HellVape Dead Rabbit 25mm RTA Review

All hail the king. There, I said it. You don’t need to read the review. Just know we’re gonna slap a big fat, rabbit-eared “A+” up there and call it day. Because the HellVape Dead Rabbit 25mm RTA is the best rebuildable tank atomizer in my collection. Not “one of” – THE absolute best.

But I don’t get paid for one paragraph reviews, so if you’re interested, let me gush a little about this gem of an RTA. I know most vape review sites are prone to hyperbole (and we try not to be like that). But after several years spent reviewing a slew of RTAs, with highly varied results, 2018 has proven to be a golden age of rebuildable tanks (and Sub-Ohm Tanks too!). And there’s no better example than this stellar piece of gear.

I’ve loved some of these recent RTAs, with special shout-outs to the GeekVape Zeus (reviewed here) and the OBS Engine II (reviewed here). But allow me to say it again – the HellVape Dead Rabbit 25mm RTA is the new gold standard, with no nonsense or tricks involved. Because, silly rabbit, tricks are for kids.

Upon first look, you’ll see that HellVape didn’t venture too far from the design of its line of Dead Rabbit drippers, and I’m glad. Though they weren’t the most-interesting RDAs, in terms of design, there was something refreshing about their simple, unadorned look and feel. And that aesthetic carries over beautifully here.

My brass/gold test model is a visual exercise in function over fashion, even with the luster-heavy finish. The single-tone appearance is broken up only by expertly knurled top and bottom sections, and barely visible o-rings. Don’t get me wrong, the Dead Rabbit will look good on any appropriate mod, but those expecting bells and whistles are likely to be disappointed.

The stock configuration has a 2mL capacity standard glass installed, but most serious vapers will likely switch immediately to the included 4.5mL bubble glass section. Not only did this dramatically reduce the amount of filling I had to do each hour, but also seemed to improve juice flow to the deck. Mind you, I’m not sure IF or HOW this happened, but there was definitely a boost in flavor and near elimination of pesky dry hits.

That said, if you choose for the Dead Rabbit’s slimmer 2mL glass, the refilling process is thankfully simple and mess-free. Part of this can be attributed to the welcome top-seated airflow ring, which gets rid of any leaking issues that usually run rampant with RTAs. Instead, the top cap unscrews without much fuss, and the large fill port accepts all but the meatiest droppers and bottles.

The airflow control ring was a little stiff out of the box, but quickly loosened with use, and before long I was turning it without any force or emphasis.

The Dead Rabbit 25mm RTA build deck includes a slightly raised version of the quad-terminal deck from the namesake RDA. This open-bottomed format was a slight pain in the neck on the dripper, especially when trying to trim coil leads. But the few extra millimeters of space afforded on the RTA make a world of difference, allowing for simple, effortless coil placement and positioning.

The raised deck means you’ll have to keep your coils positioned a little closer to the deck than usual, but they’re still plenty close to the chimney and mouthpiece, and the resulting flavor is rich, deep and nuanced.

Wicking the Dead Rabbit RTA is pretty standard, in that the same rules apply. Don’t overstuff, make sure your cotton is properly fluffed and positioned near the juice port, and give yourself some room between each wick tail to allow for more juice flow. It’s RTA 101, and I nailed the Dead Rabbit build the first time out.

(Go back and read my other RTA reviews to see how rare an occurrence that actually is…)

I should note that the Dead Rabbit is a thirsty little yard animal. Even with the extended bubble glass installed, I still found myself keeping my e-liquid close by. While this would normally bother me a bit, the insanely deep flavor and massive cloud production justifies every refill. And you’ll probably be too busy enjoying the experience to care.

Are there any complaints to mention about the Dead Rabbit RTA?

I could theoretically gripe about the … um …

I could potentially argue that… um…

You know what? No – there is nothingI found to complain about here. The HellVape Dead Rabbit RTA is a simply designed, but expertly thought out rebuildable tank atomizer that delivers top-tier performance and satisfaction from the moment you remove it from the box. And it’s a crowning achievement for a product type that many vapers have long left behind for simpler devices.

I’ll admit that I’ve been enjoying the endless array of prebuilt sub-ohm tanks that cross my desk each week. But one session with the Dead Rabbit RTA reminded me why this type of vaping is still best for me. An absolute must-buy for fans for the format … and for pretty much any vaper looking for a truly stellar experience.