DOVPO Topside 90W Top Fill Squonk MOD

[Timwis]

Hi Ecigssa members, In this review i take a look at the Topside 90W Top Fill Squonk MOD from Dovpo. The Dovpo Topside 90W Top Fill Squonk MOD was supplied for the purpose of this review by Ella from Sourcemore.

https://www.sourcemore.com/dovpo-topside...k-mod.html



Introduction

The Topside is a collaboration between Dovpo and Vapor Chronicles and much talked about with many rating it the best squonk device in the marketplace. I love the Delta, and the Rage is also a superb squonk device so when i received the Topside i was looking forward to seeing how it matched up. The Topside will accommodate a 18650, 20700 or 21700 battery and offers the first top-fill method with a squonk device, with it's unique look and coming in a multitude of colours there's lots to wet the lips. The Topside has a great screen giving all the needed information in easy to read font and with a firmware upgrade now offers TC option, let's see if it lives up to the hype!

___________________________________________________________________



In The Box



Contents:

1 x Topside MOD (no battery)
1 x USB Cable
1 x Bottle(Pre-installed)
1 x Extra Bottle (separated packaging)
1 x 18650 Battery Adaptor
1 x User Manual
1 x Battery Safety Card
1 x QC Card



___________________________________________________________________



Aesthetics and Ergonomics

The Topside comes in a good quality plastic container with slide off top which has a cardboard sleeve, you also get a spare bottle but that is packaged separately. The plastic container is worth a mention as it could be put to good use, it has four holes on the top a good distance apart that work well for sitting atty's in and i can imagine a mod maker after seeing the box would already be thinking about their next project. I received the Silver version which has a glitter type finish as does the other solid colour options, the combo colours available have a splatter style finish and i must say the Black Gold version looks stunning. The colour options are, Silver, Black, Gunmetal, Blue, Red, Purple, Gold, Green, Black Grey, Black Red, Black Gold and Black Blue. The shape is a double barrel look giving the spine where we have the cutout for pressing the bottle an ergonomic rounded shape. I thought the the double barrel shape on the sides will make this uncomfortable to hold but when in hand because there are no edges it feels fine, in fact the rounded spine and position of the large Black domed fire button the Topside is a surprisingly ergonomic device especially as it's large for a single battery squonk device. The front of the device has the already mentioned fire button at the top, central is the screen then below we have a venting grill for the chip followed by the round domed Black navigational buttons. On one side of the device we have the micro USB port, the base is the battery door and has plenty of printed safety marks and branding. Up top we have a upper section towards the front then it curves down to a lower section at the rear. The rear is where we have the top-fill cap which has texturing for grip, on the upper section is the leak proof design Gold plated, spring loaded BF 510 surrounded by a small 510 plate. I can't fault the build quality of the Topside, if it performs as well as it is made and looks then it's going to be a cracking device.




___________________________________________________________________



Topside Specs and Features:

Size: 54.0mm x 27.0mm x 92.0mm
Material: Zinc Alloy/Aluminium Alloy/Stainless Steel
(All parts that have contact with e-liquid are made from food grade stainless steel and silicone）
Battery: Single 21700 or 18650 with an Adaptor(not included)
Input Voltage: 3.2V-4.2V
Output Voltage: 1.0V-8.5V
Output Wattage: 5W-90W
Squonk Bottle Capacity: 10ml
Resistance Range: 0.08ohm-3.5ohm
Screen: 0.96 inch OLED
Working Mode: VW/Bypass (optional TC firmware download)
Environmental material for safe and healthy vaping experience
World's first top fill squonk MOD with various working modes
0.96 inch OLED screen & large fire button for easy operation
Soft silicone squeeze bottle with 10ml large e-juice capacity
Colours: Silver, Black, Gunmetal, Blue, Red, Purple, Gold, Green, Black Grey, Black Red, Black Gold, Black Blue



___________________________________________________________________



Filling The device

On the top of the device towards the rear we have a screw cap very similar to a battery cap we see on devices like the Pico, unscrew this cap which reveals 2 generous kidney shaped fill ports, it's exactly the same as when you unscrew the top-cap off a tank. Looking inside as well as the fill ports the rest of the circular shape is made up with a Black solid section, on the underneath of this is where the pipe is that feeds down into the bottle to connect with the bottles tube and then leads to the 510, the bottle holds 10ml of e-liquid which is impressive. The underneath of the screw cap has spring loaded kidney shaped bungs that seal everything once the cap is screwed back on.



