Best RTAs in 2024: Top Single, Dual, and Mesh Coil RTAs

What is an RTA?

RTA stands for Rebuildable Tank Atomizer. It is a type of rebuildable atomizer that utilizes a refillable tank section. With an RTA,  the user has to install their own coil or coils onto the build deck. Unlike subohm tanks, which are sold with pre-made coils, you have to make the coil for an RTA yourself.

Once the coil has been installed onto the build deck, a wick (cotton) has to be threaded through the coil to absorb and hold eliquid. From there, you can reassemble the atomizer, fill up the tank, and vape like you would with a subohm tank. 

RTAs are best described as a mix of a rebuildable tank and a refillable tank. Similar to RDAs, you build your own coils and you make your own wicks. However, unlike RDAs, there is no need to drip your eliquid onto the coil. With an RTA, you fill up the tank like you would with a subohm tank, and the cotton does the work of absorbing eliquid from the tank and transporting it to the coil(s). From an outward appearance, RTAs look nearly identical to subohm tanks.

How does an RTA work?

An RTA works just like a typical refillable tank that uses pre-made coils. The difference is that with an RTA, the user needs to build the coil that will be used. After the coil has been built, it must be installed onto the build deck of the atomizer. This involves inserting the coil legs into the post holes (terminals) on the build deck, and securing the coil to the deck by tightening a few screws. 

Once the coil has been installed, it has to be wicked. This is done by threading cotton through the coil and inserting the tail ends of the cotton into the “wicking holes” on the build deck. The wicking holes are the point of contact between the cotton and the ejuice that will be in the tank once it is filled up. The cotton will absorb ejuice from the tank through these wicking holes, and transport it to the coil to be vaporized.

After wicking, the tank can be reassembled and filled with ejuice. Filling the tank is done by removing the fill cap, usually at the top of the tank, to gain access to the fill holes. Once the tank has been filled, the next step is to wait for the wicks to get saturated with ejuice. 

When you press the fire button on your mod and inhale on the mouthpiece of an RTA, air will enter the tank through the airflow holes. The air is then channeled to the coil on the build deck. Air will hit your coil as the coil heats up and produces vapor, which goes out the drip tip and into your mouth.

Why Use An RTA?

There are a number of good reasons why you should use an RTA. If you’re new to vaping, don’t be frightened by the thought of building your own coils. It’s actually very simple to learn and, with some practice, you’ll be able to make your own coils and wick them without a second thought.

This brings us to our first reason why you should use an RTA. Building your own coil(s) adds another level of customization to your vaping. You can tailor the resistance to just the way you like it, and therefore vape at a wattage that you find most comfortable. 

Building your own coils also comes with the advantage of cost-savings. You can purchase a roll of wire for coil building and a package of cotton that will last you for months or years for approximately the same cost as just a few pre made subohm coils. Plus, with subohm tanks, users have to rely on the manufacturer of the tank to continue producing coils for purchase. When you use an RTA, you never have to worry because you can always make another coil yourself.

Increased flavor is another reason why you should use an RTA. When built right, an RTA will generally deliver better performance and better flavor than a subohm tank. Building your own coils gives you the option of using coils with more surface area, which in turn will produce better flavor and more vapor too. 

The flavor from a well-built rebuildable atomizer is also generally better than a subohm tank because the coil is in closer proximity to the drip tip. The design of the build deck can also greatly contribute to the flavor that you get from an RTA, but that will depend on the specific tank that you use. 

RTAs are also better than RDAs in some aspects. First off, the refillable tank section of an RTA provides the advantage of convenience over RDA users who must continually drip ejuice onto their coils. Most RTAs have tank capacities of around 4-5ml which is usually enough ejuice to get through a day of vaping without having to refill.

Advantages of RTAs over other atomizers

• Building your own coil(s) adds another level of customization to your vaping
• Building your own coils is more cost-effective than purchasing coils for  a subohm tank
• You don’t have to worry about coils for your tank being discontinued — you can make your own
• When built right they provide better flavor than subohm tanks
• More convenient to use than an RDA
• Most RTAs have a large enough tank capacity to last for a day of vaping without needing to be refilled

Disadvantages of RTAs compared to other atomizers

• It takes time to perfect building your own coils
• There can be a learning curve to installing coils optimally on a specific build deck
• Building your own coils is more work compared to using a subohm tank
• Wicking can be tricky depending on the tank

Things to consider when choosing an RTA

If you’re totally new to the world of rebuildable atomizers then choosing an RTA can be intimidating. You don’t want to pick the wrong one, or pick one that is too complicated; we get it. It’s enough to have to build your own coils — we don’t want you worrying about whether or not you’re choosing the right RTA! Here are a few factors to consider when choosing an RTA.

Single coil, Dual coil, or Mesh RTA?

