The rise of pod electronic cigarettes has shaken up the vaping world as we know it. Pods, or podmods, offer a discreet and compact alternative to the larger e-cigarettes, with an indirect inhale and a smaller amount of vapour.
This kind of device is ideal for quitting smoking, especially for beginner vapers. Even experienced vapers use them when they're looking for a discreet but nonetheless effective kit. We'll see here how pods are well-suited to beginners wanting to quit smoking, thanks to the e-liquid you put in them.
Find the right e-liquid for your Pod with our video tutorial!
How does a pod electronic cigarette work?
This type of equipment offers a new approach to vaping. Gone are the big boxes and oversized atomisers, pods go back to the basics. Their compact format is reminiscent of the old cigalikes.
A podmod is comprised of two separate parts, namely a compact built-in battery, and a cartridge that contains a tank and a resistive coil, just like a clearomiser does. As is the case for any vaping device, the battery heats the coil, which in turn vapourises the liquid inside the tank. This vapour can then be inhaled by placing your lips on the device's mouthpiece (or drip tip).
The pod's all-in-one format is ideal if you're a beginner, since it doesn't require any adjustments before using it. Indeed, most pods have a single button that turns the device on. This heats the coil and vapourises the e-liquid. Some models even have a system that detects when you inhale before switching themselves on automatically. This system makes using a podmod as simple as smoking!
Another major benefit of podmod electronic cigarettes is that most of them use an indirect inhale, otherwise known as Mouth-to-Lung vaping. This two-step process consists in retaining the vapour in your mouth, before inhaling it into your lungs. This increases the phenomenon known as 'throat hit', a muscular contraction that's very important to smokers.
Finally, some pods work with sealed cartridges. These refills offer many different flavours such as fresh mint, tobacco, mango and even wild berries, and they have a coil inside them. All you have to do is fit the cartridge onto the podmod's battery when the previous one is worn out. You can't get any simpler than that!
Therefore, electronic cigarette pods are great for beginners, as they're simple to use and provide a discreet vape, if that's what you're looking for.
Pods and e-liquids with a high nicotine content
When you begin vaping with the goal of quitting smoking in mind, it's quite common to start out with a high nicotine level, such as 12, 16 or even 18 mg/mL. Vaping these levels of nicotine can be uncomfortable when using a device that vapourises a lot of liquid, and thus a lot of nicotine, as a sub-ohm atomiser would.
This is where podmods distinguish themselves from other electronic cigarettes. Designed for a nomadic use at a low power with an indirect inhale, pods are perfect for e-liquids with lots of nicotine in them. Thus, podmods prove to be a very helpful tool for quitting smoking.
Their type of draw enhances the throat hit and better satisfies your nicotine cravings when vaping. A pod only vapourises a small amount of e-liquid, and consequently little nicotine, which makes vaping highly-nicotined liquids much easier.
Pods and nicotine salt e-liquids
The revolution started by podmod electronic cigarettes didn't happen by chance. Indeed, it was around the same time that nicotine salt e-liquids started to appear, at least in France. You can see why these two factors would correlate.
Nicotine salt e-liquids offer a new way of consuming nicotine. The extraction process for nicotine salt e-liquids differs from the usual method, resulting in nicotine that's closer to its natural state.
This type of nicotine is more rapidly absorbed by the body than the one present in normal e-liquids. The result is almost the same as when you inhale a traditional cigarette's nicotine, which is a real boon for beginner vapers who want to quit smoking.
However, this faster absorption is at the expense of the throat hit, which is much smoother than with a standard e-liquid. That's why nicotine salt e-liquids are available with a higher nicotine level, like 10 or 20 mg/mL. Therefore, we recommend you vape them at a low power with high-value coils (1.20 ohm for example) in order to achieve a satisfying vape.
This is where pods come in. These electronic cigarettes are designed to vape at a low power, since they only have small batteries. Their coils have a resistive value that's generally between 1 and 1.20 ohm, and their draw is tight so as to favour the hit feeling. So, pods are very effective for vaping nicotine salt e-liquids, because they can operate at a low power whilst bringing out the relatively weak hit of this type of liquid!
CBD juices and pods, a great combination
CBD e-liquids now make up a large part of the vaping scene, and for good reason! CBD is a molecule that's naturally found in cannabis. It has interesting anxiolytic and analgesic effects. Otherwise known as cannabidiol, this molecule is entirely biocompatible with e-liquids and remains stable when heated at low temperatures. That's why ecigarettes are perfect for inhaling CBD.
In the same way a pod electronic cigarette is effective at vapourising nicotine salt e-liquids, it's also great for CBD juices.
Pods offer a low power vape, and by extension operate at low temperatures, thanks to their coils. They allow you to vapourise CBD with ease and in the best conditions, retaining all of the molecule's properties. This is yet another asset of these versatile and compact ecigarettes!
The pod and its many flavours
To a lesser extent, the tight draw and low-power vape provided by a pod electronic cigarette are perfect for fans of accurate e-liquid flavours.
Indeed, the lower the power and the tighter the draw, the less disturbed your palate and taste buds will be. So, pods are a great device if you want to fully enjoy your juice's aromas.
Adding to this, note that pod electronic cigarettes aren't really built to produce a lot of vapour. The pods' coils work best with e-liquids whose vegetable glycerin (VG) content is relatively low. High-VG juices can rapidly clog the coils. We recommend you use e-liquids with a PG/VG ratio between 50/50 and 30/70, in order to increase the coil's lifespan as much as possible.
This will also refine the flavour rendition of your e-liquid, since propylene glycol (PG) is a flavour enhancer. The higher its content, the stronger the e-liquid's taste will be.
Everything you need to know about electronic cigarette pods
- How to maintain your pod