In this article we’ll share five simple rules to follow when switching from disposables to proper vape kit. We’ll show you how to keep the flavours and sensations you already know and love from disposables, while still leaving plenty of room to experiment and evolve. We’ll also include a few links to different products and departments on our site where you can shop world-class vape kits and e-liquids.
Step 1: Focus on what you like about vaping
By choosing to vape instead of smoke, you are taking a big positive step towards good health. Reward yourself with a good vape that delights you and you’ll find it easier to stick with.
Before you get rid of that final disposable, take a moment to savour the vaping experience. Really pay attention to what it feels like. What parts of this experience do you love? Is it the flavour of the juice? The heat of the vapour? The crackle? The cloud size? Spend a few minutes thinking about the parts of vaping that you love, and write down what’s important to you. This list should be your guide when you’re trying to choose between lots of different types of non-disposable vape.
Step 2: Pick hardware you’ll love
Disposables are usually made with as few parts as possible, from the cheapest materials possible. Because of the poor build quality of cheaper single-use vapes, when you upgrade to a proper pod kit or a sub-ohm kit, you’ll usually find the vaping experience gets much better in lots of little intangible ways. We’re not interested in ‘a little bit better’, though. We want you to have the very best vaping experience you possibly can. You should look for hardware that suits you perfectly.
At the very least, you need to decide whether you’re a mouth-to-lung or direct-lung vaper. These two vaping styles require different vape device formats. We have a guide to MTL and DL vaping which covers everything you need to know in more detail. If you have only ever vaped mouth-to-lung style, you might want to stick with pods and vape pens. If you’re ready to move on to bigger clouds and bolder flavours, then it could be time to upgrade to sub-ohm.
Size matters, too. Some kits are too big to fit in the palm of your hand, so if you’re used to sneaking a crafty puff here and there, you need to check the dimensions before you buy. One very popular and powerful palm-sized pod system is the GeekVape Aegis Nano Pod Kit.
Step 3: Match the coil resistance to your normal vape
For some disposables fans, the transition to refillable kit can taste a bit disappointing. That’s not always the fault of the e-liquid. If each puff of vaporised e-liquid lacks intensity or depth of flavour, it’s often because the coil you’re using on your new vape isn’t hot enough; you need to find a closer match to the disposable version you were using before.
Take a look at the small print on your disposable vape’s packaging. Look for the Ohm symbol (Ω), which will tell you the coil resistance, then buy a coil with the same resistance. For instance, both the SKE Crystal Original and the instaBar Air 600 use a 1.2 ohm mesh coil. To match this exact resistance, you’ll need something like the VooPoo PnP-C1 or PnP-TR1 1.2 Ohm replacement coil.
If you want to get even more flavour, then you could experiment with very low resistance coils. Just make sure that your vape device is set up to handle sub-ohm vaping first (learn all about sub-ohm vaping here).
Step 4: Match the e-liquid or experiment with something new
Picking your new e-liquid is one of the most exciting parts of the switching process. If you’re brand-new to e-liquid, you could grab one of our amazing mystery boxes and try out lots of different vape juices for a great price. You might want to just find an e-liquid that tastes like your favourite disposable flavour (if so, our disposable flavour matcher can help). Or you might want to just spend a while drifting through our shortfill e-liquid department, where you’ll find more than a thousand different products.
We love selling unique, delicious vape juices — we are Gourmet E-Liquid, after all — so if you want to try something new, you’re in the right place. E-liquids are grouped by flavour profile:
There’s more to e-liquid than flavourings. For instance, the VG/PG ratio of your e-liquid changes how the vapour feels when you inhale (learn more here). The throat hit is controlled by VG/PG ratio to a degree, but also by the nicotine strength, and the type of nicotine you choose (learn more here). Nicotine is a highly addictive substance and should only ever be added to e-liquid by adult ex-smokers as part of a quitting plan.
Step 5: Get rid of your old devices
Out of sight is out of mind. If you want to move away from disposables for good, then get rid of every disposable in your house. Make sure you dispose of your old vapes in an environmentally-friendly way. Sweep through your house and workspace, gathering every spent vape you can find. Bring them all to a dedicated vape recycling bin. The rare-earth metals within your vape can all be reused if they’re dealt with properly.
Whatever you do, never drop old vapes into your normal household waste. Even with a flat battery, a disposable vape can still explode and catch fire. Our recent guide, how to dispose of a disposable, has a video showing just how dangerous these battery explosions can be.
That’s it! We really hope this list helps you to make the switch from disposables. If, for any reason, you’re not ready to abandon disposables completely, take a look at the Aspire R1. You can refill and recharge this vape up to 8 times before it has to be disposed of. It’s sold without e-liquid and it’s very keenly priced, which makes it an excellent starting point if you’re just trying to get to grips with the habit of refilling and recharging a vape device.
Stay safe and happy vaping!
John Boughey