The Linx Hermes 3 is the latest edition of the popular Hermes 510 vape battery line.

The Hermes 3 brings with it only minor updates from the Hermes 2, which we’ll cover in this review. 

It comes with an in-built 290mAh battery in a slender stainless steel design. It also comes paired with a refillable ceramic coil tank with a 0.5ml capacity.

The Linx Hermes 3 is only available in a stainless steel color.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Linx Hermes 3 doesn’t quite compete with the top offerings of Vessel and PCKT when it comes to modern 510 thread batteries. However, at a more affordable price, it still delivers on performance. We like the simple, elegant stainless steel style and the included ceramic coil tank. We just wished it had a more upto date charging method.

Specs and Features

Design & Style

Linx has a very distinctive design style across all of its products. Most of them are just stainless steel; there are no fancy colors or heavy branding.

The Hermes 3 is the epitome of this style and looks very much like a traditional vape pen in its form. The only standout part of the design is the ‘Linx’ head logo on the bottom of the pen. Otherwise, it could easily be mistaken for any other regular vape battery.

The Hermes 3 is as simple as they come with regard to 510 batteries. It is just a one-button battery, which activates the device and adjusts the voltage setting. 

The fire button has an LED ring around the outside, indicating the voltage setting and the current charge status.

The Hermes 3 has a 510 connection on the top, which the included tank screws onto. The threading is good quality, and everything is buttery smooth and screwing together.

The 510 connection is also how you charge the device. Sadly the Hermes 3 comes with an old-school adapter that screws onto the 510 thread and has a USB port on the reverse side to plug into a wall socket or computer.

It’s really disappointing to see such an old-fashioned charge method in 2023. Unfortunately, it also means the Hermes 3 can’t support passthrough vaping and has quite a slow charge time of around 120-180 minutes.

However, I can’t knock the overall build quality of the LINX Hermes 3. It does feel premium in hand. Not as much as a Vessel or PCKT 510 battery, but definitely a cut above others. The simple stainless steel look is also quite elegant.

It’s also worth noting that it comes in quite a nice case, which holds the device, tank, and charging adapter. It’s a glip open case and is quite slim, a little too large to slip in your pocket, but small enough to easily carry around in a bag. 

Features

The Hermes 3 is one of Linx’s more affordable offerings, which means it doesn’t come stacked full of features – but it still offers plenty for the price. 

It is powered by a built-in 290mAh battery with 3 voltage settings and a session mode included.

An LED light goes around the fire button, which helps to show you which setting you have activated. 

The device can be switched on/off with 5 fire button presses. It will then show all 3 lights, blue, green, and red.

Once the device is on, you can press the fire button 3 times to rotate through the voltage settings. The following colors of the LED show the setting.

• Blue LED = Low (3.0V)
• Green LED = Medium (3.6V)
• Red LED = High (4.2V)

Just hold down the fire button to use the device, and you can start vaping.

The Hermes 3 also has a session mode. This can be activated by quickly pressing the fire button twice when on any voltage setting. This will then keep the device firing for 10 seconds.

Cartridge/Tank

The Hermes 3 can be used with any 510-thread cartridge. However, it comes with a quality one in the kit.

The Hermes 3 cartridge or tank has a 0.5ml capacity and is made from 

Medical grade stainless steel. 

It also utilizes a ceramic coil which is suitable for oils and distillates of various viscosity.

The cartridge is easy to refill, you just unscrew the stainless steel top section with the mouthpiece, and then you fill directly into the glass chamber.

Although some may prefer a 1ml capacity tank, it’s great the Hermes 3 comes included with one. It also has the same excellent build quality as the device and definitely completes the whole premium look of the kit.

Performance

The Hermes 3 is incredibly easy to use, and although it may be pretty simple in its styling and features – it’s not when it comes to performance.

I was impressed with the included cartridge and its handling of most of the oils I tested it with. It was all plain sailing, though, so there are a few things to watch out for.

Firstly let’s cover the voltage or temperature settings. 

There is a definite difference between each of the modes you activate, and you can certainly feel more of a kick when you have it in the ‘High’ (red) mode.

Personally, I prefer to keep it on the medium (Blue) setting with most of my oils. It’s a good balance with the hit and vapor production.

Speaking of vapor, the Hermes 3 does deliver an ample amount of vapor. It’s also very good with flavor production, thanks to the ceramic coil. 

If you’ve not used a ceramic coil before, you might be thrown by a slightly different taste. It’s what I describe as a cleaner taste. It can taste a bit metallic for the first few inhales, but once it gets going, it delivers a pure flavor.

The only disappointment I had with the Hermes 3 cartridge was a couple of bouts of leaking. At first, I attributed this to user error, but it happened a second time.

I then realized it was only when I was using a slightly thinner oil and when I had left the device sitting without using it for several hours.

You might not have the same experience, and it was only on a couple of occasions.

As for handling viscous oil, I think the ceramic coil does an excellent job.

The battery of the Hermes 3 does an excellent job and is very efficient for a 290mAh cell. As a result, I easily got a couple of days of use out of the device before it required charging.

Sadly that brings me to my other main negative with the Hermes 3 – the charging method and charge times.

I know the device was released a couple of years ago, but having to use a screw-on USB adapter is disappointing. Even a micro-USB port would’ve been better, and many of its contemporary competitors in the 510 vape battery market now use USB-C.

It’s also not the fastest at charging; you will have to wait at least a couple of hours to get completely topped up and ready to use.

That being said, I can’t fault the vape experience it delivers, and the overall build quality of the Hermes 3 kit is also very impressive. 

Verdict

The Hermes 3 may not be the most feature-rich or premium 510 vape battery. However, it gets a lot of things right for the price point – especially the performance.

I like the simple stainless steel design of the Hermes 3, along with the easy one-button operation. I’m also really impressed with the vape quality produced by the included ceramic coil cartridge.

It’s a little disappointing that it uses an old-school charge method. So if you require a more modern device with USB-C, you’ll be better served with something like the PCKT VRTCL.

However, at a more affordable price, the Linx Hermes 3 will suit many oil vapers that like the traditional vape pen style.