How Does Wattage Affect My Vape?

The majority of e-cigs on the market now will have settings that can be adjusted, including the ability to turn your wattage output up or down. But what does this mean? How does wattage affect your vape and how can you change it to tailor your vaping experience? Let’s find out.

What Does Wattage Mean in Vaping?

Wattage is the power outputted by your e-cig. All e-cigs output power, but some you are able to adjust. When you adjust your wattage, the amount of power that is transferred through your coil is changed, this dictates the temperature of your coil and in turn the amount of e-liquid that is vapourised. Frequently found on vape mods this can be adjusted through up and down buttons on the device with a screen displaying the current setting.

That is a fancy way of saying, when you turn your wattage up, your coil gets hotter and vapourises more e-liquid so you get more throat hit and vapour from your vape. If you turn it down, it is cooler, so you get less vapour produced.

With an e-cig that allows you to alter the wattage, it gives you the freedom to completely tailor the vaping experience to suit your vaping style, and even your mood.

How Wattage Affects Your Vape

Now we know what wattage is, we can learn what it actually does to the different areas of your vape.

Temperature

We have already touched upon temperature. So, we know that as you turn your wattage up, your coil heats up to a hotter temperature. On the flip side, the lower your wattage, the less heat is produced from your coil.

E-liquid Quantity

The higher your wattage is, the more e-liquid you use, so those who vape at high wattages will be topping up much more often than a vaper who vapes at a low power. As the temperature increases it vapourises your e-liquid quicker, so you use it faster. Stock up on Vape Liquid here

Lifespan

When your coils are consistently reaching a higher temperature, it means that they are under more strain. This means that if you vape at a higher wattage, as a general rule your coils don’t last as long. Buy Replacement Coils here

Battery Life

As with any battery, the more you use it, the quicker it is depleted and it will need charging. If you are vaping at high wattages the battery is using more power, so it runs down much more quickly than if you were vaping at a lower power.

Inhale Lengths

If we combine some of the above, we know that the coil is heating up quicker, vapourising more e-liquid, and producing more vapour. This means that you don’t need to draw for as long as you are getting more vapour, quicker.

Vape Wattage for Flavour and Vapour

Some vapers want huge clouds of vapour, others want to achieve the maximum flavour from their vape juice. Altering your wattage can tailor your vaping experience to either of these things.

Large clouds of vapour are achieved with high wattage and a compatible coil. You cannot use a high resistance coil and turn your wattage up; it will burn straight away and it will need replacing. You need to get yourself a sub-ohm coil head first, then follow the recommended wattage for the coil. Sub-ohm coils can utilise higher powers and will therefore produce more vapour.

A lot of flavour chasers will use lower wattages as the coil temperature is lower, so the vapour is cooler. This can allow the characteristics of your vape juice to be more prominent. A higher resistance coil and lower wattage settings are perfect for this.

Read our ultimate guide about the best vapes for flavour chasers here.

Vape Wattage for Throat Hit

There are two ways that you can get an enhanced throat hit from your vape. One involves high wattage the other; low wattage.

If you want to vape at a lower wattage and get great flavour, but still want a really good throat hit, simply choose a vape juice with a higher nicotine strength. A lower wattage when combined with a high resistance coil and a higher nicotine strength will give you a really good throat hit, great for new vapers.

If you want higher powers with a sub-ohm coil and huge clouds of vapour, this will automatically give you a good throat hit. You are getting much more vapour, which in turn is more nicotine delivered. Choose a low nicotine strength and the kick will still be great.

Read more about sub-ohm vaping here.

What Is A Good Wattage to Vape at For Beginners?

A good wattage for vaping beginners is between 10-20W. This will produce a great throat hit and vapour as well as bringing out all of the nuances of your vape juice flavour.

A new vaper who is just making the switch from smoking to vaping needs a vape that covers all of their smoking triggers. This means great nicotine delivery, pronounced throat hit, and a good amount of vapour.

The best place to start for a new vaper is our starter kit section. Vape starter kits are specifically designed for smokers who are making the switch to vaping, so have the best set wattages or adjustable settings.

Shop all Starter Kits here