For new vapers, a great deal of the terminology which is used can be confusing, particularly in the early days. To help, we've put together a handy glossary of the most commonly used terms when discussing electronic cigarettes and vaping.
18650 - The most commonly used type of high drain IMR battery. Dimensions vary slightly, but they measure approximately 18mm in diameter, 65mm in length.
510 - The standard connector type used on the vast majority of batteries, tanks and carts in the wider industry.
808 - A variant connector type, most commonly used by JAC Vapour. Found on our V3i batteries, cartomizers and tanks. Not natively compatible with 510 batteries, tanks or carts.
Analog - A term often used by customers to refer to tobacco cigarettes.
Atomiser - A catch-all term which can refer to a tank, though commonly it also can refer to the coil. Often referred to as an atomiser head (normally when talking about pre-built coils).
Automatic - A switch type found in our V3i batteries. Operates by inhaling through the cart or tank. The change in air pressure activates the battery, so the action mimics the action of smoking a cigarette.
Battery - The power source of the device. Usually a lithium-ion cell, fitted inside an enclosure fitted with a 510 or 808 connector on top. Available in automatic, manual or variable voltage models, or IMR cells used in mods.
Cart - A cartomizer, a commonly used delivery device. A metal cylinder filled with wadding, and a coil which heats up when fired by the battery. Typically used with cigalike batteries, such as our V3i range.
Chimney - The chimney is the central air channel which runs up through the centre of the tank or cart. Vapour travels up through the chimney as you inhale.
Clapton Coil - A type of coil build which most commonly uses two lengths of wire of different gauges, one wrapped around the other, like a guitar string. Great for increasing vapour and flavour production.
Clearomizer - Another name for a tank.
Charger - Used to recharge batteries and often will use a matching connection (510 or 808). or a USB lead. The correct charger must be used with specific batteries, as they charge at different voltages. Using the wrong charger may damage the battery.
Clear Steam - Our vapourless e-liquid. Contains no VG. Designed to emit no vapour upon exhale.
Coil - The active component in an e-cig. A coil of metal wire which heats up when fired by the battery. The resistance of the coil will help to determine how much vapour and throat hit is produced.
Deck - The platform within an RBA or RTA where the coil is fitted.
Direct lung - A method of inhaling vapour where the user draws directly into the lungs in one smooth action. This usually requires the use of a specific type of setup, such as low resistance, direct lung coils which are looser/airier by design, and generate much more vapour per puff.
Drip tip - Another name for the mouthpiece.
Dry burn - A method of cleaning any build-up of e-liquid residue from RBA coils. Remove any wicking material then fire your device until the coil is glowing red hot. Pulse the power a few times until any visible residue has been burned away. Allow to cool, then re-wick.
Dry hit - A very unpleasant, burnt-tasting draw caused by the wick being allowed dry burn. It's important to ensure your wicks are kept well saturated with e-liquid. Once burnt, it's usually not possible to restore the performance of the wicking material.
E-cig - A healthier alternative to smoking. An e-cigarette is a device which is designed to vaporise a liquid which, in most cases, contains nicotine.
E-liquid - What is actually vaped. A liquid made up from a mix of Propylene Glycol, Vegetable Glycerine, flavourings and nicotine. E-liquids are available in a large range of flavours, nicotine strengths, and PG/VG ratios.
eGo - A thread type found on many 510 batteries and devices. This wider thread enables the device to work with both 510 and 510 eGo tanks.
IMR - The most commonly used removable batteries for box and mech mods. An IMR battery has a safer lithium-manganese chemistry which is more suited to use with e-cigarettes. IMR cells have different specifications, which must be observed in order to be used safely.
Manual - A switch type found in our V3i and S17/S22 batteries. Activated by pushing and holding a physical button while inhaling.
Mouth to Lung - A method of inhaling vapour, where the user draws into their mouth, and then into their lungs. This method is closest to how most people would smoke a cigarette, and is generally the natural way of vaping for most new users.
Mech Mod - A device which contains no internal electronics. Power is unregulated, so the user must understand battery limits and the amp drain of their chosen coil build.
Mod - Generally refers to a more advanced e-cig. Historically it refers to modified devices, or ones which have been built by the user themselves. Typically now used to refer to mech or variable wattage mods (such as our SERIES-B DNA 75W).
