Aspire Nautilus Mini Review
Aspire Nautilus Mini
Pros
- Adjustable airflow
- Graduated fill levels marked on tank
Cons
- Coils tend to get stuck in upper hardware
- Coils are a little more expensive than some other brands
I got the Aspire Nautilus Mini as a Christmas gift. It wasn’t a surprise. I had asked for it and was with my wife when she purchased it (we bought each other mostly vape gear this past Christmas). I was eager to open it up on Christmas morning and try it out, and I managed to wait till then, though the temptation was great to sneak a vape with it prior to December 25.
I had heard good things about the Nautilus Mini, and Aspire products in general. But back in September 2014, when I was ready to upgrade to an adjustable airflow tank, I opted for the Kangertech Aerotank Mega instead. (Seven Report reviewed the Aerotank Mega here.) So when I started using the Aspire Nautilus Mini I already had a frame of reference for what to expect from such a tank.
The Aspire airflow system features four air ports of different sizes, 0.9 mm, 1.1 mm, 1.4 mm and 1.8 mm. To select your desired port you simply twist the outer collar of the airflow control valve to reveal that port. You can feel a distinctive “click” when you’ve properly aligned the collar over one of the ports. And there are markings of different size above the adjustment collar to help you find each port.
Aspire ships the Nautilus Mini with a 2 ml capacity Pyrex tank, a removable stainless steel 510 drip tip, an eGo threaded cone, and two of the Aspire 1.8 ohm BVC (Bottom Vertical Coil) atomizers, one already installed. All of the hardware is stainless steel and the Nautilus Mini is 510 threaded.
What’s In The Box
- 1 X Nautilus Mini Tank
- 2 X 1.8 ohm BVC coils (1 installed)
- 1 X eGo threaded cone
- 1 X User’s manual
Performance: The Nautilus Mini is a solid little performer. It produces billows of tasty vapor, thanks in large part to the BVC coils. The adjustable airflow system also contributes to the performance, allowing you to dial in a tighter or more airy vape. The BVC coils have a decent life span, though most place I’ve looked do charge a little more for the Aspire coils than the Kanger coils.
Features: The biggest feature on the Nautilus Mini is the adjustable airflow. The tank does come apart completely for easy cleaning, and that also allows you to replace any part that may break. Aspire does offer several different style tanks to fit the Mini hardware, but only include the basic Pyrex tank in the package. One of the nicest features on this tank is really a simple one, but one that I wish more tank manufacturers would copy. Aspire has printed (in platinum silk) graduated markings on the Pyrex to indicate how much ejuice is in the tank. Aspire includes two 1.8 ohm coils in the package and replacement coils are available in 1.8 ohm and 1.6 ohm.
Quality: Aspire has built a solid little tank in the Mini. Stainless steel and Pyrex, raised grips on the airflow adjustment collar to make it easier to grasp, and those BVC coils. The airflow system adjusts smoothly and it’s quieter than that on some other tanks I’ve used.
I have run into two issues with the Nautilus Mini. Within about two days of beginning to use the tank, the silicon O-ring at the base of the drip tip fell off when I was removing the tip to clean the tank. It was so little that I couldn’t find it, still haven’t. So I wound up replacing the stock drip tip. The second issue is a little more problematic. The coil screws into the bottom hardware of the tank and then the top of the coil actually screws into the air tube shaft in the upper half of the tank. I don’t know if I’m just getting everything together too tightly, but on numerous occasions when I’m taking the tank apart, either to clean it or refill it, the coil comes unscrewed from the bottom hardware and sticks in the air tube.
Looks: The Nautilus Mini has a unique look. The knurling on the upper hardware and the rounded top give it sort of an art deco vibe, very stylized. The platinum silk printing of the logo and ejuice capacity on the Pyrex provide a muted contrast to all that Pyrex and stainless steel.
Price/Value: I paid (or rather, my wife paid, since technically it was a Christmas present) $29.95 for the Aspire Nautilus Mini at Vapes Gone Wild in Newnan, GA. I’ve seen tanks without adjustable air flow in that same price range. So with everything this tank has to offer, air flow adjustment and the performance of the Aspire BVC coils, it’s a definite winner on the price/value scale.
Newer, flashier tanks have come on the market since Aspire introduced the Nautilus and the Nautilus Mini, but many of them are significantly more expensive and have features that may be a little intimidating to even intermediate vapers. The Nautilus Mini is a solid performer that I can recommend to any vaper, especially those looking for their first tank with adjustable airflow.
I tested the Aspire Nautilus Mini on the Innokin iTaste MVP 2 and the Eleaf iStick with a wide variety of ejuices.
(For details on Seven Report review methodology click here.)
