Comparison Eleaf iCare 2 Kit vs Eleaf iJust S Kit

The volume of the liquid tank provided in the design of the atomizer. Note that this parameter can be specified even for squonk atomizers (see "Filling type"): although they work with an external tank, however, a certain amount of "liquid" can fit in the evaporator itself.

The larger the tank, the more liquid you can keep in an electronic cigarette and the less often you have to refill it. On the other hand, capacious tanks have the appropriate dimensions, and too large a tank would be inconvenient, and liquids are consumed relatively little even in one long session of soaring. As a result, a volume of more than 6 mL is already considered quite large for vapes, and in the smallest models this figure does not exceed 2 mL.

Also note that when choosing a tank capacity, manufacturers usually take into account the resistance of the spiral, the power of the battery (if it is included) and other parameters that affect the expected flow rate of the liquid. There is no hard dependency here, however, in general, more powerful atomizers are usually equipped with larger tanks.

The type of blowing provided in the atomizer of an electronic cigarette.

This parameter is indicated by the location of the cells for the intake of air entering the evaporator. According to this criterion, lower, upper and side airflow are distinguished, here are their main features:

— Lower. The most popular option nowadays. Such popularity is primarily due to the fact that many vapers consider the “lower” vapor to be the most delicious. In addition, bottom blown atomizers are easier to maintain than "side" models, they are not so demanding on winding quality. The disadvantages of this option include an increased likelihood of leakage, including during liquid overflow; and the condensate, which is quite intensively formed at the air intakes, tends to flow down onto the battery mod. However, these points are not particularly critical.

— Upper. A format that has appeared relatively recently. In general, such an airflow conveys taste somewhat worse than the lower one, moreover, the steam turns out to be hotter; however, this point is largely subjective, and some users like this type of steam. The objective advantages of the “upper” atomizers include the minimum probability of overflow, the almost complete absence of condensate flowing onto the battery mod, and the absence of splashes even when using coils with very low resistance.

— Si...de. The type of blowing used mainly in "drips" (see "Type of atomizer"). If the bottom airflow gives the most delicious steam, then the side airflow is the most dense and saturated. This is achieved due to the fact that the air flows around the spiral as intensively as possible and captures the greatest amount of evaporation. In addition, the likelihood of liquid overflow and splash formation in such atomizers is very small, and with the right settings, the taste is transmitted almost as well as in the “lower” models. The main disadvantage of this option is the actual need for careful tuning and proper installation of the spiral — so that there are no blind spots on it. So side airflow is generally designed for experienced users; maintenance-free atomizers are an exception, but this format of operation is rarely used in them.

Also note that there are combined options for sale, for which two types of airflow are indicated at once. Here the specifics can be different. So, it is unrealistic to combine the upper and lower airflow in one evaporator, therefore this option is indicated only for sets of several atomizers with different types of airflow. But the side format of work may well be combined with the top or bottom — this allows you to combine the advantages of both options and provide saturated steam. On the other hand, the need for careful tuning for such devices is just as relevant as for "pure" side ones.

The smallest resistance of the heating coil of an electronic cigarette.

The meaning of this parameter will be different, depending on which part of the device is in question (see "Type"). So, for atomizers, this parameter is given if spare heaters are supplied in the kit — accordingly, it is indicated for the “head” with the lowest resistance. For a battery mod, this is the smallest resistance that can be connected to it. And in starter kits, the minimum resistance is also usually indicated by the battery mod; low-resistance "heads" in such cases may or may not be included in the delivery.

Anyway, data on the minimum resistance is important in the mutual selection of an atomizer and a battery mod (including when creating custom windings) — connecting an atomizer with too low resistance is fraught with overloads and various unpleasant consequences, up to fire. However, this parameter is of particular importance for lovers of the so-called subohm — soaring at a low heater resistance (up to 1 ohm), which allows you to achieve high steam saturation (when the resistance decreases, the power increases). Not all batteries are capable of working with sub-ohm heaters, so the suitability of a battery mod for such vaping needs to be clarified.

