RDA/RTA tanks provide the most enormous clouds possible with intense flavour to boot. So, we feel it’s a terrible shame that manufacturers often overlook DIY vape fans.
Today, MIST would love to showcase a series of excellent RDA and RTA units that represent the cream of the crop. Each one has different features which we feel deserve your attention.
We appreciate that DIY vaping isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and if the best RTAs aren’t something that stirs you, then please check out some of our roundups of the best vape tanks, best MTL tanks, best sub-ohm tanks and the best vape tanks for flavour.
However, those of you with a fondness or curiosity for DIY coil vaping should read below for some incredible rebuildable vape gear!
The Best RDA / RTA Overall Is: Vaperz Cloud Dreadnought V2 RTA
The simple fact is that the Vaperz Cloud Dreadnought V2 RTA offers more than any other RDA or RTA can dream of matching. You get the removable deck for intricate coil work, a sizable juice catchment area, and ample airflow pathways. And if you are in a pinch or don’t want to build coils, you can use ready-to-use Falcon Coils with the Dreadnought V2! This phenomenal feature was the deciding factor for us to name the Dreadnought V2 the best RTA of 2023.
No. of products tested
Why trust MIST?
With over 10 years of experience and a long list of satisfied customers, we’re confident that we can help you successfully make the switch to vaping.
The Best RTA / RDA Tanks 2023 Are:
- Vaperz Cloud Dreadnought V2
- Vaperz Cloud Sith RSA
- Hellvape Dead Rabbit 3
- Geekvape Talo X
- Suicide Mods Nightmare
- Deathwish Modz ReGenesis
- Innokin Ares II
- Wotofo STNG
Vaperz Cloud Dreadnought V2
Best RTA Overall
Features We Love
Dual Nature
Switch between DIY and Falcon coils
Detach
Fully removable deck for the utmost ease of work
Tastes Like Honey
Internal honeycomb airflow for improved clouds
We’ve recently looked at a few Vaperz Cloud products, such as the Odin V2 Mod and the Empire Squonk Project. Those units showed us that Vaperz Cloud is focused on producing advanced vape gear for experienced users, and the Dreadnought V2 RDA is no exception.
First and foremost, the design aspect that elevates the Dreadnought V2 into its winning position is the optional coil compatibility. The Dreadnought V2 can, of course, fit both single or dual coil builds onto the deck. However, the deck can be removed entirely, making it easier to perform intricate coil work.
Once the deck is removed, however, the Dreadnought V2 RTA is capable of fitting mesh coils from the HorizonTech Falcon range. This simple but revolutionary design means that if you aren’t in the mood or capable of building a whole new coil, you can insert a pre-made one to use the Dreadnought V2 as a sub-ohm tank!
And while we would have preferred a top-based airflow, the unique honeycomb shape of the bottom airflow control ring allows you far more control over how much vapour it produces.
The Vaperz Cloud V2 RTA is the best RTA tank we’ve seen, allowing you to opt for total convenience while still providing one of the best coil-building areas available.
Pros
- It can be used as an RTA or sub-ohm tank
- Removable coil deck
- Superb airflow settings
Cons
- Bottom-based airflow
- We would have loved a sliding top-fill
Vaperz Cloud Sith RSA
Best RDA for Flavour
Features We Love
Easy Squeezy: Intended for use with a squonk mod
Succulent Sith: Reapply new e-liquid instantly for fresh flavour
Old School: Can also be used as a traditional RDA
If you’ve an eye for franchises, you may be unsurprised to learn that Vaperz Cloud released the Sith RSA in conjunction with the Empire Squonk Project Mod. Perhaps the less said, the better about those particular names for brand reasons!
The Sith RSA isn’t much to look at, with a reasonably austere design available in several single-colour variants. But once you look inside, you begin to see the beauty of this tasty rebuildable deck.
The Sith RSA has been built with squonks in mind, with a pre-installed BF pin. However, a regular pin is included if you’re currently squonkless or simply happy to do the frequent juice applications.
