If you’re looking to take your vaping to the next level and try some more advanced kit, then you’ve probably heard of sub-ohm vaping.
Want to make some impressively big clouds of vapour? Sub-ohm vaping is the way to do that!
Sub-ohming isn’t for everyone, but if you want to experience more control over your vape, bigger clouds and bolder flavour, then it might be something worth a try!
In our guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about what sub-ohm vaping is and how you can do it.
What Is Sub-Ohm Vaping?
At its simplest, sub-ohm vaping refers to a style of vaping that requires the use of a coil that has a resistance of less than 1.0 Ohm. Having a resistance under 1.0 Ohm makes it “sub-ohm” as it is less than one Ohm.
Sub-ohm devices produce more vapour than other types of vape kit and are typically used as a DTL vape (direct-to-lung). This means that the vapour is inhaled directly into the lungs and then exhaled straight away, allowing you to blow out a massive cloud!
How Does Sub-Ohm Vaping Work?
A sub-ohm coil is made using thicker wire, as the larger the surface area of the coil, the lower the resistance will be. The thicker wire will come into contact with more of the cotton wick, allowing more E-Liquid to be vaporised, thus producing more vapour.
Sub-ohm kits also use higher powered batteries, which heat the E-Liquid up quicker, further contributing to the thickness of the vapour cloud.
Why to Choose a Sub-Ohm Vape?
There are many benefits of sub-ohm vaping that can appeal to certain types of vapers.
Cloud Chasing - Big Clouds of Vapour
One of the biggest appeals of choosing a sub-ohm vape is the ability to produce thick vapour clouds. Sub-ohm kits use high battery power and low resistance coils to heat up the E-Liquid faster and hotter, which creates big clouds of vapour.
Flavour Chasing - More Intense Flavour
Have you ever walked past someone blowing a huge vape cloud and noticed the incredible tasty scent of their vapour? Another key feature of sub-ohming is the intense flavours that a sub-ohm vape can produce.
If you’re vaping for those delicious custard doughnut and icy mango E-Liquid flavours, then a sub-ohm kit can really help to draw these out and take the flavour to the next level!
When you use a sub-ohm vape, more E-Liquid is vaporised at once, providing you with a more concentrated hit of E-Liquid flavour.
Because sub-ohm vaping uses more E-Liquid, it is important to use a lower strength or 0mg nicotine vape juice, to avoid intaking too much nicotine.
Warm Vapour
If you miss the warm sensation that smoking a cigarette provides, then a sub-ohm vape could be of use to you.
Because the E-Liquid is heated up faster and hotter by the sub-ohm kit, the vapour that is inhaled is warmer than you would achieve with a standard e-cigarette. Some vapers enjoy the feel of a warmer vapour.
Smoother Vape
When you sub-ohm vape, you need specific types of E-Liquid to get the best results. Firstly, it is best to use a high VG E-Liquid, as it makes the juice thicker, so makes the clouds bigger.
E-Liquids are usually composed of a mix of VG and PG. PG is the substance that provides a throat hit. This can be too harsh for the direct-to-lung style that comes from a sub-ohm vape, so it’s best to pick as high a VG percentage as possible.
You can even get 100% VG vape juices. With less PG in the E-Liquid used, you’ll have a smoother vape.
It’s best to use a low strength E-Liquid when vaping with a sub-ohm kit. Using a low nicotine strength and high VG E-Liquid will make the vape experience smoother.
Is Sub-Ohm Vaping Right For Me?
Each vaper wants something different from their vaping experience, and whether sub-ohm vaping is right for you will depend on your goals. Sub-ohm vaping isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok!
Most people take up vaping as a way to transition from smoking. While it’s a personal experience, those on a stop-smoking journey will typically require a vape that can offer higher nicotine strengths and a stronger throat hit. This isn’t something that sub-ohm vaping offers.
Sub-ohm vaping requires more kit than you would use as a vaping newbie - you need the right device, coils, vape juices, and even some maths to get it right! Sub-ohming is probably better suited to more advanced vapers who already have knowledge of using vape kits.
