With so many different types of vaping devices on the market, there has never been a better time than right now to make the switch from smoking to vaping. One drawback of having such a wide variety of different products available, though, is that it can be difficult to decide what you should buy first. On the bright side, choosing the wrong product for your needs doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll overspend; virtually every vaping device on the market is extremely affordable these days. However, choosing the wrong device can potentially mean that your first experience with vaping won’t be as enjoyable as it could have been.
You don’t want that to happen, and neither do we. In this article, we’re going to provide an overview of the four most popular types of vaping devices along with their pros and cons. When you’re done reading, you should have a very good idea of what the right choice is for your needs.
Disposable Vapes
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A disposable vape is a vaping device that’s filled with e-liquid and fitted with a fully charged battery at the factory. When you remove it from the package, it’s ready to use immediately. You’ll use the device until the battery dies or the e-liquid runs out – and at that point, it’ll be time to dispose of it. A typical disposable vape delivers around the same number of puffs as 1-2 packs of cigarettes.
Disposable vapes like Geek Bar have been unbelievably popular in 2022 – and with one look at what today’s disposable vapes have to offer, it’s easy to see why. They’re more satisfying than ever, and they last longer than ever. Most importantly, they’re available in a much wider variety of flavors than they were in the past. With flavor options ranging from Banana Smoothie and Blueberry to Mango Strawberry and Peach, you’re definitely not going to have to worry about variety if you use disposable vapes as your primary vaping devices.
Of the different types of vaping devices, there’s no question that disposable vapes are the most convenient and easiest to use. Using a disposable e-cigarette is even more convenient than smoking – there’s no need to carry a lighter. The only real drawback of disposable vapes is that they’re not quite as affordable as refillable devices. Despite that fact, they’re still significantly more affordable than tobacco cigarettes.
Pre-Filled Pod Systems and Cigalikes
The next step up from a disposable vape is a rechargeable e-cigarette that stores its e-liquid in pre-filled disposable pods or cartridges. If a device’s e-liquid comes in translucent plastic drop-in pods, it’s a pod system. If the e-liquid comes in opaque twist-on cartridges that look like cigarette filters, it’s a cigalike. Either way, using the device is the same. You’ll vape by simply puffing on the mouthpiece, and you’ll maintain the device by recharging the battery and by periodically replacing the cartridge or pod.
Compared to disposable vapes, the main benefit of pre-filled pod systems and cigalikes is that they’re typically less expensive to own. Every time you buy a disposable vape, you’re buying a complete piece of consumer hardware with a battery and an integrated circuit. With a pre-filled pod system or cigalike, on the other hand, you only need to replace your device once in a great while when the battery stops holding a charge. In the meantime, you’ll only need to buy refill pods or cartridges – and those are significantly cheaper than disposable vapes.
Pre-filled pod systems and cigalikes do have a drawback compared to disposable vapes, though, and it’s that they tend to have fewer flavors available. The pods and cartridges for these devices generally aren’t interchangeable between brands, and it’s unusual for any brand to offer more than about 8-12 different flavors. That’s also true of disposable vapes, but you’re not locked into one brand’s ecosystem when you use a disposable device. When you consider all of the different brands of disposable vapes currently on the market, there are collectively hundreds of different flavors available.
Refillable Pod Systems and Vape Pens
If you want a vaping device that’s pocketable and rechargeable but don’t want to limit yourself to the few flavors available for a proprietary pre-filled product, a refillable pod system or vape pen might be right for you. Although the lines between these two types of devices have been blurred in recent years, the primary difference is that a pod system usually stores its e-liquid in a plastic drop-in pod, and a vape pen usually uses a glass tank. Refillable pod systems are often a bit smaller and sleeker, but some people prefer the flavor quality of a vape pen with a glass tank.
The main benefit of using any refillable vaping device is that you’ll have the ability to enjoy the widest possible variety of e-liquid flavors. While there are many flavor options in the world of disposable vapes, that’s nothing compared to the variety you’ll enjoy when you buy e-liquid by the bottle. There are many hundreds of flavors of bottled vape juice available today, and you can use any of those flavors with a refillable vaping device. However, using a refillable vaping device does require a bit more upkeep and maintenance compared to a device with disposable pods or cartridges. For example, you’ll need to clean your tank periodically, and you’ll also need to replace the tank’s atomizer coil when the flavor quality declines.
Vape Mods
Vape mods are much larger than other types of vaping devices. They’re often box-like in shape and are roughly comparable in size to cigarette packs. They hold large lithium-ion batteries and can often operate at power levels of 100 watts and higher. They’re the most powerful and feature-filled vaping devices on the market, and they’re marketed primarily toward expert vapers.
While vape mods are capable of producing bold flavors and enormous vapor clouds, they’re generally not right for beginning vapers. A vape mod is capable of consuming a large volume of e-liquid, so it’s an expensive type of vaping device to own. A vape mod may also have a complicated user interface compared to a simpler device such as a vape pen. Although some beginning vapers do use vape mods and are completely happy with them, it’s usually best to start with something smaller and simpler.