The semi-postless arrangement allows for a single coil build, with a hidden ultem cap going over the coil in order to better funnel your vapour up towards the drip tip. The airflow control ring is notably high, which serves the squonk use well as you can squeeze as hard as you like without worrying about leaks.
The ability to instantly coat your strips of cotton with a fresh dose of e-liquid from the squonk delivers a riotously rich flavour, making the Vaperz Cloud Sith RSA the best RDA for flavour in our eyes.
Pros
- The most squonk-ready RDA
- Rich squonk-squeezed flavour depths
- Ultem elements used for temperature regulation
Cons
- Uninspired appearance
- Juice can build up on the beauty ring
Hellvape Dead Rabbit 3
Best RTA for Flavour
Features We Love
Postless Prince: A postless 25mm deck allows for delicate installations
Tasty Rabbit: Low-slotted airways promote vast, richly flavoured vapour levels
Clap Your Hands: Comes with pre-made Ni80 Clapton coils
The last rebuildable tank atomizer of this roundup comes from Hellvape, who has finally unveiled the long-awaited Dead Rabbit 3 RTA. We’ve put it through its paces and believe this tank is the best-tasting RTA currently available.
The ample – yet TPD-compliant – e-liquid storage segment provides the constantly refreshed flavour. While leaks can often be an issue with RTAs, the high placement of the airflow adjustment ring ensures that your juice has nowhere to escape from.
The airflow innovations don’t stop there, with inner domed honeycomb airflow pathways drawing your puff down through the tank’s base and into the 25mm postless coil deck. The even spacing of the internal air ports gathers up all the potential flavour. It gives each puff the most decadent taste possible from single and dual coil builds.
While we would have loved a sliding top-fill to accompany the RTAs e-liquid convenience, the lid removes with a simple quarter-turn and sits firmly in place when left alone. This makes the Dead Rabbit 3 rebuildable tank atomizer a rare instance of a great-tasting DIY coil deck you can slip into your pocket without fearing spillage.
Pros
- Unique airway systems promote rich flavour levels
- Postless deck provides the best workspace for coil work
- Raised air-ports help eliminate leaks
Cons
- Tight coil fittings
- Thick rubbers can make disassembly tricky
Geekvape Talo X
Best RDA for Beginners
Features We Love
Starting Line: Simple design for new DIY vapers
Penny Puff: Very affordable for the RDA-curious vaper
How You Like: Allows for both single and dual coil builds
We appreciate that DIY vaping can be a little intimidating to newcomers who are used to the convenience of pre-made coils. But the Geekvape Talo X RDA is geared explicitly towards novices, with a price point that won’t have you worried about splashing out on a new pastime.
The Talo X allows for both single or dual coil setups and comes with almost all the tools you could need to build and install DIY coils. It’s only 24mm in diameter, smaller than many RDAs but still wide enough for simple work.
Surprisingly, despite being intended for beginners, the Talo X includes an optional squonk pin. This means that even as you grow in RDA experience, the Talo X will remain a relevant device with new functions to try as your confidence increases.
It’s also worth emphasising that the Talo X is ludicrously cheap compared to several other RDAs featured in this list. While it may lack some fancier design aspects, it’s a robust and respectable deck for coil builds and an excellent way for any vaper to get started on DIY coils.
Pros
- A great way to get started with single or dual coil builds
- Simply built and accessible to beginners
- Low price for a great squonk-compatible RDA
Cons
- It is not designed to emphasise flavour
- Experienced RDA users may be unimpressed
Suicide Mods Nightmare
Best RDA for Leak-Resistance
Features We Love
Deep Reservoir: Internal juice well prevents e-liquid from leaking
Air Akimbo: Dual airflow diffusion promotes explosively strong flavour
Wide Load: 25mm deck diameter makes coil installs far easier
Sticky fingers are an unfortunate mainstay of RDA use, but Suicide Mods have put a remarkable effort into ensuring the Nightmare RDA doesn’t leave you with a mess on your hands.
