The Differences Between E-Cigarette Coils and MOD Coils

Coils are what heat the e-liquid into the vapor that you inhale. Different style e-cigs and MODs use different types of coils and different styles of atomizers.

However, before we can discuss the differences between e-cigarette coils and MOD coils, we need to touch on atomizers, which’s where the coils are housed.

Atomizers: What They Are and How They Work

Whether you're using an e-cig ("cig-a-like") with a cartomizer or an e-cig with a clearomizer, the coils are housed inside of the atomizer. 

Both cartomizers and clearomizers are essentially "Cartridges" that attach to the battery of the electronic cigarette. 

In a "cig-a-like" model, the cartridge is filled with a cotton-like filler and the atomizer sits underneath that material. When the atomizer goes bad or the filler gets overworked, you must replace the entire cartridge. You can't just replace the atomizer.

In an electronic device that uses a clearomizer, eGo batteries for example, instead of the cotton filler, there is a wick attached in the middle of the cartridge. These cartridges are called clearomizers because the tank is clear so you can see how much e-liquid you're adding.

Clearomizers come in two different styles. In some, you can remove just the atomizer and replace it; in the others, the atomizer is built-in, so you just replace the entire cartridge. 

With any of these three cartridges, as soon as you start getting a burnt taste, it's time to replace the cartridges and/or the atomizers.

The Coils Inside of the Atomizer

The coils of the atomizer are thin wires that run between the atomizer and the battery. When e-liquid is added to the cartridge, either the filler or the wick absorbs the liquid and feeds it to the coils.

When the battery is turned on, either by puffing on the cartridge (using a cig-a-like) or pushing a button (on an eGo battery), those coils are heated and they turn the liquid into the vapor that you inhale.

Single Coils and Dual Coils

Some atomizers are single-coil, which means it only has one wire that coils through the cotton-like material and attaches to the battery.

Dual-coiled atomizers have two wires, which doubles the amount of vapor and enhances the flavor of the e-liquid when you use it. However, dual-coil atomizers also use more liquid so you'll need to refill the cartridge more often.

Vape Pens, Portable Vaporizers, MODs, and Atomizer Coils

When you start upgrading, you'll get more power since the batteries are larger and last longer. For instance, some MODs are made to be used with a clearomizer and others just have the atomizer with a soft wick on it, but no clearomizer or cartomizer is used.

With these, you use "dripping" to add your e-liquid, and you drip it directly onto the atomizer. The atomizer will still have coils that attach to the MOD's battery, but the wick regulates how much of the liquid goes into the atomizer so as not to damage the atomizer.

Also, since the e-liquid goes right into the atomizer, you should get a cleaner and purer taste of your favorite flavor and you should never experience any burnt taste.

Some MODs also use rebuildable atomizers so you can repair or rebuild them if they get damaged.

Which Device Works Best?

Considering the differences between e-cigarette coils and MOD coils, each style of electronic device has its pros and cons. Most beginners will start with a "cig-a-like" style, and move up to an eGo style with a clearomizer so they can see how much e-liquid they're using.

Some vapers simply stay with the eGo and clearomizers while others upgrade to larger vape pens and MODs to get the enhanced vaping experience with more flavor and additional vapor clouds.

It's usually suggested that you try out different styles and find the one that suits you best. What’s ideal for one vaper may not be perfect for another. It really all depends on what experience you're looking for.