The first thing to understand about different vapes is that there are two main categories of vapes.
There are other substances that people vape. Like various herbs and vitamins; some daring souls choose to even vaporize coffee. Many of those products and activities are on the fringes, but the devices used are no different from nicotine or cannabis vapes—they’re just different substances that happen to “work” in the devices. E Cigarette
There’s some overlap between cannabis and nicotine vapes, like the classic vape pen, which functions in both realms. This may explain why it’s the most popular type of vape in existence.
While all nicotine vapes can be called “e-cigarettes”, that term is most commonly used for small devices that look similar to a cigarette in size and shape. But nicotine vapes don’t stop there.
These are the simplest vapes you’ll find. Open the pack, and they’re ready for immediate use. Once you’re finished, you dispose of the device and use another. These are ideal devices for travel or for the busiest among us without the time to tinker with little gadgets. Disposables work great with high nicotine in providing a satisfying hit, which makes them work well as vapes to quit smoking by providing a quick entry into vaping.
The Elf Bar made a splash in the disposable market and has quickly become one of the most recognizable vapes out there. The BC5000 comes with a 650 mAh battery and a whopping 15 mL of 50 mg nicotine salt juice, good for 5000 puffs. With an ever-expanding catalog of flavors (42 and counting,) you’re guaranteed to find your all-day vape!
Pod vapes are some of the most practical vaping devices available. A pod vape is usually a two-piece device, similar to an e-cigarette, with one piece being the battery and the other a replaceable and often refillable pod. Pod vapes are usually affordable and very easy to use while performing at a higher level than most traditional e-cigarettes. They are also a perfect fit for nicotine salt e-liquid, making them a very efficient vape for nicotine delivery.
The Geekvape Wenax H1 is an MTL pod vape that’s all about versatility. It comes with two pod options and three power settings, making it a great fit for everything from mid-strength regular nicotine to higher-strength salts. The H1 is powered by a 1000 mAh battery that charges through Type-C, and its pods hold 2 mL of e-liquid.
Box mod kits are larger and more powerful vapes. The extra size usually means better performance and longer battery life, usually in the form of external vape batteries. Most box mods come with settings and features such as variable wattage or even temperature control. The included tanks can be mouth to lung clearomizers or direct lung sub ohm tanks.
The most common configuration for a box mod starter kit would be a single-battery mod with variable wattage and temperature control capabilities, paired with a mid-range sub ohm tank.
The sequel to the Aegis Mini is an IP68 rated mod that fires up to 100 watts and houses a 2500 mAh battery. It comes equipped with Geekvape’s Stable Output Buck-boost technology and introduces a handy lock switch that makes it safer to carry. The M100 houses a large color screen and comes in six color options.
These are the most advanced vapes on this list. Technically a sub-category of box mod starter kits, squonk setups have enough features to set them apart that are worthy of their own category. Squonkers provide a practical method for feeding your atomizer with e-liquid. A typical regulated squonk setup bundles a squonk capable box mod and a bottom-fed RDA. The mod houses a squeezable bottle that is connected to the atomizer deck through a shallow 510, practically functioning as an external tank section.
Due to the bottle occupying the space where a battery would have been placed, a single battery squonk mod will have roughly the same size with a dual-battery box mod. As a result, most squonk kits come in single battery configuration, but dual-battery squonkers are available for those who don’t mind the extra bulk.
The Pulse V2 is the latest squonk mod to come from the collaboration between Vandy Vape and Tony B. It is a 2×700 mod that fires up to 95 watts and features an innovative bottom-filling design. The Pulse V2 is compatible with the Vandy Vape app and comes in a variety of colors, including resin and carbon fiber designs.
These vaporizers come in various forms. Similar to smoking accessories like bongs, bubblers, bowls, and dab rigs, cannabis and CBD vapes are plentiful. Still, when it comes down to it, there are two main types: desktops and portables. Portables can be small to hardly pocketable but still portable, with desktops needing to be parked at your session station.
Desktop vaporizers are typically the most efficient option for dry herb and wax. But if you’re on the go, there are solid portable and pen-style vapes that provide vaporization with all the benefits of the substance and none of the issues of smoke, either obnoxious odors or negative health effects from inhaling smoke.
A refillable CBD vape pen is any type of vape pen that can be filled with CBD e-juice. It usually has a tank that attaches to a rechargeable 510 thread battery. CBD pens come in a simple and convenient pen-style form factor and are generally smaller and lighter than the average mod and tank combo. Some of them are suitable for direct-lung vaping while others provide a tight mouth to lung draw.
The Avida Puff Full Spectrum CBD pens contain Avida’s USA-grown and hemp-derived CBD distillate. Each rechargeable pen comes with 400 mg CBD and a variety of terpenes and cannabinoids, including up to 0.3% THC. Experience the benefits of the entourage effect in six all-natural terpenoid-based flavors with Avida’s discreet and super-stylish vape pens.
