Eleaf box mod ranking, the iStick range sorted by use

Par The Vape Classement desk6 October 20268 min de lecture

Search for an Eleaf box mod in the UK and the results mix very different generations of the iStick family on the same page. A Pico Plus that takes an 18650 cell and a Power 2 with a 5000 mAh built in battery share a surname and very little else. To sort the current range, we compared five criteria taken from the manufacturer's own specification pages. The outcome challenges a common assumption about wattage.

Which Eleaf box mod to choose, the short answer

For most adult vapers, the best balanced Eleaf box mod is the iStick X80, with a 3200 mAh built in battery, a 5 to 80 W range and a slider that locks firing and power adjustment independently.

If battery life matters most, the Power 2 takes over with its 5000 mAh. The XC100 suits anyone who prefers to manage their own cells, in 18650 or 21700. The X40 is the pick for a pure mouth to lung draw, the Pico Plus for fans of the short Pico format.

The overlooked common point is that all five are sold with the GTL X tank and coils rated for mouth to lung vaping, so the battery and the kit matter more than the wattage ceiling.

How we ranked them

This ranking is built on the specification pages Eleaf publishes for each model. We did not run battery life tests, and no score here pretends to summarise a hands on review. Five criteria set the order:

power source, built in battery or removable cell;
usable power, meaning what the supplied coils actually draw;
control, from the available modes to the lock;
size, for how the device sits in the hand;
consumables, meaning which coil family the tank takes.

The current iStick range at a glance

Eleaf currently puts five box mods at the front of its iStick series. All of them charge over USB-C at 5 V and 2 A, and all of them come in a kit with a 2 ml GTL X tank, which matters because UK rules cap a refillable tank at 2 ml.

Model	Power source	Output	Control	Kit tanks
iStick X40	3000 mAh battery, removable at end of life	5 to 40 W	1.05 inch TFT screen, button lock	GTL X
iStick X80	3200 mAh built in battery	5 to 80 W	Avatar 2.0 chip, Power and RTA modes	GTL X or Melo X
iStick XC100	one 18650 or 21700 cell, not included	5 to 100 W	Avatar 2.0 chip, Power and RTA modes	GTL X or Melo X
iStick Power 2	5000 mAh built in battery	1 to 80 W	0.96 inch colour screen, Power, Smart and Voltage modes	GTL X
iStick Pico Plus	one 18650 cell, not included	5 to 75 W	510 connector for atomisers up to 25 mm	GTL X

The Eleaf box mod ranking by use

The order below weights the five criteria for an adult vaper who wants one versatile device, able to follow more than one draw style without changing mod.

1. iStick X80, the best balanced of the range

The X80 offers what you expect from a current box mod without needing a separate cell. Its 3200 mAh battery and 5 to 80 W range cover both mouth to lung and direct lung vaping, depending on the tank.

Its button presses and twists, its Avatar 2.0 chip offers Power and RTA modes, and Eleaf packages it as a GTL X or a Melo X kit. At the other end of the spectrum, a one button tube such as the Vaporesso GTX Go 80 does without a screen or wattage control.

2. iStick Power 2, the longest running

With 5000 mAh built in, the Power 2 has roughly 56 per cent more capacity than the X80. It keeps an 80 W ceiling and adds a Smart mode, which recommends an output based on the detected coil, plus a Voltage mode.

The trade off shows up on a tape measure, at 52.5 mm wide against 38.7 mm for the X80. It is the widest of the five.

3. iStick XC100, the most flexible on cells

The XC100 shares the interface of the X80 but takes a single 18650 or 21700 cell, sold separately, and reaches 100 W. Its specification page is the only one in the range to list reverse polarity protection.

A cell is chosen from its own manufacturer's datasheet (capacity, continuous discharge current), carried in a rigid case and retired as soon as its wrap is damaged.

4. iStick X40, the simplest for a tight draw

A small box built for mouth to lung vaping, the X40 pairs 3000 mAh with a 40 W ceiling, enough for every GTL coil Eleaf lists, the highest of which tops out at 40 W.

Eleaf also states that its battery can be removed at end of life for separate recycling, a point missing from the X80 and Power 2 pages.

5. iStick Pico Plus, for Pico loyalists

The Pico Plus keeps the screw cap and swappable 18650 cell of the Pico line. It reaches 75 W and, at 111.8 mm tall with its 2 ml tank fitted, it is the shortest of the five.

It still finishes last, because it carries the constraints of an external cell without the headroom of the XC100.

Rated power against usable power, the real trap

An 80 or 100 W box mod looks built for big clouds. Yet Eleaf presents the X80 and XC100 in their GTL X kit as mouth to lung devices, supplied with two GTL-D coils of 0.8 and 1.2 ohm.

Their recommended ranges run from 10 to 18 W. Even the lowest GTL coil on the list, a 0.3 ohm mesh, tops out at 40 W, half the maximum of the X80 and 40 per cent of the XC100's. In that setup the extra watts go unused.

Power becomes relevant again with the second kit, the Melo X, which takes the EC coil family, from 0.15 to 0.5 ohm on the references Eleaf lists, values typical of direct lung vaping. The sensible order is to choose the tank for your draw, then the mod for the battery life you want.

Older iStick models still on shop shelves

Several retailers still list references that Eleaf no longer puts at the front of its iStick series. The iStick T80 quotes 3000 mAh, 1 to 80 W and 158 g. The iStick i40 combines 2600 mAh, 1 to 40 W and variable wattage or voltage modes.

Older names such as the iStick 40W TC also still appear in UK listings. Check the full model name before ordering, because two iStick devices from different generations share neither the same kit tanks nor always the same type of battery.

FAQ

Five practical points come up again and again when ordering a mod from the brand, alongside the ranking itself.

What tank size applies to an Eleaf box mod bought in the UK? Two millilitres. iStick kits are made in several capacities for different markets, but UK rules cap a refillable tank at 2 ml and nicotine e-liquid at 20 mg/ml in bottles of no more than 10 ml. The 2 ml version of the GTL X or Melo X is the one that applies here.

Are GTL and EC coils interchangeable? Eleaf does not present them that way. The manufacturer lists the GTL X as compatible with the GTL family and the Melo X with the EC family, so it is the tank, not the mod, that decides which coils you reorder.

What is the RTA mode on the iStick X80 and XC100 for? It is aimed at rebuildable atomisers, where you build the coil yourself, as opposed to the standard Power mode. Eleaf explains how to enter it, with three clicks then a twist of the button, without detailing how it regulates output.

Can the software on an Eleaf box mod be updated? On some models, yes. Eleaf publishes firmware updates for the iStick X40 and for the X80 and XC100, installed from a Windows computer connected to the USB port of the mod. The X80 and XC100 page also describes a reset function if the device will not power on after an update.

Which Eleaf box mod for a first purchase? A built in battery avoids buying and handling a separate cell. The X40 and X80 in their GTL X kit suit that profile, since both ship with two GTL-D coils of 0.8 and 1.2 ohm designed for a tight draw.

Eleaf box mod, what to remember before you choose

The current iStick range is easier to read through its power source and tank than through its wattage. The X80 offers the best balance, the Power 2 the biggest energy reserve, the XC100 freedom over cells, the X40 simplicity and the Pico Plus the shortest body.

Before checking out, confirm the 2 ml tank, the coil family of the kit and the exact model name. Those three checks avoid most ordering mistakes on an Eleaf box mod, and the same grid works for comparing any box mod on the market.