Buying Your First Vape? Here’s What You Need To Know

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Box Mod vs Vape Pen vs Pod System

If you’re new to the vaping world and wondering what vape you should buy, things can get confusing pretty quick. You go to buy your first device and come across terms like a personal vaporizer, mech mod, unregulated box mod, vape pen, pod vape and more. You go to buy your first bottle of juice and you have a million different flavours and a wide range of nicotine levels. Luckily for you we've created lots of blog posts to help you find out which the best vape brands are and how to find the best salt nic flavours and the vapes to use them with.

Box mods can be pricey in some instances, and when buying your first one especially, you want to find a box mod option that is really going to satisfy you, and one that you will appreciate over a long period of time.  To help you learn about box mods and make sure that you make the right selection with your first mod, we’ve created this Box Mod Newbie Guide. By the time you get through this guide, you’ll know exactly what a box mod is, how a box mod works, and will be able to decide which box mod will most ideally fit your needs.

If you want all the versatility of a box mod but want something more portable we would recommend a vape pen. If you want a vape to keep in your pocket or purse and carry around with you we recommend a pod vape. Pod vapes are perfect for smokers looking to transition from smoking as they're designed to mimic the experience of cigarettes. Helpfully we've put together a guide to the best pod vapes and best vape pens for 2019, go check them out. We keep these compilations updated regularly with all the new greatest vapes so you can pick something with cutting edge vape technology. Not sure which brand to choose? Yup we hear you, check out our guide to the best vape brands.

What is a Box Mod?

Before you choose a box mod, you first have to know what a box mod is. Furthermore, to really understand what a box mod is, it’s best to go back to the beginning of the e-cig and vape mods scene and see how box mods were first introduced. The vaping world began with small and low-powered tube-shaped e-cigs and mods that resembled cigarettes. These e-cig devices accepted disposable cartridges that would have to be replaced once they had run their course (which seemed to happen very quickly). Some people enjoyed these models, and while they did grow quite rapidly in popularity, there were many enthusiasts who really desired greater performance from their vape mods. 

Next, came the vape pen style. These e-cigs and mods, while still pen shaped, were much longer and wider than the cigarette-style devices. They had larger batteries, which meant more performance and longer life between charging. Since mods are relatively simple in their construction, innovative vape users started modifying devices to make them more powerful and give them better production potential. Using all types of household items from Altoid cans to handmade wooden boxes, these early mods set the stage for the commercially produced “box mods” that are popular today.

In the most simple terms, a box mod is a form of vaping device that has a box shape as opposed to the traditional or pen-style cylinder shape. New vape mods are much more complex, including large screens and circuit boards that allow for a variety of functions and increased control of each vaping experience when compared to the original box mod style.

Box Mod vs Vape Pen

If there is one advantage of a pen-style device over a box mod, it would likely be its small size and discreteness. However, a great number of vape users prefer the benefits of a vape box, regardless of their larger and more irregular size. Although a vape mod is seemingly less flexible than a cylinder device, the box shape provides for several features that vape pen mods cannot provide, such as:

  • Longer battery life: Box mods have more internal space. This means that a greater number of batteries can be included. Many commercial box mods accept one or two batteries, while a larger 18650 box mod may accept up four. More battery power results in higher wattage capability, longer life of the device between charges, and a much greater box mod performance.
  • Better cloud production: The increased wattage and performance of box mods gives the advantage of more vapour production per hit, and thus, bigger clouds! Early pen style devices were known for their low wattage and minimal vapour production. Today’s sub-ohm vapour box mods can reach wattages up to 300w and produce clouds that can fill a room in two vape hits. Box mods are perfect not just for cloud chasers, but also regular vape enthusiasts who prefer a better control of how much vapour is produced on every hit.
  • Better control: Newer commercial box mods are built with sophisticated circuit boards that give users the ability to manage a number of settings to make the device work best for the user. The top box mods allow users to learn exactly what their specific vaping preference is, and set their vape mod to provide an ideal hit, each and every time.

Regulated Box Mod vs. Unregulated Box Mod

Regulated circuit boards do more than just allow the user to control the device better, they also ensure that the box mod e-cig won’t fire in case of a malfunction. Vape mods that include these circuit boards (personal vaporizer mods) are referred to as regulated box mods. New users buying their first box mod (and many experienced users) typically prefer these mods since they don’t have to take on the responsibility of monitoring the device for safety themselves. Some vapers, however, prefer to have more control over the actual construction of their devices and choose to build their own vape box mod - unregulated mods.

These box mods are simple in construction and are built with just a battery, an atomizer, and some type of housing to contain the components. Since these devices are unregulated box mods, there is nothing to prevent them from firing in case the battery is defective in any way. These mods, however, can be built with almost an unlimited number of batteries (how many can you fit in a housing?) allowing mech mod users to really trick out their device’s production - far more than is possible through a commercially produced personal vaporizer.

Features of a Regulated Box Mod

Over the years, the chipsets that control regulated box mods have improved drastically. Today, many commercial e-cigs and mods provide advanced controls, including:

  • Safety features: Regulated mods have internal regulations to ensure that devices don’t misfire. Mechanical box mods, on the other hand, sends a raw battery voltage to the atomizer without a specified level of resistance. With an unregulated box mod, a low ohm coil combined with a non-compatible battery can lead to failure, without any safety measures to stop it from happening.
  • Temperature Control: Many new box mods allow for easy temperature and wattage control. By simply changing their settings, users can enjoy a variety of vape experiences and have the ability to increase/decrease the power of their device during usage.

