SMOK RPM 5 Pro Vape Kit Matte Gunmetal

Overview

The SMOK RPM 5 Pro Vape Kit Matte Gunmetal by Smok in Matte Gunmetal at 0mg. Free UK delivery over £20, same-day dispatch on weekday orders before 4pm.

Overview: what the SMOK RPM 5 Pro vape kit is

The SMOK RPM 5 Pro is a refillable pod-mod kit for vapers who want more output than a slim starter device can give, without stepping up to a full mod and a separate tank. It belongs to SMOK's RPM line, the brand's long-running family of pod-mod handsets, and the Pro model is defined by a handful of headline figures: adjustable power up to 80 watts, an integrated 2000mAh battery, USB-C charging, and a pod that you fill yourself from an ordinary bottle of e-liquid. This page explains what those figures mean in daily use so you can decide whether the kit suits you before you buy.

A pod-mod sits between two other kinds of device. It is more flexible than a closed pod system, because you choose the wattage, you choose the replaceable coil and you choose the e-liquid. It is also simpler than a tank-and-mod setup, because the pod, coil and airflow come as one unit and the battery is sealed inside the handset, so there is no loose cell to buy, insert or wrap. For people moving away from smoking, or away from single-use devices, that middle ground is often where they settle.

The timing matters for UK buyers. Since 1 June 2025 the sale of single-use vapes has been banned across the UK, which is why so many people have moved to reusable hardware. The RPM 5 Pro is a reusable, refillable kit, so it is unaffected by that ban. The usual UK limits do apply to everything you put in it: nicotine e-liquid is capped at 20mg/ml (2%), refillable pods and tanks are limited to 2ml in capacity, and nicotine e-liquid bottles are limited to 10ml. UK-market kits are supplied with a pod that respects the 2ml limit, even though you may see larger-capacity pods quoted in overseas listings for the same handset.

What you can normally expect in the box:

• The RPM 5 Pro handset with the battery built in
• A refillable pod sized for UK sale
• A replacement-style coil fitted or supplied with the kit (check the stamp on the coil for its resistance)
• A USB-C charging cable
• A quick start card and warranty paperwork

Contents can vary slightly between batches and colour finishes, so treat the product page as the source of truth for the exact items. The kit comes in several colour finishes, nine variants in this product family, and the electronics are the same whichever one you pick.

The rest of this guide covers performance, flavour pairing, build quality, battery, coils, nicotine strength, who the kit is for, setup, troubleshooting, running costs and how it compares with other devices in the same price band.

Performance and vapour delivery

The defining number on the RPM 5 Pro is its 80 watt ceiling. Most users will never run it flat out, and that is fine, because the value of a wide wattage range is that one handset can behave like two different devices. At the lower end, with a higher-resistance coil, it delivers a restrained, cigarette-like draw with a modest throat hit. At the upper end, with a low-resistance mesh coil, it delivers a warm, dense, high-volume inhale that is closer to what a sub-ohm tank would give you.

In practice, the sensible operating range for a mesh coil of the 0.15 to 0.3 ohm class is the middle of the dial, typically somewhere between 40 and 65 watts, depending on the specific coil and the liquid. Below the coil's recommended range the vapour feels cool and thin, the flavour is muted and the coil can feel as though it is struggling to wet. Above the range the liquid is vaporised faster than the cotton can feed it, which leads to a hot, harsh draw and, if you keep going, a burnt taste that shortens coil life. The recommended wattage printed on the coil head is a better guide than the maximum on the handset.

Ramp-up is quick. A modern mesh coil reaches temperature in a fraction of a second, so the first second of an inhale delivers vapour rather than a gap. Draw resistance is adjustable through the airflow ring or slider on the pod, so you can tighten it for a mouth-to-lung inhale or open it up for a looser, lung-led draw.

One practical consequence of that power needs saying plainly. A 2ml UK pod is small compared with the appetite of an 80 watt device. At higher wattage you will go through a pod faster than you would on a low-power pod system, and the battery will drain faster too. That is not a flaw, it is arithmetic. If you vape at 20 to 30 watts you will refill less often and the battery will last noticeably longer, but you will not be using what the Pro was built for.

