Sub-Ohm Vaping is a popular way of vaping that you may have seen in our shop, but what is sub-ohm vaping and how does it work? Today, I will answer all these questions and more!
What is Sub-Ohm Vaping?
When you push electricity through a conductor (e.g: a coil), it meets resistance, which is measured in ohms (Ω). When coils with a resistance of less than 1 ohm are used, this is sub-ohm vaping.
Sub-Ohm vaping is an excellent way of getting more vapour out of your device, creating bigger clouds and perhaps doing tricks.
Sub Ohm resistances are common nowadays in off the shelf tanks and pre-built coils, but only a few years ago, sub-ohm batteries were not readily available, and sub ohm vaping could only be experienced through building coils and using mechanical mods. Mech mods are still available today, but technology has moved on, bringing sub-ohm vaping to the masses.
How Does Sub-Ohm Vaping Work?
One way to get more vapour from your coils is by increasing power to the batteries, since the more power provided to the coils, the hotter it gets and the more vapour can be produced.
However, there is a limit to the amount of power that can be put through a coil before it starts producing extra heat. Excessive heat can cause the device to get uncomfortably hot or even burn the wick, giving you a bad taste.
You can use more airflow combining a lower resistance coil with more airflow before you start creating excess heat.
Resistance
To lower the resistance of your coil, you can use a thicker wire. If you apply the same power to two wires the same length but with different thicknesses, the thicker wire would heat up slower. To reach a similar resistance with a lower resistance coil (with thicker wire), you would need to apply more power.
By increasing the thickness, you also increase the surface area of the coil touching the wick, so more e-liquid can be vaporized, bringing more vapour. Imagine it as a busy motorway. With more lanes, more cars can get through. With electrons, a thicker wire will allow more electrons through, vaporising more e-liquids.
Airflow
Larger air flows are important to allow enough airflow to cool the coils and the vapour. When the vapour is too hot, it can be unpleasant, and the heat can be transferred to the drip tip if it's metal.
Adjustable airflow on tanks allow you to adjust the airflow until it's right for you. Less air flow is better for mouth to lung, has more flavour, a stronger throat hit and warmer vapour. More air flow is better for direct to lung, has more vapour, less intense flavour and a slightly cooler vapour.
Power Settings
Many vapers start with a low wattage/temperature and a low resistance and slowly increase the wattage/temperature until they get satisfactory clouds. If you go too high, you can burn out your coils.
A good starting point is the manufacturer instructions, which advice on the wattage/temperature range to use. This is better than using a chart since coils from different manufacturers using the same resistance may have different wattage ranges. This can be for a number of reasons, including the amount of wraps on the coil, spacing between wraps, etc.
Why Do People Do Sub-Ohm Vaping?
Most people sub-ohm vape because they want more vapour. Large amounts of vapour surrounding you can seem rather satisfying. Also, more vapour can allow you to make cool vape tricks.
It can also increase the throat hit, however most vapors like to use a high VG e-liquid since high PG e-liquids can be too harsh. The larger juice holes are also necessary to come with VG e-liquids.
Some people believe sub ohm vaping leads to better flavour, however flavour chasing is the opposite of what you do for sub-ohm vaping.
| Pros of Sub-Ohm Vaping | Cons of Sub-Ohm Vaping |
| Tonnes of vapour | Uses more e-liquid |
| May produce more flavour | May require a change in inhale technique |
| Warmer vapour | Battery will be drained much faster |
Is Sub-Ohming Safe?
Sub-Ohming has a bad representation of its safety. It is safe, but most of the danger comes from people building their own coils and mods. If you want to do this, ensure you know what you are doing first. If you want to achieve lots of clouds with a minimum of fuss, it would be safer to buy sub-ohm devices from the shop.
When using a rebuildable device, it's important to understand Ohm's Law to prevent any potential conflicts within your build.
Considerate Sub Ohming
Some vapers are completely opposed to sub-ohm vaping, since the massive clouds can upset non-vapers and can worry people who think vaping is unhealthy. It is also more likely to lead to bans in pubs and companies, which can lead to difficulties for people vaping with a regular device.
While you can definitely sub-ohm in a vape convention, and you definitely can't in a playground, in other places you will need to use your best judgement.
Now you should know about sub-ohming and how it works. Shop some sub-ohm devices here, and happy vaping!