What Vape Device To Buy?

Vaping devices have evolved dramatically over the years. Everyone, from beginners to pro-vapers, seriously consider which device will suit them best. With so many options on the market, it may seem daunting to make a choice. That is why we are going to help you through your vaping journey by getting you one step closer to choosing the vape device that will suit your needs.

What Are The Different Types Of Vapes Out There?

Each vaping device is characterized by new, innovative features that set it apart from previous devices. Vaping devices can be separated into five main categories, with a selection of devices in each category. The five main categories include:

• Cig-a-likes
• Vape pens
• Vape mods
• Pod mods
• Disposable vapes

What Is A Cig-A-Like?

Cig-a-likes have a similar appearance to cigarettes, to mimic the experience of smoking as closely as possible. They are mostly used by smokers who want to make a smooth transition to vaping. These devices are also credited for creating the term “electronic cigarettes”.

The Anatomy Of A Cig-A-Like

Cig-a-likes are known for their simplicity and can be characterized by the following features:

• Battery – an essential power component found in every vaping device
• Cartomizer – combines the flavour cartridge and atomizer into a single part
• Draw-activation – no buttons, making the device easy to use
• LED light – mimics the burning appearance of dragging a cigarette

Different Types Of Cig-A-Likes

There are two different types of cig-a-likes, namely disposable cig-a-likes and refillable cig-a-likes. With disposable cig-a-likes, you can buy pre-filled cartridges, which you can replace once they are done. Refillable cig-a-likes allow you to refill your cartridges manually with your favourite e-juice. You will need to replace the cartridges when the wicking material is used up.

Characteristics Of Cig-A-Likes

Cig-a-likes are Mouth-To-Lung (MTL) devices, making the experience as close to smoking a cigarette as possible. Cig-a-likes have the following characteristics:

• Low wattage (below 16 Watts)
• Cooler vapour and less-harsh hits
• Tighter draws
• Usually holds around 1 ml of e-juice
• Cartomizer made from polyfill
• Rechargeable or disposable

Is A Cig-A-Like A Good Fit For You?

Cig-a-likes are known for their simplicity and make for good introductory devices, especially for ex-smokers. 

Pros Of Cig-A-Likes

• User-friendly
• Uses less e-liquid
• Uncomplicated vaping device
• Great portability

Cons Of Cig-A-Likes

• Shorter battery life
• Lower e-juice capacity
• Less vapour production
• Tighter airflow

What Is A Vape Pen?

Vape pens are larger than cig-a-likes, but still maintain the cylindrical shape. They also have more variety, an increased battery power, and bigger cloud production. Vape pens can also be sub-ohm or above-ohm devices.

The Anatomy Of A Vape Pen

Vape pens can be characterised by the following features:

• Firing button
• Safety features (10-second auto shut down)
• Battery
• Tank for e-liquid
• Coil (sub ohm or above ohm)
• Battery indicator
• USB charging port
• Some include airflow control

Vape pens also have atomizers instead of cartomizers, since these devices make use of tanks. The atomizer itself consists of the following components:

• Mouthpiece or drip tip
• Tank through which you can see the level of e-liquid
• Chimney
• Coil (sub ohm or above ohm)
• Threading that connects the battery

Different Types Of Vape Pens

Vape pens can be separated into four groups:

Fixed Voltage Vape Pens

When vape pens first hit the market, they were all fixed voltage devices. A fixed voltage device has a consistent voltage output. With these devices, there is no need to play around with settings since you only have the firing button.

Vape Carts

This is the most common vape pen design that does not have added features such as variable temperature or voltage options. These devices are easy to use with only the power button to consider, while the battery power is more than enough to satisfy nicotine cravings.

Variable Voltage Vape Pens

This innovative feature is commonly added to newer vape pens, as it allows users to personalise their experience. Variable voltage options are usually used in combination with less powerful batteries. Having the ability to decrease or increase the voltage is a great feature to play around with as it influences the flavour intensity, throat hit, and cloud production of your device.

