SMOK RPM 5 Pod Vape Device Unboxing & Review

• The SMOK RPM 5 combines the best features of pod systems and box mods.
• A 2000mAh battery gives the RPM 5 hours of uninterrupted usability, and USB-C compatibility makes charging it up again quick and easy.
• The two supplied coils, variable wattage, and airflow controls make it easy to customize your vaping experience.
• The RPM 5 offers solid value compared to similar devices—you get plenty of great features for a relatively affordable price.

Vape device technology moves fast, so it’s vital to stay informed about new products by your favourite brands. The best new devices come with unprecedented features and innovations that can greatly enhance the way you vape, which is why we make a point of unboxing and reviewing them here—we want you to have the best possible experience!

SMOK has always made cutting-edge vapes, and the RPM 5 promises to take their game to a completely new level. Does it live up to the hype surrounding it? Only one way to find out. Join us as we embark on a flavourful quest to understand exactly what separates this device from the rest, and whether that’s enough for us to recommend that you buy one for yourself. We’ll cover its key specs, features, everyday usability, and much more.

SMOK RPM 5 Unboxing Video

The SMOK RPM 5 Device Kit contains:

• 1 x RPM 5 Pod System
• 1 x RPM 5 Replacement Pod
• 1x Meshed 0.15ohm Coil (Preinstalled)
• 1x Meshed 0.23ohm Coil
• 1 x Type-C Charging Cable
• 1 x User Manual

For those of you who are still relatively new to vaping, there’s a good reason the RPM 5 looks so different from SMOK’s other popular devices in the Nord and Novo series. Those are pod systems, whereas the “RPM” in the title of this product designates it as a Real Pod Mod—an attempt to combine the heavy-duty functionality of a box mod with the convenience of a pod system.

See Also: Popular SMOK Pod Systems

• SMOK Nord Pro Pod Vape Device
• SMOK Novo 4 Mini Pod Device
• SMOK Nord 50W Pod Vape Device Kit

SMOK definitely has the experience to pull this off—they’ve succeeded with both pod systems and box mods in the past (although they’re definitely better known for the former than the latter). So as we were reviewing this product, we paid careful attention to how well it integrates the kind of technology you’d expect from box mods into what we already know the brand excels at.

Charging the SMOK RPM 5 for the First Time

Finding the charging port on the device is easy—and it’s on the side near the bottom instead of directly on the bottom itself, which means you can stand the device upright while it’s charging. This is a welcome change from some previous SMOK devices, which have to be placed on their side as they charge.

The fact that the RPM 5 takes a 1.4A USB-C charging cable is also welcome—in fact, it feels essential since the battery capacity in this thing is fairly massive at 2000mAh. That means it only takes about a 1.25 hours to charge, whereas trying to charge a battery that size with a standard USB cable would take hours.

Preparing the Pod in the SMOK RPM 5

Setting up pods and coils in the RPM 5 is seamless and easy to do. To take out the pod for the first time, just pull it straight out of the device’s body. You’ll notice a sticker with the word “open” on it the first time you do this—once you take it off, current will be able to flow from your device to the pod.

The little red plastic tab on the pod’s underside is the coil lock—switching it open gives you access to the coil inside, which can then simply be pulled out with your fingers. Saturate the cotton inside your coil with your chosen e-liquid, then pop the coil back into the pod and flip the coil lock closed.

Finally, push the top of the pod in the direction indicated by the arrow printed on it—this will expose the fill hole and allow you to pour in your chosen e-liquid. Once you fill the pod, just slide the top back to its original position, and slide the whole pod back into the top of the RPM 5.

Finally, after you’ve filled the pod but before you fire up the device, wait for 5-10 minutes to ensure the coil saturates properly. This will help prevent you from accidentally burning it.

It’s all very intuitive and user-friendly. Since newer users can sometimes be intimidated by the complexities of more advanced devices, we commend SMOK for making the setup process on this vape easy as pie.

Now that you’re set up, it’s time to start vaping! Here’s how to use the SMOK RPM 5 and what we noticed when we did.

Turning On the SMOK RPM 5

No surprises here—press the fire button five times in a row, just like with other SMOK devices. The device’s screen will come on, showing the following:

• Wattage
• Battery life
• Coil resistance
• Voltage
• Puff count
• Time for current session

You’ll also be able to see whether the device is locked or unlocked (as indicated by the padlock icon). All of this info is displayed clearly on a beautiful 0.96 inch colour LED screen. It doesn’t look cluttered at all.

As a bonus, you can change the colour scheme on your device by pressing the fire button and the “+” button at the same time! This isn’t really an essential feature, but we definitely think it’s fun.

SMOK RPM 5 Airflow

Airflow in the SMOK RPM 5 is adjustable via a slider on the device’s side. This gives you the ability to customise your draw and cloud size, which we always love to see.

To draw, just hold down the fire button while inhaling from the device’s mouthpiece. Here’s where our experience gets interesting.

SMOK RPM 5 Vape Device Battery Life & Performance

There’s a lot to love here. Let’s start by acknowledging what a monster that 2000mAh battery is. Traditionally, you want that kind of juice to keep your device from petering out when you’re vaping consistently at higher wattages, but it’s pleasantly surprising to discover that the RPM 5’s battery doesn’t seem to be impacted that much by dialling up the power—using the 0.15ohm coil at 60W and the 0.23ohm coil at 25W should each get you about four and a half hours of continuous vape time.

That time is going to be well-spent, too—the flavour from this device is awesome, especially when using the 0.23ohm coil at lower wattages. It’s spec’d for outputs anywhere from 20-45 watts, with better flavour at the low end and bigger clouds at the high end. There’s a nice balance from 25-30 watts that you’ll probably enjoy.

For anything from 40-80w, you’re going to want the 0.15ohm coil—and your clouds are going to be absolutely massive. You won’t get as much flavour this way, but you will have tons of fun blowing smoke around. We don’t recommend cranking up the power too far above 70 watts, though—at that point, all it really seems to do is impact your battery life.

Here’s a rundown of the notable features in the SMOK RPM 5:

• Dimensions: 122.5mm x 31.2mm x 29.5mm
• Battery Capacity: 2000mAh
• Maximum Wattage Output: 80W
• Activation: Button Fired
• E-Liquid Volume: 6.5ml
• Screen: 0.96" TFT Colour Screen
• Charging: Type-C USB Port

The SMOK RPM 5 Vape Device Kit is more expensive than products in the SMOK Nord or Novo series, but very much on par with standard box mods, which tend to fall into the $50-$80 range. Since the RPM 5 offers many of the same features box mods have in a lighter, more portable, and more intuitive package, we’re going to call it a pretty good deal.

Buy Here: SMOK RPM 5 Vape Device Kit

No, it’s not the kind of device SMOK has been known for in the past—but they’ve taken a risk with the RPM 5 and in our opinion, it’s paid off very well. This device looks and feels great, is easy to use, gives you plenty of ways to customize your experience, and comes in at a completely reasonable price for what it offers.

We recommend the SMOK RPM 5 to anyone looking for a heavier-duty SMOK device or former box mod users who want something a bit more streamlined.

Remember, the U Vape team is always happy to answer questions about the SMOK RPM 5 or any other vaping product we offer. Contact U Vape to speak with someone on our team now and learn everything you need to make an informed buying decision.