SMOK Nord 5 Unboxing + Review

• The box comes packed with two supplied coils, variable wattage, and airflow controls make it easy to customize your vaping experience.
• The wheel used to adjust airflow on the Nord 4 is gone—replaced by a sleek-looking slider that gives the whole device a slightly higher-tech appearance.
• The Nord 5 has a 2000mAh battery and USB-C compatibility, which makes charging it up again quick and easy.

As SMOK’s flagship line of pod systems, the Nord lineup contains more than a few worthwhile devices. But while the brand certainly enjoys a robust following, they’ve never stopped trying to one-up themselves. Enter the SMOK Nord 5, which keeps the best aspects of previous vapes in the series while adding a bigger battery, more power, and controls that allow for more fine-tuning. So has SMOK cracked the block with this new model, and does it justify an upgrade from your current vape device?

See Also:

• SMOK Nord Pro
• SMOK Nord 50W
• SMOK Nord 4

Below, our team at U Vape will walk you through the experience of unboxing, setting up, and vaping with the Nord 5 so you can get a sense of how this device works and what it offers. With our help, you’ll be able to decide whether the Nord 5 is worth buying for yourself.

The SMOK Nord 5 Device Kit comes with:

• 1 x Nord 5 Device (2000mAh)
• 1 x Nord 5 Replacement Pod (5ml)
• 1 x RPM3 Replacement Coil (Meshed 0.15Ω Coil Preinstalled)
• 1 x RPM3 Replacement Coil (Meshed 0.23Ω Coil)
• 1 x Type-C Cable
• 1 x User Manual

Upon opening the packaging for your Nord 5, you’d be forgiven for thinking at first glance that there was a mistake in the factory and they shipped you a Nord 4 by accident. These two devices do look strikingly similar—but if you look a little closer, you’ll see that the Nord 5 distinguishes itself with a few subtle but important differences.

For starters, the wheel used to adjust airflow on the Nord 4 is gone—replaced by a sleek-looking slider that gives the whole device a slightly higher-tech appearance. The fire button, output controls, and screen are all practically identical to the ones on the Nord 4, however.

The Nord 5 also comes with a different range of colour options, and has a pleasant heft to it—it’s not in any way cumbersome, but it definitely has enough weight to give it a presence when you hold it in your hand (think of it like the vape equivalent of a high-quality rocks glass). Initially, there’s no dead giveaway here that this is a major leap forward from the Nord 4, but of course the real test of that comes when we actually start using the device.

Charging the SMOK Nord 5 for the First Time

Like other recent-ish additions to the Nord series, the Nord 5 uses a USB-C cable to charge its integrated 2000 mAh battery. Charging the battery from empty to full can take up to 1 hour and 40 minutes, which might feel like a long time—but remember, you get a lot of usage out of a big battery like that, as long as you’re not going crazy with your output settings. So the wait time isn’t that big of a deal.

Preparing the Pod in the SMOK Nord 5

The real value of the Nord 5 starts to become apparent when you turn your attention towards its pod. For one thing, it holds 5 ml of e-liquid as opposed to the 4 ml capacity of the Nord 4’s pod. This might not sound like much, but that extra 20% extends your mileage noticeably when you consider that the Nord 5 and Nord 4 both have the same battery size.

Filling the pod is the same as for previous Nord devices—just open the silicone plug on the side of the pod, insert your e-juice through the hole, and then plug it back up. As for coils, you get compatibility with the SMOK Nord and SMOK RPM3 coil series, which gives you a few different choices (a 0.15Ω and 0.23Ω coil are supplied with the device).

One of the nice new features on the Nord 5’s pod is the way it’s designed to lock the coils in place once you pop them in. This prevents your coil from coming loose if you happen to drop, shake, or put down the pod before popping it into your device, which is a convenient touch. Remember to prime new coils before use to prevent them from burning out too soon and get the best taste from your device!

Once you’ve done all that, it’s time to get down to vaping. Read on to find out what our experience was like.

The Nord 5 offers big improvements when it comes to flavour and cloud size. For compact sub-ohm vaping, you’re well looked after here—you can expect big clouds with a satisfying taste once you dial in the controls.

SMOK Nord 5 Airflow Controls

The switch on the Nord 5 is a more precise way to control the amount of air you get with each draw. Like we said earlier, it’s a subtle change—but one that matters. We also found it quite a bit easier to use than the wheel on the Nord 4.

Nord 5 Battery Life & Performance

One of the best features of the Nord 4 was its 2000 mAh battery, which has (thankfully) been carried over to this newer model. It’s kind of a monster, and while it does take longer than we’d like to charge, it’s clearly been designed to help your device last throughout the day. For best results, stay under 70W—this should more or less allow you to vape to your heart’s content from sunup to sundown (cranking the device up to the maximum output will drain the battery faster but won’t really have any other noticeable impact on the way the Nord 5 performs).

And now, let’s talk about the taste. Simply put, the Nord 5 fires on all cylinders here—it does a brilliant job and bringing the flavour out of your chosen e-liquid. Nic salt e-juices with higher concentrations are particularly good in this device when using the 0.23Ω coil, although switching to a lower-resistance coil gives you lots to try in terms of milder-strength e-juices as well.

The Nord 5’s Screen & Controls

The Nord 5 gives you a 0.69” OLED colour screen, which you can use to keep track of your:

• Battery percentage
• Current wattage
• Resistance
• Puff count

The Nord 4 has a screen too, but we like the way the information is presented on the Nord 5 a little better—it just feels cleaner and more legible.

Controlling the Nord 5 is easy and natural, too—here’s a quick primer on what to do:

• Press fire 5 times to turn the device on or off
• Press both adjustment buttons at once to lock the device
• Press either of the adjustment buttons to change the wattage (up or down)
• Press either of the adjustment buttons and the fire button at once to reset the puff count

Here’s an overview of the Nord 5’s main specs:

• Dimensions: 105mm x 32.5mm x 23.74mm
• Battery Capacity: 2000 mAh
• Output: 5-80W
• e-Liquid Volume: 5ml
• Charge Type: USB-C

The price of the Nord 5 is comparable to the Nord 4 and Nord 50W, while being a little more expensive than the screenless Nord Pro. While there’s no obvious redesign here, the most important part of any vape is the way it tastes—and the Nord 5 more than delivers on that front. We think it’s a well-priced vape you’ll get a real kick out of.

The SMOK Nord 5 might not seem like a huge step up from the Nord 4 at first, but it offers all the best aspects of that popular device while improving on flavour and cloud size—at a similar price point. This is definitely a worthwhile upgrade, and a great introduction to SMOK if you haven’t used one of their pod systems before.

Learn more about the Nord 5 or any of the other products we offer when you contact U Vape and speak with an experienced member of our team. Vaping is our passion and we’re happy to answer any questions that can help you improve your experience.

How is the Nord 5 different from the Nord 4?

While they may look similar, the Nord 5 has smoother airflow control features, a larger pod capacity, and several interface improvements to enhance user experience.

What is the battery capacity of the SMOK Nord 5?

The SMOK Nord 5 features a 2000 mAh integrated battery.

How long does it take to fully charge the Nord 5?

Charging the device from empty to full can take up to 1 hour and 40 minutes.

What coils is the Nord 5 compatible with?

The Nord 5 is compatible with the SMOK Nord and RPM3 coil series. The kit comes with a 0.15Ω for tighter and more refined draws, and a 0.23Ω coil that allows for more flavour and bigger clouds.

What is the output of the Nord 5?

The SMOK Nord 5 can produce an output ranging from 5-80W.