Most e-cigarettes work with a vaporizer, in which the coil (vaporizer head) is also found. In the coil are one or more heating coils, which are then brought to glow by the power of the batteries and thus bring the liquid to vaporize.

The liquid is thereby transported to the heated vaporizer head with absorbent cotton, wicks or meshes (small screen plates). Thanks to capillary action, this process works smoothly.

The vapor that is then produced during this heating is then inhaled through a mouthpiece.

The vaporizer also serves as a tank for the e-liquid and offers different filling quantities.

There are different vaporizer systems, which we will gladly discuss in more detail:

 Atomizer for e-cigarettes

The Atomizer was developed by the German inventor Günther Schaidt. Originally, he wanted to make a device that could cheaply produce fog and vapor for the film industry. For this, he even received an Oscar in the field of technology.

Subsequently, everything that could generate steam was actually called an atomizer. In basic principle, an atomizer is a device where coil and wadding meet, which is the place where liquid is converted into vapor.

Nowadays, all e-cigarettes actually use an atomizer as their base, though the term is somewhat outdated and has given way to new terms.

Clearomizer

If one speaks of a vaporizer today, one usually means a clearomizer (also tank vaporizer). This is the name given to tank vaporizer units in which the tank is transparent (clear).

Clearomizer is a made-up word from atomizer and clear, i.e. the possibility of having a clear view into the tank.

Clearomizers are available as disposable vaporizers and as solutions with replaceable vaporizer heads. They are easy to take apart and fill yourself. They need to be cleaned regularly, especially when you switch from one type of liquid to another.

The clearomizer is also gladly accompanied by the prefabricated coil vaporizer in an improved version: here the coil can be replaced and the tank can be filled. In addition, the performance has been improved.

Cartomizer

In a cartomizer, the coil and tank are found inseparable in one system. This is also the main difference from the same-system clearomizer.

Unlike other e-cigarettes, no additional tank is needed here for the e-liquids. Instead, a cartridge with carrier material (usually absorbent cotton) serves as the liquid storage. These are stored directly in the cartomizer and thus allow the liquids to be drawn directly from the depot. The advantage here is the massively easier handling. Cartomizers or depots are available as prefilled disposables or as refillable systems.

This principle is used in cigalikes or disposables with pleasure - in these soaked filter wadding is equipped with heating coils and these e-cigarettes vaporize the entire filling in between 600 and 800 puffs before you dispose of the entire system.

On the market, you can find numerous such products in many flavors and thanks to the low price, such products are very popular. The clear disadvantage here is the waste generated. In addition, the energy balance of these products is not really good: the entire product must be heated during the process.

Dripper

This category of e-cigarettes actually belongs to the clearomizers. The following categories are distinguished:

Rebuildable Atomizer (RBA)

RBA refers to a special variation of a vaporizer head. This is a vaporizer head in which the user can/must install the heating coil and carrier material themselves and which is used instead of a prefabricated vaporizer head.

Rebuildable Dripping Atomizer (RDA)

Vaporizers without a tank are so-called dripping vaporizers (drippers) The mostly highly viscous liquid is dripped directly onto the heating coil and liquid carrier. This is usually enough for 5-20 puffs with drippers. When the liquid supply has evaporated, dripping is required.

Dripper vaporizers were originally used to test liquids. You drip some liquid on and you can try it. After that, you can wash out the coil or quickly create a new one and test the next liquid.

Drip has a cult status today. Professional steamers like to steam them very much and try out windings and wicks, then talk shop about it. The goal is to produce maximum flavor and vapor. This is also how drip vaporizers produce the biggest clouds of vapor.

Rebuildable Tank Atomizer (RTA)

In this vaporizer principle, a coil base enclosed in the tank replaces the vaporizer head. The heating wire is mounted between a positive as well as a negative pole. In the next step, wadding is pulled through the inserted wire or wires and placed at their respective liquid inlets. The tank unit sits above the vaporizer chamber in this type of vaporizer.

Unlike the RDA, an RTA has a liquid reservoir (usually made of glass) into which the e-liquid is filled.

Rebuildable Dripping Tank Atomizer (RDTA)

RDTAs are tanks that are basically a dripper with a tank. Usually, the tank unit is located under the vaporizer part, but it can also be located above it. Compared to normal tank vaporizers, RDTAs also always have air flowing directly to the coil from the side. So technically, an RDTA vaporizer is a normal RTA, with the difference that the heating coil is not in or under the tank, but outside of it.

POD systems

The modern POD systems (disposable vaporizers) consist of a fixed unit of heating coil and liquid carrier. In such a system, the entire tank unit (pod) must be replaced when the liquid is used up or the heating coil is consumed.

A pod e-cigarette is a complete e-cigarette that consists of the battery unit with electronics as well as a pod for the liquid. A pod is a vaporizer designed for a specific device, which is (mostly) incompatible with other devices.

This is exactly what makes vaporizing with it so easy: pod devices are so-called AIO (all-in-one) products, where you don't have to worry about anything. Load, plug in the pod and start vaporizing - and always with the same vapor and the same taste.

A typical pod cigarette is very accommodating to the feel of smoking, making it ideal for helping you switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes. Also, there is no need to press a button with these devices, so smokers can also easily get comfortable with taking a drag on the e-cigarette again. The numerous products on the market come in a wide variety of designs and flavors, with or without nicotine and in different strengths.

