Tackle the Beast: Understanding First and Second Generation E Cigarettes
When making what many consider to be the necessary switch from smoking your typical analog cigarette to vaping from an ecigarette, trying to get your nicotine fix can make it seem as if a world of new and overwhelming information is being piled on top of you. Dozens of new ecig vocabulary words for you to learn the lingo, and that is before you even get to how everything truly works. You will no doubt have many questions. What’s a vape mod? And, what is the best vape mod? Do you even want that kind of e cig? What about a cig-a-like? From vape batteries to atomizers and cartridges, to “how in the world does this thick e-juice turn into vapor?”
It can be a learning process to decipher the new world of vaping, but here we will discuss the difference between two very common types of electronic cigarettes: disposable electronic cigarettes and refillable ones. This should help you determine how you want to begin your vaping journey!
Prospect of Disposable E Cigs
Perhaps the most alluring aspect of the common disposable/few use vape pens, also called cig-a-likes for their resemblance to cigarettes, is that you can find them in every convenience shop, corner store, gas station, or smoke shop around any given corner. Their ease of access lends a certain accessibility that makes them easier to pick up, thus making you more likely to vape than smoke. Each one of these e cigs is full of one or two packs worth of nicotine, and once they’ve run their course, that’s it.
Well, that is, unless you have an ecig that allows you to replace the cartridge.
On these pen style vape mods, most come with a cartridge full of ejuice that can be removed and replaced, like when they are completely drained or you simply want a different flavor. Some of these e cigarettes look and feel like a real cigarette, making the transition from smoking to vaping much easier. Not only are they similar to real cigarettes, they are cheaper than other vape options as well. This helps you see in real-world terms how much money you can save right off the bat when you quit smoking and start vaping cheaply.
So without the need to buy external juice and manually refill a cartridge, this seems like the best choice, right? Well, that is subjective. Ecigarettes that come with a cartridge full of juice to insert already tend to taste stale more quickly than other alternatives. These first generation e cigarettes also tend to cost more in the long run than if you were to purchase more durable options that are meant for longer use, as the vape battery life is considerably shorter. Their disposable nature speaks to the fact that they are made from lower quality materials. So while it is convenient in the beginning, it’s worth thinking about eventually making the shift to a vape mod with tanks and dripper options.
So What Exactly Are These Vape Mods?
You know those things you see people pulling huge clouds of vapor from? The ones that range from a thicker looking pen vape to something that resembles a control panel for a spaceship, rather than something you vape? That’s what people mean when they say vape mods. They come in many different varieties and types, regulated devices to unregulated mechanical mods, but the function is still the same: vape your nicotine instead of smoking it. See VaporPlants for more information.
With these refillable, rechargeable tanks, not only do you get the benefit of a rechargeable battery so that you don’t need to purchase a new e cigarette every time yours dies, you have more options for juice and changing cartridges out as you please. A rechargeable vaporizer cigarette comes with more components than your typical one-time-use e cigs. Rechargeable batteries, a vape atomizer, and a tank are standard for the next step up.
With these types of e cigarettes, you typically get more vapor without sacrificing that familiar throat hit that analogs and cigalikes give you. You can adjust the wattage or temperature of the hit, how much vapor you want per hit, how much airflow you’d like–the list goes on.
Sounds great, right? However, they don’t come without their issues. For instance, the atomizers aren’t meant to last forever. Eventually, it will stop working and you will need to replace it, but you will be replacing it at a much slower pace than you would be replacing cigarette cartridges in a first generation e cig. You also need to refill the tank more often than you would need to replace a cartridge, and vape cleaning is something you must get into the habit of doing.
That brings us to another thing to consider: the complexity involved in second-generation e cig mods. You must manually refill your ejuice through tunnels and other crevices and make sure it saturates the wicks inside. The options for customization are limitless, though, and if you have an RBA (rebuildable atomizer) or an RDA (rebuildable dripping atomizer, also known simply as a dripper), you can customize your coils and wicks to deliver the perfect combination of vapour production and flavour. So, while it is more work, it is often more rewarding, and a lot of people turn it into a fun hobby.
So not only do you get much better performance and personalization when you get refillable e-cig mods, you can also get them for a lower price. Upfront, yes, you will spend more than you would on a disposable or limited-use vape, but you will have your rig for a very long time, only needing to change out little, relatively inexpensive parts here and there such as your wicks and coils.
So What’s the Best Way to Vape?
It truly is subjective, but if you are starting to make the switch from analog cigarettes to vaping, you may want to consider getting a cigarette to try it out. If you find vaping is for you, it would benefit you to get your hands on some vape mod kits that come with everything you need to get started, like the aforementioned vape batteries, charger, RBA/RDA atomizer, and some wicks.
Everything depends on what you want to get out of your vaping experience. Move up at your own pace until you find something that makes you want to stick with vaping and never return to those dirty analog cigarettes. After all, every cigarette you don’t smoke is a win, and whatever it takes to achieve that is all that matters.
John Smith 