Vapourz’s Guide to Vape & Vape Kits: The ABCs of Vaping

Vapourz’s Guide to Vape & Vape Kits: The ABCs of Vaping

With vaping becoming increasingly popular in the UK, more and more people are making the switch from tobacco to vape kits. While this is better for health and the environment, keeping up with vape trends can be quite a headache especially when you’re new to vaping. It may seem ridiculously complex because of all the jargon being thrown around, but it’s actually quite simple. The first step to making the switch to vape kits is to understand your vape kit and how it works. So we at Vapourz Lounge have put together a comprehensive beginner’s guide to vaping to help you transition smoothly.

What Is Vaping?

Before you start doing something, it’s best to know exactly what it is you’re about to do, isn’t it? Which is why we’re here to guide you every step of the way and explain vaping to you from scratch. To start all the way from the beginning, vaping is basically a safer form of “smoking”. Unlike traditional cigarettes, vape kits are much safer and way more environmentally friendly. Vaping refers to using an electronic device that heats a liquid (in this case, vape juice or e-liquid) and turns it into vapour, which you inhale. So unlike with cigarettes, you’re not just inhaling straight up smoke, you’re actually inhaling vapour which isn’t as harsh on your lungs and the environment.

What Makes A Vape?

Part of understanding how to choose what style of vaping is best for you is understanding the essential parts of a vape. So let’s break it down and understand it in simpler terms together. Here are the essential parts that make up modern-day vapes:

• The Mod / Device: This is the main part of your vape. It’s basically the body of your vape, and is often self-contained and may come with built in atomizers and tanks which can be removed and replaced as you wish.
• The Atomizer: With a name straight out of a sci-fi film, the atomizer is one of the most crucial parts of a vape. It is heat resistant and turns your vape juice / e-liquid into vapour. It can be a separate component or it can even be built into the tank. Some of the most popular atomizers have “sub-ohm tanks” which operate with coils under 0.5 ohms; basically made to create large clouds of vapour so they’re ideal if you’re into chasing smoke and doing tricks.
• The Tank: This is where you store your vape juice. If your kit is disposable, then the tank is called a “cartridge”.
• The Battery: Without a battery, your vape is more or less useless because the battery is what powers the vape. Batteries are made in such a way that they don’t take up too much space or weigh down your device.
• The Coils: These are part of the atomizer and are sometimes referred to as “atomizer heads”. When you press down on the button on your vape, the coil starts to heat up and begins to vapourize the liquid within the atomizer. It’s important to replace your coils every now and then to ensure your vape lives a longer life.
• The E-Liquid: This is the vape juice that goes inside the vape. Without this, there’s no vapour so you can’t vape at all. You pour the liquid into the tank, which is where it gets heated up and vapourizes, and that’s what you inhale! These liquids come in many flavours and with different concentrations to suit every type of vaper out there.
• The Wicks: Wicking material is what’s used to pull the vape juice into the coil in order to heat it up and vapourize it. These are usually made out of cotton, rayon, ceramic, mesh, and even wool.

What Are The Different Types Of Vapes?

Now that we’ve walked you through the essential parts of a vape, it’s important to know what the different types of vapes are. This will help you understand which vape is just right for you.

Vapes can be broken down into 4 main types:
1. Cig-A-Likes (1st Gen)
2. Vape Pens (2nd Gen)
3. Mods (3rd Gen)
4. Pod Mods

As technology progresses, so does vaping. That’s why we’ve categorized the different types as “generations”; there’s different features on each and the features progress as you go up the generation ladder.

So, let’s dive in and understand the different types of vapes available in the UK market today!

1. Cig-A-Likes

Let’s start from the beginning. Cig-a-likes are entry-level vaping devices and can be seen in many local places like gas stations. They’re called cig-a-likes because they are made to look like a real cigarette. They’re popularly known as “electronic cigarettes” or “e-cigs”. They were made to mimic the experience of smoking close enough to make it easier to transition from cigarettes to vaping. Cig-a-likes are comparatively simple and not as complex as newer vapes. Their anatomy is fairly easy to work around, nothing too confusing. There aren’t any buttons to press, so using these devices is pretty straightforward and similar to smoking a cigarette. You don’t require too much experience to know how to use these simple devices.

Does The Smoke Fit?

