Do vape pods last longer than disposables?
Over the long term, vape pod systems last a lot longer than vape pods: there’s no contest. You can refill and recharge a pod system as many times as you need to, so it can last as long as you want. Disposables just run out and become redundant after their e-liquid reservoir has been used up.
By law, an e-cigarette tank can’t hold more than 2ml of e-liquid. This means you should get roughly the same amount of puffs per-tank from either device, because both tanks will have a 2ml capacity. There are a few caveats to this rule:
- Pod systems tend to have adjustable power settings, and these settings can affect the number of puffs you can get from your 2ml reservoir of e-liquid.
- If you buy a certain kind of disposable called a ‘big puffer’, you get significantly more puffs from each device than you do from a traditional disposable vape. We’ll discuss big puff vapes further down in this guide.
Are all pod systems mouth-to-lung?
A few years ago, most pod systems were built to serve mouth-to-lung vapers, but the market is always evolving. Vapers who vape direct-lung can now choose from some great sub-ohm pod kits, including the Vaporesso PT60 Pod Kit.
Sub-ohm pod kits are fundamentally very different to traditional sub-ohm vape kits. Make sure you read our “Upgrading from disposables: go pod or go mod?” article to learn all about the differences and figure out which format is going to suit you best.
And if you’re not sure what the difference is between mouth-to-lung and direct-lung vaping, our MTL or DL vaping guide will explain it all.
Are pods better for you than disposables?
It’s not yet possible to say if there is a specific health benefit to vaping on a pod system rather than disposables. No scientific studies have been done on how vaping format impacts the long-term health outcomes of vapers.
Pod systems are built to last much longer than disposables, so the build quality tends to be higher. Components used for the casing, internal circuitry and coils will usually be built of better quality materials. In addition, pod vape systems allow you to tailor your cloud size and nicotine strength (invaluable when you reach the stage where you have quit cigarettes and now you’re tapering off nicotine). There may be a minor health benefit to pod vaping because of these factors, but there are no scientific studies to back this up yet.
Whether you choose to vape pods or disposables, the biggest health benefit is that you are not smoking. When you stop smoking, you benefit from an improved sense of smell and taste, reduced risk of heart disease and better mental health. The full list of proven health benefits can be found on the NHS website. Quitting smoking is what vaping is all about.
Do pods burn out faster?
Vape pods don’t develop burnt coils any faster than standard coils. All vape coils taste burnt eventually. Burnt hits are rarer on a disposable because the battery is usually flat before the coil has a chance to crisp up (learn more about burnt hits here).
If you taste a burnt hit on your pod, the answer is not to return to disposables, but to buy a fresh coil, or possibly a fresh pod. Shop our replacement vape coils here.
Why do pods and disposables taste different?
Our customers sometimes notice a difference between their favourite disposable flavour and the e-liquid in their pod system. There are three main reasons for this:
- The first is that disposable flavours are often over-sweetened. Vape coils gunk up quickly on sweet-tasting e-liquids, but this doesn’t matter in a disposable vape, which stops working after around 600 puffs. Vapers expect the coil in a pod system to last much longer than a disposable, and e-liquid manufacturers adjust their recipes with this in mind.
- Second, disposable vape manufacturers have their own proprietary flavours. It’s rare for a disposable vape brand to sell its own e-liquid separately. There are lots of lookalike e-liquid flavours out there, but the taste will always differ ever so slightly.
- The third reason is the difference in settings. Airflow and power settings make a big difference to the size and density of your e-liquid cloud, and this changes the flavour intensity. Pod systems run on different coil temperatures and resistances than most disposables, so you can’t expect an exact match. They also have different airflow systems. Pod vapes tend to give you more control and better consistency, but it can take some getting used to.
Are 'big puffers' pods or disposables?
Big puffers (also known as big puff vapes) are disposable vapes that last much longer than normal disposables without breaking TPD rules.
Some big puff vapes are basically disposable pod vapes. For instance, if you buy a Hayati Remix 2400, you’ll find 4 pre-loaded e-liquid pods in the box. Each of these pods contain 2ml of e-liquid. Once the first vape pod is spent, you just take it out and clip in a fresh one. You need to dispose of the device once all 4 pods are empty.
The IVG 2400 disposable vape has 4 pre-loaded pods, but it works a bit like a revolver pistol in an old Wild West movie. All 4 pods are loaded into the central chamber of the vape. When the first 2ml pod runs out, you twist the middle of the vape device. This rotates out the old tank so that a fresh 2ml e-liquid reservoir can click into place.
The most innovative e-liquid storage technique we’ve seen in a big puffer is probably the ELF Bar AF5000. This draw-activated disposable has a built-in 2ml atomiser tank that sits above a 10ml e-liquid reservoir. When you turn the device upside down, e-juice drips down from the 10ml reservoir into the 2ml-capacity chamber where it can be vaporised on the heating coil.
Big puffers taste great and are available at a decent price point, but they aren’t perfect. They come in a limited range of flavours, and as soon as you have used up all of the pods in the packet, you still have to dispose of the device. We feel that most people looking for big puffers will get more pleasure, at a lower long-term cost, out of a proper pod system. Shop our pod vape kits here
That’s it for this week! I hope this mythbusting article has helped answer some of the questions you might have about pod vaping. If you’re still not sure about which device to buy, please feel free to get in touch with us. We are vaping experts with years of experience and we love helping our customers find the right vape for them.
Stay safe and happy vaping!
John Boughey