Shii vs Enso: which all-in-one electric hookah?
If you want shisha without charcoal and you do not own a hookah, there are now two complete devices to choose from: the Shii, built on XKAH's proven heating platform, and the Enso. Both have the heater, bowl, water tank and hose in one body. Both are ready in minutes with nothing to light. Past that, they are built to different ideas, and on the things that matter day to day the Shii is the stronger device by some distance.
The Enso figures below are the maker's own published specifications for the 2026 edition. The Shii figures are from XKAH and from our Shii guide. We have smoked both. We stock the Shii in Black and Silk Grey; we do not stock the Enso.
The short version
- The draw. This is the biggest difference you will feel. The Enso's hose has a narrower bore than a standard shisha hose, so the pull is tight; its maker's own FAQ suggests an optional hose adapter and a wide-bore silicone hose if the draw is too restricted. The Shii draws like a modern hookah should: open, smooth and effortless, straight out of the box.
- Heating. The Shii uses XKAH's heating plate, the one in the award-winning XKAH Pro, a platform thousands of shisha smokers already rely on. The Enso uses its maker's own porcelain-chamber heater.
- Power. The Shii swaps its battery mid-session without losing your settings, and runs from the mains over USB-C while it charges. The Enso has a removable battery and charges over USB-C; it does not state mid-session swapping or wired use.
- Run time. Shii: up to 120 minutes on the Battery S in the box, up to 180 minutes on the Battery L. Enso: 90 to 120 minutes depending on temperature.
- Tobacco. Shii: 8 to 12 g in a reusable stainless steel bowl, about half a charcoal bowl. Enso: 15 to 25 g per cup, in porcelain cups or disposable aluminium capsules.
- Control. Shii: auto mode or manual in 11 levels, two pre-heat strengths, restart in seconds. Enso: a dial, a fixed 5-minute pre-heat, no auto mode stated.
- Living with it. The Shii's body stays below 50°C, so it is safe for your interior: it will not burn your sofa or floor, even if it falls. It has magnetic hose connectors, a retractable carry handle, a modular mouthpiece, a 360° waterfall purge, a silent mode and swappable panels. The Enso is a 2.55 kg zinc alloy body with a leather strap, a 1.5 m hose and a blow-out valve.
Side by side
| Shii | Enso (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
| What it is | All-in-one hookah with electric heat, built on XKAH's heating platform | All-in-one electric hookah |
| The draw | Open and smooth, like a modern hookah: a full-bore soft-touch hose, a built-in diffuser and a mouthpiece that turns so the hose never twists | Tight: a narrower-bore hose than a standard shisha hose. The maker's FAQ says that if the pull is too restricted you can add an optional hose adapter and a wide-bore (11 to 12 mm) silicone hose, which "can nearly double airflow" |
| Heat | XKAH's proven heating plate (the one in the XKAH Pro): contact and convection heat from above, where the charcoal would sit | The maker's own electric element in a porcelain chamber |
| Heat control | Auto or manual, 11 levels of 5°C from 265°C to 315°C, two pre-heat strengths, light ring | Dial, 180°C to 330°C in 5°C steps; no auto mode stated |
| Pre-heat and session | About 8 minutes, then a 50-minute session; restart in seconds without pre-heating again | Fixed 5-minute pre-heat, then holds the set temperature |
| Battery | Hot-swap mid-session with a 3-minute buffer that keeps your settings. Battery S in the box; Battery L optional | Removable 5,000 mAh battery; mid-session swap not stated |
| Run time | Up to 120 minutes on the Battery S, up to 180 minutes on the Battery L | 90 to 120 minutes depending on temperature |
| Mains use | Yes, over the 3 m USB-C cable while charging (65W USB-C adapter, not included) | Not stated |
| Charging | About 100 minutes with a 65W USB-C adapter | About 105 minutes with the Battery Plus; needs a charger of at least 30W, not included |
| Bowl and tobacco | Reusable stainless steel bowl, 8 to 12 g (about half a charcoal bowl), dishwasher safe, any brand; 2 in the box. The same bowl as the XKAH Pro and Lite | Porcelain cup or disposable aluminium capsule, 15 to 25 g; 2 cups and 10 capsules in the box |
| Water | Water tank with a level window and a built-in diffuser | 0.2 L glass tank |
| Purge | 360° waterfall purge through the tank | Blow-out valve with glass balls |
| Hose and mouthpiece | Soft-touch hose with magnetic connectors at both ends; modular mouthpiece that turns freely | 1.5 m hose; 15 cm magnetic stainless steel mouthpiece |
| Body | Stays below 50°C: safe for your interior; retractable carry handle; interchangeable magnetic panels; silent mode | Zinc alloy, 33 × 12 cm, 2.55 kg; leather strap |
| Colours | Black, Silk Grey | Not stated |
| In the box | Battery S, 2 bowls, hose, mouthpiece, 3 m cable, dust cover, tongs, packing tool, spare valve balls | Battery, 2 porcelain cups, 10 disposable capsules, hose, mouthpiece, USB-C cable, multi-tool, mouth tips, brushes |
Enso picture: the maker's product photo.
