Vape pens make up around half of vape kits, but what is it? Put simply, a vape pen is a cylindrical or long rectangular device for vaping. Many vape kits – particularly sub-ohm vapes – have chunkier, blocky batteries. A vape pen provides a build that a number of vapers find more comfortable.
What Are Vape Pens?
As mentioned earlier, vape pens sport a cylindrical shape or a flat, rectangular build. This type of vape has a smaller, slim footprint (it’s designed to fit snugly in the hand with minimal discomfort) and often comes with limited features (lower wattage output, small battery, etc.) compared to more advanced kits like sub-ohm devices. This is why you’ll find pen kits marketed and recommended either as a starter kit or pod kit for beginners.
Most pen-style vape kits are geared towards MTL vaping. However, don’t be surprised that you’ll come across pen kits that can also offer a DTL vaping experience; many vape brands have integrated DTL capabilities (like the use of sub-ohm coils) to appeal to both types of vapers.
What Is in a Vape Pen?
Pen vapes consists of three elements:
- Battery: The stick or lozenge that houses the power supply and electrical components of your vape kit.
- Atomizer/Vape Tank: Whether it’s a classic steel and glass tank or an acrylic pod, the vape pen requires a section to house your vape juice. It also comes with a mouthpiece or drip tip to puff on.
- Coil: A small piece of metal containing a heating element and wicks. Tanks and some pods require replacement coils, whereas some pods come with pre-installed coils.
Keep in mind that an e-cig with a pen style can have a prefilled tank, meaning it is already filled with vape juice.
How Do Vape Pens Work?
Vape pens work by sending an electrical charge up from the battery and into the coil in the tank or pod. The heating element in the coil atomizes the e-liquid, which has been soaked into the wicks, and you inhale the vaporised e-liquid.
Some pens will have firing buttons that begin the vaping process, whereas others are built with draw-activation, detecting airflow and beginning the vapourisation the moment you begin to inhale.
How to Use A Vape Pen
Using a vape pen is generally easier than using some other kinds of vape as they usually provide a more streamlined form of use. You only need to follow a few steps to use a vape pen:
- Ensure your vape kit is charged. If it’s brand new it will likely have around 50 – 80% battery charge straight out of the box.
- Turn your pen-style vape kit on, usually with 3-5 rapid taps of the firing button. With buttonless, inhale-activated vapes, you can assume the pen is always in standby mode when not being actively used.
- Install a coil. If your pen is brand new, there will usually be a coil in place already or a disposable pod with a pre-installed coil.
- Fill the tank/pod with e-liquid. If the coil is new and unused, wait at least five minutes for the e-liquid to soak into the wicks, or else you run the risk of dry-firing, which kills coils instantly.
- Set your optimal wattage in accordance with the numbers printed on the side of the coil, though many vape pen units won’t offer wattage adjustment and will automatically assign an appropriate power output for the chosen coil.
- If your pen-style vape kit has an airflow adjustment setting, set it to a draw which is satisfying to you.
- Start vaping, either by pressing the firing button or, for inhale-activated vaping pens, simply begin puffing.
That’s the whole process!
How To Charge a Vape Pen
Vape pens will always have charging ports on them, usually for Type-C USB cables, the same variety used by most brand electronics. Some advanced kits with ‘passthrough’ tech allow you to vape while they charge, whereas some others require you to unplug the cable to allow for vaping.
Ensure you check the contents of any pen-style vape kit you’re considering; some of the more affordable pens do not come with a cable included.
Is a Vape Pen Good for Beginners?
Vape pens are ideal for beginners as they suit casual, easy use. There’s often no need to concern yourself with settings, modes, and digital display specs, the kinds of things you’d find on a more advanced battery & tank vape kit.
The thin builds of vape pens also serve to provide a familiar hand feeling to smokers who are still craving aspects of cigarette smoking.
How Much Should a Vape Pen Cost?
An MTL vaping pen can cost as little as £6.99 and still provide a satisfying experience! Vape pens vary in price, and it’s usually dependent on the features, build quality, and whether the vape pen in question has a longer battery life.
A vape pen MTL kit that costs less than £10 will likely have extremely basic use functions and no additional modes or features, whereas a £30 advanced vape kit will likely have a long-lasting battery power, display screen, and adjustable functions.
When looking for vape pens with a budget in mind, avoid asking, “Which is the more advanced vape kit?” and instead focus on the features that you feel will keep you away from cigarettes.
What is the Best Vape Pen?
With so many manufacturers focussing on vape pen kits and mouth-to-lung pod kit device options, it can be hard to tell which are the best vape pens. Don’t worry, though. We’ve tested over 100 pens (and counting!), and here are our top recommendations for this year. If you’d like to engage in some savvy browsing, then be sure to read our how to choose a vape pen guide.
Need More Advice
We hope this has helped you to understand what vape pens are and how they work. If vape pens sound like the perfect stepping stone to quit smoking, then visit the MIST online store for great deals on a huge range of vape kits and e-liquids specifically designed for new vapers.
