What is an Electronic Cigarette?

In layman's terms, an e-cigarette is a battery with a screw on top (tank) that holds liquid (commonly known as e-liquid), which contains nicotine. When you press the button on the battery, it provides power to the attached tank, which vaporizes the liquid it contains. When you puff on the mouth piece of the tank, you inhale the vapour from that liquid, which in turn, gives you that nicotine hit that your body is craving.

That's the basic version.

If you search for e-cigarettes online, you'll find so many different looking devices that you'd be forgiven for thinking that you need a degree in Robotics Engineering to run one of them. In the end, no matter how fancy they may look, if you break them down to their core components, you will find that the general principal is the same.

So what's the difference?

The difference with all of the various e-cigarette devices out there is vast, but here are the main components to note:

1. Battery: The battery is what powers the e-cigarette. A small battery generally has a shorter life cycle than a larger one, so it will require recharging in a shorter period of time. Smaller, slimline batteries are great when you want a slimmer, more discreet device that fits in your pocket easily. Larger batteries are great when you want more features in your e-cigarette, or when you tend to use it a lot and want it to last for a longer period of time between recharges, or when you are using a big tank that holds a lot of e-liquid.
2. Tank: Also known as a clearomiser or atomiser. This is where all the good stuff happens. The e-cig tank holds the e-liquid and they come in various shapes and sizes.
3. Coil: The coil is a core component inside the tank. It's the part that absorbs, heats, and vaporizes the e-liquid. Without it, your tank would be like a fish in a fish bowl...without water. The coil is the main part that requires replacing on a regular basis as they have a limited life. Depending on the e-cigarette you choose, this could be few days to three weeks or so.

So what goes with what and how do I choose?

First off, you don't really have to worry about all of the individual parts when you are considering an e-cigartette for yourself. When you initially purchase an e-cig kit it will contain everything you need to get going. You generally just need to buy the kit, and some e-liquid to put in it and you're away.

Talk to your local vape store about your current situation and they will be able to explain the various devices, the differences between them, and show you what will meet your requirements. Once you have a device that suits your situation you don't have to worry about all of the other mods and tanks and coils that are out there, you only need to worry about what suits your device.