A well-known name in the vaping world, Smok has been at the forefront of the movement for some time now.
A manufacturer of mods and tanks, sub-ohm vaping is what Smok does best.
Here, we take a look at a selection of tanks that Smok has designed and built, and we’ll discuss each tank’s pros and cons.
If you’ve been thinking about getting one of these tanks and you’re not really sure which is the best smok tank for your needs, this article should help.
We take a close look at 10 of their current most popular tanks that include:
- TFV8 Cloud Beast
- TFV8 Baby Beast
- TFV8 Big Baby Beast
- TFV12 Tank
- Hamlet / Hamlet Mini
- Minos
- Skyhook RDTA Tank
- Spirals Plus
- Vape Pen Tank
- Brit Mini
1. SMOK TFV8 CLOUD BEAST TANK
The Smok TFV8 was released halfway through 2016 and was much anticipated by the vaping community.
An upgrade from the previous Smok tank, the TFV4, the TFV8 was given the nickname ‘the cloud beast’ by Smok themselves.
The TFV8 comes with a selection of coil options.
In the box with the tank you’ll find 3 different coil options:
1. V8-T8 octuplet coil – a 0.15ohm coil designed for use between 50w -260w, although best at 120w-180w. The juice capacity with this coil fitted is 5.5ml.
The air flow on this coil is unreal – a massive slot, coupled with an increase in chimney size from the previous TFV4, means that the cloud beast really does produce a ton of vapor.
The V8-T8 produces best results at about 150w, the flavor to cloud ratio at this point is incredible.
2. The second coil option in the box is the V8-Q4, a quadruple coil also at 0.15ohms. this coil is slightly slower than the V8-T8, but can still cope with 150w. With this coil, you’ll be able to get about 6ml of juice inside the tank.
Again, the airflow designed into the TFV8 means that there is no shortage of clouds, the flavor is probably slightly more intense with this coil installed.
3. The third option is a rebuildable velocity style deck, pre-installed with fused Clapton coils at 0.28ohms.
Not only does this option extend the life of the tank beyond the life of the pre-made coils, it gives greater versatility and opens this tank up to a whole variety of different vapers.
The deck is huge – there is easily enough space to fit some mega builds in there, and the air flow slots, both on the coil itself and the tank, means that even with this option installed, there will be no shortage of clouds.
I also like the swivel top-fill method the tank has. It makes it super easy to fill without having to completely remove the drip tip as can be seen below.
PROS:
- Cloud Production
- Customization and variation
- Color options – 11 available including an ultra-cool 7 color version
- The RBA coil option
CONS:
- This tank drinks juice, and a lot of it. You’ll probably find yourself filling it up a couple of times a day.
Is the TFV8 Cloud Beast a good fit for you?
I think we can agree that it’s a fantastic looking tank, and it comes in several color options.
This tank would be a good choice for you if you like to chase clouds and vape at a high wattage.
In my opinion, the TFV8 is even an option for you if you’re looking to take your vaping journey to the next level of building your own coils; the RBA coil option means that once confident enough, you can give your own builds a go knowing full well that whilst honing your building skills, you still have two fantastic pre-made coil options too.
2. SMOK TFV8 BABY BEAST TANK
A smaller version of the TFV8, the baby beast is a toned-down version of its big brother.
Similar to the TFV8, the Baby Beast comes with different coil options, although this one comes with two coils as standard.
The Baby Beast is a 3ml capacity tank, measuring around 15mm shorter than the TFV8 and the top fill works the same.
The coil that comes pre-installed in the Baby Beast is the V8 Baby-Q2, reading at 0.4 ohms and rated at around 70 watts.
These coils are different from the ones in the big brother, which means that they are not compatible with each other.
The V8 Baby-Q2 coils are slightly conical in shape, and are rated between 55w and 70 watts.
From personal experience, the sweet spot on these coils is around the 65w mark; the flavor at this point is at the best and the vapor production is still excellent for a smaller tank, especially with the airflow fully open.
The performance on these coils means that you get the same style vape as the TFV8, this may just be considered the everyday, general vaping version.
