How Well Do E-Liquids Vape in a Mod vs a Pod System?

Nowadays, non-pod systems, mainly box mod setups, remain extraordinarily popular, primarily because they operate at higher output levels and can therefore create bigger clouds, while also letting vapers explore a wider range of settings so that they may customize several aspects of their vapes.

But anyone who is staying on top of the ever-changing vaping trends knows that pod mods have come a long way since they first hit the market a couple of years ago.  What were once remarkably simple and highly limiting vaping kits now offer a wide array of features, and many include the feature of being compatible with both freebase and salt nic e-juice.

But does this mean that every freebase nic e-juice fan will be happy to switch to a pod mod?  Let’s examine how well freebase e-juices actually work in pod systems compared to more traditional mod setups.

What is Freebase E-Liquid?

First, it needs to be explained what freebase e-liquid is in order to understand why it’s useful.  Maybe you already know that there are two types of nicotine commonly found in vape juices, and they are freebase nic and salt nic.  Freebase nic came first, and up until a few years ago, it was the only kind of nicotine you could find in an e-liquid.

But what is it?  Well, freebase nicotine is a type of nicotine that was developed in the 1950s, by big tobacco companies.  It takes the nicotine compounds that naturally occur in the tobacco plant and uses chemical modification techniques to make the nicotine more potent. 

Vapers who have been using freebase nic for a while know that it’s not the most potent type of nicotine – that would be salt-based nicotine, which is the nicotine compound derived from the tobacco plant and blended with benzoic acid, which, when vaporized, produces a stronger buzz and throat hit due to its high potency.  Freebase nicotine was developed to be the most potent type of nicotine of all. 

Why Does Freebase Rarely Give Us a Strong “Punch” of Nicotine When Vaping It?

Well, freebase nicotine is harsh.  In cigarettes, it doesn’t matter so much, but the process of vaporization makes freebase nicotine feel potentially irritating against the throat.  This means that freebase nic e-liquids tend to have low potency levels compared to salt nic e-liquids, to compensate for that harshness.  And, due to the nature of this type of e-juice, it works very well with high-powered vaping systems, like traditional mods.

Freebase nic e-liquid is the type of e-liquid that you want if you’re going to be chasing clouds.  This refers to the practice of vaping low-nicotine e-juice at high output levels using a box mod system in order to blow out huge, fluffy clouds of vapor.

Pod Mod Systems and Salt-Based Nicotine

Of course, the alternative to sub-ohm vaping with a box mod and freebase nic e-juice would be vaping a salt nic e-juice with a pod mod system.  This vaping style acts as the sort of antithesis to the former category, and was primarily developed for those who are solely interested in an easy, low-maintenance vaping routine that takes care of their nicotine cravings that come from a length of time spent as a cigarette smoker.  Pod mod systems are small, pocket-friendly devices that use pods rather than tanks, and these pods contain salt-based e-liquid which, as we said earlier, is more potent.

Pod mods, by nature, operate at far lower wattage levels than traditional box mods.  This is because nicotine salt e-juice will become very harsh if it’s heated to the high temperatures that high wattage levels create.  As a result, you will never get the powerful vaping experience with a pod mod that you would with a box mod.

The earliest pod systems contained extremely rudimentary technologically speaking.  They operated at fixed output levels, meaning that you couldn’t explore different wattage and temperatures.  And, they operated without buttons, being draw-activated.  Many of them used closed systems, meaning that you could only use pre-filled pods rather than being able to fill them yourself.  These systems do still exist and are quite popular, especially among those who have recently given up smoking.

Newer Pod Systems and Their Compatibility with Freebase Nicotine E-Juice

Vaping technology is always evolving, and so it was a matter of time before companies found ways in which to allow users to vape freebase nic e-juice in a pod system.  Now, many top hardware brands offer pod systems that are compatible with both types of e-liquids.  They do this either by providing one pod and interchangeable coils, or two different pods that each have a distinctive coil configuration.  The coil configuration determines which type of e-liquid you can use, as salt nic e-juices are compatible with coil resistance levels above 1 ohm, and freebase nic e-juices are compatible with sub-ohm coils.

What this means is that users can switch between both types of nicotine freely throughout the day.  The pod mods that offer this feature remain pocket-friendly and user-friendly but tend to offer variable wattage that can accommodate both vaping styles.

What Happens When You Vape Freebase E-Liquid with a Pod Mod System

So, does this mean that when you vape freebase nicotine in a pod mod system, that you’ll have the same experience as you do when you vape it in a sub-ohm system?  Well, not quite.  If you’re the type of vaper who is used to high wattage levels and big, puffy clouds, you might be disappointed.  Despite the compatibility with freebase nic, these more versatile pod mod systems still can’t reach the extremely high output levels for which traditional box mods are known, because they’re so small that their batteries simply do not allow it.  And, to chase those enormous clouds, you need an extremely high wattage or temperature at which your device operates.

Still, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to have a satisfying vape with a pod mod system that’s compatible with freebase nicotine.  You’ll still get a decent amount of vapor, only it won’t be as much as that which you might be used to with sub-ohm vaping setups.

The Choice is Yours

Ultimately, whether you vape your freebase nicotine vape juice in a pod system or more traditional sub-ohm setup is up to you.  To decide which one is right for you, ask yourself what you crave.  If it’s huge clouds, then a mod setup is the right choice.