2017 has marked the year of reviewer designed and inspired RDAs. It so happens that reviewers know the ins and outs of products due to the amount of them being reviewed. Each RDA that was designed by a reviewer has addressed many issues which were a problem with RDAs released prior to theirs. This being the case, they are some of my favorite RDAs in my collection and each for their own reasons and design. Each one of these RDAs can be used for regular dripping and squonking purposes. I own each of the RDAs mentioned in this article and have reviewed them on my YouTube channel.
Dual coil RDAs are where it is at for me. Keep in mind that we all have different vape preferences and these are my opinions and thoughts for RDAs being mentioned.
Favorite RDAs – Bonza
Bonza is designed by The Vaping Bogan and manufactured by Vandy Vape. The Bonza RDA retails between $25 – $35 USD depending on where you purchase the product from. The Bonza RDA by The Vaping Bogan and Vandy Vape is most definitely my favorite RDA that I always navigate towards when wanting to install a new build and use it as my daily.
Bonza Features
24mm diamater RDA, 24K gold-plated build deck with fixed posts and clamps for coil installation, 7mm juice well, ultra smooth adjustable airflow system with 15 air holes on each side of the barrel, 18mm wide resin 810 compatible drip tip, 17.5mm wide ultem 810 compatible drip tip, 510 drip tip adapter, regular and bottom feeding 510 pins, peek insulator and available in black, gold, rainbow, and matte gray.
Bonza RDA Build Quality
The build quality of the Bonza RDA far exceeds my expectations. The tolerance of the o-rings is perfect. The top cap is easy to remove and install, but will not come loose on its own. The airflow is easy to adjust and stays locked in where you set it. The o-ring for the 810 drip tip holds your tips on nice and snug. The post screws are nice and beefy and should last a long time. The Bonza RDA is compatible with hybrid connections.
Bonza RDA Coil Installation
The coil installation is a breeze with the Bonza RDA featuring 2 fixed posts near the edge of the deck for both postive and negative connections. I cannot find the exact specs of these post holes but I want to say they are around 2mmx2.5mm though I may stand corrected. Since they only need to hold 1 coil lead they will accommodate most any build. The other 2 posts features a clamp system. When you loosen the post screws the clamps start lowering. The top part of each clamp that lowers features a grated texture that assists in holding your coil lead in place without slipping. Most any coil (depending on the length) will just slide right into place. You can install your coils and trim the leads after they are set into place. This truly makes it easy for even the novice of builders to install coils.
Bonza RDA Flavor & Airflow
The flavor and airflow will be determined by the type of coils that you install into the Bonza RDA. I recommend installing coils 3mm or 3.5mm inner diameter. I would not recommend going lower than 3mm. The more surface area of your coils will determine your flavor experience. Lately I have been using quad core fused claptons or triple core alien coils. You want to make sure the number of wraps ends up with the coil being the proper width to line up with the post holes and clamps. The number of wraps will differ for each type of coil. After the coils are installed make sure to position the coils so that the top most airflow hole will hit below the top of the coil. When installing your wicking material make sure that none of the wicking material is obstructing the airflow under each coil. I personally leave the airflow all the way open however you may need to tune it down depending on the wattage, build, and vape preference. I personally like a very warm vape around 125 watts most of the time. The airflow has to be among the smoothest I have experienced from any RDA. The flavor is top notch if you follow my recommendations. The vapor production when using nice beefy coils in conjunction with the airflow all the way open at high wattages is amazing!
Favorite RDAs – Drop RDA
The Drop RDA by TVC (The Vapor Chronicles) & Digiflavor is my second favorite RDA. The Drop RDA retails between $25-$35 USD depending on the place of purchase. It was a very difficult choice between the Drop and the Bonza as my favorite RDA. I really hold them in the same regards for most aspects.
Drop RDA Features
24mm diameter RDA, gold plated deck, Four 3.5mm top down post holes, side mounted flat head screws, 5mm deep juice well, super smooth stepped adjustable airflow design with 10 holes per side in a “T” shape, gold plated 510 pin, 810 compatible drip tips; 1 arylic & 1 ultem, 510 drip tip adapter, regular & bottom feed 510 pins included, peek insulator, and available in black, stainless steel, gold, blue, gun metal and matte black.
