Voopoo are at it again with yet another budget friendly pod kit release, their Doric Q. We were very eager to review this kit to see how it performed, especially after finding out the purchase price. I say budget friendly but in all honesty they are virtually giving it away.
Considering it’s rechargeable and incorporates a refillable cartridge, the £6/$6 price tag is comparable with that of a standard disposable. On that note alone I would say the benefits of the Doric Q far outweigh the already flooded market of disposables.
Disposables are currently coming under the spotlight in terms of their single use and environmental impact, seen by the die-hard vaping community as the root of all evil! Could the Doric Q be the answer we’ve been waiting for and will it give the disposables a run for their money?
Read on and see what we thought as we go through the detail of the Doric Q and put its operation and performance to the test.
Overview
The Voopoo Doric Q pod kit is a Mouth-To-Lung (MTL) draw activated pod device powered by an internal rechargeable 800mAh capacity battery. Its power output is auto-selected and fixed at 12W when using the supplied 1.0 ohm ITO cartridge.
Constructed out of double injection polycarbonate with the cartridge made of clear PCTG, it’s extremely lightweight, weighing in at 40 grams. The style of the Doric Q is tube shaped and measures a mere 95mm tall by 23mm in diameter, including the cartridge.
Because of its simplicity, there are no power adjustments, no variable airflow control, no control buttons or menus. You simply fill the ITO cartridge, ensure the Doric Q is charged and draw on the mouthpiece.
Charging the Doric Q is done via the Type-C USB charging port (5V/1.0A) located on one side of the device’s body. Opposite this USB port is a dual colored LED that illuminates when you draw on the cartridge, charge the device or it displays the different levels of protection.
The ITO cartridge has a 2ml capacity, is refillable and has a fixed, integrated 1.0 ohm coil which is NOT replaceable. The cartridge is transparent so the e-liquid level is clearly visible.
The side-fill port is concealed behind a standard silicone rubber bung that’s accessible once the cartridge is removed. The mouthpiece is round and integrated into the cartridge which connects to the Doric Q body and is secured by mechanical tags.
There are 7 colors available in the Doric Q range and the color we received to review was “Primrose Yellow”. The surface finish is a double injection molding in a solid color with a clear outer protection layer.
To clear up any confusion in terms of why it’s called an ITO cartridge, it’s because it’s disposable once the non-replaceable coil has reached the end of its lifespan. Voopoo have used this terminology to distinguish this from their ITO Pod and ITO X Pod that accepts their ITO push fit replaceable coils.
Not only is the ITO cartridge cross compatible with the Doric 20 SE, but the ITO pod and ITO X pod fit the Doric Q, so you have even more choice in using the range of replaceable coils instead of purchasing the cartridges. This makes the Doric Q extremely versatile.
I would like to thank Nical at Voopoo for sending us the Doric Q pod kit to review. We will always give a completely unbiased and honest view of our findings while using and reviewing the supplied kit. If you click on any of the buy buttons, we may receive a small affiliate commission but at no extra cost to you.
Voopoo Doric Q Pod Kit Review
Contents
- Overview
- Features and Specifications
- What’s in the Box?
- Voopoo Doric Q Design and Appearance
- – Doric Q Battery/Body
- – ITO Cartridge
- Doric Q Functionality
- Doric Q Performance
- Doric Q Battery Performance
- How do I Fill the ITO Cartridge?
- When and How do I Change the ITO Cartridge?
- How do I Charge the Doric Q?
- Voopoo Doric Q Pod Kit Price
- Voopoo Doric Q Pod Kit Verdict
- Voopoo Doric Q Pod Kit Summary
Features and Specifications
- Construction: Polycarbonate Double Injection Moulded and PCTG
- Dimensions: 95.6mm (H)igh x 23.2mm (D)iameter Including Pod
- Weight: 39 grams (Including Pod)
- Charging: Type-C USB 5V/1A
- Resistance Range: 0.6 ohms – 3.0 ohms
- Output Wattage: 12W
- Output Voltage: 3.2V – 4.2V
- Battery Specification: Internal 800mAh Capacity
- Display: Dual Color LED
- E-Liquid Capacity: 2ml
- Filling Method: Side Fill
- Firing Method: Auto Draw Activation
- Coils: Non-replaceable
- Coil Material: Kanthal (Mesh)
- Drip Tip: Integrated Round MTL
- Airflow: Non Adjustable
- Pod Connection: Mechanical latch
- Pod Type: ITO Cartridge with non-replaceable 1.0 ohm Coil
- Vape Style: MTL
- 5 Levels Of Protection
- ITO Technology / Anti-Leak
- Color: 7 Vibrant Colors
What’s In The Box?
