Vaping Styles Advantages and Disadvantage

In the 15 years since Vaping hit the market in the UK, the technology surrounding it has changed. Originally we had something called a cigalike, a device that was made to look like a cigarette, used something called a cartomizer, and honestly, they were pretty bad. As technology progressed and we got more advanced devices, our options increased. Now we have everything from a cigalike to a massive cloud chasing box mod and RDA (the one that makes you think a fog bank is rolling in randomly from the bus stop.) So, why do people pick the devices they use and what are their advantages and disadvantages?

Cigalike:

These devices are small, compact, convenient, discrete. Aaaand that’s about it for their benefits. They are based on a much older technology, and because of this, have a much smaller battery life, lower output (meaning lower flavour and nicotine dose) and because they are an older technology, these generally still suffer the faults from hotspots in the coils to leaking. But some people still use them due to their compact size, subtle flavour and ease of use.

Clearomizer:

Similar to the Cigalike, these are old technology but some people keep these going. Reason being is they’re reliable, and cheap. The clearomizer has its faults though and that is why many companies moved away from this design to the more robust tank. These are thin or narrow designed tanks that fit nicely in any pocket, though they are often made of plastic, which makes them no good for some liquids such as Pineapple, Menthol or Anise flavours. This is because the plastic gets destroyed by these flavours. Additionally, because they are plastic, they are more prone to breaking. Something many people in physically demanding jobs will know to be an issue. For those looking for a more subtle flavour output however, these are great and very reliable devices. You will need a battery that is compatible with this type of device however and these are more limited. If you can’t get hold of one of these batteries, then a 510 adapter is available at many Vape shops including VapeHQ.

Mouth to Lung: 

Mouth to Lung (MTL) devices encompass a large variety of products but for this we will simplify it and give you some examples. 2 of the most commonly used MTL devices are the Innokin T18 and the Aspire Nautilus (tank). These are tried and true devices that almost have a cult following in the industry with people refusing to switch due to how right the companies got these 2. They work best for something called “freebase” e-liquid and you use them just like you would a cigarette. (minus the lighter… don’t set fire to them…) These devices have a tank, usually made of metal and glass, and a coil. The coil is replaceable in these tanks making them very environmentally friendly. The maximum size you can get in these is 2ml due to legal requirements.

Alternatively, we have pod systems.

Some pod systems bridge the gap between MTL and the next section, though they are mostly MTL friendly. Many pod systems are designed with Nicotine Salts in mind, come with a Mesh coil and usually have a plastic design. In some cases, this can have the same flaw as the clearomizer with some flavours. The main advantage of this style of device is the flavour output. Due to the coil design they produce a lot more vapour than other MTL devices, though a disadvantage to this is that it will use more liquid. With the much lower cost to vaping over smoking, most people don’t see much of an impact from this though. Replacing your pod is a little more wasteful than replacing just the coil, though it is less messy and so more convenient. If this is something you need or want, you have lots of options, such as the Vapefly Jester 2, HQLabs Q2Pro or Vapresso XROS. 

Disposables:

These have been banned as of the 1st of June 2025, so we will just say if you bought them abroad, or have a stockpile, that's fine. If you find a store selling them, they are selling illegal goods and they likely have not been given TPD testing.

However, that said, we will cover their replacement the prefilled pods.

Prefilled pods,

like the pod system, the prefilled pod uses a pod which is filled with a liquid from the factory and when it’s empty, you replace the pod with a new one. This, like the pod system, is more wasteful than a conventional tank but if you’re worried about small children getting a hold of the nicotine liquid, this can offer some peace of mind. 

Direct to Lung:

Direct to Lung (DTL) devices are also known as “cloud chasers” and “sub ohm” devices. These are devices that are designed to be inhaled as though you are breathing normally and produce lots of vapour. The main upside to this is a very high flavour value and due to the amount of liquid consumed, a low cost to the liquids used. As stated however, these devices use a lot of e-liquid and generally cost a lot more as an initial set up with DTL devices ranging from £30 to over £100. 

A subsection of this is also known as the “Enthusiasts” market, and this is very much a niche. Devices that are used by enthusiasts are named, Drippers, RDA’s and RDTA’s. These are all types of devices that you have to build your own coils for and unless you have a fundamental understanding of Ohms Law and a love for the technical messy side of things, it’s not something you will likely look at. While we at VapeHQ do stock a few items for this, we're more interested in helping people quit smoking than hitting huge clouds, so our stock here for the "Enthusiast" is limited.