DotShell Vs DotMission Vs Pioneer DotRBA

The dotAIO by dotMod has been one of the most popular AIO vapes over the last few years.

Now with the release of the dotAIO V2 we thought it was about time to have a straight shootout of the best third-party RBA tanks available for the dotAIO’s.

In the running, we have the 1st aftermarket dotRBA tank, which is the dotShell by the Greek manufacturer Atmizoo. Atmizoo is well known in the high-end atomizer market and has produced two great boro RBA’s for billet boxes with the Vapeshell and Vapesnail.

Then we have the dotMission RBA by Mission XV (a US company) known for producing the excellent KRMA RDA. They also have the Orbit RBA for boro-style devices.

Then finally, we have the Pioneer dotRBA by BPMods, one of the up-and-coming brands with recent atomizers like the excellent Pioneer MTL RTA. All BPMods atomizers are produced by Dovpo, a reputable Chinese manufacturer.

In this comparison, we have not included the dotMod’s own RBA base, which is a great RBA for the dotAIO. However, we believe these third-party RBAs are the cream of the crop.

There is also the EVL DotSpot RBA. Sadly we don’t have one to test and compare with the other dotAIO RBA tanks. We’ve heard good things about it and hopefully will get one in to compare against the other RBAs soon. 

It’s worth noting that all the above brands also have RBA tanks available for boro-style devices like the Billet Box.

Style & Design

Even though dotAIO tanks are hidden behind the side panels, the styling and designs of the RBAs are still important.

You may have aftermarket transparent panels and want to show off the looks of the tank inside.

We think the winner here is the dotMission. Not only does it look the most modern and sleekest, but there’s a lot more customizability. There are many different color chimney options available, so you can really make it stand out.

The dotShell does come in some different colors, but the airflow control base means it doesn’t look quite as clean in the device as the other two.

The Pioneer dotRBA definitely has a clean and understated look but just loses out to the dotMission.

Juice Capacity

There are no definitive manufacturer details on the exact juice capacity of each of these tanks.

However, we feel that both the dotShell and Pioneer dotRBA have approximately 3ml juice capacity through our testing.

While the dotMission has a little bit more thanks to its compact build deck design and surrounding juice well.

Build Quality

All of these third-party dotAIO RBAs have excellent build quality.

But we’d have to say that both the dotShell and the dotMission are a cut above the Pioneer dotRBA when it comes to the quality of the materials used.

This is no surprise, as the Pioneer dotRBA is by far the most affordable RBA in this versus shootout, and it has to be said it has exceptional build quality for the price.

However, if you want the very best build quality, we think the dotShell & dotMission have outstanding build quality – and we call it a draw in this category.

Build Deck

This is where things really vary, with each of the RBAs going down a different route with the style of their build decks.

We think both the dotShell and Pioneer dotRBA have incredibly easy build decks to work with.

We just give the edge to the dotShell, as it’s a little more forgiving with wicking, and we prefer the Phillips head screws for capturing our coil legs.

The dotMission is a little cramped to work with compared to the other two but is still a decent build deck.

Flavor

This is such a subjective category, and we were thinking of not including it because it depends on so many factors; the coil, the airflow, the juice you are using.

However, after extensive testing, we all agree that the dotShell just (and we mean just) comes out on top with flavor in both MTL and DTL vaping.

Most would probably struggle to notice any difference, and few have the advantage of testing them side-by-side.

They are all excellent RBAs for flavor.

Airflow

This is another section where there’s quite a difference between the design of these RBAs and airflow options.

Each of them uses airflow inlets or pins for you to adjust the amount of airflow coming up beneath the coil.

The dotMission comes with 1.2 mm, 2.1 mm, and 3.5 mm airflow options. You can get 1.0mm and 1.5mm airflow reducers aftermarket. The base of the dotMission deck itself has two airflow slots that cannot be adjusted.

The Pioneer dotRBA comes with an impressive 8 airflow inlet options included in the kit. There are pins for 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm, and 3.5mm airflow.

The base for the Pioneer dotRBA also has two airflow slots, one on the front and one on the side. This means you get a little more configuration depending on which way you place the base plate.

The dotShell goes down a slightly different design path. It comes with a fully adjustable base that has 4 airflow holes on each side (each going up in size), so it can be really tailored when it comes to airflow.

The dotShell only includes two airflow pins in the kit, a 3.8mm, and a 2.0mm.

However, you can also get airflow inlets for MTL with 1.0mm, 1.2mm, and 1.5mm air holes – but these are sold separately.

The dotShell has the most configurable airflow overall, even if you have to buy the inlets separately. We also think it gives the smoothest draw out of all the RBAs – so we give it the win here.

It’s followed closely by the Pioneer dotRBA with its excellent airflow options, then the dotMission bringing up the rear.

Affordability

This is a clear win for the Pioneer dotRBA, coming in at roughly half the price of the other two RBAs.

You can generally find the dotShell a touch cheaper than the dotMission, but they are both high-end priced RBAs.

Overall

It really is a close-run thing when looking for the best RBA tank for the dotAIO.

If you are not on a tight budget, we think the overall best dotRBA is the dotShell.

It has exceptional build quality, an easy-to-use build deck, delivers impressive flavor, and performs excellently in both DTL and MTL configurations.

However, the Pioneer dotRBA is definitely the best bang for your buck. It’s incredibly affordable and comes a close second overall.

We feel like it struggles a little when it comes to DTL and wicking through the smaller juice holes – but overall is an excellent RBA.

We in no way think the dotMission is a bad RBA. In fact, it’s great. Unfortunately, it just gets pipped in the most essential departments by the other two RBA tanks.