What are Coils and Wicks in e-Cigarettes?

For a vaping beginner, the components of an e-cigarette can seem confusing, and the coil and wick is part of this. Here we hope to help your understanding, with this short guide to coils and wicks in e-cigarettes.

Coils are often otherwise referred to as wicks, and sometimes atomisers. This is essentially the part which heats and vaporises the liquid. The wick supplies the coil with the e-liquid, the coil heats the e-liquid to produce the vapour, and together they form an atomiser.

The coil is therefore a very important component, as this together with the airflow of the device basically determines your entire vaping experience. By experimenting with different coils, combined with varieties of airflow you can drastically alter how you experience vaping. This experimentation is of course optional and many vapers are more than happy with the pre-built coils available on the market.

The Wick - The wick is what supplies the coil with the e-liquid. This can be made from silica fibre, or cotton. There has been an increase in popularity of organic cotton wicks, thanks to their ability to be taste neutral and deliver a cleaner flavour. The organic cotton wicks are also heat resilient and can supply the e-liquid to the coil fast. However, not all devices are supplied with the organic cotton largely due to cost. Most users do take the view though that the benefits of organic cotton wicks far outweigh the cost.

The Resistance - You can measure the resistance of the device in OHMs. The lower the OHM, the higher the heat. So, while a 1 OHM coil can get hot, a 0.5 OHM coil will be hotter. This increase in heat produces larger vapour clouds – lower OHM gives more vapour and a larger hit to the throat.

Lower OHMs do require more battery power, and use up more e-liquid, than normal. The devices have to be bigger in order to support this, and so it really is a matter of personal taste as not everyone wants something so big and powerful, especially when they are on the move.

The Airflow - While airflow is essential for cooling the vape, it is also what aids in producing large amounts of cloud. Also, the higher the airflow, the higher the temperature the coil is able to reach. This means you can use coils at a higher temperature if you desire, giving a larger throat hit and producing more cloud.

Most people who vape like to buy their coils pre-made, but it is good to have an idea of how you like to vape, as you can still adjust your device accordingly.