Variable Temperature Vape Pens

Some vape pens have a feature that automatically adjusts the device’s power output depending on the temperature setting the user selects. This will then automatically adapt the power output to that coil resistance of your device, which will help you to avoid dry hits.

Characteristics Of Vape Pens

You can adjust your vape pen for Mouth-To-Lung (MTL) or Direct-To-Lung (DTL) hits, since you can change your device’s airflow intake. The more you open the device’s airflow, the closer you will get to a DTL hit, which produces massive clouds and a satisfying throat hit. Vape pens have the following characteristics:

• Great starter kits with easy-to-use features
• Average tank capacity between 1.8 ml and 5 ml
• Coil resistance, anywhere from 0.15 Ω to around 2.5 Ω (depending on the device)
• Safety features – your device will shut down after 10 seconds of drawing to prevent your battery from overheating
• Battery power between 650 mAh and 3 000 mAh
• Wattage output of less than 80 Watts

Is A Vape Pen A Good Fit For You?

Vape pens are a great introductory device since they provide intense flavour profiles, bigger vapour clouds, and efficient nicotine delivery.

Pros Of Vape Pens

• User-friendly devices
• A variety of colours and sizes to choose from
• Portable devices
• Big vapour cloud production
• More pronounced flavour
• Adjustable airflow intake for MTL or DTL hits

Cons Of Vape Pens

• Shorter battery life than mod devices
• Faster e-liquid consumption and more frequent refills

What Is A Vape Mod?

Vape mods have become extremely popular in the vaping community because of their firepower and added personalisation features. These stylish devices safely deliver powerful vapour clouds with their sub-ohm coil adaptations. 

Different Types Of Vape Mods

Vape mods can be divided into two categories with their own subcategories:

1. Regulated Vape Mods – Tube Mods and Box Mods
2. Unregulated Vape Mods – Mechanical Mods

Regulated Vape Mods

Regulated Vape Mods work on the basis of a circuit board within its structure. The circuit board allows for the incorporation of a safety feature, variable voltage, different wattages, and temperature control settings. 

Safety Features (Protection Circuit For The Battery)

• Short circuit protection – When your device is undergoing a short circuit, the protection feature will prevent it from firing. This prevents battery damage.
• Discharge/overcharge protection – Prevents the device from firing when the device is overused or when the battery is overcharged.
• Thermal protection – Prevents you from taking a hit when the battery is overheated.
• Minimum/maximum resistance protection – Ensures that the device will not fire when using an improper coil resistance setting.

Personalization Features (Provided By The Circuit Board)

• Fixed voltage – A set voltage output allows for a consistent vaping experience. Even if your battery is close to needing a charge, you will still be able to get the same amount of volts for each hit.
• Variable wattage/voltage – The ability to increase or decrease the wattage or voltage to minimise or maximise the amount of power flowing through your device’s atomizer. This allows you to play around with your device’s flavour intensity, throat hit, and cloud production so that you can find your sweet spot.
• Temperature control – When you set the temperature you want to vape at, the device will automatically adjust the power output to preserve coil life and prevent dry hits.

Tube Mods

Tube mods are basically normal vape pens with sub-ohm tanks. Most vape pens that are available on the market are tube mods that only have one button to press.

Box Mods

Box mods are by far the most powerful and sophisticated devices on the market. Because of their shape, box mods have increased battery power and have a bunch of advanced features that allow you to personalise your vaping experience.

General Features Of Box Mods

• Sub-ohm tanks
• Variable wattage and voltage settings
• External batteries
• Temperature control
• LED displays to show information like battery life, puff counter, wattage/voltage settings, ohmmeter, and temperature settings

Unregulated Vape Mods

These mods do not include the built-in features of regulated vape mods. They simply include a battery, atomizer, and a case to hold these components together. Since there are no safety features implemented into these devices, they pose a greater safety risk to users. Only vapers with an understanding of Ohm’s law and how electrical systems work should use these devices. This means that these devices are definitely not suited for beginners.

