Vaping is about choice – your choice to change to vaping – your choice in how you will vape – your choice in flavor and taste – your choice in the type of vape be it a Mod or a simple Pod device – your choice in how much you want to pay (we are the cheapest – if you do not believe us then put three e-liquids in your cart and just see the discount at checkout and if that doesn’t impress you then try adding some more!!!) – Now that is your choice!!! This then is why UKVaperstore is unique in relation to any other retailers – we’re not only an online vape shop, we’re here to help and we have fun doing so! We enjoy what we do – making recordings, blog articles and reviews which we hope gives both smokers and vapers an enormous repository of information about vaping itself and the wide range of products available.

E Liquids

When vaping first came to our shores the choice of e-liquid was quite limited – fast forward to today and there are thousands upon thousands of flavor profiled e-liquids. In fact the official figures for registered e-liquids in the UK show over 125000 individual registrations of e-liquid which equates to about 55000 unique flavor profiles. Compared to cigarettes the choice is huge so much so that vapers can spend hours in local vape shops trying out numerous flavors before settling on one that they might like. But let’s not rush here – its important to understand what an E–Liquid really is – What it’s made of and how it works.

The majority of e–liquid is basically a mixed ratio solution of PG which stands for Propylene Glycol, and VG which stands for Vegetable Glycerin. Both are compounds that are added to e-liquid to enhance its attributes. Along with Propylene Glycol and Vegetable Glycerin, e-liquid sometimes also includes nicotine, distilled water and flavoring depending on the flavor you’re vaping.

• PG and VG are the odorless liquids that are combined with flavor and nicotine to create  e-liquid.
• Both PG and VG technically belong to the alcohol chemical class (despite the name, they are not intoxicating). They are deemed sugar alcohols and are included in many consumable products.
• They produce vapor when heated, which allow them to be inhaled.
• PG and VG are not oils, and can not cause any of the medical issues — like  Severe Acute Lung Injury — that inhaling actual oils can.
• The two fluids have a different consistency to each other and a slightly different taste.
• They have distinct mouth and throat sensations when vaped.
• Most modern e-liquid uses a combination of the two fluids, though the ratio can vary dramatically.
• Some vaping set-ups can only work with a certain level of PG and VG.

Regular cigarette smoke contains over four thousand chemicals, including forty-three carcinogenic compounds and four hundred other toxins. These include tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic and DDT. whereas e-cigarettes are non-combustible and, therefore, contain none of the attributes of smoking such as smoke, carbon monoxide, tar, or carcinogens.

This means that having a vape kit and vaping – is like having the pleasure of smoking a cigarette whilst taking out over 95 Percent of the harmful effects from it (Source: “Public Health England”). Public Health England has been unequivocal in its findings: vaping is at least 95 percent safer than smoking. That means you should get to live longer by choosing to vape rather than smoke. Before going any further let’s explore a bit more and get you informed.

Whether you use cheap vape kits with cheap e-liquids or expensive ones, it does not really matter, so long as you know that they are approved for use and have been registered – that means they have been tested and approved for use in vaping within the UK (Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016). Choosing a Vape Kit from our catalogue at UKVaperStore together with an e-liquid we guarantee explicitly that each and every item is fully registered and so far as the regulations are concerned is safe to use for the purpose of vaping. All of the brands that we sell have been laboratory tested and analysed to ensure no harmful components are contained within. So if you are a smoker and you want to quit we provide a safer alternative from the traditional smoking ways – thus we evolve just as the world is evolving.

And it is not that we are evolving into something that is worse off, oh no! It is that we are evolving into something that is meant for our betterment. One must not think that it is really easy to Quit smoking, it has always been difficult because your body gets used to the nicotine and in some ways thrives on it. That is the main reason why many ex-smokers have relapsed at some point in their lives to come back to smoking again. The body wants that daily dosage of nicotine; and heres the thing nicotine is generally associated with smoking but did you know that eating common vegetables (greens), tomatoes and even aubergines all of which contain nicotine and all contribute to the amount of nicotine within your body – but its not just the nicotine its the habit itself – subconsciously this what brings many users back to smoking – so thats why vaping deals with this – it fulfills all the requirements of the old habit – and just in case you are wandering current research shows that nicotine alone does not cause cancer or many of the diseases and illnesses associated with smoking.

