VOOPOO ARGUS Pro 2 Review: Rugged and Powerful

Product intro and specs
The ARGUS Pro 2 is the latest pod mod by VOOPOO. VOOPOO is one of the most well-known names in vaping, with the DRAG and ARGUS series of devices being some of the most popular vapes on the market. The ARGUS Pro 2 has much in common with the DRAG S2 and uses the PnP X coil and pod line (not to be confused with the older PnP line).

The ARGUS Pro 2 houses an internal battery listed at 3000 mAh and comes with a pod tank that has a massive 5 mL capacity. The device is made for DL vaping with the included coils, but a lower-wattage coil is available.

I have tested various ARGUS devices in the past but haven’t had a chance to try the original ARGUS Pro, so I won’t be comparing the two. Keep reading to find out how the Pro 2 performs and if it is worth a look in a very crowded product category.

Price: TBA (at Element Vape)
Colors: Pearl white, sky purple, modern red, lake blue, space gray, cocoa brown, spray black

Specifications
·Dimensions: 127.4 mm x 35.5 mm x 29.8 mm
·Materials: Zinc alloy / leather
·Pod capacity: 5.0 mL / 2.0 mL
·Output wattage: 5-80 watts
·Output voltage: 3.2-4.2 volts
·Resistance: 0.1-3.0 ohm
·Battery capacity: 3000 mAh
·Display: 0.96-inch TFT screen

Kit contents
·1 x VOOPOO ARGUS Pro 2 device
·1 x ARGUS PnP X cartridge
·1 x PnP X coil (0.15 ohm)
·1 x PnP X coil (0.3 ohm)
·1 x PnP X platform card
·1 x Type-C cable
·1 x User manual

Build quality and design

The ARGUS Pro 2 is larger than a dedicated MTL pod and more the size of a small DL mod kit. It is larger than a traditional MTL pod system due to the battery size and the high wattage output.  At 155 grams, it’s got some good weight to it, which makes it feel sturdy and durable. The front panel hosts a large rectangular 0.96-inch color screen and the adjustment buttons, the fire button, and the lock switch (I love the lock switch feature on devices).

The whole body is colored, which is great and makes the different color options stand out, and the back has a nice leather with a matching color scheme. They offer a total of seven colors. The sky purple, modern red, and lake blue all have one color fading to another, while the rest are solid colors. I got the lake blue one, which starts as a royal blue on top and fades into a seafoam green on the bottom. The design focuses on the classier, rugged-looking style, similar to the Geekvape Aegis line.

Getting started

The ARGUS Pro 2 is a semi-advanced pod system built for DL vaping. The basic usage is fairly straightforward. Just press the fire button five times to turn it on and off, press up or down to adjust wattage, and press up/down simultaneously to go into the menu.

The menu is basic; a settings option lets you reset the puff counter, and that’s about it. The modes are Smart (helps you set wattage,) RBA (power mode,) and turbo (power mode with hard pre-heat).

I’m not a fan of the naming of the modes. They could have just done a power mode with adjustable pre-heat and a smart mode for beginners and left it at that. Even then, I’m not sure why a smart mode is needed since the wattage range is printed on the coils.

Above the up/down buttons is a lock slider, which I love. Just slide it up to lock the device to pocket it and slide it down to unlock it. When locked, it fully locks the device so that it won’t adjust or fire in your pocket by accident.

The device comes with one pod tank and two coils. The pod tank has adjustable top airflow by rotating the top. Turned all the way down gives an RDL vape, while fully open is DL, and you can adjust how you please.

Filling the pod tank is easy. The tank itself is magnetic and pops in and out with little effort. It’s not tight in there, but the magnets hold it in place well with no wiggle. Once the pod is out, on the bottom side, you need to remove a little black rubber plug to expose the fill hole.

The pod is pretty much fully visible (about 90%) and clear, so it’s easy to see the juice level. When running low, you don’t have to slant it because if you can’t see juice normally, it’s time for a refill. Overall, I’m very happy with the usage of the device.

Performance

The VOOPOO ARGUS Pro 2 comes with two PnP X coils in the box, both for DL vaping. They claim it can be used for MTL as well, but the lowest wattage coil available is rated at 18-23 watts, and it’s not included in the package so I didn’t try it. This can technically be a loose MTL, but the tank itself is too airy for any MTL vaping, so just consider it an RDL to DL vaping device only.

The included coils are a 0.3-ohm coil rated 32-40 watts (which I found best at 40 watts) and a 0.15-ohm coil rated 60-80 watts (which I found best around 70 watts). Both coils are mesh coils. There are two coils not included which are a 0.6-ohm coil rated for 18-23 watts and a 0.2-ohm coil rated 40-60 watts.

I started my testing with the 0.3-ohm coil. For me, these 30-watt DL coils feel like they’re in no man’s land, but that’s my personal preference. This coil just doesn’t pack enough punch to really be DL for me. But if you like the 30-40 watt range, it does a decent job as a portable small DL vape.

The 0.15-ohm coil, though, performed great. Unfortunately, battery life won’t be great vaping at 65-70 watts on this device. But for a top-airflow pod mod with premade coils, the flavor was good enough, and I got great coil life (almost the 100 mL they advertise.) They should have included the 0.2-ohm coil instead of the 0.3-ohm one, in my opinion, as it seems to be the best fit for the device based on its wattage.

Overall, with the 0.15-ohm coil, the ARGUS Pro 2 is a good portable DL vape. I wouldn’t bet on it being good for MTL, but you can always try for yourself.

Battery life and charging

The internal battery is listed at 3000 mAh, and they list the charge rate at 2A on the box. The port is USB-C, and it is located under the up/down buttons behind a dustproof cover, so it can stand up while charging.

I tested their ratings, and for the max charge rate I got 1.49A, so it’s a little overrated there. A 1.5A rating would have been more acceptable. However, since most companies do round up, it’s a little faster than some devices that list a 1.5A charge rate. Charge time is about 90 minutes, so it’s not bad for a battery this size. You get to about 70% from an hour charge.

For battery size, I got around 2100 mAh usable. At around 18%, the vape was weak and not powerful enough for the 0.15-ohm coil, but I still drained it down to 9% vaping on a low wattage until it wouldn’t fire (30 watts.) I do consider the capacity overrated. Most devices are rated about 20% higher than you actually get, so I expected around 2400 mAh and got less than that.

The 2100 mAh doesn’t sound bad for a pod mod, but using the 0.15-ohm coil, the device will need a recharge during the day. It’s why when I do DL vaping, I opt for dual battery mods.

It does not have passthrough vaping, which is a negative for me. All devices should have that these days. The battery meter is on the screen and shows a percentage. It also shows the percentage live when charging, which is a useful feature.

Pros / Cons
·Solid build quality
·Rugged and durable
·Small enough to be pocketable
·Good flavor and life from the 0.15-ohm coil
·Charges fast enough (90 minutes)
·Great capacity (5 mL)
·Great design and color options
·Easy to use and fill
·Clear pod tank to easily see juice level
·Adjustable airflow
·Compatible with PnP X coils
·The lock switch is great

·No passthrough vaping
·Overrated battery rating (2100 mAh)
·Overrated charge rating (1.49A)
·Not really suitable for MTL with what I got to test
·Confusing names for the modes
·The 0.2-ohm coil should have been included over the 0.3-ohm one

Gallery

Verdict
Overall, there are some quirks to this device. However, with the 0.15-ohm coil, it packs a punch and makes for a good portable DL pod mod. The 0.2-ohm coil is also likely good and would provide some extra battery life. If you want a good-looking and rugged portable DL device and are ok with the cons, this one is definitely worth a look.