Vandy Vape and TonyB have teamed up once again to give us an updated version of their take on a Boro mod, the Pulse AIO V2. The objective with earlier versions of the Pulse AIO line up was to make a truly affordable, mass market Boro mod and this was achieved but there were some issues surrounding durability with the all plastic construction so they’ve literally gone back to the drawing board this time and changed things up with a metal chassis. So does this make the Pulse AIO V2 the one to get? Our friends over at Sourcemore sent one over for me to find out.
Specifications
- 51 x 77 x 23.6mm (excluding drip tip)
- 167.6 grams
- Output 5~80 watts / 0.5~6 Volts
- Single 18650
- New pulse RBA + 6ml Pulse Boro tank
- IP67 rated board
The Pulse AIO V2 is available in six colours with another four already on the way. This is proudly displayed in a windowed box on arrival, and I was sent a lovely anodised blue version for review.
All the Pulse AIO kits have come with a lot of extras in the package, but Vandy Vape really have gone to town this time with an integrated drip tip system plus an all new rebuildable section and tank design, and a build tool that converts your Boro mod to a standard 510 connection.
Previous versions of the Pulse AIO were largely constructed from plastic and although I didn’t experience any issues, I know there were problems with long term durability (particularly with the first version) with cracks developing around the flush nut. The main chassis of the Pulse AIO V2 is now a solid anodised piece of aluminium so this shouldn’t be an issue anymore, and this feels much more robust.
The side panels are still plastic, and this is one area where I did experience issues with them cracking around the corners which led to the magnets falling out. Vandy Vape have rethought the layout of the magnets, and this again seems to be holding up much better. If you’re still concerned about these lasting the course, there are optional Accessory kits available with aluminium side panels if this really bothers you. So far I’m enjoying the see through look, but I might go down that route myself if this proves to be an issue down the line.
The main chassis is surprisingly small, it’s actually smaller than a Billet Box, and I’m really enjoying the softly rounded corners on the body which make this really comfortable in the hand. The large oversized airflow inlets on the side are a stroke of genius as well as it makes it quite difficult to accidentally block the airflow with your fingers which is a common problem on most Boro mod designs. It’s nice to see the battery polarity so clearly marked as well on the inside of the chassis.
The battery compartment also has a clearly marked screw down battery terminal, however the battery compartment isn’t separated from the Boro chamber which is one of the clever ways that Vandy Vape has been able to make this so compact. Getting a battery soaked in e-liquid from a leaky tank isn’t actually that much of an issue (so long as you clean things up), but many a Boro mod has been killed by liquid shorting out the board, but with an IP67 rating on that, there shouldn’t be any cause for concern. This also features a modular drop in design philosophy so you could strip this right down to a bare chassis if you needed to for a clean up, and the correct size tool has even been included in the box for you as well.
Up top we have the positive nut which is thankfully standard Billet Box threading so you can use your own integrated drip tips. You may not need to though as a very good modular integrated drip tip is included in the package with three airflow adjustment pins and two drip tips (black and white), and I’ve been quite happy using that.
The power button is located on one side and is perfectly positioned for thumb firing, mimicking a classic billet box with its location and size and is slightly textured making it easy to find. The other controls are underneath the side panel on the opposite side which prevents accidental adjustments (you can lock these buttons as well if you like) along with a small but clear screen. Vandy Vape hasn't skimped on the board either as it’s fully featured with wattage, temperature control, bypass and voltage modes!
One sacrifice that has been made to keep the Pulse AIO V2 so compact is the lack of any charging port. I rarely make use of this feature anyway so this is a small price to pay.
To top the package off, we have an all new tank and RBA section in the package as well with side filling and a whopping 6ml capacity with easy access to the RBA via the bottom of the tank. This is actually quite a nice tank design, and I wish these were available to purchase seperately.
The RBA is a three part system (chimney, chamber, build deck) and is obviously heavily “inspired” by multiple similar Boro rebuildables on the market. You get four airpins ranging from 1.5mm to 4mm, plus a removable collar at the base that exposes a standard 510 thread for easy building. There’s even a 510 adapter tool included so that you can build the coil directly on the Pulse AIO V2 itself.
Putting a build into the RBA and wicking everything up couldn’t be any easier, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this as a restricted direct lung vape using the preinstalled 3mm airflow. Mouth to lung purists might find the smallest 1.5mm airflow option a little too loose for their liking though, so you may need to look at one of your other RBA’s if this is the case.
Conclusion
Is the Vandy Vape Pulse AIO V2 the best Pulse AIO kit to date? Yes, by a country mile. Whilst I enjoyed earlier kits, they have earned a reputation for perhaps being a little fragile for long term use, but the all new aluminium chassis on offer here should do away with those problems. The compact design and modular IP67 rated board plus all the extra included in the kit are merely the icing on the cake.
Many thanks to Sourcemore for sending the Vandy Vape Pulse AIO V2 over for review. They currently have a discount code for this: VVV2 which will bring the cost down to just $49.99 as well.
- Sturdy aluminium chassis
- Comprehensive kit
- Compact
- No onboard charging
Antony Lord
Reviewer at POTVI was a twenty a day smoker for 25 years and like most smokers I was always going to quit "next week". Having hit my mid forties and having the usual smokers cough and difficulty with anything more than moderate exercise it was obviously time to give up the cancer sticks. I bought my first e-cigarette in 2013 when they were expensive, difficult to find and quite frankly... crap. I used it for about a week then went back to the roll ups, mark up another failed quit attempt. The fact that I had just changed jobs and was under quite a lot of stress probably didn't help. Move on to 2016 and whilst I was browsing eBay I noticed that one of the suggested items that would occasionally pop up was for a cheap e-cigarette. It looked similar to the one I'd bought 3 years earlier but it was only £5 (about 8 times cheaper than before) so I decided to give it another go on a whim. Once the kit arrived I managed to gradually replace the cigarettes with my new kit over a two month period and got into watching YouTube reviews for newer kit. My cheap and cheerful kit was replaced by a more upmarket affair, and being a noob I made a mistake once it arrived... I put in the supplied direct lung coil, this was of course a complete revelation and I haven't touched a cigarette since. Oh and I no longer spend the first five minutes of every day having a coughing fit either.
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