The honest summary is that the RPM 5 Pro gives a broad performance window for a handset of its size, and it rewards you for matching the coil to the wattage rather than leaving the dial at maximum.

Flavour profile and choosing e-liquid for the kit

A kit does not come with a fixed flavour in the way a disposable does, so the flavour question here is really an e-liquid question. The RPM 5 Pro's mesh coil is a good platform for flavour because the mesh surface heats evenly and covers a wide area of cotton. Even heating tends to produce a more consistent taste from the first puff of a pod to the last, rather than a flavour that fades as the coil ages unevenly.

Flavour styles that work well in this type of device include:

• Tobacco: a mild tobacco blend suits the lower wattage range and is the usual choice for former smokers
• Menthol and mint: cooling liquids hold up well because the mesh coil does not overheat the menthol into harshness at moderate power
• Blueberry and berry ice: bright fruit with a cooling edge is among the most popular styles in UK shops
• Strawberry and watermelon: light, sweet fruits that show up clearly at 40 to 55 watts
• Cola and soda: fizzy profiles that benefit from slightly warmer vapour
• Vanilla custard and dessert: richer, creamier liquids that need a coil with good wicking, which mesh provides
• Mango and tropical fruit: juicy, high-volume flavours that suit open airflow

The ratio of propylene glycol to vegetable glycerine matters as much as the flavour name. A 50/50 blend carries flavour crisply and has a stronger throat hit, and it wicks quickly, so it is forgiving in a small pod. A 70/30 VG-dominant blend is thicker, smoother and produces more vapour, but it can struggle to feed a low-resistance coil at high wattage and can leave more residue on the coil. If you are unsure, start with 50/50 or a 60/40 VG blend and adjust from there.

Very sweet liquids, particularly dessert flavours and those with heavy sweeteners, tend to build residue on a coil faster. The result is a muted taste after a week or so rather than a sudden failure. If you favour sweet liquids, expect to change coils a little more often than someone who vapes tobacco or mint.

When you switch flavour, empty the pod, rinse it with warm water if you want a completely clean change, let it dry fully, and refill. Strong menthol is the one flavour that tends to linger in a coil, so many users keep a coil dedicated to mint.

Design and build quality

The RPM 5 Pro is a compact handset that sits comfortably in one hand and slips into a jacket or jeans pocket. It is noticeably thicker and heavier than the slim closed-pod sticks it replaces, which is the unavoidable cost of a 2000mAh cell and an 80 watt output stage, but it is far smaller than a conventional mod with an 18650 cell and a tank. For most adult hands it reads as a pocketable device rather than a bulky one.

SMOK finishes its RPM handsets in a range of colours, and this product family covers nine variants. The finish is cosmetic and the internals are identical, so choose on taste. Coatings of this kind can show fine scratches if you carry the device loose in a pocket with keys or coins, which is worth knowing if appearance matters to you. A silicone sleeve or a separate pocket for the device solves the problem inexpensively.

Points worth checking when the kit arrives:

• Pod seating: the pod should sit firmly and flush in the handset with no wobble
• Fire button: it should click cleanly and return without sticking
• USB-C port: the cable should seat fully with no excessive play
• Airflow control: it should move smoothly and hold its position
• Fill port: the plug should seat firmly to prevent weeping

The control layout is deliberately simple: a single fire button plus buttons or a small control for changing the settings, and a display or indicator that shows the essentials such as wattage and battery state. SMOK devices typically switch on and off with five rapid presses of the fire button, but the quick start card in your box is the authority on the exact sequence for your batch.

Safety features are what you would expect from a regulated electronics product of this class. The chip normally includes short-circuit protection, low-resistance detection, over-discharge and over-temperature protection, and a puff cut-off that stops a single inhale running beyond a set number of seconds. These are protections against faults, not permission to ignore sensible handling. Keep the device away from heat, do not leave it in a hot car, and do not use it if the casing is cracked or swollen.

