The Wismec Luxotic BF box mod is a single-18650, semi-regulated squonk device designed by popular mod designer JayBo. The original Luxotic came out in 2018. It has since spun off three new versions that differ from the original in many ways. The other versions of the Luxotic now feature things like advanced chipsets, OLEDs, and support various battery types (18650, 21700, etc.)
Wismec has gone across the spectrum to create both smaller and larger versions of the Luxotic. New releases of the Luxotic take dual-18650s as their power source and can output as high as 200W.
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A Closer Look at the Wismec Luxotic BF
General Overview
The Wismec Luxotic BF is the flagship device in the Luxotic line. It came out in 2018, but newer versions, as well as several updates to the original, have come out since then. The Luxotic BF is a semi-mech mod, as it has a PCB circuit board beneath its firing switch that offers vapers some protections like short circuit protection.
Users cannot, however, adjust the power, temperature, or any other variable. The device functions on the direct voltage output of the single-18650 cell inside, so performance relies on the battery charge, which is indicated by an LED behind the firing button. The maximum power level that the mod can achieve is 100W.
The Wismec Luxotic stands at only 76.7mm (3”), so it is compact, about the size of a single 18650 battery. The squonk bottle sits next to the cell inside the device’s zinc alloy frame that users can access by removing the side-panel, which is held in with a magnetic connection.
The squonk bottle has a capacity of 7.5ml, and it is made of a hard silicone that does not have a lot of give when depressed. The cylinder attaches to the squonk pin above and the 510-connection that is squonk-ready. The kit also comes with an RBA, the Tobhino that has stainless steel construction and features a two-post build deck.
The Tobinho can also act as a dripper as the kit includes a regular 510-pin so users can use the atomizer with other mods. The Tobinho has two mouthpiece options, an included 810-ULTEM mouthpiece, but it also features an adapter so users can install their 510 mouthpieces.
The Tobinho RDA
The Tobinho RDA came out with the original Luxotic BF. They seemed like a natural fit, as the 22mm (0.86”) atomizer fits on to the box mod’s 25mm (0.98”) frame with plenty of room to spare. The Tobinho has a two-post, stainless steel deck that clamps down on coil leads with two side-screw hex screws.
The top cap features six airflow holes (three on each side) that users can adjust. The Luxotic BF kit includes two pre-wrapped, Clapton coils along with sheets of cotton so users can build on the deck if they do not have their supplies. More experienced builders can use the coils provided or build their own, as the device can fire as low as 0.08ohms.
Despite the deep, 6mm juice well, and the 4mm lead terminals, some builders may find it difficult to mount a build. The terminals are awkwardly positioned, and when the coils are installed, the leads tend to fall out while you are securing the hex screws.
How the Luxotic BF and RDA Perform
The Luxotic BF being a semi-regulated mod, means that there is not much adjustment that people can do to the vape. The output depends on the charge in the battery and the type of coil build inside the Tobinho RDA. With that said, using the provided coils and a fully-charged 18650 cell meant the power output was at a comfortable 90-100W range.
The Clapton coils in the kit are each rated for 0.18ohms, so they offer a suitable match for the mod’s specs. The squonk bottle was a little too hard, and it needed a good push or two to start flooding the juice well up top. The vapor production was excellent, though, and the small size of the mod gave a comfortable grip.
In-Depth with the Luxotic Surface
The Wismec Luxotic Surface is a single-18650 device that features a PV board and lets users choose from among several vaping modes. The Surface is a reimagining of the Luxotic BF device, as it can be used in squonk mode or as a regular regulated mod.
The Luxotic Surface retains the original’s small, compact frame with the removable side panel held in with a magnetic connection. The Surface has a chip inside as well. The Avatar chip lets users choose from vaping modes like VW, TC-Ni, TC-Ti, TC-SS, TCR mode, and bypass mode. This new chip also has a maximum power output of 80W, so a little lower than the OG Luxotic, which fired at a maximum of 100W.
The outer chassis of the mod is zinc alloy along with ABS plastic, and it has rounded edges, compared to the hard, straight edges of the first Luxotic. The Surface also has a control panel, which the first Luxotic did not. Users have a tiny, window-like, 0.49” OLED on the side of the unit, right in between the firing button and the two up/down adjustment buttons.
The side panel has a small cutout to access the squonk bottle. Users can remove the container in the same way that they did with the original Wismec device, from the bottom, as the removable, honey-combed slide panel is held in place with magnets. The honey-combed bottom should provide excellent airflow and battery ventilation, but it is sometimes hard to remove.
A Look at the Wismec Kestrel RDTA
The Surface has dual-uses, and it comes with a dual-use RDTA, the Wismec Kestrel. The Kestrel is both squonk-ready and dripper-ready, as the entire kit features a 510-squonk pin so users can replace the standard 510 pin to squonk. The Kestrel has a diameter of 24mm (0.94”), so it can easily fit on the mod’s 25.5mm (1”) top and its stainless steel 510-connection.
