What is Variable Wattage?
Most intermediate to advanced-level vape kits will come equipped with variable wattage. Variable wattage allows vape kits to function with different types of e-liquids, or you can tailor your hit to your preferences. Different kits will have different wattage levels, so in this blog, we explain how variable wattage works, as well as where it can help you as a vaper!
Variable Wattage Explained
Although variable wattage may seem like a feature designed for advanced vapers, it's quite accessible to intermediate vapers. Beginner devices in particular, but most devices in general, will have automatic wattage settings. Automatic wattage will adjust the wattage to match that of the vape pod.
This means that once the pod is inserted into the device, the user can use it without adjusting any settings. Wattage is adjusted according to the ohms range your pod uses. Lower ohm pods will require higher wattage, so do keep this in mind if buying low ohm pods - not all devices are compatible with all pods.
Variable wattage is set manually by the user. This is usually present in more mid to high-end devices, more suited to intermediate to experienced vapers. This takes the effect of either preset modes, or full flexibility to increase and decrease wattage value to your chosen value.
Manual vs Automatic Wattage Adjustment
Manual wattage adjustment requires some knowledge of your vape kit and vaping in general. This makes automatic wattage adjustment a preference for newer vapers, allowing them to pick a device up and vape it without any inputs or settings.
A benefit to manual wattage, however, is that it allows you to tailor your hit with much more room to manoeuvre.
Many devices bridge this gap with preset device 'modes' that a user can easily switch between. Examples such as 'eco mode' will make your vape last longer and less intense, due to decreasing the wattage, although the user won't need to know anything about wattage to make use of this. Similarly, high-power modes will increase wattage to grant a richer flavour, so long as the user understands what the modes do, they won't need to understand wattage settings.
Pros and Cons of Variable Wattage Devices
The only notable con of manual variable-wattage devices is that they make them less straightforward. Many devices cater towards vaping for beginners. These will most often have no buttons or menu features and can be used straight out of the box. Being able to pick a device up and use it straight out of the box is convenient, especially for new vapers who are switching from cigarettes or moving from disposable vapes, which similarly have no button or wattage adjustment functions.
Alternatively, the immediate pro of variable wattage is flexibility for the user. Wattage can be adjusted to perfectly tailor flavour delivery, allowing the vaper to experiment with what they prefer. This also allows room for alternate modes, such as low-power, which allows users to save power where needed, or try more power-intensive modes if they're flexible.
Variable wattage can enable devices to use more types of e-liquid. Although some devices are designed and tailored towards certain types of e-liquids, such as nic salts, they can also handle freebase e-liquid with the right wattage settings and coil. In some cases, devices tailored for nic salts can even handle high-VG e-liquid, granted the wattage is high enough.
The only main con of variable wattage is the risk of mishandling and choosing the wrong settings, which can easily be prevented by reading the vape kit manual, or by searching online.
Is Variable Wattage Right For You?
Whether variable wattage is right for you ultimately depends on what vape device you're using. Even if you're a repeat user of coils using the same ohm measurement, variable wattage is beneficial as it opens the possibility to use different coils if you want to mix and match.
Even if you don't make use of the variable wattage on your device, it's still useful to have and won't affect your device's performance if you stick to the same wattage level.
Which Vape Kits Have Variable Wattage?
We offer a range of vape kits with variable wattage on LiQuid. We've selected some of our most popular and accessible options here. For more vape kits featuring variable wattage, as well as beginner-friendly options, be sure to browse our full range of vape kits below.