Build quality in this class is generally solid but not indestructible. A drop onto hard flooring can crack the pod or loosen the seating, so a spare pod is a sensible addition.

Battery life and charging

The RPM 5 Pro has an integrated 2000mAh lithium-ion battery. You cannot remove it, which makes the device simpler and safer to handle than a removable 18650 setup, but it also means that when the battery eventually wears out the whole handset is at the end of its life.

The useful way to think about battery life is as energy rather than days. A 2000mAh cell at a nominal 3.7 volts holds roughly 7.4 watt-hours. If you fire the device at 40 watts, that is about 11 minutes of total firing time before accounting for conversion losses, which works out as on the order of 150 to 200 three-second puffs. At 60 watts the same cell gives noticeably fewer puffs, and at 80 watts fewer still. At 25 watts you get considerably more. These are estimates rather than lab figures, and real results vary with coil resistance, puff length, temperature and how worn the battery is, but they explain why a heavy user at high power may need to charge during the day while a moderate user at lower power may charge once every day or two.

Charging is by USB-C. A few practical points keep the battery healthy and the process safe:

• Use a reputable wall adapter or a laptop port rather than an unknown cheap charger
• Use the supplied cable or a good-quality replacement, since damaged or thin cables can overheat
• Do not leave the device charging unattended or under a pillow, and do not charge it on a soft surface
• Unplug it when full rather than leaving it connected for days
• Do not vape while it is charging
• Avoid fully draining it repeatedly, since lithium cells age faster when run flat

A full charge from empty typically takes somewhere in the region of one to two hours depending on the charger, and a short top-up is enough for a few hours of moderate use. Because the battery is sealed, it is worth keeping to the charge limits and giving the device time to cool if it feels warm after heavy use.

At end of life, never put a vape in your household bin or general recycling. The lithium cell can cause fires in bin lorries and recycling plants. Take the handset to a small electricals recycling point. Vape retailers selling to the public are expected to take back used devices, and local council household recycling centres also accept them. Empty the pod and remove it first, and keep used coils in a sealed bag until you can drop them off with the device.

Coil and pod technology

The RPM 5 Pro uses SMOK's RPM-series replacement coils in a refillable pod. The coil is the part that turns liquid into vapour, and it is the consumable that most affects taste. The coils for this family are built around a mesh element rather than a traditional round wire wrapped around cotton. Mesh is a flat woven screen of resistance metal, and its advantage is surface area. A larger heated surface vaporises more liquid per puff at a lower temperature, which tends to give smoother vapour and better flavour consistency than a small round coil run hot.

Resistance is stated in ohms and sets the character of the draw:

• Lower resistance, around 0.15 to 0.3 ohm: suits higher wattage, produces warmer and denser vapour, and uses liquid and battery faster. Suits lower nicotine strengths and a looser airflow
• Higher resistance, around 0.6 to 1.0 ohm: suits lower wattage, gives a tighter, cooler, more cigarette-like draw, and is more economical on both liquid and battery. Better matched to higher nicotine strengths

Always check the stamp on the base of the coil for its resistance and its recommended wattage range, and set the handset within that range. SMOK sells several coil types for the RPM family, so confirm that any replacement you buy is the right series for the Pro pod rather than assuming that every SMOK coil fits.

Coil life is not fixed. Typical use gives somewhere between one and three weeks per coil, shorter with sweet liquids, high wattage or chain vaping, longer with lighter flavours and moderate power. Signs a coil is ready to replace include a muted or slightly burnt taste that does not clear with a fresh fill, a gurgling sound, weaker vapour, and a darkened cotton wick visible through the pod.

Priming is the step most people skip. A new coil must be saturated before you fire it. Drip a few drops of liquid directly onto the cotton openings, fill the pod, and wait five to ten minutes before the first puff. A dry-fired coil tastes burnt immediately and is usually ruined.

