If you’ve just started vaping, you’ve probably heard the word “atomiser” thrown around. But what does it actually mean? Simply put, the atomiser is the part of your vape that turns e-liquid into vapour. Without it, your vape wouldn’t work at all. It’s the engine that powers your entire vaping experience.
This guide breaks down exactly what an atomiser does, how it works, and why it matters.
TLDR: What Is An Atomiser?
- An atomiser is the part of a vape or e-cigarette that contains the heating coil and wick to turn e-liquid into vapour
- Atomisers are often referred to casually as “coils,” though the wire coil is simply a part of the atomiser.
- It acts as the “engine” of the vape, directly responsible for creating the vapour you inhale
- The quality of the atomiser significantly impacts flavour and cloud production
- Atomisers are degraded from the moment e-liquid touches them, and will need to be replaced every 2-4 weeks.
Your Vape Atomiser Explained in Under 100 Words
An atomiser is the core component inside your vape that vaporises e-liquid. It houses a small metal coil that heats up when you press the fire button. This coil is wrapped around a wick soaked in e-liquid. When the coil gets hot, it turns the liquid into vapour. The atomiser acts as the medium or means of conveyance by which your e-liquid is converted into the vapour you wish to inhale.
How Vape Atomisers Work: A Simple 3-Step Process
The mechanics behind an atomiser are straightforward once you break them down:
Saturation
The wick inside the atomiser coil soaks up e-liquid from the tank or reservoir. Cotton is the most common wick material because it absorbs liquid well and doesn’t add unwanted flavours. Sometimes unorthodox but similar materials such as tea-tree fibres are used instead, though this will be advertised as a feature.
Heating
When you activate the vape (either by pressing a button or inhaling), the battery sends power to the coil. This causes the wire to heat up instantly, reaching temperatures high enough to vaporise your e-liquid.
Vaporisation
The hot coil vaporises the e-liquid held in the wick, creating the vapour that travels up through the airflow system and into your mouth. This entire process happens in seconds.
The Key Parts of an E-Cig Atomiser
Understanding the individual components helps you troubleshoot problems when they inevitably arise and choose better equipment going forward. Here’s what’s inside a given atomiser:
The Coil
The wire element that heats up when power is applied. Common materials include Kanthal (affordable and reliable), Stainless Steel (which works in multiple modes), and Nichrome (which heats up faster). The coil’s resistance (measured in ohms) determines how much power it needs.
There are prebuilt coils, but if you prefer to make your own, read our vape coil DIY guide.
The Wick
The absorbent material that holds e-liquid and feeds it to the coil. Organic cotton is the standard choice in modern vapes, though novel and flavourless materials like tea-tree fibres and wood pulp are sometimes used.
The wick must stay saturated to prevent dry hits and burnt taste. The moment e-liquid touches the wick, the timer starts on your atomiser’s lifespan. Even when not in use, the e-liquid is slowly degrading the wick.
The Housing/Casing
The metal structure that contains the coil and wick and connects to the rest of the vape. This casing also directs airflow around the coil to cool the vapour and carry it upward. DIY coils used in RDAs and RTAs usually lack this and have an exposed coil you can perform maintenance on, though this is often ‘housed’ in a large chamber which is part of the rebuildable platform you’re using.
The Connection Point
The threaded base (almost always a 510 connection) that screws into the vape mod or battery. This connection delivers power to the coil and keeps the atomiser secured to your device.
The Most Common Types of Atomisers
Sub-Ohm Tanks
Sub-ohm tanks are vape tanks that can be filled with e-liquid and use atomisers with electrical resistances of less than 1.0ohms (though these days it’s more likely to be less than 0.8ohms). The sub-ohm atomiser/coil, paired with high-VG e-liquid, will generate huge vapour clouds.
Usually, it is less popular with beginners who prefer a ‘cigarette style’ vape. As easy to use as a regular MTL vape tank.
Rebuildable Dripping Atomisers (RDAs)
RDA’s are not ‘tanks’. Instead, they provide the user with a walled ‘deck’ on which posts or clamps are situated. A homemade DIY coil can be fitted into the posts/clamps, and a wick fitted through the coil. The ‘dripping’ part of the name indicates that, due to the lack of an e-liquid reservoir, you will need to frequently drip e-liquid directly onto the coil.
Unpopular with beginners, RDAs are for experienced vapers and require patience and enthusiasm for vape maintenance work. The primary advantage is being able to modify your atomiser components however and whenever you want to.
Rebuildable Tank Atomisers (RTAs)
RTAs are similar to but distinct from RDAs in that they continue to utilise DIY vape coils wound by the users, however, the RTA features an e-liquid reservoir. RTAs sold in the UK will, of course, need to abide by the TPD 2ml tank restriction, as they have a ‘tank’ element.
For experienced vapers who find the ‘dripping’ part of RTAs frustrating. They still require an enthusiasm for coil maintenance that most new vapers have not yet cultivated.
Can’t decide between RTA and RDA? Read our comparison here.
Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomisers (RDTAs)
RDTAs are a hybrid of RTAs and RDAs. They offer the flavour-freshness of RDAs with the e-liquid reservoir of RTAs. The coil is set above the reservoir, and long wicks reach down into the e-liquid.
Once again, these are generally for experienced vapers who enjoy building their own atomisers. The majority of vapers prefer the convenience of pre-made atomisers or disposable pods with pre-fitted atomisers within.
Conclusion
The atomiser is the single most critical component for vapour production in any vape device. Everything else—the battery, the tank, the mod—exists to support what the atomiser does.
Understanding how your atomiser works helps you troubleshoot common problems like weak flavour, poor vapour production, or burnt taste. It also helps you make smarter choices when upgrading your setup or replacing coils.
At the end of the day, the atomiser is the heart of the vaping experience. Get this part right, and everything else falls into place. So, are vape tanks interchangeable? Well, for the most part, yes, but make sure to check these steps first.