Eleaf iStick TC 100W Vape Mod Review

Eleaf were one of the first e cig companies to release a vape box mod to vapers worldwide in the form of the iStick.

This was a huge success for the company and since then they have gone on to release a number of versions of the iStick of which we have reviewed on this site.

The Eleaf iStick 100W TC mod is the latest and the device we are reviewing today.

In The Box

• 1 X Eleaf iStick TC100W Mod
• 1 X USB Charging Cable
• 1 X User Manual

Key Specs

• Nickel, Titanium and Stainless Steel coil compatibility in temp control
• Vaping modes: VW / Bypass / Temp Control ( Ni / Ti / SS / TCR-M1, M2, M3 )
• Variable Wattage 1-100W
• Temperature range: 100 – 315C / 200 – 600F
• Resistance range: 0.05 – 1.5ohm ( TC mode ), 0.1 – 3.5ohm ( VW / Bypass mode )
• Dual removable 18650 batteries.
• Stainless steel threads and spring loaded firing pin.
• Hidden fire button
• Firmware Upgrade-able

Available From

Free World Wide Shipping Available.

Build Quality & Design

For those familiar with the Eleaf iStick 50W the form factor of the TC100W mod will be instantly recognisable. The looks are where the similarities end as this is an entirely different beast.

Here is a size comparison when compared to the recent Kanger K Box 70, K Box Mini 75W TC and K Box 120 mods.

The iStick TC100W looks like the iStick 50W’s better looking brother with a sleeker and altogether better quality build. In the hand it’s one of the better vape mods I have held with the hidden fire button built into the grip.

The 100W TC is powered by two replaceable 18650 batteries, which you will need to buy separately. In dual battery use they do recommend batteries are within 0.3V of each other and a discharge current of 25A as a minimum such as the Sony US18650 VTC4.

The mod does work with one battery installed but you will be limited to a maximum of 75W.

The batteries are easily replaced by way of two magnetic lids on each side of the mod. These are easy to remove and replace while still holding firmly in place with no give.

You can charge the batteries when they are in the mod although I would recommend buying a quality charger from a brand such as Nitecore.

Not only is it quicker (batteries charging in the mod seems to take an age) but it allows for rotation of batteries so you always have a couple ready to go.

Important point on batteries: please don’t carry around loose battery cells in your pocket or bag. You have likely heard about e cigs ‘exploding’ in peoples pockets in the news, 99% of incidents are not in fact e cigs that are catching fire and flaring, it is loose batteries.

If loose batteries come into contact with metal objects (keys, change) it can cause the batteries to short.

Do yourself a favor and buy a plastic battery carry case. These can be picked up at vape stores for a couple of £/$. Carry your batteries in these and you will be good to go.

Read our e cig battery guide here.

Down the center of the mod is a black strip that houses the OLED screen and three function buttons. The two circular buttons mainly function as the wattage/temp control allowing you to pick your desired setting. The button below this selects the mode you would like to vape.

Vent holes are located in two positions at the top and base of the mod.

The top of the mod house the 510 threading with spring loaded pin as well as a tab witch allows you to lock the power / firing button. Great for when you are carrying around your device in a pocket of bag.

The base houses the Micro USB port which admittedly is a pet hate of mine!I like my vape mods to stand upright when charging. The USB port has dual functionality of allowing charging and firmware updates so a definite plus.

Vape while charging is also possible.

So where is the power button I hear you ask?!

The concealed fire button is located on the side of the mod in the grip. It’s only the top half that can be pressed but for me it’s a very fluid and natural way to vape.

Instead of the usual button press with a thumb or finger, you just need to tighten your grip slightly when holding the mod.

Simple but very effective making for a comfortable mod in the hand. No contortion of fingers needed to reach the fire button!

This is a great feature, admittedly not an entirely new one as a similar fire button has been seen on vape mods such as the SMOK X Cube 2, but I think Eleaf have made it better in the way it operates. It all just seems a lot more solid.

How Does The Eleaf iStick 100W TC Mod Perform?

