Whether you use a disposable vape, own a starter kit, or have levelled up to a more advanced vape kit, all vapers can agree on one thing – you want to save as much money as you can on your vaping setup. We won’t lie to you, if you’re not careful then vaping can snowball into an expensive habit. If you have a vape kit, you’ll be spending your money on coil or tank replacements as well as bottles of e-liquid. For disposable vape users, you’ll need to buy a fresh vape every time you run out.
What if we told you there are ways for you to vape longer and for cheaper? Our team of experienced vapers here at Oxford Vapours have put together this list of tips on how you can make your vape last longer, and help you save a bit of money in the long run. Still interested? Then keep on reading.
Take smaller puffs
The easiest way you can start extending your vape’s lifespan is to take smaller, lighter puffs from your vape. Taking strong hits can drastically cut down how long your vape will last. This is because longer, stronger puffs use up more of your vape’s battery and e-liquid.
This applies to both reusable and disposable vapes; the latter typically have a set puff count. Usually the advertised puff count you’ll see on your disposable vape’s packaging is based on an average puff length of about 1-2 seconds. For example, the Lost Mary BM600 has an advertised puff count of 600, but if you have a habit of taking longer, stronger puffs on it then you might end up getting less than 600 puffs. The same goes for other disposable vapes like Elf Bars and Geek Bars.
Avoid chain vaping
Another easy tip you can take on to help your vape last longer is to avoid taking frequent puffs on your vape. This tip applies to both disposable vape and vape kit users. We know how easily it is to end up chain vaping, especially if you’re vaping with an easy draw-activated device that come in mouth-watering flavours like Cotton Candy Ice, Double Apple, Triple Mango, and Watermelon Ice (don’t worry, we’ve all been hooked on Elf Bars). But if you’re taking overly-frequent hits from your vape, you could end up prematurely burning your coil out and having to buy a new disposable vape or coil too frequently. Making sure to wait a while between puffs is a great way to extend the vape and e-liquid’s lifespan.
Use vape juice with a higher nicotine strength
Most people end up chain vaping because they feel like they’re not getting a satisfying nicotine hit, but as we’ve mentioned before, chain vaping can be pretty detrimental to your vape juice’s lifespan. To avoid this, try using an e-liquid with a higher nicotine strength. This higher nic strength will help prevent you from chain vaping as you won’t be taking as many puffs from your vape to satisfy your nicotine cravings.
If you want to extend the life of your juice but still enjoy a stronger nicotine hit, try switching over to nic salts, which also have the added benefit of providing a smoother throat hit. If you’re already a big fan of disposable vapes then you’re in luck. Many disposable vapes, like the popular Elf Bar, Geek Bar, and Lost Mary disposables, already come pre-filled with nic salts for added convenience. By using these disposable vape pens, you might find yourself reaching for your vape less frequently.
Store your vape and e-liquid properly
It’s really important that you store your vape kit and e-liquid properly whenever you’re not using them. For disposable vapes that come pre-filled with e-liquid and reusable vape kits this means storing them at an upright position in a dark place at room temperature. Avoid storing them anywhere that’s too warm or too cold as that can affect your vape’s battery and significantly cut down the life of your vape. Keeping your vape at room temperature means the battery won’t have to use as much power to heat up and produce vapour, thereby extending the lifespan of your vape.
Switch to using pod kits or vape pens
If you’re serious about wanting a longer lasting vape, it might be time to change the kind of device you’re using. High powered vape kits like sub-ohm vapes will use up your vape juice at a much faster rate, which means you’ll end up having to refill your tank and buy new bottles of e-juice more frequently.
If you’re trying to reduce the amount of e-liquid you’re getting through, we recommend trying out vape pens or pod kits. Pod kits are not as high powered as sub-ohm vapes and won’t burn through your vape juice as quickly, helping you to save a bit of money. Some of our favourite pod kits and vape pens right now include Vaporesso’s XROS 3 Pod Kit and Uwell’s Caliburn X Pod Kit. Not only do these make for pocket-friendly and beginner-friendly starter kits, they’ll also help you save up on e-liquid. Now you won’t be staring at the bottom of the bottle every 3 days!
Prime new coils before use
It’s essential that you prime your new coils before you fit them into your vape kit. Even the best coils from brands like VooPoo and Uwell will need a bit of help before they’re ready to be used. Priming your coils simply means giving your wick enough time for it to absorb your vape juice before you start vaping. If you don’t prime your vape coils before use, you could end up burning through your dry wick and reducing the lifespan of your coil.
If you want to learn more about this, check out our blog all about how to prime coils.
Use unsweetened e-liquid
This might cause a bit of heartbreak to any vapers here with a sweet tooth, but switching over to unsweetened vape juice is a great way of extending your coil and vape kit’s lifespan. Sweeter tasting vape juices typically contain a lot of sweeteners, and these sweeteners will eventually start to caramelise on your vape’s coil after prolonged use. This caramelisation will then lead to a buildup of gunk and burnt residue on your coil, which will eventually cause damage and force you to replace your coil.
While we’re not saying you should completely stop vaping with sweet e-liquids, we do encourage you to try out the other types of flavours available. This also has the added benefit of preventing the dreaded ‘vapers tongue’ phenomenon.
Check for expiration dates
This might be news if you’re a fairly new vaper, but both vape juice and disposable vapes have a limited shelf life. If you check the packaging on your disposable vape, you’ll be able to find an expiration date written on it. The same goes for your bottles of e-liquid. Most e-liquids have a shelf life of up to 2 years, however this does depend on the formulation. While this may seem like a substantial amount of time, you’d be surprised at how many vapers hoard and hold onto e-liquid for much longer than that shelf life.
Using disposable vapes and e-liquids that are past their expiration date can lead to a degradation of their flavourings and nicotine, which means you won’t get the satisfaction you’re looking for. To find out if your e-liquid is expired, watch out for signs like separation (with the heavier ingredients settling at the bottom of the bottle), or changes in consistency, colour, and smell.
Turn off your vape when not in use
This may seem obvious, but you’ll be surprised how many vapers forget to turn their vape off. Keeping your vape kit on when you’re not using it can be pretty detrimental to your device’s health. This is because when it’s constantly on, there’s a higher chance of your vape constantly going off in your bag or purse. This frequent firing can waste a lot of vape juice and prematurely burn out your coil.
Avoid dry hitting your vape
Our last tip for you is to avoid taking any dry hits from your vape. This happens when you take a puff of your vape after it has run out of e-liquid. You might have experienced this before when trying to get the last bit of e-liquid out of your Lost Mary, and if you have, then you’ll understand how nasty it can get. When you take a dry hit, you end up burning out your coil and its wicking material, which not only creates an unpleasant burnt taste but also reduces the lifespan of your coil. To avoid this, make sure your vape tank never goes fully empty or dry. Once you notice it’s running low, simply top it up with a bit more vape juice.
Conclusion
Buying a new vape or replacement parts for your vape kit is always a pain, and if you’re not careful, these frequent purchases get relatively pricey. By following these tips, you’ll be able to maintain the longest-lasting vape possible and help yourself by saving a bit of money along the way. The days of buying new parts or disposable vapes every couple of days are long gone, now you can rest easy knowing your new Elf Bar or bottle of vape juice is going to last you a bit longer.
Don’t forget: if you want to get the best value for money, check out our sale items. We’re constantly updating our range of reduced price e-liquids and vaping hardware so you can cop a great deal every time.