A 25mm diameter provides an extra-wide coil deck for your e-liquid to rest in without rising towards the air holes, meaning you won’t have to be too restrained when painting your wicks with fresh lashings of vape juice.
The Nightmare RDA has depth too, with a 7mm deep juice well. As this is not a sealed tank, it’s still abiding by TPD regulations, so you can squirt a healthy dollop of juice in there without worrying about overspill; great for when you want an excellent long cloud session!
If you’re still worried about e-liquid spills, fear not; the Nightmare RDA is squonk compatible and comes with a BF pin, allowing you to squeeze your way to a freshly soaked wick any time.
The two gold-plated brass posts allow for two coil installations at once, and the materials used for the posts ensure that you don’t have to worry about temperature damage, so you can let the TC Modes fly. All of this adds up to the Nightmare RDA being the best RDA of 2023 if you want a clean experience.
Pros
- E-liquid catchment reservoir prevents leaks
- Features dual airflow and internal diffusion
- 25mm coil deck allows for careful work
Cons
- Not for beginners
- Airflow adjustment can be stubborn
Deathwish Modz ReGenesis
Best RDA for Clouds
Features We Love
Blasphenomenal: Inverted-crucifix designs for metalheads
Ring My Bell: ‘Bell’ design draws escaped e-liquid into a reservoir
Cloud 9: Wide airflow and dual coil posts for maximum cloud production
It must be said that DIY vaping has a different culture from the mainstream. While vaping generally has adopted a benign aesthetic that most find approachable and non-threatening, manufacturers like Deathwish Modz have kept the old-school love for bold and fearless designs.
The ReGenesis RDA revels in its unholy themes, proudly showcased for all to see from its inverted-crucifix adjustable airflow. It’s worth noting that some of the airways are just there for aesthetics, but the paths are still ample and provide massive clouds from a single or dual coil setup.
Looking within, we see another notable element, the inverted crucifix posts being the first thing you notice. While there isn’t any functional reason or benefit behind the high and tall gold-plated posts and screws, it’s very striking. It doesn’t impact your vape in any negative ways.
Looking down, it’s clear that the posts are placed atop a raised dome. This dome drives excess or runoff juice into a trough surrounding the posts, making it easy to soak vape juice back up and reapply it to your homemade coils.
With its ample airflow, wide drip tip and e-liquid reservoir – a rare feature for an RDA – the Deathwish Modz ReGenesis RDA is a cloudy beast that any plume fan will adore.
Pros
- Super cool heavy-metal design
- Anti-leak’ bell’ deck build
- Wide and stylish adjustable airflow slots
Cons
- Some airway holes are just there for appearances
- No functional reason for raised posts
Innokin Ares II
Best RTA for Beginners
Features We Love
MTL Mouthfuls: MTL-focussed RTA with 2ml e-liquid capacity
Funnelled: Internal bell design and tight draw for rich, concentrated flavour
Little Hands: Child-proof refill mechanism to keep e-liquid stored safely
Innokin isn’t known for intensive DIY vaping gear, but the Ares II RTA shows a rare ability to step into unfamiliar territory while remembering what you’re good at.
The Ares II RTA is a rebuildable tank atomiser for single coils that, despite being a DIY tank, is very approachable for beginners interested in the widely celebrated flavour of RTAs.
Inside, a unique bell is attached to the tank lid, hiding the coil from view while funnelling condensed e-liquid back down into the e-juice reservoir, ensuring you don’t waste a drop.
The airflow settings and thin mouthpiece suit mouth-to-lung vaping well, delivering a sharp and concentrated beam of flavour. A second airflow adjuster sits within, just underneath the coil, to give you more control over flavour intensity.
This rebuildable tank atomizer may disappoint those seeking massive clouds. Still, suppose you’re a mouth-to-lung vaper who wants the richest flavour possible while not having to reapply e-liquid frequently. In that case, the Ares II RTA is the best single-coil RTA for you.
