Should you be in the market for a slim, streamlined and subtle vape pen (great, therefore, for ‘stealth vaping’; that is, vaping when you don’t want to look like you’re doing so) rather than a bulkier and bigger e-cigarette or mod device, then be assured there’s an awful lot of different products – and an awful lot of differing quality – to choose from. Yes, like it or not, far from all vape pens are created equal. So, it’s crucial you consider as much as possible about a model before buying it – and that includes not just its capabilities and potential performance, but also the materials it’s made from. Here follow then some important such points to bear in mind and think about.
What material is it made from?
A vape pen’s a product that tends to include a number of different materials in its manufacture, to a larger or lesser extent – everything from ceramic to copper and quartz to titanium. And, as you’d expect, each material has advantages and drawbacks. To wit, atomisers you use to transform e cig liquid into vapour made from quartz have a reputation for efficiency and smoothness of taste, while ceramic atomisers don’t tend to emit as much vapour, but they’re very safe to use. And titanium vape pens are all about the taste too and they’re usually known to generate great ‘hits’.
Be wary of alloys
For many vape pen manufacturers, the fact they may be made from titanium is a major selling point, yet this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s high-quality titanium. The latter, as you may well imagine, is expensive; in which case, many manufacturers whom claim to be using either grade 1 or 2 titanium are likely instead to be using a titanium alloy in the manufacture of their vape pens (or perhaps no titanium in any form at all). Now, the trouble with this is that a large number of metal alloys don’t tend to go through the rigorous material tests they ought to, ensuring the effects on the health of those who use the products they feature are an unknown quantity.
You’re not powerless in trying to find out whether your vape pen or atomiser’s actually made from titanium, though. And that’s because the majority of atomisers made from pure titanium will only operate when fitted with sub-ohm batteries, owing to the low resistance of the material. Therefore, ‘pure titanium’ vape pens that supposedly work with standard e-cig batteries are unlikely to be the real thing. Moreover, you can request a vape pen seller to perform a composition test of the device’s materials to find out whether it’s genuinely manufactured from titanium; if the vendor refuses then you should probably be wary and steer clear of the product.
Avoid Teflon
As it’s likely to give off gases and hazardous chemicals when it’s heated (frankly, it can even melt), Teflon’s a big no-no in the manufacture of vaporising devices. Giving off polymer fumes in such circumstances, as it does, it can potentially cause the likes of polymer fume fever (often referred to as ‘Teflon flu’); not nice. Most major manufacturers – whatever the product – no longer use Teflon at all, but nonetheless it’s very much in your interest to make sure any vape pen or e-cig device you consider buying doesn’t contain this material in any form.
Vape pen attachments
When it comes to vape pen attachments, you’ll find that many of them are made with copper, at least to some extent. That’s all very well, but at extremely high temperatures (around 1,000˚F) copper can also exude fumes that’ll make you ill. Granted, most vaporising devices are unlikely to get quite that hot, yet low-quality atomisers may, as they burn concentrates in order to generate very dense vapour clouds for users. So, again, it’s best to be wary, especially as many vapers are increasingly using vape pen attachments in conjunction with box mod batteries. In which case, although they don’t dominate the market, attachments made from stainless-steel are the types you’re probably best advised to buy.
Overall then, when it comes vape pens, it’s maybe fair to say it comes down to that age-old mantra; you get what you pay for. As the standards and regulations are still being largely sorted out within the vaping technology industry, it really is in your best interest not to choose from and purchase the absolute cheapest products; vape pens or not.