Coolfire Z80 for travel, battery, lock and flights

A mod tucked into a rucksack pocket, a button pressed down by a book or a water bottle, and the coil starts heating with nobody noticing. On the road, that is the scenario that counts, far more than flavour. The Coolfire Z80 from Innokin was designed for vaping, not for travelling, and several of its settings take on a new meaning once you leave home. The question is which ones, and what to do with the battery before you set off.

Is the Coolfire Z80 good for travel, the short answer

Yes, as long as you do not treat it like a pod. The Coolfire Z80 runs on an external, replaceable 18650 battery, charges over USB-C at 5 V and 1.7 A, and goes from 6 to 80 W according to Innokin’s product page. Those three facts shape the way you pack it.

Its lock does not do what most people expect. The manual describes it as a wattage or voltage lock, which freezes the setting. For the journey, the mod goes in the bag switched off, with the puff cut-off set to its shortest, or with the battery removed and protected. The sections below go through each step.

A removable 18650, what it changes on the road

The removable battery is both the strength and the constraint of this mod away from home. It gets you back to full in seconds, but it adds one more item to keep an eye on.

Battery in the mod or carried separately

The battery door opens by unscrewing a ring, according to a retailer’s product page and the diagram in Innokin’s manual. A battery left inside travels protected by the zinc alloy body. A spare battery, on the other hand, is a bare object that must never sit next to keys or coins.

The safest option is a closed plastic case for each cell. Our guide to the 18650 battery charger for travel covers that kit and how to charge cells outside the mod.

Never store it on a flat battery

Innokin’s official manual for the Coolfire Z80 carries an instruction that shop pages leave out, do not store the mod on an empty battery. For a trip where it stays at the bottom of the suitcase, it is better to set off with a charged cell than a flat one.

The Coolfire Z80 lock, what it blocks and what it does not

This is where the mod surprises travellers most. On the original version, sold with the Zenith II tank, Innokin’s product page mentions no mechanical lock on the fire button, unlike the Z80 NEX page, and a few settings deserve a second look before you zip up the bag.

The combination that freezes the wattage

Pressing the main button together with the minus button locks the wattage setting, according to two user guides published by retailers. The manual calls it Wattage/Voltage Lock. None of these sources presents it as a way to stop the coil firing. A mod locked this way keeps its wattage, which avoids a setting being knocked by mistake, without preventing a puff.

The puff cut-off set to the minimum

Innokin quotes a puff cut-off adjustable from 3 to 18 seconds, in the Settings menu. Before packing the mod, bringing it down to 3 seconds caps at that length the heating caused by a button pressed in a pocket. The screen then shows Time Out, a sign that the safety feature has done its job.

Switching it off properly

A sleeping screen is not a switched-off mod. The manual states that it wakes up when any button is pressed or a powered cable is connected. For switching off, two shop guides give three quick presses and another gives five. The useful habit is to press the button once afterwards, to check that nothing lights up.

Charging the mod away from home

Charging the Coolfire Z80 through its port gets you out of trouble, but the manual sets conditions. It asks for a certified 5 V wall charger and the supplied USB-C cable. In a hotel, it is wise to charge it on a hard surface and stay in the room while it charges, a general precaution for any lithium-ion device.

The mod stays out of use for as long as it charges through the port. For a longer trip, two batteries and an external charger change the picture, since one cell charges separately while the other stays in the mod.

The Zenith II in your bag, filling and capacity

With the Coolfire Z80, the tank raises a different question from the battery, the question of leaks. Retailer pages list the Zenith II at a standard capacity of 5.5 ml. In the UK, refillable tanks are limited to 2 ml, and nicotine e-liquid is sold in bottles of 10 ml at most, at no more than 20 mg/ml.

Pressure changes during a flight can push liquid out of a tank filled to the brim. The manual, for its part, asks you to keep the tank at least a third full to look after the coil. A tank a third full, stored upright in a travel pouch or vape case, meets both concerns. Top it up on arrival, then let the wick soak for a few minutes before the first puff.

The mod on a plane and abroad

On a plane, the mod and its batteries follow the rule for any e-cigarette. They travel in the cabin, never in the hold, and are never charged on board. Each spare battery is packed protected against short circuits, and an 18650 cell sits far below the 100 Wh limit per battery.

Our guide to taking a vape on a plane covers the whole journey, from security to a cabin bag sent to the hold for lack of space. Further afield, the question changes, since some countries ban vaping, sometimes even in transit.

The right set-up for each kind of traveller

The same mod is not packed the same way for a weekend by train and for three weeks on another continent. Three profiles cover most situations.

The weekend by train or car

One charged battery in the mod, the puff cut-off at 3 seconds and the tank a third full are enough. Charging through the USB-C port, on a wall charger, covers a night in a hotel.

The longer stay

Two batteries and an external charger make sense, with a carry case for each cell. Spare coils of the value you use, 0.8 ohm for a tight draw or 0.3 ohm for a looser one, save you hunting for Z-Coils on arrival.

The frequent flyer

Taking the battery out of the mod and storing it in its case before security keeps things simple. The mod then stays inert, whichever button gets pressed in the bag. For this profile, the Z80 NEX adds a sliding lock switch, covered in the FAQ.

FAQ

A few questions come up the first time this mod goes into a bag.

What problems are most common after a journey?

The Check Coil warning can appear after the kit has been taken apart for transport. According to the manual, it means the tank is not connected properly or the coil reading is abnormal. Screwing the Zenith II fully back onto the connector is the first step, and the coil gets replaced if the warning stays.

What if the mod will not switch on when you arrive?

The manual states that the mod will not power on when the battery voltage drops too low. Recharge the battery, in the mod or in an external charger. The Low Volt warning appears before you get to that point.

Can it charge from a power bank or in the car?

The manual only mentions a certified 5 V wall charger and the supplied cable, with no other source. A car parked in the sun also heats up quickly. Keep the car socket for the drive itself, with the mod in sight.

Does the Coolfire Z80 mind the heat?

According to the manual, the High Temp warning cuts output until the circuit board is back to a safe temperature. A lithium-ion battery copes badly with a boot or a scorching beach, so keep the mod in the shade, inside your bag.

Is the Z80 NEX better for travel?

It differs on two counts. Innokin’s product page gives it a manual sliding lock, designed to protect the fire button from accidental presses in a bag or pocket, and 5 V 2 A charging. The same page states that the UK version ships with the Zenith M tank, which a UK review gives at 2 ml. It keeps the same removable 18650, so the same precautions apply.

Coolfire Z80, the checklist before you zip the bag

The mod travels well once you know its limits. Its lock freezes the wattage without stopping the coil firing, the sleeping screen wakes at the slightest press, and the manual advises against storing it on a flat battery. A 3 second cut-off and a checked power-off take care of most of it.

That leaves the bag, a tank a third full and upright, and protected batteries in the cabin. The Coolfire Z80 is packed like any kit with a removable battery that goes travelling, checking the rules of your destination before every trip.

Next legs of the trip

Éther Nomade writes for readers aged 18 and over. Vaping products can contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. Vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. This travel guide is editorial, not a buying recommendation.