Vape Coil FAQs
A vape coil is a piece of wire (usually kanthal, stainless steel, or nichrome) wrapped around cotton. When you press the fire button, electricity heats the wire, which vaporises the e-liquid soaked into the cotton. Think of it like a kettle element but for e-liquid. Most modern coils use mesh design - a perforated metal sheet that heats more evenly than traditional wound wire.
Every 1-2 weeks for average users, but it depends on your vaping habits. Heavy vapers might change weekly, light users can stretch to 3 weeks. Sweet e-liquids kill coils faster due to caramelisation. You'll know it's time when flavour drops off, you get a burnt taste, or vapour production decreases. Don't push it - a burnt coil ruins the vaping experience.
Mesh coils use a perforated metal strip instead of wound wire, giving more surface area contact with cotton. This means faster ramp-up time, more even heating, better flavour, and typically 20-30% longer lifespan. Regular wound coils still work fine but mesh has become standard for good reason - they're simply better in most applications.
Lower resistance (sub-ohm, under 1.0Ω) allows more current flow, creating more heat and vapour - perfect for direct lung vaping at 40-80W. Higher resistance (1.0Ω+) needs less power (10-20W), produces less vapour, and suits mouth-to-lung vaping with higher nicotine. It's not about better or worse - it's about matching your vaping style.
Chain vaping doesn't let cotton re-saturate between puffs. Sweet e-liquids leave caramelised residue blocking the cotton. Running wattage too high literally burns the cotton. Using the incorrect e-liquid consistency for your coil can also cause them to burn out quickly. Letting your tank run dry exposes cotton to heat without liquid. Dark coloured e-liquids gunk up faster. Proper priming and moderate use extends coil life significantly.
Drop e-liquid directly onto exposed cotton ports until saturated (usually 5-10 drops). Fill your tank, install the coil, then let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Start at low wattage and gradually increase over the first 10 puffs. This prevents dry hits and doubles coil lifespan. Rushing this process is the quickest way to ruin a new coil.
No, coils are device-specific. A Vaporesso GTX coil won't fit an Aspire Nautilus tank. Always check compatibility - we list compatible coils on every product page. Some brands share coil compatibility across ranges (like Voopoo PnP coils fitting multiple devices), but never assume. Wrong coils can damage your device.
Sub-ohm coils (under 0.5Ω): Use 70% VG or higher with 3-6mg nicotine. MTL coils (1.0Ω+): Use 50/50 PG/VG with 10-20mg nicotine salts. Mid-range coils (0.6-0.9Ω): Either works but 60/40 VG/PG is ideal. Thicker liquids in MTL coils cause dry hits; thin liquids in sub-ohm coils leak and spit.
Either insufficient priming (most common), wattage set too high for the coil rating, or chain vaping not allowing re-wicking between puffs. Check the wattage range printed on your coil - staying in the lower half extends life. Some e-liquids are coil killers - anything super sweet or dark coloured.
Basic coils cost £2-3 each lasting 1-2 weeks. Premium mesh coils cost £3-4 but last longer. At average use, you're looking at £6-10 monthly on coils. Compare that to £140+ monthly for a pack-a-day smoker. Rebuildable coils cost pennies but require time and skill.
Ceramic coils can last 3-4 weeks versus 1-2 for regular coils, especially with sweet e-liquids. They provide cleaner flavour and don't get that metallic taste some coils develop. However, they're pricier (£4-5 each) and take longer to prime. Worth it if you vape dessert flavours regularly.
Start at the lowest recommended wattage printed on your coil, then increase gradually until you find your sweet spot. Running too low gives weak flavour and can flood the coil. Too high burns cotton and shortens life. Most vapers find optimal flavour at 60-70% of maximum rated wattage.
Stock coils aren't designed for cleaning - the cotton degrades and can't be properly restored. Some vapers rinse and dry them for emergency use, but performance suffers drastically. For £3, just buy new ones. Rebuildable coils are different - you can clean the metal and replace cotton indefinitely.
E-liquid composition is the biggest factor. Clear, fruit flavours might give 3 weeks. Coffee, dessert, or tobacco flavours might give 5 days. Your vaping frequency matters too - 200 puffs daily versus 50 makes a huge difference. Wattage, priming, and maintenance all affect longevity.
For flavour: Mesh coils between 0.3-0.6Ω at moderate wattage. DotMod DotCoil, Voopoo PNP-X, Vaporesso GTX & GTi. For clouds: Lower resistance (0.15-0.2Ω) at higher wattage. Voopoo PNP-X, Vaporesso GTX Mesh, and GeekVape Z series excel here for vapour production. Most modern coils balance both reasonably well.