___________________________________________________________________



The Bottle

To remove the bottle we have to remove the top-cap (it comes out much easier with top-cap removed) and open the battery door revealing the base of the bottles casing. On this base where the spine of the device is there is a indent to get grip to pull the bottles casing with bottle out of the device. The Bottle is housed inside strong plastic casing which has a metal top section which has kidney shaped fill ports that line up with the already mentioned fill ports at the top of the device and then a cutout section with a hole, the circle is completed when the casing is fitted inside the device as the solid section with pipe already described at the top of the device slots into this cut out section feeding the pipe inside the tubing in the bottle and sealing everything. For the most part when people want to clean the bottle it's easy enough to just flush it out using the fill ports but you can give it a more thorough clean. On either side of the top metal section of the casing are screws, by undoing these you can take the casing apart revealing the tube on the underneath of the metal section and take your bottle out, now it can be given a thorough clean, you are supplied with both an allen key and spare screws just in case. The plastic casing for the bottle has protruding side rails and inside the device is a groove either side so the bottle assembly is fitted smoothly in the perfect position.



___________________________________________________________________



The Spare Bottle

When you buy the Topside you do get a spare bottle which is packaged separately. The bottle is the full assembly including the casing, it also comes with a top that looks very similar to the one on the device with bungs for the fill ports and a section that mimics the solid section with feed pipe, this top is just press fitted into place but is a nice tight fit and with the protruding area interlocking and the bungs sitting deep this is not going to come off on it's own accord. This is a massive pro, 10ml in the bottle fitted in the device and another 10ml you can carry around in the spare, that's 20ml on the go.



___________________________________________________________________



Fitting The Battery

The Topside will accommodate a 21700, 20700 or with the supplied adaptor a 18650. The battery door is the base of the device, you need to slightly slide the door towards the rear then it lifts up. Underneath the door we have the bottom of the bottle cartridge once side and the battery tube compartment the other, it's just a matter of sliding your battery (the correct way) into the tube then fastening the door. The door secures very well and there is no battery rattle, orientation is marked on the door in White so a big pro for that.



___________________________________________________________________



The Display

The display is sharp, very bright and quite basic in it's layout which will be liked by many with all information in a decent size font so no issues with reading the information given. At the top of the display to the left we have the mode, to the right of this is the battery status bar, underneath the already described is your wattage. Then further down we have the amps followed by the voltage and finally at the bottom your resistance.



___________________________________________________________________



Navigating The Topside

The Topside is one of the easiest devices to navigate with only having wattage and bypass modes by default, you can download a firmware package to add TC but the way the operating system functions this is not going to make navigating the Topside any more complex. To turn the device on and off is the usual 5 clicks of the fire button and once on i have already described the display and it is a matter of just using your navigational buttons to alter your wattage to what you want and vaping. To use the device in bypass simply hold down the left button and fire button together and it changes modes to bypass, to get back to wattage just repeat the operation. The only other feature is pressing both navigational buttons together locks and unlocks the device, when the device is locked it will still fire.



___________________________________________________________________



Using The Topside

I used both the Profile and Widowmaker on the topside and the device works as well as any squonker i have used. The firing with the finger and putting pressure on the bottle with the thumb or firing with the thumb and pressing the bottle with the fingers work equally as well as each other, it feels really good in the hand. The device fires instantly with next to no ramp up and i didn't suffer any misfires. The wattage scrolls in point 5 watt increments unless you hold the button down then it switches to 1 watt increments. The squonking system works great with the bottle being just the right tension. Filling the bottle (not that you need to do it often with the 10ml capacity) is as easy as filling a top-fill tank, it's an impressive innovative device. It is slightly on the large size with a bit of weight and any atty's over 25mm will overhang but apart from that its pro after pro. Battery life is excellent with a 21700 for a single battery device and as already mentioned if you use TC there is a firmware download to add that to the device.



