Vandy Vape Simple EX Kit Review | A Tiny Squonk Kit Made For Nic Salts

Vandy Vape Simple EX Kit Review

There’s no shortage of squonk mods or pod systems to choose from, but a device that combines them both in one package isn’t something we often see. The Vandy Vape Simple EX is a super small and compact kit that offers the pocket-friendly size of a pod system with the battery life and juice capacity of full-blown squonk kit.

The Simple EX Kit features a variable voltage squonk mod that can fire up to 20 watts paired with an MTL RDA that is designed for use with nicotine salt e-liquids.

This product was sent to me free of charge by MyVpro and is currently on a weekly offer at their website.

Colors: Black, blue, green, ultem, pink
Price: $45.99 (MyVpro)

Specifications

• Working voltage: 3.2-4.2 volts
• Working current: up to 6.5 amps
• Output voltage: 3.2-4.5 volts
• Coil resistance range: 0.8-3.0 ohms
• Output power: up to 20 watts
• Output mode: Voltage
• Standby current: up to 20uA
• Charging current: 800 mA (battery 850 mAh)

Kit Content

• Simple EX Squonk mod
• Simple EX RDA
• PC comp cap
• Quick charge USB cable
• Stainless steel top cap
• PC drip tip
• Delrin drip tip
• Spare parts bag
• Instruction manual
• Two superfine MTL fused Clapton coils

First Impressions

When I first opened the box containing the Vandy Vape Simple EX kit, I was immediately surprised by just how small it is. To call this kit small is a gross understatement. It’s tiny! The next thing I noticed was just how solid and comfortable it felt in my hand. Solid but not heavy with no sharp edges or corners. I could tell right away that it was going to be one of those mods that would feel comfortable when thumb- or finger-firing it.

I own a few small mods — and even a couple of small squonk mods — but none are as small as the Simple EX. My Geekvape Athena is a small squonk mod, but when compared to the Simple EX it looks huge. Heck, even a Pico Squeeze dwarfs this thing!

Simple EX RDA

The included RDA features a two-post deck that was designed for single coil setups with slotted screws pre-installed. The kit comes with a colored PC comp cap and a stainless steel cap with two 510 drip tips. One tip is made of black Delrin and has a very narrow bore while the other has a wider bore and is made from colored PC to match the panel. I got a lot of condensation from the black drip tip and preferred the colored one. The comp cap was good for restricted DL hits but too airy for a tight MTL draw.

The airflow openings are approximately 0.6mm, 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm and 2.5mm. This means the airflow can be closed down for a tight MTL draw but can also be opened up for a restricted DL hit.

Simple EX squonk mod

The Vandy Vape Simple EX mod is made of zinc alloy and plastic. It feels surprisingly solid for something so small and light. The buttons are clicky and responsive with just a bit of rattle in the fire button. The display screen shows five bars for battery level and the available voltage settings. You can fire it between 3.3 and 4.5 volts in 0.3-volt increments. The display screen is tinted — which is fine for indoor use but a bit too dark to be seen when outside.

The colored panel that covers the squonk bottle fits nicely and is easy to remove and replace. It’s held in place by a magnet at the top and two plastic snaps at the bottom. The 4 mL squonk bottle is made of silicone and the threaded top cap and collar are both made of Delrin. The bottle fits perfectly inside its compartment and is held firmly in place by the panel.

Performance of the Simple EX Kit

Building on the RDA is fairly simple. Before you get started, make sure you are using coils that are wrapped counter-clockwise — if you use simple round wire coils be patient because the screws have a tendency to push thinner wire out of place. This didn’t seem to be an issue with fine Claptons or thicker wire. You also need to have an ohm reader or regulated mod to check your build before using it because the Simple EX mod doesn’t show the coil’s resistance. It also will not fire coils that are under 0.8 ohms, so knowing your resistance will save you some trial and error.

I tried out the RDA with three builds: a Vandy Vape Superfine MTL 0.85-ohm stainless steel fused Clapton (not from the ones included in the package which are Ni80,) a 1-ohm 26 gauge Kanthal single wire coil and a 1.45-ohm 28 gauge Kanthal single wire coil. I experimented with different airflow openings and at different voltages to see what worked best. Vandy Vape suggests airflow and voltage settings based on the strength of your nicotine salts:

• 10-20 mg nic salts 4.2 volts 2 mm airflow
• 20-30 mg nic salts 3.9 volts 1.5 mm airflow
• 30-40 mg nic salts 3.6 volts 1 mm airflow
• 40-50 mg nic salts 3.3 volts 0.8 mm airflow
• 50-60 mg nic salts 3.3 volts 0.6 mm airflow

When using nic salts, it’s important to remember that the higher the strength, the lower the voltage you should go for. The Simple EX Kit will also work with freebase liquids in case you want more throat hit. I don’t like a lot of throat hit, and I got a smooth and flavorful MTL vape using 35 mg nic salts on my higher resistance coil. I went with 3.6 or 3.9 volts and got the best draw on the 0.8 mm and 1 mm airflow openings.

Using 20 mg nic salts, I was able to get a looser MTL draw at the 1-2 mm airflow range with my 1-ohm coil at 3.9 or 4.2 volts. For a restricted DL draw, I couldn’t go any tighter than the 2.5 mm opening. With that airflow, I used my Superfine Claptons and went again with 20 mg nic salts at 4.2 and 4.5 volts. Nicotine content felt a touch too high for this build, but didn’t see much difference between the two voltage settings — which makes sense, given the 20-watt limit of the device.

Flavor and overall performance were really good across the board, and I really enjoyed the fact that you can get a tailor-made vape out of it. This kit has a lot of options. You should experiment with them until you find what works best for your style of vaping.

The 4 mL squonk bottle has a firm feel when squeezed and does a good job of removing excess liquid from the deck when released. A few small squeezes work best, anything more and you’ll flood the deck. Battery life was better than I expected. After 4 mL of liquid I was at two bars on the battery indicator. The micro USB charging could have been a bit faster — it took between 1-2 hours to fully recharge the battery. If you’re in a hurry you can also vape while charging.

Likes

• Small size but solid feel in the hand
• Good build quality
• Great squonking performance
• Simple to operate
• Satisfying MTL draw
• Can be used for restricted DL
• Good battery life
• Pass-thru charging
• Multiple drip tips and top caps
• Safety Features

Dislikes

• Lack of resistance reading
• Screen is dark for outdoor use
• Condensation when using Delrin drip tip
• Single round wire might be hard to trap

Verdict

The Vandy Vape Simple EX is a feature-packed kit that pairs an RDA that performs as well as it’s Berserker cousins, with the smallest squonk mod I’ve ever seen. It is an ideal solution for people who are ready to make the jump from pod systems to rebuildables and for experienced users who want a great MTL setup that is discreet and affordable.

In fact, the only drawback of the kit is the lack of resistance reading. If you are planning on buying the Simple EX as your first rebuildable and don’t own a regulated mod, be sure to grab an ohm reader and do your Ohm’s Law homework. Other than that, the Vandy Vape Simple EX kit gets my full recommendation. What do you think of the Simple EX Kit? Let me know in the comment section.

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