- Voopoo Doric Q Battery/Body
- ITO Cartridge Pod (1.0 ohm)
- User Manual
The packaging is a minimalistic, top opening cardboard box with the Doric Q and ITO cartridge (pre-installed) sealed in an airtight, clear plastic sachet together with a user manual. Sadly there is no spare cartridge or charging cable but considering the price it’s not surprising. The overall dimensions of the cardboard box measure 120mm x 33mm x 33mm.
On the front of the box is a glossy image of the Doric Q in the color of the included device and the name of that color. The reverse and sides of the box include the package contents, an authentication sticker, the manufacturer’s details, a brief overview of the spec and the relevant safety warnings.
Do note that the ITO cartridge comes pre-installed in the Doric Q but to protect the coil from auto firing during transit, a clear sticker is fitted over the base of the coil. Make sure once you’ve filled the cartridge that you remove this sticker prior to using.
Voopoo Doric Q Pod Kit Design and Appearance
Doric Q Battery/Body
The Voopoo Doric Q is a very lightweight and compact sized MTL, tube style auto draw device with a fixed output power of 12W when using the included ITO 1.0 ohm cartridge. The wattage is not adjustable but derived from the coil resistance of the attached cartridge.
Other resistance ITO cartridges (0.7 ohm and 1.2 ohm) are available so the wattage will be set accordingly.
It’s powered by an 800mAh capacity rechargeable internal battery with a Type-C USB charging port on the reverse side of the Doric Q casing about two-thirds up the body, specified as 5V/1A. Because there isn’t an included Type-C charging cable in the kit, you will have to use your own cable. Charging will take approximately 85 minutes to fully charge the battery.
The Doric Q is constructed out of double injection moulded polycarbonate (PC) making it extremely lightweight, yet pretty robust as it’s a one piece moulded design. It measures 67.15mm tall (excluding the cartridge) by 23.2mm in diameter and weighs in at a mere 31.1 grams. When the cartridge is attached, the overall height is 95.6mm with a combined weight of 39 grams.
On the reverse side to the charging port is a small rectangular dual color LED (blue and green) that provide the UI indications and will illuminate when you insert the cartridge, draw on the cartridge, charge the device or when it’s displaying the different levels of protection.
One minor point for me, which we observed on the Argus Z, is the lack of any battery status indication. The LED doesn’t change color in relation to the remaining battery level, it indicates green when you draw on the mouthpiece up to when the battery has run out of charge at which point it flashes green 10 times.
This is not a deal breaker but it would have been nice if the LED changed color at 20% remaining battery power. Again considering its simplicity and price tag you can’t expect too much but it would have been nice nevertheless. It does have pass-through so you can charge and vape at the same time.
When the Doric Q is placed on charge, the LED will illuminate blue and remain illuminated throughout the charge cycle until full charge is reached and the LED will turn static green. The green LED will remain illuminated until the charging cable is removed.
Airflow is not adjustable but the air intake is achieved by a small (2mm) pin hole positioned just above the Type-C charging port. This provides a nice smooth, semi restricted MTL draw. If you did want to restrict the airflow you can place your thumb or finger over this intake hole.
There is NO firing button or On/Off button as the Doric Q is draw activated and controlled by the chip set, which also ensures the following safety features are maintained:
- Overtime protection (8 seconds)
- Low battery protection
- Short circuit protection
- Overcharge protection
- Output over current protection
On the top of the Voopoo Doric Q is the 17.5mm recessed circular opening for the ITO cartridge to be attached. Within the pod recess are two gold plated, spring loaded, coil contact pins and an auto draw sensor. There are no magnets as the cartridge is secured by small tags that lock when it’s fitted.
Unusually, the “CE” markings and “Do Not Dispose” symbol are etched into the bottom of the pod recess so are not visible when the ITO cartridge is attached.
