The Sigelei Kaos Spectrum. It’s the very latest vape device to hit the market and includes that funky light up LED strip running around the front cover.sigelei-kaos-spectrum-uk-1

This can be changed to match your mood – mine seems to be permanently set to blue *sniffs* haha.

What’s The Kaos Spectrum by Sigelei All About?

Inside is an updated version of the Sigelei 213 chip with the outer shell designed by California based ‘e-cig’ company Kaos.

I guess it’s placed in the vaping market to compete with the Smok Alien and Wismec Predator and promises to hit the giddy heights of 230W.

https://www.ecigclick.co.uk/best-box-mods-and-vape-mods/

So has it lit up my vaping world?

Let’s take a closer look.

The device was sent to me free of charge for the purpose of this review from Sigelei UK – as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Inside the Box

It’s a tough enough black cardboard box covered by a colourful sleeve that includes an image of the Kaos on the front and contents and specs on the back.

sig box

Inside you’ll find:

  • 1 x Sigelei Kaos Spectrum Box Mod
  • 1 x USB Cable
  • 1 x User Manual
  • 1 x Warranty Card

sig contents

Sigelei Kaos Spectrum Specs

  • Dimensions: 3-7/16″ x 1-3/4″ x 1-1/8″
  • 510 Threaded
  • Operating Wattage: 10.0 – 230.0W
  • Voltage Input 6.4 – 8.4V
  • Voltage Output: 1.0 – 7.5V
  • Temperature Control: Nickel 200 (Ni200), Titanium (Ti), Stainless Steel 304, 316, 317 (SS), TCR
  • Temperature Range: 100 – 300C / 200 – 570F
  • Resistance Range: 0.1 – 3.0ohm
  • 0.96″ TFT Color Display Screen

Sigelei Kaos Spectrum Key Features

  • Detailed Operating Interface
  • 6 Interchangeable and Customizable LED Color Settings
  • Preheat Functionality
  • Zinc Alloy Construction
  • Requires (2) High Amp 18650 Batteries (Sold separately)
  • *External charger recommended for optimal charging speeds*
  • Micro USB Charging Port (DC 5V/2A)
  • Fast and Balanced Charging Support
  • Firmware Upgradeable

kaos sigelei spectrum

There’s no getting away from it – the key feature here has to be the front LED strip that you can switch between six different colours or turn off completely – depending on your mood or outfit I guess.

I’ve said that vaping should be fun many times and I guess the addition of this is indeed fun – but we’ll come to that later.

Away from the disco lights [old school haha] and you have a pretty standard mod with nothing that jumps out apart from the nice colour screen.

Sigelei says even with just two 18650 batteries the Kaos Spectrum is capable of firing up to 230watts – sadly I don’t have a gizmo that measures that claim accurately.

However I did pop on the TFV12 Cloud Beast King and specifically the 0.12ohm duodenary coil just to see how it fared – let’s say to me it seemed as if it was ‘maybe’ hitting that high power – but that’s just a ‘feeling’ if you like compared against the DNA250 mod I was using at the time.

sig cloud beast king

Anyway the other features includes ‘fast and balanced charging’ which technically means you can charge your batteries whilst still in the mod – however and as always I highly recommend charging them in an external charger.

The USB port is also used for firmware upgrades – given the mod has only just been released none are available at the time of writing.

There’s also a pre-heat function – to get more power to temp control coils that need a quicker ramp up – and a pretty standard set of temp control settings with both TCR and TFR modes available.

TCR and TFR on the Kaos Spectrum

I rarely if ever venture into temp control mode on any of my mods.

However the Kaos Spectrum has plenty of options for those of you that do.

temp control guide

First up what the heck are TCR and TFR???

  • TCR = Temperature Coefficient of Resistance.
  • TFR = Temperature Factor of Resistance.

Now as you all know I’m the least technical vaper on here – a badge I wear with pride lol – so I won’t be the one to write a detailed piece on vaping and temperature control.

Instead here’s a link to probably the most extensive piece I’ve read about TC and I suggest you read it HERE for further info.

Design and Build Quality

Build wise the Sigelei Kaos Spectrum is just OK if I’m honest.

The zinc alloy body is light and feels a little ‘thin’ but once the batteries are in it’s a much more solid feeling device.

There’s no designated battery venting though I guess the battery door isn’t air tight – but even so some would have been nice especially as they say it can be charged via USB.

screen

The TFT screen is not so good and feels more like a kind of extremely thin Perspex cover rather than toughened glass with the slightest pressure on the screen resulting in real ‘give’.