All RTAs will have at least two terminals. Terminals are the holes on the build deck where you insert the legs of your coil. Single coil RTAs will typically have two terminals, but some will have four terminals so that you can install your coils whether they are wrapped clockwise or counterclockwise. Dual coil RTAs will have four terminals; two terminals for the legs of one coil, and two terminals for the legs of the other coil. Mesh RTAs typically have two clamps, with one on either side of the deck. The ends of a mesh strip are inserted into the clamps. 

For someone who is completely new to rebuildable atomizers, single coil RTAs are the best choice. They allow you to learn to wrap and wick your own coil, and provide a deck that is straightforward to install it on. Positioning a single coil on a build deck is also a lot easier. You only have a single coil to worry about, so it’s easy to move it around and experiment for the best flavor and performance.

Dual coil RTAs are slightly more complicated because you have to build two coils, install two coils, wick two coils, and position them correctly relative to each other for the best experience. This can be a headache for someone new to rebuildables.

Mesh RTAs involve the least prep work, but they are the hardest to install correctly. Mesh wire is usually sold in ribbons. You need only cut off the correct length of mesh for your RTA, which saves you time compared to wrapping your own coil. However, cutting the length of the mesh correctly for your tank can be a hassle, especially if your mesh RTA did not come with coils that you can use as a template (most do, though). 

Once you cut the mesh to the correct length, installing them correctly can be difficult. There are only two clamps, but you have to be sure not to crease or bend the mesh in anything other than a perfect semi-circle. Otherwise, the mesh can develop hotspots which will heat up unevenly and burn your cotton. Worst-case, you get a dry mesh hit. Yuck. 

Once installed correctly, wicking is the most difficult part of using a mesh coil. You have to be sure that the cotton is tight up against the underside of the mesh, all without bending or deforming it. 

With all this said, mesh coils are not for beginners. Those new to rebuildable atomizers should go with a single coil RTA. Once they are familiar with the process of building coils, wicking, and using rebuildable, they can move on to dual coil RTAs, and then mesh RTAs.

Posts vs Postless Decks

To simplify things, there are two basic types of build decks: those with posts, and those without. Build decks with posts usually have two posts that are raised off of the build deck. These posts have the terminals cut out of them. You insert your coil legs into the terminals and secure your coil in a way that the coil is “floating” over the build deck.

Postless decks are ones where the terminals are in the floor of the deck itself. These require you to precut your coil legs so that they do not stick up too far from the bottom of the deck.

Decks with posts will be easiest to build for because you can cut your coil legs to size after they have been installed on the deck. Postless decks will require you to experiment by cutting your coil legs to continually shorter sizes until you find the length that is right for the deck that you are using.

Size of the wicking ports

Wicking is one of the most important aspects of setting up an RTA. It’s usually also the most challenging. An RTA with smaller wicking ports will require combing out and thinning your wicks so that they do not “jam” up the ports and prevent ejuice from effectively transporting to the coil. RTAs with larger wicking ports will require more cotton to dam, requiring you to use a thicker wick, but will allow ejuice to flow more easily to the coil(s).

How to stop an RTA from leaking

A leaking RTA usually comes down to one thing: wicking. When wicking an RTA you should ensure that the wicks are completely filling up the wicking ports. The wicks should not be stuffed into the fill ports to the point where it is difficult to get the cotton in and hindering juice flow. Instead, it should be inserted so that the cotton is comfortably and completely filling up the wicking holes. If ejuice can flow past the wicks, you will have flooding, gurgling, and leaking. 

Which is better; RTA, RDA, or RDTA?

This really comes down to personal preference. As we mentioned earlier, RTAs are more convenient than RDAs because the tank can be refilled. However, some RDAs deliver better flavor than RTAs, but need to be redripped often or used with a squonk mod.

RDTAs are like a mix of an RTA and an RDA, and a fair bit more complicated than either to build and wick correctly. However, RDTAs give you the option of dripping and having a tank at the same time. This is useful if you want to drip a different flavor to vape on temporarily. 

For a very general breakdown, the best tank is as follows: for convenience, RTAs are best. For versatility, RDTAs offer a little bit of RTAs and RDAs and are the best. For flavor, RDAs are the best. 

How long do RTA coils last?

The lifespan of your RTA coil will depend on a few things. The main factors are the amount of sweetener in your ejuice and how much you vape. Using an ejuice with a lot of sweetener in it, like sugary fruit or candy ejuices, will gunk up your coil and cotton quickly. This will lead to a reduction in flavor and performance. Similarly, if you vape a lot your coil and cotton will also start to lose flavor and performance. 

The good news is that the cotton can be easily changed on an RTA, and the coils can be dry burned and cleaned. You can also choose to build entirely new coils completely. Because materials to make your own coils is so cheap, many vapers will change their coils (or at least the cotton) on their RTA once a week, at the minimum, for maximum performance.