The VandyVape Pulse 2 review and yet another squonker to add to the growing stable of Pulse devices.
The ‘Pulse’ line from VandyVape and Tony B first came to life back in 2017 and has clearly evolved over time.
Neil Humber got the ball rolling with the Vandy Vape Pulse BF Squonk Box Mod Review, a device which I still see for sale every now and then today, mainly due to its low cost and its ease of use.
Moving forward, we’ve had the Pulse 80w, this time including a chipset and a couple of extra features , but Vandy Vape and TonyB didn’t stop there.
A few short months after the release of the Pulse 80w, a Pulse X device was released with not a great deal more features, but an extra 10w and the capability of firing up to 90 watts.
If that wasn’t enough – Vandy Vape and TonyB went back to the drawing board and created a Dual Battery 220w version called the Pulse Dual Squonk Mod literally right after the lease of the Pulse X.
Clearly… TonyB or Vandy Vape, or both aren’t happy. Yes.. A new version of the Pulse has been made!
History lesson Over – Lets Crack On and try out the Vandy Vape Pulse 2 Squonk Mod.
What Can We Expect From The VandyVape Pulse 2 Mod?
The Vandy Vape Pulse 2 is in effect, an updated single battery squonk mod designed to compete with the modern squonkers released since their last release of the Pulse back in December 2019.
Featuring VandyVapes very good water-proof Bluetooth chipset, Type-C USB Charge port and the ability to fire up to 95w thanks to housing a Single 21700 Battery.
It seems this single battery squonker will tick all the right boxes, whilst keeping with the History of the Pulse.
Oh and did I mention is a ‘bottom filling’ squonk mod?
Inside the Box
- 1 x Pulse 2 Device
- 1 x 18650 Adaptor
- 2 x Instruction Manuals
- 1 x User Guide
- 1 x Type-C USB Cable
- 1 x Warranty Card
- 2 x Squeeze Bottles
VandyVape Pulse 2 – Specifications
- Battery – Dual 21700/20700/18650
- Wattage Output – 5-95w
- Vandy Vape ‘Vandy Chip’
- Up to 25mm atomizer without overhang
- Output Modes: Variable Wattage/TC/NI/SS
- Multiple Circuit Protections
- Height: 82.3mm
- Width: 28.4mm
- Depth: 54.7mm
- Colours Available: Obsidian Black | Rainbow Resin | Sky Blue resin | Flame Red Resin
VandyVape Pulse 2 Design and Build Quality
I received the Obsidian Black version of the Pulse 2.
Panels which I really liked the look of on the Vandy Vape Swell Mod (Another TonyB Product) that I had the opportunity to try out back in July of last year.
G10 is a fiberglass material that’s very strong and gives this device an extra layer of protection. The rest of the device is built up from ABS Nylon and of course the PCBA WaterProof Vandy Chip.
The two G10 Panels on each side are easily removable to expose the battery compartment and squonk bottle.
This is a surprisingly short device, considering it houses a single 21700 battery, its literally millimetres taller than the original Pulse BF Mechanical Squonk Mod.
Up top is a smart looking 510 base with some nice design engraved into it. But its at the base where I had to spend a little more time.
At the base is a small cap that sits very flush with the device, a small latch which is held in magnetically is lifted which enables you to unscrew the cap and then fill or remove the squonk bottle.
An interesting idea which takes away the pain of having to remove the bottle completely just to re-fill.
VandyVape Pulse 2 In The Hand
Its generic box form factor may be a little off putting, however its a short and sweet device, and extremely lightweight.
As a thumb firer or a finger firer its comfortable in the hand and also fairly pocket friendly considering its a single 21700 squonker.
VandyVape Pulse 2 Display
The VandyVape chip supports all the expected modes, Wattage, Bypass, Voltage and Temperature Control.
The display itself is bright, crisp and large enough to read easily.
There are a few functions to keep in mind if you’re thinking of picking up the VandyVape Pulse 2, along with a whole mobile phone app to learn if you fancy it.
VandyVape Pulse 2 Basic Operation
With a clicky fire button, and the usual up and down buttons, there are a few functions to consider..
Here’s the basic steps for operation:
- Device On – 5 click of Fire Button
- Device Off – 5 Clicks of Fire butto
- Quick Menu – 3 Clicks Fire Button then up or down scrolls through power modes
- Press & Hold Up/Down Buttons – Opens main menu
- Press & Hold Fire & Up – Locks adjustment buttons. Still fires.
- Press & Hold Fire & Down – Flips Screen
VandyVape Pulse 2 Main Menu
Within the main menu are some smart features.
The first option in the menu gives you the ability to add, or remove the features displayed on the main screen, including the option to add the ‘App’ feature.
The following options allow you to alter Hibernation Time, Screen Brightness, Puff Count Reset, Colour displayed, Chip ID and a Master Reset Option.
I’m pleased to say the menu options are super simple to navigate and understand, and I’ve always liked the option to add or remove power mods.
If you’re a wattage only kind of person, its easy to remove all the other options which just makes life a little easier day to day.
VandyVape Pulse 2 Mobile App (Android Only at Present)
So its clear Apple doesn’t like vaping. Android on the other hand clearly want people to quit smoking, and perhaps use the VandyVape App to help them right?
Now the big bosses at Ecigclick might tell me off for this, but seeing as the chipset is identical to the Vand Vape Swell… I hope they don’t mind me copying and pasting my tutorial on navigating the Vandy App straight from my Swell review….Hehe
How To Use The VandyVape App
Yes an App! Here’s how to use it.
OK first off, get yourself onto the Play Store on an Android phone and download the ‘VandyVape’ app.
