The Kumo RDTA is the latest jewel in the Prestige crown of Chinese manufacturer Aspire. Born out of a collaboration with German modder Steampipes, it’s a 24mm, single coil atomizer with real power and devastating looks. It’s high-end for everyone!
On cloud nine
It isn’t called the Kumo – the Japanese word for cloud – for nothing. Aspire’s latest vape really ticks all the boxes when it comes to making those! It packs a flavour punch too, thanks to the single coil atomizer with Steampipes’ own capillary e-liquid conduction technology to soak the wick. It’s basically your ticket to a complete, powerful atomizer that won’t break the bank!
Technical specs
| Diameter | 24mm |
| Height | 46.9mm |
| Capacity | 3.5 |
| Weight | 64g |
| Filling | On the side |
| Assembly type | Simple and complex |
| Mounting plate | Single coil |
| Range of use | Depends on assembly |
| Air intake | From the side |
| Drip tip | 810 |
| Materials | Stainless steel |
What’s in the box?
- Spare tank
- Spare parts
- Drip tip
- Tool
- User manual
A high-quality build
The Kumo RDTA has an air of quality from the moment you open the box. The finish, machining and design are flawless. Then add a box full of goodies, including two separate airflow rings, a spare tank, two drip tips and all the accessories you’ll need to personalise your vaping experience. No wonder the Kumo RDTA is a nice surprise! Manufacturer Aspire is really on the up – offering high-end design collaborations at accessible prices. That’s the magic formula to satisfy demanding vapers who don’t want to break the bank. The bottom of the atomizer has a 510 pin long enough that you could even use it in hybrid mode. The pin acts as the positive pole for the posts and the tank.
The atomizer comes with a clear plastic tank so it’s easy to see the level of your e-liquid. If it’s style you’re after, there’s a second, stainless steel tank in the pack. It’s the same colour as the Kumo RDTA if you want a less contrasting look. When we tested it, we preferred the clear tank so we could see how much liquid was left, but that’s just personal preference!
The air intakes are located on the top of the atomizer. It has 4×1.5mm holes to cool the coil. Turning the airflow ring feels nice – it isn’t too stiff or too loose. Even when you’re out and about it won’t move by itself, which is a plus.
The drip tip is an 810 (plastic or metal), but its narrow tip looks more like a 510. This is something to consider if you want to change it.
There’s also a second ring in the Kumo RDTA box. With two long, machined openings, it gives an airier vape – but more on this later. There’s just one thing we wish they’d done, and that’s to make the airflow setting easier to see. There’s a solid component in the middle that separates the two air intakes – it looks great but can make it tricky to see which setting you’ve used. This solid component partially hides the air intakes underneath it, so you have to adjust the draw by how it feels.
The airflow ring sits on the body of the atomizer. The way it’s machined and the various notches mean that you can only put it on in one direction. A ring screws on to the top of the atomizer to hold the airflow ring in place. Again, the machining here is perfect. Each airflow ring has its own dedicated screws. Surprisingly, once the airflow ring’s in place, it doesn’t lock with a quarter-turn system. You just pull it upwards to remove it. In practice, it doesn’t budge and holds perfectly. Whether you choose to use the 4-hole or the two-slot air intake, it’s the 4 holes under the airflow ring that cool the coil. The Kumo RDTA is a real success both for its looks and its build quality. The seals work well, and we couldn’t find any flaws in the machining or assembly.
Precise and effective
As you can see in the photo, the 4 air intakes are positioned in front of the coil. You just have to make sure you line everything up at the right height and distance when you build it. Ideally, you should put the coil in the middle of the mounting plate.
The clear advantage of the Kumo RDTA is that it has its own e-liquid supply system made by Steampipes. Say goodbye to traditional rope wick systems that go down into the tank and soak the wick through capillary action. And it’s au revoir to wicks falling to the bottom of the atomizer. This is much simpler and so much more effective! A high/low pressure system between the inside and the outside of the atomizer pushes the liquid up to the wick. Without going into the technicalities (Pascal’s law), the system is extremely effective. It is a bit confusing the first time you use it. You put a reasonable length of wick into the top section of the atomizer and let physics do the work!
What we can say, at least, is that it works, and it works brilliantly! Even if you chain vape, the wick stays soaked – perfectly. When we tested the Kumo RDTA, we pushed it to the limit by using far too much power for the coil we’d fitted. But we saw it first hand – not a hint of the slightest dry puff. The wick stayed soaked right down to the last drop of liquid in the tank. This system alone makes the Kumo RDTA exceptional.
The mounting plate is easy to access. There’s enough space between the two posts that you can use any type of coil. But remember, the Kumo RDTA is designed for high-powered, restricted DL vaping. You can use it for MTL vaping but you’ll have to seriously restrict the air intake if you want to get any kind of punchy vapour out of it. You can fit a large coil if you like hot to very hot vapour. Ideally, the Kumo RDTA delivers its best when you vape from 25 to 35W. The hole for filling the tank is under the mounting plate. To access it you need to remove the dome. We found it easier when we used narrow bottle tips.
It’s easy to assemble. As we’ve already said, you just put the coil in the middle of the dedicated space. We tested it using an Ni80 fused (2x28g/40g) by Turtle coils for a stabilised value of 0.52ohm. Fitting the wick is just as easy and isn’t in the least bit fiddly thanks to the proprietary feeder system. When it comes to vaping, it’s a very pleasant surprise. Even at mid-range power levels it makes a lot of vapour. The flavours are excellent, delicate and true – and all the more enjoyable thanks to the smooth draw. It works perfectly with any liquid. We preferred it with the airflow ring a bit more open for fruity flavours, as we wanted a cooler vapour. The 3.5ml tank is big enough that you won’t have to refill it too often, but doesn’t spoil the look of the atomizer. We really struggled to find fault with the Kumo RDTA. It’s enjoyable to use, functional and beautifully finished if you want a restricted, controlled DL vape.
In summary
What we like
- Design
- Quality of flavour
- E-liquid feeder system
- Easy-to-access plate
- It’s the whole package
What we don’t like
- Nothing