The UK-sized pod holds 2ml and has a top fill port. Fill below the maximum line, keep the central chimney clear, and seat the plug firmly. The airflow is adjustable on the pod, and a tighter setting generally suits lower wattage and higher resistance.

Choosing the right nicotine strength

Nicotine strength is the decision that most affects whether a switch from smoking succeeds, and it is also the one new vapers most often get wrong. The RPM 5 Pro does not set the nicotine, because you supply the e-liquid. In the UK the maximum legal strength is 20mg/ml, which is 2%, and that applies to every nicotine e-liquid sold here, including those made for kits. Nothing sold legally in the UK is stronger than that, so if you see a higher figure advertised, treat it with suspicion.

There are two kinds of nicotine in e-liquid. Freebase nicotine is the traditional form and has a noticeable throat hit that becomes harsh at higher strengths. Nicotine salts are smoother at a given strength, which is why they dominate the pod market. For a high-power device the interaction between strength and wattage matters. Higher wattage produces more vapour per puff, which means more nicotine per puff, so the same liquid feels stronger at 60 watts than at 25.

A starting point, not medical advice, looks like this:

• Heavier smokers (roughly a pack a day): a nicotine salt at 15 to 20mg/ml, a higher-resistance coil and a lower wattage, so the pod delivers a satisfying amount per puff
• Moderate smokers: nicotine salt at 10 to 12mg/ml, or freebase at 6mg/ml with a medium-resistance coil
• Light or social smokers: nicotine salt at 5 to 6mg/ml, or freebase at 3mg/ml
• Sub-ohm style vaping at 50 watts or more: freebase at 3 to 6mg/ml, since each puff carries a lot of vapour

The classic mistake is to run a 20mg nicotine salt at 60 watts through a low-resistance mesh coil. The result is harsh, dizzying and unpleasant, and it makes people think vaping does not work for them. If you want to vape in the upper wattage range, drop the strength. If you want a strong liquid, drop the wattage and use a higher-resistance coil.

If you feel lightheaded, nauseous or jittery, you are taking in too much nicotine, so reduce the strength or the wattage. If you find yourself still reaching for cigarettes, the strength is probably too low.

Vaping carries risk and is intended only for adult smokers or existing nicotine users. It is illegal to sell nicotine vapes to anyone under 18. If you are pregnant, have a heart condition or take regular medication, speak to your GP or local stop smoking service before switching.

Who the RPM 5 Pro suits, and who should skip it

No device suits everyone, and the honest answer for the RPM 5 Pro depends on what you want from vaping.

It is a sensible choice if you are:

• A smoker or recent ex-smoker moving up from a disposable or a basic pod stick who wants better flavour, more vapour and the ability to fine-tune the draw
• Someone tired of paying repeatedly for single-use devices and happy to take on a little maintenance in exchange for a lower running cost
• A vaper who likes to vary the experience, using one liquid at lower power on a quiet day and another at higher power when you want something warmer and denser
• Comfortable with refilling, changing coils and reading a short instruction card
• Looking for one device to cover both mouth-to-lung and looser draws through coil choice and the airflow control

You should probably skip it, or at least think harder, if:

• You want a completely hands-off device. A refillable kit needs filling, priming and the occasional coil change. If that sounds like a chore, a prefilled pod system is simpler
• You want the smallest possible device. The Pro is pocketable but chunkier than a slim pod stick, and a lightweight device in the 25 to 30 watt class would be easier to carry
• You vape mainly at very low power with high nicotine. You can do that on the Pro, but you would be paying for headroom you never use, and a simpler pod device would suit you equally well
• You are not currently a smoker or nicotine user. Vaping is not recommended for people who do not already use nicotine, and nicotine vapes cannot legally be sold to under-18s
• You need a very long gap between charges at high power. A sealed 2000mAh cell at 60 watts or more drains in a day of steady use, so you may need to charge mid-day
• You do not want any chance of leaks. All refillable pods can seep if overfilled or squeezed, so keep the device upright and wipe the mouthpiece

For most adult smokers who want a step up in flavour and control and do not mind a few minutes of upkeep each week, the Pro is a reasonable fit. For anyone who wants something to simply pick up and use with no preparation, a prefilled pod device is a better match.

