SofGod R03 218W Review: Hot New Brand Alert!

Introduction – The 218W R03 Box Mod By SofGod

I’ve been enjoying my forays into unchartered vape waters lately, with so many new brands hitting the market seemingly every day I have the pleasure of sampling product from companies I’ve never even heard of.

My experience this week with the SofGod R03 (short for Scourge of God!) has been a pretty awesome one!

Aside from the dramatic name choice for their vape division…(which, as far as I can tell, has released 1 product so far), all I can really offer by way of company background is that the mother company is Shenzhen RuiCheng Electronics, makers of hotel door locks, integrated wiring systems and all things random.

What To Expect From The SofGod R03

So where does that leave us? Well…my time spent with the SofGod R03 218W Box Mod this week reveals the fact that they clearly have some expertise in the field of electronics.

Every time I review a product I feel as if I’m saying, it’s the best vape mod or it’s the best that…ever.

Seriously though, vape products improve by leaps and bounds every day it seems and I’m so excited to be a part of it all! Here I sit with this metal brick of a mod, very, very rough around the edges and for sure, places that will need work but man, oh man, could this be the fastest Ramp time ever.

It’s right there, edging ahead of the Voopoo Drag, as far as I can tell. The click of a fire button gets drowned out every time by the lightning burn of this powerhouse’s 0.02S Ramp time.

If things keep going this way, vapers will soon be asking: “Ramp time? What on earth’s that?

What’s In The Box

• 1 x SofGod R03 Box Mod
• 1 x Cable
• 1 x Manual

Features

• Dimensions: 57 x 26.5 x 90 mm
• 510 Threaded
• Dual 18650 run
• Modes: VM, TCM for Ti, Ni & SS, TCR mode
• Resistance Range: 0.05-1.5 Ohm for TCM and 1-3.5 Ohm for VW
• Temp Range: 100-315C / 200-600F
• 64 x 128 Px OLED Screen
• Working voltage 6.5 – 8.4 V
• Wattage range 1-218W
• Micro USB charge
• Available in black and gold
• Weighs 343g with cells
• Reverse connection, overcharge, charge, overheat, low res, short circuit, low voiltage and 10s puff limit protections

Build Quality & Design

After receiving the good quality lid-box packaging (if with a little too many features advertised all over it), I open up to behold this strange looking dual 18650 device. I received the gold version for review. The SofGod mod is basically rectangular but slopes outward on the side that has all the controls and screen on it, so that that side is extended at the base.

The upper surface has a slight rounding to extend the 510 seating so that it just accepts a 25mm atty without overhang. The 510 connection itself has a tight spring to it but is considerably smaller than average…still I’ve experienced no conductivity issues as a result and the mod has operated issue-free with a good number of my tanks, RDAs and RTAs.

It looks particularly sexy with the Apex RDA from TimesVape, which I’ve also been reviewing this week.

Either side of the mod features a contrasting panel with three diagonal grip lines set into it. One of these panels doubles as a magnetic battery cover which is easily removed and replaced with the help of a neat thumb tab at the bottom and a set of ultra-strong magnets.

Both panels are printed with a grey (on the gold) carbon fibre esque design and the fixed panel also has the Sofgod (Scourge of God) branding, complete with the full title below it but completely illegible due to very poor printing quality.

The print on both panels and the branding are so unclear and shoddily done, it reminds me of school days and those poor quality photocopies they used to distribute during class, nightmarish recollections, indeed.

The print quality is a huge shame, it effectively tarnishes the looks of a device that actually is very striking and unique and I’m worried that this factor is going to put people off (superficial as it is) since I’ve enjoyed both the feel and performance on this heavy hitter.

Okay, under the mod are six, ample ventilation holes and on the side that slopes outward and down, you’ll find a stunning, high quality, clicky-as-hell fire button with that fine concentric ring texturing that I LOVE on my buttons. The metal is shaped around the round button, a little hard to describe so best you refer to the pics I’ve taken.

Below that are two minute adjustment buttons, horizontal and elongated, they are only a millimetre wide and black like the screen cover they’re set on, I’m guessing some blurry eyed vapers will miss them completely.

Under that is a narrow but sufficient OLED screen which I kinda dig…in keeping with the mod’s general vintage but hard edged sci-fi look, the print is pixelated and something about it tugs at my heart strings, reminding me of video games and the old days or am I just easily pleased. Nonetheless, mwah!

This narrow screen is hella comprehensive, a puff counter, amps, voltage, resistance, power, charge and mode setting. I like it, although it certainly could be a little brighter.

