The atomizer is the heating part of a vape pen. It draws power from the battery, warms the liquid and turns it into vapor you can inhale. If you are getting ready to buy your first setup, it is one of the first pieces to understand, and you would be joining a big group: a CDC estimate from 2014 put the number of people who had taken up vaping at about 9 million.
This article walks through what happens inside an atomizer and then covers the three kinds you will come across.
How an atomizer works, step by step
- The e-liquid sits in a cartridge, kept apart from the electronic coils (e-coils).
- A cotton wick touches the liquid in the cartridge and soaks it up.
- The soaked wick carries the liquid to the e-coils.
- The battery powers the coils, which produce heat. The liquid can get as hot as 500 degrees.
- The heated liquid becomes vapor, and you draw it in through the mouthpiece.
The three kinds of atomizer
Disposable
A disposable is a sensible first purchase. It costs little and lets you find out what vaping is like before you commit to more gear. When drawing on it stops being easy, it is time to replace it.
Replaceable
With a replaceable atomizer you keep the device and swap the e-coil once it is used up: unscrew the old coil and fit a new one. How often you need to do that varies from one person to the next, depending on how much and how frequently you vape.
These cost more than disposables, but they offer features disposables do not have, and the e-juice flavor comes through more clearly. At the time of writing, this was the type most vapers used.
Rebuildable
Rebuildables are for people who want control over every detail. You wind your own coils, pick your wick and assemble the whole thing to your liking. The parts cost more up front, which is easier to justify if you vape heavily or are particular about your setup.
They appeal to vapers who enjoy the finer points of the hobby. Building an atomizer yourself is recommended only once you have some experience.
Choosing between them
The basics are not hard to grasp. Pick the type that fits how you live: disposable to try things out, replaceable for everyday use, rebuildable if you like to tinker. Whichever you choose, it needs e-juice, and you can browse large bottles of e-juice to go with it.