Best Box Mods for Beginners

First time buying a mod box? With so many devices on the market, it can be hard to decide where to start! For first-time mod buyers, here’s three good box mods we recommend.

1.  SMOK Devilkin Mod

SMOK are the most popular vape brand in the industry at the time of writing and the Devilkin Box Mod is a great example of why they're so popular. For beginners it's extremely easy to use as it has a nice big screen and a firing button that takes up one side. As you would expect from any SMOK product it has a wide range of safety features and works with their huge range of vape tanks.

2. Dovpo M VV Mod

Dovpo might not be as well established as SMOK but the M VV Box Mod is a great mod for beginners. A variable voltage (VV) box mod it provides a massive amount of flexibility for the beginners to find their favourite setup. It's capable of outputting a maximum power voltage of 8.0 volts and the mod wattage range of over 200W means the Dovpo M VV box mod is an extremely high performance vape device. It has a stylish design and come in a range of colours so you can find a version to perfectly suit your style.

Best Box Mods for Power

Looking for a personal vaporizer device that packs a mean and powerful punch? Here are our suggestions for the best box mods for power lovers:

1. G Priv V2 Mod

SMOK redesigned and overhauled their original G-Priv device with the G-Priv 2. This device has been completely upgraded, the result being an incredible mod that reaches the threshold of technical perfection. With 230 watts of power capability, the G-Priv 2 is approximately 15% smaller than the original version and 10% lighter. This SMOK box mod has a 2 inch 200 PPI touchscreen and a wide range of features including a carbon fibre battery cover, full-length firing mechanism, dedicated screen lock button, temperature control capability and more.

 

Best Designed Box Mods

Want a high-quality device that really breaks the mould in design? Here are a few of our favourite well-designed vape mods.

1. SMOK Species 230W Mod

The SMOK Alien was the most popular Mod and Kit for a very long time in the vaping world. SMOK have updated and replaced the Alien with the new Species Mod. Despite housing dual 18650 batteries the mod is compact and fits comfortably in the palm of you had with your fingers resting on the large firing button. The screen is brand new, a super sharp 1.45" high def touch screen perfectly displays your vaping data. The SMOK Species can firing from 1W all the way to 230W output to match your requirements perfectly.

2. Vaporesso Polar 220W Mod

Vaporesso has once again delivered an awesome mod, the Polar 200W Mod is a perfect all-rounder. It looks are sexy, a unique prism design features throughout the device. As with any modern Mod, the screen is super sharp but with the Polar you get 4 buttons overall which makes changing settings much easier than most mods. Dual 18650 batteries are 2.5a quick charged, which can nearly half charge times to more traditional mods. It fires super fast, an impressive 0.001s so if speed is your thing this is the mod for you.

3. SMOK Mag Grip 100W Mod

"I know what you're thinking. 'Did he vape six times or only five?' Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself." Dirty Harry didn't really say that but SMOK Mag Grip does invoke feelings of holding a .44 Magnum thanks to its hand gun inspired styling. In order to fire the Mag Grip you have to pull the trigger. The name comes from the hand gun magazine style battery loading system, just press the mag release button (silver in the image about) and the battery magazine slides out. To reload just slide it back into place until you hear a satisfying click. Because this only takes a single 18650 battery we recommend buying two so you can enjoy changing the mag as much as we do. It has a host of features, click on the links to visit the product page and find out more.

4. SnowWolf Mfeng 200W Mod

The SnowWolf Mfeng 200W mod is manufactured by Sigelei to amazing standard. From the embossed SnowWolf emblem on the mod itself to the satisfyingly clicky buttons this mod is simply awesome to behold. It comes in a wide range of metal finishes which add to the weight and robust feeling of the mod. It takes dual 18650 batteries and can fire all the way from 10W to 200W so you can pair it with a wide range of coils. Join the wolf pack with the SnowWolf Mfeng 200W mod today.

5. Voopoo Drag Mod

Not only is the Voopoo Drag Mod a pleasure on the eye, but it also contains the GENE chip; the most advanced technology on the vaping market. One of the features of this chip is “Super Mode”; a mode that automatically kicks in at 130 watts to smooth out your hit. This allows you to take in bigger clouds without a harsh throat hit. The mods settings can be highly customized using the VooPoo PC App for Windows. With 157 watts of power, this mod is perfect for new and advanced vapers alike. These complex features are all housed in a one-of-a-kind housing that is designed with a beautiful resin panel in a series of unique colourways - giving it a personality unlike any other device on the market today.

Choosing Your First Box Mod

Now that you know what box mods are and how they work, and have a few suggestions on some of the best box mods on the market, it should be much easier to make a decision on which mod is right for you. The first step to buying your first mod, is knowing what you want from your mod.

  • Do you want a small device that can easily fit in your pocket? Look for small box mods with big performance.
  • Is affordability the most important factor for you? Look at our best cheap vapes guide.
  • Do you want to find the perfect mod? Browse our full collection of vape mods.

Just remember, the better that your device fits your needs, the more likely you will be to stick to it for the long term. Do your research and check out reviews before making your purchase. Vape on!