Sigelei Chronus Review: 200W Power, Specs & Performance
Sigelei Chronus review: a 200W box mod kit tested for build, power delivery and real-world performance.
The Sigelei Chronus was Sigelei’s play at a 200W dual-18650 kit that looked and felt far more expensive than it sold for, and it still does. The headline hardware was unusual for its class: a circular 1.3-inch TFT display, a five-direction joystick, and a 0.001-second firing speed — the kind of numbers budget mods normally skip.
This review gathers the published specifications and the hands-on impressions of established reviewers and owners to cover what the Chronus and its bundled Sigelei Shikra sub-ohm tank deliver. We then line it up against two current dual-cell rivals already reviewed on HooVape — the VooPoo Drag 5 and the GeekVape Aegis Legend 5 — so you can decide whether an older 200W kit still earns a place next to modern hardware.
Quick Verdict
The Chronus is a characterful, capable 200W mod with real power output, a full temperature-control suite, and one of the most distinctive interfaces ever fitted to a budget device. It is not the newest or toughest mod in its class, and reviewers agree on two irritations: wattage scrolling is slow, and the Shikra kit ships with round-wire coils rather than the mesh heads most vapers now expect.
- Suits you if you want a 200W dual-18650 workhorse on a budget and will buy your own cells.
- Suits you if you like tinkering: a customisable interface, firmware upgrades and a joystick-driven menu.
- Suits you if you want broad TC support — Ni200, Ti, SS304/316/317 and TCR — without flagship pricing.
- Skip it if you want the fastest ramp-up and newest chipset (see the Drag 5) or IP68 durability (see the Aegis Legend 5).
- Skip it if you want mesh coils straight out of the box — the Shikra includes round-wire MS coils only.
Specifications
Key Specs
These are the published specs for the mod and the tank. Where the standard Chronus and the Shikra Edition differ, both are noted.
| Spec | Chronus / Chronus Shikra Kit |
|---|---|
| Device type | Regulated dual-18650 box mod (200W TC starter kit) |
| Dimensions | 88.2 x 44 x 31 mm |
| Material | Shikra Edition: zinc alloy + stainless steel. Standard Chronus: zinc alloy + aluminium alloy |
| Battery | Dual 18650 (not included) |
| Power output | 10–200W |
| Voltage | Input 6.4–8.4V; output 1.0–7.5V |
| Temperature range | 100–300°C / 200–570°F |
| Resistance range | 0.05–3.0 ohm |
| Modes | Power (VW), TC (Ni200, Ti1, SS304/316/317), TCR; Shikra Edition adds TFR |
| Firing speed | 0.001s |
| Display | 1.3″ round TFT screen |
| Controls | Five-direction joystick, firing button, 4-digit PIN lock |
| Charging | Micro-USB, listed as DC 5V/2.5A on retailer spec sheets |
| Tank | Sigelei Shikra, 24mm diameter, 5.5ml bulb glass (3.5ml spare glass included) |
| Coils | MS-H SUS316L 0.2Ω (60–120W, pre-installed); MS SUS316L 0.25Ω (40–80W); MS-M 0.2Ω mesh compatible but not included |
| Thread and airflow | 510 connection; adjustable bottom dual airflow |
| Listed price | Not consistently published — retailer listings have ranged from roughly $27.99 on clearance to $106.99–$117.99 for Shikra editions; most are now sold out |
Sigelei does not publish the name of the chipset inside the Chronus, so a specific chip designation cannot be attributed to it. The charging rate is likewise only confirmed on third-party spec sheets at DC 5V/2.5A.
Design and Build Quality
The Chronus is a compact rectangular mod at 88.2 x 44 x 31mm, so despite running two 18650s it stays hand-friendly. The face centres on the round TFT display, styled with a clock-like graphic that ties into the Chronus, father-of-time theme, with a five-direction joystick below it. Keeping the joystick separate from the fire button is a plus reviewers flagged — you are not wearing out the fire button just to scroll menus.
Material is the detail to watch when buying. The standard Chronus uses zinc alloy and aluminium alloy; the Chronus Shikra Edition upgrades to zinc alloy and stainless steel, a difference owners in the Ecigclick thread called quite noticeable in hand, with the Shikra Edition feeling the more solid of the two.
