The electronic cigarette is a tool that has become increasingly popular over the last decade, because of how effective and viable it is as an alternative to tobacco. It's a great weapon against the harm caused by tobacco, and it has won over countless smokers already, who managed to get rid of their nicotine addiction thanks to it.
E-cigs as we know them today were invented by the Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik. They are designed to replicate the feel of smoking a tobacco cigarette, thus making it easier for you to quit smoking.
An electronic cigarette combines a battery and a tank, also called 'clearomiser'. Inside the tank is a coil and some e-liquid. When the coil is heated by the battery's electrical current, the e-liquid is vapourised and subsequently inhaled by the user.
What is an electronic cigarette comprised of?
As we said in the introduction, every electronic cigarette is made up of three distinct parts:
which provides the necessary power to make your e-cigarette work.
which, when heated, will vapourise the e-liquid.
which contains the coil and the e-liquid.
There might be a wide variety of electronic cigarettes out there, but they all operate using the same principle:
- The battery sends an electrical power to the coil,
- The coil heats up and vapourises the liquid inside the tank,
- which then rises through the chimney.
- The vaper inhales this vapour by placing his lips around the device's mouthpiece, commonly called 'drip tip'.
The vapour produced by an e-cigarette offers the same sort of feeling than when you use a traditional cigarette. Indeed, when someone wants to give up smoking, they're more likely to succeed if they get the same nicotine intake and throat hit than when they smoke.
The battery
As you can imagine, it's a key part of your electronic cigarette. It provides the power needed to heat the coil and, by extension, the e-liquid.
There are all kinds of batteries available. Most of the time, they're either removable Li-Ion batteries or built-in Li-Po batteries. A button located on the battery itself allows you to send the electrical current to the coil.
The most commonly used batteries today are what we call 'boxes' or ‘box mods’. They can be rectangular or tube-shaped, depending on the device. They have a substantial autonomy that allows you to vape for a long time without having to recharge your device. If the rectangular boxes are too cumbersome for you, we recommend you opt for the tubular ones instead.
The clearomiser
It's a type of atomiser that has a 'clear' body, hence its name. The clearomiser is comprised of a tank, which holds the e-liquid, along with a coil that vapourises the e-liquid, and a drip tip that lets you inhale the resulting vapour.
The tank is generally made from Pyrex and thus easy to clean. It also has one or more apertures that let the air in to cool the coil, known as 'airflows'.
The rebuildable atomiser
This type of atomiser doesn't use ready-made coils like a clearomiser does, but it has the same purpose. Here, it's you who has to make the coils, hence the name of 'rebuildable' atomiser.
The latter are much more economical and permissive than clearomisers. A spool of wire and some organic cotton are all you need to make a coil that's more accurate and closer to what you prefer.
The e-liquid
The e-liquid is a vital part of any electronic cigarette. It's a mixture of propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG) and food-grade flavourings. It can contain nicotine as well, which is great if you want to progressively quit smoking.
There is a near-infinite amount of e-liquid flavours available, including fruit, tobacco, menthol or even drink-based recipes. You're bound to find a taste you like!
Note that you can also make your own e-liquid if you want, following the process known among electronic cigarette users as 'DIYing'. The latter is an economical and fun way of creating all sorts of e-liquid recipes by yourself.
What's the difference between an electronic cigarette and a classic cigarette?
The first thing that's striking about electronic cigarettes is that they don't produce smoke, but vapour instead. So, electronic cigarettes aren't 'smoked' but 'vaped', and it makes all the difference.
Indeed, this vaporisation process doesn't produce any of the 4000 toxic substances contained in tobacco smoke, such as carbon monoxide fumes and tars, 50 of which at least are proven carcinogens. All this is thanks to the lack of combustion.
So, even if electronic cigarettes copy classic cigarettes to better fool your body and mind, and thus facilitate your smoking withdrawal, there's a massive difference between them.
How to quit smoking with an electronic cigarette
If you're reading these lines, it's probably because you want to use an electronic cigarette to help you quit smoking. So, how does it work?
First of all, you should know that more and more studies show that e-cigarettes help smokers give up tobacco across the globe. A 2016 British study in particular demonstrates the link between the development of vaping and the increasing rate of successful smoking withdrawals. Whilst critics of vaping claim that the increasing number of vapers is due to an overall increase in smokers, this report proves the opposite.
So, how do you quit smoking with the help of an electronic cigarette? Here are a few key points you need to know:
- Your e-liquid's nicotine level is very important. It has to be selected according to your specific needs, so that you can wean yourself from your cigarette addiction for good.
- It's important that you don't lower your nicotine level too rapidly. You must take your time and let your body get used to a lower nicotine intake if you want to succeed.
- Choosing an e-liquid you like is also important if you want vaping to be an enjoyable experience. Don't hesitate to try out several juices until you find the right one for you. Vaping will be much easier once you know which flavours you prefer.
- Pick an electronic cigarette suited to beginners. On Arômes et Liquides' online shop, you'll find plenty of complete kits for newcomers such as yourself, with all sorts of configurations depending on your former smoker habits.
- Quitting smoking takes time, you'll have to be patient. Indeed, every vaper is different and has to find their own rhythm.
