Vaporesso’s latest release is the rugged Armour MAX and Armour S mods. This dynamic duo is built for hardcore vapers looking for maximum power and battery life in an ultra-durable package.  

The Armour MAX is the beast of the two, housing dual 21700 batteries and pumping out a blistering 220W. 

For those looking for a more compact option, the Armour S packs a single 21700 battery and reaches up to 100W.

Both feature a sliding power button that locks the fire button for safety. There are multiple firing modes and a crisp display to adjust settings.

The included 8mL iTank 2 sub-ohm tank utilizes the impressive GTi coil range.The Vaporesso Armour MAX & S are available in 5 colors: Black, Green, Silver, Yellow, and Orange.

The Bottom Line

If you are looking for a lightweight sub-ohm vape, this is not for you. For every other sub-ohm vaper, it’s an absolute winner! Both Armour mods have an excellent rugged design and deliver fantastic performance – especially when used with the iTank 2 & GTi coils. One of the best sub-ohm kits on the market right now – highly recommended.

Design & Build Quality

The Armour MAX and Armour S make an immediate impression with their rugged, futuristic styling. These mods are not designed to be dainty or discreet; they are built for hardcore vapers looking for maximum durability.

The outer shell of both mods is constructed from TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) material. 

While this provides excellent protection from drops and daily wear and tear, it’s worth noting that neither device is IP-rated. So you’ll want to be extra cautious around water.

The textured finish on both mods adds excellent grip when holding, and I’m confident if you did manage to drop them, they would be pretty unscathed – that’s how robust they are.

The Armour Max really looks like a beast thanks to its dual battery design. It also has some serious heft to it when loaded up with two 21700 batteries. The Max stands tall at 96mm and has a boxy, rugged aesthetic. 

Despite the larger size, it still feels comfortable to hold, thanks to the rounded edges and corners. It’s also relatively compact for a dual 21700 device.

The Armour S is the more svelte sibling, taking a single 21700 battery. It has a similar futuristic design but loses a bit of the bulk. However, it still feels substantial and durable in the hand.

Both mods feature bold and distinctive styling, with each section being a different color or material. I’m a fan of the two-tone designs, which really make them stand out. 

We have the Black and Silver variants, which are pretty sleek. But from what I’ve seen, the Orange and Yellow versions are particularly eye-catching. 

At first glance, the large octagonal fire button immediately grabs your attention with its flash of color. 

The power button also doubles as the locking switch, which can be slid up to lock the fire button. 

It’s a clever and unique design that I really like. However, I will say that on the MAX version that I’ve been testing, the button slides a little too easily. So, it might shift when putting it in your pocket.

No such problem with the Armour S. 

And it’s worth noting these are pre-production review samples. So, I’m sure Vaporesso will tighten things up in production.

The mods have a modest 0.96″ color display that provides the basic vaping info you need. The screen is great, but I wish it were a little larger and brighter for easier outdoor viewing. 

The adjustment buttons just below the screen are very clicky and responsive.

On the bottom of each device is the battery door. These are firm and prevent any battery rattle, thanks to strong magnets – which is great.

They also have a unique way of opening with a release button on the reverse of the devices. 

The button blends into the design on the back and takes some pressing to pop the door open.

I was worried that with a button for the battery compartment, it might be prone to accidental opens. But no such issue, it’s well implemented.

Both mods include plastic sleeves to allow the use of 18650 batteries. The Armour Max fits two sleeves, while the S includes one.

Both devices come with the iTank 2 – which I’ll cover in detail later.

But from a design perspective, I love that Vaporesso includes matching rubber sleeves for the glass. It really adds to the overall look while adding protection.

The MAX comes with a sleeve for both the standard glass and bubble glass, while the S only has a sleeve for the standard glass.

The MAX also comes with a holster for the device, so you can attach it to a bag or belt – which is a nice addition. However, I’m unsure if it’s only included in the promotional or all kits.