Build details are mostly sound: a bottom battery door with vent holes that reviewers reported does not rattle, and a centred 510 connection. The common aesthetic complaints are the bright white Sigelei logo on the base and a tank that sits marginally off-centre, while one reviewer called the standard version’s feel a little cheap and not built to last — which the Shikra Edition’s stainless body directly answers. For the brand’s wider dual-cell line-up, the 213W Sigelei Fuchai 213 sits in the same class and is covered separately on HooVape.
Performance
At its core the Chronus does what a 200W dual-18650 mod should. Output adjusts across 10–200W, with a voltage output of 1.0–7.5V and a resistance floor of 0.05 ohm, so it fires everything from high-resistance mouth-to-lung builds to low-ohm cloud tanks. The 0.001-second firing speed keeps ramp-up immediate, and the regulator holds its set wattage as the cells drain rather than sagging mid-session.
Temperature control is broader than the price suggests: Ni200, titanium and stainless steel (304, 316, 317) are supported, plus a user-adjustable TCR value, and the Shikra Edition adds TFR mode and firmware upgrading.
The main criticism concerns navigation, not power. Wattage scrolling is slow, and reviewers agreed the mod does not stand out against better chipsets in raw smoothness. Owner reports also include a unit arriving faulty and a tank that rotated on the 510 connection without unscrewing, so buy any older kit from a seller with a clear returns policy.
Flavour and Vapour Production
The Shikra is a 24mm sub-ohm tank with a 5.5ml bulb glass and a threaded top-fill cap; a 3.5ml spare glass is included. Its base-mounted dual airflow ring feeds a channel-shaped air path documented as keeping the tank cooler than a conventional bottom-airflow design.
Flavour and vapour are where reviewers agree most. The pre-installed MS-H SUS316L 0.2Ω coil is rated 60–120W, with some listings citing 80–110W as the sweet spot, and the spare MS 0.25Ω head is rated 40–80W. Owners describe the output as plentiful and tasty, with a wide-bore drip tip reviewers consistently praised. The near-universal complaint is that no mesh coil is included: the 0.2Ω MS-M mesh head is compatible and sold separately, so budget for one if you want mesh.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life depends on the cells you install, because the Chronus ships without them. As a dual-18650 mod it runs a full day of moderate vaping at mid wattage; push toward 200W and, as with any dual-cell device, expect to carry a spare pair.
Charging is over a front micro-USB port listed at DC 5V/2.5A, slower than the USB-C 5V/3A setup on newer rivals. With removable cells, an external charger remains the better habit for cell health and balance.
Features
The feature list is where the Chronus still feels interesting for its age:
- 1.3″ round TFT display with a customisable interface and clock function; the Shikra Edition adds firmware upgrading so you can load new graphics.
- Five-direction joystick navigation kept separate from the fire button.
- 4-digit PIN lock to stop anyone else using the device.
- Temperature control for Ni200, Ti1 and SS304/316/317, plus TCR, with TFR on the Shikra Edition.
- Safety suite: battery reverse, short-circuit, high-wattage, low-wattage and high-temperature protection.
- Centred 510 connection with a threaded top-fill tank.
If temperature control and wire types are new to you, our beginner’s guide to MTL vaping, pods and tanks explains how resistance, wattage and coil materials fit together.
How It Compares
Chronus vs Two Modern Dual-Cell Mods
The Chronus sits in the same dual-18650 class as the VooPoo Drag 5 and the GeekVape Aegis Legend 5, both covered in full on HooVape. Here is how the published specifications line up.
