Product intro and specs
The OXBAR ICE-NIC Control 35K might be a game changer for disposable vapes. In 2024, we’ve seen so-called smart screens become standard, and now, at the close of 2024, we have adjustability on a whole new level. I recently reviewed vapes with flavor and ice adjustability, but the ICE-NIC takes it one step further. Not only does it have ice adjustability, but you can adjust the nicotine output per puff with the press of a button. Yes, for real.
Aside from the ice and nicotine adjustability, the OXBAR ICE-NIC is equipped with a 900 mAh rechargeable battery powering a Unione dual-mesh coil. The ICE-NIC is loaded with eliquid made by Pod Juice, with a total of 20 zodiac-inspired options, all in 5% nicotine. However, the main draw to this device is its nicotine and ice adjustability. It’s a bit mind-blowing to think about it. Although I’m not sure how it’s achieved from a technology standpoint, I’d like to express my thoughts on my experience with it, as well as the device overall. Let’s get to it.
Price: $16.99 (at Element Vape)
Flavors: Fruity pebz (Aries), sour peachy o's (Virgo), green apple burst (Aquarius), rocket pop (Scorpio), watermelon apple gush (Pisces), jolly watermelon (Libra), jewel mighty mint (Gemini), strawberry orange pop (Sagittarius), pink strawberry burst (Cancer), jolly blue pop (Capricorn), jewel cane mint (Leo), white gummy watermelon (Scorpio II), golden reserve tobacco (Taurus), clear emerald (Gemini II), strawberry pink cherry (Sagittarius II), strawberry shortcake (Capricorn II)
Size, look, and feel
The OXBAR ICE-NIC Control 35K is a normal-looking disposable but with a revolutionary feature of nicotine adjustability. It might be a bit deceiving when looking at it. It has an all-plastic exterior with a gloss finish, with each device having a two-toned, colored gradient. Despite being glossy, the colors don’t show fingerprints as prominently as the all-black DOJO Sphere X.
The body has a rounded rectangular design with a link for a lanyard. There’s nothing particularly off-putting nor anything wild about the aesthetics. I’m fine with that.
The front panel has a slender, rectangular (“mega display”) smart screen that displays juice, battery, ice, and nicotine levels. Although it seems like a lot of information to monitor, it’s easy to read and intuitive when in use. The ice and nicotine adjustments are handled via two side buttons near the bottom of the device. On the small black buttons, there’s an icon of ice and the other a fire symbol (I’m sure they were perplexed with how to make an icon for nicotine).
The top button controls the ice, and the bottom button controls the nicotine. Each button press toggles through one of three levels of the ice and nicotine.
Getting started
Although this new breed of disposables has some advanced tech inside, the interface and usage are just as easy as any disposable from 2023.
On the bottom of the ICE-NIC, there’s an airflow switch that’s also an on/off switch. The words on/off are embossed on the device and are easy to read. Switch the device one space to turn it on. That space is the lowest airflow setting, which provides close to a strict MTL. The next setting is a loose MTL, but not very loose. It’s kinda strange to articulate this, but the MTL is slightly loose, and the loose MTL is kinda tight (if that makes any sense.)
As mentioned in the previous section, adjusting the ice and nicotine is handled with the press of a button. There are two buttons along the bottom side of the device. The top button is for ice, and the bottom is for nicotine.
To adjust either the ice or nicotine, press the button once to activate the screen, then press again to toggle. There are three levels for each feature: low, medium, and high (which is displayed on the screen).
The nicotine level can’t go lower than its lowest level and can be adjusted up from there and back down. The ice adjustability technically has four settings, including “off.” However, there is still a slight sensation of ice even when it’s not on (since most disposable flavors have some type of cooling sensation). You can’t set the nicotine to off.
How does it hit?
The hit from the ICE-NIC is fast and quiet, smooth, and densely flavorful. As a huge fan of the OXBAR Magic Maze 2.0, I’m glad that the flavor from the ICE-NIC 35K is on par with those. The one hiccup with the hit is that occasionally I get juice in the mouth, particularly if I’m vaping the device horizontally (like when I’m in bed). I’ve noticed this same thing with other disposable vapes that have bite-friendly mouthpieces.
