Sub-Ohm Vape Guide: 2023 Update

As vaping has increased around the world, innovation has pushed vape mods from small low-powered cig-style devices to high power sub ohm devices. It’s not new for vapers to want to push the limits, and sub-ohm vaping allows them to do just that. If you’re not familiar with sub-ohm vaping, you’re in luck - we wrote this sub ohm vaping guide to teach you everything that you need to know!

Ohms and Ohm’s Law

Before we get to all the cool vaping stuff, we first have to cover some scientific basics. An “ohm” is a unit of resistance. Ohm’s Law states that there is a relationship between voltage, current and resistance. More specifically, Voltage = Current / Resistance or V = I/R. How does that relate to vaping? Basically, by decreasing the resistance (ohms) of your atomizer, more electricity will flow through it, changing the overall vape experience.

What is Sub Ohm Vaping?

In it’s most simple definition, sub ohm vaping means vaping with a coil that has resistance under one ohm. Conversely, vaping with a coil that has a resistance over one ohm is considered above ohm vaping. 

In its infancy, sub ohm vaping was mostly explored by vaping veterans who built their own coils and constructed their own devices. They figured out through Ohm’s Law that their mods could produce far more wattage and power if they lowered the circuit’s resistance (ohms). By using a rebuildable atomizer and building their own coils, they were able to blow bigger clouds and intensify their vape experience. These were the first sub ohm coils and sub-ohm atomizers.

Today however, the market is very different. The popularity of sub ohm vaping has resulted in an explosion of new commercially produced and regulated sub ohm devices and sub-ohm vaping kits in the vape market. Sub ohm vaping is no longer reserved just for experts, but is available to everyone through safe devices with advanced vaping technology and eliminating the need for sub ohm coil builds for most consumers. On average, commercial units range between 10 watts and 300 watts, although at least 30 watts is typically needed to sustain a resistance under an ohm.

Sub Ohm Vaping vs Regular Vaping

The main difference between sub ohm vaping and regular (above ohm) vaping is whether or not the atomizer’s resistance is above or below one ohm. However, in terms of the vaper’s experience, there are three major differences that come from the increased power of a sub-ohm device. These three differences and reasons why sub ohm vaping is popular include:

• Bigger Clouds: If more power means one thing for vapers, it means bigger and more vibrant clouds. For cloud chasers, and those who just prefer more vape on each hit, the performance of a sub ohm device far exceeds the performance of an above ohm device.
• More Flavour: More vape means more flavour. Since sub ohm vaping uses more vape juice than vaping at a higher resistance, sub ohm vapers are able to maximize the flavour on each and every pull. 
• Warmer Vape: Sub ohm vaping means more power, and as a result, the vapour will typically be warmer than an above ohm experience. Commercial devices and tanks usually have ample airflow to ensure that the vape is not hot enough to cause discomfort, but instead, enough to make sure that each hit is warm and smooth on your throat.

Three Ways to Sub Ohm Vape

For those who choose to sub-ohm vape, an atomizer with a resistance under an ohm will be necessary. If you are trying to figure out how to sub ohm vape, there are three options available:

1. Rebuildable Dripping Atomizers (RDAs): In the beginning, if you wanted to sub ohm vape, a rebuildable dripping atomizer would have been your only choice. These atomizers allow vapers to build their own coil and wrap their own cotton. Instead of a tank, users would simply drip e-liquid onto the wick.
2. Rebuildable Tank Atomizers (RTAs): RTAs are similar to RDAs in that they allow individuals to build and customize their own coils, but the coils are built within a tank so that dripping is no longer a requirement. Instead, e-juice is held in a small tank that gives a much longer vaping experience between juice refills.
3. Sub Ohm Tanks: Commercial tanks make sub ohm vaping very easy. Since commercial coils are ‘ready-to-go’, vapers don’t have to build them or maintain them. Instead of screwing in a coil and wicking cotton through it, users can simply spin a commercial coil into the tank, fill the tank with e-liquid, and begin vaping immediately.

Choosing The Right Sub Ohm Mod

There are hundreds of sub ohm mod options on the market today, and as vaping popularity continues to expand, this selection will increase. When you’re looking for the perfect sub ohm device, the most important thing is to know what you require for your ideal vape experience. If it’s about big clouds, find a device with a higher wattage capability. If it’s about long battery life, find a sub ohm device with multiple batteries. No matter what you need, there’s a device out there for you. Visit our vape mods store to find your perfect mod or our sub-ohm tanks section for the full vaping.com selection! If you want to want to read up a little more about what vaping is read our guide.