Beginners Guide to Pod Vape Kits
These days, you can choose from a wonderful array of vaping hardware. There’s certainly something to suit every vaper and it could be that a pod vape kit is the perfect device for you.
But if you are new to vaping, you might be wondering what a pod vape kit is and how to choose the right one. This guide to pod vape kits should prove useful and give you all the information you need to settle upon the perfect hardware for you.
What are pod vape kits?
It is important to remember that all electronic cigarettes (vapes) work in much the same way. Each device features a battery that sends power to a coil. That coil heats up when the device is fired to vaporise e-liquid that is held in a reservoir. You then inhale the vapour.
So, pod vapes share many of the elements you will find in any other vape kits. But rather than having tanks that act as reservoirs for e-liquid, pod kits boast plastic pods instead. Like tanks, these are fitted with heating coils. While tanks are screwed onto batteries, vape pods simply click into place courtesy of magnetic connectors.
As with any vape starter kits, pod kits give you everything you need to assemble a device for vaping. Each pod vape kit will contain a battery or mod, a vape pod and usually also a charging cable. You will need to invest in e-liquid but other than that, your kit will enable you to vape just minutes after you open the box.
What are vape pod systems?
Pod system is simply another term for pod kit. Vaping terminology can be inconsistent and confusing!
What does a vape pod look like?
Vape pods are usually made from plastic. They vary in form, but most feature a domed-shaped e-liquid reservoir mounted onto a deck that connects to the battery of the device. Each pod contains a heating coil or can be fitted with a coil of your choice. The e-liquid capacity of vape pods is restricted to 2ml in the UK and so the pods tend to be of a similar size.
How do pod vapes vary?
A huge variety of pod kits are now available from the leading brands. This means that you are sure to find a kit that suits your vaping style and experience.
Pod vape kits vary in that they may support mouth to lung (MTL) vaping, direct to lung (DTL) vaping or both. In addition, they may feature prefilled (closed) pods, refillable pods with built-in coils or refillable pods with replaceable coils.
MTL and DTL pod vape kits
Most beginners will kickstart their vaping journeys with MTL devices. MTL vaping is simply the practice of inhaling vapour into your mouth and then drawing it into your lungs. It is the vaping style that most closely replicates the feeling of smoking. MTL devices, including pod kits , boast high resistance coils that reach modest temperatures and so create minimal vapour. They tend to be the simplest e cigs and so are very easy to use.
When pod vapes first appeared, they were largely restricted to MTL models but it now possible to treat yourself to kit that supports direct to lung (DTL) draws. This is the style of vaping where you inhale the vapour directly into your lungs.
DTL pod kits are compatible with sub ohm coils (coils with low resistances). These get much hotter than their higher resistance cousins and so deliver huge vapour clouds and warmer vapour. Sub-ohm pod kits are more complex choices that tend to offer a variety of operating modes and settings.
If you think that you might wish to try DTL vaping at some point, you could consider investing in a pod vape kit that is compatible with a range of coils and so enables you to switch vaping styles.
Prefilled or Refillable?
Prefilled Pods
Pod kits with prefilled pods give you devices that offer a similar level of convenience to disposables. The compatible pods are prefilled with e-liquid and have built-in coils. You simply vape until the juice is exhausted, discard the pod and then install another pod to your vape. You won’t need to worry about topping up with e-liquid or replacing your coils, but your choice of flavour will be restricted.
Since disposables were banned in the UK, manufacturers have been offering so called "big puff" pod kits which offer similar convenience. These kits feature both a prefilled pod and a prefilled e-liquid reservoir which automatically tops up the pod. You will find that big puffs vapes give you thousands of puffs before you need to replace the pods and reservoirs which are sold in packs.
Refillable Pods with Built-In Coils
You will benefit from a wider choice of flavours with refillable pods, and they are cheaper to use but require you to invest in and top up with e-liquid. If you choose pods with built-in coils, you will need to discard your pods when their coils give up the ghost. However, the pods can be refilled several times before that happens. You will find that most refillable pod ranges enable you to choose from at least two different coil resistances.
Refillable Pods with Replaceable coils
Refillable pods with replaceable coils are the most cost effective choices of all as you can change the coils when their performances diminish. This type of pod is usually compatible with a range of coils and so enables you to customise your vaping experience and to try a wonderful array of flavours. Some coil ranges include both MTL and sub ohm coils, giving you the ultimate flexibility.
Are vape pod kits supplied complete with pods?
Vape kits compatible with prefilled pods usually feature at least one pod and you may be able to choose your flavour.
Most vape kits with refillable pods also include at least one pod. Some kits include two pods, particularly those where pods are available with different coils resistances. For instance, if pods are available with either 0.8ohm or 1.0ohm vape coils, the kits will usually feature one of each type. Pod kits with pods that have replaceable coils will usually feature one pod with a coil preinstalled and often an additional coil with a different resistance.
Is it easy to purchase replacement pods and coils (refills)?
Yes! Retailers like vapekit that offer a range of pod kits, almost always stock the compatible vape pods and coils. It is best to order a few replacements when you invest in your kit as you won’t know how long that first pod or coil will last for.
Which e-liquids are suitable for pod kits?
The right e-liquids for any pod kit will depend on the resistances of the coil you are using. For coils with resistances of 1.0 ohm or greater or greater, choose e-liquids which are at least 60PG. For coils with resistances of 0.5ohm to 0.9 ohm go for e-liquids that are 50PG/50VG. Low resistance coils (0.4 ohm or less) are best suited to e-liquids that are at least 60VG. If you are not familiar with PG and VG ratios, please refer to our guide.
Whichever type of e-liquid you need, you will have a huge variety of flavours to choose from.
Are pod vape kits user-friendly?
There are many pod kits available, and some are easier to use than others. Most MTL kits are simple devices that offer only one operating mode, and they feature a single button to press. These e cigs are perfectly suited to beginners.
At the other end of the scale, you will discover sub-ohm pod kits that have multiple operating modes and variable outputs. These devices are much harder to understand and are better suited to experienced vapers.
Are pod vape kits compact?
Yes! Most pod kits give you incredibly compact and lightweight devices that you can take anywhere. The more complex the e cig, the bigger it will be and so it is the advanced kits that tend to be the largest, but they still remain compact and highly portable choices.
What are the benefits of pod systems?
There is no such thing as an electronic cigarette which perfectly suits every vaper. The device that you need will depend on your vaping style and priorities. While pod kits with prefilled pods offer the convenience of disposables, pod kits with refillable pods will save you money and enable you to sample a broader range of flavours.
Vape pod systems are becoming ever more diverse and now offer greater functionality than ever before. Advanced features could mean that more vapers find what they are looking for in the latest pod systems and there are many excellent choices for beginners.
Pod kits with refillable pods and replaceable coils offer the same benefits as vape kits with tanks but their popularity has ensured that there are diverse models to choose from, giving you exciting options.
How do you choose the right pod vape kit?
Think about the attributes that are most important to you such as ease of use, refillable pods or a choice of coils and look at kits that offer those benefits. Read the product descriptions carefully so you know exactly what you are getting and compare prices. If style matters to you, it could be the design of a kit or its colour that becomes the deciding factor.
So long as you choose a device that suits your vaping style and that you understand how to use, it would be hard to make a bad decision.