As I review the new Vapefly Brunhilde SBS kit, I have to ask the question:
Have we reached the peak with side by side devices???
Side by side mods are maybe a bit of a Marmite subject, usually because in general they are low-powered devices aimed mostly at the Mouth To Lung market and due to their style and shape they tend not to suit everyone’s tastes.
We seemed to have had a mini boom in Side by Side devices over the past 12 months, looking at most mainstream companies, the Aspire Mixx and the Dovpo College were two of the first to be released within the latest spat of SBS mods.
There were plenty of others too, but they’re the two that come to mind.
The majority of SBS devices, up until now, tend to be single 18650 devices with usually a 60-80w maximum output and tend not to hold anything larger than a 24mm diameter atomiser. Until now!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of these style of mods and although the Vapefly Brunhilde SBS isn’t the first single 21700 100w side by side, its certainly the first single 21700 SBS I’ve had the opportunity to test out.
What Can We Expect From the Vapefly Brunhilde SBS?
I love answering this question – ‘What can we expect‘…
The first thing I expect from anything Vapefly is quality – especially when Vapefly team up with the German 103 team.
Basically the German 103 team is a community of German Vapers who have helped with the creation of this device, and of course the Kriemhild II tank too.
Being a side by side combo, I’d really like to see how the coil resistance and recommended wattage of the coils is suited for a single battery device.
The last thing I want to do is carry spare batteries around with me all day due to having to use 80 watts just to get a decent vape out of a Sub-Ohm Tank.
So let’s crack on and see what this one’s all about…
Inside The Box
- 1 x Brunhilde SBS Mod
- 1 x Kriemhild Sub-Ohm Tank
- 1 x Freecore Duplex 0.2 Meshed coil (45-60w)
- 1 x Freecore 0.3 Meshed coil (40-55w)
- 1 x 18650 Battery adaptor
- 2 x 510 plate protectors
- 1 x Spare O-Rings bag
- 1 x USB-C Cable
- 1 x Spare Drip-Tip
- 1 x 510 drip tip adaptor
- 2 x User Guides
- 1 x Battery Safety Booklet
- 1 x Warranty Card
Features
Brunhilde SBS 100w Mod
- Product Size: 52.4 x 27.0 x 82.8mm
- Output Wattage: 5-100w
- Output Modes: VW/TC/Bypass
- Charging: 2A via USB-C
- Output Voltage: 0.5-8v
- Resistance range: 0.08-3.5
- Display:0.91″ OLED
- Battery: Single 18650/20700/21700
Tank
- Height: 51.2mm
- Diameter: 25.0mm
- Coil – Freecore Series coils
- Airflow: Triple adjustable at base
- To Fill: Top Filling
- Capacity: 4ml/5ml/2ml TPD
Colours
The Vapefly Brunhilde SBS 100w kit comes in Silver, Black, Gunmetal, Blue, Red, Rose Gold and Pink and unless you go for the black variant, the Kriemhild tank will be Silver.
Of course with the Black variant, the tank will be black.
Design and Build Quality
I received the silver version of the Brunhilde SBS kit which when all put together, is a contrast of sandblasted silver and polished stainless steel.
As much as I think it’s a bit of a shame the Brunhilde SBS is sandblasted, I’m actually quite pleased as it means I wont be constantly polishing the device due to fingerprints.
The Kriemhild 2 Tank
Drip Tip & Top Cap:
The provided 810 drip tip has a nice tapered finish to it which is quite nice.
However, due to its shape, I found my lips rested on the top cap, so I quickly swapped mine out for one of my own more traditional style rounded drip-tips.
The top-cap has a nice design to it and with a quarter turn anti-clockwise, you access the fill port.
Fitment of the top cap is really nice and the bayonet style fitting is smooth and fault-less.
Glass Tube:
The Kriemhild is different to a lot of Sub-Ohm tanks because you cant fully see your e-liquid level, only the bottom half – Which is really the only important section.
The top section of the tube is made from Stainless steel and has the Kriemhild name nicely etched into the barrel.
The 4ml capacity is fine and can be expanded to 5ml thanks to a bubble glass which is a separate purchase but keep in mind that I’m pretty sure the 5ml bubble glass wont be compatible when using the Kriemhild tank on the Brunhilde SBS mod due to the added width of the tank.
Thanks to this glass tube and steel tube design, the Kriemhild certainly looks a little more premium.
Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Top Fill Port:
The fill port features two large kidney shaped ports but is protected by a clear silicon seal which limits any leaking if you happen to drop the tank with the top-cap removed.
Filling isn’t a problem, but just be sure to clean up any spillage as I’ve found e-liquid likes to sit on top of the silicon gasket.
The Base:
The 510 pin protrudes nicely but as this is a sub-ohm tank, DO NOT USE ON A MECHANICAL MOD.
