Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be aware that vaping is making serious waves as the healthy alternative to smoking, and the next-big-social-thing.
It’s undoubtedly head and shoulders above traditional smoking when it comes to health benefits, but what many people don’t realise is there’s actually two main types of electric cigarette!
As a new vaper, you’ll be inundated with choices to make between different brands, batteries, mods and accessories, however the first and perhaps most important will be deciding between the standard ‘e-cigarette’ and its ‘vape pen’ rival.
Both use the same standard vaporising mechanism and process – using e-liquid to create a vapour, no burning involved – happy days. However there are some distinct differences that you should be aware of before you pledge allegiance to one side or the other…
E-cigarettes
E-cigarettes are where the whole vaping trend took off – after being invented in China by chemist Hon Lik as a healthy cigarette alternative, they soon became a popular trend amongst experienced smokers and newbies alike.
They look and feel more like a real cigarette (whether this is a pro or a con depends on how you look at things) and there’s even an LED light built in which glows to mimic the burning tip of a real cigarette, making the experience as close to the real deal as possible.
The e-cig contain three main parts:
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Rechargeable battery
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Cartomizer (a combination of the cartridge and the atomizer)
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Silicone mouthpiece
They often come with ready-filled cartridges, so you don’t have to worry about messy re-fills, however they have limited battery life due to their size and are limited flavour-wise.
Vape Pens
Vape pens have recently grown steeply in popularity, becoming the new-fangled, trendy way to vape. Data from a recent Wells Fargo study suggests that vaporizers are growing twice as fast as standard e-cigs, now approaching nearly 50% of total e-cig sales, according to the Wall Street Journal.
They resemble a large, flat pen more than a traditional cigarette, and users push down on a button when inhaling to release flavoursome vapour.
Although with a vape pen you have to refill the e-liquid yourself which can be messy and time consuming, the clearomizer is always glass or see-through, enabling you to know when you’re running low on e-liquid. This means you’re less likely to get caught short – result.
Furthermore, the vape pens offer a much more exciting and diverse vaping experience, allowing users to choose from a far greater variety of e-liquids and flavours; mixology bars are opening and fast becoming the next big trendy place to socialise – no surprise the first one entitled ‘Vape Lab’ recently hit hipster hang-out Shoreditch high street.
Money-wise, vape pens work out cheaper in the long run, due to their re-fill ability as opposed to the disposable nature of e-cigs.
So… which one to choose?!
Ultimately, the choice you make will be based entirely on personal preference and priorities, and everyone’s different.
If you’re looking for a simple, healthier alternative to smoking, which gives you the same sort of satisfaction without the nasties, then the e-cig is probably the right way to go.
However for smoother nicotine delivery, a wider range of flavours and a trendier, social way to vape, the vape pen will become your new best friend.
Happy vaping!
