Aspire Zelos 3 | version, coil and e-liquid guide

The Aspire Zelos 3 kit usually boils down to three figures on a shop listing, 3200 mAh, 80 W and 4 ml. None of them tells you which version will land in the box, which coil comes fitted, or what liquid belongs in the tank.

Yet those three choices decide the draw and how long the first coil survives. Here is the order in which to settle them.

Aspire Zelos 3 kit, what to sort out before the first puff

The Aspire Zelos 3 kit pairs a box mod with a built-in 3200 mAh battery, adjustable from 1 to 80 W, with the 24 mm Nautilus 3 tank. Three decisions are enough for a good start. In the UK, the version to look for is the 2 ml TPD one. Pick the coil for your draw, the 1.8 ohm BVC for a tight mouth-to-lung pull, the 0.7 ohm 2S Mesh for a looser one. Then fill with a liquid suited to that coil.

The mod offers more than the Nautilus 3 will ever ask of it. The specifications quoted here come from Aspire’s official kit and Nautilus 3 pages unless stated otherwise. They give a range of 1 to 80 W, 0.5 to 8.4 V and supported resistances from 0.1 to 3.5 ohms, while neither supplied coil goes beyond 25 W. Those 80 W are headroom, not a target.

Four versions of the Aspire Zelos 3, one built for the UK

The kit comes in four versions, and listings do not always say which one they ship. The difference lies in the tank and its cap.

The 4 ml standard version

This is the version most listings describe. It holds the mod, a 4 ml Nautilus 3, both coils, a 4 ml spare glass tube, a spare drip tip (the mouthpiece), a bag of O-rings, a USB-C cable and the manual.

The 2 ml TPD version

In the UK, the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 cap refillable tanks for nicotine e-liquid at 2 ml, and nicotine e-liquid itself at 20 mg/ml in bottles of no more than 10 ml. The TPD version of the kit meets that rule with a 2 ml Nautilus 3, so it is the one built for British shelves. A listing quoting 4 ml describes the standard version.

One line of the official contents list deserves attention. The TPD version comes without a spare glass tube, unlike the standard version. After a drop, a 2 ml replacement glass has to be ordered separately.

The two CRC versions

Each capacity also comes as a CRC version, with a Nautilus 3 fitted with a safety cap that needs a deliberate action to open. Everything else in the box matches the corresponding version, 4 ml or 2 ml.

Which coil suits your draw

Each supplied coil targets a different vaper. The right choice depends on how you inhale, and it is best made as soon as the box is open.

The 1.8 ohm BVC for a tight draw

Its range runs from 10 to 14 W. It suits mouth-to-lung vaping, where the vapour sits in the mouth before being inhaled, as on most starter kits. At 14 W it receives about 5 V and 2.8 A, very modest values for this mod.

The 0.7 ohm 2S Mesh for a looser draw

Its range runs from 20 to 25 W. A retailer’s published review of the kit presents it as the kit’s direct-lung option, for a more open, airy pull. At 25 W it receives about 4.2 V and 6 A.

The 2S Mesh is the coil that comes pre-installed in the Nautilus 3. If you want a tight draw, the very first job is therefore to swap it for the BVC before filling.

Other Nautilus coils

The Nautilus 3 takes every coil in the Nautilus series. Each one carries its own power range on the packaging, and that range is the one to follow rather than whatever wattage the mod still shows from the previous coil.

The e-liquid to put in the Aspire Zelos 3

The coil you choose sets the liquid. A 1.8 ohm BVC runs cool and feeds its wick through narrow ports, so it generally prefers a thinner liquid where propylene glycol dominates.

The 0.7 ohm 2S Mesh usually copes with a thicker liquid, around equal parts propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine. Beyond that, at this kind of power, the wick may struggle to keep pace with your puffs. Our guide to choosing e-liquid explains what each ratio changes.

Airflow follows the same logic. The Nautilus 3 ring offers seven holes from 0.8 to 3.0 mm. The smaller ones go with the BVC, the wider ones with the 2S Mesh.

Setting up the kit without a burnt hit

A new coil has never seen liquid, and the first minute decides how long it lasts. Four steps follow, based on the instructions summarised on retailer listings for the kit.

Switch on and fill

The mod powers on with a sliding switch on its underside. The Nautilus 3 fills from the top. Press the small red arrow to slide the top cap open, then pour the liquid through the openings.

Let the wick soak

Before the first puff, drip a few drops onto the cotton visible inside the coil, fill the tank, then wait several minutes. Dry cotton scorches on the first press, and the coil keeps a harsh taste afterwards.

Start at the bottom of the range

Set the mod to WATT mode, at 10 W for the BVC or 20 W for the 2S Mesh, then climb in steps of 1 or 2 W. The other modes, voltage, bypass, temperature control and the CPS curve, can wait.

Lock it and switch it off

Three quick presses on the fire button lock the adjustment buttons, but the fire button itself stays active. When the kit goes into a bag, the switch on the underside remains the real protection.

Changing the Nautilus 3 coil without emptying the tank

The Nautilus 3 was designed for this job. The coil is a press-fit design, and a shut-off valve closes the liquid inlet while the coil is out.

In practice, turn the tank upside down, unscrew the base, pull out the old coil and push the new one in until it stops, then screw the base back on. Thanks to the valve, the tank can stay full throughout. The new coil is then primed just like the first one.

To know when it is time for that swap, our guide on when to change a vape coil lists the signs worth trusting.

FAQ

These questions cover the mod itself and using the kit over the following weeks.

Can the Zelos 3 mod take a different tank?

Yes, its 510 connector accepts other atomisers within its 0.1 to 3.5 ohm range. Aspire’s manual does, however, advise against pairing it with other brands’ hardware. If you go ahead anyway, check the new tank’s diameter against the width of the mod, and the power range of its coil.

How long does the battery take to charge?

Charging runs through a USB-C port at 2 A. With 3200 mAh, the maths gives at least 1.6 hours, or 1 hour 36 minutes. Charging always slows near the end on a lithium cell, so the real figure is longer.

How do you reset the puff counter?

Press the fire button and the minus button together. Reset at each coil change, the counter shows how long your coils really last.

What does the TOO HOT message mean?

The mod has triggered its overheat protection, one of the safeguards built into its ASP chipset. Let it cool down, and keep it away from direct sun and heat sources.

Does TC mode work with the supplied coils?

Temperature control needs a wire designed for it, such as nickel, titanium or stainless steel. The kit’s coils are rated in watts, and WATT mode remains the simplest way to run them.

Aspire Zelos 3, the three choices behind a good start

The Aspire Zelos 3 does not ask you to master all of its modes. It asks for three decisions, the 2 ml TPD version for UK rules, the coil that matches your draw and a liquid suited to that coil.

Add a properly soaked wick and a wattage taken from the bottom of the range, and the first coil gets a fair start.

Reading the manufacturer’s spec sheet before the shop listing remains the best habit when choosing a kit, and the Aspire Zelos 3 is a good example of why.

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