Now, onto the special features. The ice adjustability is nice to have, especially if you’re a fan of ice—or the opposite, like me, and would prefer less of it. I tend to keep my ice level turned off. Although, with a couple of flavors, I actually do like the occasional blast of ice on high. When you set it to high, it’s noticeably icy. With medium and low, there’s not much difference.
The nicotine adjustability is a bit difficult to discuss because I don’t notice much difference one way or another. I’ve tried to set it blindly to see if I could feel a different hit, but it’s got the same throat hit whether I have the nicotine set to low, medium, or high. I don’t feel a rush of more nicotine when it’s set to high, which I imagine is just the standard 5%.
How is the nicotine modulated? I think there’s a small tank of flavored zero-nicotine juice inside, and it mixes with the main flavor tank, but I don’t know for sure. From my experience, it’s too subtle to be noteworthy anyway. It would be nice if there were a little more information about how this is achieved and what low, medium, and high strength correspond to.
OXBAR ICE-NIC Control 35K best flavors
As with other OXBAR disposables, the flavors are very good. That’s both a nod to the performance of the device and juice manufacturer (Pod Juice). The one thing about OXBAR disposables that I’ve encountered is that the taste may take some getting used to because they’re highly flavored. At first, when I tried the ICE-NIC, I thought they were a bit overwhelming. By the following day, when a couple of the batteries were depleted, it hit me how much I’d been using them. As an aside, I’m happy to say that there are some dessert flavors on the menu!
Strawberry shortcake (Capricorn II): Addictive and flavorful. I can’t say it tastes like strawberry shortcake, though. It’s got a chewy strawberry dessert taste, but it’s not strawberry shortcake. I didn’t know what the flavor was when I first started vaping it, but I didn’t care because it’s so good. I like it without additional ice, though it has a little on its own.
Jewel cane mint (Leo): A fantastic mint flavor that tastes like the chewy peppermint Christmas candies. Sweet and minty. It already has a mint taste, but you can adjust it to cold if you like.
Jolly watermelon (Libra): Sour, sweet and bright. It’s reminiscent of the candy but with a fuller flavor profile. I like it with no ice or light ice.
Rocket pop (Scorpio): Sweet and almost syrupy. If you like sweet flavors, this is for you. It does taste just like a rocket pop flavor profile too. I like this one more than strawberry shortcake. Good with no ice and all levels in between.
How long does it last?
Can you get 35K puffs out of an OXBAR ICE-NIC? Maybe if you take one-second puffs. I take long draws. As always, your mileage will vary depending on how you vape. What I can attest to is the charge cycles. I’ve charged strawberry shortcake 4x and am at 35% liquid left (but it’s just at the start of the fourth charge cycle). I'm fairly certain that I’m going to get at least one more charge out. Five charges is good value!
The charge time is about 65 minutes, which is about average. While charging, the battery indicator lights up with a gradation of colors (red being the lowest and green for full). Once the battery is finished charging, the battery indicator will cut off.
The ICE-NIC does not have pass-thru charging.
Pros / Cons
Gallery
Verdict
The OXBAR ICE-NIC Control 35K is a fantastic performing disposable. The flavors are crafted well and the device provides everything needed to let the recipes shine. OXBAR has done it again!
However, the main draw to these OXBAR disposables over others is the ice and nicotine adjustability. After all, it’s called the ICE-NIC! With that in mind, it’s not quite as good as I’d hoped—at least for the bonus feature. The ice adjustability is easy to use, and you can tell the difference when using it (especially when it’s on high). The issue is that the nicotine adjustability doesn’t feel like it makes a difference. I wish I had a little more information on how they’re achieving it and what the various levels correspond to (in terms of milligrams).
The OXBAR ICE-NIC 35K Control is a disposable I love using, but one of its main features is not doing much (that I can tell). I take off points for that, but not so much that I have any hesitation recommending the OXBAR ICE-NIC 35K.
Highly recommended, but don’t expect much when it comes to the nicotine adjustability. If you just want fantastic flavor, ice adjustability, and long-run times, give the ICE-NIC a try. Who knows, maybe you’ll be able to get some use out of the nicotine adjustment. I did not.
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