Voopoo Drag X3, a step-by-step setup guide

The Voopoo Drag X3 comes in pieces, quite literally. There is no battery in the box, the pod is empty, a coil waits in its wrapper and the touchscreen offers several modes without saying which to pick. Product listings line up the numbers, 80 W, 1.66 inches, two battery sizes, but not the order in which to put it all together. Yet the order is what saves you from a burnt coil and the wrong wattage on the very first puff.

Drag X3 setup in five steps

The Voopoo Drag X3 is an 80 W pod mod with an external battery, a touchscreen and PnP X pods. Setting it up takes five steps, in this order. Fit a 21700 battery, or an 18650 with the supplied adaptor. Install your chosen PnP X coil in the pod. Fill the pod from the side, then let the cotton soak. Check the coil resistance the device reads on screen. Finally set the wattage within that coil’s range and adjust the airflow.

Each step has its own trap, covered below. The most common is firing a new coil before the cotton has soaked, or keeping a wattage meant for a different coil.

Choosing and fitting the Drag X3 battery

The Drag X3 has no built-in battery. It runs on a single external 21700 or 18650 cell, sold separately, and published reviews confirm that the adaptor needed for an 18650 comes in the box.

21700 or 18650, choosing by wattage

Both sizes give access to the advertised 80 W. The larger 21700 lasts longer between charges, which matters most at high wattage. An 18650 is enough for moderate wattage or occasional use, as one retailer’s review puts it.

A battery you already own will do, provided its wrap is intact. A split wrap or an exposed positive terminal means it needs replacing before it goes anywhere near a device.

Opening the compartment and checking polarity

A button at the back releases the compartment and lets the upper part come away. The cell slides in with the right polarity, positive end marked +. To close, slide the lower part back onto the body until it clicks.

The PnP X pod, capacity and filling

The pod supplied with the Drag X3 is a DTL pod, designed for direct-to-lung vaping. Its capacity depends on the market, and it fills from the side rather than the top.

2 ml, the version sold in the UK

Reviews of the standard version quote 5 ml, but UK rules cap refillable tanks and pods at 2 ml, and the British listing we read gives the 2 ml TPD pod. The 5 ml figure therefore describes a version meant for other markets.

With 2 ml, a fill does not last long at high wattage. That is one more reason to keep an eye on the level, since a 0.15 ohm coil gets through its e-liquid quickly.

Filling without flooding the coil

Lift the silicone plug on the side of the pod to reach the fill port, pour in the e-liquid without going past the top of the window, then close it. Holding the pod at a slight angle lets the air escape.

Letting the cotton soak

A new coil should rest for a few minutes after the first fill, so that the e-liquid reaches all of the cotton. One or two dry draws without firing help pull the liquid through. Firing too early at full wattage leaves a burnt taste that the coil then keeps.

Which PnP X coil and which wattage

The PnP X platform covers several resistances, and the DTL pod only takes some of them. Getting the settings right therefore starts with knowing which coil is fitted.

The two coils in the box and their ranges

The box contains two coils, 0.15 and 0.3 ohm. Listings agree on their ranges, 60 to 80 W for the 0.15 ohm and 32 to 40 W for the 0.3 ohm, both for direct-to-lung vaping, the second with a slightly more restricted draw.

Sources do not agree, however, on which coil comes pre-installed, some naming the 0.15 ohm and others the 0.3 ohm. Before your first puff, read the value shown on screen rather than relying on a retailer’s description.

Direct or mouth-to-lung, two pods

According to one published review, the DTL pod takes PnP X coils from 0.15 to 0.45 ohm. For mouth-to-lung vaping, the same review says Voopoo recommends a dedicated PnP X MTL pod. The Drag X3 is therefore set up first by choosing the pod, then by choosing the coil.

The Drag X3 touchscreen and modes

The 1.66-inch colour screen acts as the control panel. It shows wattage, voltage, coil resistance and battery level, and the wattage is adjusted by tapping or swiping.

Smart mode, mentioned by several listings, sets the wattage according to the resistance of the coil detected. It is the simplest choice for a first session, since it stops you running a 0.3 ohm coil at a wattage meant for the 0.15 ohm. One published review also mentions an RBA mode, where you pick the wattage freely, and an Eco mode.

The fire button uses a capacitive sensor. A finger on it unlocks the device, and the Drag X3 locks itself again as soon as you let go, which cuts down on accidental firing in a pocket. The screen animations can be switched off in the settings.

Setting the draw with the airflow

Airflow is adjusted at the top of the pod, where the air inlets can be opened or closed. Closed, they tighten the draw, open, they make it airier.

Leave this step until last, once the coil and wattage are set. A 0.15 ohm coil at 70 W calls for open airflow, while a 0.3 ohm coil at around 35 W copes with a slightly tighter draw. If the vapour feels too warm, opening the airflow often works better than dropping the wattage below the recommended range.

To compare this approach with other adjustable pods, our piece on the Geekvape Soul 2 cartridges by draw looks at a device that sets the draw through the cartridge alone.

FAQ

Five questions that come up after the first few days with the device.

Which e-liquid suits the Drag X3 DTL pod?

The 0.15 and 0.3 ohm coils, run between 32 and 80 W, vaporise a lot of liquid with every puff. A thicker liquid high in vegetable glycerine feeds them without flooding, and a low nicotine strength suits that volume of vapour better. In the UK, nicotine e-liquid is capped at 20 mg/ml and sold in bottles of 10 ml at most.

What if the screen shows an odd coil reading?

Take the pod out, wipe the contacts on the coil and in the bay, then refit it firmly. If the reading still does not match the value marked on the coil, trying a new coil tells you whether the part or the contact is at fault.

What comes in the Drag X3 box?

The device, a PnP X DTL pod, a 0.15 ohm and a 0.3 ohm coil, an 18650 adaptor, a USB-C cable and the manual, according to the listings we read. The battery is not included.

How long does a PnP X coil last?

No lifespan is published, and wear depends on wattage, liquid and priming. The signs that it is time for a new one stay the same, fading flavour, an acrid taste or thinner vapour at the same wattage.

Why does the pod leak just after filling?

Two causes are worth checking first, liquid filled past the top of the window or a silicone plug that is not fully closed. Wiping the pod, checking the plug and filling a little less next time sorts out most cases.

Drag X3, an adjustable pod you master one step at a time

The Drag X3 asks for a little more method than a pod with a built-in battery, with a cell to choose, a pod to fill from the side and a coil that sets the whole wattage range. Taken in order, battery, coil, filling, reading the screen, then wattage and airflow, those steps soon become second nature.

Above all, the Drag X3 rewards a glance at its screen, which tells you at every moment which coil is working and at what wattage. Our other features put adjustable pods through the same close reading, from the first fill to looking after the cartridge.

In the same pocket

Perle Glacée writes for adult readers only. Vaping products can contain nicotine, which is addictive, and nicotine vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. This feature describes a device and is not a buying recommendation.