KYLIN M 24MM MESH RTA by Vandy Vape – A Review

Kylin M RTA – I love when companies actually justify remaking their items. Vandy Vape has done it three times with the Kylin series. And like we said about the Kylin II, most sequels are poor rehashes – many of which ruin what we loved about the original. But the Vandy Vape Kylin M RTA earns its place by maintaining MOST of the performance reputation… with a simpler design.

Unfortunately, the Kylin M has a few hiccups this time around, even if it does share some strong DNA with its siblings. It seems like – when it comes to flavor and e-liquid efficiency – the RTA advantage is dwindling. Let’s see what’s going on…

From The Manufacturer

Discover the KYLIN M RTA by Vandy Vape, integrating a spring-loaded clamp-style build deck for mesh configurations and honeycomb top-airflow control to create a rebuildable tank that is sure to take the vape industry by storm. Ergonomically crafted with a newer chassis design compare to the previous Kylin series, the Vandy Vape KYLIN M has a maximum capacity of 4.5mL with threaded top-fill.

The Kylin M 24mm RTA continues the modern mesh-style coil configuration, with an added ceramic block within the build deck. Each mesh sheet is conveniently side-secured via Phillips screws, activating the . dual clamps on each side of the terminal to ensure a strong connection.

MESH Coils

Then there is the mesh heating element heats rapidly and evenly, vaporizing the juice within the cotton wick that is mounted on the spring-loaded ceramic support, maintaining ideal contact for efficient vaporization. On the top section of the structure sports a twenty (20) airholes with honeycomb style intake that travels down into the central atomizer chamber for exuberant cloud production while maintaining high-level flavor recreation.

Shorter, stouter and slightly more subdued than its numbered brethren, the Kylin M is the latest addition to the family. But, even in a marketplace full of dual-coil RTAs the Kylin M manages to draw somelooks, mostly due to its squatty, bulbous exterior.

Granted, it’s not a fishbowl, but it definitely looks like there’s more than 4.5mL within those glass and stainless walls.

Understated Elegance?

But, also like its predecessors, the Kylin M looks fantastic on just about any vape mod (within reason, of course). And that’s simply something we can’t say too often, so we’re appreciative of the simple, understated design. Of course, the finish and color options (like my sharp gunmetal test model)

Looking inside…

Taking it apart, the clamping build deck is an interesting one. Because it’s so much easier to work with than previous Kylins. Where they catered to expert-level enthusiasts and complex coil builders, these simple “set it and forget it” mesh strips are perfect for newcomers to rebuildable atomizers.

Sure, you need to be careful not to bend them, or they won’t heat evenly. But the included dowel is really all you need to get things properly shaped and installed.

Airflow

Unfortunately, the internal airflow is a little too windy for my liking. Much like the Kylin II, the design directs airflow under the coil and up the short chimney section. It seems like an effective enough approach, but in practice things are far too airy, even with the AFC ring shut down most of the way. Not only does this mute flavor, but there’s also a level of noisiness I wasn’t expecting from such a simple atomizer.

I tried rewicking several times, but this is just how things work with the Kylin M.

Finally, the resin 810 drip tip is one of the better ones we’ve used. (Remember when we used to buy these things separately? As if they held the antidote to bad vaping devices?) But like any component, some are made better than others, and this one stays cool, even at high wattages.

Vaping the Vandy Vape Kylin M RTA

Juice flow on the Kylin M is a bit of a problem – and this leads to a lot of the noisiness we mentioned earlier. While the juice ports are plenty wide, and allow you to fit a lot of cotton, there was still some moments where the juice would flood a bit, leading to gurgling and popping.

Adding more cotton in a new wick seemed like the right solution, but only served to give me mild dry hits and flavor loss.

First Builds

In short, there’s a delicate balance between filling the space with cotton and leaving room for juice flow, and it might take a few builds before you get it down. And part of the problem might be the “agleted” – think shoelace tips – cotton wicks, which are probably too dense and wide to be effective e-liquid conductors. I switched to some trusty Cotton Bacon strips, and the Kylin M performance improved considerably.

So, kudos to Vandy Vape for including some high-quality cotton, but you might want to do some heavy trimming and thinning before you use the throw-in wicks.

Coil Flavor

Once the coil is placed, and the cotton is doing what it should, the Kylin M DOES produce a solid jolt of flavor and vapor. This comes at the expense of e-liquid consumption, unfortunately. But all the same, the first few dozen draws are going to impress you. As we’ve mentioned, the flavor and performance line that once separated RDAs, RTAs and sub-ohm tanks has been blurred considerably – the Kylin M is a prime example of this gap narrowing.

Tank Size

My complaints are two-fold, however. For starters, once the 4.5mL tank is less than half full – which will happen early and often – the flavor production slows to a halt. Whether this is the result of a lesser vacuum in the tank, or simply some physics principles I don’t understand is up for debate. But the end results are a little inconsistent for my liking.

MESH Coils

Worse, the included mesh strips aren’t the most durable ones we’ve seen. One of the benefits of this format is longer-lasting, easier to maintain builds. Yet I was only able to muster about a week on each of the included coils before they tapped out and needed replacement.

And finally, that airflow – at the risk of being redundant, it’s simply too wide-open to really clarify flavor over the long term. While no one can argue the flavor and vapor performance of the Kylin M when it’s loaded with a fresh coil and filled tank, these moments are far too fleeting for those looking for durability.

Pros:

– Simple, user-friendly build deck
– Attractive, universally appealing design

– Good initial flavor and vapor

Cons:

– Mesh coils don’t last very long

– Flavor disappears when e-liquid levels drop

– Too much airflow and e-liquid consumption

Spinfuel VAPE Recommendation and Score

Look, of all the writers on staff, I’m one of the few RTA holdouts. Most of the staff have moved onto the improved performance and simplicity of sub-ohm tanks, but I still find a certain beauty in a well-built RTA. However, with the trend toward simplified mesh strips, and less focus on e-liquid efficiency and long-term performance, I’m having a harder time seeing that “beauty.”

Lastly…

The Kylin M is a quality product. It comes from a quality company. And it’s definitely worth a look if mesh-coiled RTAs interest you. But the third attempt of a well-known, well-liked vape product shouldn’t be the weakest in the series. Then again, maybe it’s like the movies, where sequels produce diminishing returns with every iteration.