On mine the funky light up LED strip seems loose alongside the top right of the screen and the slightest touch causes it to ‘click’ as if one: it’s not sat in tight enough and two: it’s the same sound as clicking your buttons which instinctively makes you check if you’ve pressed the up button!

Speaking of the buttons I guess this moves us onto the design of the Kaos Spectrum.

Button Placement

The up and down buttons are so in the wrong place it’s untrue and not only down to the left being down and the up on the right either – but then I am left handed so maybe it’s just me.

Being set right above the screen means that your thumb and fingers cover most of the figures whilst you’re pressing them which is just a silly little thing but trust me after a while it gets annoying.

button placement

Why they didn’t put them below the screen is beyond me because it was the very first thing I noticed lol.

They really do rattle too which I guess if you’re at a rave [or wherever the young folk boogie these days] and you’re waving your LED mod in the air the noise of the bass will cover-up the rattle or even make you feel as if you’re joining in with the beat on a pair of maracas.

One redeeming thing is the fire button which is big and both extremely clicky and responsive.

Colour Screen

OK the 0.96 inch TFT colour screen is bright enough and very similar to the Evaya 66 I reviewed.

On this the wattage and temp colour changes from:

  • Green at 10 to 60 watts
  • Orange from 60 to 110 watts
  • Then onwards it’s red up to 230watts.

It doesn’t round robin and is quite slow both up and down.

It’s also extremely small which is further accentuated by its landscape layout rather than portrait – if that makes sense.

In other words it’s a small strip or window rather than a nice full length screen such as on the RX200s.

If you’ve gone full colour then don’t be afraid to show it off is what I’m getting at here.

Pleather

This mod was crying out for a carbon fibre insert on the rear.

Instead we get extremely poor pleather – which does nothing for its looks and is actually not that comfortable to hold being quite rigid and with my soft unmanly hands I found it quite uncomfortable.

pleather

I think Kaos and Sigelei really missed a trick not adding even fake carbon fibre – it would have lifted the looks of this mod considerably and added to the Alienesque look it’s going for 😉

Sigelei Kaos Spectrum Quick Start Guide

sigelei kaos spectrum quick start guideBefore we take a look at how it performs here’s a very basic ‘quick start guide’.

  • 5 rapid clicks on and five clicks off
  • 3 clicks on fire button brings up menu showing Power & TCR and Colour Mode
  • Select power and TCR lets you choose wattage – SS –Ti – Ni200 or go into your TCR mode.
  • Inside TCR mode you can set 5 different memory slots.
  • Choosing colour mode allows you to choose the LED light colour
  • Once selected you have the options to use the light only when using – always on or lights off completely.
  • Selecting lights off mode leaves just the tiniest light behind the strip when you’re firing.
  • Minus and fire = button lock and unlock
  • Plus and fire = preheat power and time settings

Company says can be charged via USB [not recommended] and say NOT to use whilst charging!!! So pass through not advised.

How Does Spectrum by Sigelei and Kaos Perform?

My understanding is the Kaos Spectrum is powered by the slightly updated chip n board found in the highly popular Sigelei 213 – yeah that one has carbon fibre and looks awesome lol.

So users of that will be familiar with its performance.

in hand sig

OK what can I say other than the Spectrum neither blew me away nor left me wanting.

The jury is out as to whether it can do the 230 watts – my instinct is I doubt it can and I’m sure there will be plenty of technical reviewers with all the proper gear to put it through its paces.

I was able to sit the huge Cloud Beast King on there without any overhang and my smaller 22mm tanks – RTA’s and RDA’s didn’t look lost on there.

matchy matchy

Ramp up time was excellent without the slightest gap between hitting the fire button and getting it firing.

Though saying that using the Cleito RTA with a simple dual quad coil 5 wrap coming in at 0.23 ohm did make the Spectrum chug a little before kicking in – probably my build lol.

Temp Control Test

The only TC coil I had to hand was on the Slipstream tank and was stainless steel.

I duly pretty much drained it and then set the required temp and began firing until it was almost dry.

The TC worked extremely well and after a couple of extremely short fires it refused to fire up again leaving the coil without any burn marks.

How this would differ with homemade coils I can’t comment as unfortunately I had no TC wire around.

Check Out The Sigelei Spectrum In Action With The Devil Vaper

What I Like

It’s a case of what I ‘almost’ like on the Spectrum.

Its design is I guess at best functional as it isn’t the most ergonomic mod I’ve ever used and it’s kinda neither curved nor boxy – its just well oblongish!

I like the tapered top which means larger tanks fit nicely and smaller ones don’t get lost and look daft.

