How Vape Works

Jun 22, 2022Updated Sep 17, 20266 min readVape School

Vapes come in all shapes, from slim disposables to chunky box mods, but they all work the same basic way. A battery heats a coil, the coil warms e-liquid, and the e-liquid turns into an aerosol, which most people simply call vapor, that you inhale.

This guide walks through the parts inside every vape, what happens when you take a puff and how the main device types differ, so you know what you are buying and how to get the best from it.

The parts of a vape

• Battery. The power source. Most pod systems and disposables have a built-in battery that charges over USB, while many mods use removable rechargeable cells such as the 18650. See our list of recommended batteries for vaping.
• Tank, pod or cartridge. This holds your e-liquid. Tanks and refillable pods are filled from a bottle, while prefilled pods and disposables come ready to go.
• Atomizer and coil. The atomizer is the heating assembly. At its heart is the coil, a small loop of resistance wire that heats up when current flows through it.
• Wick. Usually cotton, the wick runs through the coil and soaks up e-liquid to keep the coil fed.
• Activation. Some devices fire when you press a button. Others use a sensor that detects when you draw, so you simply inhale.
• Circuit board. Most devices have a chip that controls power and adds protections, and many have an LED or screen that shows when the device is firing or needs a charge.
• Mouthpiece and airflow. The mouthpiece, called a drip tip on many tanks, is where you inhale. Airflow holes let in air to mix with the vapor, and many devices let you adjust them.

What goes in the tank

E-liquid, also called vape juice or e-juice, usually has four ingredients:

• Propylene glycol (PG), a thin liquid that carries flavor well and gives more throat hit.
• Vegetable glycerin (VG), a thicker, slightly sweet liquid that makes denser vapor.
• Flavorings, which give each vape juice its taste.
• Nicotine, in most e-liquids, in a range of strengths. Nicotine-free versions exist too. Nicotine is addictive.

The PG/VG ratio and nicotine strength you choose should suit your device. Learn more in what PG and VG are and our guide to choosing a nicotine strength.

What happens when you take a puff

1. You press the button or start to inhale, and the device sends power from the battery to the coil.
2. The coil heats up quickly.
3. The e-liquid soaked into the wick around the coil heats up and turns into vapor.
4. Air drawn in through the airflow holes carries the vapor up through the chimney and out of the mouthpiece.
5. You inhale, and between puffs the wick soaks up fresh e-liquid for the next one.

That last step matters. If the wick cannot keep up, because the tank is nearly empty, a new coil was not primed or the power is set too high, the cotton scorches and you get a harsh, burnt taste known as a dry hit. Our guide to dry hits explains how to avoid them.

How much vapor and flavor you get depends on the device, the coil and the power. Low-power devices with higher-resistance coils make smaller, cooler puffs, while sub-ohm setups make bigger, warmer clouds. Our guide to ohms and sub-ohm vaping explains why.

The main types of vapes

Disposables

Prefilled, precharged and ready to use. Many can be recharged over USB so you can use every drop, and when the liquid runs out, the whole device is done. Browse our disposable vapes.

Because a disposable contains a battery, take a finished one to a battery or household hazardous waste drop-off rather than putting it in the trash.

Pod systems

Small, simple devices that use refillable or prefilled pods. Most are designed for a mouth-to-lung draw and pair well with nic salts. See what nic salts are.

Box mods and tanks

Larger devices with adjustable power, paired with a tank. Many use sub-ohm coils for a direct-to-lung draw and bigger clouds, and they work best with higher-VG vape juice. Our guide to regulated vs. unregulated mods explains the two kinds.

Rebuildables

Atomizers you build yourself with wire and cotton, such as drippers and rebuildable tanks. They offer the most control, but they require tools, practice and a solid grasp of battery safety.

How vaping differs from smoking

The core difference is that a cigarette burns tobacco, while a vape heats a liquid. That does not make vaping free of risk.

Most e-liquid contains nicotine, which is addictive, no vaping product is FDA-approved as a quit-smoking aid, and public-health bodies disagree on the details. If you smoke and are thinking about switching, talk to your doctor. Our article on vaping vs. smoking goes deeper.

Bottles worth trying

Once your device is set up, the fun part is finding flavors you love. Fruit is our biggest flavor family and a good place to start:

Want more options? Browse all our vape juice, read our guide to choosing the right e-liquid, or let the Zamplebox Club pick bottles for you each month based on the flavor profile you set.

Common questions

WARNING: This product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical. For adults 21+ only.