Squonkers are nothing new to the vaping world, but the format is undergoing a huge resurgence of late. Most Squonkers follow the same design concepts – and the Hotcig x Rig Mod RSQ regulated squonk Mod is no different.  But the high-end pedigree of both Rig Mod and Hotcig had us excited about testing this one – and our excitement was rewarded.

The Hotcig x Rig Mod RSQ regulated squonk Mod is a wonderful bottom-feeding vape Mod, and one of our favorite devices of the fresh new year.

Let’s see why.

Right away, most experienced vapers are going to look at the Hotcig x Rig Mod RSQ regulated Squonk Mod and think – “Whoopee wow. Another boxy Squonker.” And that apathy would be justified, because there’s nothing inherently unique or special about the Mod, aside from a few carbon fiber accents. Other than that, it checks off all the standard Squonk box requirements – spacious squeeze port, short stature, magnetic battery door, etc. etc. etc.

But when you start investigating the Hotcig x Rig Mod RSQ regulated Squonk Mod, you’ll see there’s a little more going on beyond a stout frame and a single 18650. For starters, our red and black test Model was built extremely well. Though the nature of the Squonk format means there will always be that “hollow” feel, the construction of the RSQ definitely feels more substantial, and would likely survive falls and drops without concern.

One concern I had in the preview was the odd, ill-fitting rear battery door, which sat a little “off” during our initial run-through. Well, this didn’t change during testing, and I experienced several occasions where the door came off in my pocket – and once just by grabbing it off my desk. By the end of my testing I actually used a piece of tape to secure the door, just because I wanted to use it without concern.

Beyond the door, the inside of the RSQ Mod is standard-issue stuff – a single 18650 slot, and a 7mL Squonk bottle. Rig Mod was nice enough to include a second bottle, in case you want to switch flavors on the fly. I found using and swapping bottles was extremely easy, and leak-free – so kudos to both companies for putting its attention where it counts.

(If only they had the same design team for the battery door.)

The real selling point of the Hotcig x Rig Mod RSQ regulated Squonk Mod is the HM chipset, which is not only liquid-proof, but also a full-fledged advanced board, capable of 80 watts, full temperature control, unique firing Modes, bypass Mode, firmware upgrades and more.

Users of mechanical Squonkers might be a little overwhelmed here, since this is a board capable of much more than the pedestrian presentation implies.

The liquid-proof board is a nice feature, but we’re happy to report it wasn’t necessary. Even after considerable “stress testing” the RSQ bottles never once leaked, even when we tried to do just that. Our strongest squeezes never caused a single problem, so regular users can rest comfortably that Hotcig and Rig Mod didn’t skimp on the hardware.

(Yes, we know a plastic Squonk bottle isn’t exactly a huge development, but we’ve seen more than our share of leaky, cheap Chinese knockoffs, so this was refreshing, regardless of price tag.)

Operating the RSQ Mod was easy enough, with classic vape Mod controls – long/short presses of the fire key, simple monochrome display, etc. It’s nothing experienced vapers won’t figure out quickly, and nothing new vapers won’t learn in short order. Thankfully, the well-formatted instructions make things easier for newcomers to get acquainted.

I should mention that the simple button and fire key setup is well-implemented, and all buttons have nice throw and clickiness in place. No complaints here.

One interesting addition to the bare bones Squonker setup is the RSQ’s cool colored LED lighting inside the squeeze port. It’s a subtle addition, but the low-key red, blue and green hues were surprisingly attractive when they came on after firing. This feature can be turned off to preserve battery life, but I rarely did – it was a rare “standout” feature of the Mod’s appearance.

Fast ramp-up time, accurate temperature control, and smooth filling of the bottom-feeding atomizer led to an overall positive experience with the RSQ Mod. Since Squonkers are fairly straightforward devices, we weren’t expecting much in the way of surprises, but no one could expect such rapid ramping, even on low-resistance builds.

Using the reliable Digiflavor Aura RDA with BF pin in place, the RSQ connected like they were native devices. Within seconds, my kanthal test build was saturated, and I was enjoying rich, deep flavors in no time. The squeeze bottle worked beautifully, with enough flexibility for easy operation, but not so much that my RDA deck was flooded accidentally.

Plus, the Aura was such a natural fit, I was tempted to not even try any other atomizers, but I’m glad I did. In fact, all of my test RDAs sat flush on the RSQ Mod without an ounce of gap or overhang.

One concern we had was battery life. Of course, as a single-18650 Mod, the RSQ isn’t going to set any records for battery duration. But, as a Mod that will likely be used at its 80-watt maximum quite often, I found it a little alarming. Even as a regulated board, I got less than two hours of steady use from the RSQ – considerably lower than expected.

I’m not sure I can criticize the Hotcig x Rig Mod RSQ regulated Squonk Mod, as much as the generic design of Squonkers in general. With new, regulated, dual-battery Squonkers coming down the line, it’s hard to get excited about a Mod that only gives you a few hours of steady high-wattage use. That’s not a knock on this device, but I’d love to be able to take the RSQ out for a night without hauling several spare batteries, and it’s simply not possible.

Beyond this hangup, the RSQ vapes extremely well. I enjoyed the temp control suite more than expected, and surprisingly faced no adjustment and ohm-reading concerns, even on complicated builds. If there was any finicky coil readings, TCR helped settle those issues in no time. A very pleasant TC experience, even if that’s not how I prefer to vape Squonk Mods.

The biggest concern about the Hotcig x Rig Mod RSQ regulated Squonk Mod? Well, it’s a little redundant, but that wonky battery door made regular use a little more difficult than it needed to be. As hard as I tried, there was no way to seat this thing without it coming loose. It was probably just a fluky test Model, and not the norm for the company, but I need to mention it to potential buyers.

The Hotcig x Rig Mod RSQ regulated Squonk Mod was, for the most part, really fun to vape. The flavor and performance was stellar, with all of my BF RDAs, and the smooth, leak-free Squonking was effortless in either hand. If the battery door (and battery life) issues were resolved, the RSQ would have earned an easy A. But they’re just too significant to ignore.

However, if you’re a Squonk Mod fan, can look past these quirks, and want the extra protection and reliability that comes with a quality regulated chipset, there is plenty of performance and enjoyment to be had with the Hotcig x Rig Mod RSQ regulated Squonk Mod. Because when it worked right, it worked great.

Score: B-

Rig Mod – Hotcig RSQ Regulated Squonk Mod Specs:

• Dimensions: 79mm x 48mm x 25mm
• Requires 1x 18650 sized battery (not included)
• Powered by the HM chip
• Output wattage range: 1.0-80.0 watts
• Temperature control range: 200°F – 600°F
• Temperature control supports the following wire types: Ni200 Nickel, Titanium, Stainless steel 303, 304, 316 with adjustable initial resistance and adjustable TCR
• Bypass firing Mode
• 0.91″ OLED display
• Dual adjustment buttons and an oversized firing button
• Magnetic battery door
• Spring loaded internal contacts
• Micro USB port for firmware updates but can support 1.0 amp charging
• 7mL Squonk bottle which resides next to an LED light which can be red, blue, green, and “cycle” Mode
• Stainless steel threading 510 bottom feeding contact

Rig Mod – Hotcig RSQ Regulated Squonk Mod Contents:

• 1x RSQ Bottom Feed Mod by Rig Mod
• 1x Silicone bottle
• 2x Plastic bottle
• 1x Micro-USB cable
• 1x User manual