Best Vape Pen for Oil Cartridges - Advice on How to Pick

Introduction

Vaporizers of all shapes, sizes, and capabilities have been flooding the market for a few years now. This diversity in options is great but it also means you should be careful when doing your research before making a big purchase for a vape pen. In order to help you find the best types of vape pens for your preferred style of vaping, we have created this handy guide to picking the best vaporizer option for your oil cartridge. Just keep in mind when reading further, despite all of the technical differences and whatever else, ultimately the best vape for you is going to be based on your own preferences. The type of oil you vape, how often, where, and so many other options will play a role in the decision you make, which may very well be different from the next person.

An oil cartridge contains the oil and the mouthpiece, and a vape battery supplies the power to heat the oil. To make this happen, they need to connect to one another, and outside of pod vapes, most oil cartridges and vape batteries are threaded. This means that your oil cartridge and vape pen battery will have grooves that (hopefully) match and are able to be screwed into one another. Every oil cartridge is threaded to a certain size. For example, you will notice that most cartridges and batteries have a 510 threading. This represents the dimensions of the threading. However, be careful! 510 is not a universal threading even though there are a lot of products that are compatible with this model. Some products, like the Snoop Dog G Pen vaporizers, have a 601 threading. Essentially, the only functional difference to you as a vaper is going to be that these different threading sizes are not compatible with one another and so you need to be careful when purchasing a cartridge and battery separate (or when purchasing additional cartridges after initial use).

Moreover, you will also want to be careful about the size of your cartridge as well. Some vape pens are going to be unable to accommodate a cartridge that is too skinny or too thick. Box mods, for example, are going to work better with a larger atomizer versus the SteamCloud Micro Vape which is best with the skinny 510 cartridges. Skinnier cartridges will be unable to handle the power output of some larger box mod vapes, just as some larger atomizers will not work with smaller batteries as they need more wattage power to operate.

Depending on the type of threading you have on your vape pen, you may or may not find yourself locked into a smaller market of oil cartridges and vapes. As noted earlier, there is no universal threading, but 510 threading comes pretty close when compared to 601 or other types. So if you plan on shopping around and want more versatility in vape pen options, you may want to make sure your threading is the more common 510 and avoid having to purchase entirely new vape pens or cartridges all the time.

So, most importantly, just make sure you are paying attention to the size of your cartridges as well as the type of threading they are built with. You don’t want to get home only to find out your vape pen and oil cartridge are not compatible.

Oil Cartridge Resistance and Overall Power Limit

Your oil cartridge is going to have something called ‘resistance’. Resistance is how much opposition is registered to the regular flow of electricity in a circuit. In this case, the circuit is going to be your vape cartridge or coil attached to the battery. Resistance is measured in ohms and describe how much electricity, or power, your oil cartridge and vape pen can handle as well as how much they need to produce good hits. You are going to want to make sure you pay close attention as this can lead to all sorts of problems with your vape pen. Underwhelming hits from not enough power is never good, and going so far as to overload your vape cartridge with too much power can burn it out for good – None of these outcomes are good.

Resistance will impact what sort of vape pen battery you will need. For example, a box mod will be able to accommodate much higher wattage and will produce significantly stronger hits, just about any cartridge will work with a mod and for some the mod vape is too much power. The simple Stylus vape pens on the other hand may not be able to supply enough power where an EVOD battery with variable voltage is perfect. Once again, this is going to come down to preference. There isn’t a right or wrong answer just the suggestion that you make sure your oil resistance and wattage/power capabilities match up correctly before making a purchase.

Vape Oil, CBD Oil, E Juice and More

We have talked a lot about the differences in oil cartridges, however, what you have inside your cartridge is going to change your power requirements (and experience) as well. You can have a number of vape tanks or cartridges attached to your vape pen including vape oil, CBD oil, E Juice, etc. We will touch on a few of these specifically.

