There is an increasing number of sub-ohm options hitting the market, but many vapers are confused as to what sub-ohm vaping is and what the Pro’s and Con’s are compared to standard vaping.
What’s an OHM?
To understand Sub-Ohm vaping you need to understand what an Ohm is and what an Electrical Conductor is; OHM: The OHM is a measurement of electrical resistance named after the German physicist Georg Simon Ohm.
Conductor: An object or type of material that allows the flow of an electrical current; in the case of e-cigarettes, this is the coil.
Sub-Ohm vaping is simply using a coil that has a low resistance of less than 1 ohm.
What Does Less Resistance Mean?
The coil in your ecig acts as a conductor and controls the amount of electricity that passes through it. As resistance levels drop, more electrical current will flow. As more current reaches the coil, it heats faster and reaches higher temperatures. The hotter coil and increased airflow vaporise more e-liquid, and cloud production increases.
The Importance of Airflow
Sub-Ohm vaping is not just about low-resistance coils. Airflow is essential to avoid potential device damage and some pretty unpleasant-tasting liquid!
Large air holes allow enough air to flow to cool the coil and vapour. Without this, vapour can get too hot, severely impacting the flavour and transferring some of the heat to other parts of the ecig.
What are the Benefits of Sub-Ohm Vaping
Sub-ohming used to be a relatively advanced form of vaping. It involved building your own coils and using them with a mechanical mod. If not done correctly, there were safety issues, and you had to be a pretty dedicated vaper to give it a try. Today, technology has moved on, and off-the-shelf devices are far more common. This has led to increased demand and interest in sub-ohming as the technique is opened to the masses.
The main reason for most people wanting to try sub-ohm vaping is to achieve bigger (much bigger) clouds. It can also increase throat hit, however as most sub-ohm vapers use a high VG e-liquid this isn’t really an issue. A high VG mix in your e-liquid will also help in vapour production as the thicker, stickier consistency is best for big clouds. Take a look at our what are e-liquids guidefor more details on PG and VG.
Downsides to Sub-Ohm Vaping
You will be using high volumes of e-liquid to achieve your lovely big clouds so it can be a more expensive way of vaping. The higher power required will also drain your battery much faster.
This point is open to debate, but generally, sub-ohming is not considered suitable for people who want to focus on flavours rather than vapour production. To achieve big clouds, you’ll be using a high-VG mix e-liquid. VG is not as effective at carrying flavours as PG, so the higher the VG ratio, the more flavour you’re likely to lose.
Like most things in life, it is perfectly safe if you do it properly. Provided you are aware of what you are doing and follow basic safety rules, you should have no problems.
Many of the reported issues with sub-ohm vaping are from people who build their own coils and mods and perhaps don’t have all the knowledge needed to do this safely. As we’ve said above, there are now lots of off-the-shelf options available, so if you visit your local vape shop, take their advice, and buy a decent brand, you should be able to sub-ohm safely to your heart’s content.
Beware of Nicotine Levels
If you’ve not tried sub-ohming before, be aware that you will need to consider the nicotine levels of your e-liquid. This technique allows you to take in a lot more vapour, which means your body absorbs higher levels of nicotine. The majority of sub-ohm vapers stick with nicotine levels of 3mg or below.
Vaping Etiquette
One of the issues that vaping has with the wider public is the perception that the vapour produced is a bigger health risk than secondhand smoke. There is obviously a considerable amount of evidence that proves this is incorrect, but sadly, most non-vapers never get to see this. Your average person on the street will probably have seen one of two negative headlines and formed their own opinions from that.
Producing huge clouds may be great for vapers, but if it creates concern or worries for non-vapers, it will only help fuel the arguments for heavier control and further bans in public places.
Use your judgement and be considerate of those around you when sub-ohming in non-vaper friendly environments.
Neil is the founder of Red Vape and has over 10 years of experience in the vaping industry. Driven by an unwavering commitment to quality and innovation, Neil has built Red Vape into one of the leading e-liquid companies in the UK. The Red Vape range of naturally extracted tobacco e-liquids is renowned for its high-quality ingredients, purity and unrivalled vaping experience.
Neil’s meticulous attention to detail and insistence on using only the finest, naturally sourced ingredients have earned Red Vape an excellent reputation among vaping connoisseurs worldwide.
When not perfecting his latest flavour, Neil enjoys travelling and sampling food and wine from around the world.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
A Beginners Guide to Sub-Ohm Vaping
There is an increasing number of sub-ohm options hitting the market, but many vapers are confused as to what sub-ohm vaping is and what the Pro’s and Con’s are compared to standard vaping.
