What is a Vape?
A vape is a battery-powered device that turns a liquid mixture of various substances (called vape juice or e-liquid) into a gaseous vapor to be consumed through inhalation.
A better understanding of what a vape is can be achieved by exploring its various types and components.
Types Of Vapes
Vapes can be classified in several different ways. The most characteristic/recognizable types of vapes, especially from a consumption, use, and cost perspectives, are:
Disposable Vape:
A disposable vape is a limited-use device. It comes with a specific quantity of vape juice, and how long it lasts depends on factors like frequency of use and puff duration.
If you are used to longer puffs, you may get fewer puffs out of a disposable vape compared to another user that prefers smaller puffs from the same disposable vape.
A disposable may offer you somewhere between a couple of hundred to a thousand puffs, depending upon usage variables as well as vape juice quantity and density. They might be more affordable (per unit) compared to refillable vapes, but you will be limited to a single flavor.
Refillable Vape:
A refillable vape allows for the vape juice container/bottle/cartridge to be refilled or replaced. The vape doesn't have to be replaced once the vape juice is consumed, and you only need to replace the cartridge/container.
You can avoid replacing even that by refilling the same cartridge with the vape juice from a vape bottle, available in sizes like 30, 50, and 100 milliliters. You can refill the vape's own internal container/cartridge/pod, which may have a capacity of around 2 to 4 milliliters, though it varies greatly for different models and manufacturers.
A refillable vape is more eco-friendly (less hardware to discard) and may prove to be more cost-effective in the long run. It also offers you the benefit of trying different flavors without changing the entire vape.
CBD Vape:
Unlike the other two types that focus on the construction of the vape itself, the CBD vape is classified based on the content of the vape juice.
More accurately, whether or not it contains CBD or Cannabidiol, the second most prevalent substance in cannabis (marijuana). The medical uses of marijuana, especially in the pain control domain (as an alternative to highly-addictive painkillers), have been one of the focuses of global healthcare communities. It's also the reason medical marijuana has been legalized in Canada and most US states, with federal legalization on the horizon.
Vape juice that contains any CBD content will be considered part of a CBD vape. Cartridges with various CBD content configurations are available, and it's a good idea to keep track of how much CBD you may absorb per puff to have a good understanding of how much CBD you are consuming on a daily basis.
Another type of vape, called a water-based vape, has recently been introduced in the market. Unlike other vapes that are designed to work with vape juices with minimal water content, a water-based vape can easily vaporize vape juice with about 30% water.
This requires reconfiguring the vape hardware as well as the chemical composition of the vape juice itself.
Components Of Vapes
The components of vapes differ based on the generation they belong to. The CDC has divided the evolution of vapes into four generations, each with its own characteristic components.
1. First Generation - Disposable/single-use e-cigarettes.
2. Second Generation - E-cigarettes with replaceable and refillable cartridges.
3. Third Generation - Vapes with refillable tanks and mods.
4. Fourth Generation - Pod mods.
An overview of the components can help users understand how vapes have grown over the years.
The four core components that are part of every vape, regardless of its generation, are:
Vapes can have more than one type of heating element responsible for turning the vape juice into vapor. Atomizers are the most commonly used heating element in vapes.
They have a rudimentary construction with two core elements, a wick that takes in the vape juice and the heating coils (usually a wire or a mesh) that the wick is wrapped around. The heating coils get power from the battery, and when they are red hot, they turn the liquid in the wick into vapor.
Clearomizers are a variation of atomizers that are easier to use and better suited for novice vapers. Cartomizers are a disposable version of the atomizers that come pre-filled with vape juice.
The modification of the atomizer/heating element configuration can be just as important for flavor as the liquid in your vape cartridge is.
Vape Juice Storage Device:
The vape juice storage device is part of both disposable and refillable vapes. It's known by different names, including a vape cartridge, container, bottle, reservoir, or pod.
The job of this component is to hold the vape juice within the device to be vaporized and consumed by the user.
Battery:
Since vapes are inherently wireless, their primary power source is a vape battery, usually rechargeable and fixed. However, some vapes also draw their power from AA batteries.
Mouthpiece:
The area of the vape where the user pulls on to get a puff.
Several other elements can be part of a vape. Most vapes have a power button or sensor that identifies the force of a pull and turns on the heating element. Some vapes also have screens and air filter controllers.
Some atomizer vapes offer sub-ohm variants. Electrical resistance, which is calculated in “ohms,” is an important aspect of the coil that produces heat in the atomizer. It also influences how much power flows through the coil. If more power flows through it. The typical coil has a resistance of around 2.5 ohms. In contrast, sub-ohm vape coils have a resistance of less than 1 ohm, hence the name sub-ohm. Thanks to the low resistance, the coil heats up faster and produces larger and denser vape clouds with more intense flavor. This also leads to a different inhalation technique called Direct to Lungs (DTL).
