy your vaping experience. Do ensure your Shine is charged and the pod is filled with e-liquid first.
As previously mentioned, Suorin state the auto draw produces a constant power output whereas the fire button produces full power output derived from the battery voltage. I am in two minds if this really works and will try to verify this in the Performance section of this review.
A small tri-colored LED is positioned on the lower front base of the Shine body which will light up when you draw on the device, cycles when the device is on charge and highlights the included safety protection features.
This tri-color changing LED will highlight the status of the battery during use and while it’s charging with three colors as shown below:
- Green – > than 70% of charge
- Blue – 30% – 70% of charge
- Red – < than 30% of charge
- Flashing Red – Low voltage cut-off
The included safety features and operating functions are reported by a sequence of different flashing lights/colors from the tri-colored LED as follows:
- Charging – LED cycles on and off (red, blue or green)
- Full charge – LED remains constant green
- Low battery – LED flashes red 3 times
- Low resistance – LED flashes 5 times
- Short circuit – LED flashes 5 times
- No Pod fitted – LED flashes 8 times
- Open circuit – LED flashes 8 times
- Overtime protection (5s) – LED flashes 10 times
Pass-thru vaping is a feature on the Suorin Shine so you can vape while it’s being charged.
Suorin Shine Performance
As with most MTL vape pods, using e-liquid with a PG/VG ratio of 50/50 is recommended because of the smaller wicking ports and lower power. With some pods, the throat hit when using freebase nicotine around 3mg or 6mg doesn’t provide a good enough hit to satisfy your craving. In this case, Nic Salts are used at higher nicotine strength to overcome this problem.
This 1.0 ohm pod doesn’t suffer from this problem. Irrespective if you’re using higher strength Nic salts or a lower level freebase nicotine, the pod performed really well in terms of flavor and throat hit with pretty decent vapor production.
As I highlighted when we reviewed this pod in the Suorin Ace review, the flavor is really really good. Definitely on par with some of the better tanks we’ve used and also matches that of some of the better disposables we’ve tried flavor wise. Considering I used my own DIY e-liquid mix which is not overly flavored, this pod picked out every flavor profile of that e-liquid.
Vapor was pretty good and produced quite a nice dense cloud, especially when taking a longer draw or using the fire button. I can say that the results from what really is in fact a disposable pod are very impressive.
The lack of any variable airflow was not a problem; the draw on the pod produced a loose MTL draw although I tended to favor a restricted direct to lung draw. The auto draw worked every time but did require a slightly more increased pull through the pod to activate. One way of improving this was to close off one or even both of the air intake slots with your thumb/finger. This made the auto draw more sensitive and produced a tighter MTL draw.
With regards to the two power levels produced by the auto draw and fire button I began to question my own sanity! The auto draw remained constant irrespective of the charge state of the battery. The fire button I thought at first did provide an increased power vape and during the nominal battery voltage the fire button intensity was on par with auto draw.
As the battery started to discharge and the tri-colored LED turned “Blue” I was expecting the fire button intensity to reduce below that of the auto draw but it didn’t. The more I tried to compare the difference between the two power levels between auto draw and fire button the less I was convinced there was actually a difference.
Continuing to vape using both dual activation modes, right up to the point the battery had drained to bring up the “Red” tri-colored LED, I still couldn’t say there was any difference. Unfortunately, after about 5 minutes of the “Red” LED showing while drawing on the pod, it started to flash 3 times and cut off.
To conclude, I would have to say I didn’t really detect and difference of power levels between auto draw and the fire button method. Also, unlike the Suorin Ace we tested, once the LED turns red you will only have a few more draws before it reaches the low voltage cut-off and shuts down.
While testing and writing this review, I’ve cycled over 50ml of e-liquid through the pod and the flavor and vapor is still as good as when I first started using it. The coil/pod is showing no signs of faltering with no e-liquid seepage visible on any of the coil contacts.
Suorin Shine Battery Performance
The Suorin Shine is powered by an internal 700mAh battery. Charging time is about normal, taking approximately 40 minutes to fully charge via the on board 0.7A Micro USB port with the supplied cable.
On average I was achieving around 7 hours vaping from a fully charged battery. This time will vary depending on your vaping style i.e. duration and frequency of your draw and possibly depends if you use auto draw or the fire button.
The battery level indications on the LED while drawing on the pod are not in line with the 70% and 30% cut-over figures. Green-Blue gave approx 2 hours vaping time while Blue-Red gave around 4-5 hours but once the LED illuminates Red the battery level remaining should be equal to 30% of its remaining charge. I found I was getting no more than 3 or 4 minutes of usage left before the battery cut out and started flashing 3 times.
Once the LED flashes red 3 times, you will no longer be able to vape and will have to re-charge the battery. The Suorin Shine does have pass-through so you are able to vape while it’s being charged.
How Do I Fill The Suorin Shine Pod?
The Suorin Shine pod is a side fill design. You’ll have to remove the pod from the Suorin Shine body in order to fill with e-liquid because the fill port is concealed when the pod is fitted. Simply hold the Suorin Shine body with one hand, grasp the pod with your other hand and pull the pod away from the Suorin Shine body.
The fill port is located on one side of the pod and is concealed behind a black silicon rubber flap. This flap sits flush with the side of the pod. The part of the stopper that lifts away is the end located towards the top of the pod which also happens to be the opposite end to the little pin mark on the rubber flap.
