The UWELL Caliburn KOKO is the latest pod vape released by the Chinese based company Shenzhen UWELL Technology. The KOKO is a follow-up to the hugely popular Caliburn pod released in 2019 – often touted as the #1 pod vape system on the market to date!
I have nothing but good things to say about UWELL – I reviewed the original Caliburn earlier this year and was so impressed I included it in our pick of the best pod vape systems money can buy.
As a huge fan of the original, I couldn’t wait to review the KOKO and find out what improvements UWELL had made!
In a nutshell, the Caliburn KOKO is a draw activated MTL pod vape, with refillable 1.2ohm pods and a 520mAh battery. The original 1.4ohm Caliburn pods are also compatible with the KOKO, and both the 1.2ohm and 1.4ohm pods have a 2ml e-juice capacity.
The Caliburn KOKO is one of the smallest pod vape systems I’ve reviewed, weighing in at only 33g, with size dimensions of 67mm x 43mm x 12mm. It’s extremely lightweight and compact, yet surprisingly still feels solid and well built.
A quick shout out to VapeSourcing – they sent us the kit for the purposes of this Caliburn KOKO review. A big thank you – but as always I’ll be putting the KOKO to the test and giving you an honest 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.
UWELL Caliburn KOKO Review
Contents:
- Features & Specification
- What’s in the box?
- UWELL KOKO | Design & Appearance
- UWELL KOKO | Performance
- How do I change the KOKO pods?
- How do I fill the KOKO pods?
- How do I charge the KOKO?
- UWELL KOKO Price
- UWELL KOKO | Verdict
Features and Specification
- Material – Aluminium Alloy, PP, PCTG
- Size (mm) – 67 x 43 x 12
- Net weight – 33g
- Internal 520mAh rechargable battery
- Micro USB charging port
- Charge time – 40 minutes
- Maximum wattage – 11w
- Draw activated
- LED battery life indicator
- 2ml e-juice capacity
- 1.2 Ohm resistance pods
- Compatible with Caliburn pods
- Top-fill pods
- Pro-FOCS flavor testing technology
- Safety features to prevent short circuit
- 10 second puff shut-off
What’s in the box?
- UWELL Caliburn KOKO Pod System
- 1.2ohm UWELL Caliburn KOKO Refillable Pod x 2
- Micro USB Cable
- User Manual
- Neck Chain x 1
There isn’t usually much to say here… BUT the kit comes with a neck chain that you can connect to the device so you can carry it around your neck! To be honest it’s probably not something I’ll use but I thought this was a really nice touch and not something I’ve seen included with a pod vape before!
UWELL Caliburn KOKO | Design & Appearance
Straight out of the box I was impressed with the design and build quality of the Caliburn KOKO. It’s sleek, compact and lightweight – a small, square shaped pod vape with dimensions of 67mm x 43mm x 12mm, including the 1.2ohm pod!
Despite the smaller size, the KOKO feels slightly more robust than the original Caliburn. It’s also slightly heavier – 33g with the pod attached.
The Caliburn KOKO logo is printed on both sides of the battery section, while the USB charging port and battery vents are on the bottom of the device.
On the side of the KOKO is a small LED battery life indicator (bottom hole) and one airflow hole. The battery indicator lights up when you draw on the mouthpiece and also flashes while charging – red, blue or green to display remaining battery life.
The pods fit comfortably into the top of the KOKO and are held in place with two small magnets. Just be sure to give the pod a little extra push to make sure it’s fully connected to the spring loaded contact points. I’ll show you how to replace and fill the pods further down.
On the opposite top side corner of the KOKO is a small loop to attach the chain. I didn’t use this much – mainly because I didn’t have the KOKO out of my hand long enough to hang it around my neck… But it’s definitely handy if you’re prone to losing your vape!
On either side, where the pod attaches to the battery section, are clear ‘window’ slots which allow you to see how much e-juice is left in the pod. This is the same design as the original Caliburn and it’s super handy – you don’t need to remove the pod to check your e-juice level!
