For smokers looking to switch to vaping, keeping the cost down is priority: getting a slightly lower-quality e-cig isn’t a big deal if the savings in comparison to smoking are maximized.
But for converted vapers, the quality of the devices becomes more and more important, and spending a little more to get a high end vape mod seems more and more worthwhile.
While cheaper vape mods will have their little flaws, won’t be made from the highest-quality materials and ultimately may be a little unreliable, premium vape mods put quality and dependability above all else.
But what are the best high end vape mods (and most expensive vapes) on the market?
Top 10 Best High End Vape Mods
We’ve split this list between the best VV/VW mods and mechanical mods, and although it’s hard to define what makes a mod “high-end,” we’ve based the criteria on price, with anything around $70 and up classing as a high end vape mod for our purposes.
So, with that in mind, here are the best high end mods on the market:
10 – Espion Infinite by Joyetech
The Espion costs $94.95 with the tank, coils, batteries and some extras.
Joyetech has been part of the vaping industry since the early days. While they aren’t usually known for more expensive, pristine devices, the Espion Infinite makes this list of the best high end vape mods thanks to its impressive range of features packed into an extremely well-presented device. The Espion has a standard box mod shape, but the large front face has a 0.96 inch TFT color display screen that really makes the device stand out visually, alongside the metallic-style coloring of the mod itself. The fire button is mounted on the side and the adjustment buttons are on the top, giving the mod a very unique look all-round.
The device runs on two high-drain 21700 batteries (included with the kit) or 18650s with the included adapter sleeve. It can put out a massive 230 W of power, and includes a full-featured TC mode with adjustable TCR and support for all major TC coil types. It comes with the 5.5 ml capacity, top-filling ProCore Conquer tank, which comes with a couple of sub ohm coils as standard. The performance from the combination is great, and the mod and tank combination looks awesome to top it all off.
9 – Lustro 200W by Asmodus
The Lustro is on sale for $41.99.
The Lustro 200 W TC touchscreen box mod makes this list of the top high end e-cig mods thanks to its capable performance and the integration of touch-screen into a vaping device. While the Ocular C from Joyetech has a touchscreen, it’s bulky and the touchscreen was a little unreliable. The Lustro’s touchscreen is smaller and the device really makes it work, using simple swipe and tap controls that take a little getting used to but work well. The result is a solid, user-friendly box mod that blows a lot of the competition out of the water.
As the name suggests, the mod puts out up to 200 W of power in VW mode, and it runs on two 18650 batteries. It features full support for nickel, titanium and stainless steel temperature control coils, and supports any coils down to 0.1 ohms in resistance. The device has a zinc alloy construction, with a rubberized finish to make it comfortable to hold and use. It also has a USB port for on-board 1A charging and firmware upgrades.
8 – Rave Mini by Stimy Vapor x 67 Mod
You can pick up the Rave Mini for $134.99.
The Rave Mini is a compact squonk mod, pretty unusual among the best high end vape mods since it runs on a single 18350 battery, but still with plenty to offer vapers. The small battery means it’s much smaller than many similar devices, fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand while still offering great performance. The device is a “smart mechanical” mod, which basically means it outputs based on the battery voltage while still offering protections like regulated devices (e.g. a limitation on resistance – 0.2 ohm minimum and a low battery cutoff). This strikes a great balance for vapers wanting a mech-like experience except with in-built safety features.
The Rave Mini is still a squonk mod, so it comes with a squeezable vape juice bottle built into the body of the mod. Owing to the small stature of the mod, this is a 4 ml bottle, which you access through the bottom of the device (beside the battery slot). Combined with a squonk-capable RDA, you get an “auto-dripper” like experience, with a squeeze of the bottle through the opening on the body of the device topping up the liquid in the RDA. The size of the mod means you can only use up to 22 mm RDAs, but once you get it set up the performance is exceptional, provided the maximum output of around 80 W works for you.
