“Like a sheep in wolf’s clothing.” This corny, stupid joke was actually the first thing I said to myself after testing the all-new Sigelei SnowWolf  O-100 squonk mod kit. The second thing I said was “SnowWolf needs to rethink how it makes squonk mods.”

Is the strangely named SnowWolf O-100 the worst Squonker I’ve ever used? Not by a long shot. But it might be the most disappointing, mostly because it seems so unnecessary. There are a metric ton of bottom-feeding Squonkers on the market today, all of them with their own perks and quirks. But after a week of using the 0-100, the most memorable part of the experience was the giant metal wolf head on the side of the mod.

(And that’s not a good thing…)

It’s certainly not from a lack of trying. My brass and carbon-schemed test model certainly wants to stand out on your shelf, and unless you’re hoarding Liberace’s own vape collection, it probably will. On this end, the brass plating looks the part, and is well-machined and smoothly applied. It’s not the gaudiest thing out there, but if it reminds you of the last 20 minutes of “Scarface” we wouldn’t disagree.

The similarly golden fire key and operation buttons are solid and well-done, with only the slightest bit of rattle and play – most users won’t even notice.

Perhaps the nicest part of the SnowWolk O-100 device is the bomb-proof 510 connection, which is so meticulously solid and snug that I’m not sure I could get it apart if I tried. It accepted a wide range of BF-RDAs without any gaps, right up to 28mm. My 30mm atomizers looked good, as well, even with the slight overhang – it’s a wide mod, so the larger drippers look right at home, if not completely aligned.

The 7.5mL squonk bottle is typically soft and pliable, which makes it easy to operate. But I wasn’t a fan of the small-ish finger hole, which never quite allowed for intuitive, one-hand operations. It’s not nearly as odd as the dual-bottle Vfeng squonker from earlier this year, but there’s just something slightly “off” about using the SnowWolf  O-100 that never sat right with me.

As a regulated, adjustable squonker the SnowWolf 0-100 features a standard 0.91-inch display, which is expectedly linear and old-fashioned. It’s not hard to get to the available features and modes, but in 2018, I think we’re past the monochrome display and long press/short press mechanics. For what it is, it works fine. But I’m not wrong for expecting more from SnowWolf here, and I’m confident others will agree.

Finally, there’s the battery setup, which allows for 21700, 20700 and 18650 (with adapter) cells. But, be forewarned, the 100-watt potential output only comes with the 21700 cells, even if the documentation doesn’t clearly state it. In 18650 mode, expect a max output of 75 watts, and that might be pushing it.

Ironically enough, it’s the 18650 mode that offers the longest battery life – even when using the same wattage output for all three cell types. I won’t revisit my tired diatribe about 2×700 cells being unnecessary but know that nothing on the 0-100 changed my mind about the bigger batteries.

Much like it did with the VFENG Squonkers (reviewed here), the SnowWolf O-100 kit includes a nameless-but-well-matched bottom-feeding RDA, which works well enough, despite a limited dual-post deck that doesn’t allow for much creativity beyond a decent single-coil build. For most vapers, that’s more than enough, but there’s an awful lot of real estate inside the moniker-free RDA, and little opportunity to use it.

Despite that, the few builds I DID put inside the RDA performed as expected, with solid flavor and vapor production, and a decently sized juice well to keep overzealous Squonkers at bay. It’s not going to make you forget your GeekVape Loops (reviewed here) or Dead Rabbit BF-RDAs (reviewed here), but as a matched throw-in, there are worse drippers on the market.

The other “feature” is the wolf’s head slapped onto the brass side of the 0-100 mod. I already went OFF about this in my review of the MFENG (reviewed here), so I won’t bore you with more ranting here. But really quick – stop adding these purposeless designs, Sigelei– there are more-subtle, more-comfortableways to instill the brand.

Despite the myriad squonk mods we get to review around our offices, there really isn’t much innovation to be had with the format. Nor does there need to be – the basic setup is likely the best way to do things. So, that might make things easy for manufacturers, but doesn’t really offer much to new users beyond aesthetics.

My current favorite squonker is the simple, no nonsense iJOY Capo Squonker, which does everything I need, in a compact, portable, easy to use package. The SnowWolf 0-100 does all the same things, adds in a full slate of temp control and TCR options, but opts for a larger, harder-to-use design that is all about flash, with precious little focus on function.

The brass construction makes the 0-100 awfully heavy to use or pocket for long periods. And the small finger hole means you’ll need to be pretty deft if trying to use the mod with one hand. Not impossible, and not frustrating. But it’s more cumbersome than it probably should be or needs to be.

And I think that accurately sums up my experience with the SnowWolf 0-100. On paper, it hits all the marks it’s supposed to, with a strong pedigree behind it, and polarizing looks, to boot. But I can’t help but wonder why so much attention was spent on garnering attention, rather than streamlining for more usability. Maybe a better screen? New menu system? Narrower depth?

One thing that would have justified the obtuse design choices would have been an RDA that blew me away, rather than offering another flaccid, “me too” bottom-feeder that brings nothing new to the table. Much like the rest of the 0-100 kit, it does its job, but aesthetics beat out innovation here.

Given the SnowWolf brand history, I’m not exactly surprised by the decision to be bigger, badder and bolder. But seeing how successful Sigelei was by paring back the design on the MFENG, it was a little disappointing to see gaudiness outweigh smart design when bringing another single-battery squonker to the marketplace.

In short, the 0-100 works as intended. But if you expected more power or functionality from this bulky brass box, you’re probably going to be a little let down.

Score: B-