Drop RDA Build Quality
The build quality of the Drop RDA exceeds my expectations. The tolerance of the o-rings is mostly perfect. The top cap is easy to remove and install, but will not come loose on its own. The airflow adjustment can be very tough to turn. If you keep it in the same place all the time then it will not be an issue. If you frequently adjust the airflow then I recommend keeping it lubed up on the daily. The o-ring for the 810 drip tip holds your tips on nice and snug. The post screws are decent quality and should last a fairly long time. The Drop RDA is compatible with hybrid connections.
Drop RDA Coil Installation
Installing coils into the Drop RDA has to be the easiest of any RDAs that I have yet used. The Drop RDA features a drop in coil installation. The coils install from the top down and each coil can be tightened & positioned prior to trimming the leads. Trimming the leads afterwards is possible due to the raised posts with plenty of room to clip the leads from below the posts. The post holes are huge and should be able to accommodate just about any build. Additionally you can install a single coil and place the leads in diagonally, allowing for a longer coil. When I install a single coil I always go with a 4mm diameter coil, which has a little room to spare. Additionally, when using a single coil you can close off the top row of the airflow which will provide an awesome flavor experience, allowing the air to hit under and on both sides of the coil. When installing your coil(s) you want to make sure that there is a few millimeters between the bottom of the coil and the posts. This will allow all the air to hit from the bottom, middle, and near the top of the coil(s). The Drop RDA is great for the novice, intermediate, and expert builders.
Drop RDA Flavor & Airflow
The flavor will be determined by the type of coils and how much airflow & watts applied. When using dual coils I recommend 3mm or 3.5mm inner diameter coils. You want to make sure that the number of wraps is consistent and aligned with the post holes in the Drop. This will change depending on the type of coils being used. After installing the coils you want to make sure that the top most airflow holes are going to hit near the top, but not over the top of the coils. Make sure that none of your wicking material is blocking the airflow. With these methods the Drop RDA provides one of the best flavor experiences of any dual coil RDA. Even with a single coil, if you install a 4mm inner diameter coil and position the coil and airflow just right you will be able to run a hot and flavorful vape. With the airflow all the way open and coils with plenty of surface space will result in huge vapor production, second to that of the Bonza RDA.
Digiflavor Drop RDA Video Review
Favorite RDAs – Dead Rabbit RDA
The Dead Rabbit RDA is my third favorite RDA. The Dead Rabbit RDA is available between $25-$35 USD depending on the place of purchase. This RDA almost made it to the bottom of the list in its standard configuration. With the release of the new Challenge Caps (Priest & Butcher) it now earns its way to the third position in my list.
Dead Rabbit RDA Features
24mm diameter RDA, Four 2.5mm top down post holes, side mounted flat head and hex screws provided, gold plated positive posts, 5mm deep juice well, peek insulator, 10mmx2.5mm top side diagonal adjustable airflow control, 810 compatible resin and delrin drip tips provided, 510 drip tip adapter included, gold plated 510 and bottom feed pins included. Colors available include stainless steel, black, rainbow, gold, aluminum heat red, aluminum crystal blue, aluminum violet, aluminum gun metal, and fully blacked out.
Dead Rabbit RDA Build Quality
Build quality of the Dead Rabbit overall is among the best. The tolerance of the o-rings are excellent. Top cap is easy to remove and install. Airflow adjustment is fairly easy to turn. The o-ring for the 810 drip tips is fairly snug, but a little looser than the Bonza and Drop RDAs. Flat head screws are installed by default, and a set of hex screws are provided which is what I have installed. Screws are of decent quality and should last a fairly long time.
Dead Rabbit Coil Installation
Installing the coils into the Dead Rabbit is very similar to installing coils into the Drop RDA. It is a little tough to clip the leads after they are installed so I recommend trimming the leads just a tad prior to the installation of your coils. Coils install from the top down with raised posts. The post holes are a decent size and should accommodate most builds. Single coil installation is available, however if you change the airflow to single flow the air will only hit from 1 side of the coil. I usually go with 3mm inner diameter coils in the Dead Rabbit though 3.5mm coils are possible to install as well. The coils should be installed leaving a few millimeters between the bottom of your coil(s) and the top of the post holes. You can install a single coil and position it in the middle and leave both airflow controls open so that the air hits both sides of the coil. Whether you install single or dual coils make sure that the coil is built to span the distance of the post holes perfectly. The Dead Rabbit RDA is great for the novice, intermediate and expert builders. The RDA is compatible with hybrid connections.