Sub-ohm vaping is for people who want to experience better flavour and bigger clouds.
What E-Liquid is Best For Sub-Ohm Vaping?
For sub-ohm vaping, you want a vape juice with a high VG content and a low nicotine strength.
The goal for this type of vaping is usually to get the biggest cloud and the best flavour, rather than creating an experience similar to smoking to satisfy cravings. Because of this, 0mg E-Liquids are often used for sub-ohm vaping, if not, the lowest strengths possible.
This is because you take in a lot more vapour when you sub-ohm vape, which means your body takes in a lot more nicotine than it normally would. If you used a higher strength E-Liquid, you would experience an unpleasant nicotine rush.
The juice needs to have a high VG content, to make the clouds thicker and bigger. You can find 100% VG juice for sub-ohm vaping, although a 70/30 VG PG mix is typically considered best.
The higher the VG, the more power your device will need, and you may experience less flavour with an 100% VG juice.
You can find juice perfect for sub-ohm vaping in our vape liquid deals.
Can You Use Nic Salts In a Sub-Ohm Vape?
The short answer is, it’s not recommended.
Nic salts are the salt form of nicotine, which allow vapers to enjoy a high nicotine strength without the harsh throat hit associated with freebase E-Liquids.
Because it offers a smoother vaping experience, nic salts are designed to be vaped at higher nicotine strengths. Nic salts satisfy cravings more readily than freebase E-Liquids, so you don’t need to vape as much of them.
As such, if you were sub-ohm vaping with nic salts, you would take in too much nicotine without really realising!
What Batteries Do You Need For Sub-Ohm Vaping?
Sub-ohm coils require a lot of power to work properly, so you’ll need a battery for your vape device that can provide the right wattage.
Lower wattage batteries won’t have enough power to get the tank going properly, and you’ll burn through batteries very quickly and could cause damage to your kit.
You can sub-ohm vape at around 40W, although sub-ohm kit batteries can be upwards of 230W. It is important you get the wattage right; if you use a wattage higher than the coil needs, it can cause the coil and wick to burn.
Most coils will come with a guide for the best wattage range to use with them. Many mod kits now will allow you to adjust the wattage to suit.
Why Do Sub-Ohm Kits Need Airflow?
Sub-ohm kits will often feature adjustable airflow. This is to allow the coil and vapour to cool down. Using a mod kit is all about customizability to get the perfect vape experience for you.
- Less airflow - more flavour, stronger throat hit, warmer vapour - better for MTL.
- More airflow - more vapour, less intense flavour, slightly cooler vapour - better for DTL.
Do You Need to Understand Ohm’s Law to use a Sub-Ohm Vape?
When dealing with sub-ohm vaping, you’ll be hearing about Ohm’s Law. But is this something you need to know about to sub-ohm vape?
An Ohm is the unit of measurement that refers to resistance - like how metres refer to length. Sub-ohm is when a resistance of less than 1.0 Ohm is used.
While you can use a sub-ohm vape without knowing a thing about Ohm’s Law, it can be useful to have a basic understanding, as it can be used to adjust the amount of flavour and vapour your kit provides.
What Is Ohm’s Law?
Ohm’s Law is a formula that is used to calculate the relationship between voltage, current and resistance.
When spelled out, it means voltage = current x resistance, or volts = amps x ohms.
How Does Ohm’s Law Apply to Vapers?
The main thing a vaper needs to know is that the lower the resistance, the hotter the E-Liquid will be. You can use Ohm’s Law to work out the number of amps your vape kit needs to work at the resistance you want it to.
To calculate this, divide the voltage by the resistance to get the number of amps.
Most pre-made coils will come with advice on what settings and voltage to use, so you won’t need to worry too much about getting mathematical. However, if you’re into building your own coils or using mechanical mods, then it’s something to keep in mind to prevent your device from shorting.
Sub-ohm vaping is certainly not the easiest form of vaping, so if you have any further questions about how to get started with sub-ohming, then feel free to get in touch with us!
