On too many occasions you will hear non-smokers and the media assume that all e-cigarettes and vaping devices are all the same. While the overall term for these devices is referred to as vaporisers the actual components and vapour production does differ from device to device.
The most major difference between each device is the heating mechanism that they use. When you are on the market for a new e-ciggy you should take into consideration what you want to do with it and what heating mechanism you need. One of the most common questions store clerks get is what is the difference between clearomisers, cartomisers and atomisers?
Once you know the difference and what type of vaping they are the best for, you are ready to start your purchase and start vaping. Below we will go into more detail about each component and what they are the best for.
Atomisers
Every device has an atomiser in one form or another. This component is also present in clearomisers and cartomisers but clearly they differ from device to device. The role of the atomiser is to heat the e-juice and turn it into a vapour as you are inhaling on your device. It achieves this through using the heating cool that is connected to the battery. When your device only has an atomiser to turn the liquid into a vapour, the e-liquid drips directly onto the coil. If you were to install a metal mesh or silica wick you are able to regulate the amount of e-juice that reaches your atomiser. These are sometimes essential if you want to prevent flooding your device.
Cartomisers
Cartomisers have a single purpose and a single use. They were originally introduced into the early generations of e-ciggies as they are an atomiser attached to a canister of e-liquid. The atomiser inside the cartomiser is also wrapped with a poly-fill layer to help with a longer vape time of your inhales.
While the original design of the cartomiser has improved, many users still use them for the convenience that they offer. When you purchase a new cartomiser you connect it directly to your batter straight out of the box and then you are ready to vape straight away. They are also often more affordable than its counterparts.
Clearomisers
Last but not least we have the clearomiser which is commonly referred to as clearo. Clearos are the more recent iteration of the mechanism and definitely the most innovative. As a brief overview, they are a cartomiser with a few very noticeable differences. The most obvious and important difference is that the canister is completely transparent.
The transparency is a very helpful improvement as it is common for atomiser and cartomiser users to burn or flood their device as they are unaware of the e-liquid they have. Clearos also have a larger tank than its counterparts which is great for those who want to vape for a long period of time and not have to refill every other moment.
Advanced users are also able to benefit from the ability to customise the coil set up to match the vaping style that they desire. There are three main types of coil setups that clearomisers give their users access too:
- Multi coil – provides a stronger throat hit and more efficient vapour production. This setup does burn through your battery and e-liquid rather quickly though.
- Top coil – Easy to refill and creates a warm and smooth vapour. Does tend to produce inconsistent drags.
- Bottom coil – High quality and cool vapour for the user. Harder to refill and does tend to create leaks.
Dan Jones was born and raised in Australia. Dan covers stories related to vaping at Kev’s Vape.
