Based on first impressions, I thought I had the Advken Manta RTA all figured out. I saw it’s squat, bulbous shape, ultra-wide, low-profile drip tip, and borderline gaudy gold color, and I figured this was nothing more than a cloud-chucking atomizer, focused on room-filling vapor, and little else. Instead, I became acquainted with an RTA designed to maximize flavor, juice capacity and enough build room to make any setup I could imagine.

Yes, the Advken Manta brings the clouds, too, but not at the expense of the overall experience. Let’s see what makes this RTA so special.

The polished gold/brass of my test model was certainly eye catching. Not many mods look FANTASTIC with a shiny gold tank atop of it, but I found a few that complemented the flair nicely.

Inside the box, Advken added some nice accessories, including a slimmer spare tank glass, an odd multipurpose screwdriver, nicely laid out social media information, and even a microfiber cloth – undoubtedly for the fingerprint you WILL leave all over the gold exterior.

The installed 5mL “extended” tank isn’t quite as rounded as similar devices, like the FreeMax Fireluke, but the extension is still highly noticeable. The replacement 3.5mL glass in the box makes for a more streamlined Manta, though you’ll be refilling considerably more over the course of a day. Plus, for some reason, the extended glass actually fits the Manta’s design more appropriately, since “wide” is the order of the day here.

Ultem drip-tips are commonplace, but I would spend a little more money to not have the same burnt amber color profile. Some find it attractive, but after seeing it so often, I’m starting to tire of the “cigarette stained car window” appearance. That aside, it IS comfortable, and does its job of dissipating heat well.

A 510 adapter would have been a nice touch, though. Not everyone appreciates the low-profile drip-tip, especially when it puts your lips perilously close to potentially hot metal.

Taking the Manta RTA apart is easy, as the machining and build quality is top-notch across the board. Once you see the staggered, velocity-style deck, you’ll start dreaming of creative builds. It’s not the widest, deepest deck we’ve seen, but the Manta has a smartly laid out design that should give build enthusiasts plenty of playground for their creativity.

What I loved about the Manta RTA deck was the inventive airflow channels. The primary airflow channel is actually divided into several “sub-channels” which help concentrate airflow onto the coils, without unnecessarily restricting things.

Advken designed the Manta for ease of use, because the elevated posts allow builders to make the most of the available space. It’s not going to properly handle tremendous coils, but 3mm builds fit mine with room to spare.

Wicking the Manta is a little trickier. Though there’s enough room to move things as needed, I found I had best success by trimming my wick ends into a slight point, as the juice channels are comparatively narrow.

I did try filling the channels (as many vapers will) with wick, and found – even with well-fluffed cotton – that juice flow became restricted. Perhaps my test routine was a little intense, but I had a few muted puffs on this particular wick job.

As has been the case with so many recent RTAs, I found better success by folding the wick ends under themselves, and covering the juice flow ports, rather than stuffing them full of cotton. It’s not the only way to wick the Manta RTA, but it was the most consistent.

With a unique look and easy build, the Manta was already a positive experience, before I even vaped it. However, this squatty, blinged-out, oddball atomizer performed like an absolute dream. I may say that a lot, but considering how many times I’ve wrestled with other RTA devices, there are few other ways to describe the performance I enjoyed from the very first draw.

Using a standard 24-gauge Kanthal dual-coil build, reading at roughly 0.4 ohms, I wicked, wet it, and went to town. From the first drag, I enjoyed smooth, rich flavor at a moderate 65 watts. I closed the airflow down further than my usual setting, as the Manta offered an immensely airy vape from the outset.

Vapor production was very good, if not IMMENSE. But that wasn’t my intention for this build and wattage. To achieve fog machine status, I installed a low-resistance test coil and cranked the mod to 120 watts, which resulted in much thicker, denser vapor, with most of the flavor intact. However, at this level, the Manta’s gold stainless body became uncomfortable on the lips, thanks to the shallow drip tip.

I went back to my original build and returned to the nuanced flavor I enjoyed from the start. I noticed the Manta never once struggled to keep up with my pace, even when taking consecutive, long, measured draws. This RTA goes through juice at a healthy clip, but I never once experienced a dry hit.

In temperature control, the Manta performed well, though I noticed no discernible difference in flavor or vapor production using one material over another. Of the stainless, nickel and titanium coils I tried, only the stainless build offered any performance variance, as the Manta seemed to need a few extra seconds to really ramp up as intended.

But the Manta’s deck was excellent using any coil. There was no random jumping or stuttering with any build I tested, and the coils heated evenly throughout.

One minor gripe about the Manta RTA is that it requires a dual-coil build. Though the deck isn’t natively set up for much modification, I feel like an airflow adapter for the deck would be an easy inclusion to cater to those of us who enjoy single-coil builds. It’s a matter of preference, but also an odd omission for an otherwise well-specced tank.

Having been connected at the hip to the outstanding iJOY Captain RTA over the last few months, the Advken Manta was a pleasant surprise. Not that I didn’t expect Advken to produce such a high-quality vape device, but rather that it was so versatile and flavor-focused. Sure, the clouds filled my office when the mood called for it, but I also enjoyed rich flavor and a leak-free experience with every coil and wick job I threw its way.

Other than minor complaints about the lack of single-coil and 510 drip-tip adapters, and slightly finicky wicking, the Advken Manta RTA is a top-tier device that has joined my everyday rotation. Fans of high-performing rebuildable tanks shouldn’t hesitate to take a chance on this one.

Score: A-

Advken Manta RTA specs:

• Size: 24mm x 46mm
• Capacity: 5mL/3.5mL
• Drip tip: 810 PEI drip tip
• Thread: 510
• Stainless steel and glass construction
• Removable wide-bore drip tip
• Top filling system
• Airflow control system

Advken Manta RTA contents:

• 1x MANTA RTA
• 1x Microfiber cloth
• 1x Spare glass
• 1x Screwdriver
• 1x Accessories bag