Overall, Vaporesso nailed the design and build quality on the Armour series. They are constructed like tanks and look great, especially for fans of rugged, durable vape mods.

Features & Functions

The Armour MAX and Armour S share identical features, with the only difference being the maximum power output.

The Armour MAX pumps out a beastly 220W with its dual 21700 battery design. 

It can also run on dual 18650 batteries with the included sleeves.  

The Armour S tops out at 100W with its single 21700 battery but can use an 18650 as well.

Both mods are powered by Vaporesso’s AXON chip, which provides a variety of modes: F(t), Pulse, ECO, and full TC modes for SS, NI, and TI.

• F(t) mode – Automatically adjusts voltage and heating rate for smoother, cooler draws
• Pulse mode – Pulses the wattage rapidly for a consistent vape  
• ECO mode – Lowers wattage for extended battery life
• TC modes – Accurate temp control for SS, NI, and TI coils

The proprietary slide power button serves two purposes – firing the device and locking the fire button for safety. Slide up to lock the fire button and down to unlock it. 

The large 0.96″ color displays are easy to read, providing coil resistance, mode, battery life, and puff counter info.

However, the screen could be brighter for outdoor use.

Type C charging offers fast 2A charging speeds on both devices. It’s always best to charge batteries externally, but charging on the device is passable in a pinch.

Both mods lack TCR functionality.

How To Operate the Armour MAX & S

• On/Off – 5 clicks of the fire button
• Lock Fire Button – Slide fire button up to lock, down to unlock 
• Lock Device – Press & hold both up/down buttons
• Select Mode – 3 clicks of the fire button enters mode menu. Use up/down buttons to select mode, fire button to confirm.
• Adjust Power – Use up/down to increase or decrease.
• Press fire + up buttons in TC mode to set wattage.
• Press fire + down buttons in TC mode to lock resistance.
• Press all buttons together to view hardware information.

Firing Modes

F(t) mode – Default mode, auto adjusts voltage for best vape

Pulse mode – Pulses wattage rapidly for a smooth, cool vape

ECO mode – Lowers wattage to extend battery life 

TC-SS/NI/TI – Accurate temperature control modes

Overall, the Armour Max and S offer a full suite of vaping modes. The lack of TCR functionality is disappointing for TC enthusiasts.

iTank 2

The Armour MAX and Armour S kits include the impressive iTank 2 sub-ohm tank. It builds upon the original iTank with some nice upgrades.

The iTank 2 has a sizeable 8mL juice capacity, ensuring you’ll get plenty of vaping time before refilling. 

The straight glass is TPD compliant at 2mL for restricted regions.

A nice addition is the inclusion of a protective sleeve that matches the mod’s colors. Most sleeves look tacky, but this one blends right in.  

The top fill has changed from a slide to a push-button release. 

Once opened, the top swings out 180 degrees for easy filling. The spring mechanism gives it some real force too!

Inside the fill port is a silicone plug with a self-closing slit. This prevents any leaks when top filling.

Two large airflow slots at the base provide plenty of adjustability. From an extremely wide-open draw down to an MTL vape (I’m sure nobody will use these in MTL mode).

The coil is plug-n-play style with no need to line anything up; just push it into the base connection. They pull out with some effort using a fingernail or coin.

To fill the tank:

• Press the red button to swing the top cap open
• Push the nozzle into the fill port slit 
• Fill the tank leaving space for air 
• Swing top cap closed

Let the juice soak for 5 minutes before first use.

The Armour kits include the following two coils:

• GTi 0.2Ω mesh coil (60-75W)
• GTi 0.4Ω mesh coil (50-60W)

Other compatible GTi coils:

• GTi 0.15Ω mesh coil (75-90W) 
• GTi 0.5Ω mesh coil (30-40W)

The subtle design tweaks to the iTank are welcome. The top swivel fill and plug design makes refilling a breeze. 