Running along either side are ‘ridges’ or engraved lines, identical to the design of the original Caliburn. Nothing fancy, but it gives the KOKO a nice finish and provides a little extra grip.
Overall I’m really impressed with the design and build quality of the Caliburn KOKO. It’s compact, easy to use and super comfortable to hold!
Caliburn KOKO Pods | Design
The KOKO kit comes with two 1.2ohm pods – one installed and one spare. The pods are almost identical in design to the original Caliburn pods – clear durable plastic with a removable plastic mouthpiece and a 2ml e-juice capacity.
The pods are refillable and disposable, so you just throw away the whole pod (mouthpiece included) when your coil/wick burn out.
The only difference is the fact the KOKO pods have a 1.2ohm coil whereas the Caliburn pods were 1.4ohm. The base of these new pods is also red, as opposed to the black base of the Caliburn pods.
UWELL designed the KOKO to be compatible with the original Caliburn pods which is a really nice touch. I had a bunch of Caliburn pods lying around so I was able to try both the 1.4ohm and 1.2ohm pods in the KOKO – they fit perfectly and work like a charm.
The pods are really easy to fill – you just remove the black plastic mouthpiece and insert your e-juice bottle into one of the fill ports.
The pods slot easily into the top of the KOKO and are held in place by two small magnets on the underside of the pod.
As with the original Caliburn, the magnets do a good job of keeping the pod secure but you’ll need to give the pod a firm press until it clicks into place otherwise the draw activation won’t work.
I loved the original Caliburn pods and the KOKO is no different. The pods are well designed, durable and easy to use.
My only gripe is the fact that the mouthpiece can be a little fiddly to remove on both pods the first few times you re-fill. Other than that, a big thumbs up to UWELL for sticking with a design that not only works, but works well!
UWELL Caliburn KOKO | Performance
If you like the original Caliburn, you’ll love the KOKO. It’s more of a re-design than an upgrade – with the same battery capacity and pod design – but the new 1.2ohm pods deliver noticeably better flavor and vapor.
The flavor is AMAZING – I’ve tried plenty of pod vape systems in recent months and the KOKO is easily the best in terms of flavor
Vapor production is also spot on – you won’t be winning any cloud chasing competitions but the KOKO ramps up instantly and kicks out a really decent amount of thick, warm vapor.
I was initially surprised UWELL didn’t include a firing button on the KOKO – especially as the dual firing on the original Caliburn was so popular. However, the draw activation is flawless, ramping up instantly each time I took a hit.
In terms of airflow, the draw on the KOKO is a fairly loose MTL. It’s not so loose you can’t get a decent draw, but it’s certainly not tight. Also keep in mind the airflow isn’t adjustable, so if you do like a really tight MTL draw the KOKO might not be for you.
KOKO | Pod Performance
Both 1.2ohm pods that came with the KOKO kit worked perfectly – no spitting, leaking or gurgling. The flavor and vapor production was spot on and I got around 2-3 weeks out of each pod before it had to be replaced.
The original 1.4ohm Caliburn pods also work perfectly on the KOKO. Again, no issues with leaking or performance and you can expect to get around 2-3 weeks of heavy vaping before they burn out.
So what’s the difference between the two pod types?…
Well for me personally, the flavor produced by the 1.2ohm pod is noticeably better. Which really surprised me considering the flavor from the original Caliburn pods was already amazing!
The vapor produced by the 1.2ohm pod is also thicker and warmer compared to the original 1.4ohm.
The only downside to the 1.2ohm pods for me was the airflow… The original 1.4ohm pods were already a fairly loose MTL draw, and the 1.4ohm pod is even looser. It’s not a major issue and the KOKO is still a MTL pod vape. But if you prefer a tighter draw, you’ll definitely want to use the 1.4ohm pods.