The Kestrel has an e-liquid capacity of 2ml, but outside of TPD countries, the capacity extends to 4ml. The squonk bottle that comes with the kit has a 6ml capacity, so if you are using the device in squonk mod, the actual capacity can go up to 8ml or 10ml. This new Wismec RDTA also features a different coil style with its Kanthal mesh-wire atomizer that can last for up to three months, according to Wismec.
The mesh-plate fits over a wide sheet of cotton underneath that drape down into the tank section, like with any RDTA. The plate is secured with two screws that users need to remove to access the cotton wicks underneath.
This new heating element means the Kestrel is not a true rebuildable, as only the wicks need to be placed, but not the mesh coil. Users can also fill the tank section of the Kestrel via a side-fill port if they are not using the squonk bottle underneath. The Kestrel also has dual-sided, adjustable airflow on its top cap that also features a Goon-style, ULTEM drip tip.
Vape Time with the Wismec Surface
The combination of a new chip and the mesh-plate atomizer in the Kestrel RDTA seemed promising. Even though other companies have played around with the mesh-plate design for their atomizers, the novelty of it does not make up for the atomizer’s lackluster performance.
The mesh-plate is rated for 0.25ohms, which pairs well with the Surface’s 80 W limit or the bypass mode enabled by the Avatar chip. Only, the performance is inconsistent. The Surface ramps up quickly and fires almost instantly. While producing huge clouds, the flavor profiles were muddled, and dry hits happened more often than usual.
Airflow was good, but ultimately, the Krestel performs better as a squonk mod, as it saves users from having to dirty their hands by unscrewing the top cap to find the side-fill port to fill the tank that way. The tank and mod combo were otherwise easy to navigate.
Up Close with the Wismec Luxotic MF
The next entry in the Wismec Luxotic line is maybe the most versatile and high-performing. The two main sticking points about the Luxotic MF are its multiple battery configurations and the fact that users can switch out the circuit board to convert it to a direct-output mod from a VW mod and vice-versa.
The Wismec Luxotic MF also functions as a squonk device as it can house a soft-silicone, 7ml squonk bottle with its attendant pin up top. The MF can also transition from a single 18650 device to a dual-18650 by removing the squonk bottle and installing a battery plate to make the adjustment.
What’s more, the battery bay can also fit single or dual 20700 or 21700 cells but, again, only when the included magnetic plate is installed into the bay. The MF features a different exterior design than the slighter, more compact versions on this list.
The MF has a cutout along its side that can be covered or uncovered depending on the mode the device is in – squonk mode or dual-battery mode. The MF also has a stainless steel 510-connection that can also be removed to recalibrate the mod for direct output usage.
Only when the regulated chip or the VW chip, as Wismec calls it, is installed, users can still select to run the device in bypass mode, which is what the other chip does.
In Deep with the Wismec Guillotine RDA
The Guillotine RDA can also switch in a few ways. The RDA has a clamp-style build-deck with four lead terminals, two in each of the two posts. It features stainless steel construction and adjustable airflow, although the top cap has no locking mechanism, leaving the cap easy to rotate but loose.
The Guillotine has a two-post build deck, and users can switch from bottom-airflow to top airflow by reversing the position of the stainless steel sleeve. With the sleeve turned upside down, users can then use the ULTEM gasket underneath the drip tip to control airflow from the top airflow slots. The RDA also comes with two ULTEM drip tips, a short one and a tall one that press-fit into the top cap.
Vaping the MF and Guillotine
The Wismec MF is a complicated piece of technology. Using the device as is, yields a satisfying vape as the unit can power up to 100W (with the VW chip) and has temperature control for stainless steel, titanium, and nickel.
The fact that this version of the Avatar chip also features bypass mode should eliminate the need to switch out the circuit board to achieve that same effect. Users must, to remove one chip and install the other, unscrew the side panel to access the chip. The chip is held in place by seven separate, microscopic screws that they must also remove.
All this just to get the mod to work in a mode that can also be achieved by the push of a button. It just doesn’t make sense. This design was poorly conceived and not thoroughly thought out. Wismec perhaps thought they were giving users more options and a chance to fine-tune their devices, but it is more work than necessary.
The Wismec Lux DF Squonk
The next and final mod in the Wismec lineup is the DF Squonk. This squonk mod is a dual-18650, regulated device with an internal juice reservoir of 7ml. The DF features similar design accents as the popular Reuleaux, which was, and still is, a staple of the Wismec brand.
The DF squonk has the same bulky, zinc-alloy chassis as the RXGen 3, and with the soft silicone squonk bottle inside – which is akin to having a third cell – it also looks very much like that mod.