| Spec | Sigelei Chronus | VooPoo Drag 5 | GeekVape Aegis Legend 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max output | 200W | 177W | 200W |
| Battery | Dual 18650 | Dual 18650 | Dual 18650 |
| Chipset | Not named in published specs | GENE.TT 2.0 | AS Chip 4.0 |
| Ramp-up | 0.001s fire speed | Near-instant GENE ramp | Fast |
| TC wire support | Ni200 / Ti / SS304-317 + TCR + TFR | SS316L only | Ni / Ti / SS + TCR |
| Tank in kit | 5.5ml Shikra (bottom airflow) | 5.5ml Uforce-X (top airflow) | Z Sub-Ohm Tank |
| Charging | Micro-USB (~5V/2.5A) | USB-C 5V/3A | USB-C |
| Durability | Standard chassis | Standard chassis | IP68 tri-proof |
| List price | Clearance ~$28–$107 by listing | ~$50 | ~$55 |
Line the numbers up and the Chronus is closer to the modern field than its age suggests. It matches the Aegis Legend 5 at 200W and beats the Drag 5’s 177W ceiling, and its temperature control — Ni200, titanium, stainless steel and TCR — is broader than the Drag 5’s SS316L-only implementation while matching the Legend 5. It loses on charging standard (micro-USB against USB-C), durability (no IP rating against the Legend 5’s IP68 body), chipset transparency (Sigelei names no chip, where both rivals do) and coil technology, since the Shikra ships round-wire while both rivals’ tanks lean on mesh. Price is the tiebreaker: clearance listings have put the complete kit below what either rival typically costs for the mod alone. Want 200W and a full TC suite cheaply, take the Chronus; want the newest chipset, USB-C and mesh in the box, take the Drag 5 or Aegis Legend 5.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Real 200W output from dual 18650s at a budget or clearance price.
- Broad temperature control: Ni200, Ti1, SS304/316/317, plus TCR and TFR.
- 0.001s firing keeps ramp-up immediate on sub-ohm coils.
- Distinctive 1.3″ round TFT display with a customisable, firmware-upgradeable interface.
- Joystick navigation that spares the fire button, and a rattle-free battery door.
- The Shikra Edition’s zinc alloy and stainless steel body feels more solid than the standard alloy version.
Cons
- Wattage scrolling is slow, per multiple reviewers.
- No mesh coil in the kit, despite mesh heads being compatible.
- Micro-USB charging rather than USB-C.
- No IP rating for water, dust or shock resistance.
- Bright white logo on the base and a slightly off-centre tank.
- Discontinued and hard to find, with some reports of faulty units out of the box.
Frequently Asked Questions
What batteries does the Sigelei Chronus take?
Two 18650 cells, sold separately. Buy a matched pair from a reputable brand and keep them married — charged and discharged together — for balanced performance and safer operation.
How many watts does it output?
The published output range is 10–200W, with a resistance range of 0.05–3.0 ohm and a voltage output of 1.0–7.5V, which spans low-wattage MTL tanks through to high-wattage sub-ohm builds.
Does the kit include mesh coils?
No. The Shikra tank ships with an MS-H SUS316L 0.2Ω coil pre-installed and an MS 0.25Ω spare, both round-wire. The 0.2Ω MS-M mesh coil is compatible and sold separately.
Does it support temperature control?
Yes. It supports Ni200, titanium and stainless steel (304, 316 and 317) plus a user-adjustable TCR mode, and the Shikra Edition adds TFR mode and firmware upgrading.
Final Verdict
The Sigelei Chronus is a reminder that a well-executed older mod can still hold its own. It delivers the full 200W, a wide temperature-control suite and one of the most distinctive displays in the category — things that do not date the way a charging port or a missing mesh coil do. What has aged is the micro-USB port, the lack of any IP rating, the slow menu scrolling and the round-wire coils in the box.
For a vaper who wants dual-18650 power and real temperature control on a tight budget, and who will add a mesh coil and the right cable to the order, the Chronus is a sensible pickup — particularly the Shikra Edition. If you would rather have the newest chipset, USB-C charging and a modern mesh tank out of the box, the Drag 5 and Aegis Legend 5 are the better long-term choices.
Overall: 7.6 / 10 — Strong value and features for the money; held back by slow menu navigation, micro-USB charging, no IP rating and no mesh coil in the kit.
References
- Ecigclick — “Sigelei Chronus 200W Kit Review + Shikra Tank” (specifications, build materials and owner comments)
- ProVape — “Sigelei Chronus Shikra 200W TC Starter Kit Review” (spec table, coil ratings and reviewer consensus)
- MyVaporStore — “Sigelei Chronus with Shikra Starter Kit” (mod and tank specs, package contents, user reviews)
- Vapormo — “Sigelei Chronus Shikra 200W TC Starter Kit Edition” (charging rate, dimensions and tank specification)
- E-Cigarette Forum — “Sigelei Chronus Shikra Kit” (dimensions, materials and output range); cross-reference: VooPoo Drag 5 and GeekVape Aegis Legend 5 specifications from HooVape reviews