Pods VS Vape: Which is the Best Buy?

Every vaper is on a journey. And the journey’s often different. You might be on the hunt for something to help you quit, you’re a beginner looking for an entry-level mod, or a regular user bored of his current device and in search of something better.

Whatever your current situation is, the fact that you’re reading this right now only means one thing – you might be ruminating for some time now on buying a new vaping device.

Congrats, you’ve come to the right guide.

For starters, it’s important to understand that a pod is a vape just as much as a mod is one. They just differ in design but both actually work under a similar mechanism concept. In this article, we will simplify the stark differences between vape and pod to help you in your shopping decisions.

What Is A Vape Mod?

Mods, vape mods, or mod boxes are modifiable box-like vaping devices that use a Sub-Ohm technology to produce vapor.

The sub-ohm technology includes a sub-ohm device that uses low resistance coils (atomizers) of less than 1 ohm and a high-wattage battery. Sub-ohm literally means less than 1 ohm resistance. This technology produces intense flavor and big clouds of vapor.

It’s boxy and often larger than vape pods. Because it has several moveable parts, traveling with a mod is not exactly easy. You’ll need to carry with it a case containing all the parts needed to run a mod.

Because the device is modifiable, a vape mod’s movable parts such as its coils and wicks can be replaced repeatedly. These replacements alter the vaping power, flavor, and temperature of a mod depending on how the user likes it.

Parts

• The mod: The mod is a self-contained vaping device that comes with built-in atomizer and tank. People looking to build their own mod box from the ground up may start their purchase with this hardware.
• Atomizer: An atomizer is a heat-resistant component of the mod that turns the e-juice to vapor.
• Tank: This is where the e-juice is stored. In disposable-type of mods, tanks are called cartridges.
• Battery: This is the power source of the vape. Batteries are lithium-ion batteries and are rechargeable.
• Coils: A coil is contained within an atomizer. When you power up the device by pressing the power button, the coil starts to heat up. The heat from the coil turns the liquid e-juice into vapor.
• E-juice: The e-liquid or e-juice is poured inside the tank. It’s the substance that turns into vapor when the coil is heated up. The e-liquid can come in various flavors, nicotine levels, and cannabis strains.
• The wick: This material draws the e-juice into the coil so the liquid turns into vapor when heated up. Wicks can sometimes be made up of cotton, ceramic, or mesh.

What Is A Vape Pod?

In some ways, a pod resembles a cigarette or a pen in terms of its narrow, long, and compact design. Its slick and small design makes it easier to carry around. Just stick it in your pocket and you’re good.

Vape pods have the upper hand of “ease of use” too because there aren’t that many adjustments required for it to work seamlessly.

Parts of a pod

• The Pod: The pod is a detachable part of the device containing the e-juice, wick, and coil. The pod is the equivalent of the atomizer in mod boxes.

  Some pods have an open-system vape that lets you add a different flavor of e-juice inside. However, those with a closed-system design won’t let you add an e-liquid.

• Terminals: The terminals connect the pod to the rest of the device’s body. There are also types of pods where terminals allow the charging of the pod’s battery.
• The body: The body or the housing is the main component of the pod. This is the entire thing you’re holding. It houses several important parts.
• The display: There are two types of display seen in pod models. The first is an LED light. This light pulses, blinks, or turns into a different color. Read your user manual to know what such light events mean.

  The second display is the screen which shows the battery percentage, wattage, and temperature.

• Battery: Again, it’s the source of power for most pod models. They’re rechargeable and lithium-ion based.

Pods vs Vape

This is the part where we dissect the differences between pods and mod boxes in several categories.

Effect and power

A pod is more powerful than e-cigarettes and vape pens but less powerful in producing vapor volume compared to mods. For this reason, mod boxes are more capable of producing a full-bodied flavor than pods.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something that produces lighter and more discreet vaping power, go for pods. If you don’t mind not having those beautiful vape clouds, pods can be your go-to.

Mods are typically slightly more potent in delivering the substance to your lungs than pods because of the difference in power. Some users aren’t bothered by this difference in potency delivery because one can always compensate by changing to an e-liquid with a higher potency level.

Lasting Power and juice

Vape mods have superior battery life and e-liquid storage simply because the body can hold large-sized tanks and batteries. It makes sense for vape mods to have bigger e-juice compartments and higher battery power because they are designed to evoke fuller vapor than pods.

Affordability

Vape mods are almost always pricier than pods because of the several movable parts included. However, what’s more important though, is understanding what is most cost-effective in the long run.

Pods, those with open-systems, are slightly cost-effective because you can refill the pod with your choice of e-liquid anytime it runs out. However, you still need to replace the pods on a semi-regular basis.

On the other hand, although admittedly a vape mod device’s suggested retail price is more expensive than a pod, vape mods are exclusively refilled with e-liquid. You only need to replace a part if it wears.

Beginners or regular users?

As a beginner, you don’t want to commit to something expensive that you won’t ever use later on just because you don’t like it. Therefore, a beginner’s obvious choice would be pods, or specifically those with closed-systems (disposables). Plus, pods are easier to manage and don’t have too many buttons

Maintenance

You might think about maintenance the least when purchasing a vaping device but it’s an important part of owning a device. Cleaning helps lengthen the life of the hardware.

Maintaining or cleaning is easier with mods. You can easily disassemble parts and rinse them whenever you want.

It isn’t exactly easy maintaining a vape pod because not all parts of the device can be disassembled. And you certainly can’t wash a pod.

Flexibility

For advanced vapers, having the allowance to add their own flair to their vaping device is important. Vape mods provide that privilege.

With vape mods, coils, tanks, e-juice, and batteries can be replaced according to the effect the user wants. Vapers can also customize temperature, wattage, and other options without changing anything on the hardware.

If flexibility doesn’t matter that much to you and you’re more attracted to the simplicity of use, you can settle for a pod vape.

Style and comfortability

Vape mods are often bulky in shape and have a potential for leakage. Nowadays, several advancements allow for the manufacturing of vape mods with a slightly sleeker look but with the same power. Vape mods, nowadays, are veering away from “too many buttons” to user-friendly designs.

Pods, on the other hand, are made with style and comfort in mind. Pod designs prioritize ergonomics that’s why all pods are smaller, sleeker, and lighter. They can fit comfortably in small spaces like the back of your pocket without any chance of leakage.