Joyetech Ultex T80 Review – Judgement Day

While Joyetech never really was the kind of brand to produce top of the line, ultra-premium devices, they’re not exactly the type to cheap out on their mods either, something which is exceedingly evident with the Ultex T80.

Crafted out of a solid aluminum chassis, the Ultex T80 offers a soft yet sturdy feel when held in hand. The intricate lines carved on the exterior gives off a strong lightsaber motif, especially with the grooves located near the power/fire button located close to the base of the tank.

Despite its tube-like aesthetic, the Ultex T80 doesn’t share the fixed output mentality that most tube or mechanical mods often exhibit, something which becomes glaringly obvious upon spotting the up/down button wattage buttons as well as the tiny and non-descript OLED screen located close to the bottom of the device.

While we’re normally quick to hark on devices that make use of a smaller than average screen, we can’t really complain in the case of the Ultex T80 as the small screen is the perfect fit for preserving the clean tube aesthetic that many fans of mechanical devices are sure to appreciate.

Another characteristic that really surprised us about the Ultex T80 is the battery cap located at the bottom indicating that the device does operate with a removable 18650 battery instead of an integrated cell. The battery cap doesn’t do anything fancy, but it threads on well and holds the battery in place well enough for us to feel confident that the battery isn’t going anywhere we don’t want it to. People who use 510 cartridges tend to prefer the Linx Hermes 3.

Here’s where things get a little wonky, and to be honest we feel that its to be a bit expected considering that Joyetech is basically pioneering an all-new design for a heating element. While Joyetech advertises the Ultex T80 as a “coil-less” device, the actual truth is that it still uses a kanthal heating element to vaporize the e-liquid.

The main difference is that the kanthal isn’t wrapped in a coil and is instead laid out in a flat sheet or film and pressed against organic cotton which acts as a wicking agent. It’s a slightly different approach that doesn’t differ much from mesh coil designs, but the mechanics of how the Ultex T80 vaporizes e-liquid doesn’t really differ at all from every modern device available right now in the market.

Considering Joyetech took some creative liberties with this sort of “coil-less” design, its to be expected that there will be some sort of trade-off. This definitely hold through in the airflow department as vaping on the Ultex T80 does produce some significant turbulence to the point that each inhale feels a bit whistle-y which can get a bit annoying for more particular vapers.

Occasional spit back is also another issue we experienced with the Ultex T80, and we’re almost 100% certain the spit back is caused by the less than optimal airflow design causing heat to be trapped in the coil, subsequently boiling or “popping” the e-liquid to the point you can physically feel the flavour hit your lips in liquid form instead of vapor.

In terms of flavour or vapor production though, the device does just fine although it doesn’t really wow us in any way. In fact, it sort of reminds us of how first-generation mesh coils performed back when they were first released so hopefully, we’ll be seeing some improvement in this regard should Joyetech decide to follow up on it. Users who are interested in 510 thread cartridges for oil often prefer the Smok Micare.

Ease of Use

Setting up the Ultex T80 doesn’t differ much from any standard variable wattage device with a sub-ohm tank with exception to the coil-less mechanism found on the base of the tank wherein you’ll need a small Phillips head screwdriver to screw in the NCFilm kanthal heating element.

As for the wick, any organic cotton will work, you’ll just need to cut it to size in order for it to fit underneath the NCFIlm. After threading everything together, simply push the top cap sideways, sliding it open in order to access the fill ports where your e-liquid of choice goes in.

Hit the power button 5 times and the Ultex T80 should jump straight into variable wattage mode. Hold the fire button down while inhaling and you’re pretty much good to go!

When all’s said and done, we have to say that while we do like the Ultex T80 as a whole, the NCFilm made us feel like we were vaping with an unfinished prototype. While beginners might not find a lot to complain about the inconsistent airflow and rampant spit back on this devices, those familiar with vaping on well-designed tanks or atomizers will definitely feel the lack of polish in the way the Ultex T80 vapes.

If you are looking for the best pre-filled unit on the market we suggest checking out the Slice and if you are looking for the best mod-style unit we suggest checking out the Smok X-Priv.