Commercial characteristics
- Sponsor who lent the product for the review: Lemondedelavape
- Price of the tested product: 129 Euros
- Product category according to its selling price: Luxury (over 120 euros)
- Mod type: Variable power electronics
- Is the mod telescopic? No
- Maximum power: 40 watts
- Maximum voltage: 9
- Minimum value in Ohms resistance for a start: 0.1
Reviewer comments on business characteristics
The commercial positioning is clearly THE strong point of this product… the idea is to position itself as a competitor of the VaporShark unless 30% the price of the latter.
The strategy is extremely simple, HCIGAR takes one of the best chipset on the market, the DNA 40 from Evolv and includes it in the HB DNA 40 for a price less than 60 euros (without batteries) than its American competitor.
Clearly HCIGAR provides everyone with the same functionalities as “super luxury” mods for… less expensive… and in fact it's true, the HB DNA 40 functionally offers everything of a vaporshark or a flaccid vapor for less ...
The question is whether this is enough, and if the promise is held in every respect!
Physical characteristics and felt quality
- Width or Diameter of the product in mms: 50
- Product Length or Height in mms: 95
- Product weight in grams: 181
- Material composing the product: Aluminum, Copper
- Form Factor Type: Classic Box - VaporShark type
- Decorative style: Classic
- Quality of decoration: Good
- Is the coating of the mod sensitive to fingerprints? No
- All components of this mod seem well assembled? Yes
- Fire button position: Lateral near the top cap
- Fire button type: Metal mechanics on contact caouctoucouc
- Number of buttons making up the interface, including touch zones if they are present: 2
- Type of user interface buttons: Mechanical metal on contact rubber
- Quality of the interface button (s): Very good, the button is responsive and does not make any noise
- Number of parts in the product: 2
- Number of threads: 1
- Quality of the threads: Excellent
- Overall, do you appreciate the quality of manufacture of this product with regard to its price? Yes
Rating of the vapelier as to feelings quality: 4.4 / 5 
Reviewer's comments on physical characteristics and perceived quality
All the product exudes quality.
The housing is made of aluminum, its coating is not sensitive to fingerprints, the 510 connector is spring loaded for guaranteed flush mounting with all atomizers, the thread is excellently machined, and access to the compartment accumulator is provided by a magnetic plate. Bonus and supreme luxury, the magnets are positioned in such a way that it is impossible to reposition the plate in the wrong direction ... Let's admit that so far it's faultless.
In fact almost… because if we look more closely, and yes I am very fussy, we notice a slight decentering of the 510 connector, light but visible, look rather… it is all the same obvious!
On the photo on the left we have the box with its plate… the one on the right without it.
Why ? why did HCIGAR bug like that in the design ??? it's not embarrassing, but aesthetically all atomizers are necessarily slightly off!
Personally it's the kind of detail that drives me crazy… but hey it's me.
Too bad it was almost perfect ...
Now enjoy the internal PCB mounting:
In this matter, you have to be really difficult to complain about.
Be careful, however, do not try to access the pcb yourself, because to do so you will have to break the seal on the manufacturer's plate protecting it, and thus lose your warranty ... But at Vapelier, we are ready for all the sacrifices for you! 😉
Functional features
- Type of chipset used: DNA
- Connection type: 510, Ego - via adapter
- Adjustable positive stud? Yes, through a spring.
- Lock system ? Electronic
- Quality of the locking system: Excellent, the chosen approach is very practical
- Features offered by the mod: Display of the charge of the batteries, Display of the resistance value, Protection against short circuits from the atomizer, Protection against reverse polarity of the batteries, Display of the current vape voltage , Display of the power of the current vape, Clear diagnostic messages
- Accusability: 18650
- Does the mod support stacking? No
- Number of batteries supported: 1
- Does the mod retain its configuration without batteries? Yes
- Does the mod offer a recharge feature? Charging function possible via Micro-USB
- Is the recharge function pass-through? Yes
- Does the mode offer a Power Bank function? No power bank function offered by the mod
- Does the mode offer other functions? No other function offered by the mod
- Presence of air flow regulation? Yes
- Maximum diameter in mms of compatibility with an atomizer: 23
- Accuracy of the output power at full charge of the battery: Excellent, there is no difference between the requested power and the real power
- Accuracy of the output voltage at full charge of the battery: Excellent, there is no difference between the requested voltage and the actual voltage
Vapelier's note regarding functional characteristics: 5 / 5 
Reviewer's comments on functional features
Functionally this box has everything that the DNA 40 offers… all the protections, the same reactivity… everything.
