Vape Coil Buying Guide

The coil that you install to your tank or pod will have a profound effect on your vaping experience. If the tank that you own is compatible with a range of coils, choosing the right coil can make the difference between a great experience and a mediocre one. If you're in the market for a new vape tank or vape pod, understanding its compatible coils can help you to decide whether a tank or kit is the right one for you. We are going to take you one step further down the road to vaping mastery by helping you to understand the intricacies of vape coils.

What is a vape coil?

An atomiser head is the unit at the centre of a vape tank or vape pod. It is usually referred to as the coil, but it would be more accurate to say that it contains the coil. A coil is a piece of coiled metal or a sheet of perforated metal (mesh) that heats to vaporise e-liquid. An atomiser head will also feature wicking material to soak up the e-liquid.

Can you use any atomizer head with your tank or pod?

No! Vape tanks have finite design tolerances to prevent leaking, and virtually every design is proprietary. If the product description and packaging of a coil doesn't specifically state that it is compatible with your tank or pod, it probably isn't. However, some vaping product manufacturers do make coils designed to work with other companies' tanks.

What is coil resistance?

Electrical resistance is measured in ohms and dictates the extent to which a component of a circuit such as a vape coil restricts the flow of electrical current. The higher the number of ohms, the more the component restricts the current. A 1.0 ohm coil therefore restricts electrical current more than a 0.5-ohm coil. If the voltage of the battery remains the same, reducing the coil resistance means that the circuit will operate at a higher wattage. In other words, a low resistance coil can get hotter and produce more vapour than a high resistance coil but will draw more amperage from the battery that powers it.

Every battery has a maximum current that it can safely support. Above that maximum, there's a chance that the battery could vent hot gas and experience a catastrophic failure. It's important, therefore, to know the capabilities of any battery that you use for vaping. Discover more about battery safety in our detailed guide.

A regulated vape mod will have built-in safety features that dictate the minimum supported atomizer resistance. A typical minimum resistance for a modern regulated mod, for example, might be 0.1 ohm. If you connect a vape coil with a resistance below the minimum, the mod will display an error message. A regulated mod will also support a specific wattage range and its safety features will shut down the device if you attempt to operate it outside of its prescribed parameters.

What are coils made from?

The coils in atomizer heads can be fashioned from a variety of metals. The properties of those metals vary and impact temperature, vapour production, flavour and durability.

What is a Kanthal coil?

Kanthal is a brand name and the coil wire is an alloy of iron, chromium and aluminium. Kanthal is a popular choice for heating wires because its resistance isn't too high or too low and because it tolerates high temperatures as well as repeated heating and cooling without breaking down.
What is a Nichrome Coil?

Nichrome is an alloy of nickel, chromium and sometimes aluminium. Although it isn't as commonly used as Kanthal, Nichrome is particularly popular amongst those who build exotic coils for cloud chasing. Because nichrome has a lower resistance than Kanthal for a given length and thickness of wire, it's a popular choice for higher-mass coil builds. However, Nichrome is slightly less durable than Kanthal.
Note: Some people suffer from a nickel allergy. If you are allergic or sensitive to nickel, you should avoid using Nichrome coils.
Stainless steel coils

Like nichrome, stainless steel has a lower resistance than Kanthal and therefore both heats to higher temperatures and delivers shorter ramp-up times. The most common type of steel used for stainless steel coils is 316 (surgical) stainless steel. This form of the metal boasts a high resistance to corrosion and is often a good coil material for those who suffer from allergies or sensitivities to certain metals.
Stainless steel is notable for delivering pure flavour and is ideal for temperature control vaping as it is possible to predict how the resistance of this metal will increase when it is heated. Indeed, stainless steel is the only coil material that is safe for use in both variable wattage mode and temperature control mode.
What are nickel coils?

Nickel has an extremely low electrical resistance, and its resistance changes greatly as it's heated but those changes are predictable. Nickel is therefore the ideal material for temperature control vaping. But some vapers feel that nickel produces a metallic taste. In addition, it is possible to have an allergic reaction to this metal.
What about titanium?

Titanium is another popular material for temperature control vaping. When a titanium coil is heated, it doesn't change in resistance quite as dramatically as a nickel coil would. The change is far greater, however, than that of a stainless steel coil. Those who are sensitive to the taste of nickel coils often find that titanium coils are better choices.

What is the significance of wicking material?

Vape coils feature wicking to soak up e-liquid. It is the e-liquid absorbed by the wicking that is vaporised when a device is fired. Cotton is the most common wicking material. It is a natural and highly absorbent material that doesn't impact flavour.

Ceramic wicks are extremely durable and do not affect flavour. But ceramic wicking is not as absorbent as cotton. This means that you need to wait longer between puffs to ensure that the wicking is wet again and ready for action.

