No Science Guide: What's the Ideal Wattage for Vaping?

No Science Guide: What's the Ideal Wattage for Vaping?

If you have a variable wattage mod, your watt sweet spot will depend on your hardware, your vape juice and your personal tastes.

There is a little bit of science involved in finding the perfect wattage, but you definitely don't need to be an expert.

Finding your ideal wattage is more about trial and error. Read on, and we'll help you find a wattage that works for you.

Variable wattage (VW) mods

Only some mods will let you control the wattage. Most versatile box mods let you set the watts. But almost all pod vapes, most stick mods and mechanical mods will not.

What you are looking for is a regulated mod that has a chip to control different outputs.

Regulated mods allow you to change different settings. Most allow you to change the voltage (variable voltage or VV) and some will allow you to control the temperature (temperature control or TC), but the most common variable is wattage.

Our favorite VW mods

Wattage is essentially the output or power of a device. A mod set at 50W will vaporize more e-liquid than a mod at 30W, just as a 75W light bulb will be brighter than a 40W bulb.

Without going into too much detail on the science, the basic thing you need to know is that when you are increasing the output, you are telling your mod to draw a higher voltage from the battery.

The only other way to control the output is to change the resistance of your set-up, but this can only be achieved by changing the atomizer.

With most box mods, you can buy a range of different coils with different resistances. When you attach a new atomizer to your mod, it may calculate the resistance for you, or it may be up to you to set the resistance. This will normally be printed on the coil or on the box.

If you are creating your own coils to use in a rebuildable atomizer, the resistance will depend on the material you are using for your coils and the number of turns that you put in the wire. More turns will mean a higher resistance.

Tips for choosing your wattage

As we've said, you don't need to delve deep into the science to find your ideal output.

If you are using a mechanical mod understanding the relationship between resistance, current and voltage is a little more important, but most mech mod users tend to be seasoned vapers with a better understanding of these things.

In this section, our aim is to give you more practical advice to find the perfect vaping wattage for you.

It's written on the coils

If you're hunting for the perfect wattage, this is the easiest way to get in the right ballpark.

As well as telling you the resistance of a coil, most atomizers will give you a recommended wattage range over which the coil can be used. This will be printed on the coil box or on the coil itself. Some will also have a note telling you what the "best" operating wattage is.

For the 0.15 ohm GT4 coils, used on Vaporesso NRG tank, for example, the recommended wattage is 45 and 65W. 45 to 65W is still a fairly broad range, so it will be up to you to find what works best within these limits.

Pay attention to the hit

A good hit is the most important thing for most vapers. And a lot of it comes down to personal preference. Some vapers take big hits, slurping down nicotine and creating gigantic puffy clouds of vapor. Other people aren't bothered about this stuff and just want a casual puff.

If you want bigger clouds with a stronger throat hit, then you want to turn your wattage up. You should also be aware that higher PG e-liquid can provide a stronger throat hit and higher VG juice will make your clouds a bit thicker - so it isn't all about the power of your vape.

Another thing to pay attention to is the temperature of your hit. I like ripping my vape at a high wattage and feeling the blast of warm vapor down my throat, but this isn't for everyone. Pay attention to your hit and adjust. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers.

Experiment with flavors

E-liquids taste different at different wattages. This is because the flavor elements in your juice vaporize at different temperatures. Adjusting the wattage can bring out different flavors.

Again, this comes down to personal preference and you will need to do some experimenting.

While one e-liquid might taste great at 60W, you may need to boost it up to 75W for another juice.

If you are chasing the perfect flavor, our advice is to start low with a vape juice and slowly work your way up until you find the sweet spot.

Generally speaking, if you are have a delicate flavor like fruit, you are better off going for lower watts. If you have more complex flavors like desserts, coffee or tobacco juices - you will want to use a higher wattage.

Protect your equipment

Your wattage will also affect the lifespan of your gear. At a simple level, the higher the wattage, the faster your battery will run down.

Your coils will be affected in a similar way. Having your wattage set too high may make your coils burnout quicker. This is especially true if you are using coils outside of the "safe" range printed on the coil or on the box.

If your coils taste burnt soon after you change them, you might want to look at the wattage you are using.

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