What is Sub-Ohm Vaping?

4 May 2016

Ohm - isn’t that the mystic syllable uttered during meditation? What’s sub-ohm then, some kind of under the sea yoga? Sub-ohm vaping underwater whilst practising the downward dog?

Now you’re just being silly. That would be “om”, a sacred mantra: VERY different to the unit of electrical resistance, ohm. And we don’t suggest you try vaping underwater either, unless you want emerge a choking mess with a broken vape.

In the Vape Mountain glossary, sub-ohm vaping is defined as “a popular but controversial trend within the world of vaping” which involves “the process of tampering with your electronic cigarette, pushing the limit of the battery and altering its resistance level to enable bigger vapour clouds.” 

That’s sub-ohming in a nutshell. But we’re guessing, if you’ve come to this page, you want to know more. So let’s crack open that nutshell, spill out the contents and get to the bottom of what it is that’s so appealing – and dangerous - about sub-ohm vaping.

Bigger, Faster, Stronger

Sub-ohm vaping isn't something that can be practiced with any old e-cigarette – if you want to try it out you’re gonna need a mod. This is the chunkier, more advanced, customisable big sister to the vape pen. Originally, the tech-savvy would fiddle around with their mods themselves, adding components to allow more power and bigger clouds. 

Nowadays you can purchase pre-made sub-ohm tanks, although some of the more serious experienced vapers still prefer to design and build upon their devices themselves. 

Lowering the resistance level of your mod’s battery allows more energy to flow to the coil, so that it can reach a higher temperature more quickly. This is what enables larger vapour cloud production, as well as a more intense flavour. Lowering the resistance to less than 1 ohm – basically the lowest it can go - is what’s described as sub-ohm vaping.  

Awes-ohm Extremes

There’ll always be people who like to take things to extremes. Cloud chasers are those who practice sub-ohm vaping in order to produce the biggest vapour clouds, often competing with one another. 

There’s even recognised cloud chasing competitions, like the World Series of Vape in Las Vegas, where experienced vapers gather like dragons to compare their vapour plumes and crown a victor!

So basically sub-ohm vapers are like the free-climbers of mountain climbing or the deep-sea divers of snorkelers. Even Hon Lik (the inventor or the modern e-cigarette) recognised this fact in saying “When automotive manufacturers first started out, they were not thinking about a sport to be called Formula One. You always have groups of people who are looking for excitement” in reference to the cloud chasing phenomenon. 

Danger Danger

All sounds fun and exciting so far, but just like deep sea diving and car racing, sub-ohm vaping is not without its risks. In fact it can be downright dangerous, so we cannot stress enough that we do not recommend it in any way. However if you're intent on pushing vaping to the extreme it's important to be clued-up and well informed. 

Pushing your battery to the limit this way can cause the device to overheat, melt and even explode. Sub-ohm vaping is not recommended, but if you must do it then make sure you do your homework first: read up on Ohm’s Law and basic electronics, explore vaping community forums and make sure you know exactly what you’re doing.

Sure, producing the biggest, most flavoursome vapour clouds sounds awesome in theory, but there’s nothing awesome about a vape exploding in your face.

When Not to Sub-Ohm

Sub-ohmers usually vape liquid with a lower nicotine content as producing more vapour means you'll receive a harsher nicotine hit. They also inhale straight to lung rather than from the mouth. Therefore if you vape as a substitute for smoking, looking to simulate the experience whilst getting a nicotine fix, sub-ohm vaping probably isn't for you.

Furthermore, it’s not the best idea if you’re vaping on a budget as sub-ohming uses up larger quantities of e-juice more quickly.

If you're new to the vaping community then forget mods and sub-ohming - we suggest you stick to your e-cigs and vape pens! With thousands of juice flavours available for you to enjoy, what more could you need?

See Our Trending E-Liquids!

10 Motives E-Cigarette Menthol Refill Cartridges Saver Pack (40 Packs)

10 Motives E-Cigarette Menthol Refill Cartridges Saver Pack (40 Packs)

£217.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Menthol refill cartridges for the 10 Motives Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Each refill is a nicotine equivalent of up to 25 cigarettes
  • Available in 11mg and 16mg nicotine strengths
  • Saver pack containing 40 packs (160 refills in total)
OK Vape Tobacco High Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (18mg)

OK Vape Tobacco High Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (18mg)

£6.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Tobacco-flavoured electronic cigarette refill
  • Suitable for the OK Vape Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • High nicotine strength of 18mg
  • Each pack contains 5 refills, with bulk offers available
  • Available from £5.20 per pack!
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout
Elf Bar 600 Blueberry Disposable Vape Pen (20mg)

Elf Bar 600 Blueberry Disposable Vape Pen (20mg)

£4.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Disposable vape pen supplied in a delicious blueberry flavour
  • Provides 600 puffs per bar, roughly the same as 20 cigarettes
  • Compact, portable and drag-activated for a great vape experience 
  • Mix and match 10 of any flavour to reduce price to £3.80 per device
Vuse Pro ePod Golden Tobacco Refill Pods (12mg)

Vuse Pro ePod Golden Tobacco Refill Pods (12mg)

£6.49
In stock now  In stock now
  • Refill pods for use with Vuse Pro and Vuse ePod devices
  • Classic tobacco flavour with toasty caramel notes
  • Features nicotine salts and a strength of 12mg
  • This double pack lasts up to a massive 1900 puffs
EDGE Forest Fruits E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Forest Fruits E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Blueberry and strawberry flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
EDGE British Tobacco E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE British Tobacco E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Tobacco flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
OK Vape Rechargeable Tobacco E-Cigarette Starter Kit

OK Vape Rechargeable Tobacco E-Cigarette Starter Kit

£5.49
In stock now  In stock now
  • Rechargeable electronic cigarette with slim "cigalike" design
  • Includes two tobacco flavoured nicotine refills
  • Starter kit includes everything that you need to start vaping
  • Number of different tobacco and menthol refills available
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout
Vuse Pro ePod Chilled Mint Refill Pods (12mg)

Vuse Pro ePod Chilled Mint Refill Pods (12mg)

£6.49
In stock now  In stock now
  • Refill pods for use with Vuse Pro and Vuse ePod devices
  • Supplied in a simple, fresh and cooling chilled mint flavour
  • Features nicotine salts and a strength of 12mg
  • This double pack lasts up to a massive 1900 puffs
OK Vape Menthol Medium Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (12mg)

OK Vape Menthol Medium Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (12mg)

£6.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Menthol-flavoured electronic cigarette refill
  • Suitable for the OK Vape Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Medium nicotine strength of 12mg
  • Each pack contains 5 refills, with bulk offers available
  • Available from £5.20 per pack!
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout
EDGE Very Menthol E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Very Menthol E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Menthol flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
EDGE Heizen E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

EDGE Heizen E-Liquid (Pack of 5)

£11.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Fruit and menthol flavoured e-liquid
  • Nicotine strengths: 6mg, 12mg and 18mg
  • VG: 50%, PG: 50%
  • Made in the UK
OK Vape Tobacco Low Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (6mg)

OK Vape Tobacco Low Nicotine E-Cigarette Refills (6mg)

£6.99
In stock now  In stock now
  • Tobacco-flavoured electronic cigarette refill
  • Suitable for the OK Vape Rechargeable E-Cigarette
  • Low nicotine strength of 6mg
  • Each pack contains 5 refills, with bulk offers available
  • Available from £5.20 per pack!
  • FREE OK Vape Starter Kit Offer: Enter switch2ok at checkout