I have got in my hands the new Oxva Origin Mini Kit…
If you don’t know anything about Oxva, then where have you been?
Oxva have been creating their own name in this mad vaping industry for only a short amount of time really, but have had fairly good success in the Pod category, along with award winning success in the rebuildables category.
It was the Origin that was Oxva’s first main release and what followed was a much improved Origin X. The Origin X was a massive leap forward from the original Origin which included all the right features you expect from an advanced Pod Mod.
However, it’s been a fair while since the Origin X was released and Oxva have been busy with their Arbiter line along with a few other bits and pieces. But finally Oxva have come back to their Origins with a much more simplified version of the Origin X – the Origin Mini.
What Can We Expect From the Oxva Origin Mini?
The Origin Mini is designed to be a pocket friendly, simple to use Pod Mod which makes use of some small, yet powerful sub-ohm coils.
The device itself is powered by a 2200mAh internal battery and can fire up to 60watts.
So let’s crack on with the review and see what this kit is all about.
This kit was sent to me free of charge for the purpose of review.
All views and opinions are solely those of my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of others.
Inside the Box
- Origin Mini Device
- Origin Mini Pod
- 0.3Ω Unicoil
- 0.2Ω Unicoil
- Type-C USB Charge Cable
- User Guide
Specs and Features
- Size: 120.0 x 31.5 x 23.0mm
- Battery: 2200mAh Built-In
- E-Liquid Capacity: 4ml (TPD Version 2.0ml)
- Output : 5-60W / 3.3-4.2V
- Display: 0.69in OLED screen
- Resistance limits: Not specified
- USB Type C Charging – 2A max charge rate
- Pods: Refillable, replaceable coil
- Coils: UNI coil range
- Photon chipset
- Top fill
- Airflow adjustment coil base included (certain coils only)
Design and Build Quality
Design and Build QualityI received the Black Carbon Fibre variant of the Origin Mini which is actually quite a smart looking Pod Mod.
There are 4 other colour options to choose from: Golden Vibe, Buddha, Eagle and Brown Ripple.
The gunmetal body of the device is made from perhaps Aluminium or maybe something more premium and certainly looks the part with the carbon fibre design around the rear of the device.
On their website the materials are listed as “Alloy, Leather, IML, PCTG and Zinc Alloy” – so I am none the wiser really!
The device has only two buttons, a fire button which does just that, along with turning on/off the device, and a secondary lower button below the display which will scroll through wattage. And that’s about it.
The display on the Origin Mini could be said to be a little ‘Old School’ – but it’s clear, bright and simple enough for what you need it to do.
At the base of the device is the USB-C port for charging and perhaps even a firmware upgrade if Oxva ever release one. The charge rate is specified as 2A which should give a faster charge.
Being on the base means laying this device down when charging which isn’t always great with leaky pods. However during my experiences with the Origin Mini – Leaking wasn’t an issue, even when charging.
The Origin Mini Pods
The Origin Mini PodsThe kit comes with just one pod that can house a number of different Oxva ‘UNI’ coils. The 0.2Ω and 0.3Ω are included in the kit. There are also the 0.5Ω, 1.0Ω and an RBA available as well.
The UniCoil range are also compatible with the other Origin kits and the Velocity (using the UniCoil pod).
The pod has a 4ml capacity but unfortunately TPD requirements will limit the pod down to 2ml. I’m sorry to say I don’t know how the bung can be removed. So if you receive the 2ml pod version, leave a comment letting people know how this can be removed, if at all.
The pods are magnetically held in place into the device with a satisfying clonk and fit really well with no side to side movement. It is tight enough that accidental removal would be fairly tricky.
The pods have a top-filling feature which is also cleverly slanted meaning filling is fairly easy. The rubber bung also fits in nice and snugly and I’ve had no leaks from this port when the plug is fitted correctly.
The pod also has a 510 drip tip installed which can easily be removed and replaced with one of your own.
The UNI coils are press-fitted into the pod and fit nicely with no issues of orientation when fitting, just push in to ensure a snug fit.
Generally speaking I’ve had no issues with leaking from the base of the pod. However you may experience a small amount of condensation build-up, so be sure to check the inside of the device, and the base of the pod every now and then.
Airflow you ask? – The airflow to the coils comes directly from 2 small slots right near the top of the device. There is no adjustment to this device directly and the position of the airflow slots can take some getting used to. I found my thumb (when firing) would sometimes accidentally block the airflow holes, leaving me with the tightest MTL draw in the history of all vaping!
However if you prefer to dial down your airflow a little, that option is available on the base of the RBA, 0.3Ω,0.5Ω and 1.0Ω coil, but not the 0.2Ω UNI Coil.
Oxva Origin Mini In the Hand
The Origin Mini is a small, very pocket friendly device that fits nicely in the hand thanks to its rear curvature and for me is preferable as a thumb firer due to its shape.
The device is lightweight and comfortable but doesn’t offer much with regards to grip thanks to its smooth paint finish and glossy carbon fibre panel. But it feels substantial and well-built enough to probably handle a light drop or two.
How To fit the Coils and Fill the Oxva Origin Mini
Here’s how to fill the pod with e-liquid:
- Remove the pod from the device.
- Add a few drops to your coil before press fitting into the pod.
- Open the rubber bung at the top of the pod.
- Fill with your desired e-liquid.
