The resistive wire of your electronic cigarette is known as a 'coil', and it's a key part of your vape kit. Choosing the right clearomiser coil is important, as it determines how much vapour is produced and how the flavours are rendered.
Thus, a coil is closely linked to its clearomiser. So, picking the right one will enable you to get the perfect vaping experience.
You may have the best clearomiser, but do you have the best coil to go with it? We'll see together how to choose it properly, in order to achieve an effective and tasty vape, whatever the circumstances.
Choosing the right clearomiser coil
What does a clearomiser coil do?
As we said earlier, coils are a vital part of your electronic cigarette. Without it, your e-liquid won't turn into vapour.
A clearomiser can be compatible with several types of coil, offering you various uses and renditions. But no matter which one you choose, they all work in a similar way.
A coil is made up of two parts:
- A resistive wire, made from Kanthal in most cases, but also stainless steel, Nichrome (Ni80 or Ni200), and even sometimes Nickel.
- A wick, usually made from organic cotton fibre, sometimes silica fibre.
Coils are screwed onto your clearomiser's base, before going into the tank.
The coil's resistive wire is wrapped around the fibre wick, which soaks up the tank's e-liquid thanks to its capillary action. By pressing the mod's switch, you heat the wire, which then vapourises the liquid. The vapour then rises through the clearomiser's chimney up to your mouth, thanks to the drip tip.
This shows the role your coil has to play in the functioning of your clearomiser and e-cigarette in general. It dictates the vaping power and the amount of vapour produced, as well as the throat hit and vapour temperature.
How to choose a clearomiser coil
Your clearomiser coil has an impact on the vapour's quantity and quality. If there's one parameter to take into account when selecting your coil, it's the impedance, which is the coil's resistive value, expressed in ohms.
It varies depending on the number of loops and the diameter the wire has. This value impacts the heating temperature and the amount of vapour produced. In other words, you won't get the same rendition depending on which type of coil you use and its resistive value, even if it's heated the same.
The main types of clearomiser coils:
- The classic wicks are the ones you usually find on beginner clearomisers. They're often made from Kanthal wire and intended for an indirect inhale (MTL), with a tight draw at a low power. This results in a nice flavour rendition and a cold vapour.
- Sub-ohm coils, designed for a direct inhale (DL), producing a warm or hot vapour and plenty of vapour. These widespread coils have a value that's lesser than 1 ohm, hence their name, and require a lot of power to be used.
- The coils dedicated to temperature control use a specific type of wire, such as SS (stainless steel), Ti (Titanium) or Ni200 (Nickel). They enable you to vape by controlling the temperature instead of the wattage, but they require a compatible electronic box.
- Ceramic coils are made up of a resistive wire that's encased within a thin layer of ceramic material, surrounded by a small amount of organic cotton. Their main advantage is that they have a reduced heating surface and aren't directly in contact with the e-liquid. This results in a healthier vape with more flavour, without any dry hits, as well as an increased lifespan of your coil. The Ccell coils, manufactured by Vaporesso, are the most famous example of ceramic coils.
- Mesh coils, which have a sheet of resistive material (stainless steel, Kanthal, etc.) inside them, pierced with many holes all across its surface. These coils absorb more juice, faster than a traditional coil, and allow you to produce much more vapour with a rapid response time.
Therefore, the coil you choose depends on what feeling you're looking for, whether you want lots of vapour or more accurate flavours. The coil's characteristics must meet your needs first of all, before even thinking about its lifespan.
Indeed, coils are the only consumables for any clearomiser. They must be changed on a regular basis, every two weeks on average, and cost about 2€ a piece.
A few examples of clearomiser coils
Here are a few brands and their clearomiser coils, all renowned among the vaping community.
- Eleaf and its EC Head or HW coils, made for the Melo and Ello kits
- Joyetech and its Ego or Cubis coils
- Aspire and its BVC coils for the Nautilus kit
- Innokin's Zenith
- Smoktech and its wide range of TFV coils
- Kangertech and its SSOCC coils for the Subtank kit
Whether you vape with a direct or indirect inhale, whether you prefer a cold or hot vapour, tasty or massive, you'll find what you're looking for on A&L's website.
Just make sure your device is compatible with the coil you want to acquire first. To this end, we provide you with a free tool for finding the coils that are indeed compatible with your clearomiser or your electronic cigarette.
The coil's resistive value, a key parameter
Your clearomiser's resistive value is expressed in ohms, and allows you to calculate the power needed to heat the resistive wire, thanks to the following mathematical equation: P = U² / R where P is the power, U the voltage, and R the resistance. Thus, the resistive value tells you what power to use to achieve the best rendition.
If maths and physics aren't your thing, don't worry. Manufacturers mark the optimal power to use on the coils themselves, expressed in watts (W).
Resistive value and recommended power range of a coil
What you need to remember is that using the right power for your coil will make it last longer. Indeed, overheating risks damaging the fibre, which in turn gives off an unpleasant burnt taste, otherwise known as a 'dry hit'. If this happens, you'll have to change the whole coil.
So, if you aren't satisfied with your e-cig's vapour, flavour, or hit, it may be time to use another type of coil that will better answer your needs.
The sweet spot
You may have heard about the vaper's 'sweet spot' before.
It corresponds to the perfect balance between the amount of vapour, flavour rendition, hit, and temperature. It's the point where you get the best feeling, and is sought by every vaper. However, it is unique to each one of them.
Obviously, coils influence your vaping experience and thus this sweet spot. If you want to find your sweet spot, you need to find out which temperature is the best for heating your e-liquid. This depends on the e-liquid itself, and the equation between your battery's voltage output and your clearomiser coil's resistance.
How do you change a clearomiser coil?
Your clearomiser head is a consumable that needs to be replaced on a regular basis. On average, it's changed every two weeks. Changing a coil is fast and generally done in a similar way, by unscrewing the tank's base and removing the old wick, before replacing it with a new one.
For a better understanding of the clearomiser's role
- Learn how to fill up your clearomiser, depending on its refill system.
- Find out how to properly clean your clearomiser.
- When do you change a clearomiser? Is it necessary?