The iStick 100W pretty much covers all bases when it comes to the mode in which you want to vape. In temperature control you can use Nickel, Titanium, Stainless Steel and Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR) mode.

Then there is standard variable wattage mode and bypass / mech mode for the advanced vapers out there.

Check out our guide to temp control if you are new to this way of vaping.

An overview of how the various functions work

• On/Off – 5 clicks of the power button
• Stealth mode – Hold fire button and ‘down’ function button to turn off the OLED screen.
• If you want to check your settings when in stealth mode press the power button once.
• Lock the fire button – Switch on top of the mod
• Lock settings – Press both ‘up’ and ‘down’ function buttons simultaneously to lock in your settings. Same to unlock.
• OLED Display rotate – Switch mod off. Press and hold ‘up’ and ‘down’ buttons for 2 seconds simultaneously to flip the display

Selecting preferred vaping mode

Press and hold the third (bottom) function button continuously to scroll through the various TC / VW / TCR and bypass modes. Once selected choose desired temp/wattage by scrolling up and down.

Coil performance

I tried a Nickel coil first up with the Innokin iSub S tank. You have the option of Fahrenheit or Celsius settings, this is easily done by scrolling through with the up/down function buttons.

If you prefer Fahrenheit then keep scrolling up and once it reaches the highest Celsius setting it will then jump over to Fahrenheit. The reverse is also true.

Wattage can also be changed in TC mode by holding the bottom function button and pressing up or down. You can lock the base reading of your TC coil by holding the fire button and ‘up’ button simultaneously for 2 seconds. Just be sure to unlock this if changing coils if they are a different resistance.

The iStick supports 0.05 – 1.5Ohm resistances with TC coils.

The temp control settings worked well as would be expected. When you come to change a coil, the iStick will ask you if you have a new coil or the same, obviously this is via the OLED screen 🙂 No talking mods as of yet.

I then switched over to a standard Kanthal coil, the iStick can handle 0.1-3.5Ohm coils. When changing from temp control atomizer to a Kanthal coil the iStick does recognize this and switch to VW mode.

This I think could be more transparent though as the OLED display still showed the temperature setting I was last using. The mod will also fire at the wattage mode you had set on the TC mode. Which in my case was 100W so just be careful with that.

I would have liked to see it switch to VW mode here so I could then change the wattage to suit my coil. Maybe I’m just being lazy though as that it what the function buttons are ultimately for!

I only used the Nickel and Kanthal coil but I found the functions were easy to use once I got the hang of it. Advanced users that want to change the TCR value and switch to bypass modes can do this easily using the menu functions.

What I Like

I think the looks and build of the iStick 100W TC mod are superb. I liked the standard iStick 100W mod but this is a step up in both quality and design. The white mod I had looks great although I would say it’s more ivory than white.

In the hand the mod is very comfortable and the location of the fire button, activated by a squeeze of the hand, makes it a pleasure to use.

The box mod can also be upgraded via firmware so you can jump on new software releases from Eleaf as and when they are developed.

What I Dislike

While the menu items and functions are easy to use it does take a bit of time getting used to everything. Not a massive surprise really as this is a lot more than a standard plug and play VW vape mod.

I would also like to see the micro USB port given a different location on the side rather than the base. Definitely not a deal breaker though.

Final Eleaf iStick TC 100W Vape Mod Review Verdict

Quite simply I though the iStick TC 100 mod was fantastic. In the hand is was great to hold and the performance was good in the VW and TC modes that I tested.

I am a huge fan of the concealed fire button and hope to see more vape mods include this feature in the future.

Pro’s

• Excellent build quality
• Feels great in the hand
• Fire button activated simply by tightening your grip
• TC mode worked well
• Will handle most tanks on the market
• Good for advanced vapers that will utilize TCR and bypass modes
• Powered by two replaceable 18650 batteries
• Can also run off one 18650 battery upto 75W
• Firmware upgrade-able
• Vape while charging

Cons

• Micro USB port on base
• Takes some time to familiarise with the menu functions