Why the Shii comes out ahead
The draw: the biggest difference you will feel
Everything else on this page is a specification. This one you notice on the first pull. The Enso's hose has a narrower bore than the hoses shisha smokers are used to, and the whole device breathes through it. The result is a tight draw: you have to work for the smoke, the clouds are thinner, and a long session becomes tiring in a way a good hookah never is. If you have smoked a modern hookah with a wide silicone hose and a diffuser, the Enso feels like a step back.
The maker knows it. Its own FAQ, under "Can I adjust the draw or airflow?", first tells you not to overpack, and then says that if the pull is still too restricted you can attach an optional hose adapter and a wide-bore (11 to 12 mm) silicone hose, which "can nearly double airflow for an effortless draw". In other words, the open draw costs extra and is not what comes in the box.
The Shii was built the other way round. Its soft-touch hose is full bore, there is a diffuser built into the tank, and the mouthpiece turns so the hose never kinks. The pull is open, smooth and effortless from the first session to the last, exactly what you expect from a modern hookah. Having used both, this is the difference we would point to first.
It is built on a heating platform with a track record
The Shii does not ask you to trust a new, untried heater. Its heating plate is the one in the XKAH Pro, the electronic heat management head that was named Best Accessory at ShishaMesse Frankfurt 2026 and that XKAH owners already rely on every day. The bowls are shared with the XKAH Pro and Lite too, so the heat, the bowl and the way a session runs have all been proven on the heads before they went into the Shii. The Enso's porcelain-chamber heater is its maker's own design.
It never has to stop
The Shii's battery is held by magnets and comes off mid-session. When it runs low you get a warning and three minutes to clip a charged one on, and the session carries on with your settings intact. At home you skip the battery question altogether and run it from the mains over the 3 m cable while it charges. The Enso's battery is removable too, but the maker does not say it can be changed mid-session or that the device runs plugged in, and its own figure is 90 to 120 minutes a charge, with the 2026 battery needing about 105 minutes to fill from a 30W or stronger charger that is not in the box.
It uses half the tobacco
A Shii bowl takes 8 to 12 g, about half of what a charcoal bowl uses, in a stainless steel bowl you rinse or put in the dishwasher. The Enso's cups take 15 to 25 g, and the ten aluminium capsules in the box are single-use, so every session costs tobacco plus a capsule. Over a year that gap is not small.
It looks after the heat for you
Switch the Shii on in auto mode and it manages the heat through the session; take over in manual whenever you like, in 11 levels of 5°C, with a light ring that shows where you are. There are two pre-heat strengths, standard and a stronger one for dark blends, and if there is life left in the bowl you can restart in seconds without pre-heating again. The Enso gives you a dial and a fixed 5-minute pre-heat. Its range reaches lower, down to 180°C, but the Shii's 265°C to 315°C is the band shisha tobacco is smoked in.
It is built for a living room
The Shii's body stays below 50°C, so it is safe for your interior: it will not burn your sofa or floor, even if it falls. The hose clicks on with magnets at both ends, the mouthpiece turns so the hose does not twist, the handle retracts, the panels swap, the purge sends smoke down through the tank like a waterfall, and a silent mode turns the beeps off at night. The Enso is a solid 2.55 kg zinc alloy body with a glass tank, a leather strap and a conventional blow-out valve.
Where the Enso has a point
Its pre-heat is three minutes quicker, and its dial goes lower for very light blends. If those matter more to you than an open draw, a proven heater, battery flexibility, tobacco economy and a body you can leave on the sofa, it is a fair choice. We think most people will want the Shii.
Questions
Can I use any tobacco?
In the Shii, yes: any brand of shisha tobacco, light or dark, in the bowls provided. The Enso's maker describes it as made for molasses and says it takes standard shisha blends.
Do I need anything else?
For the Shii, a certified 65W USB-C Power Delivery adapter if you want to charge quickly or run it from the mains; everything else is in the box. For the Enso, a charger of at least 30W, and the optional hose adapter and a wide-bore hose if you want an open draw.
How does the Shii compare with the XKAH heads?
If you already own a hookah, the XKAH Pro and XKAH Lite heads use the same heating plate and bowls on your own stem. See XKAH Pro vs XKAH Lite vs Shii for every number side by side, and our guide to choosing between them.
The Shii heater gets hot in use. Follow the maker's instructions and keep it out of reach of children. 18+ only. See the full Shii range.