How Long Should Your Coils Last?

TLDR: Vape coils last in the range of 2 days to 2 weeks. Generally, low-resistance coils do not last as long as cartridges and pods due to higher stresses associated with vaping at higher wattages. The more powerful the device, the more frequently you will replace coils. Make sure you use high-quality, premium vape juice.

One of the most changeable parts of your vape device is the coil. For those who’ve been vaping for a while and are ready to level up, this is a great place to start modifying your device.

You can think of this as the heart of your device – it’s part of the machine which heats up your e-juice to the vaporisation point, producing those vapour clouds everyone is after. If you are yet to order vape juice uk online then check out our fantastic selection before you start.

But when you’re buying new coils to swap out in your device, it’s important to know what you should be looking for. You want to know that the coil produces good vapour and preserves the flavour of your vape juice, but what about how long it lasts?

A Quick Intro to Coils

You may get to the point in vaping where you’re ready to start homing in on the specifics of your tech. While you may have started out with a great starter kit, there isn’t any room to make modifications to your liking. You’re stuck with the tech that the manufacturer constructed for you.

The fantastic thing about targeting your coil for modification is that it opens you up to a world of possibilities. The properties of your coil – everything from the material it’s made out of, the way it’s constructed, and the wicking material you use – determine all sorts of things about the type of vapour your device will produce.

Even though a coil is so integral to your device and the vapour it produces, the coil itself is fairly straightforward and simple: a vape coil consists of: 

1. Either a coiled wire or a piece of mesh; and 
2. Wicking material, such as cotton (though there are many wicking materials available and some manufacturers will use a combination of materials).

Replacing Coils

Coils don’t last forever and have to be replaced over time. Depending on the vape juice you use, your levels of use, etc, your coil may burn out faster. A burnt-out coil (or near to burnt-out) will be less efficient at managing the heat in your device, affecting vapour production and taste.

A coil that needs replacing will let you know. Your vapour will taste different – likely the flavours will change (for the worse) by being less potent or even tasting a little burnt.

FreeMax is a popular manufacturer of tanks, coils, and kits such as the FreeMax Maxus 200W. They produce a variety of coils that are designed specifically for use in their devices, making them a great place to start if you want to get into customising your vape tech.

But maybe even more importantly, they’ve also got a great reputation for making some of the longest-lasting coils out there, even if you’re using vape juices known for eating up a coil’s lifespan quickly or if you're a heavy vaper and used to burning through coils every week.

Customers are generally super-satisfied with the vapour production and lifespan of FreeMax coils. However, considering that chain vaping could mean replacing coils on almost a weekly basis, coil lifespan is definitely a huge consideration when you are making decisions for modding your device and should match your vaping frequency.

Other types of coils such as dual, triple, and quad mesh will all give different types of vapour, so you’ll also have to take your personal preferences into account and balance them against whatever lifespan advantages any of the FreeMax offerings may have.

As you go up in mesh (i.e. single to double and so on, all the way up to quintuple and beyond), remember that it will require increasing amounts of battery power for your device, so there's a trade-off between coil life and battery life.

Some heavy vapers report changing their coils every week to avoid flavour drop-off. Those same users report much better luck with their FreeMax coils, which are built specifically to outperform and outlast lower-quality competitors. These coils are definitely known to last longer than your average off-the-shelf coil.

Ways of Preserving Coil Lifespan

Because coil lifespan depends so much on the type of vape juice you use and the particularities and frequency of your vaping, your mileage may vary with any one type of coil. The wattage that you prefer to vape at will also affect the lifespan of your coil. Remember that low wattage (something like 3W-20W) will preserve both battery and coil life, while high wattage (something like 80W-200W) will cause you to burn through both a little faster. Some vape devices offer variable wattage, which offers you the advantage of changing wattage as necessary to make your coils last longer.

Another way to try to ensure that the coil you bought and are using will last as long as possible is to clean it properly (if it has been designed to be disassembled rather than replaced).

Over time, gunk may build up on your coil (highly dependent on the PG/VG ratio of the vape juice you are using and the flavour mixture). This type of build up is more common with low quality juices, so ensure you are purchasing from reputable brands every time.

Similarly, you should take care of your vape device so that all components are running efficiently and not overworking any one of its components. Your coils (and your wallet) will thank you!