KOKO | Battery Performance
The Caliburn KOKO has a maximum output of 11w, powered by a 520mAh capacity battery. This is the same battery capacity as the original Caliburn, and to be honest I think UWELL missed a great opportunity here…
Don’t get me wrong… The KOKO is a fantastic pod vape and it’s really hard to find a fault. If mine broke tomorrow, I’d order a replacement the same day. BUT it could have been the perfect all-round pod system with a slightly larger battery capacity.
It’s not so much an issue if you’re a fairly casual vaper. But if you vape heavily you’re only going to get around half a day before you need to re-charge.
On a positive note though, it only takes around 30-40 minutes for a full charge. And you’ll know when the battery needs re-charging thanks to the LED battery life indicator which lights up while you’re charging or taking a puff:
- 60% or above – Green light
- 30% – 60% – Blue light
- Under 30% – Red light
As with the original Caliburn, the vapor output reduces as the battery life gets lower. I recommend keeping in the blue light range or above if you want the best possible performance!
How do I change the KOKO pods?
Replacing the KOKO pods is super easy – just remove the used pod and insert a fresh one!
Obviously you’ll need to fill the new pod with e-juice and I’ll show you how to do this a bit further down. But otherwise it’s as simple as that!
When you’ve inserted the new pod, make sure you give it a firm press until it clicks in to place. The magnets that hold the pod in place work well – but if the pod isn’t fully connected, the draw activated sensor won’t work properly.
You’ll also need to leave the KOKO sitting for a couple of minutes before you take a draw on a new pod. This gives the wick enough time to saturate fully and prevents the risk of a dry hit.
How do I fill the UWELL KOKO pods?
To fill the KOKO pod with e-juice, you need to remove the black plastic mouthpiece at the top of the pod. It’s a pretty snug fit so you’ll need to give it a good tug, especially the first few times you re-fill.
When you’ve removed the mouthpiece, you’ll see three holes at the top of the clear plastic pod – don’t fill through the middle hole, this is the airflow.
On the side of the pod is a minimum and maximum fill line. Just pop the tip of your e-juice bottle through the left or right hole and fill to the maximum line.
When you’ve filled the pod with e-juice, pop the black mouthpiece back onto the top of the pod and give it a firm press.
Just remember to give it a few minutes before you take a hit so the wick has time to saturate properly.
How to charge the UWELL KOKO
The UWELL KOKO is charged via a micro USB port on the bottom of the device. Just plug the supplied charging cable into a suitable USB outlet and insert the cable into the USB port on the KOKO.
The battery LED indicator will flash while the KOKO is charging – red, blue and green depending on the battery level. When it’s fully charged, the LED will stop flashing and stay green.
UWELL Caliburn KOKO | Price
At the time of writing, you can expect to pay anything from £20 – £30 in the UK and $20 – $30 in the USA. At the higher end of that bracket you’re likely to get a bottle of free e-juice and/or extra pods with the kit.
Not a bad price for what you get…
Replacement pods (both 1.2ohm and 1.4ohm) are also pretty cheap – especially over the long term when you consider each pod lasted me between 2-3 weeks!
Verdict
Pros
- Amazing flavor
- Thick, warm vapor
- Super comfortable to hold
- 2ml e-juice capacity
- Compatible with Caliburn pods
- LED battery life indicator
- ZERO dry hits
- Coil life (2-3 weeks…)
- Easy to use and re-fill
- Affordable
- Quick to charge
Cons
- Very similar in performance to the Caliburn
- No upgrade to battery capacity
- Drip-tip is tricky to remove
- Weak vapor when battery under 30%
There’s plenty to like about the UWELL Caliburn KOKO. The flavor and vapor is spot on, it’s easy to use and really comfortable to hold.
If you’re a flavor chaser and don’t mind a fairly loose MTL draw, the KOKO is definitely the pod system for you!
I was a little disappointed that UWELL didn’t increase the battery capacity. And it’s arguable whether it’s worth buying the KOKO if you already own the original Caliburn…
But overall, the KOKO is a great pod system and definitely one I’d buy again!
