Best Kayfun Alternative: Do You Go Clone or Look Elsewhere?

Innokin ARESPin

If a Kayfun tank is too expensive for your budget, the next best thing is the Innokin ARES RTA tank, which packs in some of the best flavor around. This tank is essentially a godsend for MTL vapers. Not only is it affordable, but it is also super simple to build and it kicks seriously intense flavor.


Kayfun tanks are monumentally expensive; I’m talking $119.95-expensive, and for many, this is simply too much cash to drop on a vape tank.

I own the Kayfun V5 and Kayfun Prime.

They’re both excellent, kicking out some of the best flavor in the business.

In fact, the Kayfun V5 is the tank I use more than any other, simply because it has brilliant flavor and runs at low wattages.

Running a tank at low wattages has many benefits, but the big ones are as follows:

  • Battery Life – You Will Get 2/3 Days From A Dual-Cell Mod
  • E Juice Conservation – You’ll Burn Through Out 60% Less E Juice A Month
  • Flavor – Tanks Designed With Lower Wattage Vaping In Mind Work Best With Higher-PG Juice; Higher PG Juice is More Flavorful.

Best Kayfun Clone Alternatives – The Cheapest Option

Best Kayfun ClonePin
The V5 Styled RTA Rebuildable Tank Atomizer is Just About The Best Kayfun Clone I Have Ever Used. And For Just $17… What More Could You Want!?

If you can’t stretch to the price of a Kayfun tank (they’re proper pricey), you could go the clone route which will save you A LOT of money – like $80 in some cases.

But what are the best Kayfun clone tanks right now? As always: clones can be dodgy, but there are few very good options around right now that can be picked up for less than $20. And they are as follows:

  • Kayfun 5 Clone ($17.99) – A brilliant Kayfun 5 clone that can be picked up for less than $20. The flavor, build quality, and the deck is all brilliant – almost as good as the real thing. And for the price, this Kayfun clone really cannot be beaten!
  • Kayfun Prime Clone ($18.85) – The Kayfun Prime is a beast of an MTL tank. But this clone does more than enough to keep pace. Again, it’s about $80 cheaper than the official version, so if you want the best possible MTL vape, this Kayfun Prime clone is the one to go for.

MTL Vape Tanks vs. Sub Ohm Tanks

The above points are why I use MTL tanks like the Kayfun a lot; they save me money, provide great flavor, and they’re kinder to my mod’s battery life.

Case in point: I recently got almost three days of battery life from my Kayfun and a dual-cell mod on a trip to Amsterdam.

The Best Kayfun Alternative?

Not everyone will want to pay $119.95 for a Kayfun tank. I know it took a lot for me to eventually buy one; three figures for a vape tank is a big ask.

You do have plenty of decent Kayfun alternatives, though: the best of which are outlined in my #1 picks for MTL vape tanks in 2018 – the top options are listed below in the table:

[ninja_tables id=”9120″]

My favorite? The Innokin ARES.

The Innokin ARES, a rebuildable, MTL RTA tank. And the reason for this is simple: next to the Kayfun V5/Prime, the ARES is just about the best rebuildable MTL RTA around right now.

Why’s that? Simple: flavor, the deck, how it vapes, and overall performance. It’s all 100% legit, even when compared to the significantly more expensive Kayfun V5/Prime.

Innokin ARES MTL RTA | What I Like About It

The first thing is the price: at $34.95, the Innokin ARES is $80 cheaper than a Kayfun tank.

This makes it WAY more accessible for anyone that’s interested in a high-end MTL vaping experience.

Second is the way it looks.

The Innokin ARES is one handsome chap; the design is kinda old-school, but I actually think it looks all the better for it.

Innokin ARESPin
The Tank Fully Assembled

The ARES tank holds 4ML of E Juice and has a super-easy to use two-post single terminal deck.

It runs on single coils, as you’d expect from an MTL RTA, and once everything is installed you will not have any issues with leaks.