Dead Rabbit RDA Flavor & Airflow
You can expect excellent flavor from the Dead Rabbit RDA. I would make sure to install fused claptons or greater coils for the RDA to shine. I personally recommend triple core fused claptons, aliens, staggered fused claptons or similar. Make sure that your wicking material is not blocking the airflow in any way. Some users may experience issues with the type of airflow. I do not recommend trying to purge at the beginning of a vape. Purging is done to preheat the coils. In case some people are not familiar with the term purging, when you first fire the RDA blowing slightly into the RDA will preheat the coils and vape will be released through the airflow. If you do this with the regular Dead Rabbit cap you will get hot vape in your face. I tend to purge a lot and this was a deal breaker for me, until now. Heathen and Hellvape have released 2 challenge caps; Priest & Butcher. With the new challenge caps you can successfully purge with the Dead Rabbit without any vape coming at your face. They also allow for greater airflow than the standard cap which to me was just a tad restrictive. With the new challenge caps you want to use very beefy builds with lots of surface space and run them at high wattages (greater than 100 watts). This will result in a flavor but VERY cloudy vaping experience.
Dead Rabbit RDA Video Review
Honerable Mentions
I also own and approve of a couple other reviewer inspired RDAs. This list was a very tough choice to compile and select my favorites. Other favorites include the Aura RDA by DJLSB & Digiflavor and the Pulse 22 BF RDA by Tony B of the Vapor Trail Channel and Vandy Vape and the Icon by Mike Vapes and Vandy Vape. These RDAs almost made the list and are definitely worthwhile to check out.
Favorite Beginner RDA IJOY COMBO SRDA
The IJOY COMBO SRDA is an excellent option for the person who does not want to install coils but is seeking the RDA experience. It retails between $20-$25 depending on where you decide to purchase the product. The RDA is 25mm in diameter. This RDA only comes with a bottom feeding 510 pin used for squonking only. The SRDA comes with 1 pre-made dual coil with cotton installed. The coil section screws on to the base of the RDA. The coil set provided with the SRDA is .13 ohms. A .10 ohm coil set is also available for purchase. 4 different style build decks are also available for an extra charge which also screw on to the base of the RDA.
I have not tested any of the build decks that are available for the SRDA so I am unable to comment on the quality of them. I have only tested the .13 ohm coil that comes with the SRDA. The recommended wattage for the .13 ohm coil is 40-80 watts. I have tested the coil and fired it up to 100 watts for quite a few puffs in a row without issue. When the cotton and or coils get dirty you can remove the cotton, dunk the coils in water, and dry fire the coils to clean them up. Afterwards just reinstall new cotton and you are ready for a fresh vape.
The RDA is built very well. The tolerances of the o-rings are really decent. Airflow is easy to adjust. Flavor is very decent from this RDA. You can definitely achieve huge clouds with this RDA. There is plenty of airflow, however it can easily be tuned down. The o-ring for the 810 compatible drip tip needs to be beefier. The drip tips fit in a tad loose but should not fall out on their own.
The SRDA is for squonking only. Make sure not to use this RDA without a squonk capable mod. Do NOT use the SRDA with a hybrid connection. There is no peek insulation at the base of the 510 connection.
IJOY COMBO SRDA Video Review
Andy Okun
My name is Andy Okun and on YouTube everybody knows me as KJ Andy-O. The KJ is short for karaoke jockey.
I am a former smoker of 35 years. My first e-cigarette experience was back in 2010. I was not able to kick the cigarettes until I purchased my first vape device, which was the Innokin iTaste MVP 2.0 with iClear 30 tank. At that point I fell in love with vaping and started feeling the benefits after a couple months.
A couple years ago I decided to start my own vaping channel on YouTube; KJ Andy-O Vape Reviews. I purchased almost everything for the first couple hundred subscribers from hardware to e-liquids, after which time I was contacted and sent free samples by many companies. I have filmed a few tutorial videos and plan to do more in the future. My channel also features LIVE shows on YouTube from 6-7pm Pacific Time on Saturday nights. In regards to e-liquid reviews, I do not rate e-liquids on personal opinion. Instead I have devised a scoring system containing 5 categories, each category can score 0, 1/2, or 1 point, totaling 5 points. As of last year quite a few hardware manufacturers have contacted me to review their products including, X-Taste, Yosta, AsMODus, Vaporesso and others. I give all hardware and e-liquids very fair and honest reviews.
Looking forward to the future of vaping and everything that it has to bring!
