I have to hand it to Dotmod – they certainly never go for subtlety in their designs. Their entire line of “dot___” tanks and RDAs adhere to a similar aesthetic – bold, brash and ornate. And their latest, the 24mm Dotmod dotTank is no exception.

(It also vapes pretty well, too!)

From the moment you open the box, you’ll see that the dotTank is aiming for a high-end appearance. From the 24K gold-plated (brass underneath) exterior, to the similarly gold-plated coil heads, to the somewhat gaudy knurling along the top and bottom pieces, this is not a sub-ohm tank for shy vapers. Instead, the dotTank wants to shine atop your boldest hardware, for all adoring eyes to see.

A little dramatic? Maybe, but there’s nothing subdued about this tank. And everything from the look to the packaging to the hyperbolic product description falls right in line with this approach.

Beauty aside, Dotmod IS very good at producing well-machined, high-quality vape products, and the dotTank won’t change that reputation. All the dotTank’s moving parts – most notably the unique internal airflow control ring – assemble and disassemble as intended, with very little unnecessary muscle required to get the job done.

That said, this supposed nod at higher-end design is pretty antiquated for 2018. For starters, the top-fill system requires full removal of the cap, rather than having an in-cap slot, like most modern tanks. While it worked well during my testing, as time goes on, the removable glass section will likely loosen on the o-rings, and many fills may end up on your laps and tables.

The “hidden” airflow ring apparently opens and closes an internal port, completely invisible to users, making for a cleaner, less leak-prone tank. While I didn’t notice a significant difference from “open” to “closed,” I also had no idea exactly how much airflow I was allowing, because there was no visual indicator. I eventually found my sweet spot, but it was hard to keep it there, thanks to the smooth-turning AFC ring.

The threading on the dotTank is superlative throughout, with the coil installation and removal being a highlight of the experience. I know it’s weird to say such a thing about coil threading, but I enjoyed dealing with none of the crunchy, abrasive threads we’re used to from lesser brands.

With a 24mm diameter and 3.5mL capacity, the dotTank isn’t going to break records for size, but it’s large enough to carry users through a good chunk of their day. Even with the precarious filling situation, I was happy with the capacity, which is deceptively deep for a more-compact sub-ohm atomizer.

What’s more impressive is the coils themselves. Looking past the gold/brass casing, these relatively small heads pack a big punch. Most of this can be attributed to the large surface area on each juice port, which allows for smooth, steady flow to the nichrome coils, without flooding, gurgling or occasional dry hits.

I was also really impressed by the longevity of the 0.2-ohm mesh coils, which absolutely sip juice without sacrificing flavor. Throughout my three weeks of testing, they performed admirably, only succumbing to slightly diminished flavor and vapor production after 10 days of use.

I’ll repeat that – 10 days.

Maybe I wasn’t pounding the dotTank through extended chain vape sessions, but I definitely used it more than the average user would over a normal span, and the included coils just continued to impress with their sheer performance.

Oh yeah, the dotTank coils don’t just last long, they work beautifully – as beautiful as the gold plating implies they would. These compact, almost “old school” heads have clean, robust flavor with virtually any kind of juice, and produce enough vapor to satisfy most modern users. The tank has some reduced internal airflow and a 70-watt max, to improve flavor concentration, so don’t expect massive, room-filling clouds. But if you’re a flavor-first vaper (our kind of person, to be honest) you’ll be happy with the results here.

I may not be ready to anoint mesh coils as the second coming of vape technology, but I’ll admit that the dotTank coils made a VERY strong case for the future of the design, and I hope more companies follow suit. The one element of prebuilt coils that prevents me from falling back in love with them is the longevity, so let’s chalk this as a victory for the format, and everyone who uses them.

(I should also mention that a three-pack of the dotTank coils are just $11.99 at Element Vape, so stock up, since Dotmod isn’t guaranteed to be a featured brand at your local vape shop.)

At this point in vaping evolution, there’s only so much one can say about a new sub-ohm vape tank before it sounds redundant. But my hat is tipped to Dotmod and the designers behind the dotTank. While some of the exterior is a little gaudy, and the filling process a little antiquated, the overall performance is leak-free, smooth, long-lasting and extremely flavorful. And that’s more than enough to keep me smiling.

Score: A-

Make sure to check out our other DotMod reviews

dotRDA

Petri Sub-Ohm

Wake Sub-Ohm