How to Find the Perfect Wattage for Your Rechargeable Vape

With the UK getting ready to ban disposable vapes, a lot of people are switching to rechargeable vape kits—and honestly, it’s a smart move. They’re better for the planet, easier on your wallet in the long run, and give you way more control over your vaping experience.

One thing that trips up many new vapers, though? Wattage. Don’t worry—we’ve got you. In this guide, we’ll explain what wattage actually is, why it matters, and how to find the sweet spot that works best for your vape, your coil, and your e-liquid.

So, What Is Wattage Anyway?

Wattage is just a fancy word for how much power your vape sends to the coil. The coil heats up your e-liquid and turns it into vapour. Crank the watts up, and you get hotter, thicker clouds. Lower it down, and the vapour’s cooler and smoother.

There are two main types of devices:

• Fixed wattage vapes, where the power is preset—no thinking required.

• Variable wattage vapes, where you can tweak the power level to get it just right.

If your vape has a screen or some LEDs on it, chances are you can adjust the wattage yourself. Just remember: more watts = more heat, bigger clouds. Less watts = cooler hits and a gentler experience.

Coils and Wattage: A Dynamic Duo

Your vape’s coil plays a huge role in what wattage you should be using. Here’s the quick lowdown:

• Low-resistance coils (0.1–0.9 ohms): These are for direct-to-lung (DTL) vaping. Think big clouds, warm vapour, and wattages around 20W to 80W.

• High-resistance coils (1.0–3.0 ohms): These are for mouth-to-lung (MTL) vaping. Smaller clouds, more of a cigarette-style draw, and wattages around 5W to 25W.

Not sure what your coil can handle? The wattage range is usually printed right on the coil or the box it came in. Start at the low end of that range and slowly turn it up a few watts at a time until it tastes just right.

Don’t Forget Your E-Liquid

Here’s something most people don’t realise: your e-liquid’s VG/PG ratio also affects what wattage you should be using.

• 50/50 VG/PG liquids: These are thinner and better for MTL setups. Stick to lower wattages—around 8W to 15W—for the best flavour and throat hit.

• High-VG juices (like 70/30 or 80/20): Thicker and best for sub-ohm coils. They need more heat to vaporise properly, so aim for 20W to 40W+, depending on your setup.

Using the wrong combo of coil, e-liquid, and wattage can lead to dry hits, burnt coils, or a generally disappointing vape. So matching them up is key.

A Quick Guide to Wattage by Device Type

Here’s a handy cheat sheet to help you dial in the right range: