Do you want to quit smoking? Try vaping. It will decrease your nicotine addiction considerably. Inhaling a vaporized mist (aerosol) into your lungs is called vaping. This vapor may consist of nicotine and other flavor additives.
The device you use for inhaling mist or vapor is a vape (electronic cigarette). A vaping device has many variations. For example, there are vape pens and vape mods available. These instruments have many parts that work coherently and heat a liquid of nicotine and other additives. This liquid is called e-juice.
A vape atomizer is the functional component of the vape. Without this part, a vape device is purposeless.
What is an Atomizer?
In simple words, an atomizer in a vape is the heating component that converts the liquid mixture into fine & smooth vapors. Usually, it has three parts. These are a heating coil, an e-juice (liquid) absorbing wick, and a thick mesh bridge.
What are the components of an atomizer?
The main components of a vaping atomizer are:
a. Vape Coils:
Structures that heat the e-juice (liquid mixture) and convert it into vapors are called vape or heat coils.
b. Wick:
It is the liquid transporting part of the atomizer & it is present around the coils. It has an absorbing element called poly-fill. This part absorbs the liquid & conducts it toward the heating coils.
c. Battery:
It powers the atomizer in a vape. When you inhale air into your mouth, this battery turns the atomizer on and starts producing vapor.
How does an atomizer in a vape work?
The working of a vaping atomizer is simple to understand. When you intend to vape, you switch on the button of the vaping mouthpiece. This stimulus switches on the battery.
As the battery is activated, the wick around the coils starts absorbing the e-juice from the liquid tank. This absorbed liquid progresses to the heating coils. These coils get heated up due to electric current & heat energy is produced.
This heat converts the e-juice into a fine mist or vapor. This vapor is filled and concentrated between the mouthpiece and your throat until you finally inhale it.
This mechanism works on the principle of positive feedback. The more vapors you keep inhaling, the more is produced. Newly absorbed liquid replaces the previous concentrate & the vapors get produced continuously.
What is resistance in an atomizer?
Atomizers measure the electrical resistance in terms of Ohms. An Ohm is the unit of resistance. The lower the ohm rating for an atomizer, the quicker it heats the e-juice & produces vapor. Most of the vape atomizers in the market have ohm ratings between 2.2 and 4.2 ohms. Below and above these ratings, extreme resistance values are present. These extremities have their drawbacks.
What is a Clearomizer & Cartomizer?

Clearomizer: A clearomizer is composed of a transparent e-juice tank & an in-built atomizer. It has a massive liquid holding capacity. Another benefit, its liquid tank is entirely transparent, so you can see the quantity of liquid used.
The tanks & coils are replaceable and highly adaptable. You can customize these devices according to your vaping level & needs. The only drawback, clearomizers are very expensive.
Cartomizer: A cartomizer is the combination of a cartridge and an atomizer. It is attached to the battery. It is pre-filled with e-juice and conveniently disposable. When its vapor-forming capacity reduces, you shall dispose of it and buy a new one.
It is an inexpensive option and suitable for beginners. It can also help lessen your nicotine addiction because the vapor & flavor emitted out of it is not too strong. So, gradually, it will decrease your nicotine dependency.
Types of Vape Atomizers:
There are different types of vape atomizers available in the market. And great variety is present among them. There are expensive as well as cheap ones out there. Correspondingly, consider the benefits and demerits of each type and then select the best one for yourself. These categories are:
- Disposable Atomizers:
If you started vaping recently and looking for an affordable atomizer option, this atomizer might be the most suitable one for you. It is widely available in the markets in starter kits. Plus, these vape atomizers are cheap, disposable, and manageable. You do not need to manage its coils, wick, and liquid if compared to the replaceable atomizers. You can get a new one and continue vaping if your old atomizer stops working. Also, starting your vaping sessions with these atomizers can help you decide if vaping is better for you. A downside of these atomizers is that the flavors produced by these devices are not strong enough & it lacks some other features too. So, these disposable vape atomizers might be best for beginners but not for pro vapers. - Replaceable head coil Atomizers:
The problem with disposable vape atomizers is the cost in the long run. When you need to change the whole atomizer after a few usage sessions, it costs more than buying a replaceable atomizer. In a replaceable head atomizer, you need to replace the heating coils. You do not need to throw away the whole atomizer. Another advantage, these atomizers are made from clear & high-quality pyrex glass that offers extra features like the control valves for the airflow. Consequently, a potent and purer flavor mist gets produced. Since these atomizers are composed of glass, you can wash them easily. Respectively, you get fresh flavors every time you vape after washing them. - Rebuildable Atomizers (RBA):
These atomizers are referred to as rebuildable because you need to build & replace the coils yourself. Keep in mind that these atomizers are only suitable for vapers who understand the resistance concept of the atomizers (Ohm’s law). Besides the resistance point, these vape atomizers are highly customizable. You might need to spend both your time & investment in learning the usage of these rebuildable atomizers. Some essential materials to build your atomizer are the wicking material (silica, cotton), a resistance wire, an Ohm reader, and other building tools. Other than that, these atomizers may seem expensive to you at first. But assuming in the long run, you will realize that quality often defeats quantity. If you are an experienced vaper, buying a high-quality atomizer may suit you better than getting disposable or replaceable coil atomizers.