7 – dotSquonk by dotMod
You can pick up the dotSquonk for $128.99.
The dotSquonk by dotMod is a single-battery squonk mod that does a great job of balancing a simple, streamlined appearance with the features you expect from the best high end ecig mods. The core of the device is very straightforward: it has a 7 ml squonk bottle built into the body, with a window on one of the large faces for squeezing juice up onto your RDA deck, and a spot for an 18650 or 20700 battery beside it. The other face, though, has an OLED screen that displays all the key information you need while vaping, including a battery life display, your current setting, coil resistance and the firing voltage for your battery.
Under the magnetic panel on the side of the mod, you gain access to two adjustment buttons as well as battery access. Unlike many squonk devices, the dotSquonk offers variable wattage between 5 and 100 W, as well as a fully-equipped temperature control suite (support for all common TC wire types and with adjustable TCR), as well as a bypass mode (for mech mod-like operation) and a curve mode to give you fine control over the output of the device throughout a puff. It also offers a wide range of protections in line with what you’d expect from a regulated box mod.
6 – Paranormal by Lost Vape/LVE
You can pick up the Paranormal mod for $159.99.
The Paranormal from Lost Vape/LVE (the team split and basically divided their line-up) is a DNA250C mod, a dual 18650 battery box mod with tons of features and a classy design. It has a pretty standard box mod shape, with a rectangular front face and a curved back edge to make it more comfortable to hold.
The main design features from a visual perspective are the panels on the larger faces, with different designs and colors available, as well as the ability to switch them out. The rest of the mod’s appearance is understated, with glossy black detail, a simple front face featuring a circular fire button (with an LED below it), a small display screen and three additional buttons to control features and setting adjustment.
The actual features of the Paranormal basically come right from the DNA250C chipset. This means you can vape at up to 200 W in VW mode, but it also features temperature control with all common TC coil materials and a boost mode to give some extra punch at the beginning of your draw.
It also features “replay” mode, which basically replays a puff so you get exactly the same performance as you did previously, monitoring the resistance of the coil precisely so you don’t end up with a dry hit. Of course, the performance is great in the standard modes, but these features add to the excellent design in making it a true high-end offering.
5 – Odin Mini by Dovpo
The Odin Mini costs $119.99 new.
The Odin Mini is a collaboration between Dovpo, VaperzCloud and VapingBogan, resulting in a DNA-based box mod that dials the power down a little bit in return for running on a single 21700 battery and being more portable. The look of the mod is pretty basic, with a solid-color aluminum chassis with nothing aside from an “Odin DNA” logo printed on it. Both larger sides have a couple of arrays of vents on either side, revealing the white battery tube inside but more importantly, helping the device run cool. It also comes with some battery wraps, so you can really make your device pop visually and personalize your setup a little.
The device runs on the DNA75C chip, which offers variable wattage output at up to 75 W, a full-featured TC mode (including adjustable TCR and support for all TC wire types), and all the safety features you’d expect from a modern device. It has a four-button interface, so as well as the large circular fire button, below the OLED display you also get two adjustment buttons and one dedicated selection button. All of the connections are gold-plated, and in combination with the efficient new-generation DNA chipset, this means you get the very best from your battery when you vape.
4 – Dani Extreme V3 by Dicodes
You can pick up the SS version for $265, or if you want titanium it goes up to $425.
The Dani Extreme V3 from Dicodes combines the look of a mechanical mod with the functionality of a modern regulated device, with a minimalistic tube mod design but also a small OLED display screen and ingenious navigation system to allow you to control all the features with a single button. The mod comes in three sizes: 18350 (small), 18500 (medium) and 18650 (long), all in 22 mm or 23 mm diameter, with most options having a stainless steel finish but the long version having the option of a black finish too. The mod is designed and engineered in Germany, with a full stainless steel body and a laser-engraved logo.