The second coil that comes in the box with the Baby beast is the V8 Baby-T8 core coils, a quadruple parallel coil, which means that there are 8 coils in total.
These coils are rated between 60 and 80 watts. These coils again have improved flavor retention and less vapor production than coils you get in the TFV8.
PROS:
- Vapor production
- Customization of coil options
- Size of the mod is perfect for me
- 12 different color options
CONS:
- Drinks juice
- Cloud production reduced from the TFV8
- The RBA option is not standard
Is the Baby Beast a good fit for you?
The Baby Beast is a great alternative to the TFV8 for the everyday vaper if you prefer something a little smaller.
Like it’s bigger brother, it comes in plenty of colors. You shouldn’t have a problem finding one you like.
A great tank, and this would be the one of the few I’d go for from the TFV range.
I like that it’s not small and not too big at the same time. You’ll see what I mean as we continue to go through the tanks SMOK has on offer…
3. SMOK TFV8 BIG BABY BEAST TANK
The final version in the TFV8, the Big Baby Beast is the Big Baby that hasn’t stuck to its diet.
This one comes with three different coil options, has a juice capacity of 5ml and is a 24.5mm tank.
It’s 3mm taller and 2.5mm wider than the Big Baby and has a huge range of available coils that don’t come as standard.
The pre-installed coil in this tank is the V8 Baby-x4 core – a 0.15ohm quadruple coil, rated between 30w and 80w, but performs best between 45w and 60w.
As common with the TFV8 range, the performance of the coils, mixed with the fantastic air flow means that the balance between flavor and vapor production is brilliant.
The second coil in the box is the V8 Baby-T6 core, a 0.2ohm sextuple coil rated between 40 and 130 watts, performing best between 70 and 90 watts.
Most vapers I know vape between this range, so this is probably going to be the go-to coil for a lot of you.
Again, the air flow on the tank and on the coil itself means that you get intense flavor mixed with a fair amount of vapor production – you won’t have to worry about not seeing through the clouds this coil produces, but there is enough there to keep interest.
As with the original TFV8, the third option as standard is an RBA deck.
This is by far the best feature of the range, the added customization, the extended life and the multiple coil options really does mean that this range of tanks is great for beginners taking a step up the vaping ladder.
PROS:
- Cloud production
- RBA alternative as standard
- Color options
CONS:
- Not enough difference from previous two to warrant a completely different mod
- Drinks juice
- This tank is probably the best option for you if you want the best of both worlds.
Is the Big Baby Beast a good fit for you?
In true Smok fashion, you’re not limited with a color choice.
This tank is probably the best option for you if you want the best of both worlds when it comes to the TFV8 and Baby Beast.
The intense flavor, excellent vapor production, and RBA that comes as standard make it one of my personal favorite tanks of today.
4. SMOK TFV12 TANK
Marketed as the Cloud Beast Kind, the TFV12 is the TFV8 on steroids.
It is a whopping 27mm in diameter, 6ml juice capacity, a maximum of 350watts and 70mm in height. Just to repeat that, Smok says that the TFV12 can take up to 350watts. Mental.
As we’ve become accustomed to with Smok products, the TFV12 comes with three coil options as standard, although none of these are an RBA.
The pre-installed coil is a V12-T12 0.12ohm duodenary coil which has a range of 60w-350w, although best results are produced between 130w and 200w.
The airflow slots on these coils are almost big enough to get a finger inside. This indicates that the clouds are going to be thick, dense and plentiful before you’ve even
This indicates that the clouds are going to be thick, dense and plentiful before you’ve even vaped them.
This is the most outrageous tank in the Smok range in my opinion.
This is the coil you’d add to the tank and take to the pub on a Friday night leaving your friends in awe of the sheer clouds produced.
The second coil included with this beast of a tank is the V12-X4 0.15ohm coil, rated between 60w and 220 watts; the best results to be found between 100w and 170w.
This option is slightly toned down from the pre-installed coil, still producing wondrous clouds and flavor.
The air flow slot is slightly reduced, the coils are slightly tighter and there are less of them. This is the coil I prefer.