How to set up and use the kit

Getting started takes about ten minutes, most of which is waiting for the coil to saturate. Following the steps in order avoids the two most common early problems, a burnt first taste and a leaking pod.

• Charge first. Plug the handset into a USB-C charger and let it reach a good level before the first use, since lithium cells are happier when not started on an empty charge
• Remove packaging. Take the protective film off the handset and any seals or plugs from the pod, and check that the coil is seated in the pod
• Prime the coil. Drip a few drops of your chosen e-liquid onto the cotton openings of the coil, which are the small holes visible inside the pod
• Fill the pod. Open the fill port, tilt the pod slightly, and fill with e-liquid up to just below the maximum line. Do not cover the central chimney, since liquid there will leak into the airflow
• Close the port. Press the plug in firmly and wipe away any liquid from the outside of the pod
• Wait. Leave the filled pod standing for five to ten minutes so the cotton can saturate fully
• Insert the pod into the handset until it sits firmly and flush
• Switch on. SMOK devices typically use five quick presses of the fire button to switch on or off, but check your quick start card
• Set the power. Start in the middle of the coil's recommended range, and adjust up or down in small steps until the flavour and warmth feel right
• Take your first puffs gently. Draw slowly for the first few inhales, which helps the coil wet evenly

For a mouth-to-lung inhale, draw slowly into your mouth for two or three seconds and then inhale. For a direct-to-lung style, which is better suited to lower resistance coils at higher power, draw more openly and steadily with the airflow wide.

Habits that prolong coil and pod life are simple. Do not chain vape for long stretches, since the cotton cannot keep up. Keep the liquid level topped up rather than vaping the pod to empty. Store the device upright. Take a few seconds between puffs when running higher wattage.

Changing a coil follows the same pattern. Empty the pod, remove the old coil, fit the new one, prime it, refill and wait before vaping. Keep a spare coil on hand so a failure does not leave you without a working device.

Troubleshooting common problems

Most problems with a pod-mod kit have simple causes. Working through the likely ones in order usually fixes the issue without needing a replacement.

• Burnt or dry taste: the usual cause is a coil that is dry, worn or run at too high a wattage. Check the liquid level, lower the wattage to within the coil's recommended range, take longer gaps between puffs and give the pod a few minutes to saturate. If the taste persists after a fresh fill, the coil is spent and should be replaced
• Gurgling or spitting: there is too much liquid in the airflow path or the coil is flooded. Wipe the mouthpiece, blow gently through the empty device to clear the airflow, and avoid overfilling. A thick 70VG liquid can also gurgle in a tight airflow setting, so open it up
• Leaking from the pod or base: check that the fill plug is seated and the coil is pressed in fully. Do not fill above the maximum line. Pressure changes from flights or very hot cars can push liquid out, so store the device upright and empty the pod before travelling by air
• Device will not fire: make sure it is switched on and the battery is charged, check that the pod is seated and its contacts are clean and dry, and try fitting a fresh coil. Wipe the contacts with a dry cotton bud if there is residue
• Check coil or short-circuit message: the chip cannot read the coil correctly. Re-seat the coil, wipe the pod contacts and try again. If the message remains with a new coil, the coil may be faulty or the wrong type
• Weak or muted flavour: an ageing coil, a recent change to a very sweet liquid, or a wattage too low for the coil. Raise the power in small steps, try a fresh coil, and rinse the pod if you have switched flavours
• Battery drains quickly: high wattage is the most likely cause, as is an older battery. Reduce the power or use a higher-resistance coil
• Not charging: try another cable and another adapter, clean the USB-C port with a dry non-metallic tool, and check for visible damage. Stop using it if it gets unusually hot
• Pod loose or rattling: check for residue around the pod seat and fit a new pod if it does not click in firmly

If you have worked through the list and the device is still faulty, stop using it and contact us with your order details and a description of what happens. Do not open the handset or attempt to remove the battery. Faults that appear within the warranty period or soon after delivery are covered by your statutory rights as well as any manufacturer cover, and we will explain the options clearly.

