How does wattage affect vaping, and is higher better?

Wattage refers to the amount of power used by your vaping device. Most devices have a + and – button that allow you to adjust your wattage, providing plenty of scope to fine-tune your vape experience.

So, what’s the best wattage to vape at? Here is a closer look at how it all works.

 

Vape device settings: voltage, resistance and wattage explained

When reading a vape device user manual, you’ll find that there’s a fair amount of electrical terminology thrown around. So first off, here’s a beginners explainer of what the key words mean…

 

Voltage

Voltage refers to the strength of electrical force produced by your battery. The higher the voltage, the more power your battery releases and the stronger the electrical current. In turn, this power will heat up the coil inside your tank to produce vapour.

 

Resistance

Resistance – measured in ohms – is the way of measuring how a component or material reduces the electrical current through it. On your vape device, resistance depends on your choice of coil. The lower the resistance of your coil, the stronger the electrical current, resulting in faster vapour production and bigger clouds. You can read more about this in our vape coils guide.

 

Wattage

You can think of voltage as the ‘raw material’ used by your device; it is the volume of power that’s actually released by your battery. By contrast, wattage relates directly to the ‘end product’ (i.e. output), it describes the amount of power that heats your coil, taking into account the combination of voltage and resistance.

 

How do the variable wattage (VW) and variable voltage (VV) settings work?

A large number of vaping devices allow you to manually adjust the wattage on the control panel. Some have settings to adjust both the wattage and the voltage. Here’s how those settings work:

 

Variable wattage

This setting allows you to choose how much output you want, i.e. the amount of power you want to heat up the coil. Set your desired level, and the variable wattage feature will then automatically adjust the amount of power running through the device (voltage) to give you your desired outcome.

 

Variable voltage

Variable voltage lets you manually control the amount of power flowing through your device from the battery. This doesn’t give you as much direct control over the vape experience as the variable wattage setting and it is used mostly to tweak your battery performance to make sure it is compatible with whatever coil you are using.

 

Settings checklist

Here’s a quick guide to check your voltage and wattage settings are configured properly:

• Install your coil of choice into your tank.
• On the coil packaging, it should give the recommended device voltage range.
• Go to the variable voltage control setting on your device (if it’s an option).
• Make sure that the setting is within the range recommended for your coil.
• Select the variable wattage option. Adjust the wattage level up or down to get your desired cloud volume, taste and throat hit.

 

How do you match your wattage to your vaping style?

 

Big cloud production:

When the wattage level is higher, your coil gets hotter, faster, thereby maximising vapour production. But, cloud production is also reliant on airflow, as well as power.In order to get those awe-inspiring clouds, you should turn up the wattage, and also open up the air holes on your tank.

 

All-day vaping

Big cloud production tends to burn up the juice quicker. For short, smaller puffs and if you would want to go all day on a 2ml tank of liquid, dial it right down. (Tip: a setting of 10W or less should be just right). Also, usually the coil lasts longer if you vape at a lower wattage level.

While we’re on the subject, if you want to know more about making your coils stretch further, be sure to check out our coil cleaning and maintenance guide.

 

Boosting the flavour

It is all a matter of personal preference, as far as wattage settings for different flavours. For instance, with a zesty or menthol juice,a low setting might suit you perfectly fine. Whereas with a creamier blend, you may find that it’s worth turning up the wattage to appreciate it.

Compare, contrast, experiment: it’s a case of finding what works for you!

To learn more about fine-tuning your vape experience and getting the most out of your kit, be sure to explore the ZiiP Lab blog.