HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA Review
The HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA is the latest RTA from new manufacturer HugsVape. So far they have a pretty good track record with their first 2 products being one of my favorite dual coil RTAs in the Lotus and have a good squonking single coil RDA in the Theseus which were their first 2 products they made.
I also have a squonk mod and RDA from them coming as well in a review later this next month. The Chalice RTA is a MTL RTA with a metal cage around the glass. It has a standard 2 ml capacity RTA but no replacable glass or bubble glass options. It’s available in 4 colors; Matte Black, Gold, Gun Metal and SS.
HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA Specs
- Color: Black, blue, silver, gun metal
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Drip: Tip With Drip Tip
- Tank material: Glass
- Thread Type: 510
- Adjustable Airflow: 0.8mm, 1.0mm,1.2mm, 1.6mm, 2.0mm external air holes
- Capacity: 2ml
- Weight: 55g (1.94oz)
- Diameter: 24mm (0.94 inch)
- Height: 52mm (2.05 inch)
HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA Packing List:
- Chalice MTL RTA
- Accessory Bag
- User Manual
Initial Impressions on HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA
When I first got this RTA, I got a good story out of it and I like when I get to tell a story so here it goes. One thing I noticed right away was the top cap. To fill was clockwise, to open was counter clockwise like most, as we all know righty tighty , lefty loosey. The top cap to this was the opposite. Really doesn’t take a genius to realize that.
However HugsVape said that because they got a message from one of the reviewers, who apparently couldn’t figure that out and broke their RTA trying to fill it as they couldn’t figure out how to open it.
Initial Impressions on HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA Continued
It really amazes me sometimes how people who are doing reviews to inform people can’t figure out simple things, either way they redesigned it to open the same way every RTA does and sent me a replacement top cap for that, but funny enough didn’t include the gasket or o-ring so I had to move those over to the new top cap and that’s the retail version now.
It was an odd design choice but not a big deal IMO that they changed it due to user error from 1 reviewer. No other reviewer broke theirs as it’s not rocket science. Also one more side note on it, a buddy of mine actually named this RTA as well as he was one of the reviewers working on a review and gave them the idea for the name which I like and is pretty cool but just reminds me of the destiny leviathan raid.
Build Deck and Wicking
Let’s talk about the build deck now. It’s a pretty simple build deck to build on. It’s a standard 2 post deck with the posts being angled across from each other. Just like the Quark RDA deck but a smaller version. One post has a hole for your 1st wire lead to hold it in place and the other post has a slit cut out of the side to slide the 2nd lead into it.
Both post screws are good quality flat head grub screws so no complaints there and come top down so won’t twist flat wire leads either. Really easy to install a coil. There is plenty of room as well as I fit a 3mm ID coil and not much reason to go bigger with a MTL RTA. Then just clip off the excess leads and done. Overall, it’s a basic and easy to build deck that works well, just not my preference.
Wicking on this one is super easy. It wicks very well and is a slightly raised GTA style deck and there are 2 holes on the side. Just drop your cotton through the holes to the bottom and you are good to go. No tips or tricks really needed. It wicks very efficiently so don’t need to thin out your wicks really at all as the holes are big but I had no flooding with any coil size I tried (2mm to 3mm ID).
HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA Performance
Performance wise, I used it as a single coil RTA only. It’s a MTL RDA so not much you can do with builds so I ran only 4 builds. One was a spaced 24G SS coil 3mm ID 3/4 Wraps, and the other 3 were; 28G SS316 2mm ID, 2.5mm ID, and 3mm ID contact builds roughly around 12 wraps each. It’s best used at 25 watts or less because of not a lot of air. The draw will make many MTL enthusiasts quite happy. Fully open is still tighter than most “loose MTL vapes” while the smallest air hole is a really tight MTL vape and the medium is still pretty tight as well. Overall it gives good flavor for a MTL RTA at such low watts.
Overall Impressions, Details, and Extras
It’s a bottom airflow RTA with 5 tiny holes all on one side that you can adjust from the outside like many RTAs. The holes range from .8mm to 2.0mm and you can only use 1 at a time. The AFC is nice and smooth and on a stopper. All the way to 1 side is the smallest hole and all the way to the other side is the largest hole so well done there. It also has some nice cutouts for grip and I found it easy to adjust on or off mod. The air is nice and smooth, no whistle but can be a little noisy on the largest setting.
It has the same top fill as the Hastur mini in a sense, where it switchblades into the top. Essentially there are 2 notches on the fill hole portion and you just twist the cape when they line up, it pops open to expose the 2 large fill holes that can be filled with any type of bottle but I wouldn’t do a pour in.
The top cap has some nice cutouts for easy grip to pop it on and off. To put it back on just line up the notches and push down and twist a quarter of a turn and it locks in. I really love this top fill design. All the threading is really nice on this RTA and it’s easy to take apart and put together. Really nice quality.
Overall Impressions, Details, and Extras Continued
One thing to note is the glass is protected by a metal cage which is nice for drops however the cage and the glass are not removable so you can’t replace the glass and it makes it harder to clean. It can also make it somewhat hard to see the juice level as well. I found myself tilting it to see if there was juice at times. So basically the cage makes it more durable and can protect the glass but it also costs some visibility of your juice level and makes it harder to clean.
The quality on the HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA is excellent. All the threading is really nice and smooth. It’s a 24mm diameter RTA with nothing that bulges out but it’s a bit on the tall side. The 2ml capacity is good for a MTL RTA. There is no JFC and it doesn’t need one. I had no leaking or flooding issues and it handled chain vaping pretty good as well. Branding is nice and simple. Nothing on the outside and just the chalice logo cut out of the metal cage so you can see your juice level. It’s a classy and simple looking RTA.
HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Build quality
- Standard 510 tip ultem tip
- Good quality post screws
- Price point (under 30 bucks)
- Large fill holes
- Great threading
- Easy to build and wick deck
- Good flavor for a MTL RTA
- Smooth AFC
- No whistle or loud air on any setting
- Love the top fill design
- Good amount of air options
- Metal cage protects the glass
- Color options (4 total)
Cons:
- 2ml capacity could be better, but understandable due to metal cage
- Metal cage not removable so no spare glass and hard to clean
- Juice level can be hard to see at times
- Lack of accessories
HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA Video Review
Conclusion
So with all that said, do I recommend the HugsVape Chalice MTL RTA? I don’t like to do a hard yes or no, this one is going to lean heavy towards the yes. I had to be pretty picky with my cons and most really come down to whether you like the metal cage on the tank or not. It has its benefits and its drawbacks. Overall though what we have is an affordable MTL RTA that’s easy to build, has good flavor, easy to wick, and really does a tight MTL which is something many MTL vapers have been asking for.
Anthony Vapes
I started vaping in late 2011 to quit chewing tobacco. over the past few years i got a lot more into the hobby side and buying and collecting a lot of gear. Fed up with the lack of good fair reviews i decided to start doing reviews late 2016 and haven’t looked back. I enjoy providing people with technical reviews that are fair and unbiased and from a place of knowledge to help them spend their money wisely.