___________________________________________________________________



Topside V's The Delta

These are the best 2 squonk devices i have used and without going into what i prefer about each device, which do i prefer? Just because of personal preference reasons, by a tad i still prefer the Delta but have to concede the Topside is marginally the better device.



___________________________________________________________________



Likes

Very good build quality
No button rattle whatsoever
Aesthetically pleasing (in my opinion)
Plenty of colour options
Ergonomic (despite size)
Top-fill
Accommodates 21700, 20700 or 18650 battery
Battery door fits securely (no rattles)
Orientation in White
Innovative
Nice size and shaped fire button
Simple to Navigate
Sharp, very bright display
Bypass mode
TC firmware download option
Point 5 watt increment scrolling
Bottle is easy to give a quick clean
Spare bottle included with lid (carry loaded with e-liquid)
Quick bottle assembly switch
Suffered no leaking
Squonks consistently
Fires instantly with quick ramp up
Good battery life
Firmware upgradeable

Cons

Large single battery squonk device
Atty's over 25mm will overhang
To thoroughly clean bottle means undoing screws and taking assembly apart



I would once again like to thank Ella from Sourcemore for supplying the DOVPO Topside 90W Top Fill Squonk MOD for the purpose of this review.

https://www.sourcemore.com/dovpo-topside...k-mod.html

___________________________________________________________________

 

[Spink]

@Timwis

Thanks for the review. I own a delta and I'm considering buying a topside. I know you didn't wanna get into the the what you like and don't like about the 2 devices. But i'm struggling to see if I should spend another large amount on a topside. As both aren't the cheapest mods just to try and then see which one is better.

I'm hoping you could maybe give me a little more insight as to why you prefer the delta over the topside, even though you say the topside is slighty better?

Thanks.

 

[Puff the Magic Dragon]

Hi @Spink

I have used the Delta since last week. It is really an innovative device.

The filling system is fantastic. A squeeze or two on your juice bottle and you're good to go, with zero spillage or leakage. No covers to open or bottles or caps to remove, no dribbling bottles or juice on your hands.

The push to squonk system is really good and is quick to get used to. The last couple of ml require a few more pushes than at the beginning but it is quite possible to completely empty the juice container. One or two firm pushes on the button and the RDA is filled with juice. Release the button and the excess is sucked back.

Vape King has the kit for sale at an amazingly low price (R 1200). The RDA is not the best, but it is by no means a bad RDA. It is designed for mesh and normal coils. I am waiting for my mesh to arrive but it works really well on the provided coils.

I have used the Topside, but only for a few minutes, so I can't do a fair comparison.

Let me put it this way. I had intended to buy the Topside but waited for the Delta (which I won) to arrive. I now see no reason for me to buy the Topside.

All the reviews have been extremely positive for the Delta. The only partially negative review was from Jai Hazed. He couldn't work out how to push the push to squonk button. He kept trying to tap on it as if he was trying to send the last morse code message on the Titanic. It looked as if he was trying to sabotage the review. The instructions say push to squonk, not tap to squonk. An eight-year-old could have worked that out.

@Spink . If you own the Delta and are unhappy with it, I cannot see how the Topside could improve your vape experience. I own more than ten squonk mods and the Delta is by far the best of those I own. What is it about the Delta that you don't like ?

My only negative is a personal one. It is a bit too bling for me but many vapers love bling.

 

[Jean claude Vaaldamme]

I dont think the Delta is selling, thats why VapeKing has it on such a special so early. To big and ugly(my opinion).
Almost bought a Topside the other day, also great special R1100. But for me its also big and heavy.
So for me the only reason one would want to buy either of these, would be for the easier refill, if you dont like the normal squonk bottle refill on normal small squonk mods.

 

[CashKat88]

I dont think the Delta is selling, thats why VapeKing has it on such a special so early. To big and ugly(my opinion).
Almost bought a Topside the other day, also great special R1100. But for me its also big and heavy.
So for me the only reason one would want to buy either of these, would be for the easier refill, if you dont like the normal squonk bottle refill on normal small squonk mods.

