Since the dawn of modern vaping, at least here in the UK, ‘sub-ohming’ has been the eternal counterpart to 50-50 vaping. This specialised approach to the vaping world is unbelievably popular, and is most certainly here to stay!
Ever seen a massive cloud erupting from a vapers lips? Or maybe emerging from the window of a passing vehicle? You just spotted a sub-ohm vaper, also know as cloud-chasers in certain circles. That’s the biggest difference between the average vaper and a sub-ohm enthusiast, bigger clouds and bigger devices.
This sector of vaping has declined a little in size since the earliest days of vaping trends, becoming a little more niche. With that said, sub-ohm products have a permanent place in vape store offerings, including our own LiQuid 10ml HVG and Sub-Ohm E-liquid ranges.
What Does Sub-Ohm Mean?
The name sub-ohm is used as a sweeping blanket term to represent the collection of vaping products that are synonymous with the category: high powered devices, thick High-VG e-liquids, and fans of big clouds.
The reality however is that sub-ohm actually refers to the coils needed to make the magic happen. Every vaping device needs a coil to work properly, it’s the bit that heats up when we fire the battery and turns the e-liquid into the vapour we inhale. Different devices need different coils to perform best when using different e-liquids.
The coils used in the big devices needed to vape high-VG juice have a rating that is always below one ohm (0.4ohm for example) because it is below one ohm, this is referred to as being ‘sub-ohm’ – that’s where we get the name!
Sub-Ohm Vape Coils & Devices
Coils are made of metal, and they all have an amount of electrical resistance – this resistance is measured in ohms, and it determines how much power can be passed through it in order to heat it up. Contrary to logic, the lower the ohm rating, the higher the resistance of the coil and therefore the more power is needed to heat it up.
Thick High-VG e-liquid needed for sub-ohm vaping requires a lot of power to effectively heat it up for us to inhale. To reach those lofty temperatures, you’ll need a big battery like those found on box mods, or pod mods, coupled with a sub-ohm coil rated at least 0.9ohm or less. Load up your high-VG juice and with these powers combined you’ll soon be blowing impressive clouds and enjoying your sub-ohm vaping journey!
Take Note: The biggest devices might have the grunt to get you chasing clouds, but they also tend to burn through your e-liquid much faster, and sometimes use special batteries that need external charging – keep that in mind if you want your vaping journey to be uber-convenient, as ‘sub-ohming’ isn’t always the most practical.
If it all sounds a little complex, check out our guide How to Vape Properly, it breaks is al down into bitesize chunks so you can answer all your questions!
Sub-Ohm E-Liquid
Now we’ve covered the types of device and coil you’ll need, you’ll need an e-liquid to get vaping! The most important thing to remember is that sub-ohm friendly juices are typically only available up to a maximum of 6mg. Nicotine strengths are lower because of the sheer volume of vapour produced and inhaled when sub-ohm vaping. Taking in a giant powerful cloud of 18mg e-liquid is going to do two things: make you cough and make your head spin!
Having lower strengths means they are very, very smooth however, and there are even nic salt sub-ohm juices available for those who want a little more punch without any extra harshness. It also means the flavours take front and centre, which is one of the best things about sub-ohm vaping: the flavours are massive!
From standard minty things to tobaccos and wacky fruits and desserts, no flavours are off limits with sub-ohm e-liquid. The bigger clouds they produce when heated means a much higher volume of flavour hits your tongue, making for a full-on and delicious experience if you want something bold!
If you’re vaping sub-ohm, you need a high-VG e-liquid. They are thicker and typically contain more Vegetable Glycerol (VG) than thinner 50-50’s (which are balanced). You can find out the nitty gritty in our guide, What’s in an E-Liquid?
They are often divided into two types:
10ml high-VG juice comes in a range of strengths including 0mg, 3mg and 6mg. they are of course smaller in volume than some vapers prefer, owing to that increased consumption rate we mentioned when using a sub-ohm device.
That’s why short fill e-liquid hit the market – these are larger volume bottles of high-VG e-liquid, produced in 0mg only to comply with TPD laws. They are however designed for you to add up to two nic shots to create your own custom strengths!
Check out the ultimate short-fill juices blog: A Guide to Shortfill to answer any specific questions you might have about this interesting category of e-liquid – could it be your new favourite?
Why Should I Choose a Sub-Ohm Vape?
Sub-ohm vaping isn’t a natural starting point for many people, but vapers do often evolve into a sub-ohm user as their journeys progress.
If you are a recent ex-smoker looking for a big nic hit in a familiar menthol or tobacco flavour, don’t sub-ohm. You won’t get the nicotine you need as the strengths are capped so low, the tech will likely be daunting and complex for a first-timer, and you will certainly end up ditching vaping altogether, when in reality you just need to find the right product.
If however, you want a bolder flavour, fancy throwing a cloud or two – maybe you are a competitive vaper looking for an edge. In either case, sub-ohm vaping is your best bet!
In the current market, you don’t even need to worry about it being complicated – there are lots of simpler sub-ohm vapes to try out there, and you will find that lots of devices that can support coils for both 50-50 and sub-ohm High-VG vaping.
Work out your needs, match the product to them and your journey will be a more successful story. Whatever your needs are – don’t forget to save time and money with a LiQuid Subscription!