Nicotine - The addictive chemical found in e-liquid. Nicotine is a toxin, and should be handled with care. We use pharmaceutical grade nicotine in all of our e-liquids.
Ohm - A unit of resistance. Commonly used when describing a coil, i.e. 1.5Ohm. As the Ohm rating goes down, the coil will produce more heat, and therefore vaporise e-liquid more quickly. This produces more vapour and throat hit.
PG - Propylene Glycol. A common ingredient in e-liquid. Used to deliver flavour and throat hit, but doesn’t produce much vapour on its own. Also commonly used in products such as asthma inhalers.
Primer Puff - A short draw on your e-cig, without firing the battery. This helps to draw e-liquid into the wicking material in order to prevent dry hits.
PV - Another commonly used term for an e-cig. A personal vaporiser can be any device which has been built for the purpose of vaping.
RBA - Rebuildable atomiser. An advanced e-cig tank which requires the user to build their own coils on the RBA deck. Can come in a variety of designs, but normally will contain a reservoir which holds e-liquid like any other tank.
RDA - Similar in design to the RBA, but lacks an e-liquid reservoir. RDA’s will only hold as much e-liquid as the wicking material allows, which means they have to be topped up frequently. Commonly used by vapers who like to experiment with different coil builds and e-liquids.
RTA - Similar to an RBA, but usually will also offer the ability to use pre-built coils, or atomiser heads.
Resistance - See Ohm.
SERIES-B DNA 75W - Our own variable wattage box mod. The SERIES-B DNA 75W has a 510 connector, VW and temperature control modes and offers up to 75W of power.
S17 - The S17 is our bestselling pen style device. A great starting point for most new vapers, it's slim, yet still offers plenty of power and flexibility.
S22 - The S17's big brother. A larger device that packs a lot more battery life, it works with the same family of coils as the S17.
Stove Top Coil - A round coil build which resembles the heating element on an old-fashioned stove top. It creates a large amount of surface area which helps to increase the rate of e-liquid vaporisation.
Sub-ohm - Vaping using coils rated at less than 1.0Ohm. These produce lots of vapour and throat hit, as they are vaporising a lot more e-liquid per puff than standard coils. Increased airflow is required in order to prevent the wicking material dry-burning. Sub-ohm coils draw a lot of amps from the battery, so a high-drain battery with a suitable continuous max. amperage is required.
Tank - A container which holds a coil, with a reservoir of e-liquid. Tanks come in a variety of styles and sizes, but all function in much the same way. Some tanks offer adjustable airflow, most allow the user to swap out the pre-built coil heads when they have expired (after around 8-10 refills on average).
Throat Hit - The catch, or irritation at the back of throat which most smokers associate with cigarettes. This is what many vapers seek to replicate with their e-cig. Throat hit is determined by a combination of nicotine content, power and coil resistance.
V3i - Our cigalike batteries. These replicate the size and feel of a tobacco cigarette, and are popular among new users. They are discrete and highly portable, but due to their small size, don’t have a large capacity.
Vapour - What’s produced when you vape. As e-cigs don’t result in any combustion, there is no smoke produced, nor any chemical changes as you’d find with a tobacco cigarette.
VG - Vegetable Glycerine. A common ingredient found in e-liquid. Naturally sweet, it doesn’t carry flavour as well as PG, and delivers less throat hit. It produces lots of vapour, however.
Volt - A unit of power. E-cig batteries deliver power to the coil, which in turn heats up. The voltage supplied will affect the temperature and speed at which the coil heats up. Higher voltages will produce more vapour and throat hit. Increased airflow is required when working with high voltages in order to prevent the wicking material from dry-burning.
VW - Variable wattage. Differs to variable voltage as it refers to total power output. VW devices, such as our SERIES-B, allow the user to dial in their preferred wattage, and the device calculates the voltage it needs to supply it based on the coil fitted in the tank. If the tank or coil is changed to another resistance, the device automatically recalculates in order to deliver the same wattage.
Wick - The wick, or wicking material, feeds the coil. Typically made from silica or cotton, the wicks run through the centre of the coil and soak up e-liquid from the tank reservoir. Wicks must be soaked thoroughly before use to avoid dry-burning.