Last week at VapeCon International Washington, RPadholic N8R posed an interesting question while a bunch of us were enjoying a Ciroc-fueled evening (morning, actually). He asked the group, “Do you think rebuildable atomizers will be dead in two or three years? Because the coils on tanks are getting so good!” (At least, that’s what he asked to the best of my memory. There was a lot of vodka.) It’s certainly an interesting question, but to me it has a clear answer — no.
While it’s true that vape tanks are better than ever, they’re still behind rebuildable atomizers in terms of flavor production and vapor production. Certainly the convenience of tanks with replaceable coils is tough to beat. For the majority of vapers, a good tank with a good coil is a more manageable vaping solution than a rebuildable atomizer. In the timeframe N8R mentioned, I don’t doubt that tanks with replaceable coils will greatly outsell rebuildable atomizers. Now having said all of that, I sincerely doubt that rebuildable atomizers will be dead in three years.
One of the cool things about vaping is all the experimentation that occurs. A lot of that experimentation leads to innovation. Much of the experimentation and innovation happens on rebuildable atomizers. Let’s look at exotic coil types, for example. Clapton coils are the rage these days, with vapers enjoying the enhanced flavor they offer. In the last few months, companies have been offering replacement coils that feature Clapton builds. The first time I saw a Clapton coil was in early 2014 on ECF. While the innovative build eventually hit the replaceable-coil space, it first happened on rebuildable atomizers.
The same holds true for the different metals used with temperature control mods. Yes, there are replaceable coils that use nickel or titanium. Coils with stainless steel wire have recently popped up too. Before these metals appeared in replaceable coils, vapers were using them on rebuildable atomizers.
Again, I don’t doubt that tanks with replaceable coils will eclipse rebuildable atomizers in the near future. That trend has already started. Replaceable coils are simply a superior solution for the majority of vapers. At the same time, I don’t doubt that rebuildable atomizers will still be a “thing” in three years. It’s a much better platform for experimentation. There will always be a segment of enthusiast vapers that like to tinker and push the envelope, and they’ll do so on rebuildable atomizers. These pioneers are the trendsetters and tastemakers that will help make vaping better for everyone.
So yeah, that’s my long answer to a question that I couldn’t adequately answer last week due to alcohol. Ha!
[Special thanks to Vaping Drew for the image above!]