I’m going to start this piece with a truly original, one-of-a-kind capsule review: The iJOY RDTA Box Triple is unnecessarily awesome.

(Man, that even felt weird to type.)

iJOY has put out a lot of products of late, and lost in the shuffle of its seemingly endless line of Captain-branded items, was the all-in-one RDTA Box. Introduced nearly two years ago, the RDTA Box was a large, polarizing, altogether misunderstood vape device, with plenty of power and performance, but also a fair amount of heft and awkwardness.

So, in an effort to reintroduce the RDTA Box to a skeptical public, the ever-subtle iJOY did the only thing it knew how – it made the RDTA Box bigger. The result is a commanding mod that retains the jarring, almost industrial aesthetic from the original, adding a third 18650 battery, 40 more watts, and a whole lot of unapologetic fists in the air.

But is a third battery and a little more power enough to justify reintroducing this product line to an oversaturated market? Let’s see.

If you ever find yourself vaping in a questionable neighborhood, the RDTA Box Triple is the mod you want at your side (provided you can lug it for extend periods of time). In short, this is a large, stainless steel device — 35 mm x 55 mm x 135 mm large, to be exact. Couple those dimensions with a substantial 200g weight, and you have a pretty sizeable sag in your pocket.

With the addition of the third battery, the RDTA Box Triple is now more “triangular,” a la most three-cell devices. But, in an odd design advantage, the more-rounded shape actually makes the Triple a better fit in the hand.

In terms of appearance, the RDTA Box Triple maintains the jarring contrast from the original. My stainless and black test model is an exercise in hard lines and industrial design, with a massive fire key that should be considered an industry best practice. Just like the original, this button is clicky, with a sharp, responsive, perfectly balanced throw. It just feels right, and never once did it fire in my pocket, even with the mod’s notable girth.

The operation buttons reside beneath the 0.96-inch, vertically oriented OLED display, and maintain the device’s high standard for feel and operability. Though iJOY has implemented many of the same button design choices in its prolific Captain series, the RDTA Box line is still the best utilization of the format, and is a high-water mark for any vape mod in this category.

One SLIGHT negative about the modified design of the RDTA Box Triple is the smaller viewing window for the massive 12.8 mL tank reservoir. On the original iJoy Box, this illuminated window allowed users to gauge e-liquid levels with nary a concern. The Triple’s smaller glass view port still gets the job done, though I had several instances where I wasn’t 100% sure of how much juice remained, and if I needed to top off the tank before heading out.

That said, refilling the RDTA Box Triple is an absolute breeze, with a nicely machined top-fill cap that is a pleasure to open and close, and a tremendous fill port that all but eliminates the risk of stray drips and overfills.

Finally, the magnetic rear battery door holds three 18650 cells snug, and never once did it come off in my pocket, even with repeated use.

The old adage states, “if it ain’t broke… don’t fix it.” Well, I’m glad iJOY pays attention to old adages. Because the RDTA Box Triple’s operations remain about as straightforward and user-friendly as any device in the industry. The IWEPAL chipset does a great job displaying user options, with a simple, but thorough menu layout that clearly indicates modes and features.

The RDTA Box Triple might be noticed for its size. It might be memorable for its gargantuan e-liquid tank. But it will be remembered for its customization ability. iJOY has done a tremendous job making unique, interchangeable build decks to appease coil builders of all preferences and ability levels. As of this writing, there are no fewer than 12 IMC build decks on the market, ranging from a standard velocity-style deck (included) to staggered setups, Goon-like plate decks and more.

Truth be told, I own them all, but find myself using the included velocity deck most of all. There’s a reason it’s still the most copied and utilized post design around, and the performance I get from the included deck gives me no reason to stray. But for those with more ornate build styles, rest assured, iJOY has you covered.

Plus, to get users started right from the gate, iJOY also included two prebuilt and wicked IMC heads. These performed admirably, but the true flavor and vapor potential of the RDTA Box Triple lies in the creative minds of build enthusiasts. If you plan on using these high-quality prebuilts, I recommend trimming back the dense cotton a bit, to avoid dry hits and improve e-liquid flow to the coils.

Other than the simple controls, the only other “operation” to remember is checking e-liquid levels, and tilting the mod periodically to ensure wicks stay wet – in other words, the standard tilting you would do when vaping. It’s a seamless all-in-one setup.

Despite the blunt, power-focused design of the RDTA Box Triple, iJOY has included a full temperature control suite, customer user modes, and preheat/ramp-up adjustment to better suit more particular users. But yeah, this mod will likely appeal to power-focused users the most.

