The Best Mods For Arctic Fox Firmware

eLeaf made proper mods accessible to the masses with the iStick family of devices. The iSticks have been catering more to the entry-level and not-too-demanding vaper. They’ve long been favorites among those who vape Mouth To Lung with pre-made coils on something like a Nautilus.

The Pico sub-family of iSticks has been going strong for over three years now. The first, "plain" Pico, which you might also meet as iStick Pico 75W, remains a cult favorite. It’s a trustworthy little banger, too, with many people swearing theirs still works after years of serving them flavorful vapor.

There are many mods in the Pico sub-family. However, our choice would have to be the very first Pico 75W that you can still find almost everywhere. We’d pick it over the alternatives purely because we’ve never heard or read a single negative comment about its trustworthiness and sturdiness.

Not everything’s rosy, though. Being tiny and cute doesn’t only make it a lousy option for image-conscious Death Metal fans, but also for using atomizers larger than 22mm. That’s the max you can use on it, and even that’s pushing it, for their airflow might be semi-obstructed by its battery cap.

This very battery cap is also a weak point for some users, but the problem’s even more pronounced with the Pico 25. Many swear theirs remains in pristine condition, but we’ve read stories of failed threads. One out of two units I’m personally using (both Pico 25s) also started displaying the problem. Still, some of the most popular atomizers released within the last two years were over 22mm in diameter. This makes the Pico 25 the only viable choice among its siblings for use with most modern tanks. That is, except if you go for the similarly sized 21700.

Although you probably won’t find it on store shelves, you might locate a Pico 21700 at clearance sales. There’s not much to say about the specific model. You can think of it as a hybrid between the Pico and Pico 25. It’s built with the same unibody approach as the first Pico, with fewer plastics than the Pico 25. But it’s also larger, like the Pico 25, to accommodate 21700 cells for longer uptimes. The increased size also means it can take larger atomizers than the smallest member of the family.

ArcticFox’s creators realized that eLeaf, Joyetech, and Wismec were different sub-brands of the same company, sharing the same tech in their devices. At its center was a programmable Nuvoton micro-controller that acted as what most vapers know as “their mod’s chip.” By creating a “global” firmware that could work on this Nuvoton chip, the NFE Team practically gave us an unofficial upgrade for almost all devices released by those three companies within the last three years.

If you’re vaping over 40W on a single-cell mod, you’ll probably have to recharge or swap your battery sometime during the day. Dual cell mods are a better option for those who prefer vaping at a high wattage. They might even get you through the day! At least, if your upper power limit’s 80W. Go over that, and it’s the same story again.

Thus, if you like thick and fluffy clouds at a wattage close to or over 100W, you have two options: accept that you’ll have to recharge again during the day (and maybe carry spare cells when out and around), or change the way you vape. That’s why Wismec unleashed the first Reuleaux as the solution to the problem.

Turning the dial to 11, the first Reuleaux was a bulky and heavy mod targeting primarily high-wattage vapers with its three cells. Yes, you’ve read that correctly: three cells. Up until today, Wismec’s RX line of mods remains the best choice for everyone who wants more uptime than two cells can provide.

As for negatives, excluding the Reuleax line’s size and heft, each model had some different drawbacks. They all have a merely good 510 connector that can fail in the (very) long run (if you often swap atomizers). They’re all prone to leaks, with juice finding its way inside (and, eventually, frying their board) through the 510 connector and buttons. It was harder to replace the cells in the first models, and the process could damage their wraps.

However, all those problems also depend on how you’re using the device, and some are mostly preventable. We’d like it to have a better 510 connector on which you could swap tanks all day long, but most people don’t spend their time changing atomizers just for fun. Damage from leaks is preventable as long as you take care of your gear and treat it as an electronic device instead of a sponge. And that’s how many people are still using the very first RX200 they bought years ago. If you accept that and want to vape at a high wattage without needing to recharge or swap cells mid-day, Wismec’s Reuleaux mods are the way to go.

Note that the first RX200 was initially released in two versions, one of which rocked a DNA chip. That one’s rare (and discontinued) by now, but if it happens to be the one you have, it’s incompatible with ArcticFox. Plus, there’d be no reason to use it: you already have something just as good, if not better. Remember, ArcticFox tries to make lesser mods perform like one with a DNA board, not the other way around.

Ah, the good, old, trusty Cuboid. A line of mods that Joyetech never decided how to market, with many devices sharing the same name (and underlying tech), despite looking vastly different.

Out of all of them, the ones we suggest you choose for ArcticFox are the older "plain" Cuboid and Cuboid 200 versions. Which one you’ll go for depends on their availability where you live.

The "plain" Cuboid is a boxy two-cell mod with a large screen. It feels like a mix between Smok ‘s Alien and the VTC Mini. The Cuboid 200 is slimmer but wider to accommodate three cells inside. Both look serious, classy, and have excellent build quality.

Both also share the same problems with their relatives in this list of ours: they have a sub-optimal 510 connector, and they’re prone to damage from leaking. That’s even more true for the Cuboid 200, which has its screen directly next to its 510 connector, where it’s easy to get soaked in juice.

As with the rest of the mods, though, we mention those "problems" purely because we want to be factual. Other mods from other companies share the same "problems." Don’t overdo it swapping atomizers for no reason, don’t let them soak in juice, and they can last you years.

Unfortunately, the newer Cuboids introduce some hardware tweaks, like a different screen, that NFE Team wouldn’t be worth the time to support. The only other officially supported model is the Cuboid Mini, which we wouldn’t suggest you choose because of its internal battery. Not being able to replace the battery means that when it dies, you’ll have to replace the mod itself. If that’s no problem for you, though, by all means, go for it!

One of the newer dual-cell devices you can use with ArcticFox, eLeaf’s iKonn has the same form factor popularized by Smok’s Alien. It’s small, light, fits in your palm, and is a joy to hold. It also has a similar firing side-bar and bottom battery door.

The iKonn 220 can be described as a dual-cell iStick Pico shoved in a Smok Alien-like body. Its screen is a larger version of what every other iStick mod comes with and uses the same menu system by default (until you flash ArcticFox on it).

It’s also an excellent option for fans of large atomizers, supporting up to 28mm width without overhang. Plus, large atomizers usually translate to equally large coils, and the iKonn 220 is more than capable of powering them. As its name implies, it can output up to 220W of power, although even two high-amp cells won’t be able to make it through the day when vaping that high.

Except for the connector and leakage problems it shares with its siblings, there haven’t been any significant problems reported about the iKonn 220. The only criticism some have about it is that it’s too "plasticky" for their liking compared to some fully metal slabs available on the market. Admittedly it is, but unlike them, it can run ArcticFox – and that’s why it’s here instead of them.

OK, yes, this option is discontinued, and you’ll also probably not be able to find it anywhere. Theoretically, there’s no point in us including the Elitar Pipe among our choices. But how could we ignore the only ArcticFox-compatible mod ever released for fans of Lord of the Rings or Sherlock Holmes?! You see, as its name clearly states, this mod by eLeaf was the closest equivalent to a pipe. The Elitar Pipe mimics a pipe’s shape, but that’s where all the pros end.