Recently, manufacturers in the vape industry have started to re-think coil technology. The possibility to improve upon an already efficient coil head design may be right around the corner. Coil builders have even started to incorporate mesh wire in their works of art. So what’s all the hype about?
Traditional Coils
Used in most pre-made coil heads, traditional micro coils – usually wicked with a mix of cotton and fiber (or just fiber) – perform flawlessly in most circumstances. Manufacturers of these coil heads have spent time experimenting with different gauge wires, all in an attempt to bring a high quality, super efficient product to vapers.
A standard coil, used by most builders in the vape community today, works just as any heating element would. Wicked with cotton, and soaked in e-juice, they’re normally perfect for for flavor and cloud production. Custom coils range from extremely complex and intricate (composed of multiple wire types/gauges, and made using multiple building techniques), to clean and simple (composed of one wire type/gauge, and made using one-two techniques).
But these elements suffer from one thing: a lack of surface area. Even after wrapping a handmade coil around a large diameter drill bit, the surface available to heat, store, and vaporize e-liquid is limited to their cylindrical shape.
These coil heads, and handmade coils still work great for the majority of vapers, and pack enough performance to keep most users completely satisfied. They’re still my coil of choice, and I don’t really see that changing anytime soon.
Mesh Coils
Contrary to what you may have heard, mesh is far from new technology. Wire mesh was used as a wicking material in genesis style atomizers years ago. So why are vape manufacturers looking to old technology to improve your vaping experience?
It’s all about the surface area. Where traditional coils wrapped around a drill bit suffer, wire mesh is able to excel. And while numerous variables effect the performance of a coil, surface area is likely the leading factor. Wrapping standard coils around larger and larger rods will increase surface area, but often adds unnecessary mass to the element, decreasing its functionality and performance.
Enter mesh. It can provide a huge usable surface area, all while keeping mass to a minimum. You can compare mesh and coils to 2×4’s and large sections of plywood. Where one 2×4 can only over a small section of floor, a large sheet of plywood with less mass, can cover a much larger section.
And because the heat is more evenly spread out across this surface area, these heating elements are able to create a ton of flavor and produce some impressive clouds. Even at mid-range wattages, mesh coils require less power, and can outperform traditional coils.
Another great feature of mesh is that is does not require wicking material at all. Of course, cotton and fiber can be used with it, but it’s efficient enough to consistently and repeatedly vaporize liquid without a wick.
A few vape companies, like Freemax and HorizonTech, have already brought mesh wire coil heads to the marketplace. And while many still offer standard coil heads, the results are in. Because they require less power to vaporize liquid, they are able to surpass the longevity of traditional coils.
Builders in the vape scene are even starting to experiment with mesh, as they too cannot deny the many positive factors circulating around it. We’ve seen hybrid handmade coils (using mesh and traditional coils), pure mesh builds, and designs for MTL setups on an RDA.
So if you’ve been considering mesh coil heads for your tank, I’d seriously suggest giving the material a go. At the very least, it will perform on the same level as the traditional coil heads you are used to, and will most likely last twice as long under the same vaping conditions.