Armour G, choosing the coil and the nicotine strength

A 3000 mAh battery, up to 80 W, two pod versions and seven compatible coil values. The Armour G from Vaporesso covers such a wide range that the same bottle can feel too light or too heavy depending on the coil fitted in the pod. Published reviews cover the screen, the battery and the flavour, far less often the liquid that goes into it. Yet that is where the comfort of each puff is decided. Which nicotine strength and which ratio suit each set-up?

Armour G, the coil decides the liquid

On the Armour G, it is the GTX coil fitted in the pod that points to the nicotine strength and the ratio, far more than the battery. With the 0.6 ohm coil pre-installed in the MTL version (mouth to lung, where vapour is drawn into the mouth first), rated at 20 to 26 W, the draw stays tight and a 50/50 liquid from a 10 ml bottle fits well, in nic salt or freebase form.

The 0.4 ohm coil, rated at 26 to 32 W, raises the vapour volume, and the strength benchmark drops a step. With the coils of the DTL version, from 0.3 ohm and up to 75 W, you move into direct lung vaping, inhaled straight into the lungs in one breath, which calls for a liquid richer in glycerine and a low strength.

These pairings place each set-up in the table from our note on nicotine strength and the device that carries it. The lower the resistance and the higher the wattage, the more vapour the device produces, and the lower the strength needs to be for a comparable result.

What comes in the Armour G box

Before talking liquid, it helps to know what is in the box, because the version bought decides which coils come with it. Technical details in this article come from Vaporesso’s official product page, cross-checked against retailer listings and published reviews.

Two pod versions, two draws

Two versions of the kit exist, MTL and DTL. The MTL version ships with an MTL pod, a pre-installed 0.6 ohm GTX coil, a spare 0.4 ohm coil and a DTL drip tip. The DTL version ships with a DTL pod, a pre-installed 0.2 ohm coil and a spare 0.4 ohm coil.

Listed at 5 ml, the pod fills from the top. A 2 ml TPD version of the DTL pod also exists, a detail missing from the most visible reviews. TPD refers to the EU Tobacco Products Directive, and UK rules keep the same 2 ml limit on refillable tanks and pods, so the 2 ml version is the one that matches them. Airflow sits on top of the pod, with four adjustment levels.

Battery, screen and modes

The built-in 3000 mAh battery delivers 5 to 80 W in a body measuring 113 x 38 x 28 mm. A 0.96 inch TFT screen shows the settings, and charging runs through a USB-C port at 5 V and 2 A. Published reviews list three modes, Smart, Eco and Pulse, the last of these in a Neo Pulse version described as stronger than the original Pulse mode.

Seven GTX coils and their strength benchmarks

The GTX range runs from 0.15 to 1.2 ohm, and it gives the Armour G its unusually wide spread of uses. The table lists the wattage ranges given by the manufacturer, then places each value against the strength benchmarks used in this notebook.

GTX coil	Rated wattage	Draw	Notebook strength benchmark	Most common ratio
1.2 ohm	8 to 12 W	Tight (MTL)	10 to 20 mg/ml	50/50
0.8 ohm	12 to 16 W	Tight (MTL)	6 to 12 mg/ml	50/50
0.6 ohm	20 to 26 W	Tight to restricted	6 to 12 mg/ml	50/50
0.4 ohm	26 to 32 W	Restricted (RDL, in between)	3 to 6 mg/ml	50/50 to 40/60
0.3 ohm	32 to 45 W	Direct lung (DL)	0 to 3 mg/ml	High glycerine
0.2 ohm	45 to 60 W	Direct lung (DL)	0 to 3 mg/ml	High glycerine
0.15 ohm	60 to 75 W	Direct lung (DL)	0 to 3 mg/ml	High glycerine

These benchmarks are starting points, not instructions. In the UK, nicotine e-liquid is capped at 20 mg/ml and sold in bottles of no more than 10 ml, which is why the top of the table stops there. The benchmarks mainly help avoid the two most common mismatches, a strong bottle on a low resistance coil, or a very light bottle on a high resistance coil with a tight draw.