A weed pen, or THC oil pen, is a relatively simple two-part electronic device used to vaporize THC/CBD oil or distillate. Every weed pen houses a small battery that heats your oil in an atomizer cartridge containing a wick and a heating coil, or just a ceramic coil. This heating process turns concentrates into vapor.
Previously, THC carts were only available in cannabis dispensaries. Today delta 8 carts are growing in popularity. They provide the physical and mentally stimulating effects of THC, but are derived from hemp instead of marijuana. That means they are more accessible to a wider range of people who previously didn’t have access to cannabis products.
The Kandypens Special-K Black is a swanky and stealthy take on the classic weed pen design. It works as good as it looks, and it comes with two 1 mL tanks, temperature control battery with three heat settings, and several handy accessories. With a lifetime warranty on the battery, the Special-K Black is the pen to get!
Portable dry herb vaporizers are small personal devices designed for vaporizing marijuana or legal high-CBD strains. They have an internal oven that heats up cannabis at precise temperatures to produce vapor.
The Mighty is a portable device that vapes like a desktop unit. It has a very unique aesthetic, resembling a power tool more than a vaporizer. The Mighty is a bigger and better version of the popular Crafty. It does a great job at evenly baking your fine to medium ground herb to produce up to 15 puffs per session.
Some of the first vaporizers belong to this category. These devices are the powerhouse of all vapes. They work with convection and/or conduction heating, thoroughly and efficiently extracting cannabinoids from the flower. Desktops can be the most intense vapes, but they can also be dialed down to the most comfortable temperature the user wants. These vapes are self-contained heaters that bake dry herb at specific temperatures to produce vapor. The vapor is then inhaled using a tube called a whip, or using traditional vaporizer bags popularized by the most famous vaporizer: the Storz and Bickel Volcano.
The new Volcano Hybrid has a classic balloon and whip system with hybrid convection/conduction heating between 104° F – 446° F; operated by a digital display or through an Android app. The herb chamber holds 0.5 grams and heats in as little as 1 minute, making it the fastest and most user-friendly Volcano to date.
This is a common question but rarely can it be answered for you. It will always be a personal choice. Most important are your needs, your budget, and your willingness to tinker with electronics. Furthermore, though it may seem shallow, you should really consider the look and size of the device. If a big bulky device doesn’t fit your lifestyle, you can effectively rule out half of your options. Of course, the same is true if your budget isn’t limited or you aren’t concerned with pocketability.
Bottom line: if you’re interested in vaping as an alternative to smoking, there’s a better chance than not there’s a perfect device for you! Hopefully, this guide brought you a few steps closer to finding it.
Somebody gave me a vape pen a long and then where you put the pot make a little bottle on top push a button and suck it in can I also use this for cigarettes vaping
Hey Michael, to answer your question: if it can vaporize cannabis, then it can vaporize tobacco. Most people prefer nicotine e-juice but it is technically possible. I’m not sure what type of vape it is based on your description but as long as it isn’t a wax or liquid vape, you should be able to use it for any type of flower you want including cannabis, tobacco, peppermint, etc. I hope that helps, vape on!
Would have been nice if this article also included Mechanical mods, but anyways, very good explanation.
Thanks for reading and commenting. Some of us here still use mechs, so we understand what you’re saying. But we made the determination that there were too many ins and outs for mech mods to be included in this article. We do have a separate page for mechs along with a short explanation, and a separate page for best-unregulated mods if you’re interested in checking them out.
Either way, thanks again for reading. Happy new year!
I’m using THC oil and was wondering if cotton wicks are to be used for it? Seems like oil is to thick to wick though the cotton. and about the priming of the coil. Do you put oil right in the coil itself or just the wick on the outside?
Hey Jon, what kind of tank are you using? Most re-fillable oil carts utilize wicking materials like cotton and/or ceramic that are designed for handling thicker oils. You want the oil in between the tank and the coil head. You can prime the coil itself with a few drops but it’s not necessary because you will still need to give it at least 10-15 minutes to let it fully soak in. Best of luck!
I switched to the bidi stick was so excited made it a whole day without cigarettes! But then I find that bidi is apparently more dangerous! ☹️
If the bidi stick is a vaping product, it is certainly not more dangerous than smoking. Who told you that it was?
Hi looking for some advice .I dont smoke attal but I love some of the different vape juice. I also like loads of smoke I had a vape machine that I used the thinner liquid in but didn’t like the liquid.So I started using the thicker liguid but it burned out my coils very fast. So I was wondering if you could tell me which machine I should buy I’m a female so want it to look nice but get loads of smoke to. Thanks . Ann
Disposable Cartomizer Hi Ann, it sounds like you’re looking for a full setup that comes with a vape mod and sub ohm tank. There are also some good all-in-one vapes that produce a decent sized cloud that you might want to check out too. So the thickness, or viscosity of e-juice depends on how much VG it contains. So thinner juices will have 50% and the thicker ones can have over 90% VG. You might want to go with a 70% VG e-liquid next time, that seems to be a good middle point. Also, the coils burning out quick might have something… Read more »