Kiwi Vapor, the beginner's guide to the Kiwi pen
Type Kiwi Vapor into a search bar and you get shop listings, brand pages and kits with near-identical names. The Italian brand has released two generations of pen-style devices that look alike but take different pods, and retailers use the names loosely. Buying the wrong kit or refill is easy. This guide sorts out the names, then walks you through setting the pen up.
Kiwi Vapor in short, a no-settings pod with a tight draw
Behind the Kiwi Vapor name sit the Kiwi pens, from a brand founded in Italy in 2019 according to the shops that sell it. Both generations share one idea: a 400 mAh pen, a 1.8 ml pod you fill yourself, and a power bank, an external battery that the pen attaches to magnetically.
The Kiwi 2 pen has no buttons and fires when you draw on it. Retailers class the range as mouth to lung (MTL), a tight draw close to the feel of a cigarette.
Our view is simple. For a beginner who wants that draw with nothing to adjust, the Kiwi is a coherent, well-finished choice. If you are after big clouds, a kit with swappable coils such as the Innokin Gozee will suit you better.
Kiwi Pen, Starter Kit or Kiwi 2, which one are you looking at
The brand, then the shops, reused the same words for different devices, so three names cover only two generations.
The first-generation Kiwi, sold as a Kiwi Pen or a Starter Kit
The original model, which the manufacturer now calls KIWI 1, is the one UK listings centre on. Sold on its own it is the Kiwi Pen, and paired with its 1450 mAh power bank it becomes the Kiwi Starter Kit. Output is fixed between 10 and 13 watts, and its 1.8 ml pods carry a 1.2 ohm mesh coil (a flat heating grid rather than a wound wire).
The Kiwi 2, the newer generation
Sold as the Kiwi 2 Starter Kit, the Kiwi 2 keeps the same layout with an 1800 mAh power bank, an aluminium alloy body and 1.8 ml pods fitted with a 0.8 ohm mesh coil. It is the model the brand now puts forward on its own website.
| Kiwi 1 | Kiwi 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pen battery | 400 mAh | 400 mAh |
| Power bank | 1450 mAh | 1800 mAh |
| Pod capacity | 1.8 ml | 1.8 ml |
| Coil | 1.2 ohm, mesh | 0.8 ohm, mesh |
| Replacement pods | pack of 3 | pack of 2 |
| Charging | USB-C | USB-C |
Both pods sit under the 2 ml UK cap on refillable tanks, so nothing is cut down for the British market. The brand also sells the Kiwi Spark and prefilled devices (Air, GO+), which this guide does not cover. When you buy replacements, choose the pods named after your model, and check the exact reference of any prefilled capsule sold as compatible, since the manufacturer files those under the Air and GO+.
What comes in the box, and what you will need to buy again
The UK Starter Kit listing includes the power bank, pen, a refillable pod, a plastic drip tip (a rigid mouthpiece), a cotton tip, a USB-C cable, a wall plug and a manual. The brand lists the Kiwi 2 Starter Kit with the pen, power bank, pod, drip tip, cotton tip and USB-C cable. Neither box contains e-liquid, so have a bottle ready.
The drip tip rinses clean, while the cotton tip is replaced rather than washed.
Two consumables come back: pods, which the brand says should be replaced after 15 refills, or 27 ml of e-liquid if you fill completely each time, and cotton tips, sold separately and included in pairs with Kiwi 2 pod packs.
A pen with no buttons, and why that suits a beginner
The Kiwi 2 pen has no screen and no buttons, and a published review describes it with no power or airflow adjustment. On the first-generation kit, UK retailers list both wattage and airflow as fixed. That removes the setting mistakes of the first weeks. According to the brand, light vibrations during each draw confirm that the pen is firing.
The trade-off is plain. You get the draw the manufacturer chose, and cannot open it up if it feels too tight. Only the mouthpiece, drip tip or cotton tip, is left to choose. For a first device, having nothing to knock out of adjustment is a strength.
The power bank, charging without hunting for a socket
On the Kiwi 2, the power bank doubles as a stand and charger, holding the pen magnetically. Its 1800 mAh cell can recharge the pen up to four times in a row, and the brand quotes 96 hours of autonomy for the pair, a figure that will vary with use.
The power bank itself charges over USB-C, and a touch button next to its indicator lights shows how much charge is left.
Filling a Kiwi Vapor pod for the first time
Setting up a Kiwi Vapor pen takes a few minutes. The only risk is rushing, as a new pod with dry cotton tastes burnt.
- Find the filling port on the side of the Kiwi 2 pod, protected by a safety closure.
- Fill slowly, without going past 1.8 ml, then close it.
- Wait at least five minutes, the brand's instruction for a new pod, so the cotton can soak through.
- Fit the pod into the pen and add the mouthpiece of your choice.
- Draw slowly and steadily, without sharp pulls.
After that, refill as soon as the pen signals a low level, since a coil heated dry is damaged for good.
E-liquid and nicotine strength under UK rules
With a 0.8 or 1.2 ohm coil and a tight draw, the Kiwi needs fairly thin liquids. Retailers advise no more than 50% vegetable glycerine (VG), so a 50/50 or a mix richer in propylene glycol (PG). A liquid that is too thick soaks the cotton poorly and gives dry puffs.
The pen takes freebase nicotine as well as nicotine salts, often described as smoother on the throat. UK rules cap nicotine e-liquid at 20 mg/ml in bottles of no more than 10 ml, and nicotine vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. Nicotine salts are most often sold at 10 and 20 mg/ml, and a specialist shop can help you choose.
Week one mistakes with a Kiwi Vapor pen
On a Kiwi Vapor pen, the most common mistake is vaping straight after the first fill, without the five-minute wait the brand asks for.
The second is buying the wrong pods, since Kiwi 1 and Kiwi 2 pods hold the same 1.8 ml but carry different coils.
The third is drawing hard and short, as on a cigarette, when a slow draw gives the coil time to heat the liquid.
If you are unsure about the format, holding one in a shop tells you more about size and draw than any listing, whether at home or in a Paris shop while travelling.
FAQ
Does the Kiwi work with nicotine-free e-liquid? Yes. The manufacturer describes its pens as devices that vaporise liquids with or without nicotine. The thickness advice stays the same, with 50% VG at most.
What do five blue flashes on the pen mean? That is the low-liquid alert on the Kiwi 2. The blue light flashes five times and the pen vibrates to tell you the pod is almost empty, so it is time to refill.
How long does the Kiwi 2 pen take to charge? The brand quotes a full charge in under an hour through the magnetic connection of the power bank.
Can the power bank charge another device? Yes, according to the manufacturer. Its USB-C port can power other devices, such as a phone or a second Kiwi pen, which leaves less energy for your own pen.
Does the Kiwi 2 contain nickel? Yes. The manufacturer states that it contains nickel, a metal that can cause allergic reactions, so anyone sensitive to it should check this before buying.
Kiwi Vapor, a simple first pod if the draw suits you
The Kiwi ticks the boxes that matter to a beginner: nothing to adjust, a power bank that recharges the pen on the move, and easy-to-identify consumables once you know your model. Its limit is the draw, tight and fixed.
Before you buy, check the generation, which decides your pods, and try the tight draw in a shop if you can.
Chosen and primed properly, a Kiwi Vapor pen is among the simplest pods to get to grips with. The rest of the site covers other formats, so you can compare before settling on a first kit.
Editorial content for adults aged 18 or over. Nicotine vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance. This article is not a purchase recommendation.