The final option is the V12-Q4 coil, rated between 60w and 190w and best at 90w to 160w.
It’s the smallest coil out of the three, retains what we know and love about the range with great flavor and greater clouds.
PROS:
- Customization
- Coil options
- Color options
- Incredible flavor
CONS:
- There is no need to push 350 watts in my opinion
- Drinks a lot of Juice
Is the TFV12 a good fit for you?
If you’re a serious cloud chaser or just like to show off a few clouds to your mates, the TFV12 is definitely for you.
And you get plenty of color choices.
Let’s not forget to mention that you’ll need some pretty big pockets to keep this thing in if you intend to take it out and about with you!
Not my cup of tea, but a great overall tank none-the-less.
5. SMOK HAMLET AND HAMLET MINI TANK
The Helmet and Helmet mini tanks are the first for Smok to comply to the TPD rules.
Both have a 2ml capacity.
The Helmet is a 24.5mm tank and the mini is a 22mm version.
The tank is housed in a smart-looking stainless steel case with windows to see the juice levels.
The kit comes with 2 coil options: the pre-installed 0.4ohm fused Clapton core, and an alternative 0.6ohm fused Clapton.
This is the standard kit, the only difference between the two options is the size of the actual tank itself.
The 0.4ohm coil is rated between 20w and 45w, the 0.6ohm is rated 25w-60w.
Unlike the previous tanks above, the emphasis is not on the clouds produced, it’s a tank mainly aimed at beginners.
PROS:
- Excellent tank for beginners
- The Helmet looks slick
- Two pre-made coil options
CONS:
- Only pushes 60 watts
- 2ml juice capacity
Is the Hamlet a good fit for you?
It performs well; nothing outstanding and the two different coil options coupled with the two different tank sizes lends this tank to an ideal purchase if you’re considering a move to a sub ohm tank from a pen-style device.
If you’re already using a sub ohm tank, you’ll be better off looking at either the Baby Beast or, my personal favorite, the Big Baby Beast.
6. SMOK MINOS TANK
If you’re a flavor chaser and know how to build, this is for you.
The Minos is a 25mm sub ohm RTA with a 0.3ohm pre-made coil pre-installed.
The RTA option has the velocity-style, two post design capable of housing a dual coil build with bottom airflow and ample space for intermediate builds.
It can hold up to 4ml of juice and has good sized fully adjustable air flow slots so you can get the vape you desire.
PROS:
- Rebuildable deck
- Velocity style – easy to build on
- Produces great flavor
CONS:
- One color option
- Nothing about this mod particularly stands out against competitors
Is the Minos a good fit for you?
The Minos tank will suit you if you know how to build coils and want excellent flavor.
The velocity style deck is pretty easy to build on and if you already build, then the chances are you’ve built on something similar.
One of the best RTA’s for flavor I’ve used in a while.
7. SMOK SKYHOOK RDTA TANK
Another cloud beast, the Skyhook RDTA is, in my opinion, the coolest looking tank from Smok.
It’s available in 4 awesome customizations, the 7 color option truly stands out as the one of the best-looking tanks I’ve ever seen.
This RDTA is a bottom-fed tank with a floating velocity-style two post deck, which has 23.2mm of build space.
It has a 5ml juice capacity and, as you’ll find with most RDTA’s, it’s a side fill tank.
It’s a 24.5mm tank, standing at 61.5mm in height including the drip tip.
One thing I can’t quite get my head around is that on the Smok website, it says that the tank, which is an RDTA, can handle 260w, surely that’s down to the coil.
Maybe it’s down to the materials used in the tank? If you know more about this, please let me know in the comments.
There is an unreal amount of customization when it comes to airflow, and the Skyhook allows for both single coil and dual coil builds.
PROS:
- Best looking mod I’ve ever seen
- Rebuildable
- Easily converts to an RDA
CONS:
- Only 4 color options at present
- No pre-built coils that we’ve become accustomed to with Smok products
Is the Skyhook a good fit for you?
This RDTA is one you’ll want to consider if you’ve got a lot of experience vaping and want excellent cloud production whilst retaining good flavor.
It ticks all these boxes.
