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Pod systems are everywhere these days, and with good reason. They’re small, easy to use, and efficient vapor delivery systems. In order to rise above the competition, new pod systems have to have a real zest, a real zip, a real … zeal for quality vaping!

The Zeal is a new pod system from Vo Tech, and man is it tiny. The device itself is around the same size and shape as a Juul, but with some notable differences compared to its famous counterpart. The Zeal zealously gets to the point and gives you something that's easy to snap in use while adding some longer-term value propositions.

Vape companies are trend chasers, and with the barrage of new pod systems coming to market lately it can be difficult to tell one from the other. Let's dive into what sets the Zeal apart.

Design

We've mentioned the Zeal looks a lot like a Juul, which is true in that they're both slim, rectangular bricks resembling an extended flash drive. Diving into the actual construction, however, you'll find some notable differences.

A unique feature from Vo Tech is the decision to design the Zeal with a removable battery. Much like most liquid pods slide into the top of a pod's battery with a magnetic connection (the Zeal is no different in this regard), the proprietary 250 mAh stick battery slides into the bottom of the device body and secured via magnet.

The upside here: with a removable battery you can purchase spares and carry an extra for on-the-go use (please secure it without the contact points exposed), or have one to vape while your backup is charging, eliminating the need to take your entire device out of commission during charges.

Adding to the Zeal's economy is a removable fill plug underneath the pod. While the only way to currently purchase pods is pre-filled with a tobacco, menthol, coffee, or fruit-flavored liquid in either 24 or 48 mg/ml salt-based nicotine, these pods can be refilled for three or four additional uses with a liquid of your choice. This not only offers Zeal users a wider range of choice in selecting flavor and nic strength, it lowers maintenance costs considerably compared to closed-system disposable pods.

Performance

If you’re looking for massive clouds and heavy lung hits, the Zeal isn't for you. Then again, neither is any other pod system.

Cloud production is still fair, on par with the pod mod brethren of the Zeal, which is to say it's on the impressive side for a strictly mouth-to-lung vaping style but far from fogging up a room. Expect a fairly tight draw - if you're an advanced mod user looking for a restricted-lung backup for your go-to direct lung device, keep on looking.

Another thing that's uncommon for pre-filled pods: the Zeal's seem to have a break-in period of a dozen draws or so. Vapor production is fine off the bat, but flavor started off a bit muted in our testing. Within a few minutes, however, the wicks seem to open up and let the flavor shine a bit stronger.

Drawbacks

We've complained before about pod starter kits that only come with one pod. The Zeal, meanwhile, ships with zero. One could argue that this prevents waste by not shipping flavors the end user won't be interested in trying, but a starter kit that doesn't come with all of the tools to get started is still a bit disappointing.

There's also the break-in period for fresh pods that we mentioned above. While it's relatively minor given the extended life offered by the opportunity to refill rather than replace, it's still worth mentioning here as it's not something users of pre-filled pods will be expecting.

Takeaway

The main takeaway to the Zeal by Vo Tech is that if you like pod systems, this is a solid choice, offering the advantages of a replaceable battery and refillable system, which both improve lifespan and limit cost. If you've been considering switching from a closed- to an open-system pod setup, the Zeal is definitely worth considering.