The iTank 2 is an excellent performing sub-ohm tank worthy of the Armour mods.

Performance

I’m pleased to report that the Armour MAX and Armour S deliver outstanding performance. Vaporesso really hit it out of the park with these rugged mods.

From the moment I clicked on the Armour MAX and slipped in two Samsung 30T 21700 batteries, I could tell this beast was ready to chuck clouds. And chuck it does! 

After priming a fresh GTi 0.2Ω mesh coil, I set it to the default F(t) mode at 70W – right in the middle of the recommended range. The ramp-up time is instant, and the vapor pours out of the wide-open airflow.

Despite the high power output, the draw doesn’t get too hot thanks to the F(t) mode fine-tuning the voltage perfectly. 

The flavor is on point and saturated right from the first inhale. 

After a few draws, I began restricting the airflow to about 60% open. This increased the density and warmth of the vapor considerably while concentrating the flavor. 

Too much restriction muted the flavor a little. I found my airflow sweet spot for me was around 50% open.

I noticed all the nuances in my vape juice more than in other sub-tanks.

The consistency of the flavor and vapor at 70W in F(t) mode was remarkable. It never fluctuated, no matter how long I dragged. I was able to take 5-6 second draws with ease.

Switching over to Pulse mode, I noticed a slight power delivery change. It seems to throttle back the voltage ever so subtly in this mode compared to F(t). 

The warmth was reduced, but impressively, the flavor integrity remained intact. I’d suggest Pulse mode for those wanting a cooler vape.

Next, I popped in the GTi 0.4Ω mesh coil and let Smart mode select the optimal wattage of 55W. Despite the lower power, this coil came alive and delivered outstanding flavor – even better than the 0.2Ω coil.

Vapor production was reduced with the 0.4Ω coil, as expected. I tried increasing it to the maximum of 60W but didn’t notice substantial gains in vapor density. The flavor sweet spot for me was at the default 55W.

During testing, I found the performance stellar. The ramp-up time is instant regardless of wattage or temperature. 

It accurately regulated temperature with minimal fluctuation in TC mode with stainless steel coils. I didn’t delve much deeper into TC, but I feel Vaporesso has done a good job in this regard.

I tested the battery life extensively. With the dual 30T 21700 batteries at 75W, the Armour Max lasted an impressive 5.5 hours of active vaping before needing a recharge.

Moving over to the Armour S with a Samsung 30T 21700 battery, the experience was nearly identical. The maximum 100W cap meant I could only reach 75W with the 0.2Ω coil, but the performance was still top-notch.

After extensive testing, it’s clear the Armour series delivers hardcore power and battery life for cloud chasing, all while preserving flavor accuracy and consistency. 

These mods punch high above their weight class when it comes to performance. 

The AXON chip and GTi coils result in one of the most satisfying DL vape experiences I’ve had recently. 

It’s been such a nice change to test a real vape mod with heft and power, and a flimsy little pod vape.

Verdict

Having extensively tested the Armour MAX and Armour S kits, I can confidently say that Vaporesso has an absolute winner on their hands with this rugged pair of mods.

Everything from the durable TPU construction to the slide power lock shows thoughtful design. Small touches like the matching tank sleeve and easy top fill, make the overall experience a pleasure. 

Of course, stellar performance is the key factor, and the Armour series delivers hardcore power and battery life to satisfy the most demanding vapers.

The ramp-up time and consistency in the various modes resulted in some of the most enjoyable vape sessions I’ve had recently. Vaporesso nailed it by pairing the AXON chip with the GTi coils.

While there are minor omissions in the feature set I’d like to see added, it takes little away from what these rugged mods deliver.

Both mods are excellent in their own right, but if you can pick up the full kit with the iTank 2, do it! It pairs brilliantly with the mods and has more than impressed me with its performance.

If you’re looking for a durable yet powerful mod, I’d highly recommend the Armour series. It’s just rocketed to the top of my favorite mods of 2023.