Oh, and did I mention that this is the best-looking tank I’ve come across so far?!
8. SMOK SPIRALS PLUS TANK
This is a funny looking tank this one.
The Spirals Plus is the big brother of the Spirals from Smok. It has a 4ml capacity, 24.5mm tank that comes with three coil options.
The pre-installed coil is a pre-made 0.6ohm dual core coil, rated between 18w and 35w with the best results produced at 28 watts.
The Spirals Plus also comes with a 0.3ohm coil in the box, rated between 20w and 45w, with the best results at 35w.
Both these coils are a funny shape, almost bowl-like with the top wider than the bottom and a sloped curve from top to bottom.
As with the TFV8 range and the TFV12, the Spirals Plus does come with an RBA single coil deck option, which, again, is the best feature of the tank.
The tank has a bottom feed air flow system – it’s not big by any means but it is adjustable and provides enough airflow for a decent vape.
PROS:
- Rebuildable option
- 5 color options, all which look good
- 3 coil options
CONS:
- Funny shaped tank, not overly aesthetically pleasing
- The airflow slots are quite small
Is the Spirals Plus a good fit for you?
I wouldn’t rule it out by any means.
It performs well, and with a rebuildable option, you may want to consider this if you’re considering getting into building and not overly bothered about producing large clouds.
I’ve not come across a tank that looks like this before – it really does stand out against competitors.
I just can’t decide whether I like the look of it or not!
9. VAPE PEN TANK
As the name of this tank suggests, this tank is designed to sit atop of the more advanced pen-style mods, although it is compatible with a wide variety of other mods too.
The Vape Pen tank is a 22mm tank, standing at 47.4mm tall with a juice capacity of a TPD complying 2ml.
It is the most cost-effective tank in the Smok range.
It comes with a pre-installed 0.25ohm dual coil, and comes with a spare version of the same coil too.
It produces a great amount of vapor for vape pen tank.
PROS:
- Cost effective
- A variety of different color options
CONS:
- Only one type of coil compatible
- 2ml juice capacity
Is the Vape Pen Tank a good fit for you?
The Vape Pen tank would be ideal for you if you’re a beginner that has a tube-style regulated mod.
It looks basic, and the price point reflects this, but you really shouldn’t be put off by it – this little tank produces some good flavor and decent vapor.
10. BRIT MINI TANK
The Brit Mini is Smok’s above ohm vaping tank, with the ability to hold a sub ohm coil too.
It’s a stoutly 48mm tall 22mm wide tank with a 2ml juice capacity – if used with the 1.2ohm pre-installed coil, this juice capacity isn’t much of an issue.
This coil will suit you if you like to interchange between a mouth to lung and direct lung inhale vape since it has coils to support both.
If you’re only now coming off cigarettes and you want a tank that provides a similar experience to smoking, this is one you’ll want to consider.
Both the 1.2ohm pre-installed coil and the 0.6ohm companion are rated between 15w-35w, and both produce the best flavor at around 25w.
PROS:
- Looks – it looks great, particularly the bullet shaped drip tip
- Two different coils, one of which is for vaping above 1ohm
- Good Mouth to Lung Tank with 1.2ohm coil
CONS:
- 2ml juice capacity
- Only two types of coil are compatible
Is the Brit Mini a good fit for you?
I’d recommend this tank if you’ve recently stopped smoking and want something that will give you a similar experience to drawing from a cigarette.
CONCLUSION
The Smok range of tanks is vast, plentiful and they have tanks to suit just about any vapers needs.
While they do offer a lot of choice with such a large range of tanks, not all of them are best suited to you.
If you’re completely or relatively new to vaping, you’ll want to consider something a little more basic for the time being.
If you’re experienced then you’ll probably be looking for a tank that has the best coils for flavor, large clouds or you may want a tank that offers this but also holds a good amount of e-liquid.
One thing I like about Smok is that most of their tanks produce good flavor and clouds, and they have thought about most vaping styles to ensure they’ve got you covered.
I guess it’s more of a case of taking your pick.
Leave a comment below letting us know which of these tanks you think is the best and why…