The bottom of the Doric Q is flat on its outer edges with a concave central inner so there are no issues with it standing upright. Within the concave base are 3 kidney bean shaped holes that can provide a gas escape if at any time the battery overheats and becomes unstable.
Voopoo’s branding is very discrete with their name “Voopoo” embossed below the Type-C charging port. Despite being quite large, it’s embossed in the same color as the Doric Q casing and further disguised as it’s below the outer clear shell. Strangely I couldn’t find any markings that let you know it’s a Doric Q.
There are 7 different color designs in the Doric Q range, these being:
- Begonia Red
- Chartreuse Yellow
- Deep Brown
- Mint Green
- Misty Rose
- Navy Blue
- Primrose Yellow
You can see from the photo that the Doric Q battery/casing, despite having a clear, smooth, hard outer shell, has a textured design in the form of multiple vertical ribbings that are encapsulated by the clear shell. While this adds an attractive finish to the surface, it is nevertheless very smooth.
Overall, the Doric Q is very compact, very lightweight and feels very comfortable to hold. As I said in the introduction, the price tag is on par with that of a disposable yet it’s a pod system. Being rechargeable and NOT a single use device make this much more appealing.
Add to this the fact the Doric Q accepts not only the ITO cartridges but also the ITO pods with replaceable coils, this blows the comparison between the Doric Q and a disposable out of the water.
ITO Cartridge
As we’ve already highlighted, the ITO cartridge incorporates a fixed 1.0 ohm mesh coil so once the coil degrades you will have to purchase replaceable cartridges. While the Doric Q comes with an included 1.0 ohm cartridge, you do have the choice to purchase the 0.7 ohm or 1.2 ohm cartridges if you wish.
The ITO cartridge is refillable and has a 2ml e-liquid capacity. It’s manufactured out of clear, opaque, lightweight PCTG material making this really easy to see the level of e-liquid through the cartridge. The mouthpiece forms part of the cartridge and is 8.2mm in diameter by 13mm in length with a 4.5mm circular opening to cater for the MTL vape style.
Overall dimensions of the ITO cartridge are 39.2mm tall by 18.8mm in diameter and it weighs in at 7.9 grams.
The ITO cartridge side fill port is concealed behind a flush fitting, black silicone rubber plug. To gain access to the fill port, the cartridge has to be removed from the Doric Q body. This plug has an indented arrow on it which identifies which end is to be lifted away to gain access to the filling port.
When the plug is opened, the other end of the silicone rubber flap will remain attached to the cartridge so it won’t get lost. This e-liquid fill port is a reasonable size measuring 4.2mm so it’s just big enough to accept short, stubby e-liquid tip bottles.
On the underside of the ITO cartridge are 2 kidney shaped air intake ports either side of the integrated coil. There are no magnets on the base of the cartridge as there are two small tags on the outside edge of the cartridge that locate into the Doric Q pod recess and snap and lock into place.
Branding on the ITO cartridge is limited to the coil resistance of “1.0” ohms printed on the base section and “Voopoo” indented into the silicone rubber fill port bung.
Inserting the cartridge is straightforward enough, simply place the cartridge into the Doric Q body recessed pod opening and push it into the recess until it snaps and locks into position. When inserted, the Doric Q green LED will briefly illuminate once to identify that the cartridge has made electrical contact with the Doric Q battery.
Removing the cartridge is carried out by grasping the body of the ITO cartridge and pulling away from the Doric Q body/battery.
Voopoo Doric Q Functionality
The Voopoo Doric Q pod kit is as simple and straightforward to use as it gets. It doesn’t have any menu options, there are no adjustment controls or fire button, not even an on/off switch. All that’s required is ensuring your Doric Q is charged and the ITO cartridge contains e-liquid.
It’s an auto draw device so firing is achieved by drawing on the ITO cartridge mouthpiece.
When using the Doric Q, it automatically detects the coil resistance in the ITO cartridge and sets the power level (wattage) to 12W. Unfortunately we don’t have the power wattage figures for the 0.7ohm or the 1.2 ohm cartridges.
The user interface (UI) display on the Doric Q is a small rectangular slot vertically cut into the inner casing but encased by the clear outer shell of the body. Beneath this slot is a dual, color changing LED that illuminates when the cartridge is inserted, lights up when you draw on the device, Illuminates when the device is on charge and indicates the different levels of protection.