The type of connector for connecting the atomizer to the battery pack provided in the device. The most popular today are two types of connectors:

ego. A standard used primarily in entry-level starter kits (see "Type"). In such models, the battery mod has the form of a cylinder with a small diameter and, accordingly, does not differ in special power and capacity. The connector itself is screw, and when connected, the battery is screwed into the atomizer (unlike the 510 standard). Charging is also carried out through the ego connector, and, accordingly, requires the use of specialized chargers. For more solid equipment, this connector does not fit well, and therefore is not used in more or less powerful battery packs.

- 510. The most popular modern connector for electronic cigarettes, used in most battery packs and atomizers; installed in almost all devices of the middle and top class, as well as in most low-cost models. Like the ego, it uses a screw connection, however, in this case, the atomizer is screwed into the slot on the body of the battery mod, and not vice versa.

For normal compatibility of the atomizer with the battery mod, it is necessary that both of them use the same connector. However, due to the extreme popularity of the 510 type, problems with this very rarely arise, and in extreme cases, adapters between these standards are produced.

The battery capacity of an e-cigarette or separately sold battery mod. This parameter is indicated only for models with non-removable batteries (see "Battery type"): replaceable cells can be produced in different capacities.

The larger the battery, the longer you can use the device without recharging the battery. However the actual power consumption and, accordingly, the battery life of different models will be different, therefore, only devices with similar operating voltages and atomizer resistances can be compared in terms of capacity.

In general, if battery life is important to you, it is quite possible to proceed from the principle “the more capacious the battery, the better”; and to save money, you can choose a relatively weak battery. It is also worth mentioning that there are schemes for calculating the optimal battery capacity depending on the power, atomizer resistance, etc.; these schemes can be found in special sources.

The maximum power supplied by the battery.

This is one of the main parameters of the battery pack that determines its compatibility with the atomizer. Starter kits (see "Type"), by definition, include atomizers that are optimally suited to a given battery in terms of power, and this parameter is mainly of reference value. But when choosing components separately, you should pay special attention to it. Higher power allows you to achieve more saturated steam, but only up to certain limits — too much heating leads to a deterioration in taste, and even burning of the wick (which, all the more, does not contribute to improving the sensation of soaring). So the atomizer must normally transfer the power of the battery, otherwise, at best, you will have to constantly limit the power with the help of a varivolt or variwatt (see "Battery mod"), and at worst, normal use will be impossible at all.

Note that for classic evaporator tanks with one spiral, power up to 40 W is considered sufficient; more powerful batteries are designed mainly for advanced serviced models, drip atomizers and bacodrips(see "Type of atomizer") that have more than one coil and, accordingly, are more high consumption in terms of energy consumption. Also note that the actual heating power depends on the voltage, and in fact it may be lower than the claimed one, depending on the resistance of the atomizer. See “Maximum voltage".

The material from which the body of the device is made.

This parameter is relevant primarily for battery mods: they can be made from a wide variety of materials, while atomizers do not differ in variety (the standard option is stainless steel, with a few exceptions; see below for details). Actually, for ready-made kits (including POD systems, see "Type"), this paragraph just indicates the material of the battery mod. Here is a more detailed description of specific options:

— Stainless steel. Perhaps the most popular material for electronic cigarettes and their components — of all types and price categories. At a relatively low cost, stainless steel is strong, reliable, durable and not subject to scratches and corrosion. Of the shortcomings of this material, one can only note a rather large weight, but some, on the contrary, consider this moment an advantage: a massive metal case gives the impression of solidity and quality. Also, steel, like any metal, can cool the skin at low air temperatures and slide in the hands; however, in order to avoid all this, various linings (for example, made of rubber or soft-touch plastic) can be provided on the case to eliminate this drawback.