So that daily dosage of nicotine is not nearly as bad as all of the other fatal stuff found in cigarettes that you inhale in order to satisfy your nicotine pangs. If you want to vape with a nicotine hit, then now you can do it in a much safer way. Using a Vape Kit and a flavor of choice will satisfy that need for nicotine and when you are ready you can just reduce your nicotine volume in the flavor until you are vaping without any nicotine at all. This means that you can live your life smoke free and with less chances for you to relapse.

Vape Mods

So now we can look at the various types of vape mods or Vape Kits which are basically one and the same thing. A vaping kit is a collection of items that are required to start vaping. It consists of a battery holder (vape pen, vape mod, pod holder), a tank to hold the e-liquid (atomiser, clearomiser, pod tank) and a coil which when power is applied via the battery heats the coil to produce vapor. A starter kit may also include spare coils for your tank and a USB charger for the battery. Some kits require separate batteries, in which case you might need to buy batteries and a separate battery charger though most devices can charge batteries with an external USB charger cable.

Apart from that vaping requires e-liquid and most kits don’t consist of e-liquid. These are available in various flavors and nicotine strengths. Whichever flavor tastes the best to you, you can vape using that flavor. When users vape they generally use one of two types of device which we feel needs more explanation. The two types of device commonly used are Mechanical Mods and Variable Voltage Box Mods.

A mech mod or a mechanical mod is an unregulated device without any circuit board and runs directly off a battery. Since there is no circuitry, and the batteries keep providing continuous power, vapor production reduces as the batteries near the end of their lifespan. These kind of devices are generally used by more experienced vapers who build their own coils so are not recommended for beginner vapers as a good knowledge of ohms law and expertise is required to use these devices safely.

A variable mod also called variable voltage/variable wattage mod (VV/VW), A variable voltage mod is a battery-powered vaping device that utilises circuitry to regulate its output power. Its output power can usually be adjusted by changing the voltage or watts. Since their inception, variable voltage mods have been fantastic devices for both new and experienced vapers alike. If you are looking for a more personalized vaping experience, one that is easy to setup according to your requirements, then a variable wattage box mod or voltage box mod is the perfect product for you.

Vape Pods

When coming to the discussion about vape kits, there is one more device that is currently trending in the vaping world and deserve mention. Pods – A pod vape is a mini vape based on a two-part system: a pod filled with vape juice that snaps into a small battery. They’re available in pre-filled or refillable designs. Some will have power buttons but often they’re automatic — meaning you just take a pull on them to make vapor.

Most pod vapes, also referred to as pod mods, vape pods, mini vapes or pod systems, were designed for smokers transitioning into vaping. Every pod system can be sorted into two categories: refillable and pre-filled. Each style comes with their own pros and cons. When purchasing a pod system, it ultimately comes down personal preference.

• Refillable pod systems: give you more freedom in terms of flavor. Also known as open-system vapes, these devices utilise empty pods that are manually filled by the user. The main advantage to them is that you have a wider range of flavors at your disposal.
• Pre-filled pod systems: also referred to as closed system vapes, are non-refillable pod vapes that use cartridges, known as pods, pre-filled with e-liquid. The main advantage is not having the complication of choosing the right e-liquid and the convenience of not having to fill them yourself.

Vape Tanks

The atomiser is what turns your e-liquid into inhalable vapor, however choosing the right one thats suits you is a massive challenge as there are tons of options on the market, and to a beginner, it can seem very overwhelming. Should you get a sub-ohm tank or a basic clearomizer? What are RBAs, RTAs and RDAs? Does it really make a difference what atomizer you use? Here we explore all the options to give you an informed choice!

The most basic type of e-cig atomizer is the cartomizer. This is the type of atomizer you find on the majority of cigalike devices today. Cartomizers look like cigarette butts: they’re cylindrical and screw into the battery portion of your e-cig (but only cigalikes), with a hole for inhalation in the tip. On the inside, they have a heating coil surrounded by wick material. There is a lot of wick material inside to allow the small containers to hold as much liquid as possible without leaking, but they still only hold about 1 ml of e-liquid, and while it’s possible to re-fill them, they’re designed to be disposed of once the liquid is used up.

