Vaporesso Armour G vs Armour GS and OXVA VPrime 2

The Vaporesso Armour G shares most of its name with the Armour GS and almost exactly its height with the OXVA VPrime 2, just 0.12 mm apart. On a shop shelf the three pod mods look interchangeable. They are not. One needs a battery bought separately, another tops out at 60 W, and the third relies on its built-in cell. We set them against each other on four points, the power source, the pods and coils, usable wattage, then charging and handling.

Vaporesso Armour G, Armour GS or VPrime 2, which one wins

If you would rather not deal with removable cells, the Vaporesso Armour G is the most balanced of the three. It pairs a 3000 mAh built-in battery with a 5 to 80 W range and a pod that holds 2 ml in its UK form. It is also the only one of the trio offered in an MTL version, for a tight mouth-to-lung draw, alongside the DTL version for direct-to-lung vaping.

The Armour GS keeps the same power range and the same pod but swaps the internal battery for a removable 18650 cell, not included. The OXVA VPrime 2 carries the largest battery and the fastest charging, at the cost of a 60 W ceiling and a direct-lung draw only. Our call gives the Armour G to beginners and experienced vapers alike, the GS to high-wattage vapers and the VPrime 2 to anyone who wants draw activation.

The spec sheets side by side

Every figure below comes from the Vaporesso and OXVA product pages. In the UK, the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 cap the tank of a refillable device at 2 ml, so the larger international pods are not the ones you will find here.

Point	Armour G	Armour GS	OXVA VPrime 2
Power source	3000 mAh built-in battery	One 18650, not included	3400 mAh built-in battery
Output	5 to 80 W	5 to 80 W	5 to 60 W
Pod in the UK	2 ml	2 ml	2 ml
Coils in the box	GTX 0.2 and 0.4 ohm (DTL), 0.6 and 0.4 ohm (MTL)	GTX 0.15 and 0.3 ohm	Dual Mesh 0.4 and 0.6 ohm
Airflow	Top, four settings	Top, four settings	Side, adjustable
Firing	Button	Button	Button or draw
Screen	0.96 inch TFT	0.96 inch TFT	0.98 inch colour screen
Charging	USB-C, 5 V and 2 A	USB-C, 5 V and 2 A	USB-C, 5 V and 3 A
Dimensions	113 x 38 x 28 mm	126 x 39 x 28 mm	113.12 x 41.2 x 27.7 mm
Best suited to	Beginners and experienced vapers	High-wattage vapers	Fans of draw activation

On the choice matrix on our home page, all three belong to the AIO family, the all-in-one format where the pod clicks into the body of the device. Its removable cell only brings the Armour GS closer to a single-battery box on the battery life slider.

What the Vaporesso Armour G gains from a built-in battery

Vaporesso calls the Armour G cell a Mega Batt and says it holds a steady output from 100 % down to 10 % charge. On the Armour GS, that behaviour depends on whichever 18650 you fit. The body grows by 13 mm to house it, 126 mm against 113 mm.

That flexibility makes you responsible for the cell. At 80 W, a nearly flat cell at around 3.2 V behind a circuit running at 90 % efficiency draws 80 ÷ (3.2 × 0.9), or roughly 27.8 A. Pick an 18650 whose continuous discharge rating, as published by its maker, covers that figure. With the supplied 0.3 ohm coil, rated at 32 to 45 W, the same sum tops out at 15.6 A.

Carry the spare in a plastic battery case rather than loose next to keys, because a short across its terminals can make it heat up fast. A torn wrap means the cell should be replaced. The same trade-off between a removable cell and a sealed battery runs through our Voopoo Drag X3 match-up against pod mods from other brands, where the 21700 format joins in.

The OXVA VPrime 2 goes the other way, with 400 mAh more than the Armour G, a 13.3 % larger reserve, and 5 V and 3 A charging that OXVA says reaches 50 % in 20 minutes.

Pods and coils, two different approaches

Draw depends on the pod far more than on the device. Both Vaporesso models share a replaceable coil platform, while the VPrime 2 sticks with its own cartridges.

