Innokin Z-Biip Review | It's Beepin' Awesome

Intro

The Z-Biip is Innokin’s latest AIO, and the first product of its kind to ever be a part of the Platform line. The Platform is a collaborative project between Innokin, Phil Busardo and Dimitris Agrafiotis (the Vapingreek). According to the team, Platform products are designed with the goal to make the transition from smoking to vaping easier and trouble-free. The products were an instant hit, and I was very happy to hear that one of my favorite tanks of all time, the Zenith, recently reached the “1 million units produced” milestone. On with the Z-Biip now.

The Z-Biip is a pod-style AIO, which means that it takes pods, but the coils are also replaceable. It is powered by a large 1500 mAh battery and has adjustable airflow and three power level options. Another interesting feature, and the reason behind its name, is the beeping sound it makes, which serves as battery indication among other things. Yes, the Z-Biip beeps. Keep reading to find out how it vapes.

Price: $40.95
Colors: Black Shine, Pink Shine, Bronze Dune, White Dune, Emerald Dune, Navy Dune

Kit Contents:

• 1 x Biip main unit
• 1 x Pod
• 1 x Airflow control ring
• 1 x Z-PLEX3D 0.48-ohm Kanthal 3D mesh coil
• 1 x 1.6-ohm Kanthal coil
• 1 x Micro USB charge cable
• 1 x E-liquid squeeze bottle

Specifications:

• Dimensions: 94 mm x 43 mm x 23 mm (without the cap)
• Weight: 180 grams
• TPD compliant 2 mL pods
• 1500 mAh internal battery
• Switch to turn the audible system on and off
• Adjustable airflow controller
• Easy to activate side firing switch
• Audible indicators for pod attachment / battery levels / charge completion
• Easy and clean coil replacement
• Easy top-fill twist design that does not require the pod to be removed.
• Round mouthpiece
• Silicon sealed leak-resistant liquid port
• Three power settings
• Visual indicators for power and battery levels

Build quality and design

The Z-Biip weighs approximately 180 grams, which is a lot – I have some mod-tank combos that weigh less than that. Measuring at 94 mm x 43 mm x 23 mm (without the cap), it is also rather bulky, but it can certainly fit in my palm. But while the size and weight may seem like too much (especially when put against your average pod system), the Z-Biip is still pocketable and sure feels like a really well-built product. It is part metal part plastic, but its plastic parts do not feel cheap at all.

There are only 2 mL pods currently available, but Innokin has announced that 4 mL pods will become available soon. The pods are also well-built and feature a leakproof filling gasket and a metal part that houses the airflow control and secures the coils in place. Note that replacement pods do not come with this part in the box, so make sure you don’t throw yours away – although you will be able to buy it separately.

I received two Z-Biips, a brown and a blue one. I generally prefer solid colors and I know for a fact that the black and the white ones are my favorites, but the patterns on the ones I got look good. Not exactly my style, but asking around, everybody seems to like them.

Getting started

The Z-Biip comes assembled in the box, so you just have to remove the protective stickers to get started. I advise taking the coil out and dropping five drops of e-liquid inside it; this will help it saturate better. To do that, remove the pod, unscrew the metal cylindrical airflow ring, and pull the coil out. If you have trouble removing the pod, try pushing at the mouthpiece from the side of the firing panel and it will pop off easily. When putting everything back together, make sure that the bottom of the coil aligns with the notches on the housing.

The first thing you’ll notice when putting the pod back on is the satisfying beeping sound when it clicks in place. In case you don’t find it as satisfying as I do, you can always turn the sound off by using the switch that’s at the bottom of the device.

To gain access to the filling ports you have to rotate the mouthpiece. The protective plastic cap can also be handy for that, as the mouthpiece itself has only a small surface area for gripping. Use a thin nozzle bottle to fill the Z-Biip pod with e-liquid (you can also use the included plastic bottle). Then let it saturate for at least five minutes.

To turn the Z-Biip on, press on the side firing panel three times. If you want to change the power output, turn it back off and keep the panel pressed. The device will scroll between three wattage levels:

Red: 16 watts
Green: 14 watts
Blue: 11 watts

The Z-Biip comes with the 0.48-ohm coil inside, which can handle all three power settings. If you replace it with the included 1.6-ohm coil, the red setting will be too much for it (it is rated for 10-14 watts). Always start firing your coils at the lower power level and gradually raise it if needed. This will increase their lifespan in the long run.

To change the airflow setting just take the pod off the battery and rotate the airflow ring that’s securing the coil in place. There are three holes on each side and can be opened and closed in pairs.

Coil performance

The Z-Biip takes the Z-coils, a series of coils that are designed for the products of the Platform line. They are also compatible with the Zenith and the latest tank of the line, the Zlide. This section will be a bit lengthier than usual, but the plan is to link to it for future products that take the Z-coils.

There are currently four Z-coils available, and I tried them all on the Z-Biip. The two included in the package are the 1.6-ohm single wire coil and the new 0.48-ohm Plex3D coil which is a grooved mesh-style Kanthal one. The other two are a 0.8-ohm Kanthal single wire and a 0.5-ohm Plexus coil (again, mesh-style, but without the grooves).

All the coils give a very satisfying mouth-to-lung draw with small (but recognizable) differences between them.

1.6-ohm single wire Kanthal coil (rated for 10-14 watts)
This is the coil with the lowest power requirements, and the one with the smallest internal diameter i.e. the tightest airflow. This is a pure MTL coil that focuses on throat hit and a tight draw. This is also the best of the bunch for use with high strength nicotine salt e-liquid. I enjoyed it best at the low power level with 35 mg salts as well as with 12 mg regular nicotine.

0.48-ohm Plex3D Kanthal coil (rated for 13-16 watts)
This one is a fresh release and, in my opinion, the best one yet. Don’t let the low resistance fool you, this is not by any means a sub ohm coil the way sub ohm is perceived. It is excellent for a slightly loose MTL draw with two holes open at the medium power setting, but it’s also the only coil out of those that I’d use with three airflow holes open at the highest power setting for a (very) restricted direct-lung draw. But regardless of the airflow, this is the most flavorful Z-coil in my opinion, and also seems to be the most long-lasting. I will be getting more of these for sure.

0.8-ohm single wire Kanthal coil (rated for 15-18 coils) 
This, along with the 1.6-ohm one, were the first two Z-coils released along with the Zenith tank. Back then I found it to be a long-lasting and flavorful coil, and I am pretty sure I have gone through twice as many of these compared to the 1.6-ohm ones. Part of the reason was that the 0.8-ohm coil performed better with regular nicotine in my opinion, and I tend to vape less nic salts in general. I used the 0.8 at the medium setting with two holes open for the most part.

0.5-ohm Plexus Kanthal coil (rated for 14-19 watts)
When this coil first appeared, I got a 5-pack and instantly fell for it. It gave me a bit of a warmer vape than the 0.8 and the 1.6 coils, and really liked the flavor. But I started noticing that I got less life out of these coils, and never got an additional pack. Trying them on the Z-Biip I felt that the flavor I got was kinda muted, so I can’t really vouch for them. They also seemed to struggle with 70VG juice at times. The 0.48-ohm coil does everything better in my opinion.

I tested all the coils with 50/50 and 70VG e-liquids and, with the exception of the 0.5-ohm coil. They kept up fine with no dry hits whatsoever. I also had zero issues with them in regards to leaking and popping. I got a bit of spitback when leaving the Z-Biip unused for long periods, but it went away after a couple of long puffs.

Airflow