Actually, these systems are a modern form of a cartomizer, but you can also see into it (like a clearomizer), so a hybrid solution.

A few words about the development of the e-cigarette

While a few years ago there were almost only ballpoint pen-like cartomizers on the market, the e-cigarette continued to evolve in the search for a better taste experience to the clearomizer, where you could clearly see how much liquid you still have in stock.

Modern technology gradually made its way into this industry as well, and e-cigarettes evolved into mechanical mods or box mods. Ready coils belonged to every steamer and RDA/RTA models with optimized material, improved winding and correspondingly higher performance were in demand. Almost every store in Switzerland offered some kind of professional exchange among steamers at that time.

At this point, two things happened: on the one hand, there was massive growth in steamers who were former smokers looking for a simple replacement product. And on the other hand, legislation for e-cigarettes was changing around the world, prompted in part by the higher demand on the scene. One of the leading countries for e-cigarettes, the U.S., banned stores from selling products that people could fill themselves. This laid the foundation for the switch to ready-made pod systems. Initially, there were still pods here that you could also fill yourself, but these quickly lost their way on the market. Leading manufacturers such as Juul managed to ensure that only ready-made capsule systems were still allowed, and even these only under strong restrictions in terms of advertising and youth protection.

While the quality of e-liquids and vaporizers has increased massively in recent years, the path of use leads back to the beginnings. Meanwhile, so-called disposables are back in high demand: these disposable e-cigarettes offer great taste experiences with the simplest operation. But one trend can already be discerned again: the search for a more environmentally friendly, yet easy-to-use solution is in full swing.

And here it is again, briefly summarized for those who want to read it in a nutshell:

Vaporizer ABC (from rechargeable battery to e-cigarette)

Accumulator = battery that supplies the vaporizer with energy

Atomizer = a type of vaporizer

BOCC = Bottom Organic Cotton Clearomizer. A heating coil surrounded by organic absorbent cotton that sits in the bottom of the vaporizer.

BOCC = Bottom Organic Cotton Clearomizer. A heating coil surrounded by organic absorbent cotton, which sits in the lower part of the vaporizer.

Bottom Coil Clearomizer (BCC) = A heating coil that sits at the bottom of the vaporizer (the most common variant).

Bottom Feeder = A box with integrated liquid bottle for wetting a dripper from below.

Coil = Is the wire winding/coil in a vaporizer.

Clearomizer = A type of vaporizer.

Ready coil = Are also called interchangeable prepared vaporizer heads.

Hybrid = Is a battery carrier with integrated vaporizer.

Ohm = resistance

RBA = Self-winding vaporizer.

RTA = Self-winding tank vaporizer.

RDA = Self-winding dripper.

RDTA = A vaporizer with both tank and dripper (rebuildable dripping tank atomizer).

Self-winding vaporizer = Also called RBA, RTA or RDA. Offers the possibility to build the wire and the wadding into the vaporizer head yourself (self-build vaporizer).

Store = In Switzerland, happy-smoke provides professional advice on everything to do with vaping, because e-cigarettes are our passion.

Sub Ohm = When the resistance of the wire winding (heating coil) in the vaporizer is less than 1.0 Ohm.

Top Cap = The upper part of a vaporizer.

Top Coil = The heating coil sits at the top of the evaporator.

dripper = Is a type of vaporizer, which the e-liquid is applied drop by drop on the winding.

Vaporizer = Steam generator

Vaporizer head = a coil wrapped with absorbent cotton in a metal housing, different models of vaporizer heads provide different vapor pleasure.

So which vaporizer is the right one?

An understandable question that cannot be answered easily. Everyone has their own preferences; while smokers for the switch certainly get along best with a good pod system that offers sufficient nicotine and simulates the action of smoking at its best, many people also simply prefer a quickly drawn disposable e-cigarette. This, by the way, is often carried by steamers of all kinds as a second device for in between.

Anyone who enjoys taking a closer look at the design of an e-cigarette will quickly end up with mechanical mods with self-winders. There, new worlds open up between vaporizer and coil, the search for ideal vaporizer heads and important ohm calculations. Talking shop can become an addictive hobby and numerous steam tables and forums invite you to share rich knowledge. However, it is important to be careful not to fall into philosophical treatises about coils or in this country vaporizer heads or even the former smoking in general ;-).

The cost of vaporizing also leads to a wide variety of solutions: here you can find devices of different price ranges, from the inexpensive entry-level model (tip: every specialist dealer always offers cheaper, because outdated models) to the high-end luxury product. Likewise with the liquids - almost every price range is available here, but the recommendation quite clear: please buy your e-liquid exclusively from reliable, tested sources.

When choosing the coils, it is important to consider whether you wind them yourself or even here rely on quite sophisticated solutions from numerous exclusive suppliers. Here, too, everyone has the vaporizer head of their choice, based on their own ideas.

As many people there are, as many preferences can be found in e-cigarettes. There is therefore no such thing as the "right" vaporizer. Your specialist dealer will be very happy to advise you in your top store according to your preferences and it is worthwhile to invest some time in the beginning in the search for the ideal e-cigarette and the ideal vaporizer to then steam as long as possible happy ( because that is exactly what your leading vape store in Switzerland stands for!) and renounce smoking.