The vaping industry has advanced in so many aspects. There are three subcategories of rebuildable atomizers:
a. Rebuildable Dripping Atomizers (RDA):
In this type of rebuildable atomizer, a minute quantity of the e-juice is present under the heating coils. You need to manually add e-juice into the vape coils every time you want to vape & there is no tank in
these atomizers. This effort may seem annoying at first. But it produces massive and intensely flavored vapors, the reason why RDA atomizers are popular among the pro vapers.
b. Rebuildable Tank Atomizers (RTA):
In these rebuildable atomizers, a chimney system is present above the coils. This system connects with a metal cap. This whole assembled structure gets fixed within an e-juice-containing tank. As mentioned above in this article, the wicking material absorbs the e-juice. The wick passes the e-juice to the heating coils & the vapors generate.
These rebuildable vape atomizers seem a convenient choice to many vapers due to the ease that they do not have to manage the e-juice manually. These atomizers are easy to use & you can take them anywhere.
c. Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomizers (RDTA):
This type of atomizer is a combination of Rebuildable dripping & Rebuildable tank atomizers. It is composed of a liquid tank fixed inside the rebuildable dripping atomizer. But there is no chimney
system. The ease of this option is that you do not need to drip e-juice into the coils each & every time you want to vape. Instead, the tank auto-draws the e-juice into vape coils using the wick diffusion
procedure.
How to select the best atomizer?

The presence of variety in the atomizer specifications is enormous, but it may
create confusion. Consider these four factors listed below to select the most
suitable option for yourself.
- Consider your user level:
Every type of vape atomizer has different characteristics. For example, if you are a beginner at vaping, you should try disposable atomizers first. But if you are an experienced vaper, you can opt for the rebuildable atomizers.
- Think about the cost:
Being a pro vapor does not necessarily mean you must afford the most expensive options. It is a real intervening factor that contributes profoundly to selecting the best vape atomizer for yourself. Respectively, consider all the options & select the intermediate atomizer which offers both flavors and cost-cutting advantages. For example, you can opt for replaceable coil head atomizers.
- Consider the Resistance:
Your chosen atomizer works best when it is compatible with the resistance rating. It is the unit through which you can determine the intensity of vapors. In the beginning, when you have little knowledge about vaping, you can opt for atomizers having high electrical resistance to heat. It will help you learn the practice of heat control & vapor intensification.
- Material Compatibility:
Your vape atomizer should be compatible with other components of the vaping device. For example, the e-juice tank, wicking material, heating coils, and cartridge must be adaptable to the atomizer model you are using. You can opt for the same brand to buy these devices. It will help in ensuring the compatibility between these instruments.
- Flavor Preferences:
The taste of the flavor matters a lot when you go out to buy an atomizer for your vaping device. The different varieties of atomizers propose different intensities of flavors. You can choose among the least, middle-range, and most expensive atomizers for your taste preferences. A basic rule, the higher the cost, the better flavor you will get.
Frequently Asked Questions about Vape Atomizers:
- How do I fix my atomizer?
● Firstly, sit back, relax, and think about the exact problem of your atomizer.
● Clean all the parts of your vape atomizer.
● When you have figured out the defective atomizer component, get it repaired or replaced.
- Do you need an atomizer to vape?
An atomizer is the functional heating part of your vaping device. Without an atomizer, the production of vapor is impossible. So, you cannot vape without an atomizer.
- What does my vape mean when it says no atomizer?
When this message pops up, it means your atomizer & vaping device are disconnected. It may occur due to many reasons. Some of them are:
● Your atomizer tank may have debris.
● The connection point of the atomizer with the vaping device may be faulty. It may have broken.
● The atomizer tank may have leaked, due to which the connection point becomes defective.
● The coils of the atomizer may be displaced. You can solve this problem by
● Checking the connection points of the atomizer & the vaping device.
● Cleaning the coils and connecting pins.
● Cleaning the e-juice tank.
● Repositioning the heating coils and other atomizer components.
- Is atomizer and coil the same thing?
An atomizer consists of multiple components. Coils are the heat & vapor-producing parts of the atomizer device. Conceptually, an atomizer is the device & coils are a part of it. But in the vaping community, the coils are mostly referred to as atomizers.
- When should you replace the atomizer?
Replacing your atomizer depends on its particular type and specifications. For example, when using disposable atomizers, you need to replace them after a few uses when vapor stops forming. In other types of atomizers, for example, the rebuildable atomizers, you do not need the replacement too often.
- Why is my vape making a weird noise?
The atomizer is the functional unit of the vape. When it becomes clogged with debris or does not convert the liquid into vapor, weird noises come out of your vape device. For example, the bursting of bubbles in the atomizer is the cause behind the cackling noise.
- How to vape like a pro?
To vape like a pro, you shall practice vaping often. Pro vapers make different kinds of intense vapors because they have learned various techniques of using atomizers in multiple ways. Learn these tactics and become a pro vaper like them.
- What are wax atomizers?
Wax atomizers are the vapor-producing devices used in dabs pens. These atomizers melt the wax instead of liquid and produce clouds of vapors.
Bottom-line:
Knowing all the essential information about vape atomizers, you can easily choose the best option for your vaping device. Consider the atomizer types and your preferences before opting for an atomizer, and become a pro vaper.