The first thing to understand about different vapes is that there are two main categories of vapes.
- Nicotine Vapes: These are like small gadgets with batteries that don’t burn anything. They’re made to feel like smoking but without the fire. You can get nicotine in different amounts, from 0% to 5%. And there are lots of flavors, from tobacco to sweet treats or just plain.
- Cannabis/CBD Vapes: These can be small and portable or bigger like the ones you use at home. They run on batteries or plug into the wall. People use them for things like CBD, THC, or other plant stuff, from dried herbs to more concentrated things.
People also use vapes for other things like herbs, vitamins, or even coffee. These might be a bit out there, but the gadgets they use are the same as the ones for nicotine or cannabis—they just use different stuff.
Sometimes, there’s a mix between cannabis and nicotine vapes, like the classic vape pen. That’s probably why it’s the most popular kind of vape out there.
Nicotine vapes
While all nicotine vapes can be called “e-cigarettes”, that term is most commonly used for small devices that look similar to a cigarette in size and shape. But nicotine vapes don’t stop there.
Disposables
These are the simplest vapes you’ll find. Open the pack, and they’re ready for immediate use. Once you’re finished, you dispose of the device and use another. These are ideal devices for travel or for the busiest among us without the time to tinker with little gadgets. Disposables work great with high nicotine in providing a satisfying hit, which makes them work well as vapes to quit smoking by providing a quick entry into vaping.
Elf Bar BC5000
The Elf Bar made a splash in the disposable market and has quickly become one of the most recognizable vapes out there. The BC5000 comes with a 650 mAh battery and a whopping 15 mL of 50 mg nicotine salt juice, good for 5000 puffs. With an ever-expanding catalog of flavors (42 and counting,) you’re guaranteed to find your all-day vape!
- Small and convenient
- Perfect for stealth vaping
- Discreet
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Single-use increases waste
- Flavor output is average
- No refilling
Pod vapes
Pod vapes are some of the most practical vaping devices available. A pod vape is usually a two-piece device, similar to an e-cigarette, with one piece being the battery and the other a replaceable and often refillable pod. Pod vapes are usually affordable and very easy to use while performing at a higher level than most traditional e-cigarettes. They are also a perfect fit for nicotine salt e-liquid, making them a very efficient vape for nicotine delivery.
Geekvape Wenax H1
The Geekvape Wenax H1 is an MTL pod vape that’s all about versatility. It comes with two pod options and three power settings, making it a great fit for everything from mid-strength regular nicotine to higher-strength salts. The H1 is powered by a 1000 mAh battery that charges through Type-C, and its pods hold 2 mL of e-liquid.
- Very easy to operate
- Practical form factor
- Refillable or replaceable pods
- Button or draw-activated
- Ideal for stealth vaping
- Quality and performance can vary greatly between devices
- Low vapor
- Frequent recharging of batteries
Box mods
Box mod kits are larger and more powerful vapes. The extra size usually means better performance and longer battery life, usually in the form of external vape batteries. Most box mods come with settings and features such as variable wattage or even temperature control. The included tanks can be mouth to lung clearomizers or direct lung sub ohm tanks.
The most common configuration for a box mod starter kit would be a single-battery mod with variable wattage and temperature control capabilities, paired with a mid-range sub ohm tank.
Geekvape Aegis M100 (Mini 2)
The sequel to the Aegis Mini is an IP68 rated mod that fires up to 100 watts and houses a 2500 mAh battery. It comes equipped with Geekvape’s Stable Output Buck-boost technology and introduces a handy lock switch that makes it safer to carry. The M100 houses a large color screen and comes in six color options.
- Many options to choose from
- Higher performance
- Long-running internal or external batteries
- Can be used with other tanks
- Complicated
- Too advanced for novices
- Expensive
- Not very pocket-friendly
Regulated squonk starter kits
These are the most advanced vapes on this list. Technically a sub-category of box mod starter kits, squonk setups have enough features to set them apart that are worthy of their own category. Squonkers provide a practical method for feeding your atomizer with e-liquid. A typical regulated squonk setup bundles a squonk capable box mod and a bottom-fed RDA. The mod houses a squeezable bottle that is connected to the atomizer deck through a shallow 510, practically functioning as an external tank section.
Due to the bottle occupying the space where a battery would have been placed, a single battery squonk mod will have roughly the same size with a dual-battery box mod. As a result, most squonk kits come in single battery configuration, but dual-battery squonkers are available for those who don’t mind the extra bulk.
Vandy Vape Pulse V2 BF
The Pulse V2 is the latest squonk mod to come from the collaboration between Vandy Vape and Tony B. It is a 2×700 mod that fires up to 95 watts and features an innovative bottom-filling design. The Pulse V2 is compatible with the Vandy Vape app and comes in a variety of colors, including resin and carbon fiber designs.