Vape mods are not vape components per se but rather a different type of vape that gives users far more control over the vaping experience. You can adjust how much power to give your atomizer, which may influence the density and flavor of the cloud. Most vape mods allow you to attach different types of tanks and adjust the coil and wick configurations. These modifications offer you fine-tuned control over the flavor, density of the cloud, and even puff strength. Thus making it ideal for advanced vape users.
Best Vape Brands
What's considered the best vape brands changes from one market to another. For example, Juul and Vuse dominate the market, and the two brands controlled over 60% of the market in 2022.
However, considering Juul's problems with the FDA, it may no longer be considered one of the best vape brands. Ironically, some of the best vape brands are the ones users do not know about because their names are not stamped on the vapes they are using.
An example would be DSVaping, the company behind seven promising vape brands - SWFT Vape, Pop Vape, Puff Plus Vape, Flum Vape, Mr. Vapor, Arrow Vape, and Packspod.
SWFT is a Los Angeles-based brand that offers six different devices and 30 flavors. SWFT mod is the most successful product under the brand name and has contributed to the international recognition of the SWFT brand.
Pop Vapes is a prominent vape brand in Canada. It has a decent range of products, including both pod systems and disposables.
Puff Plus (Puff Bar) is a major US-based brand and the only brand to have surpassed JUUL in the past (2020) in Retail Sales Value (RSV). Even after its rebranding, Puff Plus has a strong presence in the US and a massive population of loyal customers.
Flum vapes are well-known for their simplicity, build-quality and have gained decent traction in at least two major markets - the US and UK.
Mr. Vapor entered the US market in 2014 and has expanded its presence to 20 states in less than a decade.
Arrow Vape kits are making waves in the vape mod market segment. Packspod has emerged as a well-known name in the disposable vape market segment.
DSVaping (website: www.dsvaping.com) has established itself as a premier one-stop shop for all vaping businesses and provides everything from extensive market research and product development to marketing to its B2B clients.
Vape Shops Near Me
Unless you live in a country that still has outstanding laws against vaping, there is a strong possibility that you will be able to find several vape shops near you or at least vape products being sold alongside others.
Vaping is already commonplace around the globe and is even being welcomed as a viable alternative to smoking, and several countries are changing their stance on vaping. Malaysia has recently legalized vaping, and the industry is gaining significant traction in the country.
You can Google “vape shops near me” or take advantage of the online presence of national or international vape brands to get everything from the vape, its components, and vape juice delivered to your doorstep.
Regardless of your location, you can find two different types of vape shops - Stores dedicated to vapes and related products and tobacco shops that offer vape products. Dedicated vape shops are ideal for both novice and seasoned vapers. The staff/shop owner can guide vapers on the right product for their vaping needs, and many of the shops offer a comfortable space for you to vape in peace and connect with fellow vapers.
Fake Vape
A fake vape is any vaping device that has been built to facilitate vaping and reproduce the features of standard vape devices, but they are untested and don't follow the manufacturing and safety standards followed by major vape manufacturers. The negative consequences of using a fake vape might range from mild to severe.
● You will not get the quality, taste, and flavor characteristic of good vapes.
● The faulty design might lead to shorts and even explosions, which is highly undesirable in a device that's so close to your face.
● The e-juice in fake vape might contain higher nicotine content and unsafe substances that may lead to an adverse health impact.
Vape Detectors
In spaces where vaping is prohibited, vape detectors are often installed to ensure compliance. Vape detectors are devices that are trained to identify vape juice substances in the air since at least a portion of the vapor produced by vapes is diffused in the air.
This allows them to determine whether vaping is taking place in the vicinity and to alert the relevant personnel. They are common in schools and other vape-free places.
Vape Tricks
Vaping is more than just a healthy alternative to smoking. It's gaining traction among the youth of the world for several reasons, including the fact that it's undeniably cool.
You can make it even cooler by learning a few vape tricks. There are various tricks, like waterfall and dragon vape, that you can try and learn.
How To Ghost Vape
Ghost vaping is a good trick to learn because it can prepare you for other, more advanced tricks. The four basic steps are:
1. Inhale but not directly to your lungs; keep the vapor in your mouth.
2. Hold it for two to three seconds.
3. Get your mouth into an O shape and let the vapor go. Push it out with the tongue rather than exhaling/breathing out.
4. As soon as a good chunk of smoke is out, inhale it back in.
The thick vapor going back into the mouth looks like a stereotypical ghost (sideways).
Final Words
Vaping is not only leaving the centuries-old tradition of smoking tobacco in the dust, it’s evolving into a lifestyle choice that’s both healthier and cooler compared to traditional smoking. Research-oriented innovative leaders like DSVaping are contributing to the ever-growing variety of vaping products and are constantly finding ways to enhance the vaping experience of both novice and pro vapers.
Beginners find it easy to start with disposable vapes offering tasteful flavors and easy-to-use hardware, while seasoned vapers enjoy the flexibility and control offered by mods and a variety of tanks.
Regardless of where you are on your vaping journey, make sure you buy vaping products made by reputable manufacturers and keep track of your nicotine intake.
