The Vandy Vape Pulse X is from a badass vaping brand that’s really doing great things for us vape-fiends, with strings of successful releases, they’re focused on innovation and upgrade…and I think it’s paying off.
I’ve recently had the pleasure of squonking on their teeny tiny Simple Ex, an MTL Squonker that, while I had an issue with a tight fitting top cap which I eventually took a hammer to, definitely left me wanting more.
Vandy Vape, though they’ve now got a full inventory of products, did at one stage specialise in rebuildable and with the likes of the ever popular Bonza and Mesh RDA’s, seems they know what they’re doing.
Following the massive successes of their Pulse Kit,n Vandy Vape was quick to release this updated version, The Pulse X Kit with in conjunction with YouTube Reviewer, Tony B.
I was pumped when I opened upon this bag of goodies and I’ve spent a good month putting this monster of an included RDA through the paces, so let me just apologise up front for the slightly late review.
I was expecting great things from what, at first glance, looks like it could be the Simple Ex’s big brother. Let’s get on with it and see how this, sexy, light weight but big innovation Pulse X Squonker fared.
What’s In The Box
- Vandy Vape Pulse X Mod
- Vandy Vape Pulse X BF RDA
- 18650 battery adaptor
- 30ml refill bottle (optional)
- Accessories bag
- 2 x coils
- QC USB cable
- User guide
Features
- Size:82.6×24.8x27mm
- Power output: 5-90W
- Output voltage: 0.5-8.5V
- Resistance range: 0.05-3ohm (VW) / 0.05-1.5ohm (TC)
- Temperature range: 200-600°F / 100-315°C
- Squonk bottle capacity: 8ml
- Optional 30ml refill bottle available
- Battery: single 18650, 20700 or 21700
- Removable magnetic panels
Build Quality & Design
Pulse X Squonk Mod
The Pulse X mod is made out of an ultra lightweight, hard, safe plastic. I received the frosted red version for review and, on opening the accessory packed box, I was stoked to see this absolutely luminous mod jump out at me!
The mod is basically rectangular, with slightly rounded edges.
There are removable panels, one at the ‘front’ or squonking side and one at the back.
The front panel is coloured whichever colour you chose, while the chassis itself is black, a small, irregular shaped branding badge in the top left corner of the front panel reads ‘Pulse X’ and also adds a funky aesthetic touch, being in contrasting black.
Removing the front panel I realise that that ‘badge’ is actually a massive magnet, which keeps the panel in place, good thing they hid it like this, as the frosted orange panel is also slightly see-through and visible magnets would have been an eyesore.
Below that ‘badge’ is an opening for squonking or access to your squeeze bottle, which, when you open up the panel, you’ll find is a high quality and perfect tension silicon, with a delrin and stainless steel cap. Expertly made and with Vandy Vape branding on the cap.
The back panel has 5 short, raised, diagonal stripes on it which add some aesthetic value and also act as grip. That same panel also has a long, vertical strip in the colour which you chose…so my back is black with a frosted red stripe.
I can just make out the battery through that stripe, though removing the back panel will not actually give you access to the battery, which you change from the front, the same way you will refill your bottle.
The removable panels are interchangeable and more materials and colours have already been released.
One of the narrower sides of the mod features the controls, a clicky, round thumb button for firing, with micro-engraved ring texturing, which I love, below that is a small, rectangular screen and below that, two smaller versions of the fire button sit within an indented space, the adjustment buttons. Below that is your micro USB port for charging.
The opposite side of the mod has a large, vertical Vandy Vape brand sunk into it.
Underneath the circuit board, on the base, are 10 small ventilation holes…but there is no venting anywhere for the battery. That said, the battery will have no problem venting (god forbid) given the open design of the front, with the removable panel and ‘squonk port.’
Atop the mod is a round, SS tank seating, with a deep and very tightly sprung BF connection.
The fancy thing about this Squonker is that it’s designed to suck excess juice from your deck after squonking, so that it just keeps your wick wet without the danger of over squeeze or leak.
A cool innovation which really helps when transporting your Squonker but can also lead to dry hits if you don’t REALISE that that the suck back is happening and carry on vaping as you would with a regular squonker.
Pulse X RDA
The Pulse X RDA is a thing of beauty, and its from this RDA’s insanely sexy looking X shaped post setup that the kit gets half its name.
A thick stainless steel base reveals two massive o-rings that…once again, much like the Simple Ex’s situation, results in a terminally stuck cap unless you remove the top o-ring.
What is up with that, Vandy?
The deck itself, with its centred bottom feed port, is interesting to say the least. The strangely beautiful X has 4 massive screws protruding from the tip of each leg and an ample terminal port through each leg…with the top legs being positive and the bottom negative.
