OXVA SlimStick Review: A Slim Cig-Like Alternative to Disposables

Design & Build Quality

The very first thing that hits you when taking the Slimstick out of the box is its distinct and fairly unique design. The 90mm tall body is about the same height as most standard pod vapes, but that is really where the similarity ends. From the front, the device is wide (32mm) and flat, but looking from the side, it is just 14mm. That’s about the same thickness as a modern cellphone.

The Slimstick cartridge slots into a circular hole at the top and stands approximately 25mm proud of the body, resembling the filter of a cigarette. Well, they are called cig-like cartridges after all. Overall, it looks nothing like the vast majority of pod vapes, nor any disposable vape I’ve seen in recent years.

The body is constructed of brushed matte metal (aluminum alloy, to be precise), with every edge and corner rounded except the top, which is flat and polished. Aside from a small activation light near the base, the USB Type-C port on the bottom, and a tiny bit of very subtle OXVA branding, nothing spoils the perfect smoothness of the device’s body.

Despite the pleasingly large battery inside, which I’ll talk about more in a moment, the Slimstick device is very light, and I could barely feel it in my pocket as I went about my day.

You can choose from six different colorways, all of which are fairly classy and understated. Don’t expect to see any pop-art designs or luminous colors here. The six color options, all of which have that matte finish, are:

• Black
• Pink
• Blue (Navy)
• Gold
• Purple
• Gray

Features

OXVA has deliberately designed the Slimstick to be beginner-friendly and easy to use, so the features are pretty thin on the ground. It is better to think of the Slimstick as a disposable that you reuse, rather than a pod vape with prefilled pods. You don’t get an airflow slider, LCD screen, or even a button to press, and for the type of vaper this is likely aimed at, that should be just fine.

The main “feature”, if they can be labeled as such, is the Slimstick cig-like cartridges. These cartridges really do look just like small (albeit brightly colored) cigarettes. Each contains 2ml or 2% (20mg/ml) nicotine e-liquid and, of course, a fixed coil. When slotted into the top of the device, about two-thirds of the stick sits inside, with just the “filter” part sticking out for you to wrap your lips around.

As you slot the stick into the body, the LED flashes and the whole device vibrates to let you know it is correctly seated on the contacts inside. If you don’t feel that vibrate, you’ll either have to rotate the stick very slightly or check that you haven’t left the silicone leak-protection plug in place when you took it out of the packaging.

The other main feature of this device is the battery, which has an impressive 1500mAh capacity. For a vape this size, designed for MTL vaping, and which presumably requires fairly low wattage, 1500mAh is great.

OXVA suggests that this can provide enough power for a week of vaping, or five sticks worth of e-liquid. While this might be achievable for some users, the battery didn’t last that long for me. That said, it was pretty close, with only one recharge required during my first week of use, at the four-day point.

Sadly, the USB Type-C port is only rated 1A, so no full fast charging. During my tests, a full charge of the 1500mAh battery took around an hour on average. Thankfully, most users will only need to do a full recharge occasionally.

Flavors

Although there isn’t quite the same wide choice of flavors that I’ve come to expect with this type of prefilled cartridge system, there are 11 to choose from. These don’t include any huge surprises or particularly unique combinations, but at least cover all the flavor bases like tobacco, fruit, and sweet.

Here’s what I thought of the flavors I got to try during testing. However, keep in mind that just because I like a flavor does not mean that you will like it. Similarly, if I don’t like a flavor, this does not mean that you will not like it. This is solely my subjective opinion.

Strawberry Raspberry Cherry

Definitely my favorite flavor of those that I tried for this review. The strawberry brings the sweetness, the raspberry increases the fruitiness, and the cherry adds a roundness of flavor. The cherry also stops the strawberry from being overly sweet, which is something that my taste buds appreciate.

Kiwi Passionfruit

This is a flavor I tried for the very first time recently during a different review, and very much enjoyed both then and now. Passionfruit is, in my opinion, one of the fruitiest tropical fruits, combining sweetness, tartness, and freshness. In a vape juice, it might be a little bit too sweet on its own, which is where the kiwi comes in, increasing the freshness and tempering the sweetness.

Watermelon

If you like fruit-based e-liquid, you’ve probably tasted something similar to this many times. I love fresh watermelon on a hot day, but I can’t say I loved this flavor in a vape liquid. It certainly isn’t bad, and if you like watermelon in your vape, you’ll no doubt enjoy this. It’s just a bit one-dimensional for my tastes.

Blueberry

Blueberry-based e-liquids were my go-to for several years, usually mixed with another berry and ice, so this is a flavor that I found easy to enjoy. Although this version doesn’t have “Ice” in the name, it does have a bit of cooling. Mixed with the fruitiness of the blueberry, this results in a great taste that I could vape all day.

Mint

Mint and menthol flavors, when on their own, are a bit hit or miss with me. When they have a good mix of sweetness and mint, I can find them enjoyable. However, if they are too sweet or too minty, I struggle to use them for any length of time. The flavor in the mint cartridge for the Slimstick is perfect (for me).

The full range of flavors includes: Classic Tobacco, Blueberry, Strawberry-Raspberry-Cherry, Lemon-Lime, Lychee-Ice, Mint, Pineapple, Pink-Lemonade, Watermelon, Cola Ice, Kiwi-Passion-Fruit. 

Performance

The OXVA Slimstick is undoubtedly and unashamedly an MTL vape. The draw is relatively tight, the airflow is low (and cannot be adjusted), and it is probably only outputting 12-15W. The cylindrical cigarette-like mouthpiece also somehow makes it feel more like an MTL than it would otherwise. I used to prefer pods with cylindrical mouthpieces when they were still a common design, so using the Slimstick was a nice change from the duckbill design that now seems prevalent. 

As mentioned, the draw is pretty tight with little airflow, so while you shouldn’t expect huge clouds, you can still get a decent amount of vapor from each puff. The sticks are only currently available in 2% strength, which should be strong enough for the average vaper, but if you are after a lighter vape, you’ll have to look elsewhere (until and unless OXVA expands the range available).

The key thing about the Slimstick is how simple and free from fuss it is to use. Take a stick out of its packaging, slot it into the device, wait for the haptic feedback, and vape. There’s literally nothing else to worry about. The battery indicator, which only shows above 80% (green) or below 20% (red) remaining, seems pretty accurate, and the low power/high capacity combination means that even when the light turns red on 20%, you still have several hours of use before it needs a recharge. 

Verdict

While I prefer a device that is capable of at least RDL vaping, the Slimstick’s easy MTL experience grew on me the more I used it. The draw is certainly tight, but you are able to draw a satisfying amount of vapor with each puff. The battery life is great, and it’s so refreshing not having to recharge at least once every two days, as I usually have to. 

The size, shape, and weight of the device are also elements of the Slimstick I found appealing. As with almost all of OXVA’s vapes, it has been designed with careful thought to both look and feel like it was made to last. It is large enough to sit comfortably in your palm, but you can hardly feel it in your pocket, and you certainly wouldn’t notice it was in your bag.

The range of flavors isn’t the largest when compared to pre-filled cartridge systems from other brands, but I can see that growing if the device does well for OXVA. It is, as far as I’m aware, the first pre-filled cartridge device from a company best-known for its reliable and eminently usable refillable pod vapes. 

If you are a new or existing MTL vaper, looking for a vaping experience that closely replicates the feeling of a cigarette in your mouth, the Slimstick could be the perfect choice.