I got the topside about 2 weeks ago and that little extra weight is completely worth it, it really has a nice good quality feel, it has the best hand feel I've gotten from any sqounker I've used and the top filling really makes life easier, it's also pretty slim and just slips in the pocket very nicely, the paint job on it is also perfection

 

[Puff the Magic Dragon]

@Jean claude Vaaldamme .

The Delta is narrower and thinner than the Topside but it is quite a bit taller. Delta weighs about 30g more than Topside.

You are right the only functions they have above other regulated squonkers is Topfill on the Topside and Push to squonk and the bottom filling hole for the Delta.

I must admit that these are pretty big plusses. I have hardly touched another squonker since getting the Delta. "Ugliness" is a personal thing and although I don't generally like bling I take function over looks every time. The Delta is not an everyday beater type of mod and I mostly use it at home.

 

[Silver]

Thanks for the review @Timwis
Very insightful and interesting

And thanks for all the follow up comments. Great to see discussions on these various mods and comparisons

Am reading with interest to decide on my first entry point into a regulated squonker -
Been using the Reos (mechanical) for years but want to try a regulated.

I like the look of this Topside

Just a question, how easy is it to change the bottles? Reason I ask is that on the Reo, its a quick few second procedure. And I have several bottles for different flavour profiles. I like to change the bottle when vaping a totally different flavour

What have your experiences been? And to the guys that have used the Delta too?

 

[CashKat88]

@Jean claude Vaaldamme .

The Delta is narrower and thinner than the Topside but it is quite a bit taller. Delta weighs about 30g more than Topside.

You are right the only functions they have above other regulated squonkers is Topfill on the Topside and Push to squonk and the bottom filling hole for the Delta.

I must admit that these are pretty big plusses. I have hardly touched another squonker since getting the Delta. "Ugliness" is a personal thing and although I don't generally like bling I take function over looks every time. The Delta is not an everyday beater type of mod and I mostly use it at home.

92 mm x 54 mm x 27 mm - Dovpo Topside
127mm x 55.9mm x 29.8mm - Revanant Delta

Actually the delta is not narrower nor thinner than the topside. The topside also has a 10ml bottle and comes with a spare for a quick change on the go.

 

[Puff the Magic Dragon]

You are right @CashKat88 . Just goes to show you can't always trust the internet.

 

[Timwis]

@Timwis

Thanks for the review. I own a delta and I'm considering buying a topside. I know you didn't wanna get into the the what you like and don't like about the 2 devices. But i'm struggling to see if I should spend another large amount on a topside. As both aren't the cheapest mods just to try and then see which one is better.

I'm hoping you could maybe give me a little more insight as to why you prefer the delta over the topside, even though you say the topside is slighty better?

Thanks.

Sorry for late reply for some reason i wasn't getting notifications. They are both very good devices with the Topside having the edge. I prefer the delta because i'm partial to a colour screen and i like it as much for the potential. It has the omni board so just a firmware upgrade will pack the device with features including curves for wattage, voltage and TC.

 

[Timwis]

I dont think the Delta is selling, thats why VapeKing has it on such a special so early. To big and ugly(my opinion).
Almost bought a Topside the other day, also great special R1100. But for me its also big and heavy.
So for me the only reason one would want to buy either of these, would be for the easier refill, if you dont like the normal squonk bottle refill on normal small squonk mods.

I think why the topside is outselling the Delta is on price. As far as i know with the delta you have to have the full kit with RDA and it's pricey, the topside sold as a device only is a much more affordable price. The Delta is a collaboration project with all parties wanting their slice of a profit so it all adds up.

 

[Timwis]

Thanks for the review @Timwis
Very insightful and interesting

And thanks for all the follow up comments. Great to see discussions on these various mods and comparisons

Am reading with interest to decide on my first entry point into a regulated squonker -
Been using the Reos (mechanical) for years but want to try a regulated.

