Desire Squonky BF Mesh Tank Review

It was bound to happen eventually. Someone… somewhere … somehow, was inevitably going to say, “I love the way squonk mods work, but who has time in their day to build coils?” Then, like a vape-friendly Billy Mays, there would suddenly be a “better way” to do it. Enter, the Desire Designs Squonky Tank.

Long story short, there’s a really good IDEA in the Squonky. I’m just not 100% sure this is the absolute best execution of the concept. Desire isn’t that far off here, though. And there’s certainly some things I liked, but your enjoyment will come down to how much patience you have with new ideas. Let’s take a look at the official line from Element Vape, along with some details.

The Desire SQUONK BF Mesh Tank is an innovative tank design, implementing a squonkable tank, protective metal cage, and access to the Desire Design Squonky SCC Mesh Coil System for a luxurious and fulfilling vape experience. The Squonky Tank measures in at 25mm and can hold up to 2.0mL of today’s favorite juice. In addition, the Squonky utilizes a protective metal cage to prevent any accidental breakage of glass. Adding to the tank’s many features, the Squonky Mesh tank utilizes coils from Desire’s coil line, featuring a 0.17ohm SCC Mesh coil to efficiently vaporize the juice and create large dense clouds of vapor. With a dedicated squonking channel, the Squonky Mesh tank can be connected to any squonk box mod to fully unlock its potential.

For such a forward-thinking concept, the Squonky has a decidedly pedestrian appearance, bearing a strong resemblance to the initial run of sub-ohm tanks from all those years ago. It’s not a bad design, by any means, but it certainly doesn’t imply there’s anything unique going on under the hood.

Also, if you’re a fan of bright colors and variety, the Squonky is going to be a bit of a letdown, since the current run only features stainless steel and black options. That’s perfect for me, but those expecting some wild color combinations will probably want to hold off.

I have to say, I love the 510 drip tip, even if the format is a little narrow by modern sub-ohm tank standards. It’s amazing that 510 was the standard drip tip dimension not that long ago, but today, the narrower mouthpiece feels really snug, which led to a warmer mouth feel than expected.

The BF pin that allows for squonking is standard-issue stuff, but it’s important to take note of the ample top fill port, too. Not only can the Squonky be used as a standard tank through the port, but it’s alsorequiredto be open during squonking, to allow for airflow and a release of the vacuum within the chamber. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but with only 2mL of capacity, you’ll be doing it quite often – not nearly as convenient as standard squonk setups.

Also, know that the Squonky only comes with one glass section and no spare – yes, there’s a cage around the glass to protect against cracks, but not packing in a spare was still a questionable move by Desire.

Standout Features

I was very impressed by the mesh coil included in the box. And I was surprised by how much better suited the coil was for mouth-to-lung (MTL) vaping, even if the 0.17-ohm resistance speaks to higher-wattage, sub-ohm use. While the coil can handle reasonable wattages without burning, I found that anything over 50 made for an uncomfortably warm vape, made even warmer with the narrow-ish drip tip. But at 30-40 watts, using a more deliberate MTL draw, the Squonky did a pretty good job of delivering a solid, if unspectacular experience.

The flavor and vapor production was good, but what really caught my attention was the coil’s longevity. Nearly three weeks after first using it, I’m only now getting some reduction in flavor clarity and performance. It’s still usable, though, and Desire should be commended for making a coil that stands up to heavy, long-term use.

Vaping the Desire Squonky

For a first attempt at something different (with apologies to other tanks that might have tried this before), the Squonky was a decent performer all around – solid flavor, vapor and excellent longevity, like we just discussed. Where it comes up short, though, is arguably the most-important element, the squonk action.

For starters, while I understand the physics behind it, having to open the top-fill port whenever squonking goes against the convenience of having a squonker to begin with. In short, if I have to open the thing up, I might as well just fill it, rather than going through additional steps for the same results. It just seemed a little half-baked to me, even if the science behind it makes sense. I’m no tank designer, but if the series continues, I’d like to see a design that allows for squonking without this extra step.

But overall, when done properly, the squonking works. I didn’t have any leaking issues around the BF pin, nor did I encounter any problems filling the tank using this method. It was a little awkward and cumbersome, but for what it was designed to do, it did it well.

I used the Squonky on several mods, from basic single-battery mech squonkers, to higher-end internal designs, and all performed admirably. The 2mL tank doesn’t take long to fill, and the coils are pretty frugal on juice, all things considered. You’ll still need to refill quite often, but it’s a lot better than I would have expected given the limited capacity.

I think my biggest problem around the Squonky is centered on necessity. Basically, does the vaping world really need a 2mL capacity squonk tank, when the traditional RDA format works so much better? Sure, you have more reserves in the tank than having to constantly check and re-wet a standard dripper, but the flavor and vapor performance is nowhere near where the world’s leading RDAs are today. Traditional squonking allows for convenience and performance, all in one – the Squonky doesn’t elevate that experience in the slightest.

Pros

• • Well-built and machined
  • Long-lasting coil family
  • Surprisingly good at lower wattages

Cons

• • Limited capacity
  • Awkward filling process
  • Average-at-best performance

Spinfuel VAPE Recommendation and Score

The Desire Squonky is about 80% of the way there, when it really needed to be a lot more complete to prove the concept. While I appreciate the idea of a more-convenient squonk mod option, the Squonky doesn’t really deliver, because the ends don’t justify the means.

With a larger capacity tank, wider-bore drip-tip and a more-focused sub-ohm design, the idea has legs and should be explored further. But I hope whatever company tackles this concept next factors in convenience and ease of use before releasing it to a vaping marketplace that desperately wants something unique.