Innokin Coolfire Z80 NEX Review

Ah, the Coolfire—now that’s an old friend to a longtime vaper. At one point, the Coolfire IV mod was one of Innokin’s flagship units, prized for its compact build and impressive power outputs that suited DTL vaping.

Now, whereas the recently released Coolfire Z80 Kit is a fine piece of equipment with a tank that serves primarily MTL vaping, the Coolfire Z80 Nex Kit is a reconsideration of intent! While yes, you could supply your own sub-ohm tank to enjoy the Z80 mod’s 80W max output, the Nex iteration of the kit provides you with a tank that’s great for all forms of vaping.

So, I’ve spent this week getting better acquainted with the Innokin Coolfire Z80 Nex Kit to gauge whether Innokin still commands mastery of all vaping styles or has been relegated to the MTL leagues.

Review Disclosure: Innokin provided the Coolfire Z80 Nex Kit in exchange for our review. We’d like to emphasise that my views and opinions are impartial.

Video Review

Packaging and Labels 

The Innokin Coolfire Z80 Nex Kit comes in a tall cardboard box wrapped in a sleeve. The front of the sleeve displays the kit within, under the text “Innokin Coolfire Z80 Nex”, and above a TPD health warning.

One side of the sleeve lists features, while the other pays homage to the kit’s designers, P. Busardo and Vapingreek. The back of the sleeve lists the contents above, contact info, and an authenticity hologram, with another TPD health warning underneath.

Removing the sleeve reveals a plain white box with “Innokin” printed in holographic font on the front. Opening the box, we see the mod and tank held separately in firm packing foam. 

Under the foam, we find another small box that contains the coils and charging cable for the kit.

Build Quality

Score: 4 out of 5

The Coolfire Z80 Nex Kit strongly resembles previous Coolfire units, adopting the characteristic shape of the mod that widens in the palm and thins out for the screen and interface. I’m using the silver unit, and if you’ll grant me a moment to be an aesthete rather than a technology critic, I absolutely adore the ‘holo’ style reflective silver used on the padded grip section. It’s very dazzling to look at.

Back to brass tacks, the device has a fair heft to it with the external battery installed. This is a feature rather than a bug, in my opinion. I agree that a plastic or acrylic vape should be lightweight, but when you build a solid-looking kit out of metal, I want to feel the weight; otherwise, I’ll suspect poor-quality materials have been used.

The device’s ‘face’ has a 0.96″ TFT screen that lists information well and legibly. A firing button rests at the top of the screen, and a locking switch sits at the base of it. One side of the kit features two buttons, carefully designed to complement the overall look of the kit. You’ll use these buttons to adjust the power and navigate menus.

The battery well features an unscrewable plate with a fold-out grip, similar in design to previous external battery models from Innokin.

The included tank is the main difference between the original Coolfire Z80 and the Nex edition. Whereas the original came with a Zenith 2, the TPD Nex comes with a Zenith Minimal Tank, compatible with a wider range of coils.

As someone who’s used many Innokin kits over the years, I have to say I was quite taken with certain aspects of the Zenith Minimal Tank. This is mainly because it reminds me of the Slipstream tank that, if I recall correctly, was included with the original Kroma Kit.

The Slipstream had issues, but these have been ironed out in the years since, and the Zenith Minimal Tank retains the beautiful airflow slot and compact, ‘tight’ nature of the tank’s design. In my opinion, it’s a lovely tank choice for the kit.

Performance

Score: 4 out of 5

The Coolfire Z80 Nex is an odd duck in terms of functionality because it technically does less than the device’s previous version. The original Z80 had several firing modes that you could switch between, some improving flavour and others better-sustaining coil longevity.

It would seem that Innokin chose to strip out those additional modes for this version of the kit. And honestly? I think it’s for the best. While it was certainly cool to see advanced modes in the previous Z80, most Innokin users are seeking reliable and user-friendly machines. I frequently had to answer questions from users who didn’t understand what FØ and Refresh modes were, and I don’t blame them for being confused.

So, limiting the Coolfire Z80 Nex mod to a simple 5-80W power adjustment was a good decision. Sure, no one likes removing extra features, but it’s also true that no one likes confusing options on their kit that they don’t understand how to use. By stripping out the complexity, Innokin has supplied you with a device that you’ll feel comfortable with much quicker without worrying about whether or not you’re using the kit to its full ‘potential’.

Ease of Use

Score: 5 out of 5

That last point in the Performance section leads neatly to Ease of Use! As mentioned, removing the extra modes makes the Z80 Nex much easier to use than the Z80 original. So much so that I recommend the Z80 Nex as a starter kit to new vapers. I never did that with the original, as I knew a brand new vapour would see ‘FØ Mode’ and frown pretty hard.

However, one thing to note about the kit is that it doesn’t appear to utilise Smart coil-reading tech. This is okay, as it’s not an essential feature. However, it does open you up to the possibility of accidentally setting way too high an output and insta-burning your coil, which is frustrating, obviously!

However, this is a minor complaint, and you really should check your own device rather than hoping a failsafe handles it all for you.

Battery Life

Score: 4.7-5

As mentioned, the Z80 Nex takes an external battery cell. Of course, this comes with pros and cons, but generally, it’s a good thing. Being able to pull your battery has the obvious, immediate advantage of being swappable in the event you forget to charge your current battery. Just pop the depleted one out, and you’re ready to rock!

But the other, less mentioned, advantage is that in the event of full battery death, you don’t have to buy a whole new, expensive mod; you can just replace the battery for a fraction of the price.

While the kit doesn’t benefit from an Eco mode, the simple power control and ability to swap out your cells is a winner in my book.

Flavour Output

Score: 4 out of 5

The taste coming off of the Z Coils is as tasty as ever. While Innokin was never praised as a flavour-first manufacturer, they certainly know how to put a tasty profile across without too much taste from the coil itself.

And while I was concerned that the absence of features like Refresh mode might make the Z80 Nex less appealing than the original, I have to be honest: I cannot detect a single dip in flavour across these device generations.

So, whether you prefer tight MTL puffs or thick DTL clouds, the Coolfire Z80 Nex’s Zenith Minimal tank delivers a rich flavour with optimised coils.

Summary

Sometimes, less is more! I’m seeing more and more of this design choice lately, where vape manufacturers strip away the tinsel and gold leaf to focus on the device’s real mechanical pleasure. The Coolfire Z80 Nex Kit is a shining testament to Innokin’s understanding of what vapers want and need.

Will the Coolfire Z80 Nex dazzle you with fancy features? No, it won’t. Will it provide a reliable, consistent, and utterly pleasant vaping experience? Yes, for nearly every vaper, it will.

The MIST Favourite Feature: 

Dedicated Lock Switch: Many mods have a ‘tap # times to lock’ mechanism, but the inclusion of a simple front-facing switch you can easily click before tossing your vape in your bag or pocket is much more reliable.