Comments 10
Hi
How can I get the air sensor of the Koko device?
If you can help me, because I don’t want one, I want many.
Hi Mehran, thanks for your question.
Unfortunately we don’t stock any product or spares so cant help you. I can only suggest contacting UWELL directly to see it they can help with your request.
My koko uwell is not working all of a sudden .it’s charging but I can’t get smoke when I draw .think it’s the sensor issue what can be done with that vape now
Hi Jhon, Thanks for your question. After a while sometimes the auto draw sensor can become blocked or fail which stops the device from firing. My Voopoo Vinci did the same.
Firstly, make sure the pod is fitted and making contact with the pins in the pod recess of the Koko. Secondly, try another pod in the Koko to verify that its not a faulty pod. Lastly, use a small cotton bud or tissue and gently clean around the contact pins and the auto draw sensor between the pins to remove any spilt e-liquid. Make sure all contacts are clean and dry.
Hopefully when you re-insert the pod and take a draw it will start working.
Failing this, the sensor may have broke which unfortunately means you will have to throw the Koko away and get a new one.
Hope this helps
I just replaced a VooPoo that constantly leaked with this little guy (I think a newer version as mine charges via USB-C). I’ve had it a couple days, no leaking and I’m really enjoying it. I’m curious about freebase vs salt juices. I have a couple bottles of freebase left from the previous VooPoo vape and I’m wondering if I could use these up in the KOKO until they are gone and I make the full switch to salt nic? Any suggestions with that? The salt nic is taking some getting used to. I feel like there’s a distinct aftertaste versus the freebase. Any input for this salt/KOKO newbie? Thanks for your time!
Hi Angele,
Thank you for your question.
Both Freebase and Nic Salts will work fine in the Koko and yes yours is the newer version with the type c charging.
Some people do say the taste is slightly different with Nic Salts but this may be down to the higher concentration of nicotine. Freebase is typically 3mg or 6mg strength whereas Nic Salts are 10mg or 20mg strength.
When using a low powered vape, Nic Salts will give you a better throat hit because of the higher strength and satisfy your nic craving more. Freebase may not give you the same instant satisfaction at a low wattage.
When vaping at higher wattage, the reverse can happen, Nic Salts can be too harsh.
Hope this helps with your question. Let us know how you get on.
I had the same issues with the pods. The ones that came with the device worked perfectly. But when i went to get replacements from the smoke shop (the red bottom ones) they leaked everywhere. Half filled, full filled, in the unitl or with the pod sitting on the counter.
I tried other pods at different ohms but still the same result. It actually drips through the wick into the contacts inside the until. I tried all the troubleshooting steps, charging, seating it correctly etc.
Overall i had to stop using the unit and buy a new podless one.
Good idea, but really bad pods.
Hi Mike, sorry to hear you had problems with the KOKO pods. Do you think maybe you got a dodgy batch? I’m still really loving the KOKO! All the best
This is a very poor product. I am getting about two to three juice refills before the coil burns out. Plus, often, when I do fit a new juice pod, leave it for ten minutes (as required) and then take a draw, the coil burns out. So I’ve lost all that juice I’ve just put in! The completed KoKo leaks, from the juice tank and also from the base of the actual KoKo body.
Do not buy this product: it’s typical Chinese rubbish!
Hi Alan,
Thanks for your comment and sorry to hear you’ve had such bad luck with the KoKo! It’s really surprising because I’ve been using the KoKo for several months now with no problems. I actually find the coils last me a good length of time before they need replacing.
Can you be certain that the KoKo and/or coils you’ve purchased aren’t cheaply made clones? Also in terms of the coil burning out this can sometimes be an issue with the e-juice being used. Are you using a particularly high VG content juice? This can really wreak havoc with some coils and lead to a much quicker burnout. Maybe try taking a look at our post on priming coils. It’s got some great tips for how to prevent your coils burning. Hope this helps Alan.