RBA, RDA, RTA, RDTA Vaping Guide

Vapers who like to customize their vaping experience as much as possible often approach RBAs sooner or later. These unique atomizers have been around for as long as other vape hardware, and while other trends have come and gone, there’s a large community of vape enthusiasts who will never return to simpler atomizer styles. RBAs are so alive and well, in fact, that new styles are constantly being developed.

What is an RBA Vape?

In short, RBA stands for “rebuildable atomizer”. These types of atomizers actually existed before the more common sub-ohm tanks that we are used to, which use a Pyrex glass piece to create a juice well, with a coil that sits at the base of the tank. Rebuildable atomizers came out with the initial lineup of box mod models from various brands when the industry was first getting started.

An RBA vape offers space for vapers to build their coils onto the atomizer, using a completely different method to vaping overall. There are a number of different kinds of RBAs, so let’s take a look at the most popular options, but before we do, we want to cover the benefits they offer.

What are the Benefits of Using RBAs?

So, what can an RBA provide that other types of atomizers cannot? Primarily, it’s the advantage of building your coils. They feature build decks, in which you can attach the coil to the atomizer as you build it, and then enjoy the fruits of your labor. This gives you way more control over your vaping experience as a whole, as the ability to build your own coils means that you can modify every nuance of vaping, since the coil has a massive influence over things like flavor, vapor production, throat hit, and so much more.

What is an RDA Vape?

Let’s take a look at the most popular RBA: an RDA, or rebuildable dripping atomizer. This is meant for dripping, which is a style of vaping in which a small amount of e-liquid – just a few drops – is poured directly onto the coil, and then a few puffs at a time are taken. While this may sound tedious and laborious, it’s worth it if you ask RDA users, as the act of dripping is said to allow for some of the most incredible flavor and cloud production possible.

Pros and Cons of Using RDA Vapes

Let’s now go over the pros and cons of using an RDA vape atomizer. Keep in mind that there are lots of different models on the market so that each one will have its pros and cons.

Pros:

  • The ability to build your own coil
  • The ability to enjoy dripping, for more satisfying flavor and clouds

Cons:

  • Requires more effort to vape, as you can’t simply pour in e-liquid and take puffs as you so choose
  • The RDA gets hot when hits are fired, so you need to be careful not to burn yourself

What is an RTA Vape?

Then, we have the RTA vape atomizer. This is short for “rebuildable tank atomizer.” You can build coils like you can with any RBA, except the build deck is located inside the tank, so you can still enjoy the benefits of a traditional tank, in which the e-liquid is poured into a well so you don’t have to drip. An RTA has a deck in the middle of the juice well, much like how a coil sits inside a traditional sub-ohm tank.

Pros and Cons of Using RTA Vapes

Below are the pros and cons of using RTA vapes. Take notice that, like the above, there are some different models on the market, so each one will have its pros and cons.

Pros:

  • RTAs allow you to enjoy the benefits of having a juice well so that you don’t need to keep pouring e-liquid into the coil for a few hits at a time.
  • RTAs are said to offer phenomenal flavor because the structure of an RTA really concentrates the vapor for a bolder and richer taste.
  • RTAs are also known for providing impressive cloud-chasing abilities – maybe not as much as RDAs, but still substantial compared to a sub-ohm tank.

Cons: 

  • Not compatible with dripping if that’s what you’re looking for.

Components of RTAs

An RTA consists of the same components as a sub-ohm tank, except rather than a threaded connection for the coil, a build deck allows you to build coils directly into the RTA before putting the glass piece and cap on.

What is an RDTA Vape?

Then, we have RDTAs, which are rebuildable dripping tank atomizers and the newest of the three. An RDTA uses an RDA-style deck above the tank, without any kind of chimney effect, while a more traditional tank structure sits below, with a complete juice well. This way, you can drip or vape more traditionally with a standard juice well. RDTAs often come with more adjustable features, like exploring a wider range of airflow styles. 

Note: RDTAs require more maintenance as there are more individual components that need to be cleaned and generally taken care of.

Any vape enthusiast who wants to customize their experience should explore the many different RBAs that are available at any standard vape shop or vape shop online. While building your coils may sound intimidating at first, like all things, practice makes perfect, and the results are clearly worth it if you’re willing to put in the effort. You might be surprised by just how much your flavor experience and cloud-chasing abilities reach a whole new level, whether you go with an RDA, an RTA, or an RDTA.

Vape Juice Depot carries only the latest and most top-selling RBAS from celebrated hardware brands in the industry. We even offer all three styles in various models so that there really is something for every vaper to try. 

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