Value for money and running costs

The sensible way to judge value is to look at the cost over a few months rather than the price on the day. A refillable kit asks for a larger up-front payment than a disposable, and then spends far less per week.

The recurring costs break down into three items. First is e-liquid, where a 10ml bottle of UK-sold nicotine e-liquid typically costs somewhere in the region of a few pounds, and a 2ml pod means that one bottle fills the pod about five times. Second is coils, which are usually sold in packs and cost a few pounds per pack, with a pack typically lasting a month or more depending on use. Third is electricity, which is negligible. Putting those together, many regular vapers find a refillable pod-mod costs a fraction of what they would spend on single-use devices or cigarettes over the same period, though the exact figure depends on how heavily you vape and what liquids you prefer.

The kit's upfront price needs to be weighed against what it replaces. The ban on disposable vapes means the alternative to a kit is no longer simply a cheap throwaway device. For most people the realistic alternatives are a prefilled pod system, where you pay for each pod, or another refillable kit. Against prefilled pods, refillables are cheaper per millilitre because you are buying liquid in bulk. Against other refillable kits at a similar price, the Pro competes on wattage range and battery size.

Some value-related points to keep in mind:

• You choose the liquid, so you can pick budget or premium e-liquid according to your preference
• Coils are the main ongoing cost and buying packs is cheaper per coil than buying singles
• High-wattage vaping costs more in both liquid and battery, so running at moderate power saves money
• The sealed battery limits lifespan, and after a couple of years of daily use it will hold less charge
• A spare pod is inexpensive insurance against a crack or a lost plug
• Recycling is free, and returning a spent device through a take-back point costs nothing

Taken together, the kit is good value for a smoker or ex-smoker who vapes daily and is prepared to refill and change coils. It is poor value for someone who vapes once in a while, since the up-front cost would take a long time to repay and a simple device would serve them better.

How it compares with other kits at a similar level

The RPM 5 Pro competes in a crowded part of the market, and a fair comparison means acknowledging where rivals do things differently. The notes below are general characterisations of product families rather than a spec-by-spec table, because specifications change between revisions and you should check current figures before buying.

Against compact pod kits such as the Uwell Caliburn range, the Vaporesso XROS range and the OXVA Xlim range. These are smaller, lighter and lower-powered, usually in the 25 to 30 watt class with batteries around a thousand milliamp-hours. They are easier to carry and simpler to use, and they suit mouth-to-lung vapers who never want more than a restrained draw. The RPM 5 Pro gives up some pocket space in exchange for much more power, a larger battery and a wider tuning range. If you never go above 25 watts, one of the compact options is likely to be a better fit.

Against other high-power pod-mods such as the Voopoo Vinci family and the Vaporesso Gen family. These are the closest competitors in concept, offering adjustable power, mesh coils and refillable pods. Differences come down to coil availability, pod design, the feel of the controls, battery size and how easily you can buy replacement parts locally. SMOK's advantage is its long history in pod-mod coils, which means RPM-series coils are widely stocked across UK shops. If a competitor suits you better on feel or finish, there is no technical reason to avoid it.

Against box mods with removable cells and separate tanks, such as the Geekvape Aegis range. A mod and tank offers larger liquid capacity where permitted, swappable batteries and more choice of coils, but a UK tank is still limited to 2ml, which removes some of the practical gains. It is also bulkier and more complicated. The RPM 5 Pro is better for people who want power without building a kit from parts.

Against disposables. Single-use vapes can no longer be sold in the UK, so the comparison is mostly historical. The Pro offers better flavour, better economy and a repair-and-recycle model, at the cost of a bit more effort.

In short, it is a strong all-rounder for wattage and flexibility, a middling choice for portability, and not the cheapest way into vaping. Choose it for tunable power and widely available coils, and choose something smaller if portability is your top concern.