Hawaii-based Volcano Fine Electronic Cigarettes decided to take their most successful product, Lavabox DNA 200 Box, and build a smaller version of it.
While not as powerful as the original, the Lavabox M DNA 75 still has plenty of oomph while keeping the beautiful aesthetic of its bigger brother. Let’s take a closer look…
PACKAGING & DESIGN
The Lavabox M comes in a classy box with a futuristic design. Inside, you’ll find the device and a user manual. The device is an quite eye-catching.
Though the basic shape is similar to other box mods, the Lavabox M uses beveled corners to soften the industrial feel of the device.
Even with a single 18650 installed it’s pleasantly light in the hand. This is mostly due to the fact that it’s made from 6061 billet aluminium which is known to be sturdy, lightweight, and resistant to corrosion.
The button layout is quite similar to other mods. The fire button’s on the top front, the OLED screen sits in the middle with the adjustment buttons below it along with the USB charging port.
The spring loaded 510 connector is solid, however, some atomizers don’t sit flush to the mod, having a small gap in between.
Atomizers that have a diameter above 24mm will see some overhang, which is to be expected from a mod of this size.
The battery door has a rubber-coating that makes it feel nice to hold. It’s also easy to remove, making battery changes a breeze. You can even buy extra battery covers to change the look of your mod if you so choose.
Everything about the M DNA 75 feels solidly built, and despite some issues with the atomizer gap, the overall build quality is excellent.
MOD SPECIFICATIONS
- Material: High-Grade 6061 Aluminium Alloy
- Threading: 510 with Spring-loaded Centre Pin
- Battery Door: Magnetic & Interchangeable
- Grip Color / Material: Stealth Black & Rubber-coated Polypropylene Plastic Shell
- Wattage Output: 1 Watt – 75 Watts
- Voltage Output: 0.2 Volts – 6.2 Volts
- Standard Resistance Range: 0.25 – 3.0 Ohms
- Temp Control Resistance Range: 0.15 – 1.0 Ohm
- Current Output (Continuous): 30 Amps
- Current Output (Instantaneous Peak): 40 Amps
- Chipset: EVOLV’s DNA75 Chip
- Software: EScribe (requires Windows computer to access)
- Temperature Limit: 200°F – 600°F (93°C – 315°C)
- Dimensions: 26.6mm x 85mm x 43.8mm
- Battery: Single 18650 High Drain Battery (not included)
- Grip Colors: Various
- Powered by the DNA 75 Chipset from EVOLV
- Adjustable up to 75 Watts
- Variable Wattage/Voltage
- Temperature Control Capable with Ni200
- Titanium & Stainless Steel Coils
- Bright OLED Display
- EScribe Software Equipped
- Internal Charging Capable
- Preheat Feature in Temp Control Mode
- Upgrade-able Firmware
- Powered by Single 18650 High Drain Battery (not included)
- 8 Customisable User Profiles
- Interchangeable Magnetic Battery Door (Find them here)
- Battery Monitoring
- Integrated 1A Charger
FUNCTIONALITY
The Lavabox M can put out 75 watts of power on a single 18650. Though the 200-watt version puts out more power, it is larger and uses a built in battery which can’t be replaced.
The DNA 75 chip performs great with the Lavabox M. You have the option to use variable wattage as well as temperature control with three coil options: nickel, titanium, and stainless steel.
The mod can fire down to 0.25 ohms while in Power mode (variable wattage), and 0.15 ohms while in TC mode.
The ohm limit is a little high in my opinion. Most MODs will fire down to .1 ohms, and I often have builds below .25 with variable wattage mode.
DISPLAY
The Lavabox M has a tinted OLED display that almost looks invisible when the screen is turned off. Because of the tint, viewing it under bright lights can be difficult, however, you can adjust the brightness using escribe.
Just remember that increasing the brightness will impact the length of time your battery will last if you’re thinking of doing this.
All the information you’d expect is displayed on the screen such as coil resistance, power, temperature, voltage, and battery level. It may be basic, but it works well.
BATTERY DETAILS
The Lavabox M uses a single 18650 battery. The battery terminals are gold plated for efficient power transfer, and they fit the battery just right to prevent any rattles.
DISLIKES
- 24mm+ atomizer overhang – Any atomizer above 24mm will have an overhang. If Volcano just moved the 510 connector a few millimetres to the back, we wouldn’t have this problem.
- Expensive – For a single 18650, the asking price for the Lavabox M is hard to justify, especially given the wealth of options available
- Some atomizers don’t sit flush – Whether this is a common problem or just from the sample we have, the small gap comes as a huge minus
- High ohm limit – Having an ohm limit of 0.25 for Power Mode is ridiculous these days, since others can fire up to 0.1 ohms
- Large for what it is – While smaller than the 200-watt version, for a single 18650 mod, the Lavabox M is a tad too large
LIKES
- Customisable covers – Swapping out battery covers is a nice touch to make your mod more personal
- Firmware upgradeable – The ability to update your device’s software is always a plus
- Temperature control – The option to use temperature control is slowly becoming the industry standard in variable mods
- DNA 75 Board – Using one of the best boards in the business assures you of efficient, accurate, and safe vaping all the time
- Build quality – The build quality is excellent, and makes the price point more bareable.
- Ergonomic – The smaller design makes the Lavabox M easier to handle than its larger 200-watt brother
SHOULD YOU GET THE LAVABOX M?
While the overall build quality and performance is great, at this price point, you’d want something that can fit atomizers more than 24mm in diameter.
There should also be no gaps between the atomizer and mod. Admittedly not a huge problem, but it’s something that you’d expect a mod at this price to get right.
If you are in the market for a single 18650 mod, there are other devices out there that will burn a much smaller hole in your pocket, many of which offer as good if not better quality.