I like the look of this Topside

Just a question, how easy is it to change the bottles? Reason I ask is that on the Reo, its a quick few second procedure. And I have several bottles for different flavour profiles. I like to change the bottle when vaping a totally different flavour

What have your experiences been? And to the guys that have used the Delta too?

Just pulls straight out and push straight in, it has rails on the side of the bottle assembly and grooves so it goes in spot on every time.

 

[Puff the Magic Dragon]

@Timwis have you seen an upgrade for the Delta ? If so please let me know where.

 

[Timwis]

@Timwis have you seen an upgrade for the Delta ? If so please let me know where.

I haven't but will email to see if there is one or one likely soon. The only problem with being a reviewer is i'm constantly testing product which gets in the way of being able to use devices i really like and keeping up to date, but i'm not complaining i'm lucky. All i did was review a couple of competition win devices about 2 years ago and it just grew to the point it takes up all my spare time.

 

[Spink]

@Timwis

Thanks for the response. I'm VW guy so the firmware update isn't too much of a con for me. I've check out some reddits and someone has contacted vaperesseo about an update to no response. They asked if they could use a firmware from the vaperesso armour as its the same/similar one that it is used in and there was a response of no it will not work on the delta.

I do like the colour screen much nicer.

 

[Spink]

I dont think the Delta is selling, thats why VapeKing has it on such a special so early. To big and ugly(my opinion).
Almost bought a Topside the other day, also great special R1100. But for me its also big and heavy.
So for me the only reason one would want to buy either of these, would be for the easier refill, if you dont like the normal squonk bottle refill on normal small squonk mods.

@Jean claude Vaaldamme

Where did you find the topside going for R1100 if I may ask?

I agree the delta in any other colour than the red model is not very pretty. The red because it is darker makes it appear much better.

I am definitely not into the old style of filling squonk bottles.

 

[Timwis]

@Timwis

Thanks for the response. I'm VW guy so the firmware update isn't too much of a con for me. I've check out some reddits and someone has contacted vaperesseo about an update to no response. They asked if they could use a firmware from the vaperesso armour as its the same/similar one that it is used in and there was a response of no it will not work on the delta.

I do like the colour screen much nicer.

I believe if it was solely a vaporesso device it would of been released with the omni board with all features present. What might be slowing down or even might even mean we never get the board completely unlocked is because Vaporesso manufactured the device with their PCB installed but it's not actually their device.

 

[Jean claude Vaaldamme]

@Jean claude Vaaldamme

Where did you find the topside going for R1100 if I may ask?

I agree the delta in any other colour than the red model is not very pretty. The red because it is darker makes it appear much better.

I am definitely not into the old style of filling squonk bottles.

A vape shop in the chinamall in Centurion. its a real vape shop, not fake shop, was on special, dont known what price is now

 

[Spink]

@CashKat88 @Puff the Magic Dragon

I've held both the topside and delta. The delta feels marginally smaller in the hand. Both are built very well. Both is very similar in paint quality. Weight is also similar. Hard to notice differences unless compared side by side.

 

[Spink]

A vape shop in the chinamall in Centurion. its a real vape shop, not fake shop, was on special, dont known what price is now

Thanks

 

[Jean claude Vaaldamme]

I think why the topside is outselling the Delta is on price. As far as i know with the delta you have to have the full kit with RDA and it's pricey, the topside sold as a device only is a much more affordable price. The Delta is a collaboration project with all parties wanting their slice of a profit so it all adds up.

Here in SA our biggest Vape retailer is selling the Delta full kit for about £10 less than most shops sell the Topside mod only

 

[Timwis]

Here in SA our biggest Vape retailer is selling the Delta full kit for about £10 less than most shops sell the Topside mod only

That will be the situation now because they have stock that they couldn't sell at the original price, the RRP is much higher for the Delta. I'm not in SA so i don't know the situation maybe it's a combination of what i said about the delta and a high price for the Topside cashing in on it's popularity?

 

[Spink]

Hi @Spink

I have used the Delta since last week. It is really an innovative device.