In terms of functionality, the single-battery nature of the device means it puts out a maximum of 60 W of power, working with atomizers down to 0.05 ohms in resistance. There are a total of five modes available on the Extreme V3: variable wattage (VW), VW with heat protection, VW with a power boost, temperature control (supporting titanium, Ni200, tungsten and NiFe30 wire, with the ability to set the TCR for others too), and bypass mode (functions like a mech). The menu system takes a little time to get used to, but once you’ve gotten to grips with it, you’ll find it fairly intuitive. The result is one of the best high end vape mods around, proving that a stylish look doesn’t have to be accompanied by limited functionality.
3 – AUXO by ThinkVape
You can pick up the AUXO for $154.99.
ThinkVape might not be the biggest name in the industry, but the AUXO runs on a DNA250C chip and has a downright excellent design, putting it right up there with the best high-end mods on the market. The AUXO has a fairly minimalistic design while still providing lots of extra touches to separate it from the more ordinary offerings on the market. For instance, the back portion of the mod has a leather patch covering it, which adds color to the device and also has three ribs to further help with gripping the mod. The front face has the standard layout for a DNA250C mod, with a fire button, two adjustment buttons and one selection button surrounding the display, but they’ve gone with a TFT color screen rather than a more standard offering.
The features will be immediately familiar to you if you know what the DNA250C chip can do. It can put out up to 200 W in VW mode, has TC vaping with all common coil materials (as well as adjustable TCR), and has plenty of little extras like boost mode (increases the output at the start of your draw), bypass mode (works like a mech) and replay mode (replicates the previous puff). The AUXO also offers the option to use the device as a power pack (like the MVP series) if you’re in tough spot without charge on your phone, for instance.
2 – SX Mini G Class Luxury Golden by YiHi
The SX Mini G Class is available at $239.95.
The G Class Luxury Golden version of the SX Mini from YiHi just misses out on the title of best high end vape mod, but it’s still a step above the vast majority of mods on the market if you’re looking for something classy. The exquisite design of the mod – from the gold details on the body to the ornate patterning on the black sections – immediately hits you, and the huge range of features and settings makes it much more than just a show-piece.
It puts out up to 200 W on two 18650 batteries, and runs on the SX550J-L chipset from YiHi, which also allows for customizable output curves so you can have the power output vary throughout your puff. The device supports temperature control with all common TC coil materials, with adjustable TCR and ramp-up wattage. It also has Bluetooth support, so you can change modes and make adjustments from your phone as well as the device itself. All of these features are undoubtedly impressive, but one look at the 24 k gold plating on the device and the beautiful design all-round tells you why it’s worth more than the average mod.
And it is pretty pricey, at a huge $299.99 for the mod.
1 – Centaurus by Lost Vape/LVE
The Centaurus is available at $149.95.
The Centaurus by Lost Vape is another DNA250C box mod, which might make it a pretty similar high end vape mod to many of the options on this list, but it looks awesome and is slightly more affordable than similar options.
The appearance definitely shares similarities with the Paranormal, with the flat front face, curved back section and colorful panels for a bit of visual pop. These include some swirling, resin-like designs, stabilized wood options as well as some more basic-looking carbon fiber panels.
The feature-set should be familiar to you by now if you’ve read some of the other entries on this list. You can vape in VW mode at up to 200 W (enough for even the most hardened cloud-chaser), the TC mode has all the options you could possibly need, and it also includes boost mode, replay mode and bypass mode if you’re looking for something beyond the basics.
Of course, with the 250C chip, you’ll need dual high-drain 18650 batteries to keep it running, but the design makes it as portable as possible and the performance is exceptional. It’s also cheaper than most DNA250C offerings, at $149.95 for the device.
Conclusion
Although we’ve tried to list some of the best high end vape mods on the market – based both on our polls and our own personal picks – there is such a fantastic variety of devices available that we’ve undoubtedly missed many great options, and more are being released each week.
However, our list should give you plenty of options, and we’ll be updating this post with a brief buying guide in the coming weeks, so check back soon for more on finding the right high-end device for your needs.