Vapouround magazine Issue 01 | Page 75

HARDWARE PRODUCT REVIEW Hcigar VT40 Box Mod The VT40 was purchased from Vape Geek for £104.99 (10% off now available with the code 10OFF) Sometimes you find yourself able to make a full assessment of something within seconds of encountering it. My mother, like all good fishwives across the country, has the ability to assess and dismiss strangers within seconds. In the main, vaping equipment presents a greater problem as foibles only become apparent with use over time. Hcigar have a history, for some it is linked to a standard of quality missing from a lot of Chinese products. The VT40 isn’t about their past, it’s a bold statement regarding where they see their potential. The company have been keen t o forge a future built on original equipment that utilises lessons learnt from previous endeavours. Like the kid who messed around too much in class only to realise he had real talent, Hcigar are applying themselves to offer devices of substance. The functionality of the chip in this regulated box is a given from the off. Evolv made the decision that supplying China made more sense than fighting it, especially considering the volumes of products they make and the savings in unit price they can pass on. So, replete with the latest version of the large screen DNA40 it’s performance is as predictable as a Jimmy Carr joke on a Hammersmith stage. The chip is an old friend with temperature control and a useful display...only this time available in a more affordable package. So the box lives and dies on how well it has been designed and put together. Previously, the company offered up the HB40 and the HB50 regulated boxes. Both carry themselves with a level of attractiveness comparable to a hungover Wayne Rooney sucking a bunch of nettles. Maybe this was accidental, maybe it was on purpose in the same way an attractive girl hangs out at clubs with a couple of much plainer friends. Straight out of the box the VT40 has real catwalk potential. From the warrantee card that assures buyers of 12 months worry-free use to the serial numbered battery cap coin, the VT soars above its relations. It may be diminutive but so too is Kylie Minogue and, in the opinion of this writer, that’s pretty fine company to be keeping. It ranks as one of the smallest 18650 regulated devices and easily surpasses the SX Mini is aesthetic appeal. Although the SX offers 60watts over the VT’s 40 the £70 saving on RRP ought to make of for it. The C-frame allows it to rest comfortably in hand while the buttons convey a tailored quality absent in so many Far Eastern offerings. This is a mod that has undergone a comprehensive design process and it shows; it’s a mod that matches the chip inside and will appeal to those seeking the confidence of choosing an Evolv option. The fit and feel inspire the user with the knowledge that it matches its looks with a level of out of the box performance and durability hitherto absent from so many alternatives. It would be easy to dismiss the VT40 based on Hcigar’s past but it would be wrong. If they can continue replicating quality in form and function like this then they are set to carve out a huge slice of the affordable genuine market. by Dave Cross VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE AUGUST 2015 73