Pros
- Mouth-to-lung RTA
- Good choice for moderate vaper’s first RTA
- Rich, concentrated flavour from tight draw
Cons
- No good for big cloud production
- Only room for single-coil builds
Wotofo STNG
Best RDA for MTL
Features We Love
Long Barrel: Tapered mouthpiece perfect for MTL draws
Sprung: Spring-loaded clamps mean less unscrewing needed
Salty Sting: Comes with a pre-made coil that’s perfect for nic salt vaping
While often an overlooked category, RDAs can also be intended for mouth-to-lung use. In our eyes, the STNG RDA by Wotofo is the best you can get your MTL mits on.
It’s often believed that the most intense vape flavours come from two kingdoms: MTL tanks and RDAs, so what could be tastier than a union of the two? We were blown away by the rich tastes we got from this single-coil deck.
The interior has been intricately designed, with T-shaped clamps holding your coil legs in place, held down by cross-head screws. The screws need only be loosened to get your coil legs fitted, so there’s no need for fiddly disassembly.
A single-sided air-port draws airflow through a base tunnel and up out of a spout placed right beneath your coil, efficiently delivering you instant and robust flavour. The positioning of the airflow channel also makes it highly unlikely that you’ll experience leaks. However, the nervous can use the included squonk pin for instant juice top-ups.
The Wotofo STNG is the best RDA tank for moderate vapers who want to enjoy the most incredible heights of vaping flavour.
Pros
- Ideal for use with 50/50 and nic salt e-liquids
- Long and tapered mouthpiece for tight mouth-to-lung inhales
- Spring-loaded clamps cut back on screwdriver use
Cons
- Not suited for big cloud production
- MTL vapers are unlikely to have a squonk mod
FAQ
What’s the Difference Between RDA vs RTA?
The difference between RDA vs. RTA is e-liquid storage. RDA tanks (rebuildable dripping atomizers) are simple coil decks to which you need to frequently apply fresh doses of e-liquid – you’ll be applying them directly to your coils and cotton.
On the other hand, RTA tanks (rebuildable tank atomizers) have a ‘tank’ section that allows you to store e-liquid, removing the need for constant top-ups. This provides greater convenience, though it will often result in your cotton degrading faster.
How to Build an RDA / RTA Coil?
You can build a coil for your RDA/RTA by following these steps:
1. Cut off a length of coil wire made of materials such as Kanthal, NiChrome or Titanium.
2. Get the coils wrapped using whichever tool works best for you. Be sure not to overlap the wire while coiling and leave two coil legs.
3. Loosen the screws or clamps on your posts and insert the coil legs before retightening. Be as neat as possible.
4. Cut off a cotton strip and use tweezers to thread it through the middle of your coil, tucking the ends of the ‘moustache’ down into the well section.
That’s all the basic steps you need to follow to build your own coils! For a more detailed walkthrough, read our How to Build an RDA Coil guide.
You can also use pre-made coils if coil build work feels like a daunting exercise. It’s worth trying, though, for both the value and fun!
What ohm coils are best for RDA/RTA?
The best ohm coils for RDA or RTA are as follows:
Resistance | Vaping Style | Coil Build | Wattage |
---|---|---|---|
1.0ohm – 1.8ohm | MTL | Single | 10-15W |
0.3ohm – 0.6ohm | DTL | Single | 15-30W |
0.15ohm – 0.2ohm | DTL | Double | 35-80W |
Note: When dual coils are installed in a dual coil RTA, it halves the resistance, which results in a coil arrangement that can withstand more power and put out more vapour from rebuildable atomizer units.
Need More Help?
We hope you can still read this through the clouds of rebuildable atomizer fog you’ll be puffing in no time! We hope you found this RDA/RTA roundup helpful, and if any of the above tanks struck your interest, please visit the MIST online store today to get great deals on rebuildable tank atomizers, pre-built coils and sub-ohm tanks!
Leave a Reply