Not that I use temp control much but a simple dry burn test to me seems to point that it is a good device in TC mode.

For me personally the light up LED strip isn’t really my thing but I like the fact it’s something new and is certainly a talking point.

spectrum comparison

The young lads in my local bricks and mortar vape shop absolutely loved it and I’m old enough to be their dad – so that says it all I guess lol.

Look it’s not that I don’t like it – it’s more that as a relatively young thinking 55 year old I just felt a bit daft using it in public in ‘light mode’.

I’m sure if I was heading to Ibiza this summer I’d be in the clubs waving it around like a loon.

What I Don’t Like

I don’t like the up and down button placement.

Each time I press one the rest of my hand/fingers covers the figures – drop them below the screen and I’d have no worries apart from the rattle – which is annoying.

OK I’m gonna say it – I really don’t like the light up LED strip – yeah I know I’m a sad grumpy old bugger.

I’ll be interested to see how some of the older reviewers feel compared to the younger snap back cap ones 😉

I really don’t like the pleather insert on the rear – had that even have been a carbon fibre sticker and it would IMHO lifted the overall look and design of the mod considerably.

Now I’m building coils I do recognize the need for pre-heat power settings – however with the Spectrum it’s a bit hit and miss actually getting into that mode.

temp control

What I mean is having to press the plus and fire button is a bit er hit and miss!

Sometimes it fires and sometimes the screen shows you’re in pre-heat mode but as soon as you go to change the settings it disappears.

It took me more than a few goes to sort it out and in the end I didn’t bother.

I’ve used mine every day for 9 days at the time of writing and already there’s a little split/bubble where the up button is situated – it looks like over time that might become bigger.

Despite being zinc alloy I also have a feeling that dropping this on a hard surface will do it some damage as it feels quite brittle.

The battery compartment door is also loose and feels extremely fragile.

Given you need to press down and slide in to open and lock it each time I do I have to be careful as I instinctively don’t have much faith in its longevity.

The nice TFT screen is let down by being in landscape rather than portrait and would have looked amazing filling the whole front.

Final Review Verdict

This is what the designers – e-cig company Kaos says about the Spectrum:

You have to dream with kaleidoscope vision but move through life with the aggressiveness to do what most believe impossible.

You have to be obsessive, to fix on an idea and be willing to fail at it a thousand times before you discover something amazing.

But above all you have to be spontaneous never letting go of that spark that gets you out of bed and in life’s face.

Alrighty then…

Apparently the ‘guys’ gave the Sigelei Kaos Spectrum to a whole bunch of ravers at what I assume is some kind of dance-fest [lol] at Insomniac’s Beyond Wonderland – and apparently they were in ecstasy over it – no pun intended…maybe.

So you can see the target audience they’re going for and yeah I reckon the younger vapers out there will love it and yes it does its job well enough.

However for me it is a neither nor kind of vape device.

What I mean by that is it’s not classy and grown up like say the Sigelei 213 nor is it badass like the Wismec Predator or Smok Alien.

In fact the real chaos aspect for me any way is it seems to have a bit of an identity crisis.

kaos

It’s like the boring bloke in the office who wears dull grey suits all year then for two weeks in the summer he hits the clubs in Ibiza wearing neon Lycra and dances for half an hour before going back to his room for a good book and a cup of cocoa.

It really – I mean really wants to be a badass – but just can’t quite get there – and that’s why I’ve taken to calling it the ‘dad dancing mod’.

Pros

  • LED light strip to match your mood
  • Colour screen
  • Good in temp control
  • High powered – up to 230 watts allegedly
  • Wide enough for larger tanks and atties
  • Firmware upgradeable

Cons

  • Bad button placement
  • Button rattle
  • Pleather is poor
  • Battery door loose
  • Doesn’t feel sturdy
  • Screen too small
  • Pre-heat mode hit and miss
  • For me a little pricey

Did you buy the Sigelei Kaos Spectrum? Would love to hear what you thought. Leave us a quick comment down below!

neil Humber 2
Neil Humber

I have simpler vape tastes these days - I never leave home without a Caliburn G, a Vaporesso Luxe 40 or Innokin EQ FLTR and a CBD vape pen or bottle of CBD drops in my rucksack...or indeed an Aspire Nautilus Prime X in my pocket... At home I'll be using various mods topped with the GeekVape Zeus X RTA or the Signature Mods Mono SQ topped with the Augvape BTFC RDA... I'm a former journalist and now a writer and sometimes author... I'm ex Army - adore dogs and never happier than hiking over the hills or with a good book on a beach.

