Which is Better: Vape Mod or Vape Pod?

April 24, 2022

No two devices give the same vapour cloud, the same pull, or the same convenience. Vape mods offer the benefit of a large, customisable, multi-feature device with long battery life. Pods, on the other hand, mean flexibility, discretion, and convenience. Both are very different but offer different experiences depending on your requirements.

Whether you are new to vaping or a long-time user who might want to change things up, there are tons of factors to consider when choosing a vape pen type. Use this breakdown to help you decide which of these options is the best choice for you.

Vape Mods

A vape mod is an enhanced e-cigarette that is modified to include extra features and customizability. It’s called a mod due to its modified nature. Most vape mods are a great choice for those seeking a high vapour production device.

The construction of a mod can include several parts like:

Tank system
Drip tip
Activation button
Display screen
Button controls
Charging port
Battery compartment

Each component does an important job that impacts the flavor, customizability, firing power, pull, the appearance of clouds, and more.

The tank system is the chamber that holds the liquid and the coils. Within the chamber, the coils heat the e liquid which creates the vapour that you inhale. To operate your mod, you need to buy e-liquid refills. This substance is made of a few ingredients including propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, water, nicotine, and flavoring. You can buy e liquids with or without nicotine and in a variety of flavors. As soon as you add it to the tank, you’re ready to go.

Vape Pods

Vape pods are commonly referred to as a pod or cartridge. These can be plugged into a compact, easy to use vaporiser known as an e-cigarette. Inside each pod is e-juice, which heats up to become vapour that you can inhale. The coil in an e-cig is wrapped in a wicking material, like cotton or ceramic, and as soon as it soaks through with e-juice, it is ready to provide a puff. Contrary to the mod vape’s many buttons and ports, RELX e-cigarettes don’t use any buttons. You just inhale and the coil quickly heats the e-juice until it becomes vapour. . When inhaled, it prompts the coil to heat the e-juice until it becomes vapour.

Pod devices have four parts to their construction including:

Battery
Charge connector
Power indicator
Pod

Pods come in a variety of flavors and are affordable to buy. They can come with or without nicotine, just like mod e-liquids. They can even come in the form of pod mods. Pod mods are a type of modified e-cigarette that takes a pod rather than e-liquid. This makes it especially user-friendly.

What are the Main Differences Between Mods and Pods?

Understanding the key differences between these versatile devices is the best way to know which is the best for you.

Size and Construction

Of the two devices, vape pods are thinner and smaller (with pod mods being only slightly larger). This means that pod systems (including pod mods) are the better device for carrying more discreetly in a small pocket or even in your hand. While it may be to your benefit to use smaller, more discreet devices, you also may be more prone to losing them. RELX Infinity can be stored in the charging case and be ready whenever you need it.

Vape mods are a bit larger and can be bulkier to lug around. They’d be better served for use at home or for carrying in a bag. The reason they are larger is because of the tank. This added tank customisation may lead to a larger size for vape mods, but it also means more customisation for your device. This means you may be able to sub ohm easier with a vape mod than vape pods. Users can add or remove coils and switch out the tank for a different experience, whereas with pods, they are available with one uniform way of use and little ability to sub ohm.

Power and Battery Capacity

Mods come with a higher wattage than pods. This fact means that they can offer a lot more features than pods do. They also tend to have a larger battery capacity than pods do. While this does allow for the easy storage and small, convenient size of the device with a tiny battery, it means missing out on some great features like:

Increased firing power
Variable temperature control
Increased pull and larger clouds
More flavor customisations

Compared to pod systems, a good dual-battery mod system can get up to 5,000 mAh. This impressive battery capacity means that you will get much longer time between charging, but might have to deal with a size that is not ideal or convenient. Dual-battery systems are even larger than the traditional mods. The greater the battery capacity, the larger and harder to carry and store the device will likely be.

Inhalation Style

Using a pod vape means inhaling mouth to lung. Mods can be customised to work this way with the right tank attachment. Otherwise, you’ll tend to get direct lung inhalation. The benefit of the pod’s inhalation style is that it means you’re getting a stronger throat sensation.

Price Difference

Price isn’t just about the upfront cost of the vape. It also refers to how expensive it is to purchase a refill cartridge or juice for your e-cigarette. Over time, these costs can add up and create a massive disparity in price between the two. This is why anyone hoping to get the lowest possible price long-term should look to mods.

E-juice for mod devices, like those containing vegetable glycerin and flavorings, tends to be less expensive than the cost of replacement cartridges. The only real price benefit for pods applies if you enjoy nicotine salt e-liquids. All replacement cartridges come with higher nicotine salt e-liquids, whereas with a mod you would need to purchase a replacement tank for the device in addition to your nicotine salt e liquid. In the long run, though, mods tend to be less expensive overall.

Vape Popping

Although a common occurrence, this is something that you need to consider when purchasing your vape pod or mod. It is a more common problem with Mod style vapes and can be caused by many different factors including your wattage settings, the e-liquid that you choose and the component parts of your vape.

It is preventable if you keep your device clean and check all the parts are working correctly. Replace parts regularly and ensure the liquid you are using is correct for your vape.

If you don’t mind the popping and the potential investment in extra parts to have the experience of the vape mod then go for it, but if you prefer less of a hassle then choose the pod.

Which is Right for Me?

The vaping experience is varied and depends on your individual preferences, tolerances, and experience with vaping or cloud chasing. If you are hoping for the most cost effective and customizable fit a mod might be better but if you fancy trying it out, a vaporiser can provide a different experience with greater flavor variety.

Of course, we here at RELX would highly recommend the vape pod over the mod. It is the easier of the devices to maintain, more convenient and less bulky than the alternative.

Conclusion

Whichever vaporiser you choose for yourself should be one that matches your needs in terms of feel, flavor, cloud, price, and more. Use this guide to help you make your choice.