Best Vape Tanks for Clouds, Flavor and More

Vape tanks are the engines that power all satisfying vapes. Whether they are part of a box mod combo or on top of vape pen, vape tanks give voice to all the things your vape wants to say. Once regarded as secondary, vape tanks have risen through the ranks to become as integral to quality vaping sessions as premium vape juices and cutting-edge chipsets. We’ve tested and reviewed dozens of sub-ohm tanks, RDAs, RTAs and everything in between to make sure they meet our standards for build quality, usability and flavor and cloud production.

The definition of a vape tank could be said to be a vaping device that contains both the e-liquid and atomizer and connects to an e-cig or mod to create vapor.

Vape tanks are made up of several components. Let’s take it from the top:

• Drip tip
• Top cap
• Tube (usually Pyrex or quartz glass)
• Chimney
• Atomizer / coil
• Tank Base
• 510 connection

Now we will take a quick look at each of these components one by one.

Drip Tip – the drip tip is the mouthpiece that you puff on. It may be a narrow drip tip for MTL vaping or a wide-bore drip tip for MTL vaping. Drip tips can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Delrin drip tips are designed to be heat resistant and remain cool when vaping and high power settings. The most common size of drip tip is the 510. If you see a tank that has a 510 drip tip, then any 510 drip tip will be compatible.

Top Cap – the top cap is the top piece of the vape tank assembly. The top cap may thread into the chimney or may be permanently attached to the chimney depending on the specific model. Today’s top-fill vape tanks typically use a removable cap, a rotating, or sliding feature to give access to the tank for quick refills.

Tube – the tube is simply the glass or metal tank that contains the e-liquid.

Chimney – the chimney is the section of the vape tank that connects the cap to the base and where the produced vapor is drawn through the drip tip.

Atomizer / Coil – the atomizer coil is the heart of the vape tank. The atomizer coil contains the heating coil and wick material, ideally organic Japanese cotton. The resistance level of the coil determines how much power is drawn from the battery and how much heat is generated. Coils generally last one to three weeks before requiring replacement. A reduction in performance or a burnt taste are indicators that it is time for a new atomizer coil.

Understanding a bit about electrical resistance, measured in ohms, is not essential but it will help find the right atomizer for whatever type of vaping that might be the most interesting. For example, sub ohm vaping is very popular.

Tank Base – the tank base typically houses the atomizer coil and securely holds the glass tube in place to contain the e-juice. O-rings prevent leakage. The tank base is where you will most often find the adjustable airflow valve.

510 Connection – the 510 connection is the part of the vape tank that connects to the vaping device. 510 is the most common, almost universal, connection in the vaping industry.

Mouth To lung vape tanks rely on atomizer coils over 1.0 ohms in resistance. In many circles, these are considered to be the best vape tanks for beginners. You can use a 50 / 50 or 70 / 30 PG / VG vape juice. You draw the vapor into your mouth and then inhale. Much the same way you would smoke a cigarette.

MTL vaping tanks do not produce as much vapor as sub ohm tanks. By the same token, MTL tanks generally have a stronger throat hit than sub ohm tanks because of the higher PG e-liquid and higher nicotine concentration.

• Mouth To Lung Vape Tanks
• Use atomizers with resistance over 1.0 ohms
• Draw vapor into mouth and then inhale
• For use with e-liquids with at least 50% PG content
• Not for use with high VG e-liquids

Sub Ohm vape tanks are designed for sub-ohm vaping, which is vaping with an atomizer that has a resistance less than 1.0 ohms. The idea behind sub ohm vaping is to generate more vapor production. The lower resistance coils draw more power from the batteries which vaporize more e-liquid creating more vapor than an MTL tank.

Sub ohm tanks might also be called direct lung vape tanks. Direct Lung means that instead of drawing vapor into your mouth before inhaling, you inhale the vapor directly into your lungs. Generally, DL tanks have a wider bore drip tip to draw more vapor from coils. Designed for use with VG e-liquids. Nicotine content does not need to exceed 6 mg.

DL Sub Ohm Tanks

• Use atomizers with resistance less than 1.0 ohms
• Draw the vapor directly into the lungs
• For use with VG e-liquids

Temperature control vape tanks, or TC tanks, is a bit of a misnomer. Any tank can be a temp control vaping tank as long as you use an appropriate coil and a vape mod that has TC capability. It is the coil material used in the atomizer coil the determines whether or not you can use any given vapor tank in TC mode.

The three main types of coil wire used in temperature control vaping are nickel, stainless steel, and titanium.

Temp Control Coil Wires:

• Nickel (Ni or Ni200)
• Stainless steel (SS)
• Titanium (Ti)

Stainless steel coils are the only ones that can be vaped in both variable wattage mode and temperature control mode.

