In this guide to prebuilt vape coils, we are going to explain about each type of vape coil, what they're good for and when to use them.
Let's begin, the beginner's guide to prebuilt and handmade coils for vaping.
Prebuilt and handmade coils for vaping
Coils play a key element to your vaping experience, where it helps to turn e-liquid into vapor and holds the most running costs. If you are new to the vaping arena, then this vape coils guide is likely to help you, have a better understanding of vaping coils.
We are going to touch on vaping coils, types of coils, materials used in making vaping coils, and how it can impact your vaping experience. Prebuilt or handmade coils, it's all in here.
With this guide, you can collect the basic knowledge of building handmade vape and prebuilt coils required for your vaping tanks. We want to help you understand the vape coil world and how to choose the best one according to your needs. Whether we are talking about Mesh Strips or Coils by Scott, we hope to answer your key questions here.
Quick Contents:
- Vape Coils Explained
- What is Wicking
- Kanthal
- Ceramic
- Nichrome
- Nickel
- Titanium
- Mesh Coils
Vape coils explained
Let's start this vape coils guide with identifying what vape coils are.
Vape coils are sections of wire that are available in vaping devices in the form of a wrapped coil, which becomes hot when electrical current passes through it. This heating occurs due to its resistance to the current flow, which further generates waste energy. This produced energy moves into e-juices present inside the cotton of the vaping coil and gets vapourised.
Vape coils are critical in the vaping process, to heat-up the e-juices to give you a that vaping experience. Without this fundamental element, no vaporizers or e-cigarettes can work properly, and you cannot vape without a coil. It's why when you are using some e-cigarettes, you may see the words 'Check Atomiser'. It's because the coil is dead and the kit won't work.
That's how important your prebuilt coil or atomiser is.
Vape coils are responsible for heating e-juices and e-liquids, thereby turning them into vaporized form so that you can inhale it. Vape coils are designed with the help of a spiral-shaped wire across the wicking materials that hold e-liquid.
Wait - What's Wicking Material?
Wicking, is an old English word, which means to absorb or draw off liquid by capillary action. In short, an absorbent lump of cotton in your vape tank, sucks up juice which then gets heated by your vaping coil.
Back to the Coils
Vape coil and wicking materials are a key component of the atomizer head, present in your vaping tanks, which gets attached to e-cigarettes.
By attaching vaping tanks with the battery, it lets your vape coils connect with the heating circuit. Furthermore, when you switch on the vaping device, vape coils start heating the available wicking material inside the vape tanks to produce vapors.
This word 'wicking' is what spawned the brand name for E-liquid 'Wick Liquor'.
Nowadays, it is quite common among experienced vapers to create personalized coil setups through mod kits and mod boxes. In this way, vapers can easily modify and adjust their device components and build coils for having a greater vaping experience.
You can go through this vape coils guide to have a proper understanding of different coil materials and their usage. It might help you understand the difference in titanium coils and mesh coils.
Vape coil types available
Kanthal
Kanthal is primarily used in e-cigarette vape coils for variable wattage or variable voltage vaping. This material consists of a mixture of iron, aluminum, and chromium that can resist higher temperatures.
It is a great option among vapers because its taste doesn't change with increased heat. Thus, you can use this material for a wide variety of wattages. You can easily use this material for building personalized coils that can be manipulated and fit for any vaping device.
But if you wondered why you see Kanthal vape coils on nearly every vape kit - this is why. Mr Versatile.
Ceramic
Don't be fooled by the name, who would have thought a ceramic teapot would be absorbent, but ceramic vape coils really are!
So, ceramic coils are a type of vape coil material that is super absorbent, and vapour friendly. Ceramic coils have a good property for allowing the smooth movement of air through it when drawing e-liquid.
Many vapers use ceramic materials for personalized coils as it helps to let out more flavour over other choices, which is why Smok have incorporated a ceramic coil option in their Nord coils.
