In today’s world, the styles and trends of people’s lifestyles change as drastically as overnight. Anything in the world can become outmoded depending heavily on the current trends. The millennial generation and Gen Z have now replaced cigarette smoking with more technologically advanced alternatives.
Over the past decade, Heated Aerosolized Nicotine Delivery Systems (HANDS) have been high in demand as they are relatively a better alternative for cigarette smoking. The most common HANDS are e-cigarettes which are the du jour that has gained popularity amongst people of all ages, especially teens and young adults. E-cigarettes today are available in modified versions, known as vapes, mods, pods, vape pens, etc.
Choosing a vape for yourself can be confusing since there is a wide variety of such devices available in the market today. In all honesty, the decision has to be made based on your needs, budget, and readiness to play with electronics. Moreover, choosing the look and size of the device matters, as it will significantly influence the device’s user experience. These devices are typically divided into four types based on their complexity, capacity, power, and the quality of smoke produced.
Disclaimer:
Read on for a guide to help discover and choose what your next vape purchase should be. However, it’s important to note that we don’t claim that vaping is a safer alternative to smoking. If you wish to quit smoking altogether, consider visiting a doctor or consulting a professional therapist for an intervention to break the addiction.
Vape Pens
A vape pen is an electronic device with a larger and longer-lasting battery, significant cloud production, a microchip inside the battery, and an atomizer. Before you buy vapes or vape pens, it is crucial to know which one to get. The cannabis industry has a major role in the popularity of vape pens as they are used to consume dry herbs, concentrates, and oil. Although, vape pens have also had their fair share of controversy in the news. Users who hamper with the device without care more often than not have to deal with accidents where their vape device may explode due to the lithium batteries, causing severe injuries.
The designs of vape pens today are based on some of the principles of modern technology. Some of the distinguishable features of modern vape pens include variable voltage, fixed voltage, variable temperature, and sub-Ohm tanks. Interestingly, sub-Ohm tanks were slower in picking popularity as they were not part of the mainstream vape pen devices at the initial launch in the market. Hence today, new vape pen devices feature sub-Ohm tanks as part of their advertising.
Vape pens are also beginner-level (starter kit) devices, just like ‘cig-a-likes,’ but a level up. They are portable, user-friendly, come in a various colors and sizes, have a wide variety of flavors, and can be adjusted to Mouth-to-Lung-Hit (MTL) or Direct-To-Lung (DTL), while producing significant vapor clouds. Vape pens have several cons including a shorter battery life when compared to box pods (though longer than cig-a-likes), and consume a higher amount of e-liquids.
Suppose you are a beginner looking for an affordable yet efficient vaping experience. In that case, you should consider vape pens as they are budget-friendly and straightforward.
Cig-a-likes
As the name suggests, these are electronic cigarettes with a strong resemblance to actual cigarettes in size, and performance. These are often entry-level devices with low vapor production, a tight airflow, low e-juice capacity, and short battery life. Vape enthusiasts and smoke quitters strongly prefer this type of vape for its user-friendly, ultra-portable design, and fuss-free usability.
The cig-a-like is an excellent option for those people who prefer low-performance devices. However, if you are an avid user of vapes with high performance, you may want to consider looking for alternate devices.
Cig-a-likes are of two types: disposable and refillable. Disposable cig-a-likes can’t be re-used once their battery or e-liquid exhausts. Contrastingly, refillable cig-a-likes have an extended usage as they can be refilled with e-liquids and recharged.
Pod Mods
Pod mods are devices that can store nicotine salt e-juices in their storage tanks. Currently, they give the user an experience that’s closest to smoking a cigarette. Hence, they are beginner-friendly. Pod Mods are classified as closed-pod-systems and open-pod-systems. Vape devices with closed pod systems are pre-filled with e-liquid, whereas open pod systems are manually filled with preferred nicotine e-juice. These devices have low wattage, MTL support, ultra-portability, and are user friendly. Pod mods are a popular choice for those who are just switching to vaping as an alternative to smoking cigarettes. However, these devices come with cons, such as short battery life and less cloud production. Nevertheless, it’s become a popular choice for smokers willing to kick the habit of smoking cigarettes.
Mods
Modes are devices with higher firepower (wattage) and features focused on improving vapor production and enhancing the e-liquid flavor. These devices are more powerful and more prominent than vape pens and cig-a-likes.
Mods are of two types; regulated and unregulated. Regulated mods have a User Interface (UI) connected to a circuit board, giving the user control over variable voltage, wattage, UI customizations, and safety features. Regulated mods are also of two types: tube mods and box mods.
Tube mods are similar to vape pens, while box mods are shaped like a box. However, both these types of mods have sub-Ohm tanks. Both tube and box mods pack almost the same features, so for somebody exploring the vaping world these devices give a personalized vaping experience. Compared to a vape pen or a cig-a-lite, these devices pack a longer battery life and the atomizer options for a MTL or DTL experience.
Vape enthusiasts looking to experiment with their device can also opt for unregulated mods. These have no electric circuits, so long as they’re willing to risk having no safety features. These devices comprise a battery, an atomizer, and a case to hold it all. Evidently so, these mods are not for beginners as there are no safety features, and there’s a strong possibility of bricking the entire device. An example of an unregulated mod is a mechanical mod specifically for vape enthusiasts who prefer making their atomizers for pleasure.
What’s Next?
Especially for beginners, the ideal size, budget, and device experience is the choice between vape pens and pod mod, solely because they are easier to use and have a significantly improved experience than the cig-a-likes. If the device’s overall look doesn’t influence your purchasing decision, these types of vape devices certainly pack a satisfying experience.
The vape pen is also a strong contender for people new to the vaping world. Vape pens are an excellent choice for people looking for portability while exploring the sub-Ohm vaping experience. These devices are simple, easier to use as they often have a single button for locking the device, drawing vapor, or have an auto-drag feature. Thus, for vape enthusiasts, mods are a great choice.
Vape pens or box mods perform well for people that have recently discovered their love for vaping, as they provide a diverse range flavors and some powerful cloud production.
Conclusion
Whether you’re new to world of vaping or not, the technology packed in these devices is always subject to innovation. Thus, keeping abreast of knowing which device to get can be a tiring task. It would be best if you should consider subscribing to our blog to catch up on the latest trends in technology, A.I, health tech, automotive, gadgets, software, and security right in your email inbox.
If you feel that we may have missed a specific type of vape that you wanted to cover, then do leave it as a comment in our comment section below!
