Pod systems such as Juul, Phix and Suorin changed how a lot of people vape. A device about as big as a thumb drive replaced the heavy mod, the spare batteries and the large juice bottles. Box mods from Smok, Vaporesso and many other makers have not gone away, though, and each style suits a different kind of vaper. This guide explains what the two devices are, then sets out where each one is strong and where it falls short.
The two devices in brief
Pod mods
A pod mod runs on cartridges, called pods, that hold the e-liquid. Some pods arrive pre-filled; others you refill with a juice of your choice. Think of a Keurig machine brewing from ready-made coffee capsules. The whole idea is convenience: pods are simple to buy and simple to use. Most pod mods are MTL (mouth-to-lung) devices that fire automatically when you inhale, which is why beginners often pick them.
Box mods
A box mod is a box-shaped, modifiable device used around the world for sub-ohm vaping. The modifications come from coils and wicks that let you choose the ohms and wattage you like. It needs batteries, either built in or removable and rechargeable, and its chipset opens up a wide set of options: screen color, touchscreen controls, temperature control, preheat functions and more.
Pod mods: strengths and weaknesses
Where pods do well
- Discreet vapor: a pod puts out a light, small cloud, nothing like the billowing output of a sub-ohm tank. That suits vaping indoors, on a busy street or among friends.
- Made for nicotine salts: pods are built around nic-salt e-liquid, which appeals to vapers used to higher nicotine strengths. The simple design also draws beginners, but be warned that the throat hit of nic-salts can feel very harsh to someone who has never vaped or smoked.
Where pods fall short
- No cross-compatibility: a Suorin or Joyetech cartridge will not fit a Juul. You are tied to the pods made for your device.
- Disposable or refillable: decide this before you buy. Disposable pods are the easier route, since you just pull the empty one and click in a new one, but they add to landfill plastic and usually cannot be recycled. Refillable pods let you change e-liquids instead of throwing the pod away, which makes them the better choice.
- Short battery life: the battery is kept small on purpose so the device stays compact. It will not carry you through a full day. For occasional use, say at a party or on a run to the store, a pod mod makes sense.
- Poor with high VG juice: high VG e-liquid exists to make big clouds, while PG carries strong flavor, and a pod is designed for discreet vapor. If you want large clouds and full flavor together, a box mod with a sub-ohm tank is the tool for that.
Box mods: strengths and weaknesses
Where box mods do well
- Battery power: rechargeable batteries handle all-day vaping, and keeping a second charged set on hand extends that by hours.
- Works with any tank: box mods share the same threading, so you can change the tank or the mod without replacing both. A Smok tank will sit on a Vaporesso mod, for example.
- Any free-base juice: every PG/VG blend of free-base nicotine e-juice will run in the tank. Nic-salts are the exception. They are made for pod mods, and their nicotine level is far too strong for this kind of setup and will burn your throat.
Where box mods fall short
- Size and weight: a full day of power takes a large battery, so the device is bulky and awkward in a pocket or bag. In return you get a great deal of cloud.
- Lower nicotine, bigger bottles: sub-ohm tanks need free-base nicotine, so the choice is 0mg, 3mg, 6mg or a little higher, against the 35mg+ found in nic-salts. The bottles are large as well, from 60mL to 120mL (the writer once saw a 200mL bottle in a vape shop), which is not handy for travel.
- Upfront cost: a complete starter kit means buying the mod, a sub-ohm tank, coils and batteries, and that adds up. Coils and e-juice are ongoing costs on top. A few very premium e-juices are priced like exotic wines or aged bourbons and are best kept for a celebration. An ordinary 100mL bottle can last several weeks, depending on how much you vape.
Which one fits you
It comes down to what you want from vaping. If the goal is big clouds and a device that keeps going all day, a pod mod will probably disappoint you. If you want something inexpensive to pull out now and then, a pod mod fits that well. Plenty of people own both.
The writer of this piece prefers a box mod for the large clouds and the all-day battery. Her brother, who is active military, goes the other way: he wants something small in his pocket for occasional use, so he carries a pod mod.
ejuice.deals stocks both free-base and nic-salt e-liquids. If you still have questions about pod mods and box mods, you can contact us by email, phone or social media.