Vaporesso XROS Pro 2 Pod Kit

They share a lot: both are refillable, both run up to 30W, both take the same Corex pods, and both fill the same way. The Pro 2 is the premium step up. It carries a bigger 2000mAh battery against the XROS 5's 1500mAh, a smarter screen with puff tracking and themes, Super Pulse Mode for steadier output, and a lighter magnesium body. It also ships with lower-resistance 0.4ohm and 0.6ohm pods, leaning a touch warmer and airier out of the box.

The trade is small. The XROS 5 is simpler, a little cheaper, and actually charges quicker at 3A. So if you want the longest battery, the nicest screen and the premium feel, pick the Pro 2. If you just want a solid, no-fuss refillable kit, the XROS 5 still does the job. Either way the pods and the vape itself are much the same.

The 0.96-inch colour TFT is brighter and more useful than the usual pod readout. It shows the wattage, battery and a live puff count, and you can switch between several UI themes if you fancy a change. Everything runs off the single button: one click to fire, more clicks to change theme, adjust power or open the settings.

It also has a lock switch so it will not fire by accident in a pocket. None of this is essential to a good vape, but it is the kind of polish that makes the Pro 2 feel a cut above a basic pod kit.

If you are stepping up from disposables, the one new habit is filling and priming the pod, and it takes a minute. Pull the pod out, open the bung on the side, and drip your e-liquid in slowly until the pod reads full, stopping before it spills past the fill port. Close the bung, drop the pod back in, and let it stand a minute or two so the cotton in the coil soaks through. Take two or three gentle pulls without firing to prime it, then vape as normal. Skipping that soak is the most common cause of an early burnt taste on any refillable pod, and the Pro 2 is no exception.

After that there is very little to it. The Pro 2 fires on a single click, and the screen wakes to show wattage, battery and your puff count. Tap through to change the power, switch a theme or lock the device so it will not fire in a pocket. Most people set it once and leave it. When you refill, top the pod up before it runs bone dry, since firing a near-empty pod is the other quick way to scorch a coil, and a pod will usually give you a week or two of refills before the flavour starts to fade.

The Pro 2 is £19.99 once, and after that your only spend is pods and e-liquid. A pod lasts a week or two and costs a couple of pounds, while a 10ml bottle of salt is a pound or two and refills a 2ml pod several times over. Set against a disposable habit, where each device is a few pounds and lasts a day or two, a refillable kit like this usually pays for itself inside the first couple of weeks and saves steadily after that.

There is a waste angle too. Every disposable is a battery and a circuit board headed for the bin, whereas the Pro 2 is one rechargeable battery that lasts a year or more, with only the small pod as a consumable. The bigger 2000mAh cell also means fewer charges and a longer service life than a smaller kit, so if you are leaving single-use bars behind for cost or for conscience, the premium XROS is an easy device to live with.

If you want the best XROS, yes. The bigger battery and Super Pulse genuinely improve day-to-day life with the kit, the screen is a nice touch, and the magnesium body feels premium without being heavy. For the small jump in price over the XROS 5, you get a noticeably nicer device.

It earns its keep most if you vape a fair bit and hate charging, or you like a bit of tech on your pod. If you just want the cheapest reliable refillable kit, the XROS 5 is still great and charges faster. But as a premium pod kit, the Pro 2 is one of the best around. Stock up on Corex pods and a nic salt and you are set.