Vape oils are very common in pre-filled oil cartridges. Vape oils are a concentrate derived from various dry herbs, and are intended to cut the ‘smoking’ out of the process and replace it with vaping. There is usually a wick or ceramic coil that is heating to become red-hot and vaporize the oil. This means, on average, that you are going to want more wattage and power to be available to cleanly and quickly vaporize your vape oil. This does not mean you need the most powerful vape pen on the market, just that you should be sure to have enough wattage. Generally you won’t need more than 10 watts, and if you are dealing with the skinny 510 oil cartridges, you likely don’t need more than 5 watts are can operate with less. The 50+ watt range type of vaping is not typically intended for dry herb oil concentrates. Though the range from simple vape pens up to box mod vapes can extend all the way to 100 watts for the most ambitious vapers, you typically won’t see that here – the insanely high wattage is for those that want to blow huge clouds, and that would be a big waste on dry herb oil concentrates. Just know, having a vape pen with power controls and settings is helpful as you can adjust the output to your desired tastes. This will help you avoid hits that are either too hot or not tasty to you.

CBD oil is fast becoming a popular national trend and is another fun concentrate to vape. However, make sure the CBD oil you have is for vaping before deciding to fill your vape cartridge up. Keep in mind that CBD oil is similar to dry herb oils and although you may want big puffs, you are not looking to do vape tricks. CBD oils do not require large amounts of wattage and up to 10 watts should do the trick, even less in the skinny cartridges. In other words, if you want to exceed that watt range, it should be because you have a large oil tank atomizer with high resistance. Others risk burning the CBD oil in the cartridge, or worse, burning out the entire cartridge, leaving it useless. Once again, temperature and power controls are helpful elements to have on a vape pen to avoid burnt puffs and burnt out cartridges. Another good habit is to avoid taking too many large hits too quickly. This will prevent the oil from overheating inside the atomizer.

Finally, there is also E Juice. This is most often associated with nicotine and quitting smoking. E Juice is manufactured as a man-made product and is made of VP and PG (vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol), nicotine, and flavorings. The PG and VP are vaporized much in the same way as the CBD and vape oils to produce a smooth vapor that allows you to feel as if you’re smoking without all the terrible side effects. With E Juice, a good suggested range can hover around 35 to 65 watts. We always suggest starting at the lowest point to avoid burning out any cartridge. While this is going to be different for each user depending on flavor, heat, and vapor cloud size, generally the ability to throw more power at the oils is most prevalent in vape juices. The smoke trick videos you watch on YouTube, the enormous clouds that appear out of nowhere, and the vape shops billowing with vapors are all a product of E Juice. Products like the JUUL have now become popular with many users that once used box mods. The JUUL and other small pod vapes like it are replacing those billowing vapors with lighter ones powered by less wattage.

Most importantly, you need to make sure that you are considering your specific needs and preferences. You might prefer a hotter hit or like to have more flavorful hits. You may be vaping e juice or something else. But each of these variables are best dealt with by getting a vape pen which offers variable wattage and temperature settings. And always avoid putting too much power into your oil cartridge, START AT THE LOWEST SETTING!

Ceramic Cartridge vs Wick Cartridge

The differences between a ceramic cartridge and wick cartridge are material and have a few effects on your vaping experience. While there is still no right answer, there is certainly going to be an option you lean more towards primarily driven by your own tastes and preferences.

Wick cartridges use some sort of fiber wick, usually cotton, to soak up oil for eventual heating.  When heated, a saturated wick cartridge will begin to vaporize the oils and release the vapors once your vape pen has brought the wick to the proper temperature. A word of wisdom – make sure your wick is fully saturated and has not been drying for some time. If you heat an empty vape tank or a wick that is half saturated, you can burn some of the fibrous material in the wick, leading to burnt tastes going forward and the creation of aldehydes. Aldehydes (like formaldehyde) form from this combustion of organic material and are preferably not a part of your vaping session. This doesn’t mean that your wick cartridge is more dangerous but that you should make sure to maintain it properly to avoid any issues.