- Very high-performing devices
- RDAs can be built to one’s needs
- No need to drip
- Increases liquid capacity
- Turn non-tanks basically into tanks (extra liquid storage)
- Freshly soaked wicks offer fresh flavor
- Complex; not for beginners
- Small parts to keep up with and maintain
- Required cleaning to ensure clean flavor performance
Cannabis and CBD vapes
These vaporizers come in various forms. Similar to smoking accessories like bongs, bubblers, bowls, and dab rigs, cannabis and CBD vapes are plentiful. Still, when it comes down to it, there are two main types: desktops and portables. Portables can be small to hardly pocketable but still portable, with desktops needing to be parked at your session station.
Desktop vaporizers are typically the most efficient option for dry herb and wax. But if you’re on the go, there are solid portable and pen-style vapes that provide vaporization with all the benefits of the substance and none of the issues of smoke, either obnoxious odors or negative health effects from inhaling smoke.
CBD vape pens
A refillable CBD vape pen is any type of vape pen that can be filled with CBD e-juice. It usually has a tank that attaches to a rechargeable 510 thread battery. CBD pens come in a simple and convenient pen-style form factor and are generally smaller and lighter than the average mod and tank combo. Some of them are suitable for direct-lung vaping while others provide a tight mouth to lung draw.
Avida Puff Full Spectrum CBD Pen
The Avida Puff Full Spectrum CBD pens contain Avida’s USA-grown and hemp-derived CBD distillate. Each rechargeable pen comes with 400 mg CBD and a variety of terpenes and cannabinoids, including up to 0.3% THC. Experience the benefits of the entourage effect in six all-natural terpenoid-based flavors with Avida’s discreet and super-stylish vape pens.
- Small and convenient
- Perfect for stealth medicating
- Better bioavailability than tinctures
- Discreet
- Affordable
- Low power
- Single-use
- Low vapor
Weed and THC oil pens
A weed pen, or THC oil pen, is a relatively simple two-part electronic device used to vaporize THC/CBD oil or distillate. Every weed pen houses a small battery that heats your oil in an atomizer cartridge containing a wick and a heating coil, or just a ceramic coil. This heating process turns concentrates into vapor.
Previously, THC carts were only available in cannabis dispensaries. Today delta 8 carts are growing in popularity. They provide the physical and mentally stimulating effects of THC, but are derived from hemp instead of marijuana. That means they are more accessible to a wider range of people who previously didn’t have access to cannabis products.
Kandypens Special-K
The Kandypens Special-K Black is a swanky and stealthy take on the classic weed pen design. It works as good as it looks, and it comes with two 1 mL tanks, temperature control battery with three heat settings, and several handy accessories. With a lifetime warranty on the battery, the Special-K Black is the pen to get!
- Small and convenient
- Personal use for small sessions
- Perfect for stealth medicating or for recreational use
- Discreet
- Versatile
- Low odor
- Easy to use
- Small batteries need more frequent charges
- Lacking power
- Required cleaning
- Not very advanced but prices can be a bit high
Portable cannabis vaporizers
Portable dry herb vaporizers are small personal devices designed for vaporizing marijuana or legal high-CBD strains. They have an internal oven that heats up cannabis at precise temperatures to produce vapor.
Mighty
The Mighty is a portable device that vapes like a desktop unit. It has a very unique aesthetic, resembling a power tool more than a vaporizer. The Mighty is a bigger and better version of the popular Crafty. It does a great job at evenly baking your fine to medium ground herb to produce up to 15 puffs per session.
- Small and convenient
- Personal use for small sessions with others
- Perfect for stealth medicating or for recreational use
- Discreet
- Versatile
- Low odor
- Easy to use
- Need to recharge battery
- Typically have several parts to keep up with
- Required cleaning
Desktop vaporizers
Some of the first vaporizers belong to this category. These devices are the powerhouse of all vapes. They work with convection and/or conduction heating, thoroughly and efficiently extracting cannabinoids from the flower. Desktops can be the most intense vapes, but they can also be dialed down to the most comfortable temperature the user wants. These vapes are self-contained heaters that bake dry herb at specific temperatures to produce vapor. The vapor is then inhaled using a tube called a whip, or using traditional vaporizer bags popularized by the most famous vaporizer: the Storz and Bickel Volcano.
Volcano Hybrid
The new Volcano Hybrid has a classic balloon and whip system with hybrid convection/conduction heating between 104° F – 446° F; operated by a digital display or through an Android app. The herb chamber holds 0.5 grams and heats in as little as 1 minute, making it the fastest and most user-friendly Volcano to date.
What type of a vape should you buy?
This is a common question but rarely can it be answered for you. It will always be a personal choice. Most important are your needs, your budget, and your willingness to tinker with electronics. Furthermore, though it may seem shallow, you should really consider the look and size of the device. If a big bulky device doesn’t fit your lifestyle, you can effectively rule out half of your options. Of course, the same is true if your budget isn’t limited or you aren’t concerned with pocketability.
Bottom line: if you’re interested in vaping as an alternative to smoking, there’s a better chance than not there’s a perfect device for you! Hopefully, this guide brought you a few steps closer to finding it.
