SMOK Nord 4 Review

A complete review of the SMOK Nord 4!

Feel and Design

The SMOK Nord 4 is a handsome looking device. Slightly larger than the previous Nords— on account of a larger internal battery — the design is sleek and understated. The build quality is sturdy, and with a weight of 115gs, it feels comfortable in hand with a nice grip. It’s a light and compact device but never feels flimsy or cheap.

The fire button has solid action and feels like it should last a long time. The Nord 4 comes with a compact side 0.69” OLED display and wattage output adjustment buttons that are small but substantial. Most of this will be familiar to anyone who used the Nord 2 or Nord X systems, with Nord taking a if it’s not broke, don’t fix it approach.

One noticeable upgrade is the inclusion of two adjustable air-inlet rings on either side of the device. They’re designed to look something like a steering wheel and can be rotated to allow an airy vape suitable for its higher wattage capabilities.

Another change from the Nord X is that it doesn’t come with the tri-proof design that promised water, dust and shockproof protection. Despite this, it feels reasonably indestructible and could easily survive a few clumsy moments due to its protective casing.

Overall this has the look and feel of a device that should last for a long time. Despite a slightly larger size, this mod remains very compact and can be easily carried around in a pocket.

It comes in eight different colours for the standard device: Blue Grey Armor, Red Grey Armor, Rasta Green Armor, 7-colour Armor, Black Armor, White Armor, Fluid 7-colour and Fluid Black Grey.

While the leather series comes with four options of Brown, Red, Blue and Black.

Does the Nord 4 Taste Good?

The aforementioned air-inlet rings are a welcome new addition that gives the Nord 4 more versatility over previous iterations. Users can switch between a much tighter draw or something a little airier, depending on their preferences. With RPM and RPM2 pods capable of housing a range of sub-ohm or high resistance coils, versatility is this mod’s most significant plus point.

SMOK Nord 4 Pods and Coils​

The kit comes with two different RPM pods. Both designs will be familiar to anyone who has used the Nord X, with a sleek, contoured mouthpiece that feels nicely inside the lips. They hold a maximum of 2ml of liquid in the tank and are easily refillable by popping the pod off and unsealing the rubber plug.

The pods are held in place on the device with magnets, and overall the design is secure with a comfortable fit. They click back into place quickly and securely, so there should be no worries that they’d come loose from rolling around in a bag or pocket. Even if they did detach somehow, the plug is fastened well, so it’s unlikely to leak or spill.

Nord RPM pod
The RPM mesh 0.16ohm coil is an excellent direct-to-lung vaping choice. This coil is better for intense flavours and dense vapour at around 25-50W. I found that about 35W worked best for me.

Nord RPM2 pod
The RPM mesh 0.4ohm coil makes this pod suitable for mouth to lung (MTL) vaping. If you like a more gentle throat hit, this is a good choice. While Nord recommends a maximum of around 25W for this one, for me, it tasted best about 15W.

One downside with these pods is that the plastic is not as transparent as glass. Knowing how much liquid you have left, or how close the pod is to being full, isn’t obvious. Even when holding them up against a light source, it wasn’t always clear — which could lead to overfilling or unnecessarily burning the coils when the juice gets too low. For me, this is an example of aesthetics over function. Sure, a clearer plastic just wouldn’t look as good, but, as they say, looks aren’t everything.

How Good Is the SMOK Nord 4 Battery?​

The Nord 4 comes with a larger battery than its predecessors. A 2000mAh Internal means this device has an output of around 80W. Although, even when using the 0.16 resistance coil with a high percentage VG liquid, I can’t imagine firing it up past about 40-50 watts. The battery charges quickly and holds around 6-8hrs of charge even when used extensively. It’s suitable for trips out of the house and should last most vapers for a full day if they’re not hammering away at it too much.

Charging​

Similar to most of this generation of devices, the Nord 4 comes with a Type-C USB cable. It has a direct passthrough, so the device can be vaped while plugged in and charging — which is always a welcome feature.

The standard and leather version come with different max charging speeds. Standard has 1.1A max current, with the leather coming in at 1.4A max current for a slightly speedier charge.

Summary

I really like this device. It’s lightweight and portable but never feels cheap or brittle. The design is rugged and sturdy, and it could easily survive the bumps and bruises that happen when you’re on the go. The air-inlets significantly update previous models to give users a bit more control over vaping preferences.

Over recent years, vapers have been spoiled for choice for well-built devices that are perfect for nicotine salts and freebase liquids — and the Nord series is among the very best of them. A good taste and battery life, along with a nice feel and aesthetically pleasing design, make this a perfect choice for new and long-time vapers.

It’s easy to use and refill and comes with a versatile range of pods that can house both sub-ohm and high resistance coils. The only downside is the not transparent enough filling tank that can leave you guessing exactly how much liquid you have.

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