Vape Mods vs Pod Kits: What’s the Difference?

Published: 18 May 2023
Categories: Blog

If you’re like everybody else new to vaping you’re probably a bit confused about some of the terminology related to vaporizers. Should you get an e-cig or a cig-alike? Or maybe a vape pen would be a better fit. But which kind? Maybe what you’re really after is a vape mod, or maybe a pod kit or a… well, you get the idea. The terminology can seem pretty confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. In this brief explainer article the team here at the Smoking Buddha vape shop in Parker are going to zoom in on vape mods and pod kits and explain the difference. Let’s start with vape mods.

What is a Vape Mod?

Vape mods are often called “box mods“. In fact, most people refer to them that way. They are box-shaped devices used to vape e-liquids, wax, oils or dry herb. Most vape mods support sub-ohm vaping, which is a form of vaping that uses a low-resistance coil that’s less than 1ohm. Hence “sub” ohm. Sub-ohm vaping typically produces big fluffy clouds of vapor.

Vape Mod Advantages

Larger clouds: Vape mods/box mods typically produce large billowy clouds of vapor. There are a couple of reasons for that. First off, as we just mentioned vape mods can be used for sub-ohm vaping that is always going to pump out the puffy stuff. And secondly, most vape mods are designed to work with e-liquids with a high VG content. VG, or vegetable glycerin, is thicker than PG, or propylene glycol, and is famous for creating big cumulus clouds of vapor.

Better battery life: Pod kits are notorious for needing to be recharged all the time. That doesn’t happen with a vape mod. The batteries on almost all vape mods are more robust and will not need to be recharged constantly.

Greater customization: Most mods can be modified to better suit your particular tastes. And that goes for both aesthetic customization such as swapping out different color panels, and practical customization, as in changing the wattage and voltage of the device. Some of the more expensive mods come with multiple coils so you can swap them out to do different kinds of vaping.

Vape Mod Disadvantages

  • Size: Whether you call them vape mods or box mods these vaporizers are larger than typical pod kits. This makes them a little less convenient to carry around in your pocket and also makes discreet vaping harder to do.
  • Learning curve: Vaporizer mods take more time to get used to. There are more ways to configure a mod than a pod kit, and it’s likely to take a while before you find the sweet spot in the settings. That said, most people think it’s worth the effort.
  • No auto-fire: Every time you want to take a hit from your vape mod/box mod you need to hit the fire button. This is not a major issue for most people, just an inconvenience. But if it seems like it could be an issue for you, you might want to consider a pod kit instead.
  • You’re likely to spend more money: Why? Because mods tend to use a lot of e-liquid, and with a bottle of e-liquid costing as much as $30 or more the cost is going to add up if you use your vape mod a lot.
  • Not compatible with nicotine salts: We should be clear on this; you can load your mod with nicotine salts if you wish, but it’s likely to ruin your tank pretty quickly. If you’re vaping to quit smoking try a pod kit instead.
  • Higher acquisition cost: Vape mods/box mods are going to cost you more than pod kits. Depending on the box mod you choose maybe a LOT more. There are custom mods on the market costing $2,500 and more. Though most decent mods run anywhere from $50 – $100.

What Are Pod Kits?

Pod kits – also known as “vape pens”, “closed pod systems” and “pod mods” – are more compact than vape mods and offer a much simpler vaping experience.

Pod Kit Advantages

  • Portability and discretion: Pod kits/pod mods are much smaller than box mods. This compact size makes them an ideal choice for discreet vaping, which you’ll need to get good at if you’re to avoid drawing the attention of unhinged types who mistakenly equate vaping with cigarette smoking.
  • Auto fire: With most pod kits you don’t have to worry about pressing the fire button every time you take a hit. Just start your draw and the device fires up automatically.
  • Cheaper: Pod kits cost nothing compared to what a custom box mod might cost. Even if you’re comparing a standard pod kit to a standard vape mod the pod kit will still be significantly less.
  • No learning curve: Pod mods are about as straightforward as vaporizers get. There’s virtually no learning curve because your ability to tweak settings is essentially nonexistent.

Pod Kit Disadvantages

  • Shorter battery life: Compared to a box mod you’ll be recharging the pod kit a lot more often.
  • No way to customize: A pod mod is what it is and the customer can either take it or leave it.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for the perfect vape mod or pod kit stop by The Smoking Buddha in Parker. We’re easy to find, either search for “vape shop near me” or give us a call at 303-840-4388 and we’ll tell you how to find us.