What Is Sub-Ohm Vaping?

by Todd Slater

The industry has suddenly shifted gears in the last couple years, dwindling the fascination with high resistance coils.  Vapers learned that they can continue to lower the resistance level of coils since safer battery chemistries were introduced to the vaping market.  As a result, it has created this new lifestyle within vaping where it doesn’t take a lot of experience to reach a high performance.  It’s called Sub-Ohm Vaping.

What Is Sub-Ohm Vaping Exactly?

Sub-Ohm Vaping is where a coils resistance is less than one ohm.  Earlier on the industry considered 1.5 ohm coils low resistance, but things have changed, and that low has gotten even lower when users started sub-ohm vaping.  Not long ago only advanced vapers were sub-ohm vaping, but now it is becoming some-what of an industry standard for clearomizers, although many manufacturers still offer a standard (or low) resistance coil with their clearomizers.  Sub-Ohm Vaping originated because vapers were looking to increase the power output of fixed voltage devices, like mechanical mods and other unregulated mods for an increase in both flavor and vapor.

Can You Explain How Sub-Ohm Vaping Works?

As we know, all devices are electrical devices that are powered by a battery.  When you sub-ohm vape, you’re utilizing the principles of Ohm’s and Joule’s laws of electricity.  In other words, when using a mechanical mod or unregulated mod, it will increase the overall power output (aka wattage) of your mod when you decrease the resistance (aka ohms) of your coils.

Should I Be Concerned About My Safety When Sub-Ohm Vaping?

The truth is… yes, you should be concerned about your safety when sub-ohm vaping.  Anytime you are pushing the boundaries of what a battery is capable of handling, you should be concerned, and many times, that’s what users are doing when using unregulated mods.  However, with a regulated device, there are safety features in place where you can relax a bit more.  No matter what you’re doing in life, your safety should be of the utmost importance, but as far as sub-ohm vaping goes, as long as you follow the basic safety rules, sub-ohm vaping is quite safe.  There is a “but” here though… if these safety rules are not followed, your battery or mod can fail, which will result in serious injury, and may even end up with property damage if there is a fire or explosion.  Your safety ultimately rests in your own hands.  Do the required research on safe vaping, sub-ohm vaping and follow the guidance of those before you, and you’ll be quite alright.

E-Liquid and Sub-Ohm Vaping: The Details

When sub-ohm vaping, most users tend to do lung hits instead of mouth pulls.  This means that when the user inhales, instead of filling their mouth with vapor, then inhaling to their throat, they inhale straight from their device and down into their lungs.  It’s one swift pull all the way down, which is one way these type of vapers are able to produce a more than average vapor production.

Something to note about e-liquid is that when you’re sub-ohm vaping, it’s recommended that you lower your nicotine level.  Sub-Ohm vaping increases flavor, vapor and even throat-hit, so this is the reason that most users will lower their nicotine level, since nicotine is a large cause of throat-hit.  The throat-hit will be increase by so much, that something like 18mg nicotine strength will become too harsh to vape, no matter what flavor.  Moreover, most users who sub-ohm vape have actually lowered their nicotine strength to 6mg or 3mg, and others even cut out nicotine completely.  Those looking to get a harsh hit when push the limits at 12mg, but that is pushing it.

Is Sub-Ohm Vaping For You?

Is sub-ohm vaping for you?  That is something only you can answer.  However, it is certainly where the vaping market is headed, since manufacturers continue to develop new products aimed towards it, such as Aspire with their Atlantis Clearomizer and Kanger with their Subtank.  If sub-ohm vaping isn’t something you’re interested in though, remember, most of those clearomizer kits come with a standard resistance coil as well, so you most certainly have the option between the two.