Even though the LED changes color, there is no color change relating to the current status of the battery charge. The LED will illuminate green when the cartridge is inserted and when you draw on the device. It remains green in color from full charge until it flashes green 10 times indicating that the battery has run out of charge.
The visual display on the LED and the included safety features for each function are detailed below as follows:
- Drawing on the cartridge: – LED will illuminate green
- Charging: – LED illuminates blue and remains illuminated
- Full charge: – LED will turn green and remain illuminated
- Low battery: – LED flashes green 10 times
- Cartridge inserted: – LED will illuminate green once
- Short circuit: – LED will flash green once
- Overtime protection (8 seconds): – LED will flash green 2 times
Airflow
The Voopoo Doric Q doesn’t have variable airflow control but does have a small airflow intake pin hole just above the Type-C charging port. A semi-restrictive MTL draw is achieved but if you want to restrict the airflow and tighten the draw, you can place a thumb/finger over the intake pin hole.
Voopoo Doric Q Performance
Included in the Doric Q kit is a 1.0 ohm cartridge. As we’ve already mentioned, this cartridge doesn’t have a replaceable coil. Therefore once the coil becomes degraded, the cartridge will have to be disposed of and a new one fitted.
As with most MTL vape pods and in this case the ITO cartridge, freebase nicotine or nic salts with a PG/VG ratio of 50/50 are recommended because of the smaller wicking ports in the coil and the lower power (wattage) used.
When first using a new cartridge, I would recommend filling it with your e-liquid and leaving it to stand for 10-15 minutes to allow the e-liquid to saturate into the wick before vaping.
1.0 ohm Cartridge
Voopoo specify the life of the cartridge on average is good for 10 days vaping. So far I’ve been using the cartridge non-stop for just over two weeks and the flavor and performance is still as good as the first time I filled it.
I cycled a 50VG/50PG Mango e-liquid and a 70VG/30PG Watermelon (both at 6mg nic strength) through the cartridge over a 2 week period. Considering the coil in the cartridge is quite small, the flavor, vapor and throat hit were very good.
The draw, while not being silent, was smooth and consistent providing a semi-restricted MTL draw. At no time did I get any dry hits, even when using the 70/30 e-liquid.
Vapor was fairly dense, more than I expected but the stand out point for me was the flavor.
Any Leaks?
During the time I’ve been using the Doric Q there were no leaks and no sign of condensation around the bottom of the coil or in the pod recess.
Airflow
The fixed airflow on the Doric Q gave a semi-restricted MTL draw. I felt it was just about right and didn’t feel the need to resort to a DTL style draw. Blocking off the airflow intake pin hole tightened up the draw slightly and still gave a decent vape.
Auto Draw
Auto draw worked faultlessly, even the slightest of draws activated the auto draw sensor.
Voopoo Doric Q Battery Performance
The Voopoo Doric Q’s 800mAh internal battery is a good decent sized capacity for a pod of this size and on average was giving me just over a day’s vaping time on a single charge.
Sadly there is no battery status indication on the LED so you have no way of telling when the battery is reaching its low power cut-off. The only indication is when the battery has discharged and the LED flashes green 10 times.
Interestingly enough, after the initial 10 flashes, I was able to get about another 10 draws before it finally shut down. Once this happens you will need to charge the device. Fortunately the Doric Q does have pass-through so you are able to vape while it’s being charged.
How do I Fill the ITO Cartridge?
The Voopoo ITO cartridge is a side fill design. You’ll have to remove the cartridge from the Doric Q battery/body in order to fill with e-liquid.
The fill port is located on one side of the cartridge casing and is concealed behind a black silicon rubber flap. This flap sits flush with the side of the cartridge with a small arrow highlighting which part of the rubber flap lifts open.
This silicone rubber flap is attached to the cartridge so there’s no chance of it getting lost. Because the fill port opening is pretty wide (4.2mm), it’ll accept those larger e-liquid/shortfill bottle tips.
Pull open the flap and insert your e-liquid bottle tip into the opening. Tilt the cartridge on its side to aid filling and to get the maximum amount of e-liquid into the cartridge. Once filled, reinsert the silicon rubber flap making sure the fill port is securely re-seated.