The GTX platform on both Armour models

The Armour G and GS use the same pod, filled and vented from the top, with four airflow settings. It takes every GTX coil. Vaporesso suggests 60 to 75 W for the 0.15 ohm, 45 to 60 W for the 0.2 ohm, 32 to 45 W for the 0.3 ohm, 26 to 32 W for the 0.4 ohm and 20 to 26 W for the 0.6 ohm, with the 0.8 and 1.2 ohm listed as compatible.

The box contents settle the matter. The DTL Armour G ships with 0.2 and 0.4 ohm coils, the MTL version with a 0.6 and a 0.4 ohm plus a DTL drip tip. Vaporesso only lists the Armour GS in a DTL version, with 0.15 and 0.3 ohm coils. Kitted out for high wattage from the start, the GS is aimed first at high-wattage vaping.

The VPrime 2 Dual Mesh cartridges

The VPrime 2 comes with two Dual Mesh cartridges, 0.4 and 0.6 ohm, each holding 2 ml in the compliant kit. Its side airflow turns in one movement from a restricted direct-lung draw to the most open DTL setting. OXVA describes no true MTL position, which rules it out for mouth-to-lung vapers.

Power, firing and settings in the hand

The VPrime 2 ceiling of 60 W only matters if you chase very high wattage. On the GTX platform used by the two Armour models, only the 0.15 ohm coil, rated at 60 to 75 W, asks for more than that.

Firing sets the devices further apart. The Armour models fire from a button, driven on the Armour G by Vaporesso’s AXON chip and Neo Pulse mode. The VPrime 2 lets you choose between the button and draw activation, which starts heating as soon as you inhale, and adds BOOST and ECO modes, the latter meant to spare the battery and the cartridge. In the hand, the Armour G stands out with a covering taken from car seat upholstery.

Our verdict for each type of vaper

None of the three crushes the other two. The right pick depends on your draw, the wattage you vape at and how much patience you have for battery care.

Beginners

The MTL Armour G takes it. It arrives ready to go with its 0.6 ohm coil and no battery to buy, and the GTX platform later opens the door to the 0.8 or 1.2 ohm for a tighter draw. The VPrime 2, limited to direct-lung vaping, is a less natural first device.

Experienced vapers

In its DTL version, the Vaporesso Armour G remains the best compromise, with its 0.2 and 0.4 ohm coils and a GTX range that covers most tastes. The VPrime 2 will tempt the experienced vaper who likes draw activation and stays under 60 W.

High-wattage direct-lung vapers

The Armour GS, supplied with 0.15 and 0.3 ohm GTX coils built for high wattage. In return, it asks you to choose an 18650 whose continuous discharge rating covers the 27.8 A worked out above, and to keep an eye on it.

FAQ

Five questions that come up often among readers torn between these three devices.

How do you lock the Armour G for transport?

Vaporesso fits the Armour G with a dedicated button that locks and unlocks the device, to stop it firing by accident in a bag or pocket. On the VPrime 2, a side slide switch does the same job.

Does the VPrime 2 take the original VPrime cartridges?

Yes. OXVA states that all VPrime cartridges are compatible, including the empty cartridge that takes 0.4 or 0.6 ohm replacement coils. Just make sure you buy the 2 ml version sold in the UK.

Why do some listings quote 5 ml or 6 ml?

Those capacities belong to international versions, 5 ml for the Armour pod and 6 ml for the VPrime 2 Dual Mesh cartridge. They cannot be sold as refillable tanks in the UK, where the limit is 2 ml.

Which e-liquids suit the VPrime 2?

OXVA says its cartridges accept both nicotine salts and freebase e-liquids. In the UK, nicotine e-liquid is capped at 20 mg/ml and sold in bottles of 10 ml or less, whichever type you choose.

Should you wait before vaping on a new coil?

Yes, a few minutes after the first fill. The cotton needs to soak through, otherwise the first puff heats dry wick and leaves a lasting burnt taste. Starting at the low end of the suggested wattage also helps the coil last.

Vaporesso Armour G, the pick of the trio with no cell to manage

The Armour G does not win every line of the table. It gives the bigger battery to the VPrime 2 and the swappable cell to the GS, but brings together a maintenance-free built-in battery, a widely used coil platform and two draw options.

For a tight or moderate draw, choose the Vaporesso Armour G, and move to the GS if you vape at higher wattage and are happy to look after cells. Pod mods keep swinging between built-in batteries and removable cells, and each generation shifts that balance a little.

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.