REVIEW OVERVIEW
Build Quality
Design
Mod Functions
Ease of Use
Likelihood of Replacing if Lost or Damaged
I have simpler vape tastes these days - I never leave home without a Caliburn G, a Vaporesso Luxe 40 or Innokin EQ FLTR and a CBD vape pen or bottle of CBD drops in my rucksack...or indeed an Aspire Nautilus Prime X in my pocket... At home I'll be using various mods topped with the GeekVape Zeus X RTA or the Signature Mods Mono SQ topped with the Augvape BTFC RDA... I'm a former journalist and now a writer and sometimes author... I'm ex Army - adore dogs and never happier than hiking over the hills or with a good book on a beach.
sigelei-kaos-spectrum-reviewFor me it's a sheep in wolf's clothing as in it really wants to be badass but doesn't quite make it - I'm sure the young folk will love the funky LED strip-light though...

20 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve had this for over 2 years, my only device as well. It’s been dropped a few times, ran a variety of coils & tanks. Gimmicky as they are the lights make for a basic flashlight which has come in handy many times now. The plus/minus buttons on mine aren’t loose or noisy at all even after two plus years. Pleather piece gradually lost its grip revealing a series of vent holes. The issue I do have is it’s weight when batteries are in, along with tank, makes for a hefty weight in any pocket not to mention the damage should it say…fall off the sofa onto you’re foot. Plus I’ve seen some newer lightweight mods which emphasized the unnecessary bulk this can be. That said it’s function, build, options and fun gimmick have all worked well for me and held up to over two years of daily use without fail.

  2. My new one came with very
    Loose screws. I can’t tell if
    they are Hex or star?

    Can someone please email me
    what type and size tool I need
    to tighten the top?

    Mike

  3. not a totally bad review, but barely given justice if im fair. I’ve found the KAOS spectrum to be a pretty tidy piece of kit. ive had 3 box mods since i quit smoking, my first was from T-wicked. it was crap need i say more. second was an E-VIC primo by joyetech, was a nice solid box that delivered on 170w out of 200. however after a while i noticed my batteries were draining quickly, i took it to the shop i bought it, they opened it up an was incorrectly insulated and wired. or mores to point, there was no insulation, one drop would result in grounding an battery explosion i was told!! i got my money back, an invested in the spectrum online.

    those of you posting bad comments regarding the fire or plus/minus buttons being loose! i think thats just how yours are, unfortunate straight off the production line, i have no issues with any rattling, not even on the LED strip is loose. the screen leaves much to be desired, granted, but once ive got my settings on there that i like, the button placement doesnt bother me the slightlest and the screen shows the basic info i require. being a working father of two adorable and oh so not nosey children below 5, my mods taken a number of drops, both on soft and hard resistant surfaces….. namely house carpet (thin), laminate shop floor and concrete… oh and yorkshire flag stones! this thing is a beast, its taken the punishment of family life and asked for more!. yes the battery cover does flip open from time to time now, depending on angle of drop, but its not flimsy! in terms of the kits i use, im a freemax fanboi, first tank was an artic turbo, 6 coil ceramic setup, what a beast it was, till i dropped it and the glass case broke, an no replacements found anywhere… #sadface.

    the tank i use now is the freemax scylla, with 0.3 ohm ceramic dual coils. i tend not to go above 60-75w range, an hits a sweet spot with KiK vape juices. i agree the USB charging function shouldnt be used, but its a nice feature, personally i went for Fogstar NCR, 3500mah 3.7v 18650 batteries, with xtar external charge kit. when i was using some standard 18650 lithium batteries an compared to the fogstars, i could REALLY tell the difference. i can go a whole day with a pair of these an my mod doesn’t even bat an eye. its really economic in the power usage.

    overall its a fantastic budget box mod, well worth the price, an if you get it in a sale cheaper, even more so.

  4. I got the Kaos heavily discounted, about $30 USD, to use as a beater mod. There’s no finesse to it, but it is a solid, reliable device, given the price point (unlike most other recent Sigelei products).

    It is overweight, and there is a minor degree of firing button rattle. Battery life is above average if the lights are not set to be on all the time.

    Things I don’t like include lack of venting, though battery door has a thin slit, and finding out by accident that it comes with the preheat set in power mode to 100w. Very easy to burn out coils until you discover this. Apparently the preheat can not be turned off.

    I wouldn’t expect it to perform like a DNA 250, or even a VooPoo Drag. But for a reliable mid-range device, it’s as good as most of the many competitors. Build quality feels slightly better than the Alien, though certainly not like an old Sigelei 150, or IPV 3 Li. The Kaos does not have finesse and quality of the Smoant Battlestar, but battery charge lasts much longer, making it more suitable for high wattage tanks and rebuildables. The highest I’ve vaped the Kaos has been 110-120w, and the mod did not heat up in my hand.

