In the past, I haven’t been hesitant to recommend the Dead Rabbit by Hellvape. It’s an awesome, budget-friendly RDA that offers a ton of value. Well, Hellvape is back at it again, and this time they’re partnering with The Vapor Chronicles to bring us The Drop Dead RDA.
The Vapor Chronicles is the company that brought us the beloved Drop RDA. Basically, when you combine the best features from both The Drop and The Dead Rabbit, you get The Drop Dead RDA. The Drop and The Dead Rabbit are very different RDAs, each with its own massive user base.
That being said, the Drop has a slight advantage over The Dead Rabbit in the flavor category, thanks to its unique airflow design. But what about this new Drop Dead RDA? Does this hybrid improve upon the original Dead Rabbit by incorporating these flavor-enhancing features? Let’s jump into this full comparison and find out.
Dead Rabbit vs. Drop Dead: Build Quality
Both of these RDAs are built very well, but one has a clear edge. They have a lot of the same features. For instance, both have fairly similar deck designs. The Drop Dead features a deck with port placement that’s a little different than that of the Dead Rabbit, and that change was made to accommodate The Drop Dead’s unique airflow system.
Build Deck
However, even the deck design is more similar than it is different. They both have dual-coil designs that support single-coil builds, and they both come with two interchangeable 510 pins for regular drip vaping as well as squonking.
Durability
They’ll both hold up very well due to their stainless steel construction, but upon close examination, you’ll notice that the machining for the Drop Dead RDA is of superior quality. It isn’t so much about materials as its about attention to detail.
Engineering
While the Dead Rabbit’s build quality is undeniably great, the Drop Dead’s overall design scheme is more complex, and I’d assume that more thought went into it. Both will last just fine, and both are great RDAs.
That being said, The Drop Dead RDA is the clear winner here. Its additional curves and edges under the hood allude to more thoughtful design, and it makes the Drop Dead come across as the more premium RDA.
Dead Rabbit vs. Drop Dead: Performance
This is where the Drop Dead really shines. Although the respective performances are very similar, the Drop Dead implements a few design improvements that give it the edge.
Airflow
The Dead Rabbit has a two-slot, adjustable airflow design. The Drop Dead has a similar design, and its two adjustable airflow slots even have near-identical placement.
However, the Drop Dead incorporates a design element used by TVC’s Drop RDA. Specifically, the Drop Dead’s airflow slots are made up of several small airflow holes.
You might think that this decreases the amount of airflow, but practically speaking, The Drop Dead’s airflow is very similar to that of the Dead Rabbit’s. It isn’t noticeably better or worse.
Flavor
The Drop Dead RDA’s improved airflow system does a lot of favors for the unit’s overall flavor. While the Dead Rabbit’s flavor was pretty great, the airflow system was due for an upgrade. That’s exactly what you get with the Drop Dead.
Vapor Production
Flavor aside, neither of these RDAs have a clear advantage in terms of vapor production. If you use the same coils with both of these RDAs, your clouds will be nearly identical. Despite the similar vapor production, when it comes to performance, The Drop Dead takes the win due to its superior flavor quality.
Dead Rabbit vs. Drop Dead: Look and Feel
Both of these RDAs look absolutely great. Which is better? Well, that’ll come down to personal preference. Personally, I prefer the look of the Dead Rabbit. The two units have similar color options and cap designs, so for me, it all comes down to the front-facing logo.
Both have the same rabbit skull and crossbones logo, but the Drop Dead has a “DD” logo behind it. Neither looks bad by any means, but I prefer the simplicity of the Dead Rabbit’s logo.
The “DD” on the Drop Dead just makes the design seem a little convoluted. Surely, a lot of people will like the Drop Dead’s design more. In fact, I’ll readily admit that I’m probably in the minority on this one, so you should definitely take a look at both to determine your favorite.
Dead Rabbit vs. Drop Dead: The Winner
It’s definitely a close battle, but the win goes to the Drop Dead for its superior flavor quality. This is what I expected, as the Drop Dead is the Dead Rabbit’s successor. If it didn’t approve upon the original design, the project would’ve been an utter failure, and Hellvape is the last company from which I’d expect failure.
This is an awesome upgrade that I can easily recommend to fans of The Dead Rabbit and The Drop. If you prefer the Dead Rabbit’s design, you’ll love this RDA. If you love The Drop’s awesome flavor, you’ll surely find the Drop Dead’s improved airflow design satisfying.
Best Mod for The Drop Dead RDA
There are a lot of great mods out there, but there are a couple that I believe work especially well with the Drop Dead RDA. The Drop Dead is a squonk RDA, so both of my top picks are squonk mods. If you prefer drippers, don’t worry! I have a mod suggestion for you too.
Best Squonk Mods for The Drop Dead
First, we have the HCigar Aurora. This is one of the best mods for those that want a powerful squonk setup that’ll comfortably fit in their pocket. This single-battery squonk mod is as beautiful as it is efficient, and with 80 watts of power, it won’t disappoint cloud-chasers searching for a portable vape.
My next pick, The Ohmboy X Desire Rage, is for squonkers that prefer power over portability. It’ll fit in most pockets, but you’ll notice it more than you’d notice something like the Aurora. However, this beautiful dual-battery squonk mod offers a whopping 155 Watts of power, which will be more than enough for the average cloud chaser.
Best Standard Mod for The Drop Dead
Not interested in squonking? No worries, I have a mod in mind just for you. Squonking is great, but the inclusion of a squonk bottle makes a mod much larger. This next pick is for vapers that care about portability but still want as much power as possible.
The Innokin Oceanus is a compact, single-battery mod that offers an impressive 110 watts of power. The size to power ratio here is unheard of. In fact, its size resembles that of a compact 80-watt mod. This is an ultra-portable mod that’s packing a ton of power. If you’re not into squonking, this is the ideal mod.
Best Coils for The Drop Dead RDA
Some RDA users prefer pre-built coils, while others prefer to build their own coils. We have great recommendations for both.
A spool of Clapton Wire is absolutely perfect for those that prefer to build their own coils. This kind of wire consists of a central wire and a second wire wrapped tightly around it. This design results in an optimal surface area that will yield an impressive amount of vapor. For cloud chasers that love to build, you can’t go wrong with Clapton coils.
If you prefer pre-built coils, Alien Coils will be one of your best options. In fact, you’d be challenged to find pre-built coils that match the flavor and vapor production offered by Alien Coils. Their unique surface texture and lack of space between wraps provide an unmatched surface area for superior vapor production. Give them a try!
All Hail The Drop Dead: King of Budget RDAs
In the past, there were two contenders for the title of “best budget RDA.” Vapers were split between The Drop by The Vapor Chronicles and The Dead Rabbit by Hellvape. It seems that the two respective companies recognized this, and they came together to build the ultimate budget RDA: The Drop Dead.
This masterfully engineered RDA combines the Dead Rabbit’s effective top-down airflow design with The Drop’s flavor-enhancing airflow design. The result, as you might expect, is a flavorful cloud factory that blows every other budget RDA out of the water. For only $30, it’s an absolute steal.