There is not much room to get your fingernail into the gap between the top of the black stopper and the tinted black side edge of the mouthpiece. I found it easier to release the stopper from the top side edge.
The bottom of the black silicone rubber flap is attached to the pod by a small rubber pin so there’s no chance of it getting lost. You can also swivel the flap side-wards to gain better access to the fill port.
Because the fill port opening is pretty wide (4.5mm), it’ll accept those larger e-liquid/shortfill bottle tips.
Pull open the flap and insert your e-liquid drip tip into the opening. Tilt the pod on its side to aid filling and to get the maximum amount of e-liquid into the pod. Once filled, re-insert the black silicon rubber flap making sure the fill port is securely re-seated.
Re-insert the pod into the Suorin Shine body till it’s held in place by the magnetic catches. Do ensure that you don’t let the e-liquid level run down too low before you top up the pod. Letting your e-liquid level run down too low will burn the coil/wick and a new pod will have to be 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 in the pod.
When and How Do I Change The Suorin Shine Pod?
Because the Suorin Shine has a fixed 1.0 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. Suorin state on their website that the pod/coil is good for 1 weeks use or 5 or so re-fills but this is only a guide. My pod is STILL going strong after over 2 weeks use and 30 or so re-fills.
An indication of the coil degrading will show by either a loss of flavor or a lack of vapor or in worst case a nasty burnt taste when you draw on the pod. It is possible too that the coil could fail completely showing a No Atomizer indication or Short Circuit. Either way, discard the pod and fit a new one.
Pull the pod away from the Suorin Shine body. Unfortunately if you still have e-liquid in the pod, this will have to be discarded as well. Do ensure you dispose of the pod appropriately.
When fitting a new pod, follow the procedure for How Do I Fill The Pod, written earlier on in this review.
How Do I Charge the Suorin Shine?
When you first receive your Suorin Shine it comes 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 3 times highlighting that the battery has reached its low battery cut-off, you will need to place the Suorin Shine on charge.
Using the supplied charging cable, plug the cable into the Micro USB port on the bottom of the Suorin Shine Connect the other end into a suitable power source (typically 5V/1A).
When the Suorin Shine is first placed on charge the LED will glow and cycle red in color. As the charge increases beyond 30% of its full capacity, the LED will glow and cycle blue in color. As the charge time increases, once it’s reached 70% of its full capacity, the LED will glow and cycle green in color.
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.
Charging time takes approximately 40 minutes to fully charge the battery using the supplied charging cable via an appropriate charging source. Do note the Suorin Shine does have a ‘pass-through” facility therefore you will be able to charge and vape at the same time.
Doing a quick check on the charging times to guage the length of time it took for the tri-colored LED to switch colors was as follows:
- First placed on charge:- Red cycled for 3-4 minutes then turned Blue
- Blue to Green:- Blue cycled for approx 10 minutes before turning Green
- Cycling Green to static Green:- Approx 20 minutes
I did observe that while the Suorin Shine was on charge, the case was warm to the touch. I strongly 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 Shine Price
I tend to find that the majority of pod devices we’ve used and reviewed are around a similar price range coming in around the £20-£30/$25-$35 price. The Suorin Shine is within this price bracket so I would then look at the performance and from what we’ve observed and found, this really is one of the better ones.
Suorin Shine Verdict
Pros
- Good design and build quality
- Slim and stylish
- Excellent flavor
- Good vapor
- Dual activated firing
- Impressive in-built 1.0 ohm coil
- Good coil life
- Good battery life
- Easy side-fill design
- Pass-through function
Cons
- E-liquid not visible when pod fitted
- E-liquid not that visible when pod removed
- Shine doesn’t stand upright
- Battery status while drawing not accurate
Suorin Shine Summary
Even though the Suorin Shine has been around for a couple of years, the functionality and performance is still to be reckoned with. It’s a traditional pen shape and style that is a trusted design and used by many. What makes this stand out for me is the performance from the pod.
Its 700mAh internal battery capacity is good and lasts on average around 7 hours before requiring charging again. Charging time is pretty quick (40 minutes) even though it uses the older micro USB port design. The LED battery status from the tri-color LED could have been a bit more accurate once it reached its red status but it’s not a deal breaker.
Always a handy knowing you can also vape and charge at the same time with the pass-thru option so your never without a working vape.
Flavor and vapor from the 1.0 ohm coil/pod is one of the best we’ve tried. Auto draw activation worked every time and the fire button was responsive. The fixed airflow was just about right for a semi-restricted MTL vape or restricted RDL vape. The 2ml e-liquid capacity lasted well between re-fills and the longevity of the coil/pod is impressive.
Suorin continue to produce great little pod kits and the Suorin Shine is no exception. We liked the Suorin Air Pro, Suorin Air Mod, Suorin Drop 2, Suorin Air Mini and Suorin Ace which we have also reviewed.
I did wonder if because the Suorin Shine has been around for a long time now, it would be outdated. NOT AT ALL, it’s a cracking pod and would suit the majority of vapers.
Hope you enjoyed this review and found it useful and helpful, explaining what it does and doesn’t do. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave us a comment below.
If you do have one or are planning to buy one, please let us know your thoughts on the Suorin Shine.