To summarise an atomiser: easy to use – commonly found in cigalikes – weaker vapor production – Flavor isn’t great – Expensive – Difficult to refill – very small juice capacity – Only works with cigalikes.

Clearomizers are just a step up from cartomizers. A clearomizer consists of a central tube that attaches to a wick-and-coil-containing atomizer head, with a small tank for your e-liquid surrounding it. This is a transparent tank, so you can see how much e-liquid you have left, and they screw apart from the top or bottom, allowing you to easily refill with whatever e-liquid you want. While cartomizers surround the coil with wicking material, clearomizers usually have the wicks threaded through the center of the coil and protruding out into the tank section. This allows them to soak up liquid from the tank, which is drawn directly into the center of the coil to be vaporized. The atomizer heads are also replaceable, so when your coil is past its prime, you can replace it with a new one and continue using the same device. The replacement atomizer heads are still a running cost, but they save you a lot in comparison to cartomizer-based vaping. Clearomizers come in two types: top-coil and bottom coil. Top-coil device have the coil at the top of the central stem, and usually long wicks hanging down from it, and bottom-coil options move the atomizer head to the bottom of the stem, and only have a small amount of wick protruding from the atomizer head. While both can work well, bottom-coil options are superior because your e-liquid doesn’t have to fight gravity to make its way up to the coil; gravity works on your side. Clearomizers work on mid-sized e-cigarettes and some mods, but this is becoming less common on higher-end devices.

To summarise a Clearomiser: Easy to use – Refillable – Replaceable coils – Better vapor production – Good flavor for bottom-coil options – Can’t tolerate high wattage – Not compatible with most mods unless you have an adapter – small liquid capacity – succumb to cracking due to liquids eroding the plastic

A standard vape tank is basically a big clearomizer. While the liquid reservoirs in clearomizers tend to be around 1.6 ml or a little larger, tanks use the same basic design with much larger capacities this could be anything from 2 ml right up to 5 ml or even more. The coil is still replaceable in the same way, and the majority of vape tanks use a bottom-coil design. Vape tanks are usually made of pyrex glass instead of plastic. This means they can stand up to strong citrusy or cinnamon-based liquids that would risk cracking a plastic tank. They also have 510 connections, which is the standard connection for mods. Most vape tanks also allow control over the airflow to your coils. This can make a difference between a tight draw (like a cigarette) and a loose, airy draw (which improves vapor production at the expense of flavor). Finding the right airflow setting for your preferences isn’t always easy, but having the option gives you yet another option for tailoring your experience.

Sub ohm tanks are basically the same as standard tanks, but their coils have lower resistance, specifically lower than one ohm. This means they can cope with higher wattages and will generally boost flavor and vapor production. The atomizer heads connect to the devices in the same way as clearomizers and other tanks, but they generally have larger wicking ports so that the juice supply can keep up with the speed it’s being vaporized at. Sub ohm tanks can usually cope with higher-VG liquids, too but sub ohm tanks do usually require more capable devices – usually higher-power mods – to run safely. The reason for this, without getting into the details, is that a given battery can only supply so much current, and lower-resistance coils will draw more current than higher-resistance ones at the same voltage. E-cigarettes generally set a minimum resistance and a maximum current to keep you safe. Newer mods are basically all capable of working with sub ohm tanks, but you’ll need to check the minimum supported resistance to be sure.

To summarise a Standard Vape tank including Subohm: Easy to use – Refillable – Replaceable coils – Larger vapor production – More flavor – Glass tanks with larger capacities – Work at higher wattages (especially sub ohm tanks) – Adjustable airflow – require a high power mod to run.