Mechanical Mods

These are simple devices with insane battery power housed in a metallic tube or box. These are perfect for vape enthusiasts who want to build their own atomizers for the ideal vaping experience. 

Self-constructed atomizers are referred to as Rebuildable Drip Atomizers (RDAs), and you will have to drip your e-liquid on top of the custom coil. Vapers also make use of Rebuildable Tank Atomizers (RTAs) that function as their tanks.

Is A Box Mod A Good Fit For You?

Box mods can sound like high-tech devices, but they are not that difficult to use if you know how all the settings work together. This device is a good fit for those who like to tinker around with technology and want to experiment with different settings. 

Pros Of Box Mods

• High performance in terms of flavour intensity and is perfect for cloud chasers
• The ability to fully personalise your vaping experience to find your sweet spot
• Longer battery life
• More options, such as using different types of coils
• A choice between MTL and DTL hits

Cons Of Box Mods

• Requires you to buy separate batteries
• Batteries take longer to charge

What Is A Pod Mod?

Pod mods are lower wattage devices that are a new and improved take on cig-a-likes. These devices most often use Nic Salts to mimic the smoking experience at a whole new level. There are two main types of pod systems:

• Closed Pod Systems – Makes use of disposable pods that are pre-filled with e-liquid. Once the pod is finished, you can discard it and place a new one in your device to continue vaping.

• Open Pod Systems – Contains pods that you can refill manually with your favourite e-liquids. You will have to replace the cartridges after about 4 to 5 refills.

Characteristics Of Pod Mods

Both types of pod mods have lowered wattages and are very simple to use since they are draw-activated.

• Low wattage (below 16 Watts)
• Usually used with Nic Salts
• The perfect option for smokers who are new to vaping
• Perfect for MTL vaping
• User-friendly and very portable

Is A Pod Mod A Good Fit For You?

Pod mods use Nic Salts, which, along with the cylindrical shape of the device, provides an experience akin to smoking. This provides a seamless transition from smoking to vaping.

Pros Of Pod Mods

• Higher nicotine delivery with Nic Salts to satisfy cravings
• Portable and pocket-friendly
• User-friendly

Cons Of Pod Mods

• Shorter battery life
• Less cloud production (which would be unnecessary due to higher nicotine delivery)

What Is A Disposable Vape?

Disposable vapes are small, non-rechargeable devices prefilled with e-liquid. These devices are perfect for vaping on-the-go, as they already contain all you need to vape and are draw-activated. These devices are single-use products, once your e-liquid runs out you should discard the device as it can no longer be used.

How Do Disposable Vapes Work?

Disposable vapes are very easy to use – simply unwrap the product packaging and take a puff. You do not need to charge the device, replace coils, or refill e-liquid – they are made for vaping right away. Most disposable devices contain Nic Salts for a strong nicotine hit and superb flavour.

Is A Disposable Vape A Good Fit For You?

Disposable vapes are a great option for those who are looking to quit smoking and make the switch to vaping. Since they are ready to use once you open them up, you can utilise them to see if vaping suits you or to try out new flavours with little commitment.

Pros Of Disposable Vapes

• Very easy to use
• No maintenance required
• A cheaper starting option
• Wide variety of flavours
• Good way to determine how vaping suits you

Cons Of Disposable Vapes

• Not the most eco-friendly option
• Non-refillable
• More expensive when used in the long run

The device you will decide to buy will depend on what you want to get from your vaping experience. Pod mods are easy to use and exceed the efficiency of cig-a-likes in all aspects. Vape pens are user-friendly and deliver big clouds with a great nicotine satisfaction. Box mods can deliver massive clouds and powerful flavour, but they are not suitable for users that do not know exactly how these devices work and what they require. Disposable vapes are great for determining whether vaping will suit your lifestyle and trying out new flavours. Either way, you can find all you need and more at Vaperite – the perfect place for all your vaping needs.