Aspire Zelos 3 vs Zelos M80 and Centaurus M120 S

Aspire bills the Aspire Zelos 3 as the legend of the starter kit, and it is still on sale next to newer models. Yet on the page for its Zelos range, the brand now lists the Zelos M80 first and the Zelos 3 last. Is it time to move to the newer generation, or to look at Lost Vape’s Centaurus M120 S, built on the same format? We compare battery, tank, adjustment modes and size, then give a verdict by profile.

Is the Aspire Zelos 3 still the right choice?

Yes, for a vaper starting out on a mouth-to-lung draw. The Aspire Zelos 3 keeps the larger battery of the two Aspire mods, 3200 mAh against 2600 mAh, the fuller set of modes, with a TCR option the M80 drops, and a kit supplied with a 1.8 ohm BVC coil designed for MTL. Its Nautilus 3 tank also keeps e-liquid out of the coil housing while you change coils.

The Zelos M80 suits anyone who would rather have a smaller body and lockable buttons. Lost Vape’s Centaurus M120 S offers 5500 mAh and a dedicated MTL mode, in exchange for a 97 mm tall mod.

Generation against generation, the table

The values come from the official Aspire and Lost Vape product pages. UK law, through the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016, caps any refillable tank at 2 ml, so the 4 ml tanks below are sold here in their 2 ml form.

Point	Aspire Zelos 3	Aspire Zelos M80	Lost Vape Centaurus M120 S
Battery	Built-in, 3200 mAh	Built-in, 2600 mAh	Built-in, 5500 mAh
Output	1 to 80 W	5 to 80 W	5 to 120 W
Modes	Wattage, voltage, bypass, TC, TCR, CPS	Wattage, voltage, bypass, TC, CPS	Power, Turbo, MTL
Resistance range of the mod	0.1 to 3.5 ohm	Not stated by Aspire	0.1 to 3 ohm
Screen	0.96 inch TFT	0.96 inch TFT, 8 brightness levels	1.47 inch TFT
Charging	USB-C, 2 A	USB-C, 2 A	USB-C, 5 V and 2 A
Mod dimensions	81 x 38 x 28 mm	74 x 35.3 x 25 mm	97 x 38 x 29.4 mm
Tank	Nautilus 3, 4 ml international	Nautilus 3SR, 4 ml international	Centaurus Nano MTL, 4 ml
Listed coils	BVC 1.8 ohm and 2S Mesh 0.7 ohm supplied	Nautilus range and Triton Mini	UB MTL 0.8 and 1.2 ohm
Button lock	Not detailed by Aspire	Fire and adjustment buttons	Not detailed by Lost Vape
Best suited to	MTL beginners	Experienced vapers after a smaller mod	High-wattage vapers

On the choice matrix on our home page, all three kits belong to the single-battery box family, since each runs on one cell and a separate tank. Their built-in battery simply takes away the option of swapping cells on the go.

Aspire Zelos 3 against the Zelos M80, what changes between generations

The M80 does not improve on the Zelos 3 across the board. Aspire mainly made a choice about size, paid for in capacity and made up for in the details.

A smaller battery in a more compact body

The M80 gives up 600 mAh, close to 19 % of the capacity. In return, its body is 7 mm shorter and gives up 2.7 mm and 3 mm on its other two measurements. Multiplying the three dimensions shows a body about 24 % smaller, a bigger gap than the one in battery size.

Both mods charge over USB-C at 2 A, and Aspire publishes no charging time for either of them.

Near-identical modes, one setting fewer on the M80

The Zelos 3 offers wattage, voltage, bypass, temperature control, TCR and CPS, from 1 to 80 W. The M80 keeps the same list without TCR and starts at 5 W. TCR lets you enter the temperature coefficient of a coil wire yourself, which only matters with coils made for temperature control. At a fixed wattage, the gap makes no difference.

Screen and lock

Both TFT screens measure 0.96 inch, the M80 one with eight brightness levels and two LED indicators offering six light effects. The M80 mainly adds a switch that locks the fire button and the adjustment keys against accidental presses in a bag, a lock the Zelos 3 page does not describe.

Nautilus 3 or Nautilus 3SR, two tanks for a tight draw

The tank matters as much as the mod in this match-up, because it sets the draw. Both take the Nautilus coil range, but they neither fill nor adjust in the same way.

The Nautilus 3 on the Zelos 3

The Nautilus 3 offers seven airflow settings, with holes from 0.8 to 3.0 mm across. It fills by sliding its top cap open, and its coil pushes into place. A valve stops e-liquid from running into the coil housing while you replace the coil.