Moreover, ceramic vape coils can resist high wattages efficiently; thus, mostly used in high-powered vape mods. Ceramic coils can last for a longer period as compared to cotton coils. Also, these coils are helpful in preventing dry hits.
I guess if a ceramic teapot can handle a bucket load of boiling water, it can't be a bad material for your vaporiser either.
Nichrome
We arrive upon, NICHROME - the vaping wire choice of temperature control fans. Nichrome wire is a composition of chromium and nickel that can heat up faster than Kanthal. It helps in producing larger amounts of clouds, flavors, and a warm vape. Nichrome vaping wire was used mainly during the early vaping days.
It doesn't change it's resistance power with rising temperatures and offers reliable vaping. This means it's generally favoured where dry hits and hot spot burnouts, are aiming to be avoided.
That said, is anyone ever aiming to not avoid a dry hit?
Although Nichrome doesn't add to the temperature control vaping, it can support temperatures based on vaper's settings. It is one of the more popular forms of mod style vaping used by vapers with fast ramp-up times and life span of coil life.
Nickel
Nickel vaping coils contain a pure form of nickel that is used for temperature control. Since it's resistance changes more than Nichrome and Kanthal when heated up, it is only used in TC modes, where it can easily detect changes and infer temperature accordingly.
Due to its low resistance, several Temp Control vape settings tend to work better with straight nickel wire, other available materials. Besides, nickel coils don't last for a long time when dry fired. It is also not suitable for variable wattage and variable voltage vaping. It can be an allergen to some vapers, so read this vape coils guide carefully to avoid unexpected risks.
Titanium
Titanium vape wire is another option used for temperature control vaping, and vapers use it to build personalized coils because it is more powerful than nickel vape coils.
These coils are easy to handle because of their softness and malleability. Titanium has twice the resistance power than nickel, thereby making it a more popular material for vaping purposes.
When you dry fire Titanium coils, it could lead to adverse effects when inhaled daily due to the release of metal oxides. It is advisable to therefore avoid dry firing while working with this material. It is also not suitable for wattage focused vaping and is only best used with TC modes.
Stainless steel
SS or stainless steel is the most versatile coil type available in the market and is suitable for both variable wattage/variable voltage and temperature control modes.
It is a combination of chromium, carbon, and nickel components without creating any nickel allergens. Stainless steel can resist dry firing due to its high melting point and easily hold shapes perfectly. It is easy to work with and provides a faster ramp-up time like that of Kanthal. It helps to produce clean flavor and consists of magnetic properties that boost its longevity.
So if it's conventional style vaping your are after, kanthal is a shout for your wire, but so is Stainless Steel.
Mesh Coils
Mesh coils are becoming more commonplace in vaping, amongst newer style vape kits for everyday use and advanced vapers alike.
But what are they- and what do they do?
What is a Mesh Coil?
A mesh coil is a long strip of metal with lots of equally spaced holes in it. It looks like tiny chicken wire, with these holes allowing liquid and air to pass through, while at the same time being able to conduct heat across a thin but wide span.
What this all means, is unlike early vaping coils, mesh coils are thin so have a larger contact area with the cotton and liquid.
A thick wire, will touch the cotton and a reduced surface area, than a flat equally spread mesh coil wire.
This enables (with the benefit of the mesh holes), less hot spots, less burnt liquid and cotton, and potentially bigger plumes of vapour and deeper flavour.
And that, is why people are singing the praises of the mesh coil.
Vandy Vape make some of our in house sold mesh coils - shop for these below:
Coil-Clusion
You should have picked up a little information on vaping coils through this vape coils guide. Selecting the best prebuilt coil depends upon your vaping style and needs. Now that you are a little better acquainted with the details and know what you need to look for in an atomiser, finding the right one may be a little easier.
Stay bookmarked as we update our blog posts, when new vape coil innovations come online. From the next mesh coil, to the future of kanthal, this has been our vaping coils guide and thanks for reading.