Vandy Vape has brought out the Requiem BF kit. It is a bottom feeder mech box mod with one 18650 battery and a small 22mm dripper for direct to lung vaping. The thick, heavy box inspires confidence and the vaping experience is pleasant. However, there are a few things that could be improved to make it convenient to use.
Plenty of good things to say
The Requiem BF kit is a nice surprise for fans of small bottom feeder mech setups. It is a well-equipped, ready-to-use, all-in-one kit. The vaping experience is pleasant from a flavour perspective. There are a few points, such as battery access or dripper dome rotation, that could do with an update.
Technical features
| Mod dimensions | 72.5x42x24mm |
| Mod weight | 180g |
| Battery size | 18650 |
| Charging | External charging |
| Maximum power | |
| Max. atomizer diameter | 24 |
| Modes available | Mech |
| Clearomizer dimensions | 21.5x24mm |
| Clearomizer weight | 15.5g |
| Clearomizer capacity | 6ml |
| Range of use | Depends on assembly |
| Filling | Bottom-feeder |
What’s in the box?
- Mod
- Clearomizer
- Spare tank
- Coils
- Tool
- Goodies
- User guide
An almost faultless heavy box
The 510 connector on the upper part of the Requiem BF kit is pierced for bottom feeder use. Atomizers up to 24mm in diameter are mounted on a finely engraved circular plate which protects the box from scratches when fitting drippers.
The name of the manufacturer and the creator are deeply engraved under the Requiem BF box. It is well integrated and perfectly machined. The finish is good and the care Vandy Vape has put into the box is undeniable.
The fire button is made of engraved metal. It requires maintenance to avoid it oxidising too quickly, depending on the chosen finish. It stands 2mm above the surface of the box. It is comfortable and smooth to press. You need to press down slightly more than 1mm to trigger vapour production. A button with such short travel is really nice to use.
At almost 3mm thick, the cover panel with its open window for squonking has heft to it. It is solid metal. This inspires confidence and gives an impression of sturdiness. The downside is that the box is a lot heavier than its competitors. Without the dripper or battery, it weighs 180g. This is not particularly a problem in itself, but people who like something light in their pockets should take this argument into account.
Depending on the finish, the door is fully engraved. The design is particularly detailed and flawless. The brass version requires a lot of maintenance to keep it looking bright. Cleaning it less means it acquires patina, so it depends on personal preference. The edges are quite smooth and the design doesn’t affect how comfortable it is to hold.
An elongated magnet on the door corresponds with another inside the box frame. The two other round magnets are in contact with the 18650 battery. An O-ring is fitted all around the edge of the panel. In practice, the fit is so good that the magnets are not essential. It is both a good and a bad thing. We will come back to this later.
The Requiem BF kit has a safety mechanism on the switch allowing the box to be locked. The system is simple and standard. A rotating insulating ring is fitted between the plate and the base of the 510 connector. When it is fully turned to the left, it prevents the contact plate from touching the base of the 510 connector. The circuit remains open and no contact is made. Like all mech mods, safety is essential of course, and you should always make sure that you use a battery in perfect condition with a capacity suitable for the coil mounted on the dripper.
When the ring is turned to the right, the plate can close the circuit when the button is pressed. Vapour can then be produced. To access this ring, you have to take off the door. But…the door fits so tightly that you end up pressing the squonk bottle as you put your finger in the window to remove it. This squeezes a bit of juice into the dripper.
The base of the 510 connector is adjustable. It screws and unscrews to bring the dripper’s 510 pin into contact. It can therefore be adjusted depending on the dripper model. It’s easy to use and precise.
In the photo, you can see a few paint marks on the inner edge of the box. This is what we were referring to earlier. The removable panel fits the box perfectly without the magnets. Continually removing and refitting it causes the two metal parts to rub together and damage the paintwork. This is only a minor point, but the effort made in terms of the quality of the materials and the care taken with the engravings deserves a bit of accuracy with the fit.
All of the component parts of the contacts and bottom feeder system can be dismantled. The plate at the top of the box can be removed after unscrewing a nut, which on our model is so tight that it seems almost impossible to avoid damaging the inside of the Requiem BF kit. Our box is a pre-market sample. These series are not always completely identical to the final version. Let’s hope that completely dismantling the box is a bit easier for all users.