The kit arrives with a 1.8 ohm BVC coil, rated at 10 to 14 W, and a 0.7 ohm 2S Mesh coil, at 20 to 25 W. Its 2 ml TPD version, the one that complies with UK rules, leaves out the spare glass that the 4 ml international kit adds to the box.

The Nautilus 3SR on the M80

The Nautilus 3SR adjusts its airflow through a ring at the base of the tank and fills from the top. Aspire declares it compatible with the Nautilus range and with the 1.8 ohm Triton Mini Clapton coil, rated at 13 to 16 W, a coil the Zelos 3 page does not mention.

Which Nautilus coil for your draw

Aspire publishes a range for every coil. For a tight draw, the 1.6 ohm BVC works from 7 to 11 W, the 1.8 ohm BVC from 10 to 14 W and the 1.0 ohm Mesh from 13 to 15 W. The two 0.7 ohm coils, Nautilus 2 and 2S Mesh, cover 18 to 25 W for a looser draw, while the 0.4 ohm 2S and the 0.3 ohm Mesh stop at 28 W.

On both Aspire mods, the 80 W ceiling is therefore headroom that the Nautilus range never uses.

Against the Lost Vape Centaurus M120 S, the same-format rival

The Centaurus M120 S follows the Zelos 3 recipe, a built-in battery mod paired with a tight-draw tank, and takes it further. Its 5500 mAh battery adds 2300 mAh, close to 72 % more capacity, for a body only about 26 % larger by volume. Measured against the size of the mod, its capacity beats the Zelos 3 by around 37 %.

The catch is height. The M120 S stands 97 mm tall, 16 mm more than the Zelos 3, and Lost Vape quotes 120 g for the mod alone. It takes a Centaurus Nano MTL tank with 0.8 and 1.2 ohm UB MTL coils, and its MTL mode adapts the wattage range to the coil resistance, according to the maker.

Its Power and Turbo modes reach 120 W, and a standard 510 connection accepts other tanks. If you would rather have a removable cell, the Zelos X80, the 18650 sibling in the same range, faces Innokin’s box in our single-battery match-up built around the Coolfire Z80.

Which kit suits which vaper

None of the three leads on every front. The choice depends on how much weight you give to battery, size and adjustment.

Beginners

The Aspire Zelos 3, for its 3200 mAh battery, its 1.8 ohm BVC coil ready for a tight draw and a Nautilus 3 that fills in one movement. Its advanced modes can wait, wattage mode is all you need to get started.

Experienced vapers

The Zelos M80, if you want a smaller mod, lockable buttons and the Triton Mini coil on top of the Nautilus range. An experienced vaper who runs temperature control with a custom coefficient will stay with the Zelos 3, the only one of the three with TCR.

High-wattage direct-lung vapers

The Centaurus M120 S, the only one of the three to reach 120 W, with a 510 connection that also takes a direct-lung tank. The two Aspire mods, whose Nautilus coils top out at 28 W, are not built for this profile.

FAQ

Answers to the questions that come up when you are weighing these three compact mods.

Do Zelos 3 coils work in the Zelos M80?

Yes. The 1.8 ohm BVC and 0.7 ohm 2S Mesh coils supplied with the Zelos 3 both appear on the compatibility list of the M80 Nautilus 3SR. Changing mod does not leave your coils stranded.

How many versions of the Zelos 3 kit are there?

Aspire lists four, a 4 ml standard version, a 2 ml TPD version and two CRC versions at 4 ml and 2 ml. The CRC versions come with a Nautilus 3 fitted with a safety cap.

What temperature range does the Zelos 3 cover?

Aspire quotes 100 to 315 °C, or 200 to 600 °F. The mode only works with a coil whose wire is designed for temperature control.

Why does the Centaurus M120 come in two versions?

Lost Vape makes the M120 S, with a 5500 mAh built-in battery, and the M120, which takes an external 21700 or 18650 cell. The second asks you to choose a cell suited to the wattage you run.

Does the Zelos M80 tank accept a metal tube?

Yes, Aspire presents the M80 as compatible with a metal tank tube. The Zelos 3 page does not list that option for the Nautilus 3.

Aspire Zelos 3, still a sound pick for a first MTL mod

Aspire’s M80 does not make the Zelos 3 obsolete. It trades 600 mAh for a more compact body, while the Centaurus M120 S bets on capacity and power.

For a first box kit with a tight draw, the Aspire Zelos 3 remains the most coherent choice of the three, with the M80 taking over if size matters more to you. From one generation to the next, compact built-in battery mods keep weighing energy reserve against bulk.

More match-ups

Written for adult readers only. Most vaping products contain nicotine, which is highly addictive, and nicotine vaping products may not be sold to anyone under 18 in the UK. This match-up places kits side by side and is not a buying recommendation.