Table of Contents
Vandy Vape Kylin II RTA Review – I love when companies actually justify making a “V2” version of their popular items. Most sequels are poor rehashes – many of which ruin what we loved about the original. But the Vandy Vape Kylin II RTA earns its spot by maintaining the performance reputation from the first Kylin, while improving wicking, airflow and flavor throughout.
Vandy Vape Kylin II RTA Specs:
- 24mm Diameter
- 30mm Diameter At Widest Point
- 3mL Standard Capacity
- 5mL Maximum Juice Capacity – Extension Glass
- Superior Stainless-Steel Construction
- Pyrex Glass Reinforcement
- Innovative Postless, Quad Terminal Build Deck
- Intuitive Curved Build Deck Design
- Terminal Opening Size – 2mm by 1.75mm
- Diagonally Secured via Gold-Plated Hex Screws
- Single or Double Coil Configurations
- Adjustable Juice Flow Control
- Dual External Adjustable Airflow – 12mm by 2.5mm Each
- Eight Multi-Holes Internal Airslots – 1mm Each
- Six Angled Internal Airslots – 4mm by 1.5mm Each
- Beveled Internal Airflow Design
- Convenient Slide-to-Open Top-Fill Design
- 810 Resin Widebore Drip Tip
- 810 Delrin Widebore Drip Tip
- 17.5mm Wide Delrin Widebore Drip Tip
- 510 Drip Tip Adapter
- Gold-Plated 510 Contact Pin
- Color Options – Stainless, Matte Black, Matte Grey, Rainbow, Gold, Blue
Vandy Vape Kylin II RTA Contents:
- 1 Kylin RTA II
- 1 Resin Drip Tip
- 1 Delrin Drip Tip
- 1 Spare 3mL Pyrex Glass
- 1 Accessory Bag
- 1 Coil Lead Guide
- 1 User Manual
The Kylin II does have some shared DNA with the unappreciated (and slightly small) Kylin Mini, offering up a postless quad terminal build deck with all-new airflow system and better juice flow control. With a 24mm base diameter, the Kylin II brings VandyVape’s precision machining right down to a tank-like sliding top-fill system. And with a 5mL capacity, 24K gold-plated deck and an overall sense of uniqueness, the Kylin II is sure to stand out in your crowded collection.
First Impressions of the Vandy Vape Kylin II RTA
Even in a marketplace full of dual-coil RTA contenders the Kylin II manages to draw some looks, mostly due to its squatty, almost bulbous exterior. Granted, this isn’t a fishbowl or gumball machine, but in order to meet its set height requirements, VandyVape opted to make the Kylin II a little wider through a 5mL bubble glass section.
Despite the odd dimensions, the Kylin II never feels out of place on your mods, sitting nice and balanced, regardless of the device attached beneath it.
Taking it apart, the quad-postless build deck is an interesting one. I say “interesting” because it’s hardly the easiest deck to build and place coils within. Instead, I found it a little more geared for the expert user, which is strange in 2019. But once the coils are placed, the performance is top-flight. That’s because the lack of posts allows for more build space and free-flowing liquid transfer to the coils.
The wick ports are a LITTLE snug for my liking, but by using the tried and true layering approach, rather than stuffing the holes, I enjoyed ample juice flow to the coils, and no dry hits, even when vaping heavily.
The internal airflow seems like it would be too windy, with four different openings around the deck, coming from two large external ports. The goal is to direct air under the coil and through the mouthpiece. Overall, it worked well, but anyone looking for more restrictive airflow are probably going to find the Kylin II a little less than desirable.
VandyVape Kylin II RTA Standout Features
It sounds crazy, but I really enjoyed how well the sliding top cap worked. Most RTAs tend to have screw off caps, but having a sub-ohm tank-like top cap made the Kylin II a perfect first RTA for advanced vapers looking to take more control over their experience. Filling was a clean, effortless breeze, even with wider-tipped bottles.
Unfortunately, one of the other features is a standout for all the wrong reasons. The wide, expansive build deck is great for trying different coil configurations. But that real estate comes at a price – capacity. Even with the 5mL bubble glass extension, I found myself refilling the Kylin II more than expected. And frankly, more than I should. Even with the juice flow control closed down, the Kylin II was exceptionally thirsty – something to consider when taking it out for an evening.
Using the VandyVape Kylin II RTA
Once you get past the slightly obtuse build deck and coil placement, the Kylin is a pretty user-friendly RTA. It manages to keep leaking to a minimum – an absolute must for rebuildable tank atomizers in 2019, yet also a common problem. And it really does improve flavor over the original Kylin, and a good number of recent RTA entries.
I tried a number of setups on the Kylin II, from ultra-loose cloud chuckers, to more-restrictive flavor builds, and all performed admirably. What surprised me is that with so much airflow, even low-resistance builds managed to produce a tremendous amount of concentrated flavor.
While there’s nothing inherently “new” about a wide-open airflow system that produces a cyclonic action toward the mouthpiece, the Kylin II takes the concept and works it effortless around the cavernous build deck. The result? Purer flavor than most.
Cloud junkies? You’ll be fine. But to buy the Kylin II for the sole purpose of fogging a room is missing the point entirely.
Pros
– Huge build deck
– Sliding top-fill cap
– Tremendous flavor performance
Cons
– Stupidly thirsty
– Maybe too much airflow
– Build deck is tough for newcomers
Spinfuel VAPE Recommendation
Given the relative lack of new RTAs hitting the market, most fans of rebuildables have probably made up their minds already. But if you’re on the fence, know that the Kylin II is definitely toward the upper echelon of the segment. The flavor and vape quality is extremely strong, once you master the advanced build deck. Up for the challenge? Then definitely give the Kylin II a consideration.