Many of the top-rated vape tanks offer coils with temperature control capable wire. If you are interested in TC vaping, look for tanks that offer coils with Ni, SS, or Ti options.

Many vapers enjoy building their own vape coils. It can be difficult to make your own coils and certainly takes some practice and experience. Not long ago, cloud chasers had to build their own custom coils to get the huge vape clouds they were looking for. With today’s vape tanks and advanced sub ohm coils, the art of coil building is no longer necessary.

Though no longer necessary, many vapers simply enjoy the process of building their own atomizers. Some say it saves money vs buying replacement coils all the time. That is true. Whatever the reason, there is still a strong and thriving contingent of very skilled coil builders in the vaping community.

While some vape tanks do some with the option of a rebuildable coil called an RBA, both RDAs and RTAs are specifically designed for coil builders.

RDA

An RDA is a rebuildable drip atomizer. The best RDAs offer a large atomizer deck that makes the building and installation of DIY coils easier. RDAs do not typically have a reservoir of e-liquid to keep the wick saturated. Instead, you drip e-liquid directly onto the coils as needed. This is called dripping. An RDA is not really a vape tank.

• RDA – rebuildable drip atomizer
• Atomizer deck designed for building your own coils
• No tank or vape juice reservoir
• Vape juice dripped onto atomizer as needed
• Used for the “dripping” vaping method

RTA

An RTA is essentially a combination of RDA and vaping tank. RTA stands for rebuildable tank atomizer. Tank, as is in there is indeed a tank that contains e-liquid that keeps the wick saturated with your favorite vape juice. And rebuildable, as in there is an atomizer deck designed for building your own coils to your own specifications.

• RTA – rebuildable tank atomizer
• Atomizer deck made for DIY coil building
• A tank to contain a reservoir of vape juice

How Long Do Vape Coils Last?

There is no definitive time frame that you can expect a vape coil to last. It all depends on how you vape. For example, if you vape a 0.5-ohm coil at 30 watts you will get more coil life than if you vape at 50 watts. How often you vape is obviously another factor. The vape device that you use is also a big player in this equation.

If you have the best quality box mod with a consistent, reliable power output, that will be easier on your coils. If you have a low-quality device with inconsistent power output, this stress the coil and shortens life. Frankly, when you use the best e-cigs the extra money spent might easily pay for itself in helping ensure maximum coil efficiency.

There are a lot of different types of materials that the coils can be made out of, but the best and longest lasting is titanium. Strong and able to withstand high resistance, titanium is becoming the preferred material for coils. Do not be put off by claims that there are toxic titanium oxide gases that can be vaped as they only occur at temperatures of over 1,200°F which obviously would never be reached while vaping.

The better quality the coil, the more you will get out of it. The vape tanks that we have focussed on here have all had the coil quality factored into our ranking.

• Vape coils typically last between 1 and 3 weeks
• Ensure you use coils designed for the vape tank you are using
• Follow recommended wattage range suggested by manufacturer

Cheap, low-quality tanks are to be avoided. You can get good quality cheap vape tanks but beware the cost of the coils! Sometimes, the devil really is in the details and a low retail price can be tempting. Just remember that on every week to three weeks you need to replace the coils

Clone vape tanks are a major concern. In fact, fake e-cigs overall is a problem that consumers should be paying more attention to. Be careful when buying any of the popular imported products and that includes coils! Yes, even coils are cloned and dumped into international markets where they are sold, often unwittingly, by retailers.

The problem with clone vape tanks is that there are no standards or assurances of quality control. In fact, many clone or fake vapor tanks are made of the cheapest available materials. Always check the authenticity code with the manufacturer to verify you have an authentic product. The idea of a clone or fake, of course, is to undercut the price of the real thing and lure vapers into deals that are too good to be true. The end result is most often a defective product and a lousy vape.
Counterfeit vape accessories are becoming such a problem that brands are starting to fight back.

Buying directly from US vape companies like V2, Halo, and Mig Vapor helps you avoid this concern altogether. The US companies exert strict inventory control of their products and this does not give the counterfeiters a window to take advantage. If you do buy an imported vapor product, make sure you buy from a reputable vendor and authenticated dealer like Direct vapor.

The best vape tanks provide the best possible vaping experience. Leading manufacturers like Smok, Uwell, Halo, etc have earned their reputations as proven performers. The best tanks and atomizers are made of the best quality materials and meticulously engineered. Little details like how the airflow is directed through the coil are carefully designed for optimal vaping. The best reliably perform and deliver.

Vaping Daily is the voice of vaping because we help people filter out the excess noise and hype bringing clarity to confusion. There are so many choices and grandiose claims being made all the time. We break things down to the basic fundamental elements. The overall aim is to help you find the vape tank that you will most enjoy. That’s what makes the effort so worthwhile.