What’s an OHM?
To understand Sub-Ohm vaping you need to understand what an Ohm is and what an Electrical Conductor is; OHM: The OHM is a measurement of electrical resistance named after the German physicist Georg Simon Ohm.
Conductor: An object or type of material that allows the flow of an electrical current; in the case of e-cigarettes, this is the coil.
Sub-Ohm vaping is simply using a coil that has a low resistance of less than 1 ohm.
What Does Less Resistance Mean?
The coil in your ecig acts as a conductor and controls the amount of electricity that passes through it. As resistance levels drop, more electrical current will flow. As more current reaches the coil, it heats faster and reaches higher temperatures. The hotter coil and increased airflow vaporise more e-liquid, and cloud production increases.
The Importance of Airflow
Sub-Ohm vaping is not just about low-resistance coils. Airflow is essential to avoid potential device damage and some pretty unpleasant-tasting liquid!
Large air holes allow enough air to flow to cool the coil and vapour. Without this, vapour can get too hot, severely impacting the flavour and transferring some of the heat to other parts of the ecig.
What are the Benefits of Sub-Ohm Vaping
Sub-ohming used to be a relatively advanced form of vaping. It involved building your own coils and using them with a mechanical mod. If not done correctly, there were safety issues, and you had to be a pretty dedicated vaper to give it a try. Today, technology has moved on, and off-the-shelf devices are far more common. This has led to increased demand and interest in sub-ohming as the technique is opened to the masses.
The main reason for most people wanting to try sub-ohm vaping is to achieve bigger (much bigger) clouds. It can also increase throat hit, however as most sub-ohm vapers use a high VG e-liquid this isn’t really an issue. A high VG mix in your e-liquid will also help in vapour production as the thicker, stickier consistency is best for big clouds. Take a look at our what are e-liquids guide for more details on PG and VG.
Downsides to Sub-Ohm Vaping
You will be using high volumes of e-liquid to achieve your lovely big clouds so it can be a more expensive way of vaping. The higher power required will also drain your battery much faster.
This point is open to debate, but generally, sub-ohming is not considered suitable for people who want to focus on flavours rather than vapour production. To achieve big clouds, you’ll be using a high-VG mix e-liquid. VG is not as effective at carrying flavours as PG, so the higher the VG ratio, the more flavour you’re likely to lose.
You can learn more about how to achieve the best e-liquid flavour from our blog post.
Is Sub-Ohm Vaping Safe?
Like most things in life, it is perfectly safe if you do it properly. Provided you are aware of what you are doing and follow basic safety rules, you should have no problems.
Many of the reported issues with sub-ohm vaping are from people who build their own coils and mods and perhaps don’t have all the knowledge needed to do this safely. As we’ve said above, there are now lots of off-the-shelf options available, so if you visit your local vape shop, take their advice, and buy a decent brand, you should be able to sub-ohm safely to your heart’s content.
Beware of Nicotine Levels
If you’ve not tried sub-ohming before, be aware that you will need to consider the nicotine levels of your e-liquid. This technique allows you to take in a lot more vapour, which means your body absorbs higher levels of nicotine. The majority of sub-ohm vapers stick with nicotine levels of 3mg or below.
Vaping Etiquette
One of the issues that vaping has with the wider public is the perception that the vapour produced is a bigger health risk than secondhand smoke. There is obviously a considerable amount of evidence that proves this is incorrect, but sadly, most non-vapers never get to see this. Your average person on the street will probably have seen one of two negative headlines and formed their own opinions from that.
Producing huge clouds may be great for vapers, but if it creates concern or worries for non-vapers, it will only help fuel the arguments for heavier control and further bans in public places.
Use your judgement and be considerate of those around you when sub-ohming in non-vaper friendly environments.
Neil is the founder of Red Vape and has over 10 years of experience in the vaping industry. Driven by an unwavering commitment to quality and innovation, Neil has built Red Vape into one of the leading e-liquid companies in the UK. The Red Vape range of naturally extracted tobacco e-liquids is renowned for its high-quality ingredients, purity and unrivalled vaping experience.
Neil’s meticulous attention to detail and insistence on using only the finest, naturally sourced ingredients have earned Red Vape an excellent reputation among vaping connoisseurs worldwide.
When not perfecting his latest flavour, Neil enjoys travelling and sampling food and wine from around the world.