Which electronic cigarette brands should you go for?
Kangertech
This electronic cigarette manufacturer has been around since 2007 and has become a major player of the vaping scene. Kangertech offers quality and affordable equipment, like its famous Kanger T2 clearomiser, for the low-budget vapers out there.
Joyetech
Joyetech has established itself as the world leader of electronic cigarettes over the last few years, after having invented many innovative kits like the best-selling eGo series.
Eleaf
Eleaf offers compact and ergonomic e-cigarettes that are mainly intended for beginners, such as their famous iStick series. Eleaf's reputation is firmly established and their products sell all around the world.
Innokin
Innokin continues to reinvent itself and specialises in the manufacture of beginner e-cigarette kits.
Among them, you'll find classics like the Zenith clearomiser or the Jem kit, an ideal electronic cigarette for the travelling vaper who doesn't want to lose out on quality.
Vaporesso
Vaporesso is the new and undeniable giant of the vaping market, producing qualitative and very affordable products. Their stylishly-designed electronic cigarettes will appeal to many vapers.
Smok
The Chinese company Smok, formerly known as Smoktech, produces innovative electronic cigarettes that feature interesting technologies. If you're looking for power and performance, Smok's products are made for you.
Aspire
This is yet another brand that offers top-notch vaping equipment. It's no wonder that thousands of vapers consider Aspire to be one of the best brands on the market today, as their devices combine performance, ergonomics and innovation.
How to properly use your electronic cigarette
Every electronic cigarette is equipped with an atomiser, whose tank is filled from either above, below or from the side, depending on the model. Moreover, some atomisers have a line on the side of their tank to tell you how much e-liquid you can pour in it. All you have to do to fill an atomiser tank is open the refill well and slot the nozzle of your e-liquid bottle inside it. Then, squeeze said bottle and watch the e-liquid pour in.
As their name implies, electronic cigarettes use one or more batteries to operate, and they need to be charged on a regular basis, just like your mobile phone. That's why a lot of electronic cigarettes have a micro-USB port, so that you can charge your device by plugging it into your computer, for example.
Electronic cigarettes are the sort of object that's always with you during the day, and it's often in contact with your hands and mouth, therefore it must be in pristine condition. Regularly maintaining your e-cigarette, on top of being good hygienic practice, will also increase your device's lifespan.
Use a cotton bud and some alcohol to clean your battery. The clearomiser can simply be rinsed with clean water, but you can also soak it in warm water and baking soda for a few minutes if it's really dirty. Be careful to remove the coil beforehand, though.
The vast majority of today's electronic cigarettes offer at least three user modes:
- Variable Wattage mode, by far the most widespread, allows you to adjust the wattage your battery produces. It's often the default mode on electronic cigarettes, and is highly recommended for beginners.
-
Temperature Control mode, as you'd expect, lets you control the heating temperature of your coil. It requires a bit of knowledge and a particular type of coil, though.
- Bypass mode, which offers a semi-regulated vape. This recreates the feel of vaping with a mechanical mod, but it's safer for the less experienced vapers, as they still have the device's electronic safeties that protect them. You do need to know how Ohm's Law works, though.
How to inhale on an electronic cigarette
If a cigarette puff is very quick and lasts less than a second, it's very different with vaping. Indeed, an electronic cigarette requires you inhale for longer, therefore it'll take a bit of getting used to.
In order to inhale an electronic cigarette's vapour, place your lips around the atomiser's mouthpiece, also called drip tip. Then, push the button on top of the battery. This triggers the e-liquid's vapourisation as long as you keep the button pressed. All you need to do afterwards is inhale this vapour.
With vaping, you have to inhale the vapour slowly, otherwise it might make you cough. It's important to follow this advice, especially if you're just starting out. Moreover, the longer you inhale, the more taste you'll feel in your mouth. So, there's no point in rushing. Take your time and you'll be fine!
The wide world of electronic cigarettes is just a click away
Do you want to quit smoking and use electronic cigarettes to help you transition from tobacco to vaping?
Well, you've come to the right place, A&L is a French specialist in everything related to electronic cigarettes and e-liquids. You'll find hundreds of products, for every type of vaper and for every wallet, along with personalised advice that'll help you succeed in your smoking withdrawal.
You'll find perfect electronic cigarettes for beginners, such as podmods and all-in-one kits, all at the click of a button. If you're more experienced, you'll find an expert selection as well, including atomisers, boxes, drippers, and bottom-feeders, to name a few. We have everything you could possibly need!
Electronic cigarette e-liquids
An electronic cigarette without its e-liquid is like a car without its petrol, they're inseparable. Once again, you're in the right place, as A&L is THE French specialist of e-liquids and DIY juices for electronic cigarette.
E-liquids are made from a mixture of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, to which is added some food-grade flavouring to give them a specific taste. You can choose between an infinite number of flavours, you're bound to find something you enjoy!
Finally, an e-liquid can contain some nicotine as well, especially if your goal is to quit smoking. That's why you can find e-liquids with several nicotine dosages, ranging from 3 to 18mg/mL. Simply adjust this content to suit your needs.
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