The MTL kit catch, two coils below 1 ohm

Our notebook draws the line between tight draw and sub-ohm vaping, the term for any coil below 1 ohm, at around 1 ohm. Both coils supplied with the Armour G MTL, 0.6 and 0.4 ohm, already sit below it. The MTL pod narrows the airflow, but a power range of 20 to 32 W produces more vapour than a small conventional pod.

In practice, a bottle chosen for a compact pod with a high resistance coil can come across noticeably stronger in the Armour G, even in its MTL version. One published review also notes that the 0.4 ohm coil is a poor match for MTL use and that higher values suit it better.

For a properly tight draw, the route is the 0.8 ohm GTX coil (12 to 16 W) or the 1.2 ohm one (8 to 12 W), listed as compatible but not included in the box. Those two values are where the highest strengths in the table keep their meaning.

Nic salts or freebase in the Armour G

The form of nicotine matters as much as the figure on the label. Nic salts give a smoother throat feel at the same strength, which explains their place on tight, moderate power set-ups where higher strengths stay readable.

On the low resistance coils of the DTL version, vapour volume changes the picture. A strong nic salt delivers a lot of nicotine with each puff there, and low strength freebase remains the more coherent choice. Our comparison of nic salts and freebase sets out how the two forms differ.

Matching the PG/VG ratio to the pod

Propylene glycol carries flavour and throat feel, while vegetable glycerine thickens both the liquid and the vapour. On the MTL pod with a coil of 0.6 ohm or higher, 50/50 remains the most widespread balance.

Once the coil drops to 0.3 ohm or lower, a liquid richer in glycerine handles the vapour volume better and softens the throat. The 0.4 ohm coil sits between the two and takes a 50/50 or a 40/60. Our note on the PG/VG ratio and nicotine explains why the ratio changes the feel at an identical strength.

After a coil change, judge the liquid before the strength

The Armour G encourages trying several coils, and that is often when a liquid suddenly seems too strong or too flat. Nothing has changed in the bottle, the set-up simply produces more or less vapour.

The notebook method comes down to three steps. Set the wattage within the range given for the new coil, keep the same liquid long enough to judge it, then adjust the strength by a single step only if the result does not suit. Writing down each combination, coil, wattage, strength and ratio, makes it easy to find again later.

FAQ

These questions come up in searches around the Armour G, on the pod, the coil and upkeep, points the manual does not always settle.

Which replacement pod fits the Armour G?

The Armour G Series pods, usually sold in packs of two. Retailer listings describe them as compatible with the Armour G and with the Armour GS, the version that runs on an external 18650 cell instead of a built-in battery.

How do you change the coil on the Armour G?

Take the pod off the battery, pull out the used GTX coil and push in the new one, after placing a few drops of liquid on the exposed cotton. Once the pod is filled, set the new coil within its own wattage range.

How is the Armour G charged?

Through the USB-C port, with a charging current of 5 V and 2 A. No charging time is published, and a USB-C cable comes in the box.

Can the MTL version switch to direct lung vaping?

The DTL drip tip supplied with the MTL version opens the draw a little. True direct lung vaping needs the separate DTL pod, the one fitted to the DTL version of the kit, with the lower resistance GTX coils.

How do you fill the Armour G pod?

From the top, without removing the coil. With a new coil, it is worth letting the cotton soak for several minutes before the first puff, as with any coil, to avoid a burnt taste.

Armour G, set the coil before choosing the strength

One kit, two pods and a coil range that runs from a tight draw to direct lung vaping, that is what makes choosing a liquid trickier than it looks. Start with the coil, then the wattage, then the ratio, and pick the strength last to avoid most badly matched bottles.

Choosing a liquid for the Armour G therefore means reading the resistance before the label on the bottle. It is the same logic that runs through this whole notebook, where the device and the nicotine strength are set together.

Further reading

• Nicotine strength and the device that carries it
• Nic salts or freebase, how the two forms differ
• PG/VG and nicotine, the ratio moves the throat hit

Editorial content for adult readers only. Vaping products can contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. Nicotine vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. Nothing here is a purchasing recommendation or a recommended nicotine strength.