At the bottom of said screen panel you’ll find that micro USB port which we NEVER recommend using, regardless of whether you know the brand or not! Charge externally, please!

I’m not entirely sure of what material is used in the chassis, while it does have a zinc alloy feel to the fingertips, this may just be a coating because when I pick this box mod up, it feels distinctly more metallic than usual.

It’s very solid, you could wack a mugger with it and he would be out for the count, for sure. It feels like a solid piece of metal, although I’m guessing its just HEAVY zinc alloy…256g with no cells installed, heck! You know me though, I like ‘em heavy so no complaints just yet!

Sharp edged and heavy as it is, I’m pleased with the hand feel here but it’s far more a desktop mod than a carry-with mod.

How Does The SofFod R03 Box Mod Perform?

Conductivity is excellent, in spite of the quirky 510 connection (smaller pin than usual).

I accidentally vaped on an atty that hadn’t been screwed in properly and, aside from a resistance reading that was understandable .04 Ohms higher than what the coils were, I had a surprisingly decent vape before I realised it needed about 4 more twists.

While screwing an atomizer in I watch the resistance reading lowering to true and I know that this mod reads well, fast and with utmost accuracy.

I discovered that there are 3 Memory settings so you can save setups and the TC (I checked Ni and SS, as usual) is not only 100% accurate, it’s also really intuitively laid out and easy to use. I also like the resistance range for TC and got to have a little 0.08 Ohm fun at 160W to test out the stamina on this guy.

I found the power coming through to be full and true and the heat distribution really good, with only a manageable warming under the strain of prolonged, consistent in the upper wattage range.

I also found the curve setting feature (over 10s) really effective and super easy to use.

Did I mention in the intro that I was impressed by the Ramp time…I was really impressed by the Ramp time. They advertise 0.02 s Ramp which, I realise, could be 0.029 as opposed to Voopoo’s Gene chip’s 0.026 s but if I’m honest, I feel its either the same or it’s better.

It’s hard to tell with something so near instantaneous but, as I mentioned earlier, I almost hear the burn of the atty before I’ve heard the click-in of the fire button. Hectic!

Also, once I got used to the teeny tiny adjustment buttons, I noticed how responsive all the buttons actually are and the scroll time is like lightning, taking you from 10-218 W in increments of 1 W in less than 3 seconds. Of course it becomes quite easy to overshoot at those speeds but still, I’d rather my device scrolls too fast than too slow.

This device performs really well, it’s a huge pitty about those superficial niggles and shoddy printing though, which really amount to the mod looking cheap.

How To Operate the Menu System

• 5 clicks on fire to switch on/off
• long press fire and +/- to enter settings menu, – to adjust and fire to select
• long press + and – to lock/unlock
• Access curve setting feature through settings menu and ‘Realtime Adjustment’, – to move and fire to select
• Access TCR settings through settings menu, – and + to adjust and fire to select

How To Replace The batteries

• Remove the magnetic battery cover
• Install 2 x 18650s according to signage in the chamber
• Replace magnetic cover

Battery Life

Okay, if you’re going to use the onboard charge, you’ll have to live with 1.5A. Beyond that, the battery life on this device isn’t the best. I’d call it average or even slightly lower and on a pair of Samsung 2500s, I’m getting a absolute maximum of 8 hours action…but then again, I vape at very high wattages.

What I Liked

Well…as you can see from the pics, the SofGod R03 mod doesn’t fall short on drama, it sure is striking! Speaking of striking, the Ramp time is outstanding, the screen comprehensive and the menu system intuitive. I also really love this fire button and the general responsiveness of all the buttons. High power, true wattage and great performance.

What I Dislike

The quality of the decorative print and branding is well below par. I also found the battery life and charge time to be just average or below.

Final Review Verdict

The SofGod R03 is a brilliant product considering the fact that SofGod is a new vaping brand…I was well impressed with the performance on this guy, except of course on the charge and battery life front.

In spite of my issues with the print, I think this is a striking mod to look at and for those who like a heavy mod, this is it. As an affordable ($23/£17 at the time of review), high performance option for mid-level sub-ohmers who want a unique addition to their collection, the R03 won’t disappoint.

And..

Would I buy this if I lost/broke the device? For sure….though I might want to spruce up the paint job…sorry!

Pros

• Sharp Ramp time
• Fast scroll and responsive buttons
• Intuitive layout
• Quality fire button and sturdy, striking chassis
• Unique and affordable

Cons

• Blurry decorative print and branding
• Slow charge
• Not the best battery life