For Established and Longer-Term Vapers
So for someone with limited experience with e-cigarettes, there are still a lot of different things you can use to find the right kit for your tastes. If you’re already a vaper or have quite a bit of experience with e-cigs, it’s much easier to find the right kit for your needs.
Your Current Setup – What Do You Have and Why Do You Want Something Else?
The best thing you can think about to determine what the right e-cigarette is for you is what you have right now.
Are you still using a tank system you got when you first started?
Are you using a mod but find it too complicated?
Do you like the screw-together- and-vape simplicity of cigalikes but don’t get enough vapour?
So, thinking about your current device, what is it you’re dissatisfied with?
Not enough vapour: This is a simple issue. If your device doesn’t offer enough vapour, you’ll need something more powerful and with a better coil. The best option is a mod, especially when paired with a sub ohm tank. Pod mods are also better than cigalikes and low powered pods in this area.
Not enough flavor: Similarly, flavour will generally improve with better coils.
Cigalikes aren’t great for flavour. Simple tank systems are better, but sub-ohm tanks or other options like the Innokin Zlide tank paired with mods offer the best flavour.
Limited battery life: Bigger batteries tend to last longer. So tank systems last longer between charges than cigalikes, and mods last longer than tank systems. However, some tank systems offer substantial battery life too, so it’s worth considering anything with a higher mAh rating than your current device.
If you’re a chain-vaper and regularly run into issues with battery life, vape mods are definitely worth the extra start-up cost.
Running costs too high:
Although the biggest expense for a vaper is getting the device, running costs can vary between kits. In general, cigalikes with disposable cartridges are the most expensive to operate. For tank systems and mods, the main cost (apart from e-liquid) is buying replacement coils, and keeping this to a minimum means choosing the right tank.
For example, Aspire Nautilus coils (5 for £10.99) are more affordable than Atlantis coils (5 for £13.99), and Innokin iSub coils (5 for £9.99) cost even less. Generally, clearomizer coils like the Aspire BVC coils (5 for £8) are the most affordable.
Since cloud-chasing is fairly popular among vapers, it’s worth looking at the issue of vapour production in a bit more depth than in the previous section.
If you’re serious about producing big clouds, getting a mod (or a powerful pod mod) is almost mandatory.
This is where the maximum power outputs from mods start to get important. More power (higher watts) means more vapour. So something like the Smok Nfix Mate, which offers up to 25 W, is not going to be able to put out as much vapour as the Aspire Vrod 200, with its 200 watts of maximum power.
Clouds aren’t all about your choice of device, though: there are many other useful tips you can use to get more vapour from your e-cigarette, whichever one you have.
Do You Need Temperature Control?
If you’re looking for a mod, a common feature on many devices is temperature control (TC). But do you need TC? Is it worth paying more for a device like the Eleaf iStick Power which features it, or would you be equally happy with a more basic style mod like the Innokin Adept?
There is a definite advantage of TC for newer vapers: if you use it, you won’t experience unpleasant “dry puffs” when you vape. These occur when there isn’t enough liquid in the wick, and taste really horrible.
TC devices stop this by limiting the coil’s temperature so your e-liquid can’t get “overcooked” and your wicks are much less likely to get burned. TC also offers more consistent flavour from your e-juice.
But TC isn’t necessary to enjoy vaping. You may have to take a few steps to protect against dry puffs with a non-TC mod, such as keeping your tank topped up and reducing your power setting if you start to notice an issue (we have some more tips in this post), but it really is quite easy to do.
TC mods always have a non-TC mode too, but if you don’t think you’ll need it, you can save money by getting something more basic.
We’d recommend TC if you can afford a slightly higher-end device, but ultimately it comes down to personal preference. Personally,
I own several TC-capable mods but rarely use the feature. I prefer the hit I get in wattage mode, and since TC wasn’t around when I started vaping I’ve gotten used to wattage-based vaping.
However, this might not be the case for you, and TC definitely makes it easier to get consistent performance, so this is something to keep in mind when you’re making your choice. It’s not a deal-breaker, but is definitely a handy bonus feature to have.