Ceramic cartridges utilize a time-tested and very old material to bring your oil to a proper vaping temperature. Given their dense nature, ceramic cartridges are going to take a bit longer to get to temperature than wick cartridges. While ceramic takes longer to heat up, it will retain heat much longer than other materials and allows you to better control the exact temperature point of the actual coil. Ceramic is quickly becoming more popular than wick cartridges for taste reasons, but also because it is better with thicker oils. Wick can quickly absorb thin oils, but thicker oils take longer and work better with ceramic coils.

Again, ultimately the choice is up to you and it comes down to preference, needs and limitations. With proper attention, both cartridges are successful at producing excellent vapor flavors and a wonderful vaping experience.

Choosing the Oil Vape Pen

Now that we have discussed at length the different aspects of vape pens and oil cartridges, it is time for you to consider what kind of oil vape pen you want. Below we go into detail about several different categories of oil vape pens and explain their main differences.

1. Variable Voltage Vapes – there are a ton of different models in this category of oil vape pens. Essentially, this just means that the vape battery can control the specific amount of wattage/power being sent to the atomizer. As we noted before, this is helpful both for beginners and experienced vapers alike to control the flavor, power, and overall performance of vape.
2. Box Mod Vapes – these large vaporizers are known as the original variable voltage vapes. As we mentioned before, these are not best for the skinnier cartridges (regardless of their threading) and you should probably get a larger atomizer if you want the kind of power coming from a box mod.
3. EVOD Vapes – these are probably what you are picturing when you think of vape pen. EVODs have the classic, cylindrical shape, just like a pen, and they can come in variable or single voltage styles. They are not much larger than 4 or 5 inches and can not only handle the skinny 510 oil cartridges, but some larger vape tanks as well.
4. Stylus Vape Pens – stylus vapor pens do not always come with a power button but are a very popular style of vape. These might even come equipped to a cartridge you purchase from a vape shop. They are more generic and do not come with a lot of bells or whistles, and so often lack the power and features found on EVOD vapes, box mod vapes, etc. This can be a huge bonus if you just want something super simple to vape oil cartridges with.
5. Micro Vapes – one of the original vape pens to enter the market, micro vape pens come in a variety of different kits and styles and can support dry herbs and wax along with oil cartridges.
6. Cartridge Vape – this is an overarching category of vape pens that specifically work with the skinny 510 threaded oil cartridges. So no box mods or pod vapes. A very popular, variable voltage, cartridge vape goes by the name of, SteamCloud 2.0 Mini. This style of vape is pretty amazing. It is super compact and boasts a 650mah battery capacity that will get the average person through a few days no problem.
7. Pod Vape – vape pods have become increasingly popular with the rise of the JUUL and other pod vaporizers. Just like the Keurig, Pod vapes are specifically designed to be used with its own corresponding pod and no other.

Making the Final Decision

Overall, your preferences will be the ultimate driver of your choice in a vape pen. You need to consider if you prefer something that is versatile so you can control the vaping session no matter the vape oil or cartridge at hand. Maybe you want something simple for a couple cartridges and no more. Maybe you focus on flavor or perhaps power is most important for huge vapor clouds. All of this will depend on you. Once you have that figured out, you will need to begin to look more closely at the nuances between the different vaporizer options available. Things like battery life, design, and material quality will be able to better help you decide which oil pen is best for you. Each brand and type of oil vape comes with a unique set of advantages and disadvantages and it will largely be up to you to decide. For your convenience, nyvapeshop.com offers a comparison list to easily add products and view the information side by side to make your shopping experience much simpler.

Buying a Vape Pen for your Oil Cartridge

You can buy vape pens just about anywhere now. Vape shops, online, etc. While it can be tempting to just hop in the car and check out the nearest vape shop, don’t forget that nyvapeshop.com offers FREE shipping on all orders shipped within the USA and an unmatched selection of vaporizers and cartridge attachments.

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