Pros:

• User-friendly
• Uses less e-liquid
• Easy to use and not complicated
• Portable

Cons:

• Low e-juice capacity
• Low vapour production
• Tight airflow
• Short battery life

These are incredible introductory devices because they’re so simple and easy to use. Most vapers start with a cig-a-likes and then slowly progress to newer gen vapes once they get the hang of it. For regular smokers, it’s not recommended to buy these, since newer generation devices are a lot more cost-efficient and last a lot longer as well.

2. Vape Pens
   Vape pens are usually cylindrical in shape and come in many different styles. They’re bigger than cig-a-likes in order to accommodate better battery life and increased cloud production. The creation of vape pens in the mid-2000’s was seen as revolutionary because of the larger battery size and technological advancements. Because of today’s technology, classic vape pens have been revamped to match today’s technological needs; a lot of the latest features from newer vape devices can now be incorporated into vape pens. Vape pens become more popular especially because of the use of CBD oils and concentrates; they are a hit among the cannabis community! Overall, vape pens are an easy and affordable option and are generally seen as good devices.

Does The Smoke Fit?

Pros:

• User-friendly
• Portable but not as portable as “e-cigs”
• Larger variety of size, style, and colour
• Great cloud production
• More pronounced flavour
• Adjustable flow intake (option to select MTL or DTL*)

Cons:

• Shorter battery life than newer vapes
• More consumption of e-liquid so you have to refill it more often
• Device issues like minor leaking and battery issues

Vape pens are affordable and are a much better option than e-cigs when it comes to overall vaping experience. If you’re a beginner, this type of vape is more than ideal for you because you get a lot of value for money when it comes to flavour, intensity, cloud production and nicotine concentration.

* MTL = Mouth to Lung, DTL = Direct to Lung

3. Mods

Vape mods are the newest edition of vape devices and are known for their firepower as well as their ability to be personalized. The term “mod” originates from “modify”, and goes back to a time when vapers would modify their flashlights and turn them into vaping devices. They did this to get more cloud production! Back then, it was common to try to modify your vape device to suit your needs and although it gave out more clouds, there were obviously many faults as well. Nowadays, the mods you get in your smoke shops don’t look sketchy at all. In fact, you can find a wide range of styles and designs to make powerful vape clouds when you smoke!

Does The Smoke Fit?

Pros:

• Great cloud production
• High flavour intensity
• Can be personalized with different settings to suit you best
• Longer battery life
• More coil options
• Option to choose between MTL or DTL hits

Cons:

• Batteries come separately
• Longer battery charging time
• Not ideal for beginners since it’s more complicated and can take a while to understand and get used to

Though they may seem extremely high-tech and advanced, vape mods aren’t too complicated and can be understood with a bit of practice and patience. They usually have three buttons at most and if you enjoy tinkering with technology and playing around with settings, vape mods are perfect for you. Not recommended for absolute beginners, but if you take the time to understand it you can successfully start off with a vape mod.

4. Pod Mods
   Pod mods are the latest technology and are rapidly gaining traction in the vaping community in the UK as well as the rest of the world. They are low wattage devices that are similar to e-cigs and are used with nicotine salt e-juices. Pod mods are basically like a new and improved modern-day version of cig-a-likes, and are now the closest thing on the market to smoking cigarettes.

Does The Smoke Fit?

Pros:

• High nicotine concentrations to give you a similar feel to smoking cigarettes
• Extremely portable and pocket-friendly
• User-friendly and not too complicated

Cons:

• Short battery life
• Less cloud production (but the high nicotine strength makes up for this)

Which Shoe Fits You Better?

Based on all the pros and cons of each type of vape, it’ll now be easier for you to understand which type is best suited to your vape style. If you’re not a heavy smoker and want to limit and keep an eye on your nicotine consumption, disposable vapes are also a great option. We recommend starting small and then building your way up the ladder so you can vape in peace with ease. When you start smaller, you learn more and eventually build your way up the vape ladder.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve learned your ABC’s on vape and vapes in the UK, you can make a decision and switch out your smoking routine from cigarettes to vapes instead! Head on over to Vapourz Lounge, where we have some of the best vape products and flavours for sale in the UK. With popular and mainstream brands as well as lesser-known more obscure brands available, Vapourz Lounge offers a wide range of products so there’s something for everyone!