VIP Electronic Cigarette have been prominent in the UK e cig market for a number of years with many high st, shopping center and numerous other retail locations. So the likelihood is that you have seen the brand before.
This product has been discontinued – Check out our top pick e cig starter kits here.
VIP Electronic Cigarette Introduction
They have a number of vaping options from beginners to the more advanced vaper. We have so far carried out a VIP Tense review, VIP Alpha Base, VIP Alpha Mini Base as well as some of their superb VIP Arcadia Gran Reserva E Liquids.
Today, we are taking a closer look at the VIP Skystorm AM30 vape mod.
In The Box
The Skystorm AM30 vape kit comes in a gold presentation box and contains the following:
- 1 X Skystorm AM30 Box Mod
- 1 X 510/EGO adapter
- 1 X USB Charging Cable
- 1 X Instruction sheet
Build Quality & Design
The VIP Skystorm AM30 is a 2000 mAh battery and as the name suggest a 30W box mod.
The look is similar to the Eleaf iStick albeit with some different design features.
It’s a compact mod that fits in the palm of the hand no problem, the sides of the mod have 3 ridges running the length of the mod to provide a grip of sorts.
The front of the mod is where you will find the LED screen, power and function buttons.
These are set well with no rattle.
The actual quality of the Skystorm is good, nice and solid. For me though I don’t personally like the overall looks and design. Of course this is a personal preference and you may disagree on this front.
One major thing for me that I found disappointing is the way tanks and clearomisers sit on top of the mod. I tried a few different options and none fit particularly well.
When I say fit, they screw on and work just fine, the issue for me is that if you fit a sub ohm tank such as the Aspire Cleito or the the Innokin iSub S there is overhang off the end of the mod.
It’s quite a bit of overhang as well, I like my mods to have a flush fitting look when the tank is placed on top.
Considering this mod powers up to 30W and is compatible with sub ohm vape tanks the design doesn’t really cater very well for them.
VIP sell the Skystorm AM30 in kits with a VIP ETS BDC clearomiser.
I have the same Aspire branded tank that I used with the AM30. This needs the EGO adapter in order to fit on this mod.
Again though, it just doesn’t (for me) look all that great on the mod. The 510 threaded connection could have done with being set back a few millimeters.
Performance
The Skystorm is a variable voltage / variable wattage mod. I personally just stick with wattage mode but both are easy to access and control.
Functions
- 5 Click power button on/off
- 2 Click power button 3 times to switch between VV/VW mode.
- Press function button up or down to scroll to preferred wattage/voltage (Increases/decreases in 0.1 increments)
- Screen displays current battery level, coil resistance, current wattage and voltage setting.
The selection functions work well and are easy to use. If you are new to VV/VW devices it will take 5 minutes to get used to but once you’ve got it you are good to go.
The only slight annoyance was the slow scroll through the wattage/voltage settings. It scrolls pretty slow, this could just be my impatience coming through so not a downside as such.
Clearomiser
The VIP ETS BDC is basically a rebranded Aspire tank. Which is a good thing as it’s is a great little tank with superb flavour and vapour performance for a clearomiser. My Halo Vapour Co vape juice hit all the notes expected.
I have the Aspire version for this review, these are the original manufacturers who would have made the branded VIP clearomiser.
There are some best practices for using this clearomiser with the Skystorm, stick to these and you will be vaping in no time at all.
Filling the tank
- Unscrew the bottom of the tank
- Ensure coil head is screwed in place firmly, but don’t over tighten.
- Take your e liquid bottle and drip the e juice down the inside wall of the clearomiser
- Do not overfill
- Screw the base back on firmly, again don’t over tighten
- Let the tank sit for 5 minutes before you use it. Very important! If you press the power button too soon you WILL burn the cotton in the coil and the coil will be ruined and need replacing. I know you just want to vape but have a little patience here 🙂
Using the tank with the Skystorm AM30
- Make sure the device is switched on – 5 clicks of the power button in quick succession will do this for you
- Start off your wattage/voltage on a low setting. Start at 8W and then work your way up the settings until you find the right warmth of vape for you. I personally like to vape this tank at 12.5W with the juice I am using. You will likely prefer a different setting.
- Depending on the e juice you use the settings may be different. Higher the wattage the warmer the vape.
- That’s pretty much it!
The actual performance of the VIP Skystorm AM30 with the ETS clearomiser is very good.
The battery life was very good with moderate vaping seeing me through 1.5 days without needing to charge.
I also tried this vape mod with the Innokin iSub S tank to test how it performs with a 0.5 ohm sub ohm coil. The mod coped well with this without any issues but I did have to run it at the upper levels of it’s wattage capabilities.
If you are using a sub ohm tank keep in mind that the battery will run down a lot quicker than a standard clearomiser tank.
What I like
The Skystorm is well built and feels solid in the hand. The VW/VV functions are easy to use and the 2000 mAh battery lasted a good amount of time with the ETS BDC clearomiser.
The now standard safety features are also included with short circuit protection, low voltage protection and 10-second cut off should the power button be accidentally pressed for a prolonged time.
What I don’t Like
Although the build quality is good I am not a fan of the actual design. As mentioned that is a personal taste and you may love the look of the device.
The other thing is the way the clearomiser sits on top of the mod. In short it isn’t the prettiest, slickest looking mod with it attached. It gets worse with a larger (22mm) sub ohm tank as this has around 3mm of overhang so look a little odd.
The final dislike is the slow scrolling though the wattage settings. Compared to other mods it seems to take an age.
Final VIP Skystorm AM30 Review Verdict
The AM30 is a bit of a mixed bag for me. On one hand it has a solid build with good performance. On the other I just personally don’t like the design and looks of the device especially when a clearomiser or tank is attached.
But, if you don’t mind the looks and you are just going to be using this with a standard clearomiser tank such as the ones VIP recommend then it will certainly perform well for you.
If you are looking to use exclusively to sub ohm vape there are better options available in terms of the tank fitting well on the device and functions.
Pro’s
- Solid build quality
- Easy to use
- Battery life is very good when used with a clearomiser
Cons
- The looks and design, I didn’t personally like
- Wouldn’t recommend for sub ohm vaping
- Sub ohm tanks over hang
I had 2 of these and they are NOT well built, the charge port failed on both of them and the insert where the tank screw into came loose making it unusable although I did a temporary fix with super glue. Very badly made cheap build product stay well away.
WARNING-The vape VIP Skystorm AM30 is one to keep away from. I brought 3 for my self and family and ALL have broken at the charger port. The customer care at Tunbridge wells and the head office was of poor standard and did not want to help. My advice is to keep well away. Also we only had them for 2 months!!!
Vey nice box mod! I would like to buy it, but haven’t seen yet in shops.