Hardware Review: Aegis Boost RBA from Geekvape
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, you’ll have heard of the Geekvape Aegis Boost. The ‘Boost’ is Geekvape’s lastest release in the POD world, and in doing so, it’s pulled quite a following.
I reviewed it not long ago and found it to be a fantastic POD device.
It’s an impressive bit of hardware, with a phenomenal draw, that has it bridging the gap between POD and full on vape Mod.
It really is a very nice device, however, as with all things, there is always one issue. Unfortunately for the Boost, it was the leaking.
The original PODs that housed the factory coils, were two piece designs that clipped together in the middle with a seal much further up on the inside.
Over time and with pressure releases off and on, this seal would often let eliquid seep through leaving the user with juice coming out from behind the clips and flooding the mod with liquid. Throw in a little seepage from under the factory coils when filling, and you can understand how this might be a complete disaster just waiting to happen.
This was really annoying and a complete fail of a design in my opinion. The actual unit is fantastic only to be failed by some badly designed PODs.
So in order to save my ‘boost’, I held onto the hope that the RBA might be the game changer. Something that would turn this leaky vape, into something that could be used daily with no issues.
Well, I got my hands on one, and have been using it for the last week or two! So please read on for my thoughts on the RBA for the Geekvape Aegis Boost!
Specifications and Features
- Rebuildable Deck (RBA)
- Eliquid Capacity 2.0ml
- Top Fill
- Adjustable Airflow
Product Includes:
- 1 x Boost RBA POD
- 1 x Spare Drip-Tip
- 1 x Geekvape triangular screwdriver tool
- 1 x Feather Cotton
- 2 x KA1 Coil 1.3 ohm
- 2 x N80 fused clapton coil 0.6 ohm
- Spare post screws and springs
Photos
The Review
Geekvape really made sure that this new RBA stuck with the general look and feel of the Aegis Boost. If you look at it and the original PODs side by side, theres little to no size difference, and they generally look very similar.
They’re the same shape, same plastic, same dark tint, very similar fill port, the same airflow, they really did go to town on this to make it fit, which I can appreciate.
Video
The POD
As I mentioned, the RBA POD is very similar to the original, same airflow, dark tint etc.. with a few exceptions.
Capacity
The Aegis Boost RBA pod has a capacity of 2ml, which is a huge margin smaller than the original factory coil pods which came in at 3.7ml. The difference in capacity is pretty obvious, due to the size of the deck for the RBA, which you’ll also eventually notice due to having to re-fill it more often.
Moulding and clips
While the general shape of the POD is similar, it’s actually put together differently. It’s still a 2 piece POD clipped together, however you’ll find there is a little more overlap between the plastic and the seam for the two pieces to clip together is a lot further down rather than being right in the middle.
I have had ZERO leaking from this new design of POD, absolutely none, which is fantastic!
Fill Port
The fill port, is still the same size, it’s a little deceiving because the silicone plug that goes over it is larger, and there is some clear plastic on the inside which might lead you to believe the hole is actually bigger, but it’s not.
Geekvape however have altered the overflow channel around the fill port, and it really does help to not make a mess when filling.
If you’re really picky like me, you’ll also notice the little silicone piece that attaches the silicone plug to the pod is also a little longer, allowing you to really pull that plug out of the way while filling. Much better.
The RBA
Now for the most important bit. The RBA.
The RBA sits recessed in the POD, and is not removeable (well not to my knowledge), permanently fit with the same contact points at the bottom of the POD that connect to the mod, and the RBA Deck and cap on top.
The deck is roomy. It’s a 2 post deck with spring loaded clamps that allow for very easy coil installation. Unscrew the screws, place your coil legs under the clamps, and then tighten, there really isn’t more to it.
With room for up to a 3mm outer diameter coil, you’ll be able to throw some pretty nice coils in too (within reason of course).
The coil position, allows the coil placement, with cotton coming out the sides and into two juice wells on either side, going down into the POD. Very similar to a Genesis tank or an RDTA.
The steel top cap is nicely designed, to screw down onto the deck, and is actually quite heavy considering the general weight of the entire device.
Inside the cap is conical, which reduces the chamber to help with airflow and flavour providing quite a nice dense vape.
Important Note: This RBA has a lot less airflow than the original POD due to the build deck and airflow through it. This is important to note, as some Direct Lung vapours might be expecting a similar airflow. It’s not. The same great flavour is there, just a little bit tighter on the draw. I’d call it a medium restricted Lung hit with the airflow wide open.
HOT TIP: The coils supplied have quite a large diameter compared to the juice holes in the deck, so make sure you put enough cotton through to fill those coils, but snip a bunch off of the tails so that the wicking holes are not too crammed with cotton. You need narrow tails going down, and only about half way, to avoid dry hits.
Filling
RBA POD 
Original POD
Filling this new POD is still just as difficult as the original, you’ll need to really tilt it and hold it up to the light to see the liquid levels as you fill.
In fact, I found it almost imperitive to remove the POD from the device to do it. This POD has a much smaller liquid capacity than the original, so also be prepared to fill it more often!
Coils
I can’t fault Geekvape for their inclusions. There is a lot of kit here for the money. Included is some cotton, a screwdriver tool, extra post screws and springs, a narrower styled type of drip than the one it comes installed with and 4 premade coils.
The two types of coil are respectively 2x Kanthal 1.3ohm round wire coils for all of you Mouth to Lung vapers, and 2x N80 fused clapton 0.6ohm coils for the Direct lung inhales.
I’ve been using the fused claptons that came with the POD since I bought it and have had a great time with them, I can’t fault them, and have not felt the need to change them at all.
Do beware that obviously the fused claptons will chew through your battery quite quickly being a little more bulky than single round wire. If that’s a worry for you, a home made stainless steel round wire coil should give you just as good a vape, while helping you to preserve your battery a little.
Pros:
- Easier filling than standard pods and coils
- No leaking
- Conical cap for RBA
- Easily rebuildable
- Comes with coils and tool
Cons:
- Still fiddly to fill
- Airflow is a little more restricted than traditional pod
- Small liquid capacity for a RBA
- Still difficult to see juice level in tinted POD
Conclusion
I did have my reservations about this little addition to the Aegis Boost, I’d really hyped this thing up in my mind, hey after all it was going to save this device from the rubbish, but since I’d built it up so much, there was bound to be something that I didn’t like.
1) The filling is a problem for me, it’s still just as difficult to fill, I would have liked Geekvape to have made that fill port a little larger. I am glad that they made the silicone plug attachment longer and the plug larger, but the fill hole also needs to be made bigger. Seeing through the POD is also still a problem and a lighter tint would help alleviate that I think.
2) My only other real gripe is the size of the POD. Being that it’s an RBA, I would have thought they would make this a little taller, to allow for more eliquid capacity. 2ml is not a lot, and for an RBA that can potentially take fused claptons running at 40 Watts, you’ll be filling that POD up on the hour every hour.
Despite what I have said above, overall, this has improved my ability to use the Aegis Boost immensely.
Using the RBA replacement POD, I’ve experienced zero leaks, which was my main cause of concern for the original PODs and replaceable coils.
So all in all, this is a big win for me, my Aegis Boost is usable now that I’m not worried about the leaks, and I’m still getting quite a good vape out of the RBA. I feel a lot less frustrated by it, and feel that Geekvape have redeemed themselves a little by releasing this.
Unfortunately this doesn’t help those using disposable coil PODS, and their leaking issues. Let’s hope Geekvape come up with a solution or a 2nd iteration of those PODS too!
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