Geekbar AD
Reviews

Vaporesso Target PM80

By Staff Editor 21st March 2020 4 Mins
ADVERTISMENT: Flonq AD

Specifications: 

Dimensions: 102mm*33.4mm*24.8mm
Battery capacity: 2000mAh internal cell 
E-liquid capacity: 4ml/2ml (TPD edition) 
Power output: 5W-80W 
Display: 0.96 Inch TFT 
Charging: 2A Micro-USB 

It’s starting to look like 2020 is the year of the AIO and not one to miss a trend, Vaporesso is throwing its proverbial hat into the ring with the Target PM80. With so much competition in this space, though, is it worth considering? 

Construction, fit and finish of the PM80 are excellent. The metal frame is sturdy but light, with a textured vinyl grip. Four strong magnets hold the polycarbonate pod in place, preventing any unwanted movement but still allowing for easy removal when needed. A rubber seal covers the large fill port on the bottom of the pod, which has caused me no overflows or annoyances during filling. This is the smallest variable wattage AIO I’ve personally seen to date and when combined with the nice build quality and finishing, it makes for a rather sleek, unobtrusive device, that’s in keeping with Vaporesso’s techy design language. 

The PM80 features a stripped-back version of Vaporesso’s Axon chipset, which strikes a good balance between features and ease of use. Holding both power adjustment buttons opens the menu, where you can toggle variable wattage, variable voltage, smart VW and puff counter settings, along with changing the display colour. In my view, the fully-featured Axon would have been overkill for this device, so it makes sense to have dialled things down a little. 

The device is supplied with two coils as standard, both of which are part of their new GTX mesh lineup. The first is a 0.3Ohm build, rated for 32W-45W. I found this coil to start hitting its stride at 40W and above, where it produces clean flavour, with a relatively open direct lung draw. Coil longevity was impressive and I was able to run 40mls of moderately sweet e-liquid through it before any decline was noticed. It could easily go longer if you don’t mind a slight decrease in flavour output. 

The second coil is a 0.2Ohm mesh build, rated for 45W-60W. The larger inner diameter and surface area of this coil accommodates the extra power nicely, and at 50W and above, it produces a warm vape with excellent flavour. Of course, this higher power draw does impact e-liquid and battery consumption but this is to be expected. I had similar success in terms of longevity with this coil and it’s good to see that Vaporesso is managing to provide a consistent experience here.  

While both coils are undeniably good performers, the lack of true adjustable airflow and relatively high power requirements is confusing. I understand that space for an airflow system is limited by the small footprint of the device but the provided airflow plugs are not ideal, since they offer limited adjustment. With one plug installed, the airflow is restricted substantially and remains silky smooth but a sliding piece on each side of the mod would have made for a more fine-tuned experience. 

The power requirements are a little strange too. Realistically, even the 0.3Ohm coil doesn’t really start to shine until the 40W mark, which is significant for a device with a 2000mAh internal cell. This can be easily remedied with some more coil options in the future. A 25W subohm coil and 15W MTL coil would be welcome additions to the GTX line and this would give the PM80 a much broader appeal. 

Battery life will depend on your choice of coil and power output but in my testing, the 0.3Ohm build at 40W would result in approximately three hours of vaping time, while the 0.2Ohm build results in just one to two hours on a full charge in the higher end of its recommended power outputs. This is no surprise considering the cell capacity but does highlight the need for some less power-hungry coils. The 2A charging allows the PM80 to go from flat to full in approximately an hour, which mitigates some of the down time but not all of it. 

In summary, the Target PM80 is a solid little AIO, with sleek design and great vape quality but it could do with further coil selection and refinement to the airflow adjustment. For subohm vapers who need an on-the-go device for short intervals, it’s a great option. 

Pros: 

  • Build quality 
  • Great vape quality 
  • Ease of use 

Cons: 

  • Only higher power coils currently available 
  • adjustable airflow plugs, rather than true controls 
MESH AD
MESH AD

Recommended

About this author
Staff Editor