RDA stands for Rebuildable Drip Atomizer, and RTA is Rebuildable Tank Atomizer.
First, let’s cover off the parts of these acronyms that are the same. The R stands for Rebuildable. Both RDAs and RTAs are parts used in a vape mod, which is a customisable vape device that allows you to swap out each of the individual components to fit your vaping style and preference, hence they’re rebuildable. And the A stands for Atomizer, the part of the vape mod that heats the e Liquid, turning it into vapour to be inhaled.
Now, what are the differences?
RDA - Rebuildable Drip Atomizer
The key to RDAs is the “drip” part. With RDAs, all the e Liquid is held in the cotton wick, dripped onto it through the mouthpiece (known as a driptip). There is a small reservoir below the wick, but that’s simply the base, it’s not designed to be filled.
RDAs are known for creating big vape clouds, and when done in a certain way, create a lot of vapour. The main downside is that after every three or four puffs, you have to “re-drip”, filling the wick with more e Liquid. If you’re out and about, this can be inconvenient, but it means you can switch up flavours regularly.
RTA - Rebuildable Tank Atomizer
Now on to RTAs, or Rebuildable Tank Atomizers. Now that you know what an RDA is, you can probably guess what makes an RTA different - instead of dripping, it has a tank. Rather than frequently refilling your vape, the e Liquid is stored in the device for repeated use. The upside is that it’s a much less involved vaping experience - you don’t have to keep refilling the wick over and over. The downside is that these builds are prone to leaking because the tank isn’t a completely closed system, needing an opening for the e Liquid to reach the heating coils.
Big Clouds vs Breaking Habits
Both RDAs and RTAs have their pros and cons, as do vape mods overall. They’re for those with experience in vaping – as there’s higher maintenance and it’s very technical. They aren’t entry level devices, and not very convenient as a tool for giving up smoking. They’re designed to use low-nicotine e Liquids as opposed to nic salts, for inhaling large vapour clouds without a strong hit to the throat. This means it can be harder to get a similar nicotine hit when compared to smoking a cigarette.
None of our Vuse vape devices are RDA or RTAs. Our range is more suited to those ready to make the switch from smoking, you can find out more about Vuse vape devices in our article here. But in short, vape pens and disposable vapes provide a vape experience closer to smoking, which may fit better into your routine, and assist in transitioning away from conventional cigarettes.
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