Ω. If you’re new to vaping, you’ll have seen that symbol printed on the sides of coils while installing them or filling tanks. It stands for “Ohm,” and I appreciate that that explanation might not have clarified much for you. So, let’s go about answering the question of “what does ohm mean in vape?”
What Are Ohms In Vaping?
In vaping, “Ohms” refers to the electrical resistance of a vape coil. Every vape coil, including those trapped within disposable pods, has an ‘ohmage’ that indicates the kind of vaping it’s intended for, in terms of power output and vapour production.
How to Find Out A Coil’s Ohms?
The ohms of a coil isn’t a secret or hidden at all; in fact, it’s clearly displayed so that you can make the right choice when you browse vape coils for sale. Follow the steps below, and you’ll see it’s actually very easy to determine the ohms of a vape coil before you try installing it.
Check the Coil Head
Look directly at the coil itself, and you’ll likely see some rather tiny digits printed on the side with an Ohm symbol, e.g: 1.8Ω. This indicates the coil has an ohmage of 1.8.
Some disposable pods with pre-fitted coils won’t have the digits printed on the coil itself but on the base of the pod.
Check the Packaging
If you’ve just bought yourself a new vape kit, it often comes with two coils included (though not always). The back of the box will always list the coil resistances.
The same can, of course, be said for boxes of coils themselves. No one’s trying to sell an Ohm Lucky Dip, and as such, the packaging will always very clearly display the ohms of the coils within. All the coils in a box of coils will have the same resistance.
Check Your Mod
You can also check coil ohms by glancing at the display screen of your device, if it has one. Display screens always show the coil’s current resistance.
You will inevitably notice slight changes in the same coil’s ohms as you use it over the course of weeks. This is a part of the coil’s natural lifespan, and as it continues to be used, it will degrade over time in various ways, with the ohms moving a couple of decimal places here or there.
When you notice the ohms having shifted in your coil, that’s a great indicator that it’s nearing the end of its tour of duty and that it’s time to acquire a new coil.
What Does Higher Ohms Mean In Vapes?
Now here’s a point that many find a bit counter-intuitive; the HIGHER the ohm rating of a coil, the LESS power it needs and the LESS vapour it produces.
A higher resistance vape coil, with an ohm of say 1.5ohms – 1.8ohms, will be using power outputs of around 10-15W. The amount of vapour produced by your device will likely be similar to the amount of smoke generated by a tobacco cigarette (but without the smoke, obviously).
What Does Low Ohm Mean In Vapes
On the other hand, a low ohm rating of, say, 0.4 ohms – 0.15 ohms will be capable of handling FAR higher power outputs, often around the 80-120W mark. Some DIY coils intended for seriously intense outputs can even manage 200W energy bombardments.
The cloud produced by these coils at these settings will be large, thick, and noticeable. In fact, the kind of vape juice intended for these outputs is always made with a higher VG content than most vape juices, as inhaling that much vapour would be incredibly uncomfortable if it had a high PG content.
How to Calculate Ohms?
Here is how ohms and ohmage are calculated:
- Resistance (ohms) = Voltage ÷ Current
- Said out loud: “Ohms equals volts divided by amps.”
What those words mean, in vape terms:
- Volts (V): the push from your battery or mod.
- Amps (A): how much juice is actually flowing.
- Ohms (Ω): how hard your coil makes that flow.
One quick example:
- Your mod says 3.7 V, and the current readout is 9.3 A.
- 3.7 ÷ 9.3 ≈ 0.40
- That coil is about 0.40 Ω.
What Wattage Should You Vape At 0.4ohm?
With a 0.4-ohm coil, you’re engaged in direct-to-lung (DTL) vaping, or restricted-direct-lung (RDL) at the very least. The best power range for a 0.4ohm coil would be 30-45W. Start at the lower end and work your way up incrementally until you find your sweet spot.
What Wattage Should You Vape At 0.6ohm?
A 0.6ohm coil is a little less obviously MTL/DTL, but it can generally handle moderate intensity, whichever kind you’re doing. The power range for a 0.6 ohm coil would be 20-30W.
What Wattage Should You Vape At 0.8ohm?
With a 0.8ohm coil, you’re firmly in MTL territory, despite the coil being *technically* sub-ohm. Most vape manufacturers today consider 0.8ohms an MTL, cigarette-style experience that requires a low power output of between 15-20W. Going much higher than that might be harsh and burn your coil out faster.
Need More Help?
So, to return to the original question, the ohm vape meaning is the resistance of a vape coil. The higher the resistance, the less power you should put through it. The lower the resistance, the more power it allows to flow through it.
Not so hard to understand! Hopefully, this has cleared up any confusion you had about the term Ohm and what it means!