The triple airflow slots on the base are controlled easily and smoothly allowing you to finely tune your airflow, and there is a stopper at each end which means the airflow control ring does not freely spin. The resistance in the AFC is just right and very smooth to adjust.
Also keep in mind you will need to unscrew the base, to get to your coils which are push-fit. Considering the coil fitment, I’ve not experienced any leaking, only the gradual build up of condensation.
Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Tank – Overall:
Overall the Kriemhild is a very well built and nicely styled.
The machining and overall finish is stellar, and I’ve really no complaints about the finish and fitment of the Kriemhild II tank.
The Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Mod:
510 Connector:
The spring mounted 510 connection will house anything up to 25mm in diameter, and with all SBS mods, you are always going to be limited with atomiser size due to the battery tube next to the 510 connection.
The 510 threading is smooth and nicely machined and I’ve had no gaps when fitting any of my tanks onto the Brunhilde.
The Front of the Vapefly Brunhilde SBS
The front of the device features a large slightly protruding fire button which has a nice Trojan style design around it.
The button itself doesn’t quite protrude enough for me and there is also an internal ring inside the button which is a huge dirt trap.
The fire button has a nice soft click to it, however my fire button has got stuck a number of times which has in turn fired the tank until I was able to free the button – not great.
Lower down the front of the device is a Type-C USB port for firmware upgrades and charging.
As always I recommend you charge batteries externally on a proper battery charger, however if you get stuck, the Brunhilde will charge with a 2 amp output, and seems to do a fairly good job.
Charging via the USB-C port also provides pass-thru charging meaning you can charge and vape at the same time, but be warned the device can get extremely warm when doing this!
Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Battery Tube
Like any side-by-side device, the battery terminal is accessed via the threaded battery cap, which in this case has a really long thread and feels like it takes an age to remove and re-fit.
Now I guess this might be down to small differences in lengths of 21700 batteries, but even still, the threading goes on forever.
There is however a really nice spring to the battery compartment which makes re-fitting the battery cap fairly easy and the cap itself has just enough of a knurled design to be gripped comfortably and also matches the top-cap design on the Kriemhild tank.
The Base
The Vapefly Brunhilde SBS device makes use of the 3S Chipset which includes all the usual protections.
The 0.91″ display at the base reminds me of the usual DNA60 style with battery level, coil resistance, battery voltage and your set wattage.
The screen is bright and clear and is adjusted via the two small adjustment buttons on the right hand side of the device which will scroll the wattage and round-robin between 5 and 100 watts.
Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Externals:
On either side of the device is an embossed wing design, which as much as its a bit of a dirt trap, is also quite smart and also helps with a bit of grip.
Without the wings, the device would be quite slippy to hold.
Also on the side are the adjustment buttons I previously mentioned. The buttons are small but have a nice solid click to them.
The Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Mod – Overall:
It could be said that the Brunhilde SBS device is a little uneventful, its not really packing any features we haven’t seen before.
However, the build quality and overall finish is very good and I quite like the look of it.
Vapefly Brunhilde SBS In The Hand
Housing a 21700 battery and a tall sub-ohm tank, you would expect the Brunhilde SBS kit to weight a fair bit, and it does!
Don’t get me wrong, its not super heavy but its certainly a fair bit of weight in the hand.
Like all side-by-side devices, it feels very good in the hand. I have preferred this device as a right-handed finger firer meaning I can control everything with just the one hand.
Tilting the device upside down in one hand to see the display and using my thumb to adjust the wattage. It just feels about as natural you can get from a SBS device with a bottom display.
Fortunately you can flip the screen if you like to use your left hand, but obviously, you cant move the adjustment buttons.
As a thumb firer is feels pretty much as comfortable but in my experience it means the adjustment buttons press into your palm and could accidentally adjust the wattage.
How To Fill The Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Tank
- Slide the top cap 90 degrees anti clockwise
- Fill with your desired e-liquid
- Re-fit the top cap with a 90 degree clockwise turn
- Allot 5-10mins for the coil to saturate with eliquid.
The Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Coils
The Brunhilde SBS kit and Kriemhild II tank comes with two different coils.
Now there has been a bit of controversy over one of the coils, mainly down to its design that makes used of two positive posts instead of the usual one.
I won’t go into details on this review but either way its the usual story of one company copying another…. apparently.
Both coils are from the Freecore Series, one of which is a K-1 ‘Duplex’ 0.2Ω Meshed coil which has the two positive posts and is recommended between 45 and 60 watts.
The K-2 Freecore 0.3Ω Meshed coil is just a standard mesh coil and is recommended between 40 and 55 watts.
There is also an RBA Coil available as well which further broadens the kriemhild’s scope.
How Does the Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Kit perform?
Basic Operation
Front screen shows:
- Wattage/Power/Temperature (Ni/Ti/SS)
- Battery Level
- Coil resistance
- Voltage
The Menu
There are a small number of button sequences to remember to operate this device:
- 5 clicks of the fire button will turn the device on and off.
