How to Choose the Right Vaping Device for Your Needs and Budget

The most important vaping device that you’ll ever purchase is your very first. Once you’ve fully switched from smoking to vaping, it’s not a disaster if you happen to purchase a device that you don’t love because you’ll learn from the experience and will buy something more to your liking next time. If you’ve never vaped before and aren’t happy with your first vape kit, though, you might give up entirely on the idea of vaping and simply continue smoking instead. Given the many benefits of vaping vs. smoking, that would be a shame.

The first most important thing to understand about buying your first vape kit is that the cost of a vaping device usually has very little to do with how good that device is. Vapes that are more expensive cost more because they have features that experienced vapers want or need. New vapers typically don’t need those advanced features. In fact, it’s more likely that you’ll want to start with a simple device because switching to vaping tends to be easiest with a device that’s as easy to use as a cigarette. In short, you should have little trouble finding a vaping device that’s perfect for you and completely affordable.

So, how do you select the vaping device that’s right for your needs and budget? If you consider your answers to these five questions, you should have no trouble identifying your ideal vape kit.

How Simple Do You Want Your Vape to Be?

As we mentioned above, simplicity is often one of the most important qualities – if not the most important – of any vape kit for beginners. One of the reasons why smoking is so addictive is because doing it is incredibly easy. Once you’ve lit a cigarette, it practically does the work for you. If you want a vaping device that works in the same way – something that feels more like a cigarette than a gadget – then you’ll probably want to buy a pre-filled device because pre-filled devices are the simplest vapes that exist. In this category, you’ll have three options.

• Disposable Vapes:Disposable vapes are the simplest vaping devices on the market. To use one, you’ll simply pull it out of the package and puff on it. Many people find the simplicity of disposable vapes greatly appealing because they’re the only types of vapes that require no maintenance at all. You simply use the device until it runs out of e-liquid, and then you replace it.
• Pre-Filled Cigalikes:Cigalikes aren’t quite as simple as disposable vapes, but they don’t require a great deal of maintenance – all that you need to do is charge the device about once a day and replace the e-liquid cartridge when its flavour runs out. The term “cigalike” comes from the fact that this type of device looks like a tobacco cigarette, which is a major benefit for some users. We’ll discuss that in greater detail shortly.
• Pre-Filled Pod Systems: Pre-filled pod systems are somewhat like cigalikes in how they operate, but they’re a bit larger. Because of the larger size, this type of device tends to offer a bit more vapour production, battery life and e-liquid storage.

What’s More Important to You: Convenience or Long-Term Cost?

All vaping devices fall into two main categories. There are pre-filled devices like the ones described above, and there are refillable devices that you fill yourself with bottled vape juice. Compared to a pre-filled device, a refillable device has a bit more of a learning curve because there’s more maintenance involved. In addition to keeping the battery charged, you’ll also need to refill the device and replace the pod or atomizer coil periodically.

Although refillable vapes are a bit more complicated than pre-filled ones, one of the greatest benefits of refillable devices is that they tend to cost less in the long run because bottled e-liquid usually costs less than pre-filled pods or cartridges. A prime example of great manufacturing that delivers excellent refillable results is the Caliburn series from Uwell. You might prefer a refillable device if you want vaping to cost as little as it possibly can.

The three most popular types of refillable vape kits:

• Refillable Cigalikes: This type of device works the same as a pre-filled cigalike, but it uses an empty cartridge that you can fill yourself.
• Refillable Pod Systems:Like a refillable cigalike, a refillable pod system is much the same as a pre-filled pod system, but it uses empty pods that you can fill yourself. Depending on the design of the device, you’ll replace the atomizer coil – or the entire pod – when you’re no longer happy with the flavour quality. 
• Refillable Vape Pens: A vape pen tends to offer a bit more power and battery life compared to a pod system, and this type of device usually stores its e-liquid in a glass tank. Compared to cigalikes and pod systems, vape pens generally offer superior vapour production.

With any refillable vaping device, you can usually refill the tank, pod or cartridge several times before the flavour quality declines. At that point, you’ll replace the pod, cartridge or vape coil.

Do You Want a Vape That Feels Like an Authentic Cigarette? 

In addition to the small size and simple design, the fact that a cigalike looks like a tobacco cigarette is a major benefit for many people. A cigalike is the only type of vape that you can hold between two fingers like a conventional cigarette, and it’s the only type of vape that looks like a real cigarette – right down to the LED at the tip that simulates a glowing ember. If you want a vaping device that provides a truly convincing smoking experience, you’ll probably enjoy using a cigalike.

Do You Have Higher Nicotine Requirements Than Average? 

When you shop for your first vaping device, one of the most important things to remember is that due to the restrictions set forth in the Tobacco Products Directive, the maximum legal nicotine strength for all vaping products sold in the UK is 2% or 20 mg/ml. If you’re already using e-liquid with that strength, the only way to get more nicotine per puff is by using a device that produces bigger clouds – and if you’re a particularly heavy smoker, that might be exactly what you want to do. Refillable vaping devices such as refillable pod systems and particularly vape mods tend to produce the largest clouds, so they’re often the best choices for those with the greatest nicotine requirements.

Do You Want the Largest Possible Flavour Selection? 

Although the best disposable vapes and other pre-filled vaping devices tend to offer great flavour selections, they still can’t compare to the hundreds of flavours available to you when you buy bottled vape juice. The fact that a particular pre-filled vaping device only has a dozen or so flavours available may not matter to you if one of those flavours is your favourite, and you have no interest in trying anything else. If you’re the type of person who loves variety, though, you might be happiest if you buy a refillable device.