The Icewave X8500 is the debut product from new vape manufacturer Tidebar (a subsidiary of Zovoo). 

This disposable vape aims to shake up the market with its unique design and features.

Inside the transparent, crystal-style shell is an upgraded 1.0Ω mesh coil and a hefty 18mL juice capacity. This gives the X8500 an estimated 8500 puff lifespan. 

But the real showstopper feature is the large digital screen that displays the remaining battery and e-liquid levels. 

This innovative display gives vapers more control and eliminates anxiety about when your disposable will run dry.

The X8500 is available in 16 flavors catering to all tastes. (see below)

The Bottom Line

Overall, the Icewave X8500 brings some exciting new tech to disposables. The digital screen alone makes it worth a look for vapers seeking convenience. However, it’s not just about the features. The X8500 also delivers excellent performance from the mesh coils, with rich flavor and a consistent vape experience – Highly recommended.

Design & Build Quality 

When I first got my hands on one, the Icewave X8500 pleasantly surprised me with its styling. 

From the marketing, I thought it would be a bit too flashy for my liking. However, it’s a far more subtle device in person.

The X8500 has a transparent plastic shell on the top third of the device that reveals colorful graffiti-style art printed inside. 

It’s nicely executed, and the graphics vary slightly depending on the flavor. 

The bottom section is glossy black plastic, which is less exciting but serves a distinct purpose – we’ll revisit it later.

Despite containing a whopping 18mL of juice, the X8500 remains slim and pocket-friendly. 

It measures 100mm tall and 23mm wide, a few centimeters taller and broader than the Elf Bar BC5000 or Dragbar B5000. 

But it’s equally as comfortable to hold and hide in the palm of your hand. 

I’m happy to report that the mouthpiece has a flattened, tapered shape that feels very comfortable and not the large obtrusive one we’ve seen on other disposable devices. 

It also helps to provide the medium to loose MTL draw, which I prefer on this type of disposable.

If you were just judging the X8500 by its looks, you would say it is a standout disposable vape. It has a funky, unique aesthetic that I could see being popular with many vapers.

However, the most significant thing about the design of the Icewave X8500 is not its looks or the fact it’s pretty compact for such a high-capacity disposable. It’s that it has a screen!

Yep, the X8500 is one of the few disposables on the market that has a screen – and it’s a godsend.

The display is neatly located on the front panel at the bottom. There are even indicator arrows pointing toward it, so you can’t miss it.

The screen springs to life when you inhale or charge the device. The display is intuitive, with the battery level shown in percentages and juice levels with color-coded bars. 

I really like that they made the juice indicator a liquid droplet and utilized different colors for the levels.

It also stays illuminated long enough that you can take a puff, then quickly look at the device to see the levels – which is excellent. 

It also means there is no need for an awkwardly placed LED light on the base like other disposables.

On the base of the device, you only have the USB-C charging port. Charging speed seemed quick, reviving a dead battery in around an hour.

The overall build quality feels solid, thanks to the durable plastic shell. And I appreciate the unique aesthetic that stands out from the sea of generic disposables. 

However, the plastic isn’t quite as premium feeling as rubberized finishes.

Overall, the X8500 nails good looks, high capacity, portability, and (even more importantly) functionality.

Let’s see how it does with flavors and performance.

Flavors

The Icewave X8500 comes in 16 different flavor options. They even have a tobacco flavor in the range.

I only had the opportunity to test 5 from the range:

Lush Ice

The Lush Ice is a refreshing fruit blend. I’m not entirely sure of all the fruits in there, but there’s definitely some juicy Melon in the mix. As you inhale, you get a hit of sharp fruitiness with some underlying citrus notes.

The cooling is relatively subtle throughout the vape, but it does get stronger on the exhale with this one. Overall a perfect fruity blend that I could easily vape on all day.

Blue Razz Ice

This is just a straight-up solid Blue Raspberry Ice that’s as good as any other I’ve tried. It delivers a juicy and slightly sour explosion on the inhale. Which is then lifted to a refreshing climax on the inhale with the added cooling. Probably the iciest of the range I tested, but it’s not too overpowering. If you like Blue Razz flavors, you’ll enjoy this one.

Strawberry Ice Cream

The Strawberry Ice Cream X8500 is one of the standout ones for me. They’ve done an excellent job at getting a naturally sumptuous strawberry on the inhale. Then there’s some real depth to it through the vape with the cream coming in.

