What Determines Flavor and Vapor Production of Disposable Vapes?

Disposable vape pens have become incredibly advanced over the last few years, promising more reliability, power, longevity, and overall satisfaction than ever before.  So, it’s not surprising then, that many people have ditched more complex vaping setups for this ultra-convenient, low-maintenance way of enjoying their vaping hobby throughout the day.

If you’ve made the switch to disposables after having used more advanced vape hardware over the years, you’ve likely been surprised by how many of these small, simple devices on the market are capable of delivering big flavor and big clouds.  After all, traditionally, we’ve come to associate smaller vaping systems with less flavor and vapor output.  But, all that has changed, and we’re going to look at the factors that determine how much flavor and cloud action you can get from one of these types of devices.

What are the Main Components of a Disposable Vape Pen?

Before covering what determines flavor and vapor production, let’s take a quick look at the anatomy of a disposable vape pen, and how it differs from other types of vaping setups.  While, ultimately, every disposable on the market is unique, they all happen to have the same general construction and components as one another.

• Chassis: The chassis is the outer shell of the device, so to speak. It’s the structure that you make contact with when you hold your device, which is protecting what’s inside. 
• Battery: Inside the chassis is the battery, which is responsible for providing the device with power. The battery is activated by drawing on the device (taking a pull of vapor through the mouthpiece), and in turn, the battery heats up the coil.  The battery of a disposable can vary in terms of how powerful it is, according to its capacity (mAh).  Some disposables use rechargeable batteries, and some use non-rechargeable batteries.
• Cartridge: Unlike with other vape systems, which use a detachable and refillable tank or cartridge that you can access to refill with e-liquid, the cartridge in a disposable vape is actually inside of the chassis, and invisible to the vaper. But, it’s filled with e-liquid, which will eventually run out, at which point the disposable will be thrown out.
• E-Liquid: Because a disposable is pre-filled, the e-liquid inside the cartridge is ultimately considered to be a component of the disposable. The e-liquid that’s used in disposable vape pens is made with salt-based nicotine, a type of nicotine that is appropriate for low-wattage vape systems such as these ones, and is known for being more potent, affecting the user a lot like the nicotine that’s in a cigarette.
• Coil: Inside of the cartridge is a coil, which is the heating element. Like we said, the coil uses the power from the battery to heat up.  When the coil heats up, the e-liquid that’s inside converts into vapor, which flows into the mouthpiece so that the user can take the vapor in.
• Mouthpiece: Then, there’s the mouthpiece, which is at the top of the device, and is the part that makes contact with the vaper’s mouth. It’s relatively long and tapered, shaped sort of like a chimney.

Do Some Disposable Vape Pens Offer Better Flavor and Vapor Production Than Others?

If you’ve sampled a variety of disposables, then you’ve likely noticed that some deliver better flavor, cloud production, or both, than others.  This is because while all disposable devices use the same components we talked about above, the components themselves can differ from each other in a number of ways.  Let’s elaborate.

Battery Capacity

First up, we have battery capacity.  The capacity of the battery, which is measure in milliampere hours (mAh), tells us how much power it has before it runs out.  The battery inside of a disposable can vary a lot in capacity – we’ve seen ones that have a 280 mAh battery, and ones that have an 1,100 mAh battery or higher.  As you’ve probably already concluded, the higher the battery capacity, the more powerful it is, and therefore, the more cloud production it can offer.  That’s because a more powerful battery supplies more output to the coil, and this allows the coil to heat up more e-liquid at a time, resulting in more vapor per puff.

Keep in mind that the higher the battery capacity, the larger the battery, which is why generally, larger disposable devices give you better cloud output, and more flavor impact because the vapor is denser.

Rechargeable vs. Non-Rechargeable

As we mentioned, some devices use non-rechargeable batteries, such as the Ignite V15 Disposable Vape, while others are equipped with rechargeable ones, such as the Ohmlet Disposable Vape .  To an extent, this can have an impact on flavor and vapor production.  That’s because many disposables contain several milliliters of e-liquid – some up to 15 ml in each cartridge – and so a non-rechargeable battery would likely die before the e-liquid is done.  Once a battery starts to die, its ability to power the coil weakens, and the result is gradually less and less vapor production and, consequently, flavor. 

A rechargeable battery fixes this issue.  By being able to recharge the battery, you never have to worry about the battery becoming weak, and then in turn, potentially leading to poor vapor and flavor output.  Keep in mind though, not all disposables need a rechargeable battery, as those that have smaller e-liquid cartridges don’t need nearly as much battery power.

Coil Type

We touched upon what the coil is and how it works in a vaping system.  However, you may not know that coils can vary from each other a lot, both in terms of construction, and resistance level.  The resistance level of a coil is measured in ohms, and so, must be complementary to the battery power.  The higher the battery capacity, the lower the coil’s resistance level needs to be.  And, a lower coil resistance level, paired with a high-capacity battery, means more vapor production, and stronger flavor.

Meanwhile, the materials from which the coil is made also affect things like flavor and vapor production.  More and more disposables are utilizing mesh or ceramic materials, both of which increase the surface heating area of the coil, and thus allow each puff of vapor to be generally more impactful, by producing bigger clouds.

E-Liquid

The e-liquid formula in a disposable matters a lot, as well.  For one thing, it goes without saying that companies who use higher-quality flavoring ingredients will be able to offer better-tasting e-liquids.  Additionally, the VG/PG ratio plays an important role.  Vegetable glycerin (VG), a viscous plant derivative that makes vapor thicker and denser.  Propylene glycol (PG), on the other hand, is a thin alcohol derivative that thins out the vapor and allows for a stronger throat hit.  The ratio of these two ingredients can certainly have a lot to do with both flavor and vapor production.

Nicotine

Like we said, disposables use salt-based nicotine, and almost all of them use a concentration of 50 mg (5%) in the e-liquid.  Still, lower nicotine concentrations are typically associated with both bigger clouds, and stronger flavor.

The Mouthpiece

Believe it or not, the mouthpiece of the disposable has a small effect on these qualities.  Because the mouthpiece acts like a chimney, it concentrates the vapor as it makes its way into your mouth.  A wider mouthpiece usually gives you bigger clouds, and a narrower mouthpiece more flavor.

Flavor and Vapor Production Can Vary from Disposable to Disposable

Next time you go shopping for a disposable vape, consider all of these things to have a good idea as to what to expect from both flavor and vapor production.  In general, the larger and more powerful the disposable, the more cloud action you’re going to get, and the flavor will likely be stronger as well. 

At Vapor Authority, you will find a large selection of disposables to choose from, including many that can deliver a surprising amount of thick vapor and boldly rich flavor.