- Leave the coil to saturate the e-liquid for 5 minutes, then start vaping at a low wattage before increasing in small increments until you reach a wattage you are happy with.
Oxva Origin Mini Display Functions
The 0.69″ OLED display offers very little with regards to functions, but that’s kind of what we are looking for with this category of system.
Quick Start Guide
Here’s how to operate the device:
- Device On/Off – 5 clicks Fire button.
- Lock/Unlock Device – 3 clicks Fire button.
- Puff Reset – Press & Hold Fire & Adjustment button.
- Adjust wattage – Press or hold Adjustment button.
Thankfully, the device wattage will “round-robin” from 60 watts back down to 5 watts so this device really only needs the one adjustment button. The wattage increases in 1 watt increments and once you hit 60 watts, it will alert MAX POWER, before going back down to 5 watts.
How Does the Oxva Origin Mini Perform?
The Origin Mini comes with two, fairly low resistance coils. With that in mind I made use of the Unreal Line by Dispergo – Lemon & Raspberry which is a 70VG 30PG e-liquid at 3mg Nicotine Strength.
Oxva Origin Mini – 0.2Ω UNI Coil
Recommended between 40-60 watts I enjoyed this coil at 50 watts and I’ve been very pleased with the performance of this coil. The draw itself is fairly airy and unfortunately there are no means of restricting that airflow, but it’s still a comfortable direct lung draw.
The vapour production is quite impressive for a small, low resistance coil and the flavour is a solid 7.5-8/10.
Keep in mind however, this coil requires almost the maximum capacity of the device to perform well, meaning your battery life will be heavily compromised by using this coil
Oxva Origin Mini – 0.3Ω UNI Coil
Recommended between 30 and 40 watts, I had this coil set at 35 watts with the airflow slider fully open.
This coil also performs very well, a slightly more mellow experience than the 0.2Ω but thanks to the airflow adjustment ring on the coil, you can tailor this to your preferences a little more.
Although this coil, flavour wise does not perform as well, I still think it’s a decent coil. Especially considering you are only using 30-40 watts which is much better for battery life. I found I dialled the airflow down just a hair and that helped get the flavour rating up to around 7.5/10
Airflow
This section of the review would be null and void if it wasn’t for the inclusion of the airflow ring on the 0.3Ω UNI Coil. But generally speaking the airflow is smooth and fairly quiet across the board.
I do think it’s a shame the device itself doesn’t have any in-built airflow control system to allow users to set the airflow as they wish. But generally speaking if you like a smooth, open direct lung draw, I doubt you will be too picky about how the airflow feels without any adjustment.
Battery Life & Charging
The device itself takes around an hour to charge which is more than acceptable for a 2200mAh device. Battery life wise, the Origin Mini doesn’t do a bad job, even with the 0.2Ω coil at 60 watts
Does the Oxva Origin Mini Leak?
Does the Oxva Origin Mini Leak?Generally speaking – No. There are no inherent leaking issues with the Origin Mini, the pod or the coils.
The only small thing to keep in mind is that you fully seal the filling bung, and check under the pod and inside the pod housing of the device every now and then for a build-up of condensation. Condensation is something we can all expect from any pod, especially a pod which uses low resistance coils and creates a fair amount of vapour.
Pros
Pros- Decent performance from both coils
- Super simple to use
- Pocket friendly
- Well made
- Very long lasting coils
- Solid pod fitment and fill method
- Screen is small, but clear and bright.
Cons
- No Airflow adjustment on the 0.2Ω coil
- Thumb firing sometimes blocks the airflow inlet
- Battery life can be poor with the low resistance coils
- USB-C port at the base.
Final Review Verdict
I used to start this section of Pod Mod reviews with ‘As the pod mod battle for domination continues’ but the thing is – no-ones really dominated this section of the market! There is yet to be that ‘This is the One’ product that I thought we would finally get to.
And that’s mainly due to the fact that we’ve had so many different variants of pod mods. From high powered dual battery types, to small internal battery versions for more MTL experiences.
So my review verdict can only really be summed up in one way…
The Oxva Origin Mini is a simple to use, comfortable device that performs pretty well in the Pod Mod Category. It offers most of the features that we look for in a pod mod of this style, but is lacking a few key features.
For such a small device it packs a fair punch and has all the simplicity of use and portability that people who use this kind of device are looking for.
Would this device be long lasting and still work 3, 6 or even 12 months from now?
I’ve been very impressed with the coil durability of the UNI coils. The battery capacity is large enough that even after daily use for 6 months, should still hold up fairly well. However if you’re using this at 60 watts, day in day out and recharging twice a day, you’ll soon find yourself reaching into your pockets for a new device within the next 12 months. Just saying.
Does this device deliver the flavour, vapour and general experience I require, in order to be enjoyed?
Across the board the performance of the Oxva Origin Mini is very good. The flavour, vapour production and power from the device is everything you would hope for. Nothing ground breaking but more than acceptable. The only downside is the lack of adjustability to the airflow with some coils.
Is this device versatile?
Is this device versatile?The Oxva Origin Mini may not be for a new vaper – but it’s certainly a good option for that next step up. Still offering the simplicity of a basic Pod system yet allowing the vaper to broaden their options and tinker with wattage, resistance and airflow to some extent.
Have you bought the Oxva Origin Mini?
Or have you given it a try?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