The cream is velvety and rich and becomes more pronounced on the exhale. It also has the perfect amount of ice, making it refreshing without destroying the flavor.

Clear

The ‘Clear’ flavor isn’t exactly clear from the description of what flavor it is supposed to be. Even after vaping on it for a while, I’m still not sure I could tell you.

It’s very light and clean, and there’s certainly some mint or spearmint in there. But if I’m honest, it didn’t really excite my taste buds as much as the others. Still, it’s a refreshing palate cleanser if you like that kind of thing.

Sour Apple

Sour Apple is not a flavor I would usually go for. I often find the apple too candy-like, and the sourness feels far too artificial.

The X8500 Sour Apple has changed my mind completely. They’ve managed to get a nice natural-tasting Apple flavor. It hits you with juiciness on the inhale that’s perfectly sweet. Then as you go through the vape, you start getting sour notes come through. 

It’s then rounded off with a delightful sour aftertaste that is hard to describe. It’s not an artificial taste, but it has plenty of zing to make your tastebuds dance – another standout flavor for me.

Performance

I was relatively confident that the Icewave X8500 would deliver on the performance front. After all, it has a good pedigree with Zovoo/Voopoo behind the brand.

I was not disappointed. 

In fact, I’d say the overall quality of the vape and the delivery of flavor for the X8500 is right up there with some of the best on the market.

The flavors I tested all came through accurately as described. Except for ‘Clear,’ as I’m still unsure what that flavor should be!

The Blue Razz Ice and Lush Ice are great flavors, as good as any other range I’ve tried. 

However, the standouts for me were the Strawberry Ice Cream and Sour Apple. There was just something about that Sour Apple that was unlike any other I’ve tasted.

Even after heavy use, the flavors remained consistent thanks to the upgraded mesh coils inside.

I’m not someone who likes overly powerful cooling in my vapes, which tends to be the trend with disposables.

So with the name ‘Icewave,’ I expected them to be far too frosty for my liking.

While the flavors I tried with cooling were strong, the effects are also balanced nicely and avoid numbing the back of your throat. 

There also seems to be a good mix of flavors without ice. So overall, it’s a balanced range that will appeal to most.

There’s even a tobacco flavor, ‘Vanilla Casta Tobacco’ which many brands don’t include nowadays.

The draw from the X8500 is a medium-loose MTL draw that gives a smooth yet satisfying hit. 

It’s less restrictive than a cigarette draw or super tight disposable, but enough to satisfy an MTL vaper like myself. 

You won’t be able to direct lung it, but with 50mg of nicotine, I’m not sure you’d want to.

Speaking of vapor, the output is plentiful from the 1.0Ω mesh coils. I get dense, flavorful clouds. As good as any other disposable out there.

The auto-draw activation fires up instantly when I inhale. It never failed or misfired during testing. And battery life did a good job of lasting past a full day of vaping. 

I’m really impressed with the battery gauge on the device. It seemed very accurate. Even though sometimes it would drop a couple of percentages at a time.

It’s such a lifesaver having a battery level on a disposable. I can’t tell you how often I’ve left the house with a disposable on its last legs – and I had no way of knowing!

The juice level indicator is also great for the same reason.

It seems relatively accurate. And even though the X8500 doesn’t lose performance when it’s down to the last red line on the droplet indicator, you know its time is nearly up.

Some might also like it to show a puff counter. That way, you know if you’re genuinely hitting the advertised puff count. 

I know it would make my life a lot easier.

That said, I’m confident that the X8500s made it through the promised 8500 puffs. And they all did it without faltering in performance. 

Being able to check battery and juice percent on a disposable is such a huge convenience. I’m now worried I won’t be able to return to using one without it.

Considering the excellent flavor fidelity, accurate battery life, and innovative screen tech, the X8500 earns high marks for performance.

Verdict

The Icewave X8500 makes an undeniably strong first impression for this new disposable brand. 

It brings innovation to a crowded market with its unique design and functional digital screen.

The see-through shell and colorful accents offer a nice visual flair. And being able to check the remaining battery and juice at a glance is a game-changer!

Beyond the tech, the X8500 delivers where it counts with bold, nuanced flavors and a smooth draw. 

The mesh coils ensure longevity and flavor consistency through all 8500 puffs.

While the plastic build and fixed airflow leave room for improvement, the overall vaping experience outshines any shortcomings.

Icewave’s debut disposable ‘pushes the boundaries’ by bringing innovation to a saturated market. The X8500 proves this new brand is one to watch.