Powered with a 18 650 battery, the Aster by Eleaf is characterized by its singular design, half way between conventional box mod and the tube. Dimensions are 91 mm in length, 23 mm in diameter and only 35.5 mm in depth. The result is a very light device (only 108 g) with a rounded side that perfectly fits in the palm of your hand and a Fire switch ideally placed under your thumb.
A great value
The battery lid is firmly maintained by two magnets. The overall product is well finished and seems to be designed for long-lasting use. The OLED display screen is on the front side, the narrowest facade of the box. It is not very large but readable, and surrounded by the “+” control, above, and the “-“, below. The micro-USB plug is on the same side, at the very bottom. It can be used to charge the battery or to update its firmware.
Technical characteristics of the Aster by Eleaf:
- Wattage 1 – 75 W
- OLED screen
- Plastic Fire switch (on et off by 5 quick press)
- Spring Loaded 510 Contact Pin
- Modes: VW/Bypass/Smart/TC (Ni, Ti, SS, TCR-M1, M2 and M3)
- Temperature Control: 100°C – 315°C
- Resistance: 0.1 – 3.5 ohm in Variable Wattage/Bypass Mode
- Resistance: 0.05 – 1.5 ohm in Temperature Control mode
- Micro USB Charging Port
- Battery: 18 650 (not included)
- Dimensions: 35.5 x 23 x 91 mm
- Material: Stainless steel, Pyrex and Delrin
- Weight: 108 g
- Colors: Black, Grey, Pink, White, Brushed steel
The package contains:
- Aster box
- USB/micro-USB cable
- User manual
Stylish design and performant chipset
Inside, the chipset is upgradeable and already benefited from two important updates. Several modes are available: Wattage, Bypass, Temperature control (Ni, Ti, SS and TCR). A Smart mode keeps in memory the power of 10 resistive wires, which could help when switching from an atomizer to another.
The firmware update V1.03 brings two innovations to all upgradeable Efeaf products. The information displayed on the OLED screen can be configured with new features like the check your total puffs or total vaping seconds.
More interesting is the the preheat function added by this upgrade. It sends a different power, generally higher, during the first few seconds before you inhale. It erases the slow ramp effect created by advanced wires like Clapton coils. To access this feature, switch it off and press at the same time “Fire” and “+” until TCR M1 is displayed. Then press three times on “Fire” and the Power is displayed on the screen. Set the power with the “+” and “-” and validate your choice with “Fire”. Then comes the duration selection with “+” and “-” before you validate with “Fire”. It finally is much more simple than it may appear from the paper.
In summary
The “+”:
- Compact
- Good manufacturing
- Complete and performant Chipset
- Stylish Design
- Ultra-usable
- Attractive price
- Light
The “-“:
- Small display
Conclusions
Rating 4.6/5. Sold at a very attractive price, the Aster by Eleaf doesn’t have evident flaws: Simple to use, well finished, very usable and of a beautiful design. Its upgradeable chipset is yet not as advanced as a Joyetech eVic VTwo Mini, for example, but its price is also lower. And for this price, Eleaf already offers a lot to experimented vapers.
