There are a few signs as to when you should change your vape coil. Whether you use a removable coil or a coil built into a pod, it will need to be replaced eventually. This is because the coil can only withstand so much e-liquid and heating. The first sign that your coil or pod needs replacing is a burnt taste. This may taste like burnt toast, or just slightly off. If your juice isn't tasting the same as it was when the coil was new, its time to change it. If you discover your pod or vape tank is leaking it's a likely sign that your coil needs replacing. When a coil is nearing the end of its lifespan, it can't wick the e-liquid as well, resulting in the coil flooding and the juice making its way out of the pod or tank. The e-liquid can end up leaking into your vape, causing liquid damage. A less obvious reason your coil needs to be changed is your device not recognising it. If your device is displaying "no atomiser" or "atomiser short" its a sign that your coil has reached the end of its lifespan, usually a while ago.
There's a huge range of vape kits on the market, therefore if you're not sure on the vape kit you have, it can be tricky finding which coil or pod you need. Vape brands make lots of vape kit and vape tank models, making it even harder to discern between them. The best ways to work out which replacement coil or pod you need are:
- Remove the coil/pod you have from the device. Usually, the coil or pod will have something written either on the side or the bottom of it. Usually this is a brand, type, and coil resistance. Search the writing on our website and see if the images match.
- Find the vape you have on our website. If you know the vape model you have, search it on our website. Once you've found the vape you have, look at the "compatible with" section, this will show you the replacement pods or coils you need.
- Contact us. Our team have extensive knowledge on different vape kits and coils, and will happily let you know which replacement coils you need. You can contact us via live chat located on the bottom right of the screen, via email, or phone.
Priming a coil is something that has phased out of necessity since the take over of pod kits and MTL (mouth-to-lung) vaping. Coils are much smaller than they used to be, and with people using much thinner e-liquid like 50VG/50PG juice, there's no longer a need to manually prime a coil before using it. However, there are still steps you need to take when using a new pod or coil.
Traditionally, you would manually drip e-liquid onto the holes on the outside of the coil, and some on the inside of the cotton. This would help the thick cotton wick the e-liquid better. Lower the wattage and take a few puffs before putting the wattage to your preferred range. This can still be beneficial if you're using a sub-ohm coil with thicker e-liquid.
If you're using a coil that is built-in to a refillable pod, it's still wise to fill up your pod with vape juice and let the coil soak in for at least 5 minutes before vaping. This allows all of the cotton to be saturated in vape juice, reducing the chance of a dry hit. If you puff your vape too early, the cotton can burn. This is irreversible and will result in you needing a new coil.
As coils receive electric power (Wattage) from the vape kit, there needs to be a way to regulate the power that enters the coil. This is where the resistance of a coil comes into play.
Ohms (Ω) are the resistance in which your coil runs at. Vape kits use battery power to heat up the coil and vaporise the e-liquid. A high resistance coil will reduce the power the coil provides, offering low vapour production and a MTL throat hit that resembles a cigarette inhale. This effect is usually achieved at 1.0hm and higher. A higher resistance means that less liquid is used and a tighter drag.
Sub-ohm vaping is categorised by the ohm rating being lower than 1.0ohm. Usually, sub ohm vaping is used with thicker e-liquid, usually around 70VG/30PG. These thicker e-liquids require much more power to vaporise. Sub-ohm vaping produces thicker clouds and uses more e-liquid. Sub-ohm vaping is done using a "DTL" vape style, which is the action of inhaling the vapour directly into your lungs instead of holding the vapour in your mouth first. Sub-ohm vaping is used more by experienced vape users who understand ohms, wattage, and resistances as well as using shortfill e-liquid with low nicotine strengths.
If you're a new vaper, it's best to stick with a pod kit that features a coil resistance between 0.6ohm and 1.6ohm. Because of the low power output of pod kits, this range will offer you the best MTL experience, especially if you were used to disposable vapes.
A pre-filled pod is a replaceable vape pod that is pre-filled with e-liquid. Pre-filled pods are usually designed for simple to use vape kits. They are designed to be discarded after all of the vape juice is used up. Pre-filled vape pods have built-in coils, and the pods cannot be opened and refilled. Pre-filled pod kits are perfect for beginner vapers, as they require minimal maintenance and are ready to vape straight from the box. Lots of former disposable vape manufacturers have developed their own pre-filled pod kits that resemble their most popular disposable vapes. This has made the transition away from disposable vapes much easier for people since the disposable vape ban of 2025.