Vaporesso XROS 5 vs XROS Pro 2

The short version

Same pods, same 30W ceiling, same 2ml capacity. The choice comes down to three things:

• Battery or size. The Pro 2 carries a third more battery. The XROS 5 is 28% smaller by volume and 3.9mm slimmer.
• Charging. The XROS 5 charges at up to 3A. The Pro 2 charges at 2A and takes around an hour from flat.
• The pods in the box. The XROS 5 comes with the 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω pods, the tighter pair. The Pro 2 comes with 0.4Ω and 0.6Ω, the looser pair, and the 0.4Ω pod is the one that unlocks manual wattage.

Device guide & manualVaporesso XROS 5→ Device guide & manualVaporesso XROS Pro 2→

Want to line either up against a different kit? Our device compare tool puts any two side by side, with live prices.

Battery and charging

The XROS Pro 2 runs a 2000mAh battery against the XROS 5's 1500mAh. That is a third more at the same 30W maximum, so the Pro 2 is the one that goes longer between charges, whichever pod you fit.

The XROS 5 wins some of that back at the plug. It charges over USB-C at up to 3A (5V/3A, or 9V/2A on a fast charger), against 5V/2A on the Pro 2. The Pro 2 takes around an hour from flat to full. Both let you vape while they charge.

If you charge once a day, the Pro 2's bigger battery is the better trade. If you top up in short bursts through the day, the XROS 5's faster charging covers most of the gap.

Pods and coils: one family, two different boxes

Both kits take the whole XROS pod range: COREX 2.0 and COREX 3.0, in 0.4Ω, 0.6Ω, 0.8Ω, 1.0Ω and 1.2Ω. Pods from older XROS kits fit too, so whichever you buy, you are not locked out of anything.

What differs is the box:

• XROS 5: 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω pods. Both suit 50/50 e-liquids and nic salts at 10mg or 20mg, and the 0.8Ω is the tighter, more cigarette-like of the two.
• XROS Pro 2: 0.4Ω and 0.6Ω COREX 3.0 pods. The 0.6Ω suits nic salts at 10 to 20mg. The 0.4Ω gives a looser, restricted lung draw and is best with 3 to 6mg freebase or a lower-strength salt.

So if you want the tightest draw from day one, the XROS 5 has the 0.8Ω pod in the box. The Pro 2's 0.6Ω pod covers a mouth-to-lung to light restricted lung draw; for anything tighter you would add a pack of 0.8Ω or 1.2Ω pods.

Power, modes and screen

On paper the two are identical: 5 to 30W. In practice, both only give you full manual wattage with the 0.4Ω pod fitted. Every other pod runs on three preset modes, Eco, Normal and Power.

That makes the 0.4Ω pod the key to the wattage menu, and only the Pro 2 includes it. For the XROS 5 it is a separate pack, at £11.49 for four.

Both have a screen. The Pro 2's shows battery, wattage and puff count. The XROS 5's has display themes and a settings menu where you can lock the screen or turn off the button and vape on the draw alone.

Size and build

The XROS 5 measures 116.8 x 24.5 x 14.5mm, the Pro 2 121.1 x 25.7 x 18.4mm. The difference you feel is the thickness: 14.5mm against 18.4mm, so the XROS 5 is the easier one to forget in a pocket. The Pro 2 weighs 65g, which is light for a 2000mAh kit.

Running costs

The same pods fit both, so running costs are level: £11.49 for a pack of four XROS pods, about £2.87 a pod. How long a pod lasts depends more on your e-liquid than on the device. Thick, high-VG liquids shorten coil life in the 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω pods on both.

Hands-on notes

I used both kits side by side for 7 days, with the same Cherry & Berry Riot Squad Bar Edition Nic Salt, 10mg in a 0.6Ω pod in each, set to Normal mode.

Draw. At the same airflow setting, the XROS 5 felt slightly tighter than the Pro 2. With both devices using the same Corex pod though, you can't tell between the two if you had your eyes closed.

Flavour. With wider airflow and more watts, the Pro 2 gave fuller & smoother flavour from the 0.6Ω pod, its better suited to RDL than the XROS 5.

Battery. With my normal use, the XROS 5 lasted about half as long as the Pro 2, even though the battery is only a third bigger on the Pro 2 - it seemed to be more effecient also.

My pick. These two kits are close, but it comes down to one simple fact. The XROS 5 is the better pick to live with as you can choose from the full range of pods. With the liquid tax, we're all thinking about how we can save some money - and a simple way to do that is increase your resistance and reduce airflow. Even if the Pro 2 is technically a slightly better device when you look at pure specs, I'd still take the XROS 5 as my daily.