My first experience with the VandyVape Pulse 24 BF RDA was one of necessity. A squonking device came in without the kit’s included atomizer, and I needed a bottom-feeding RDA, stat. The Pulse just happened to be in front of me, so I decided to conduct two reviews at once.

Spoiler Alert: I have no need to ever see that squonk box’s default RDA. Because the VandyVape Pulse is my new go-to dripper, whether in bottom-feeding, or traditional drip modes. It’s that good.

The VandyVape Pulse 24 BF-RDA comes in a very understated package, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With just a simple blue box, some reserved branding and a window to show off the prize inside, VandyVape plans on selling by reputation, not hype or shelf presence.

My gold, almost brass-colored test model was equally understated, which is refreshing in a class of products that continue to push the limits of design and functionality. Though the presentation might represent function over fashion, make no mistake, the Pulse 24 BF RDA is a fully fleshed out offering. Along with the 24mm RDA, you’ll receive two drip tips – one ultem, and one Delrin, to meet anyone’s needs.

Also, those who want narrower draws will enjoy a 510 adapter, a huge bag of spare O-rings, screws, and a standard 510 pin, for those who simply want to drip as usual, without any squonking to get in the way.

Among the first words you utter about the Pulse 24 is “clean.” VandyVape has done a tremendous job machining the device, and ensuring the oil stays in their factories, and not inside the walls of your new RDA. I still gave my Pulse 24 a thorough bath before vaping it, but for the first time in a long while, I didn’t feel like I needed to do so.

Another plus has to be the ease of taking apart the Pulse 24 BF RDA. Too often, new RDAs come across my desk that require rubber gloves, pliers and low humidity to get apart. VandyVape products are perfectly fit, but easy to disassemble, creating a positive experience, start to finish.

Regarding the aesthetics of the Pulse 24 BF RDA, yes, it’s hardly the most unique looking RDA on the shelf, but it doesn’t need to be. And, given how so many competing products are becoming more and more ornate, the Pulse 24 stands out by virtue of not trying to stand out. Whether this was an intentional move by VandyVape, or simply the result of a company favoring function over fashion, it works brilliantly.

Post-less decks can be annoying. Trimming leads to the idea length can be annoying. Innovation can be annoying.

Yet, building on the VandyVape Pulse 24 is not annoying. For some inexplicable reason, coil trimming for this deck seemed effortless, as my builds fell right into place. Because of the airflow placement, it’s probably better to seat the coils a bit higher in the deck, so the air can hit your build from all angles.

I ran three different builds on the Pulse 24, each a different height in the spacious deck, and felt the best combination of airflow, flavor and vapor production came from the taller placement, as there was almost seamless flow throughout each puff.

The rest of the deck is magnificent. Though designed for dual-coil builds, I found that a larger diameter single-coil setup could work in this deck, though this might make things a little TOO windy in there. But even with dual coils, there are plenty of ways to fit exotic, complicated builds without concern. The screws secure things nicely, and never let things slip even when I was manhandling the coil height.

Wicking on the Pulse 24 BF-RDA was also easy. Large wicking ports allow for a great balance of juice flow and saturation, and even with the thickest cotton, I never once experience any dry patches, either when squonking, or when converting the Pulse to a traditional RDA setup. It was typically thirsty, but never to a point when it seemed excessive.

Let’s get the one slight negative out of the way first – the VandyVape Pulse 24 BF-RDA is just a “good” traditional dripper. When used in this manner (after swapping pins, of course) I found performance to be flavorful, with rich, dense clouds. But when compared to other recent RDAs, there was nothing standout about the experience.

One major positive in this setup, however, is how easy it is to drip through the Pulse 24’s wide-bore tip. The post-less deck and broad width allows for anyone to drip, fire and vape, eliminating much of the annoyance they experience with more complicated RDAs.

For testing, I used a series of builds, in both TC and wattage modes, and found the vape experience to be nearly identical, thanks to the effortless wicking and flow of e-liquid around the deck. For simplicity’s sake, I spent the majority of my time with the Pulse 24 in straight wattage mode, but for once, there is no clear difference as to which offers a better vape. The Pulse just works.

That said, when used as intended – that is, with the installed squonker pin – the Pulse 24 sings like a show choir. Unlike nearly every squonk RDA I’ve ever used, the Pulse 24 had zero problems with air bubbles, inconsistent juice flow to the deck, leaking, or any other imaginable problem. Instead, it simply accepted the liquid, distributed it evenly, and took back the excess once done squeezing.

No spatter, no flooding, no nonsense. THIS is arguably the best squonk pin I’ve used. And the capacious deck and smart airflow slot placement makes this a device that will likely never leak, unless something is built incorrectly.

Heck, even the graphics that help users align the top cap when closing show some attention to detail, and will come in handy for RDA and squonking newcomers. Too many RDAs are so hellbent on being “advanced devices,” that they forget everyone needs to start somewhere. Kudos to VandyVape for making the Pulse 24 a dripper designed to please a much broader range of the vaping spectrum.

There isn’t much more hyperbole I can provide to describe the VandyVape Pulse 24 BF-RDA. As someone who rarely uses RDAs, save for a few “go to” flavor monsters in my collection, this device impressed the heck out of me. As a standard dripper, it’s more than adequate, and does deliver good flavor overall.

The VandyVape Pulse 24 BF RDA is Available Now at Element Vape for $26.95

But as a squonker, the Pulse 24 stands head and shoulders above most, with juice flow that ensures your wicks are always fully saturated, while avoiding floods and overfilling. This, coupled with the massive airflow and spacious build deck, make the VandyVape Pulse 24 BF RDA a veritable playground for coil builders, cloud chasers, and even newcomers to advanced vaping.

Score: A

VandyVape Pulse 24 BF RDA Specs:

• 24mm Diameter
• Dual Terminal Post-less Style Build Deck
• 5mm Each Terminal
• Side Mounted Phillips Screws
• PEEK Insulator
• 7mm Juice Well
• Gold Plated Deck and Screws
• 24K Gold Plated 510 Contact
• 304 Stainless Steel
• 810 Drip Tip
• 11mm Bore ULTEM Drip Tip
• 11mm Bore Delrin Drip Tip Included
• 510 Drip Tip Adapter Included

VandyVape Pulse 24 BF RDA Contents:

• 1x Vandy Vape Pulse 24 BF RDA
• 1x ULTEM 810 Drip Tip
• 1x Delrin 810 Drip Tip
• 1x T-Tool
• 1x 510 Drip Tip Adapter
• User Manual