You might’ve come across the terms RBA, RDA and RTA before, but what exactly are they? Here, we’ll take you through what these terms mean and why vapers use them.

RBA Vape Terminology: What Is It and What Does it Stand For?

RBA stands for Rebuildable Atomiser. While the term ‘atomiser’ is fairly outdated in the modern vaping world, you’re still likely to see it used when talking about RBA vape components. An Atomiser is now known more commonly as a coil.

Put simply, RBAs are coils that you build yourself. This involves physically wrapping a coil, attaching it to the vape system and adding the wick. There are different builds to choose from with this. The one you should choose depends on RBA type and the vaping experience you’re looking for. All RBAs are suitable for sub-ohm vaping, and will only attach to box mod kits with a 510 connection for the tank to screw into.

RBAs are only recommended for experienced vapers. So if you’re new to vaping, it’s best to stick to premade coils, rather than RBA vape experiences.

A vape coil is a wire - typically Canthal, or Nichrome - although coils are sometimes made of other materials. The wick is a material that soaks up the e-liquid, delivering it to the coil. Wicks are typically made of cotton, ekowool, silica, or other suitable materials. To learn more about vape parts, head over to our Vaping Glossary.

Both RTAs and RDAs are types of RBAs.

What’s an RTA?

RTA stands for Rebuildable Tank Atomiser. It’s a type of RBA with a tank that’s used to hold the e-liquid in. Once the e-liquid runs out, simply refill the tank RTA with more.

With RTAs, you’ll still be able to personalise your coils and use different wires to get the best RTA vape experience for you.

What Is RDA?

RDA stands for Rebuildable Drip Atomiser. It’s another type of RBA that you build up yourself. While RDA vape components don’t have a tank - as is the case for RTAs - they do have a metallic-looking case that houses the coil. This vape RDA case has a drip tip at the top of it, which is the mouthpiece of the vape. When you remove the drip tip, there’s a top hole where you drip e-liquid down and directly onto the wick. 

You can build your own coil for an RDA vape, or buy prebuilt coils for it. The best RDA coil to use will depend on personal preference. If you’re confident you can build up the coil to your exact preferences, this could work better for you than buying a prebuilt coil.

Why Do Vapers Use RBA?

There are lots of benefits to using RBAs. That said, this type of vaping is primarily for experienced vape enthusiasts and is quite a specialist process.

If you know exactly how you like your vape, and think using RBAs will help you achieve this better than premade vape components, they’re definitely worth checking out. With different types of RBAs come different benefits. 

The Benefits of Using RTAs

Many vapers claim that RTAs are great for flavour production. What’s more, it’s possible to store the e-liquid in RTA tanks, meaning you’ll have to replenish the coil less frequently than RDA vape methods.

That said, RTAs can tend to be more difficult to build, as you’ll have multiple parts to assemble. However, they’re still popular for experienced vapers prepared to invest their time in creating a super customised RTA vape experience.   

The Benefits of Using RDAs

RDAs are extremely popular among vapers who love big clouds. By dripping small amounts of e-liquid directly onto the wick, rather than storing lots more in a tank - as is the case with RTAs - you won’t have to wait as long to change the e-liquid you’re vaping.

While dripping the e-liquid every time you want to vape does give you the freedom to switch between flavours more frequently than RTAs, it requires more maintenance. However, if switching frequently between e-liquids is your priority, the RDA vape method might be best for you.

New to the world of RBAs? Want to learn how to get started? Get in touch with the Vaping.com team to find out more.