Hangsen IQ Level Pod Mod | Review

The iQ Level pod system is one of the better-looking pod mods out there with its elegant brushed metal finish in an incredibly slender package.

It’s only available in one color and is designed to be a discreet pocket-friendly pod system.

In such a condensed market where pod mods look so similar, Hangsen has decided to try and stand out from the crowd by going slim….well not just slim, but super slim.

The Hangsen iQ Level has a lovely brushed metal finish and subtle branding which gives it a classy premium look. It certainly caught my attention the first time I looked at it.

The Hangsen logo and iQ branding are delicately printed on the battery with a nice glossy finish, which catches the light when you turn the device.

There is a small slither of a window on the side to see juice level, but in practicality, you can’t really see much, so have to remove the pod to see remaining levels.

Hangsen have done a commendable job with the build quality of the IQ Level, it could’ve easily felt too flimsy being such thin device, but it retains a fairly strong presence.

The indicating light is nice and bright, while the pods fit in snug and securely held by both friction and small magnets.

The IQ Level comes with a proprietary charger which is also well made, and the battery has no issues connecting via magnets inside the cradle, although it does only go in one way.

The IQ Level with its slender form as you’d imagine is so light you barely notice it in your pocket.

Although it is slightly taller than some of its competitors, it’s still really is one of the most pocket-friendly pod systems available.

We’ve seen this type of pod system before, so not much innovation from Hangsen with this device.

However, they have managed to pack everything into a very impressive slim package with sleek aesthetics.

The IQ Level is a simple to use and plug and play pod mod.

It does not feature a fire button but is draw activated. The activation switch is not the best I’ve tried on a pod mod (more on this later).

It also features an LED light to indicate battery level, and it’s proprietary charger also has an LED to show charge status.

I’m not a huge fan of proprietary chargers especially when it comes to pod mods.

However, I understand why Hangsen had to go with one for this device, as it’s so slim that there really isn’t any space for a micro USB port.

Still, the charger that comes with the device is well implemented and can recharge the 200mah battery in a flash.

Battery – The small LED light positioned towards the bottom of the device is a bright white light. It activates while you are drawing on the device, and flashes when the battery level is low, or if you have hit the 10 second cut off.

Charger – the LED light will be Blue when there is no device or if the device is fully charged, and Red while the battery is charging.

The Hangsen iQ Level pods are obviously as slender as the device, and this means they only have a 0.9ml capacity.

They come in 20mg nicotine level using nicotine salt. Sadly no pods are included in the kit. However, we did obtain a mixed pack of flavors which we will run through later.

The activation of the switch, the draw and even the airflow from the pods are a little lacking (as I’ll discuss later in the performance section), this meant it was hard to tell if there were wicking issues.

The iQ is supposed to feature an anti-dry burning feature, I’m not sure if this is using temp control or not as there is no information on it, all I can say is I didn’t get a single dry hit or any burnt taste coming from the pods.

The pods come in blister packs as usual but also feature a rubber sleeve on the bottom and stopper which slots into the mouthpiece.

It’s good that Hansen includes these, as you can take a spare pod with you without the worry of leaking.

That being said I didn’t really notice any untoward leaking from the iQ Level pods while testing them.

Hangsen doesn’t seem to have the most extensive range of flavors for the iQ Level with only Strawberry, Menthol, Tobacco and Blueberry available at the time of writing.

However, they do have more available for the original IQ so more may come into the market.

Here is a quick rundown of the flavors I tested:

Strawberry
A natural strawberry flavor, but it seems to be overpowered by the taste of nicotine. Not the most pleasant vape.

Menthol
A classic menthol, it’s quite fresh but nothing special.

Tobacco
A classic tobacco flavor, with a slight hint of sweetness to it. Again it’s ok, but not great.

This is where the iQ Level really lets itself down.

Firstly it does take quite a draw to actually activate the device, and there have been numerous times when I’ve tried to have a vape and nothing has happened.

I’m not sure if this is down to the connection with the pods, or just the activation switch.

Secondly, the vapor produced by the pods is subpar compared to other pod mods on the market. It is a tight mouth-to-lung draw, but I would expect more.

Lastly, the flavor range and the quality of the flavors from the pods again just isn’t up to standard if you compare it to the likes of JUUL, Phix or BO.

The iQ Level does have a more traditional tight MTL type draw, which some might like.

But it is the lack of vapor production and occasional non-firing which really disappointed.

While the pods do give a satisfying enough smooth throat hit from the nic salts, the flavors are really not that impressive.

I wouldn’t say they are bad, but just not as good as other closed pod systems on the market.

The iQ Level comes with a 200mAh internal battery, which as you’d expect does not hold up to a full days vaping.

I understand why they wanted an incredibly slim device, but sacrificing battery life and the convenience of a micro USB port for charging seems like the wrong move.

I honestly wanted the iQ Level to be a great device. I think it’s one of the best looking pod mods; I love it’s brushed metal finish and slender form.

Unfortunately, it falls short on performance compared to other closed pod systems. The vapor production is lacking, and the pods can be inconsistent.

Maybe Hangsen will add to the uninspiring flavor range in the future, and possibly release some updated pods that perform better.

For now, there are far better choices if you’re looking for a closed system pod mod.