I started using the included prebuilt IMC-10 coil at 80 watts. After a short break-in period (and a little cotton trimming) I found the 0.2-ohm Kanthal prebuilt to offer a really strong balance of flavor and vapor, with only one dry hit to report – and this occurred after a heavy round of chain vaping.

The prebuilt coils proved to be quite durable, as well. Nearly two weeks after first firing it, the first of two IMCs is still going strong, with only SLIGHTLY diminished flavor and vapor. Because I wasn’t only using these coils with the RDTA Box Triple, I wouldn’t quite say they’re going to give you two weeks of duration. But I think a week of regular to heavy use is extremely likely, with the potential for much more.

With 240 watts of power at my disposal, I decided to get the stress testing out of the way next. Using the Goon-style deck (not included), I built a Kanthal clapton all the way down to the device’s lower limit of 0.05 ohms and started ramping things up quickly. Though I typically vape around 80-90 watts, the RDTA Box Triple wanted to sing a little louder, so off to 150 watts we went. The build handled it with ease, as did the mod, with no uncomfortable heat on the frame or mouthpiece.

At 180 watts, things were still smooth, albeit a little warm around the metal chuff cap. At this level, I also noticed e-liquid consumption was increasingly exponentially. Though I never got a dry hit, opening the top cap revealed slight dry spots on the cotton, requiring me to spend more time tilting the device than I would normally.

210 watts proved to be my maximum. Here, there was simply too much residual heat on the mouthpiece to consider going higher. But I have no doubt the RDTA Box Triple would have laughed off the wattage and kept going. At no point did I ever experience any pulsing or stuttering in power mode, nor did things get wonky with the operations. I know the IWEPAL chipset has a full slate of protection measures, but none of them appeared here.

It should be noted, of course, that flavor is naturally more muted at such high wattages, and this was the case with the RDTA Box Triple, as well.

In temp control, the RDTA Box Triple was a strong performer, with simple-to-adjust controls, easy wattage adjustments, and unwavering resistances, even at higher temps. Given the build-friendly nature of the IMC decks, I would imagine the included TCR functionality will be paramount in accommodating even the most ornate builds.

One thing I didn’t notice here was any flavor or performance improvements within temperature control mode. When I turn to TC, it’s simply to stave off dry hits and protect my coils. With a massive 12.8mL juice reservoir steadily wetting the wicks and coils, dry hits were never once an issue, nor was unparalleled flavor, for that matter.

In the opening of this review, I indicated that the iJOY RDTA Box is “unnecessarily awesome.” This was my way of saying that, while offering an outstanding vape, there is nothing here that should drive fans of the original to buy the updated version.

The additional 40 watts is extraneous, to be quite honest. This is a device that wants to bring RDA flavor, AIO convenience, and top-flight power into one machine. To that end, it delivers. But it delivers this at much lower wattages. To reformat a proven design just to accommodate a third cell – a third cell that didn’t noticeably improve battery life, I might add – seems a little silly, even if I’m using the mod as I type this.

It’s no secret I love the RDTA Box series, and that my complaints are few and far between. Sure, the size can be a hindrance. And the smaller viewing window is annoying on a device of such ample size.

But with a huge array of interchangeable build decks, wonderful menu system, and a seamless all-in-one design, there are few mods in my collection that can compete with the iJOY RDTA Box Triple in terms of flavor, power and convenience.

If you already own an original RDTA Box, and are happy with its performance, there’s no reason you NEED to get the updated edition. However, if you’re new to this unique style of vape mod, there is no reason you SHOULDN’T secure one of these immediately.

Score: A

iJOY RDTA Box Triple specs:

• Dimensions: 35 mm x 55 mm x 135 mm
• Custom user mode
• 95% energy efficient
• TC compatibility: SS, Ti, Ni, TCR
• Resistance range: 0.05 Ω to 3.0 Ω
• Output current range: 1 A to 45 A
• Voltage output range: 1 V to 8 V
• Power output range: 5 W to 240 W
• 8 mL e-juice tank
• 96″ OLED screen
• Weight: 200 g

iJOY RDTA Box Triple contents:

• 1x IJOY RDTA BOX Triple
• 2x IMC-10 Pre-made Coil
• 1x IMC-Coil 3
• 1x 510 Adapter
• 1x USB Cable
• 1x Manual
• 1x Warranty Card
• 1x Tool Pack & Protective Atomizer Shield