    Overall, I don’t love the Kaos, but I do trust and respect it.

  5. Man I hate to have to tell ya ,, bur I’m not sure if you reviewed this or just read the description off a picture you seen on some internet site man ,, for 1 the wattage buttons are super fast , actually so fast that I fimdit hard to set it right every time for two ,, its not a thin mod its heavy and solid rigntout of the box , 3 its not pleather , if you can’t tell the smell of real leather which mine is and is very um ,, odd but surprising to have actaul leather on a mod , then you shouldn’t be doing reviews ,, this is sad my friend you did a very poor review , ten thumbs down 👎 gooday sir

    • Thanks for the comment…yeah a lot of people think I shouldn’t do reviews especially when I score a device or e-liquid low that others like…however I wasn’t alone in thinking this device from an otherwise impeccable company was flimsy and shoddy and dare I say more than a little gimmicky – I certainly did have the device to hand and used it a lot – but I absolutely hated it…and hey remind me never to go shopping for an expensive leather coat of three piece suite with you 😉 cheers!

  6. The Kaos was a joke at best and I find it very hard to believe they’d release such a poorly constructed and straight-up cheesy device. Really -ephin neon>WTF??? like the box mod and RTA doesn’t bring enough attention already right?

    Main Problem-
    Screws are not long enough and adding longer screws is not an option as it will interfere with the board or firing button.
    Dropping the device from a sitting position onto a rug cracked the plastic around the holes.
    ***This was the replacement device Id been given since the 1st one lost the display after 2 days. I assume it was crappy QC and a cold solder joint. Anyways- I gave up on it and unfortunately have become completely turned off by the company in general. Called it a loss and went out and bought and iJoy CaptainPD270

  7. Why does it seem like even with full batteries I’m only getting few hours of vape life before having to change them out. My batteries charge to 100 percent and my mod is only two days old??

  8. It has vints under the plether thats the first thing i did was pull it off and replaced it with carbon fiber from my tesla

  9. What’s happening! JoeC in the US and a seasoned vapor. I have to admit, I love the Sigelei Kaos Spectrum. The only dislikes I have is of course the Pleather and the press fitted 510 connector. Other than that, a great mod for the price. Affordable and functions quite well. The LED strip doesn’t bother me and can be turned off if wanted. Yes, they could have gone with a glass covered screen but I’ve had no problems or issues so far. I will update this post if an issue comes up. I quite like the battery door. Very sturdy and locks into place quite well. Great for the price! Thanks for your informative review! Cheers!

    • While possible it’s not recommended Joseph. For the longevity of the batteries and the mod itself it’s well worth just investing in a good external charger.

  10. I really like the Kaos. It’s a nice little box mod and pretty efficient at around 80 watts. It fits well and is comfortable in the hand. It’s small enough to fit in my pockets easily enough. It’s a bit heavy for the shirt pocket though but not overly. The body feels like a soft metal or maybe even rubberized so we’ll have to wait on any long term effects.

    The only thing I have an issue with is with the pleather. My nails have lifted a small portion of the pleather up by accident and I agree that a carbon fiber or just a plain side would have been better.

    • When I mean efficient, I mean that I’ve been able to get about 3 days, give or take, out of two full 18650’s, vaping about 10-12 mls per day.

  11. Re: below… that’s the protective plastic, just take it off the screen!

    I’ve used mine every day for 9 days at the time of writing and already there’s a little split/bubble where the up button is situated – it looks like over time that might become bigger.

    • Ha! Well spotted and I did notice that a couple of weeks later and forgot to edit lol – all I can say in my defense – apart from hey this is a typical ‘Neil Senior Moment’ lol – is that the sticker was down tight and very neat – haha I can be such a jerk at times 🙂

  12. Hello from America. I’m a 61year old vape guy, and I love the spectrum.

    I live in the forest, and that light comes in handy! And hey, you can shut it off.

    I had a little trouble with the interface until I realized push the little button first, then the fire. I’m a lefty, as well, but have learned how to use it right handed.

    That moves the fingers out of the way. No cracking anywhere on it, and feels nice. I use a temp control Atlantis with this with short 65watt ramp up, and a pair of 35amp 3000’s literally last 12 hours.

    It is basically set and forget, and I also use it on a hellboy for 120watt vapes. Had my last sigeli for a year and bet I will have this one even longer…. Now, need a slider…….

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