The squonk bottle sits prominently on one end of the mod, while the other side features the large, 1.3” OLED that comprises one part of the unit’s control panel, the others being the firing button as well as the two adjustment buttons right underneath the screen.
The DF also features the Avatar chip that Wismec choose to debut in this line of mods. The chip allows the device to reach a high power output of 200W. The Avatar board also enables a full temperature control suite (stainless steel, nickel, titanium), power mode, as well as TCR mode. There is also a USB port on the front for firmware upgrades.
A Closer Look at the Guillotine RDA
The Guillotine RDA also came with the MF kit from Wismec. It has the same dual airflow configuration and has a two-post, clamp-style build deck with 4mm in diameter lead terminals.
Users can reverse the atomizer tube to switch the airflow from bottom to the side, although when on the bottom, the air vents open directly onto the coils, while on the side, air first must go down to hit the coils.
There are two fused Clapton coils included in this kit, both of which are rated at 0.15ohms. The RDA provides a spacious build deck with its raised platform, and mounting the pre-wrapped coils was pretty straightforward. The Guillotine did not present as many problems installing the coils as the smaller Tobinho, which had only two terminals on a very tiny build deck.
How the DF Performs
Unlike the MF, the DF needs no further modifications to become a dual-18650 device. The battery bay and squonk slot are separate, so the mod works as a functioning squonk device, but it can also be converted into a regular mod with the 510-pin included in the kit. The Guillotine sits flush on the top, 510-connection, and its performance with the included coils is excellent.
The menus are easy-to-navigate, and the operation of the device is similar to other devices like the Reuleuax series – the DF has the same screen configuration as the RX, with its three hexagonal icons. The speed of the Avatar chip also makes it a fast-firing mod with little to no lag time. With the position of the squonk bottle, the tank is easy to refill. The exterior of the mod feels well-built and comfortable to hold.
The Vape-Off: the Luxotic vs. the Vandy Vape Pulse vs. the GeekVape Athena
The Vandy Vape Pulse
The Pulse 80W squonk was one of the first bottom-feeding devices to come out a few years ago. The Pulse features an effortless design and configuration. It is a regulated, single 21700 device with the Vandy chip inside that can power the device to a maximum of 80W. The Pulse has a small, compact frame that comprises most plastic and vinyl, giving it a sturdy but lightweight exterior.
The Pulse has a removable side panel where users can insert the silicone soft squonk bottle as well as their cell – the Pulse comes with a 18650 adapter for users who want to use that battery style. The Vandy Chip also gives the device many vaping outputs, including power mode, temperature control, and custom curve mode. Users can use the OLED and the three adjustment buttons to access all the device’s vaping functions.
The GeekVape Athena
The GeekVape Athena is a single-18650 device with an internal squonk bottle that can hold 6.5ml of e-juice. The Athena is an unregulated mod, so it works on the direct output of the internal battery. Even though the Athena is a mech mod, the device comes with a safety lock right under the firing switch to prevent misfires. The mod features heavy-duty stainless steel and aluminum alloy for its.
The Athena also comes with the Athena RDA that has a post-less build deck but has a raised platform with the lead terminal holes facing up, with side screws to secure the leads. The RDA has adjustable top airflow vents, and it also comes with two ULTEM drip tips, a pre-installed 810 and a 510.
Wismec Luxotic Specifications
| Size: | 43.2*25.1*76.7mm |
| Weight: | 124.6g |
| Cell type: | high-rate 18650 cell |
| Max output wattage: | 100W |
| Squeeze Bottle: | 8ml |
| Min Atomizer Resistance: | 0.08ohm |
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Portable
- Innovative
- Great juice capacity
Cons
- A few colors variations
- 100 is a maximum wattage
Conclusion: The Luxotic Review: A Family of Squonks
The Luxotic came out two years ago and has since spun off several new mods. While the original device was eye-catching with its carbon fiber, honey-comb pattern, and its semi-regulated functioning, the more modern versions contain improvements that have elevated the device to new heights.
The Surface is maybe the best distillation of all the good things about the first Lux device with some new add-ons. The Surface is a fully-regulated mod, although users can still select bypass mode and other modes. It has the same unique design, with beautifully colored side panels but the Kestrel tank, with its mesh-plate heating element, was a little underwhelming, while still being somewhat innovative.
The other devices are not so successful. The MF is a valiant attempt at a user-controlled mod with its interchangeable circuit boards. But there is perhaps no vaper alive who would waste their time (and money) to switch a mod’s circuit board for little to no reward when the same result can be achieved with a few button presses.
These devices are aimed at people who love bottom-feeders, which is the foundation of this entire line. While some of them impress with their style, performance, and handling, a few of them miss their mark.
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