As vaping continues to evolve, consumers need to understand the intentions and benefits behind different vaping devices. Whether one is transitioning from traditional cigarettes and aiming to reduce nicotine consumption, or just looking for a quick nicotine fix, the choice of device can significantly influence the outcome. The breakdown below provides a comparison between disposable nicotine and open-system nicotine vapes to help you make informed decisions.
Disposable Nicotine Vapes
Advantages:
- Convenience: These devices are ready-to-use and require no prior setup. Also, if one can only consume in short bursts (like on an office work break), a disposable vape can quickly and discreetly satisfy needs.
- Compact Design: Their sleek designs ensure portability and discretion.
- No Learning Curve: Easy to use with no complicated instructions.
Limitations:
- Environmental Concerns: Being single-use, they contribute to increased environmental waste and are the topic of controversy as a result.
- Cumulative Cost: While initially appearing cost-effective, regular usage will lead to higher expenses over time. Our disposables average from $25 for 10mlmls of eliquid. In comparison, a 30ml to 60ml bottle of e-liquid containing up to 5 to 10 times that amount is $15-$25. Even with the cost of a device added in, open systems are always more cost-effective.
- Fixed Nicotine Levels: This is a big one. Users cannot adjust the nicotine content, limiting the ability to reduce nicotine intake gradually. Most disposable vapes are made with very high nicotine level options, often far more than the average smoker/vaper would need to feel satisfied. This is especially concerning for never smokers. Disposables are most often found to have a fixed nicotine level of 4% -6% or 40-60mg per milliliter. They are stronger than any level of nicotine we sold for our first 10 years of business, while successfully still helping thousands of traditional tobacco users throw their cigarettes in the trash. We do not recommend using such high levels unless absolutely necessary to achieve your goal.
- Challenges in Transitioning: While they can offer an initial step away from a heavy cigarette addiction, their static nicotine levels do not allow for a step-down of nicotine levels, if quitting nicotine altogether is your goal.
- Questionable Quality Control: Unlike naturally-derived e-liquids intended for use in open systems, all disposable nicotine vapor products are made in China. Although China is implementing quality control standards for vapor products, it will take time for the government to enforce them. In the meantime, the USA is flooded with inferior-quality disposable devices.
Open System Nicotine Vapes
Advantages:
- Adjustable Nicotine Levels: Users can start with a nicotine strength that matches their current habit and gradually decrease it, offering a structured path to reduce or quit nicotine.
- Environmentally Friendly: Their reusable nature results in less waste.
- Long-Term Cost Efficiency: Despite a higher initial investment, the cumulative cost is often lower than disposables.
- Variety of Flavors: Users have the freedom to explore a much larger, diverse range of e-liquids. They can also start with an e-liquid flavor that mimics the cigarettes they are transitioning off of, which is much more difficult to find in the disposable market.
- Closely Mimics Smoking: With Mouth-to-Lung (MTL) tanks, the experience is akin to traditional smoking, aiding smoother transitions.
- Rechargeable/Extended Battery Life: These devices often come with longer-lasting batteries, ensuring consistent performance.
Limitations:
- Maintenance Required: Regular upkeep, including refilling e-liquids and changing parts, is necessary. Our professional staff is happy to educate and assist you on all of these aspects. In fact, we will do anything we can to make your transition easier!
- Initial Learning Curve: Some users might need time to familiarize themselves with the device's functionalities. This is another aspect our staff is happy to assist with. We treat our patrons with the respect they deserve, regardless of their experience level.
Conclusion
In comparing the two, it becomes evident that if the objective is to quit smoking and subsequently reduce or eliminate nicotine consumption, open-system nicotine vapes offer a more structured and flexible approach. They provide users with the ability to control nicotine levels and are financially and environmentally more sustainable. Conversely, while disposable vapes serve as a convenient bridge from cigarettes, they may not be the optimal choice for long-term nicotine reduction goals and are more geared towards those with no plan to wean down or quit and for no regard to nicotine consumption.
Regardless of the choice between disposable or open-system devices, it's imperative to align the selection with one's intentions and to be well-informed about the advantages and limitations of each.
We prefer open systems to disposables (closed systems) because they are better aligned with our harm reduction mission and goals.