The filling system is fantastic. A squeeze or two on your juice bottle and you're good to go, with zero spillage or leakage. No covers to open or bottles or caps to remove, no dribbling bottles or juice on your hands.

The push to squonk system is really good and is quick to get used to. The last couple of ml require a few more pushes than at the beginning but it is quite possible to completely empty the juice container. One or two firm pushes on the button and the RDA is filled with juice. Release the button and the excess is sucked back.

Vape King has the kit for sale at an amazingly low price (R 1200). The RDA is not the best, but it is by no means a bad RDA. It is designed for mesh and normal coils. I am waiting for my mesh to arrive but it works really well on the provided coils.

I have used the Topside, but only for a few minutes, so I can't do a fair comparison.

Let me put it this way. I had intended to buy the Topside but waited for the Delta (which I won) to arrive. I now see no reason for me to buy the Topside.

All the reviews have been extremely positive for the Delta. The only partially negative review was from Jai Hazed. He couldn't work out how to push the push to squonk button. He kept trying to tap on it as if he was trying to send the last morse code message on the Titanic. It looked as if he was trying to sabotage the review. The instructions say push to squonk, not tap to squonk. An eight-year-old could have worked that out.

@Spink . If you own the Delta and are unhappy with it, I cannot see how the Topside could improve your vape experience. I own more than ten squonk mods and the Delta is by far the best of those I own. What is it about the Delta that you don't like ?

My only negative is a personal one. It is a bit too bling for me but many vapers love bling.

@Puff the Magic Dragon

So why I was looking at the topside is because of the capacity. My biggest issues with the delta is the tank capacity is 6.5mls and topside is 10mls. And the windows aren't the greatest at viewing how much juice is left. That is not as bad to me as the capacity. As only very limited situations I wouldn't be able to view through the windows. I'm guessing the next iteration would be either bigger windows or a led light inside and possibly a larger tank. Depending on if they can shrink their pump system.

I agree on all your comments.

In regards to the last few mls getting used. It's because the solid metal tube which feeds the rda does not go to the bottom of the bottle/tank. What I have done is just extend it with a tube (I have used the tip of a plastic pipette from diy). Now almost every last drop gets used up. Except for like 1 or 2 drops.

The system works buy air pressure. When pressed it it essentially uses air in the system and compresses it. That's why when the tank is full it squonks perfectly. When the tank gets emptier it does not have as much pressure as the surrounding air in the tank compresses (opposed to a fill tank as liquid does not compress very well). So effectively has less pressure.

I have seen the review and I think Jai Haze is just too biased to squeeze bottle squonks. Yes it it needs to be held down and not tapped. Not hard to imagine a similar action to actual squoking. Squeeze and hold, then release.

I love the delta, but the capacity is the biggest killer for me. It has somewhat been negated by having a great fill system which I think is probably better than the topside's. But if I can get away without carrying a bottle of juice around with me, the better. I'm looking at decreasing the amount of pocket space needed for vape gear when out and about for quite sometime. The use of a 21700 is good. But the capacity I find can still come up a bit short for me. The other plus is the extra bottle with cap. Carrying that around that is much smaller than a 120ml chubby bottle.

In terms of look, the red is the only way to go. Others are too much in your face. Paint is great with a similar quality to car paint. Feels great and the darker red colour and panels make it much less a finger print magnet or much less apparent anyway.

 

[Spink]

That will be the situation now because they have stock that they couldn't sell at the original price, the RRP is much higher for the Delta. I'm not in SA so i don't know the situation maybe it's a combination of what i said about the delta and a high price for the Topside cashing in on it's popularity?

I feel the delta is a better quality build over the delta. So that's probably why its higher priced originally. Also due to the fact it comes as a kit with RDA whereas topside is mod only.

Topside is running the hype train all day.

 

[Timwis]

I feel the delta is a better quality build over the delta. So that's probably why its higher priced originally. Also due to the fact it comes as a kit with RDA whereas topside is mod only.

Topside is running the hype train all day.

Yes in an earlier post in the thread i said exactly the same apart from build quality i would say both devices are top notch just the Delta has more weight to it but that doesn't mean the Topside is worse build quality just different materials used.