— Zinc alloy. Another fairly popular material, which is actually a compromise between stainless steel and aluminium. Zinc weighs less than steel and costs less than aluminium alloys; at the same time, this...material perfectly resists corrosion and has high strength, which led to its prevalence.

— Aluminium. Perhaps the most advanced metal in terms of practical characteristics: aluminium is light, strong and absolutely insensitive to corrosion. Its main disadvantage is a rather high price, while the described advantages are rarely decisive in comparison with the same steel or zinc. Therefore, aluminium cases are quite rare; at the same time, it is worth noting that this material is found not only in battery mods, but also in atomizers.

— Plastic. Inexpensive material, which also has a small weight and is able to take on a wide variety of colours. However, this is where the advantages of plastic, in fact, are exhausted: in terms of strength and scratch resistance, it is noticeably inferior to metals, and it can melt from strong heat. However there are advanced grades of plastic, but instead of them, most manufacturers prefer to use steel or other metal in vapes. As a result, plastic cases are rare, and mostly among entry-level models.

— Copper. The material used mainly as a design material — to give the case an unusual appearance (copper has a characteristic reddish tint). From the point of view of practical properties, such cases are similar to steel ones — in particular, they are strong, massive and scratch resistant. On the other hand, copper tolerates moisture worse, stains can appear on it even from constant contact with the skin. However, the main drawback of this material is its high price, which determined the specifics of its application.

— Brass. Another metal used primarily for aesthetic rather than practical reasons. It is similar in properties to copper described above and differs only in colour (shades of yellow) and somewhat greater resistance to oxidation (although it all depends on the specific type of brass).

— Wood. Wooden cases look interesting due to the characteristic colours and patterns. At the same time, this material is not very practical: it is prone to cracks and splits from impacts, it is easily scratched, and it can swell and warp from prolonged exposure to moisture. In addition, wooden cases are quite expensive (in part, this is a payment for the style). So, choosing a battery mod in such a design is worth it only in cases where the ability to “stand out from the crowd” is more important for you than the shortcomings described.

— Ceramics, Special high-strength ceramics are highly resistant to wear: such a case is very difficult to scratch, so it looks like new for a long time. On the other hand, this material may crack on impact (whereas metal is more likely to only slightly bend). Therefore, ceramic cases are extremely rare — especially since they are not cheap.

The material from which the flask of the complete atomizer is made. Most often, it means the material from which the transparent insert in the body (usually steel) is made, with the exception of all-steel flasks, see below for more details about them.

— Glass. The most popular flask material in modern vapes. The glass does more than just allow you to see the contents of the flask — this transparency is maintained for a long time, as the glass surface is highly resistant to scratches. In addition, the walls of the flask are chemically inert, they do not react with the "slurry", whatever its composition; and the fragility of the walls is compensated by their thickness, and sometimes by special additives in the composition of the glass. This material is somewhat more expensive than plastic, but in fact this difference is insignificant.

— Plastic. Plastic flasks, like glass, are usually made transparent, which allows you to monitor the amount of liquid; at the same time, they are much cheaper, it is very difficult to break such a container, and fragments from plastic are not as dangerous as glass ones. At the same time, this material is easily covered with scratches and quickly becomes cloudy during use. In addition, some types of plastic (especially inexpensive ones) can react with substances that make up e-liquids (manufacturers of both flasks and refills try to avoid this phenomenon, but...a full guarantee cannot be given). As a result, this option is not particularly popular, it is typical mainly for low-cost devices created with the expectation of maximum cost reduction.

— Stainless steel. Stainless steel flasks are notable primarily for their high strength — even under a very strong load, the steel tank is more likely to flatten than crack. Yes, and resistance to corrosion can also be written down as advantages. At the same time, this material has a critical drawback that negates all its advantages — it is opaque. As a result, it is possible to monitor the liquid level in such a flask only by indirect signs — for example, by changing the taste or the amount of steam. This, to put it mildly, is inconvenient, so steel flasks are used extremely rarely — and not so much for practical reasons, but as an element of unusual design.