Italian goods are synonymous with quality and style. Can an Italian-designed disposable vape live up to these high expectations?
The strapline in Kiwi's marketing suggests the Go 'exudes power and elegance in the hand'. Here, we look at their first disposable offering to find out if this is true and test it to see how good it really is...
About the brand
As vape brands go, Kiwi are a relative newcomer to the market and are a little different from the norm. Established in 2019, Vapor International (the company behind Kiwi) are, somewhat unusually, based in Italy, not China, like most of their competitors.
The Kiwi brand launched with a top-end vape starter kit (the imaginatively named 'Kiwi Starter Kit'), which included an innovative power bank/device holder along with the vape device. The kit premiered in 2019 in the Italian vape market and was hugely successful.
Following this initial success, in 2020, Kiwi partnered with tech giant Smoore (who also manufacture Vaporesso, Hexa and RELX branded products) to produce their products, helping them to expand into more European markets throughout 2021 before going global in 2022.
Consequently, Kiwi have grown rapidly. Their devices are now sold in 45 countries worldwide, in more than 40 thousand stores, with the recently launched Kiwi Go disposable vape entering the UK market in mid-2023.
As a brand, Kiwi's values sound much like those of their peers: constant innovation and an aspiration to create a better future through research and design - all the usual stuff.
Where Kiwi genuinely differ, though, is the quality of their products. These are 100% designed in Italy, which brings a distinct Italian flair to things. They look and feel premium and well-crafted, while the partnership with Smoore helps deliver the very latest cutting-edge technology.
Kiwi aim to produce aesthetically pleasing products that are highly functional and made with the best materials, and this is clearly evident in the Kiwi GO disposable we are reviewing today.
Not only does it look great, but the GO uses a FEELM Max ceramic coil, giving it a technological advantage over its competitors. These ceramic coils are usually found in much more advanced vape kits, helping maximise e-liquid usage and efficiency and providing a far smoother vape.
Opening the Kiwi GO
My first impressions are that the packaging is clean, the colours are not trashy like certain budget brands, and the UV spot is elegant. As expected, each device arrives sealed in a protective semi-translucent foil pouch. Once opened, the colours of the silk-finish metallic device bodies contained within are stunning to look at, and I am suitably impressed.
The design of this reasonably small pen-shaped vape is exceptional. It is quite different from everything currently on the market, with a style all its own. Admittedly, I have the whole range in front of me, which is something of a visual feast, but I can still appreciate the individual good looks of these devices.
The mouthpiece is the same colour as the cylindrical body, but instead is crafted from a semi-translucent plastic, clearly showing the e-liquid level within. The lines are smooth, and an intense circular LED light in the base beautifully illuminates the device when inhaled.
Testing the device
While being pleasantly impressed with the design, the flavours are also truly something to appreciate. Historically, FEELM technology has only been found in rechargeable, more expensive vape kits. Experiencing a FEELM Max coil in an MTL-style device is fantastic! The flavours are so smooth that they (as described in FEELM's marketing materials) are velvety-smooth - in this case, an apt description.
Trying the Flavours
Having tried a few different options, I found the flavours in the Kiw GO range to be realistic and robust - but not too intense - and they deliver just the right amount of sweetness, unlike most over-sweetened disposable vape flavours.
My favourite flavour is the Mint Cream. It has a hint of vanilla and is a unique blend of creamy mint, almost like a Murray Mint sweet.
If you prefer fruity flavours, Grape Ice and Mango Ice are outstanding. In fact, these are the best fruit flavours I have tried in disposables.
The two Tobacco options are also excellent. I'm not too fond of Tobacco as a flavour, so I am not the target market for these choices, but they deliver the same smoothness as the rest of the range.
The FEELM Max Coil
Whilst using a FEELM Max coil may mean little to your average vaper, the smoothness and clean flavours you experience when inhaling with one of these devices is thanks to this innovative new coil.
The taste consistency between the first puff and the last is excellent. There is no flavour fade at all. One Kiwi GO lasted me a solid two days, far more than the promised number of 600 puffs.
I noted that the Kiwi GO has only a 400 mAh battery - less than the Elf Bar V2's 550 mAh. It seems that the increased efficiency of this FEELM Max ceramic coil justifies this reduction in battery power, as, in all instances, the e-liquid ran out before the battery.
The FEELM Max coil's super-fine structure indeed provides something unique. It fully delivers on the promise of a longer life and better flavour. And fewer impurities are created during the heating process, translating into a much-improved vapour and a great taste.
These coils are setting the new gold standard and, understandably, have been integrated into the new Phantom 600 and Fresh Cube ranges from newcomer brand DejaVoo.
Final thoughts
Overall, I adore the range of Kiwi GO vapes and highly recommend them to all. I cannot find fault with the devices I tested. Flavour choices are always personal, but besides introducing a clean menthol option, I think Kiwi have produced an option here for everyone.
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