Reinsert the cartridge into the Doric Q body making sure it securely snaps into position. As the cartridge makes contact with the Doric Q body, the LED will illuminate and flash green once.
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/cartridge.
When and How do I Change the ITO Cartridge?
Because the included cartridge has a fixed non replaceable coil, when the coil starts to degrade after a couple of weeks use, the cartridge will need to be discarded and a new one fitted.
An indication of the coil degrading will show by either a loss of flavor and/or a lack of vapor. Continuing beyond this loss of flavor/vapor will finally result in a nasty burnt taste. Equally the coil could break going open or short circuit. Either way, when this happens discard the cartridge and fit a new one.
Pull the cartridge away from the Doric Q battery/body. Unfortunately if it still has e-liquid in it, this will have to be discarded as well.
When fitting a new cartridge, follow the procedure for How do I Fill the ITO Cartridge. As you insert the cartridge into the Doric Q body, the LED will briefly illuminate green to identify the cartridge has made contact with the Doric Q battery/body.
How do I Charge the Voopoo Doric Q?
The Doric Q has an internal 800mAh battery therefore charging is carried out using a USB to Type-C charging cable. As the kit doesn’t include a charging cable, you will have to use a suitable cable, typically a phone charging cable or one from another of your pods/mods.
Connect the cable into the Type-C port on the reverse side of the Doric Q body and the other end into a suitable USB power source, typically 1A or higher.
The Type-C USB port is specified as 5V/1A so any power source above this figure will charge the Doric Q in around 85 minutes.
When the LED on the front of the Doric Q body flashes green 10 times, the battery requires charging. As you plug the Type-C cable into the charging port, the LED will illuminate blue in color and remain illuminated during the charging cycle.
Once charging is completed, the LED will change from static blue to static green. The LED will remain static green as long as the charging cable is plugged into the charging port.
The Doric Q does have pass-through so you can vape while it’s being charged.
While the Doric Q is being charged, it does remain fairly cool to the touch but I would still recommend to ONLY charge the device on a non-flammable surface.
As with any vape device, NEVER leave it unattended whilst charging.
Voopoo Doric Q Pod Kit Price
The Voopoo Doric Q pod kit is retailing around the £6 / $6 price mark which really does make this such a good, cost effective purchase. A pack of 2 replaceable cartridges only costs around £4 / $4 too.
Comparing this cost against a disposable, especially when the performance of the Doric Q in my opinion exceeds a standard disposable, I would go for this every time.
It is a basic pod kit and the price does reflect this, BUT the performance far exceeds the price.
Voopoo Doric Q Pod Kit Verdict
Pros
- Very good build quality
- Nice design, sleek and tiny
- Robust
- Super lightweight
- Type-C USB charge port
- 800mAh battery
- Cartridge is refillable and clear
- Side fill port
- Very good overall performance
- Very good vapor and flavor
- Cartridge/coil life is very good
- Nice MTL draw
- Auto draw very responsive
- Pass-Through vaping
- Compatible with ITO pods
Cons
- No remaining battery status indication
Voopoo Doric Q Pod Kit Summary
The Voopoo Doric Q pod kit in my eyes is an entry level pod kit because of its simplicity. Despite its very compact size and limited function, the performance from the device and ITO cartridge are nothing short of amazing. The styling, quality and feel of the device really do exceed the price tag.
Its battery capacity of 800mAh is decent and gave just over a days vaping before needing a recharge, plus it has pass-through so you won’t be without a vape.
Even though the coil is integrated and not replaceable, the ITO cartridge is refillable and from my experience it performs really well and lasts quite a long time. The big bonus for me is the Doric Q is compatible with the ITO pod so you have the choice of using the pod with replaceable ITO coils.
Power wise I found the fixed wattage for this 1.0 ohm cartridge was spot on.
I really am amazed that this Doric Q kit is only £6 / $6. It’s a terrific little kit. Time will tell how robust and long the Doric Q lasts but in all honesty, at this price you really can’t go wrong.
Hope you enjoyed this review on the Voopoo Doric Q pod kit and found it useful. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave us a comment below.
If you do purchase one, please do drop us a comment and let us know how you’re getting on with it. Good and bad comments are always welcome.