An RBA is a rebuildable atomizer. The key difference between these and other types of atomizer is that rather than screwing pre-built coils into place, you build your own coil and insert the wick yourself. It’s like a do-it-yourself atomizer head with the big benefit of rebuilding being the performance – which is still hard to beat in terms of flavor and vapor production – and minimizing the cost of new coils. They also all use 510 connections, so are compatible with most devices on the market.  There are two main types of RBA on the market, rebuildable dripping atomizers (RDAs) and rebuildable tank atomizers (RTAs), which we’ll look at in turn:

An RDA strips the core elements of an atomizer down to its most basic form, a simple deck containing the coil and wick. A very basic RDA would simply consist of a deck with two posts sticking up out of it, covered over with a “top cap” which also contains the mouthpiece you inhale through.  In this instance you build your own coils using wire such as Kanthal wire (or nichrome, nickel, titanium or stainless steel) and attach the coil to the two posts by tightening the screws. Then, you insert a wick through the center of the coil, e-liquid is then dripped directly onto the coil. This will soak the wick and allow you to vape for a little while, and when it starts to dry out you just add more liquid. Some RDAs have a “juice well,” which is basically a raised lip around the deck that allows you to have a small amount of juice pooled up in the bottom in order to minimize how often you have to drip. This is more complicated than using pre-built coils and a tank. This is why rebuildable devices are generally only recommended for more experienced people who’ve been vaping for a little while.

To summarise RDA: Wick and wire is cheaper than pre-built coils – Excellent performance, for both flavor and vapor – more suited to high-wattage vaping – Allows you to tailor your vaping experience to suit your preferences – Easy to change your flavor – More complicated than pre-built coils – not for beginners! – Leaking is often an issue through the airholes – greater knowledge of battery safety and ohm’s law required

An RTA (rebuildable tank atomizer) is basically an RDA surrounded by a tank. In the center of the tank there is a small chamber which contains a smaller version of an RDA’s deck, and you connect your coils in exactly the same way. The only real difference is around the bottom of the chamber, there are channels cut into the deck so liquid can be drawn up towards your wick and coil  giving the user rebuildable-like performance with the convenience of a tank system. Sub ohm tanks do compete with them in this sense, but you’ll save money vaping with an RTA, and you’ll also have more control over your experience.

To summarise RTA: Affordable – Best performance in terms of flavor and vapor – More convenient than RDAs – no need to drip! and no leaking! – Not for beginners – Not as easy to change flavors as with RDAs – Used mainly with high power mods – Knowledge of battery safety and ohm’s law is recommended

Choosing which type of device is best for your needs isn’t always easy, but as a general rule, for a new vaper it’s hard to beat a tank system, sub-ohm or not: they’re easy to use and offer great performance, and some are well-suited to beginner-friendly devices. For long-term vapers looking for the best performance, sub ohm tanks and rebuildables are hard to beat.

Vape Batteries

A battery is required to give power to the mechanism of the vape kit. Some kits have built in batteries such as in vape pens and pod systems whilst others require an external battery to be added into the vape kit. Battery safety is vital for you to understand so a little info here should go a long way to providing you with some do’s and don’ts for vaping safely. Vape batteries are not like other batteries you use at home: they are much more powerful cells that need to be handled very carefully. Always check the battery is undamaged and that the wrap is not peeling before using or charging – a short circuit caused by either is likely to end up with a damaged mod/charger or worse a fire. Do not overcharge batteries – its not a i-phone, overcharging causes internal damage to the cell which can cause venting of the battery and ultimately shortens the life of the cell. When the battery is charged stop any further charging and whilst charging make sure they are in a secure place and not left unnattended.

Vape Coils

The coil is like the heart of your vaping device. Most coils are made from wrapped wire with a wick or cotton that come in various sizes and resistance. We will cover more about coils in a later article but suffice to say it is important that you take a little time to learn about coils and understand how they work. Pre-built coils are used in the majority of starter kits and standard mod kits which in practice you will find are one of two types of coil. The first is a coil that has a resistance above 1 ohm and the second coil has a resistance below 1 ohm conventionally known as Sub-Ohm Vaping.

Coils above 1 ohm are usually used for mouth to lung devices (like a cigarette experience) these coils run at very low power or wattage and produce a small amount of vapor. Sub ohm Coils that is coils below 1 ohm are usually used as direct lung as they produce large quantity of vapor and need