Mod Reviews

HCigar HB Mini

The HCigar HB Mini box mod is a revision of the now discontinued HCigar TBD Mini. Containing a whole new board designed and manufactured in collaboration with eLeaf this compact device offers users up to 30 watts of adjustable power.

by Dave Junglist
Jul 9, 2015

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Introduction to the HCigar HB Mini

Features

Variable Wattage: 7-30 watts.
Voltage Output Range: 3.0-9.0 volts.
Height: 87mm. Width: 39mm. Depth: 23mm.
No hot glue assembly. Fully mechanical fastenings for all components.
Screen flip function for left or right handed users.
Three button design.
Magnetic battery door.
12 second cutoff.
Built in USB Charger.
Requires a single 18650 battery.
Manually adjustable telescopic screw for 510 pin.
Available in gun metal grey finish or silver.
Atomizer Resistance Range: 0.2-3.3 ohms.
Reverse Polarity Protection.
Low Resistance Protection.
Output Short Protection.
Battery Low Voltage Protection.
Battery High Voltage Protection.
Temperature Protection.

What's in the box?

1x HCigar HB Mini box mod.
1x Micro USB charging cable.
1x User Manual.

The actual manual is more of a fold out leaflet but the instructions are well written and simple to follow.

Looks

The first thing that is noticeable with this device is the solid construction. It feels extremely durable and considering its compact size it is quite weighty. In terms of resistance to damage I suspect it would give a Sigelei mod a run for its money. The buttons have an extremely nice feel to them and are suitable clicky but for some very strange reason they are not centrally aligned with the side of the mod and all of them sit slightly to one side. It's certainly not an issue when using the device but it does look somewhat odd in terms of its aesthetics.

The strange design decisions are also apparent when you look at the front and back of the mod. On the front we have this quite interesting engraved design which actually reminds me of that patterning you see on Star Wars movie ships. On the reverse the design isn't continued and is plain except for five vertically engraved lines down the middle. It's not a problem at all but it just seems a little like HCigar couldn't make their mind up about a consistent overall look.

The item received for review was the gun metal grey version. However it is certainly not grey and is actually a very glossy black. In some respects I think a matte finish might have worked better but I don't want to feel I'm continually nitpicking here. Certainly the finish has not flaked at all since I have been using it

One design decision I really do dislike is the fact that the OLED display is on the base of the device. I realise its not the first device to do this but as a heavy RDA user putting the display there is not convenient for me. Certainly as a vaper who users drippers you wouldn't want to ever turn your mod upside down in fear of juice ending up everywhere. For anyone who uses RTA's or sub ohm tanks this is clearly not going to be an issue. There is a slightly raised lip around the edge of the screen so you don't have to worry to much about scratching the display. So far since I have been using the device the display has not scratched at all.

The OLED display despite being strangely located is very bright and clear. All the typical information you would expect is displayed, wattage, voltage, coil resistance and battery charge.

The battery door slides out really nicely and is well secured by the magnets. I do find actually putting a battery in there is something of a tight fit but its not a actual problem.

The 510 pin is of the telescopic adjustable kind. Why it wasn't a floating pin I have no idea but at this point in the development of vaping devices is it too much to expect it to be one?

Nevertheless the pin is easily adjusted and is a flat head screw. I found it took a bit of tweaking with some of my RDA's to get them to sit flush. You do have to take care that you don't screw the pin too far down or you will end up with “no atomizer” warnings. Having to do this with a manual pin reminded me a lot of my very early mech mods. Whether all this is a unnecessary pain will depend a lot on the individual. If you are the type of user that just wants to put one RTA or RDA on this device and use it constantly it immediately becomes almost a non issue.

The USB charging port is located on the front of the device.

Performance

In terms of performance the device does everything you'd expected a variable wattage device to do. It is of course limited to 30 watts so depending on what you typically like to use it may not be enough power for you.

Operating the device is extremely easy:

Five clicks switches the device on, there is a short delay as the HB Mini logo is displayed but after that it is ready to use. Five clicks also switches the device off.
Three clicks swaps between wattage and voltage.
While switched on holding the fire button and the plus button for five seconds flips the display and the new setting is saved in the devices flash memory.
The Plus and Minus buttons control the wattage.

I tested the device with a Derringer RDA with a 1.0 ohm single coil and at 30 watts it was quite a decent vape. Ideally I would have preferred more power but that is purely my personal opinion since my typical device would be something that can offer at least 50 watts.

I also tested the HB Mini with a Vision MK tank and once more I had to tweak the 510 pin. While the MK tank did fire at 30 watts it wasn't enough to do it justice and I really don't have anything in my vaping arsenal that would be ideal for this particular mod. I think if you were intending to use a Kanger Sub Tank, a Aspire Atlantis or even a Nautilus then this device could be quite useful to you.

For someone who will only ever need a maximum of 30 watts then the HB Mini becomes quite an attractive option. If you compare this with a iStick 30w then I do have to say that the HB Mini offers far more solid construction, is likely more damage resistant and has the advantage that the battery can be replaced. Also unlike the iStick 30w the HB Mini has the USB charging port on the front of the device rather than on the base.

Conclusion

This is a good compact and highly durable device with solid construction. Its aesthetics may be a little hit and miss but in terms of how well it functions that shouldn't deter you from considering it as a purchase. Clearly this is going to appeal more to users that don't require high wattage from their devices.

I must admit I do like the weight of the device, it feels good in the hand and I know even if I drop it in all likelihood it will still function properly. The fact that the battery is replaceable also appeals more to me since internal batteries will one day likely fail.

When you also consider the amount of safety features this device includes it is a very worthwhile product. The HCigar HB Mini costs around £30 and it does offer a interesting enough alternative to a iStick 30w.

This item was purchased for review from the fabulous team at Vape Geek. They stock a good range of devices and tanks and are well worth checking out next time you are looking for new gear.

Dave Junglist

Reviewer at POTV

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Dave Junglist is co-owner of Planet of the Vapes and has been vaping since 2015. He spent his early years with his head in a bass bin and was a very committed and experienced smoker. He had his first cigarette at the age of 13 and just knew it was for him. He did stop briefly with the aid of patches but reverted quickly and became a ‘secret’ smoker, working hard to keep his weak will from the attention of his family. Vaping made an honest man of him and for this he is forever thankful. He has been involved in websites since completing a degree in Environmental Science in the late nineties. At that time there was pretty much no contact with computers but on joining the regular workforce and deciding that the world-wide-web was the future he blagged his first job as a web designer and never looked back. As you would expect from a junglist, Dave likes his beats and is most comfortable when the bass is wobbly.