What You Get With The Innokin ARES

Quite a bit as goes. Innokin even includes a couple of coils as well, which is always nice (not enough vape brands do this).

Innokin ARESPin
Kit Contents

Below is a complete breakdown of what’s included inside the box:

1 x Innokin Ares RTA Vape Tank
1 x 3mL Glass Section
1 x Smoked Glass Section
1 x Set of Drip Tips
1 x Hex Key
1 x 1M of Wire
2 x Pre-Built Coils
1 x Pack of Spare Parts
1 x User Manual

The two guys behind this tank (Phil Busardo & Dimitris Agrafiotis) are perhaps two of the most well-known MTL vapers in the industry. This is why Innokin turned to them to help create this tank.

They know their stuff, they live and breathe MTL vaping, and the MO here was simple: make a brilliant MTL vape tank that competes with more expensive MTL RTAs like the Kayfun.

The result is the Innokin ARES which is by far and away one of my favorite tanks for MTL vaping right now.

The Deck & Chamber | What Makes Them So Special…

The flavor on the Innokin ARES is intense. Super intense. And this is achieved via the tank’s chamber design; it’s nice and tight and this ensures flavor really pops on the draw.

Innokin ARESPin
The Chamber (Where All The Magic Happens)

The chamber also ensures that there are zero leaks when vaping. And as anyone that’s used RTAs in the past will know, an RTA that doesn’t leak is a very special thing indeed.

Installing Coils On ARES RTA

This is perhaps one of the easiest RTAs to set up in the world right now; there is literally no learning curve.

Plus, Innokin provides some seriously detailed instructions, as well as an exploded view diagram, so anybody – regardless of skill level – will be fine assembling this tank.

Here’s a video from the tank’s designer that shows you, step-by-step, how to install a coil and wick the Innokin ARES.

I also really dig the included 1.0ohm coil; the vape is warm and the flavor is super-intense, especially with higher PG juice.

Once you have the coils installed and wicked, you’re pretty much good to go.

Next, set the airflow. You got a couple of settings: 1) a tight, cigarette-like draw; and 2) a slightly more open MTL draw.

Performance & Flavor

Exceptional, basically. The Innokin ARES is a power-house when it comes to flavor. All the juice I’ve put through it tasted better than nearly every other tank I own – including the Kayfun Prime.

This insane flavor might have something to do with the ARES’ diffuser, which ensures the air hits the coil nice and directly. This, in turn, results in smooth, consistent flavor.

Innokin ARESPin
The Tube, The Chamber & The Deck

I was honestly blown away by just how good the flavor was on this tank. I run mine in and around 18-20W, depending on the build, and this ensures almost two days of battery life from my mod.

But the thing I really want to stress here is the flavor: it is INSANELY good.

I’ve tested a bunch of MTL tanks this year and nothing else comes even remotely close to the Innokin ARES in this context.

Anything Else I Need To Know?

If you haven’t MTL vaped before you’re in for a real treat.

Why’s that? Simple: it’s a wholly different sensation to your standard sub ohm tanks.

Yes, it’s more like smoking. But you also get way more intense flavor, and the overall sensation (taking it in your mouth, then breathing it in) is such a pleasant change of pace from constant big-hittin’ RDAs and vape tanks.

And because it’s a rebuildable tank, you’re going to save a fortune on coils. All it takes to run this thing for three months is a $5.00 pack of organic cotton and a coil.

That’s it, literally.

The two coils it comes with should last you 2/3 months as well. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what you call economical vaping.

Chuck on the fact that using this tank will double (or triple) your mod’s battery life, as well as burn through around 50-60% less E Juice a month, and you’ve got yourself a seriously compelling vape tank.

It isn’t the only decent MTL vape tank around, however, as you can see inside our guide to the Best MTL Vape Tanks Right Now.

But it is definitely up there with the best of them!


Best Place To Buy Innokin ARES?

DirectVapor | $34.95 (Inc. Free Shipping)

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