Sub Ohm Vaping Guide

Interested in sub ohm vaping but wondering what exactly it is? In this post, we’ll answer all your questions one by one, so you can see if it’s for you and how to get started.

For an in-depth comparison of Sub Ohm and Plus Ohm vaping, check out our Vape Kit Guide and Vape Coil Guide for everything you could need to know.

What is sub ohm vaping?

Sub ohm vaping means using a device with atomiser coils with a resistance of less than one ohm. Sub = under, hence sub ohm (“sub one ohm” doesn’t sound so catchy). Without going too in-depth, coils with below 1 ohm resistance can handle more wattage which means they get hotter and produce more clouds.

What is the advantage of sub ohm vaping?

Whether sub ohm vaping is for you or not is a matter of personal preference. Here are the reasons some people prefer sub ohm vaping:

More clouds – If you like a lot of clouds, then sub ohm vaping is probably up your street. Competitive vapers and ‘cloud chasers’ will certainly be sub ohming.

More intense flavour – The hotter coils and more cloud production means more e-liquid is vaporised, so you’ll get a much stronger flavour. You’ll also notice some more subtleties of flavours that weren’t brought out in non-sub ohm devices.

Warmer inhale – Again, with the hotter coils, the clouds you inhale will be warmer for some vape juice flavours, which some people enjoy. Menthol or Koolada vapes will still give you a cool sensation on the inhale though.

Smoother inhale – Sub ohm vaping will give you a velvety smooth inhale (when you get used to it!), but you have to be careful of the nicotine strength. Read more about that below.

Greater airflow – Devices suitable for sub ohm vaping will have bigger air vents to cool the vapour somewhat for easier mouth to lung vaping (without burning your throat!). Of course, the greater airflow also means you inhale much more vapour and can create more clouds. If that’s your style, then sub ohm vaping could be for you.

What is the disadvantage of sub ohm vaping?

While the advantages above are good for some people, they may not suit everyone. Here’s why:

No more stealth vaping – If you don’t like to be spotted from a mile away when you vape, then sub ohm vaping might not work for you. It’s also probably not a good idea if you commonly vape around other non-vapers in an enclosed environment.

More expensive – Not only does sub ohm vaping use more juice, the devices needed to sub ohm properly won’t be on the cheap side. Also, to keep peak performance, you may want to replace your rechargeable batteries more often. So, if you’re on a budget or still love your vape pen, sub ohm vaping probably won’t suit you.

Less throat hit – Because most sub omers don’t go over 6mg nicotine (you can, but it might not be very pleasant. Read more about that below) and sub ohming requires high VG juice (see more about PG/VG below as well), you won’t get the throat hit you might be used to. This means sub ohm vaping probably won’t be a good choice for you if you are using vaping to quit smoking.

What is the best sub ohm vape kit?

Vape kits for sub ohming will need to be capable of putting out at least 40W. Obviously, they also must support atomiser resistances of less than 1 ohm. You’ll also need a device with good airflow and a battery that can handle sub ohming. Thankfully, these days there are plenty of devices on the market that can allow you to start sub ohm vaping easily.

If you want to keep things simple, a good choice would be the SIGELIEI Sibra F Kit. It has a power of 80W and a minimum atomiser resistance 0.1ohm.

If that’s not enough umph for you, there’s the Sigelei Snowwolf MFENG UX Kit which pumps out an impressive 200W with a minimum atomiser resistance of 0.1ohm.

Another great mod for sub ohming is the VOOPOO Too Kit with a power output of up to 180W and minimum atomiser resistance of 0.4ohm. Of course, the vaping experience will be dictated by what tank and atomiser you pair your mod with.

All these devices have a variable wattage, so you don’t have to cloud chase every time you vape!

What juice is best for sub ohm vaping?

If you read our E-liquid Guide, you’ll learn that the main ingredients of vape juice are propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG). Basically, the percentage of PG dictates the flavour intensity, while the percentage of VG dictates how much vapour is produced.

As sub ohming already intensifies the flavour and the main reason for doing it is to produce more clouds, then it makes sense that sub ohmers use e-juice with a higher percentage of VG, typically 70%VG/30%VG. As for the nicotine type and strength to use, see below.

Can you sub ohm vape nic salts?

There are two types of nicotine available on the market: standard (freebase) and salts. One or the other is either pre-mixed in 10ml bottles of e-liquid or supplied as ‘nicotine shots’ for use with shortfill e-liquids. Whether you prefer one over the other is down to your own needs (learn about the characterises of each here) and both can be sub ohmed.

The problem is that heating nicotine to high temperatures and vaping it creates both an unpleasantly strong taste as well as too much of a nicotine rush. Because sub ohm vaping involves higher coil temperatures, it is not recommended to exceed 6mg nicotine strength. This applies to both standard and salt nicotine.

Is sub ohm vaping dangerous?

Sub ohm vaping can be dangerous if you don’t follow the safety guidelines for your device or battery (just like any other electrical device). So, read the instructions for your kit carefully before using it for sub ohming. As with any kind of vaping, if you notice any damage or tampering to your device and/or batteries, cease use and contact the retailer or manufacturer you bought it from. As always, we recommend doing your research and buying from a reputable retailer.

So, that’s all you need to know about sub ohm vaping. It does get a little more advanced when we get into the topic of mechanical mods and self-built coils, but this should be enough to let you know whether sub ohming is for you or not and how to get started.

Any more questions about sub ohm vaping? Feel free to ask us in the comments below.

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