- 3 clicks of the fire button will allow you to adjust between Wattage, Bypass and TC.
- Press & Hold Fire & – adjustment button to flip display
- Press & hold + & – button to lock the power output (Will still fire)
Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Flavour & Clouds
For the duration of my testing, I was vaping on Code Red by Darkstar – and 80Vg/20PG mix.
The K-1Freecore Duplex 0.2Ω Coil (45-60w)
The Duplex Mesh coil is a little different to coils we have seen in the past. Pretty much all coils consist of a positive post, and a negative.
With the Duplex coils, the negative post is centred with a positive post at either end.
Meaning two positive posts.
This ‘Patented’ technology is a little revolutionary, certainly an innovation.
Vapefly claim this new design fires coils instantly, heats evenly and creates soft delicate taste along with massive vapour production…
The truth is… well in my opinion that statement is pretty much spot on!
The Duplex coil performs excellently with awesome flavour and a lovely cloud to boot. With the airflow control wide open, at 55 watts its a cooler vape but the flavour is arguably the best I’ve experienced from a sub-ohm tank .
Lowering the tripe airflow slots to half way open, the restriction is light but comfortable and the flavour is still just as good, if not maybe better with certain flavours.
This isn’t the first time I’ve tried a sub-ohm coil which consists of two positive posts *Coughs* and this one, is just as good.
The only real difference is the airflow which is extremely smooth with no turbulence or whistle across the range on the Kremhild II tank.
The K-2 Freecore 0.3Ω Coil (40-55w)
The 0.3Ω K-2 coil isn’t one to be sniffed at. The K-2 is a regular mesh coil with the usual positive and negative posts and has a tighter knit mesh strip inside.
At 50 watts, the flavour is very good, slightly warm and very enjoyable as a Direct Lung vape with the airflow wide open. Again, restricting the airflow half way and its just as enjoyable but a little restrictive for some.
The K-2 coil isn’t quite on par with the K-1 Duplex coil, but its still very good, reminds me of the Geekvape Obelisk coils a little.
Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Airflow
Across the range, the airflow from the three large airflow slots is smooth and comfortable.
It’s also not very loud considering the three large slots, but like any sub-ohm tank it does have some noise but its not annoying.
Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Battery Life
If you plan on using the Kriemhild II tank with the Brunhilde SBS then I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised how well a single 21700 battery copes at approximately 50-55 watts all day.
I vape a hell of a lot, but the battery life has been very good.
It’s clear Vapefly and the German 103 team thought about coil resistances when being paired up with this side by side device.
Being a single battery means if you pump 60-80 watts through it, your battery life wont be great.
With the Kriemhild II tank at 55 watts, I’ve pretty much gone all day without swapping batteries out and again if you get desperate, you could make use of the 2-Amp charge to get you through.
Pros
Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Mod
- Comfortable in the hand
- Extremely well constructed
- Smart/Classy looking?
Tank
- Top flavour
- Smooth airflow
- Fair capacity
- Decent fill port and top-cap
Cons
Mod
- Bottom positioned screen is awkward
- Fire button gets stuck occasionally
- Adjustment buttons are small and oddly positioned
- A bit on the heavy side for a single battery
Tank
- Some people may prefer a full glass tube so they can see their e-liquid.
What could be improved?
Mod
- Prouder positioned fire button to reduce chances of getting stuck
- Perhaps change screen position, but might affect aesthetics
Tank
- Only one tank in the kit. I want more of them!
Final Review Verdict
The word ‘Nit Picking’ comes to mind, and its not something I usually do.
Most kits of this type tend to have a few fairly important factors that may drop the final score of a kit I am reviewing.
With the Vapefly Brunhilde SBS kit – I’ve really had to dig deep to find flaws, and for me that’s a big deal because I’m not really the biggest user of side-by-side kits.
So the 3 big questions I ask when testing a product are:
Would this device be long lasting and still work 3, 6 or even 12 months from now?
Considering the build quality, durability of the coils and general construction, I have no doubt with a little care and regular maintenance, this kit is a long-term kit.
Does this device deliver the flavour, vapour and general experience I require, in order to be enjoyed?
If you’re looking for decent flavour, a smooth vape and one of the best sub-ohm tank experiences on the market, you cant go far wrong with the Kriemhild II tank.
Is the Vapefly Brunhilde SBS Kit versatile enough to suit a new and experienced vapers?
Clearly this kit isn’t for a new vaper, but apart from that, as a vape kit I see no reason why this wouldn’t suit a lot of vapers.
Even if you’re a true hobbyist and exclusively use rebuildable’s – if I had to recommend a sub-ohm Kit… The Brunhilde SBS kit would be in my top three recommendations for 2021.
Have you bought the Vapefly Brunhilde SBS kit? Or have you tried it?
Please let me know in the comments below.
