What is a Coil?
A coil that operates at a high level in good condition boosts your vape flavour and even cloud production. Essentially, it’s a bit of wire (hence the term coil) that’s wrapped around the wick (often an organic material like cotton). The battery within your vape powers the coil, which in turn heats up after pressing the fire button, eventually turning your e-liquid in the tank or pod into vapour to inhale.
To get maximum flavour, it’s advised to prime your coil before each use, saturating the wick in e-liquid.
How to Prime a Coil
This is a really easy process that will ensure you enjoy your PG, VG or mixed ratio vape as intended. Simply add a few drops to your wick, wait up to 10 minutes for saturation and away you go. Another top tip is to fill up your tank with e-liquid and allow that to stew in the tank for a similar amount of time before vaping to enjoy the best flavour. For a full rundown of the priming process, you can follow step by step here to avoid that burning taste, which is a common occurrence and frequent mistake.
How Long Do Vape Coils Last?
For advanced vapers seeking large cloud production, the thicker e-liquid means your coil life expectancy will be less. Other factors which alter how often you change your coil include the type of e-liquid selected and even the power of your battery. E-liquids with too many sweeteners can also cause build-up between the coil wires and surrounding it.
Regular vapers tend to opt for higher levels of nicotine, meaning thinner e-liquids and extended coil use, with frequent puffs daily. Expect to change every three to five days.
Meanwhile, casual vapers who only inhale a few puffs a day will only need to change their coils every few weeks or even stretch that to a month with less frequent use.Which Coil is Best for Mouth to Lung Vaping?
The higher the coil resistance, measured by Ohms, the better. Anything above 1.01 Ohms is regarded as an MTL vape, while anything below slots into the DTL coil category. Those who prefer the mouth to lung technique want minimal cloud vapour and a stronger throat hit which closely resembles smoking cigarettes. Nic salts hit the right notes with MTL vapers because they provide a thinner consistency which is easier on the coil. Plus, they offer a stronger dose of nicotine too while needing to vape less frequently.
MTL coils also mean:
- Less battery power used
- Lower heat for your coil
- Suitable for pens and compact pods
Which Coil is Best for Direct to Lung Vaping?
In contrast, ‘cloud chasers’ who are enthusiastic about vapour production and puffing cool shapes love a lower resistance Sub-Ohm coil. For a thicker and richer e-liquid experience, seek a coil below one on the Ohm scale. However, you’ll work through your e-liquid much faster because of the thicker substance. If you don’t mind topping up more often, it’s your best option, creating more vapour to go through your mouth, into the lungs and back out in rich clouds (direct to lung hit).
DTL coils also mean:
- Dry hit
- Warm vapour because the coil heats up more from greater power
- Higher wattage produces bigger flavour
What are the Different Coil Materials and Types?
The great thing about vaping is the variety at your disposal. Not just coils, but tanks of different diameters or prefilled pods that help create a simple daily routine. With coils, you can choose from lots of different materials that heat at different temperatures and provide alternative flavour experiences. The likes of Innokin make every vaping experience unique, so you can pick between the best titanium or stainless steel coils for your device. You can find out about the different types, including popular options as kanthal and ceramic here.
Which Coil is Best for Flavour?
Getting the right vape coil wire is key to maximising your chances of decent flavour. For most everyday vapers, kanthal coils provide great taste when paired with a high-quality e-liquid. If you vape at a lower ohm level, you can expect bigger clouds and a smooth taste. Because of more advanced models now allowing temperature control, you can fine tune your coil temperature to boost flavour even further.
Another big craze right now is mesh coils, which without hot spots spread the temperature evenly for improved results. Finding the right device to pair with a popular coil from the likes of SMOK or VOID coils makes all the difference.