The benefit of this innovative new take on the velocity deck is the fact that you can fit a massive, beefy coil in either side the X…since the coils will sit diagonally within the chamber, instead of horizontally as coils usually sit.
The deck is deep welled, to allow a thorough soaking of the wick, before the liquid is sucked back into the feeder bottle…a function designed to prevent leakage and spit back.
The provided comp cap is clear plastic, with no adjustable airflow. It’s domed and has a built in drip tip, plus 12 downward sloped airflow holes on either side.
The SS barrel and cap is, like the rest of the Pulse X, really neatly machined, but all the components tend to sit a little too tight, removing o-rings helps but this is definitely an issue that Vandy needs to check in to.
The Black SS barrel has aesthetic grooves all round, with the Pulse branding, along with 6 adjustable airflow holes either side, each set laid in two rows to accommodate the diagonal lie of the coils, along with their beefiness, if you’re like me.
The drip tip is an 810, PEI, in nice luminous frosted red on my version and its comfy.
There airflow is adjusted with a twist of the top cap but both the drip tip and the top cap have a tendency to stick, due to large o-rings and tight machining.
Accessories
The goodies included are a real treat…not only do you get that extra comp cap, charger and triple fused nichrome claptons…you also get a really, really nice 30ml bottle to carry around your extra juice in, in a matching plastic, with a silicon squeeze bottle inside and a neat steel nozzle.
How Does The Pulse X Kit Perform?
Save the fact that it’s a hassle to remove your caps or drip tip, due to tight machining and massive o-rings…this whole set up is squonking heaven.
First up, I had no issues with use in any of the modes, through bypass, voltage, power and TC.
I find all buttons mondo click and really responsive.
The updated, 90W, full featured chipset registers changes with speed and accuracy and the lightweight plastic distributes heat like a boss, so the mod has zero qualms about intense competition style workouts.
I found the suck back function to be effective at preventing leakage when on the move and also find this set up to be one of the cleaner squonkers, as far is juice round the bottle and battery, as you often experience when squonking heavily.
I absolutely love this RDA. I get minimal spit back with a smooth, utterly flavourful and full vapoured draw. I’m so happy, I’ve been using it as my go-to now for more than a month (late review alert, oops).
My current build has held up well but is starting to look like one of those “tag a friend who would vape this?” Memes on Insta…and that’s because the cap is as stuck as the cap on my Simple X was, I will soon have to take a hammer to it. Luckily there are two caps.
The cap issue is a real f-up.
How To Fill
- Remove the front panel
- Slip out the silicon bottle
- Open the steel cap
- Fill 3/4 of the way
- Replace
Stock Coil Performance
The included captions were soft Ni80, with a 0.4 resistance. Solid flavour and a sweet spot at 80W.
Ease of build
This deck is so easy to build on, with so much room for messing around…I just love the X shaped tower and I’d like to see this deck again in future. It works!
Now, as I experienced with the soft Ni80 coils, these ports, because of the way the screws hit the leads from the side, have a tendency to twist your feet.
I recommend large, beefy SS coils with well structured legs the can handle a beating without being completely compromised.
How To Operate the Menu System
- 5 clicks on or off
- 3 clicks makes the wattage display flash, then adjust buttons will scroll the mode menu
- Fire to select
How To Replace The batteries
- Remove the front panel
- Place your battery, negative up
- Fit the silicon adapter to the negative side, if you’re using 18650s
- 20700s and 21700s can be installed straight
Battery Life
I’ve gotten into the habit of carrying 1 or even 2 extra batteries with me, I like to vape my current build at a full 90W (alien build, 0.2Ohm) and find that an 18650 (2500) doesn’t last long at that wattage…4.5 hours max for me, as a heavy vaper.
A 20700 gives you an hour and a half on the and a 21700 adds an hour and a half to that, if you’re lucky.
Pros
- Responsive updated chipset
- Sweet flavour and cloud
- Funky aesthetic
- Leak and spit back resistant, due to suck back function
- Loads of cool accessories
Cons
- RDA component’s have a tendency to stick in place
- Ports have a tendency to twist and damage your coil leads
Final Review Verdict
Despite the issues I have with sticky caps and large o-rings, I absolutely love this kit . Not only is it super sexy inside and out, it delivers on all promises for the updated chipset and amounts to what is, in my expert opinion, a great freaking vape.
I recommend the Pulse X squonker to vapers who like a chunky, flavour focused build and need a deck spacious enough to pull this off in dual, with a compact enough design on the outside to make the kit convenient.
And..
Would I buy the Vandy Vape Pulse X if it was lost/broke? Absolutely.