The kit is well-stocked. There’s plenty in it to get started without having to worry about adding anything else. It contains two top caps, two beauty rings, five battery wraps with the name of the kit on them, coils, tools and two squonk bottles. Each bottle contains 6ml. That’s not bad, given the size of the box. The filling system is fairly standard. The manufacturer states there are three ways to fill up. The first and most practical is to lift a silicon cover to insert the end of the bottle and fill up. The second involves removing the cap with the tubing to access the bottle. The third is to pour the e-liquid directly into the top of the tubing. There are more practical and less messy solutions than these last two.
The battery orientation is marked inside the box. This is not really necessary in itself, as a mech mod will work just as well with the positive at the top or bottom of the contacts. However, in reality, it’s better to stick to the battery orientation indicated, for a very simple reason: getting the battery out!
If the positive is at the top, it is difficult to insert the battery, and especially complicated to remove it. With the positive at the bottom, it is a bit easier to put it in. Removing it is still no easy task. There is no ribbon to eject the battery or a removable panel on both sides of the box to push it out. This means you have to shake the box a bit to get the 18650 battery out. It’s a real shame, because it really spoils user comfort. A simple window, a flexible ribbon or any other similar accessory would have solved the problem immediately!
A nice little dripper
Despite the kit being called Requiem BF, the dripper supplied in the kit is not the same as the dripper of the same name. Goodbye top caps with different airflow intakes. Here, the top cap has just one configuration. It would seem that Vandy Vape wants to launch a collection around the Requiem name, and not necessarily have kits with the dripper in question. Even so, it has a small 22mm dripper with a single coil. The beauty rings provided increase its diameter to 24mm to be perfectly aligned on the box.
The Requiem BF kit comes with two top caps and two matching beauty rings. The two domes are made of plastic. It would have been nice to have one made of steel for more practical maintenance. Plastics tend to absorb powerful flavours and leave a lingering residual smell. The finishes are different depending on the colour of the kit and range from a totally transparent dome to a more amber colour and different drip tips.
The 510 connector is very long for very good contact. The pin is hollow of course, to feed the liquid into the dripper. A second solid pin is also provided, but there is not much point in using it. The dripper can contain 1ml of liquid at most. Unless you like dripping for each inhalation.
A large screw with a slotted head holds the resistance coil on each post. Tightening is not difficult. The ends of the coil don’t slip out of their slots. Two O-rings hold the dome in place. They are very (too) stiff and even if they are lubricated, turning the top cap is difficult, which is a shame.
Fitting the resistance coil is practical. A little groove on each side of the dripper makes sure it is in the ideal position, at the right height, perfectly positioned opposite the airflow holes. It’s impossible to get it wrong!
There are two airflow holes to cool the coil. They are almost opposite each other, but they are slightly oblique. The coil is cooled over its entire width if it isn’t too wide. With its 22mm diameter, the Requiem BF kit dripper is not designed for large assemblies. This doesn’t stop it from being very dynamic, with direct to lung vaping up to 50W.
Two coils are supplied in the kit. The two coils are identical, Fused Clapton 2×27/40GA with four wraps for 0.26ohm. The coil width is ideal to occupy the space on the deck between the two airflows. The quality of the coils included in the box is good.
Fitting the resistance coil poses no difficulty at all. It is simple and practical. From a vaping point of view, this little dripper is nice to use. Its reduced size doesn’t stop it from easily taking 50W. Its plastic dome does not cause any heating. Flavours are great for both fruity and gourmet type liquids. Those who like their vapour hot might be left wanting. The rotation of the dome restricts the volume of air cooling the coil, without having any obvious effect on the draw. A bit more flavour concentration can be achieved by half closing the airflow holes, and staying with direct to lung inhalation. It’s difficult to achieve a hot vape without significantly increasing the watts. However, in its usage range, the Requiem BF kit dripper manages pretty well. It is efficient and easy to use.
In summary
What we like
- Thickness of the materials
- Lots of accessories
- Quality of flavour
- Safety of the box
- Quality of the switch
What we don’t like
- Battery removal
- Cover panel too tight
- Dome rotation