The buttons are of very good quality. No noise, and an optimal reactivated.
Things go wrong when you consider the screen:
- In the first place it is smoked… why? Why ?
- In the second place, there is no “photo”, compared to that of its competitor it is… very small, and by definition less readable.
But it is when we analyze the positioning of the interface and use the buttons (+ / - and fire) that we come close to the tragedy for me ... and it is here, just on this point, that HCIGAR risks to lose potential customers.
By the gods, what is this lateral positioning? Nobody took the mod in hand before manufacturing it at HCIGAR?
You can get used to it when you are right-handed (even if you want the perfect positioning of the interface buttons of the vaporshark), but if unfortunately you are left-handed, that's the tragedy ... HCIGAR forces you to do everything with the thumb, which falls as best it can on the fire… and not at all on the + and -.
Too bad, very bad, almost good. the positioning of the buttons must at all costs be reviewed for the next generation of this box.
Evaluation of the packaging
- Presence of a box accompanying the product: Yes
- Would you say that the packaging is up to the price of the product? Can do better
- Presence of a user manual? Yes
- Is the manual understandable for a non-English speaker? No
- Does the manual explain ALL features? Yes
Vapelier's note on packaging: 3.5 / 5 
Reviewer's comments on conditioning
What do you want me to tell you? When VaporShark sells its mod 30% more expensive without even inserting a user manual, and flanking the whole thing with a plastic box worthy of a small car like cheerleader ... we can only appreciate having a manual, and d 'a power cable… also placed in a majorette box.
It's better, but not yet!
Appreciations in use
- Transport facilities with the test atomizer: Ok for Jean's back pocket (no discomfort)
- Disassembly and cleaning facilities: Super simple, even blind in the dark!
- Easy to change the batteries: Difficult because requires several manipulations
- Did the mod heat up? No
- Has there been any erratic behavior after a day of use? No
- Description of situations in which the product has experienced erratic behavior
Vapelier's rating in terms of ease of use: 5/5
Reviewer's comments on the use of the product
Easy to recharge through its micro USB charger accompanied by an LED type indicator (we are far from the indicator embedded in the fire button of the VaporShark), except for the problem of positioning its interface buttons previously described, this mod will be a faithful companion.
Again, its chipset has nothing to envy more expensive mods.
The vape is smooth, dense, pleasant, and DNA 40 will undoubtedly allow you to rediscover some of your favorite atos.
Here it is a fault that we owe not to HCIGAR, but to Evolv the designer of the chipset.
Recommendations for use
- Type of batteries used during the tests: 18650
- Number of batteries used during the tests: 1
- With what type of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? Dripper, A classic fiber - resistance greater than or equal to 1.7 Ohms, A low resistance fiber less than or equal to 1.5 ohms, In sub-ohm assembly, Reconstructable Génésys type metal mesh assembly, Rebuildable type Génésys metal wick assembly
- With which model of atomizer is it advisable to use this product? All, as long as they do not exceed 23 mms (for aesthetic reasons)
- Description of the test configuration used: DNA 40 + Origen / Kayfun / Iclear 30S
- Description of the ideal configuration with this product: Difficult for this mod to answer this question as the possibilities are great. Let's say I particularly enjoyed it with the ORIGEN. But again, test, test whatever you have on hand, because this mod accepts all atos ...
was the product liked by the reviewer: Yes
Overall average of the Vapelier for this product: 4.9 / 5 
Link to a video review or blog maintained by the reviewer author of the review
The mood ticket of the reviewer
This mod passes all Vapelier evaluation protocols with flying colors.
There is no doubt about its inherent quality, this is an excellent mod, “almost”, yes, “almost” perfect.
Has Hcigar succeeded for all that in its bet of coming to cut dark cuts in the market share of VaporShark?
- Yes in terms of functionality, and quality of vape.
- Yes in terms of reliability of use.
- No in terms of ergonomics!
Do I recommend this mod? Yes if and only if you are not left-handed (as is the case for 6% of the world's population), and you want to save “almost” a third of the purchase price of the VaporShark to have a pretty box offering the same features.
Looking forward to reading you.
Spoke.
(c) Copyright Le Vapelier SAS 2014 - Only full reproduction of this article is authorized - Any modification of any kind is totally prohibited and infringes the rights of this copyright.
