Vape Tips

What is Sub-Ohm Vaping

vape ohms

Individuals who are beginners in vaping and are used to disposable and/or pod systems may be wondering what sub-ohm vaping means. Although it’s a topic for the more advanced vapers, Vape HQ is here to provide you with basic information on sub-ohms.

Sub-ohm vaping, also referred to as sub-ohming, is essentially the use of vaping devices equipped with an atomizer coil which has an electrical resistance level of less than 1 ohm. Most regular vape devices have a resistance ranging from 1.5 to 3 ohms.

To compare, the coil in sub-ohm devices heats up faster and vaporises more juices than those in regular vaping devices. On the bright side, the increased current running through the coil allows sub-ohm devices to enhance the aroma of ejuice flavours much more than using regular vapes. Sub-ohm units also allow for the production of thicker clouds, which is perfect for cloud chasers and vape trick performers.

The Technicality of Ohm

To understand sub-ohm devices further, it’s important to understand ohms. They are the units of measurement for the electrical resistance of two points of a conductor. A lower resistance level means there is more charge passing through.

A high voltage and low resistance produce a more powerful current. In the case of vape devices, voltage comes from the battery while the stainless steel coil represents the conductor with resistance level.

In essence, a vape device with  low resistance, such as the sub-ohm vaporisers, will use more power than standard devices.

Sub-Ohm Vaping Safety

As previously mentioned, sub-ohming is for the more advanced vapers. This is because this requires the manipulation of the mods, the batteries, the coils and vape tanks Australia or New Zealand has to offer. This also requires a clear understanding of the dynamics of electricity especially among the coils, resistance, wattage and batteries. Incorrect builds or assemblies are typically the main reason for vaping accidents and injuries.

To ensure utmost safety when it comes to sub-ohming, however, here are some tips:

  • Enhance your knowledge on the various coils and battery wattages in vape mod brands and systems;
  • Avoid overheating the battery to extend the life of the coils;
  • Do not use components with mediocre quality; 
  • Avoid buying/using coils that aren’t made specifically for the vape brand you use;
  • Use eliquids with zero or low nicotine content to eliminate or lower consumption especially when you’re practising vape tricks; and
  • Avoid vaping with an extremely high wattage since the thick vegetable glycerine (VG) component of the eliquid can potentially damage the coil.

Vaping Devices for Sub-Ohming

Sub-ohming is generally considered a special type of vaping, and not all devices are suitable for use with sub-ohm coils. 

  • Sub-ohm tanks. They are generally made for vapers who want to experience sub-ohming but don’t want to be bothered with building the coils. Typically, disposable sub-ohm tank coils are commercially available.
  • Rebuildable Tank Atomizers (RTAs). These allow users to build their own coils to be placed inside the device’s ejuice tank.
  • Rebuildable Dripping Atomizers (RDAs). These devices require cotton to be wrapped around a customized coil. There’s no tank since the eliquid is simply dripped on the cotton until saturated.

eLiquid Considerations for Sub-Ohming

When it comes to the ratio of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerine (VG) in vape liquid brands, it’s better to have an ejuice with a higher ratio of the thicker and more viscous VG for sub-ohm devices especially when you also want thicker clouds.

Bear in mind also that sub-ohm vaping devices allow for the faster delivery of nicotine due to the heat intensity involved. This means that when you’ll be constantly vaping, such as practising cloud chasing, you should consider vape juice brands with zero or low nicotine content.

When sub-ohming, you might want to have vape juice NZ or Australia brands with your favourite flavours since sub-ohm devices allow for the inhalation of more vapour than regular vaping devices, and thus, enhancing the flavours for a more pleasant experience. 

Bottom Line

Sub-ohming is a special kind of vaping ideal for the more advanced vapers. If you want to venture into sub-ohming, realize that there are safety measures and technical know-how that you should consider to ensure a pleasant sub-ohm vaping experience.

Check out our other blog articles to learn more about vaping topics.
If you’re a vape shop owner, Vape HQ is also your dependable eliquids wholesale supply source in both Australia and New Zealand. Check out our massive range of products today.