By now we all know how coils work and what are they for, but do they really receive the love they need?
If you’re using RDA and making your own traditional vape coils, burning them and throwing them away is not something uncommon.
In fact, sometimes you’re happy to trash one out and pull in another, new one.
Well, I’m not here to guilt-trip you… *sad coil noises* but to simply follow the process of constant coil exchange which ultimately ends up with mesh…
What Are Mesh Coils?
Mesh coils are pretty straightforward. In all their simplicity, they are thin, rectangular pieces of stainless steel or kanthal, like a strip, with a hefty amount of hexagonal holes inside. What makes it noticeable is the cylindrical shape once inside your device.
This allows a nice temperature spread across a larger surface area resulting in larger vapor production without the unnecessary flavor sacrifice.
And while mesh coils didn’t come out last year (they’ve been with us for quite some time), it took some time for them to make a proper change.
Nowadays they are more-less standard coils in premade sub-ohm tanks/heaters and a lazyman’s go-to alternative to traditional vape coils.
Due to fact that they are easy to install, prime, and use, there is little, to no reason why you shouldn’t use them. Or, at least, try…
What Are the Advantages & Disadvantages of Using Mesh Coils?As the saying goes; every coin has two sides. Mesh coils are no different. Whether it’s good or bad at the end, it all depends on which side shines brighter.
And while I don’t intend to be biased, it’s obvious that the PRO li t is a bit longer. For a good reason…
Mesh Coil Pros
·Heating up – Mesh coils are really thin. So thin that the ramp-up speed is through the roof. You won’t need to waste the first two-three puffs of mediocre quality until you reach the sweet spot. With these coils, it’s almost an instant pleasure.
·Huge Clouds – if you’re into cloud chasing, mesh coils will be (if they aren’t already) your number one friend. In a nutshell, the surface of the coil does it all. Due to the large surface, the amount of liquid that gets heated up creates a ton of vapor in comparison to other coils.
·Flavor – And while you might, logically, think that flavor will be sacrificed for that huge amount of vapor, you are not completely right. While there might be a bit of loss, it won’t be as impactful as you would experience while using any other traditional vaping coils. You will keep great flavor regardless.
·Consistency – Every drag will be the same. Even after several consecutive puffs, the mesh coil will keep spreading heat properly due to the large surface area, giving you the same quality.
·Longlasting – Since mesh coils avoid any heat accumulation at one specific point, they last longer. Burning up is one of the common reasons standard coils end up dead and replaced.
·Power requirements – Since they heat up nicely and quickly, they don’t require high power to provide a nice vaping experience.
·Compatible – They are often compatible with existing Sub-Ohm tanks, so there’s a good chance you won’t need to make a complete overhaul when switching to mesh.
Mesh Coil Cons
·Chuggers – While big clouds and nice flavor are total PRO in my book, liquid expenditure is not. Unfortunately, we can’t have all of it. You’ll notice that your tank dries up pretty fast, and if you are on a 2ml tank capacity, make sure you’re carrying an e-liquid bottle with you. Otherwise, this might not be the best option for you.
·Cold vapor – If you’re a fan of warm vapor, this might not be a coil for you. Due to fact that they heat up fast, and require less power output, vapor will most of the time be on the cold side.
·Flavor difference – Now, don’t get me wrong, the flavor you get from mesh is great, but some are better than the other. Ok, this is totally personal, but I have like 5 to 6 flavors I love no matter what. And when I switched to mesh, a few of them weren’t as great as before. I did some additional testing, going back and forth, and ended up with the conclusion that some flavors just don’t sit well with mesh.
Regular Vape Coils VS. Mesh Coils — What to Use When
Both mesh and regular coils are good, but for each, there is a time and place.
I personally use mesh coil with all my “heavy-duty” devices that are mostly RDA’s. Before I made a transition, dual coils were my jam. As I said before, the mesh is for big clouds, a ton of nice flavor, and carrying that to a coffee shop or to the workplace isn’t my style. Also, refilling your device often is just a mess ready to happen. So, relaxing at home or with your favorite cloud-chasers is when mesh gets most of my time.
So, with that said, at times when I’m not using mesh, is when I… yep, you guessed it… carry around my pod system with a regular coil.
Basically, it’s discrete, let’s me have a normal convo with my colleague (and actually be able to see them), and will preserve more battery life.
I’m pretty sure you all know how both types of coils work by now, so they both have a place in my heart (and devices).
The biggest difference – Mesh Vs. Regular coil
In the current market, there are a ton of devices you can choose from and all of them offer a broad variety of options.
When talking about rebuildables, you can build them to have one, two, three, or even go as far as cramming up four coils.
The biggest concern here is the space they take when you put them inside the atomizer
When vaping with one coil, you’ll pretty much have a mediocre experience. Not bad, but not anything special. If I have to grade it, it would be 4/10, respectfully.
Adding another coil to that one bumps your enjoyment pretty high. Most of us started our RDA journey with dual coils and fell in love with them.
Adding three and even four is pushing the limits way too high for my tastes because you have a sh** load of work to do, and it’s not THAT big of a deal.
Now, using mesh comes somewhere between two and three. First of all, as I said at the beginning, lazyman’s coil. It is so easy to set it up, wick the cotton, and start vaping that it’s ridiculous.
If you’re looking for a solution where it takes less time to set everything up but you get better results at the end, mesh coils are a no-brainer.
Liquids That Work Best With Mesh Coils
Mesh coils as well as regular ones come in all shapes and sizes.
Nowadays you can find them in both MTL and DL devices.
But, depending on which one you use, the vape juice might be a bit different.
For example, if you’re using a mesh with an MTL device, the best ratio would be VG:PG 50:50
Where DL is more suited for 70:30.
Of course, the overall resistance plays a huge role here as well, but not to worry, like with any other device and vape juice, the manufacturer will make sure to note all the info on the product’s label.
Also, if you’re interested in trying nicotine salts, mesh coils can handle that as well.
CONCLUSION
My transition from regular to mesh coils was smooth, and I truly believe yours will be as well.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against regular ones, but mesh really revolutionized the vaping game.
They offer a better vaping experience, less fuss around setting things up, bigger clouds, better flavor, and less maintenance. And on top of that, you don’t really need to change any other product you’ve been using so far.
Yes, you might spend a dollar or two more on your liquids, but at least you have the chance to try out more of them.