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Pre-made coils and coil wire

Not to be confused with other types of replacement coils, pre-made coils are coils created specifically for rebuildable atomisers such as RDAs, RTAs, and RDTAs. 

Clapton

Named after Eric Clapton because they look like a guitar string, Clapton coils are coils that feature a thick gauge core with a thinner gauge wire wrapped around it. These are often made of Nichrome, Kanthal, or Stainless Steel, and have a longer ramp-up time than other coils but provide great flavours thanks to the larger surface area. 

Clapton coils are a good choice to buy pre-made as it can be hard to make them yourself without the proper tools and a lot of practice. 

Flat Clapton 

Flat Clapton coils are inspired by the Clapton design. Using a Kanthal inner wire that has been flattened, the outer wire is made of Nichrome and then this is flattened again to make a rigid wire that is easy to wrap with. 

Coil wire

You need high quality wire to build great coils. We stock spools of excellent wire in various materials and types. With Nichrome Ni80, Nichrome Ni80 Flattened, Stainless Steel, and Kanthal A1 wire available, you're sure to find your perfect wire at Oxford Vapours.  

Wicking cotton

If you're building your own coils you'll need wicking material. Here at Oxford Vapours we stock our long-time favourite cotton wicks by Cotton Gods. This 100% organic and high quality cotton is pre-cut into strips so you can easily trim the wick to size and install with your coils. 

DIY coil building tools

Coil building is a fiddly and precise process, so you need great tools for it. We love the UD Coil Mate Mini coil building kit which has a tiny zip close case so you can keep everything you need to build coils tidy. With useful features like cotton hooks, ceramic tweezers, mini diagonal pliers and flat bladed screwdrivers, this kit has everything you need to start building your own coils for your rebuildable vape. 

Frequently asked questions

What are the different types of rebuildable atomiser?

There are a range of different types of rebuildable atomiser, such as RDAs and RTAs. 

RDA 

An RDA or Rebuildable Dripping Atomiser is a rebuildable atomiser that doesn't have a tank - instead vapers drip e-liquid directly onto the coils and wick. Because the vape juice is directly added to the wick and vapourised, this means that RDAs offer excellent flavour and vapours, and it's easy to switch between e-juice flavours. RDAs are often considered the pinnacle of sub-ohm vaping: they provide amazing, dense, clouds of vapour when paired with coils with a resistance below one ohm. 

However, RDAs are also a more labour-intensive way of vaping than other rebuildable setups. Because you need to drip e-liquid frequently onto the vape coils, this results in a less smooth vaping experience. 

RTA

An RTA or rebuildable tank atomiser is similar to an RDA vape but it has a tank below the deck where you build your coils. The ends of the wick are in the e-liquid, allowing it to saturate the wicking from below so no dripping is necessary. These are less labour-intensive than vaping with an RDA and offer great performance, allowing impressive vape clouds thanks to the under-coil airflow. 

However, the downsides of RTAs include their tendency to leak through the under-coil airflow holes. They are also more fiddly to build because the build deck is so small. 

What are Fused Clapton coils? 

Fused Clapton coils have two or more thicker gauge cores with a thinner gauge wire wrapped around them, giving them a faster ramp-up time than regular Claptons. 

What are Alien coils?

Alien coils or Alien Clapton coils are a type of coil which is similar to Fused Clapton but has a distinct texture. Alien coils have thicker wire cores with a de-cored Clapton wire wrapped around them. 

What are Staple coils?

Staple coils have a stack of 8-10 flat ribbon wires with a thinner gauge wire wrapped around them. 

Which are the best coils for my vape?

This depends entirely on personal preference - all the different types of coils (Clapton, Fused Clapton, Staple, Alien, Flat Clapton, etc.) have different benefits and drawbacks. When choosing which types of coils to use, consider whether you want a faster or slower ramp-up time, whether you want to prioritise flavour or vapour, and how much money you are willing to spend on coils. This will help you decide which type of coils to use with your vape. 

What are the benefits of choosing pre-made coils for my vape?

There are many benefits to choosing pre-made vape coils. Firstly, they are easier and more convenient, making them ideal for vapers who are first getting started with rebuildables or who don't have a lot of spare time to spend making coils for their vape. Secondly, coils that are pre-built have already undergone rigorous safety testing - this means that you can feel confident that you are vaping safely. 

What are the benefits of building my own coils?

Many vapers enjoy building their own coils because this allows greater customisation over the vape by controlling the style and resistance (ohm) of the coils. Moreover, some vapers choose to build their own coils for their vape because this can be significantly cheaper than building pre-built ones. Finally, making handmade coils is a fun hobby that many vapers enjoy - learning about ohm's law and physics and tinkering with your vape can bring a real sense of achievement.