The Vapefly Jester II aims to simplify, and improve on the highly successful, but pretty terrible Jester from 2019. The changes make a considerable difference with the Vapefly Jester II going head to head with the Uwell Caliburn G3 for top pod system of 2023. Calling it a Jester though, that’s just wrong.

Vapefly Jester II Verdict – 90%

I had the original Vapefly Jester in rotation for close to a year even though it leaked like a sieve, had terrible flavour, was a pain in the ass to build and a battery that was clearly inadequate for its output. With all it’s issues, I still kept on using it, because the thought of a rebuildable pod system back in 2019 was so badass. Ultimately, better rebuildable pod systems, like the Geekvape Boost, came along and my original Jester was relegated to the bottom drawer.

Out of nowhere, I received a package from Vapefly, a Jester II. I can’t exactly remember how I felt when my first daughter was born, but I believe it felt similar to when I unwrapped this package from Vapefly. Surely they spent the last 4 years on R&D, right?

Sadly, no, the Vapefly Jester II isn’t remotely comparable to the original. It’s no longer a rebuildable device, instead, it’s a basically the same thing as a Caliburn G3 without the screen, which honestly, I’m pretty stoked about.

Design

Vapefly have gone complete 180 with the design, opting for a subtle, classy look. Nope, that’s not true at all. The Jester II brings back the ridiculous skull and bone designs that come straight out of Ed Hardeys’ sketchpad. They look ridiculous, but the nostalgia levels are right up there. There’s a few boring carbon fiber designs, but why would you want that if you can have a smoking skull with biker helmet plastered all over the front?

Removing the large rebuildable deck allows Vapefly to go for a traditional POD design. Gone is the flip-top lighter style design in favour of a run-of-the mill pod chassis. I wish Vapefly added some funky design elements, but sadly not. In a bunch of 20 POD systems in the dark, it would be difficult to pick out the Jester II; unless you pick it up, it is quite heavy.

This heft comes from the massive 1000mAh battery contained within. Monitoring the battery level is done via a single, multi-colour LED as we so often see.

An airflow slider sits on the edge and a USB C port on the other. There’s nothing else on the device, no fire button, no adjustment buttons, just graphics and logos.

The pods slide in the top and secured with magnets. They hold 3ml of e-liquid and filled via a faily large hole covered by a rubber flap. The mouth piece on the Jester II pods is one of the most comfortable pieces I’ve felt outside of the Tropic Bar.

There’s 4 versions of pods available, 06, 0.8, 1.0 and 1.2ohm, all of which are mesh coil pods that promise tons of flavour, which is oddly similar to the Steam Crave Meson reviewed earlier. Fair not, the Vapefly Jester II has a lot more going for it than the Meson.

Performance

The Vapefly Jester II may look ridiculous, but unlike the Steam Crave Meson, it performs so well, perhaps better than the Caliburn G3.

The pods are wild. Forget everything you remember about he original Jester, these things last a literal age. I am not overreacting when I say I’ve gone through an average of 40ml of salts per pod. They do tend to leak slightly and gurgle around the 25ml mark, but the flavour remains constant right to the end. And man oh man, the flavour, it’s just is supreme. It produces a sweeter profile than the Caliburn G3 which works really well for fruit styled juices.

The 1000mAh battery feels like an actual 1000mAh battery and lasts days before needing a recharge, but once you get to that red level, you can definitely feel the power drop-off. Here it has the edge over the Caliburn G3 as there’s no screen that draws additional power, but once it’s flat, it charges back up fairly quickly.

The airflow also performs really well, although perhaps a little too tight for my liking at anything over 50% closed and not quite open enough wide open.

It may not be full of gimmicks or have design elements to draw your attention, but based on performance, the Jester II goes head to head with the best of the year. It is so good.

Specs:

• Size: 110mm x 24mm
• Battery Capacity: 1000mAh
• Materials: ABS/Plastic
• Weight: 42g

Vapefly Jester II Conclusion

There is a side of my that wishes the Vapefly Jester II retained the rebuildable deck, but I am under no illusion that it wouldn’t have been nearly as good as it is without it.

Flavour and longevity far outweigh the benefits of rebuildability, a massive battery and proper airflow control is just icing on the cake.

The Vapefly Jester II isn’t just good, it’s close to one of the best pod systems we’ve used in the last 3 years.