You will also find coils that feature silica wicking, but these are now rare. Silica was the most popular wick material for coils until sub-ohm vaping arrived on the scene. Silica is durable and does not impact flavour. It is more absorbent that ceramic wicking but is not as efficient in this regard as cotton. Modern sub-ohm tanks generate so much vapour that silica wicks can't keep up. Some people still use braided silica ropes when building their own atomizer coils, but the rope shape doesn't work well for sub-ohm tanks.

You will find more detailed information in our wicking guide.

When should you replace a vape coil?

Depending on the type of e-liquid that you use and how much e-liquid you consume, a coil could last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. You'll know when it's time to replace your coil if you note the way your vaping experience changes over time.

When your coil is new, you'll taste nothing but the flavour of your e-liquid when you vape. After you've used the coil for a while, though, residue from the sweeteners in your e-liquids will begin to collect on the coil. When that begins to happen, you'll detect a note of caramelized sugar when you vape regardless of the e-liquid you use. If the residue on your coil becomes so thick that it prevents the coil's wick from delivering e-liquid to the heating wire, you might notice irritation in your throat when vaping or a burnt taste. This is when the coil has reached the end of its life.

What is coil gunk?

Coil gunk is the name that members of the vaping community have given to the dark residue that forms on coils across time. Sweetener is the primary cause of coil gunk. Sweeteners such as sucralose don't vaporise fully when they're heated, and any sweeteners that fail to vaporise cleanly will collect on the heating wire of your coil.

The layer of coil gunk thickens until it eventually becomes detrimental to the vaping experience. Certain flavours and even the vegetable glycerine used in most e-liquids may also contribute to coil gunk. The more e-liquid you use, the faster coil gunk will form. Owning a high-output vaping device, therefore, means that you'll need to replace your coil more often than you would if you used a smaller, lower-output device.

How can you ensure your coils last for longer?

If you have chosen a powerful vaping device, enjoy sweetened e-liquids and are sensitive to the flavour of burned sugar, you may find yourself installing a new atomizer head almost daily. At around £2-3 per coil, that's potentially an expensive proposition. The two factors that contribute most strongly to the formation of coil gunk are the amount of sweetener in your e-liquid and the volume of e-liquid that you use. Changing one of those factors by purchasing unsweetened e-liquids or using a less powerful vaping device will improve coil life. If you don't want to change either of those factors, you can make coil replacement less expensive by building your own coils. We discuss coil building in our ultimate guide to advanced vaping.

What types of coil are available?

The wire, wicking and resistance of your coil will all impact your vaping experience. But the type of core that your coil features will also make a difference. There are two types of coil core to consider - standard wire and mesh. You can choose from single, dual, triple and quadruple standard wire cores. There are benefits and drawbacks to each type of core.

What are single wire core coils?

This type of coil core will usually give you moderately strong throat hits and modest vapour production. You will enjoy good flavour and relatively warm vapes. Single coils boast slow ramp up (heating) times.
Dual, triple and quad wire core coils

These coils deliver hotter vapes but require more power to heat them and so will drain your battery quickly. You will experience stronger throat hits, more intense flavour and bigger clouds than with single cores. This is because multiple wires combine to provide a larger heating area, vaporising a greater volume of e-liquid every time you press the fire button. Dual, triple and quad core coils burn at higher temperatures. This means that the trade-off for improved flavour and bigger clouds is reduced coil life.
What are mesh coils?

Mesh coil cores are sheets of perforated metal that provide a good compromise between single and multiple wire cores. They heat quickly and deliver both excellent flavour and impressive vapour. But they usually require less power than dual, triple or quad cores of the same resistance and so won't drain your battery as quickly. Mesh coils tend to be long lasting which is a significant bonus. You can read more about mesh coils in our dedicated guide.
What are rebuildable coils?

It is possible to build your own coils rather than invest in factory made coils. But it isn't advisable to attempt to build coils unless you possess a good knowledge of both ohms law and vaping devices. A rebuildable atomiser head (RBA) will enable you to customise your vaping experience and to save money. Rebuildable coils are mounted onto the build deck of an RBA. If you are interested in building your own coil, check whether there is an RBA compatible with your tank or chose an appropriate tank.

How do you choose the right vape coil?

Now that you know more about the different coil materials, constructions and resistances, you will have a better idea of which type of coil would best suit you.

But your choice of coil will be restricted to those compatible with your tank or pod. In some cases, there is only one coil available. On the other hand, you will find tanks and pods that are compatible with numerous coils offering diverse features.

If you don't feel that your tank or pod is compatible with the best vape coils for you, it is worth investing in new hardware. At Vapekit, we are pleased to bring you a fabulous selection of starter kits and tanks to explore. Of course, our range also includes the replacement coils you will need for your equipment.

VAPE COIL BUYING GUIDE