Here is a direct link to the Vandy Vape App.
Once downloaded, open it up and you’ll be asked to ‘Log-In’ or ‘Sign Up’
Of course once you’re signed up (using email and password) You’ll want to register your device.
Pair Your Device/Phone
The third tab from the left ‘My Device’ is where you can add your device, it’s very simple to pair the device with your phone, and within less than a minute I was ready to go.
Once fully paired, you’ll notice a little green tab at the top right, that shows that your phone is linked to the mod, and you’ll notice a small phone logo at the top right of your mod! Impressive.
It’s in the ‘My Device’ section that you can access all the lovely features of the App.
Find Device
This is clever stuff, and I can honestly say that it works, and it’s actually saved me.
The Anti-Loss function basically alerts you via phone notification if you have lost connectivity with the mod, and gone out of range, reminding you with an alert stating ‘Don’t forget your mod’.
Along with that, a dream of mine has been to press that big red button. And with this app you can!
Click the big red button and your mod will flash and beep – So if you’ve lost it down the sofa or behind the car seat, hopefully you’ll be able to hear it and save your precious mod.
Update Firmware
Back to the ‘My Device’ screen, and onto ‘Update’.
Tap that and you can find out if there is a new firmware version available, along with any UI updated – which it seems VandyVape will release whenever there us a national celebration going on.
Control
This is where you can make any adjustments, and fine tune your mod to fire exactly how you like it.
Of course you have all the same options as you have via the mod itself (Wattage, Voltage etc) so maybe it’s a little bit of a gimmick.
But for the geek in me, this is a fun thing to show your friends and play around with some clever settings.
Lets keep it simple, in Wattage mode.
If I adjust the wattage on the phone, the speed at which it alters the wattage on the device is almost instant. Super quick. And that’s the same for all changes you make. Very impressive.
I’m really impressed with the app as a whole – it’s very simple to use and navigate and everything is displayed nice and simply and cleanly.
Maybe a little pointless, but the Anti-Loss function in particular has come in handy on the odd occasion. Especially if you’re prone to leaving your device around the house, or at a friends!
How Does The VandyVape Pulse 2 Perform?
I’ve pretty much used this constantly with a Wotofo Profile RDA on top, of course in squonk mode. The beauty of this, the latest Pulse Device has to be thanks to the use of a 21700 battery.
This allows for much better battery life and at the usual 65w I vape the Profile RDA at, I’ve been getting very good life from this device.
The VandyVape Pulse 2 fires really well and really fast, especially with a mesh dripper on top. I’ve no real complaints with regards to the power output from this device.
However don’t expect to get much vape-time out of a single 21700 if you require the full 95 watts, and even less so if you plan on using the adaptor and making use of a single 18650 battery.
Because 95 watts out of a single 18650 just ‘Ain’t Gonna Happen’
With regards to using day to day, there are a few things I need to address.
To squonk, its actually a little awkward due to the bottle being a little more recessed within the device than I would Like.
Because of the position of the bottle as well, and the size of the mod you have to intentionally move your hand to position your thumb or finger in place to squeeze the bottle.
Now its not the end of the world, but with convenience always on my mind, its a little annoying that I have to constantly adjust my hands to squonk, and then re-adjust to fire.
The second issue comes down to the bottom filling feature with this device.
First things first, it actually works really well and super simple, it also creates a nice seal and I’ve had zero leaking from the VandyVape Pulse 2.
But the annoying problem I’ve faced is you cant turn this upside down and rest on its top without first removing the RDA from on top, which means you have to hold this device all the time whilst filling – or remove the RDA.
Because the 510 pin isn’t centred, placing the dripper face down basically means the device falls over, leaving a puddle of e-liquid at the base.
Doesn’t sound a big issue right? Here’s a scenario…
You’re walking down the street, you need to refill.
You pull your favourite e-liquid out of your pocket, turn the mod upside down and unscrew the cap.
You continue by unscrewing the bottle lid and plan to fill the bottle.
Holding a mod, a bottle of e-liquid, a cap and a bottle top all at the same time…. The end.
Yes, a little easier than also holding an empty squonk bottle, But re-filling a squonk mod doesn’t have to be this fiddly. There really are easier, more convenient ways.
Can the Pulse be your daily driver?
Pretty much yeah, its practical in the sense that its lightweight and reliable. The larger capacity battery also means you possibly wont need to carry spare batteries to last a working day in most cases.
The chipset is also easy to use and navigate. But that’s where the practicality ends.
The filling method is just a little painful at times, especially when on the move.
Does the Pulse v2 Squonk well?
Once you adjust your fingers, yes.
The bottle is that nice ‘firm but squishy’ style which means its squonks well and has a strong memory plastic which pulls the excess e-liquid back into the bottle very efficiently.
Pros
- Strong, Durable Device
- Decent Battery life in 21700 mode
- Bright, Crisp Display
- Simple to Navigate Menu
- Squonks well
- App is fast and easy to navigate
Cons
- Filling requires 3 hands and 27 fingers
- Formfactor makes squonking a little annoying
Final Review Verdict
This ‘refined‘ version of the Pulse definitely has some improvements over its predecessors that brings it up to date with most of the other single battery squonk mods that have been released this year and overall it does a good job.
I’ve done well not to mention this until the end, but for me its still no competition to the Dovpo Topside devices, and its filling method is more painful.
If you’re looking for a single battery squonker, the best filling method has come from the GeekVape Aegis Squonk mod, but being a single 18650 its limited.
So the VandyVape Pulse 2 may be an option for you.
Have any questions about the device?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
