Innokin Kroma Z | how it wears, and the Kroma Nova

The first reviews of the Innokin Kroma Z appeared at the end of 2020, and almost all of them describe a pod mod fresh out of its box. What the spec sheet leaves out only shows up later, once the pod has been refilled many times and the airflow slider has seen plenty of use. In the meantime Innokin launched a successor, the Kroma Nova, then recalled it. Reason enough to look at it again, through what its reviewers have published.

Does the Innokin Kroma Z go the distance?

On the essentials, yes. The longest published account among those we read covers more than a year and confirms the strengths noted since 2020, namely the 3000 mAh battery, the magnetic pod and compatibility with Z-Coil heads.

Wear concentrates on secondary parts, the fill cap, the paint finish, the airflow slider and the screws at the base of the battery section.

Next to the Kroma Nova, the Innokin Kroma Z keeps a larger pod in the standard version sold outside the UK, and it was not part of the recall that hit its successor in May 2024.

The Kroma Z spec sheet, the part that never changes

Innokin lists adjustable output from 6 to 40 W, a built-in 3000 mAh battery charged over USB-C at 1.7 A, and a magnesium alloy chassis. Two Z-Coil heads come in the box, a 0.3 ohm rated for 30 to 40 W for restricted direct lung, and a 0.8 ohm rated for 15 to 18 W for a tighter draw.

The pod clips on magnetically and fills from the side without being removed. The standard version holds 4.5 ml, but every refillable pod sold in the United Kingdom is capped at 2 ml, and Innokin produces a 2 ml TPD version that meets that limit. With nicotine e-liquid limited to 20 mg per millilitre and sold in 10 ml bottles, a single bottle covers roughly five fills of the British pod.

The colour screen runs along the front edge and doubles as the fire bar. Airflow is set with an external slider, plus an MTL precision ring included in the kit.

Unlike the Voopoo Drag X3 and its removable cell, the Kroma Z carries a sealed battery, so the ageing of that cell sets the lifespan of the whole device.

The first weeks, as the hands-on reviews saw them

Reviews published between late 2020 and February 2021 agree on handling and leak resistance, far less on flavour. Three subjects come up from one review to the next.

The screen, the fire bar and charging

Ecigclick’s reviewer, writing in February 2021, praised a very bright, crisp screen and a clicky fire panel. Charging speed, on the other hand, sat among the listed drawbacks. A review by the French retailer AlterSmoke, published in December 2020, found a full charge generally took 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Under a review on CigaretteElec’s blog, a reader asked whether the brightness could be raised to read the battery level in daylight, and was told that screen brightness cannot be changed.

Side filling and leaks

That same review summed up leak resistance in a few words, no seepage observed, and found nothing to list among the weak points. On the British side, the device was mislaid for eight days and turned up with its base bone dry.

One criticism stood out in the British review, a pod tinted too dark to follow the liquid level easily.

How the two Z-Coils perform

This is where opinions split. The British reviewer found flavour average on both heads, with the 0.8 ohm still decent for a tight mouth to lung draw.

The review that timed the charge noted a direct lung draw limited compared with a sub ohm tank, steady behaviour with 50/50 liquids, and pointed high VG liquids towards the 0.3 ohm.

What wears on an Innokin Kroma Z after months of use

The longest account comes from the blog of French retailer Taklope. In February 2024 its reviewer described keeping a Kroma Z in a back pocket for more than a year, and listed its long term faults.

The fill cap is far from practical, the paint gets damaged, the airflow slider sticks or slides about freely, and the coil change, with its gold ring to screw in, feels dated. The screws at the base of the battery section loosen over time as well.

The verdict stays positive all the same, since the device was still working despite a condition the author called catastrophic.

None of this wear involves the electronics. A periodic check of the base screws, an airflow slider cleaned as soon as it stiffens, and a fill cap pressed firmly home after each refill generally limit the damage.

Kroma Z and Kroma Nova, two Innokin pods side by side

The Kroma Nova was meant to send its elder into retirement. The same reviewer kept both devices side by side on a desk for several weeks, to the point of occasionally picking up one for the other.

Item	Kroma Z	Kroma Nova
Output	6 to 40 W	6 to 60 W
Built-in battery	3000 mAh	3000 mAh
Pod, standard version	4.5 ml	3 ml
Coils	Z-Coil	PZP, 0.4 to 1.2 ohm
Filling	side	top, sliding lid
May 2024 recall	not affected	all units

According to that reviewer, the Nova gains in comfort, with a coil that simply pushes into the pod, top filling and a far more precise airflow control. It loses the curved MTL mouthpiece the Kroma Z came with, its smoked plastic makes the level harder to read, and the sliding top can open by accident in a crowded bag.

Losing 1.5 ml of capacity weighed most with the reviewer, who would not readily trade the Kroma Z for it. That gap only exists in the standard versions, since both pods exceed the 2 ml cap that applies to refillable pods in the United Kingdom.

On 17 May 2024, Innokin published a recall notice covering every production unit of the Kroma Nova. The cause was a charging component supplied specifically for that model, which the manufacturer judged defective, and owners were asked to stop using and charging the device and return it to the point of sale.

Who the Kroma Z still suits

The typical Innokin Kroma Z owner remains a mouth to lung or restricted direct lung vaper, attached to the Z-Coil range and to a large battery in a slim body. For airy direct lung vaping, the limited draw reported back in 2020 points to other hardware.

The British reviewer also felt it was a little complicated for a very first device. From the same manufacturer, the Innokin Klypse, with no button and no screen, makes different compromises, starting with pods whose coil is built in.

FAQ

Five practical questions keep coming up about this pod mod, from coil compatibility to the recall of its successor.

Which coils fit the Kroma Z?

It uses the Z-Coil range, shared with Innokin’s Zenith and Zlide tanks. Retailers list values from 0.3 to 1.6 ohm, each with its own power range to respect.

Can another tank be fitted to the Kroma Z?

Yes, with the 510 adapter Innokin sells separately. It turns the pod mod into a box able to take a 510 tank, which in the UK means a tank of 2 ml at most.

Can the drip tip be changed on the Kroma Z?

The pod takes 510 mouthpieces, and the kit includes several to move between a tight and a looser draw. A mouthpiece wears too in contact with liquid, as our piece on how a drip tip ages over the weeks explains.

What comes in the Kroma Z box?

The kit holds the pod mod and its pod, the 0.3 and 0.8 ohm Z-Coils, extra mouthpieces and a USB-C cable. The 510 adapter is not included.

Is the Kroma Z affected by the Kroma Nova recall?

No. The notice Innokin published in May 2024 covered the Kroma Nova only, and stated that its other products were not affected.

Innokin Kroma Z, what time confirms

The Kroma Z has aged through its moving parts rather than its electronics. A tired fill cap, marked paint, a temperamental slider and screws that need tightening make up most of the debit side over more than a year, against a battery and leak resistance that no review calls into question.

Judging the Innokin Kroma Z on its years rather than its spec sheet points to a rule that holds for all vaping hardware, since reported use over time tells you more than the figures announced at launch.

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Editorial content for adult readers only. Nicotine is a highly addictive substance, and nicotine vaping products are not for sale to anyone under 18 in the UK. This article is not a buying recommendation.