Voopoo Drag S review: the UK buyer's guide

The Voopoo Drag S is one of the most widely stocked pod mods in the UK, and also one of the most confusingly documented. The Drag family has grown to the point where the original device shares shelf space with a Drag S PnP X, a Drag S Pro and a Drag S2, and their spec sheets get quoted interchangeably. This review covers the original only, with every figure checked against UK reviews of UK stock.

The verified Voopoo Drag S spec sheet

Start with what is stable across sources. The device measures roughly 87 by 33 by 28 mm and weighs around 154 grams, which puts it at the compact end of the pod mod category without feeling flimsy. The frame carries a matt finish with a leatherette grip panel down the back.

Inside sits an integrated 2500 mAh battery, up from the 1500 mAh of the Vinci it replaced. It is not removable, so there is no 18650 cell to juggle and no external charger to buy. Charging runs over a USB-C port on the front panel, which is a genuine improvement on a base-mounted port, and a full charge takes about an hour and a half in practice.

Output runs from 5 to 60 watts across a resistance range of 0.1 to 3.0 ohm. The pod attaches magnetically with no threading, seats firmly, and lifts off one-handed. Airflow is fully adjustable through a slider on the body, which is the single biggest upgrade the Voopoo Drag S made over its predecessor.

The pod capacity trap in the UK

This is where most confusion about the Voopoo Drag S comes from, so it is worth stating flatly. UK stock ships with a 2 ml pod, because UK regulations cap every tank and pod at that volume. The 4.5 ml figure you will find quoted in international reviews describes a version that is not legal to sell here.

The good news, and reviewers who tested both were explicit about it, is that the 2 ml version does not compromise wicking the way the equivalent 2 ml Vinci pod did. On that earlier device the wick ports were partly obscured by a fixed bung. On the Drag S the smaller pod behaves properly.

The pod itself is made from PCTG rather than cheap plastic, has a generous fill port and an integrated round drip tip that is more comfortable than the duckbill shape Voopoo used before. If you are comparing devices across markets, always check which pod version a review was written around.

The two Voopoo Drag S vaping modes

The chipset is the GENE.TT, and it runs two modes distinguished by a colour on the screen so you always know where you are without diving into a menu.

Smart mode reads the resistance of the fitted PnP coil and applies a sensible wattage for it. Usefully, on this device it only re-adjusts when the resistance actually changes, rather than resetting itself every time you refill the pod, which was a real irritation on the Vinci. Smart mode also enables draw activation.

RBA mode hands the wattage back to you, set with the two buttons under the screen. This is the mode to use once you know a coil and want to fine-tune how it tastes. There is no boost function in either mode, so expect output to sag slightly as the battery drains, most noticeably at the top of the wattage range.

One flaw is worth knowing before you buy. UK reviewers consistently report a delay on the auto-draw, particularly with the airflow wide open, to the point that several simply turned the feature off and fired the device manually. The board also drops into a deep sleep after about thirty minutes, so the first press wakes it and the second one vapes.

PnP coils are the real argument

The strongest case for the Voopoo Drag S is not any single specification, it is the coil range. The device takes the entire PnP family, the same coils used across the Vinci line, which means a catalogue that has been stocked in the UK for years and is easy to find both online and in shops.

Two mesh coils come in the box. A PnP-VM1 at 0.3 ohm, intended for roughly 32 to 40 watts, and a PnP-VM5 at 0.2 ohm, intended for roughly 40 to 60 watts. Both are direct lung coils built for an airy draw and a generous cloud, and both want a thicker, high vegetable glycerine liquid at a low nicotine strength.

That pairing points the kit firmly at direct lung vaping, but it does not lock you there. Fit a higher resistance PnP coil such as the 0.8 ohm PnP-R1, close the airflow down, and the same device runs a tighter mouth to lung draw with a balanced liquid. Very few devices at this size cover both ends that convincingly.

Coils press-fit from underneath with no tools and no threads. Prime a new one with a few drops of liquid on the wicking ports and give it a couple of minutes before the first pull.

Leaking is the standing complaint against PnP coils, and it remains a lottery. Some units never leak at all, others weep from the very first fill, and there is no reliable way to tell in advance.

Drag S, PnP X, Pro and S2 are not the same device

Here is the section most pages on this subject skip. Four devices carry nearly the same name and their numbers circulate attached to the wrong one constantly.

The Drag S PnP X is larger, runs to 80 watts and uses a removable PnP X cartridge with top filling and a 510 drip tip. Its battery capacity matches the original.

The Drag S Pro is larger again, also reaches 80 watts, swaps the chipset for a GENE.FAN 3.0, carries a 3000 mAh battery and uses a TPP X cartridge with TPP coils rather than PnP. It adds a temperature control mode the original does not have.

The Drag S2 is a separate, later model and should not be treated as a refresh of the Drag S. Whenever you read a figure about the Drag line, check which device the source is describing before you act on it.

Who this pod mod is for

The Voopoo Drag S suits someone who already vapes direct lung, or who wants to move that way without learning a full box mod. Smart mode removes almost all of the setup, while RBA mode is there the day you want to tune a coil properly.

It is not the obvious first device. Sixty watts and two sub-ohm coils are more than a new vaper needs, and a simpler kit with higher resistance coils is a gentler start. Our guide to choosing your first vape sets out what matters at that stage instead.

Two reservations recur in testing. The 2500 mAh battery is merely adequate for a heavy day at higher wattages, and condensation gathers around the pod-to-body connection, so an occasional wipe is part of ownership. Neither disqualifies the device, but both are worth knowing in advance.

FAQ

How big is the Drag S pod in the UK? Two millilitres. Tanks and pods sold in the UK are capped at that volume, so the larger capacities quoted in some international reviews describe versions not available here.

Which coils come in the box? Two mesh coils. A PnP-VM1 at 0.3 ohm for about 32 to 40 watts, and a PnP-VM5 at 0.2 ohm for about 40 to 60 watts. Both are built for direct lung vaping.

Can it do a mouth to lung draw? Yes, but not with the supplied coils. Fit a higher resistance PnP coil such as the 0.8 ohm PnP-R1 and close the airflow slider down. The device accepts the whole PnP range, so the switch is straightforward.

What is the difference between Smart and RBA mode? Smart mode detects the fitted coil and sets a suitable wattage automatically, with draw activation available. RBA mode lets you set the wattage yourself with the two buttons, within the range printed on the coil.

Is the battery replaceable? No. It is an integrated 2500 mAh cell charged through the USB-C port on the front of the device. There is no external cell to buy or swap.

The verdict on the Voopoo Drag S

Years after launch, the Voopoo Drag S still makes sense. A compact frame, an airflow slider that genuinely works, a Smart mode that removes the learning curve, and above all access to the whole PnP coil catalogue, which gives it a range of behaviour that far larger devices struggle to match.

Its limits are known and honest: a battery that is adequate rather than generous, an auto-draw best switched off, occasional condensation and the long-standing PnP tendency to leak. None of that is a surprise if you go in informed.

The one piece of advice that matters most is the one this article opened with. Before you buy a Voopoo Drag S, or a coil for one, confirm the page you are reading describes the original device and not the PnP X, the Pro or the S2.

For a wider view of the segment, our comparison of refillable pod vapes in the UK applies the same checks to the rest of the market, and the UK vaping rules guide explains why the pod in your box is the size it is.

Independent editorial content for readers aged 18 and over. Vaping products contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. This article is not a purchase recommendation.